This stretch of mid-winter is usually the time when people start grasping for diversions to quell their cabin fever. The desperation led us once again to gather around groundhogs this week to see if they cast shadows, heralding six more weeks of winter. In Newtown, however, there are far more interesting things to focus on.

The budget-making season is formally under way. Instead of the usual shuffling of papers and spreadsheets between department heads and administrators as a prelude to a vote on a make-do, marginally-more-expensive town budget in May, this year there are big changes afoot. If the town budget were our personal budget, this year might the year that the family buys a new house and a new car, while increasing the kids’ allowances (or is it now the limit on their credit cards?). Newtown has a lot to think about this winter.

With so many big issues at hand – the possible purchase of Fairfield Hills, the construction of a 5/6 school, and the growing need for recreational facilities to satisfy the town’s growing appetite for organized sports – at least three separate special interest groups are organizing their ranks for the coming discussions on town spending. “Save Fairfield Hills for Newtown” is out soliciting the preferences of townspeople for uses for Fairfield Hills should the town choose to buy the 185-acre property from the state. “Save Our Schools” is in the process of enlisting an army of parents to support significant increases in school spending. And the Park and Recreation Department is counting on the thousands of people involved in organized sports in town to help them win support for the construction of new athletic fields.

All this maneuvering involves some rather startling numbers. The Legislative Council is now assembling a $50 million package of capital projects to be realized over a five-year period. The two major components of that package are the proposed 5/6 school and Fairfield Hills. The initial school budget request proposed by Superintendent of Schools John Reed reflects a 17.5 percent hike in spending, and the Park and Recreation Department has asked for a 150 percent increase in its budget to pay for new ball fields.

It would be nice if we could determine what the future holds for Newtown merely by looking at the shadow of a groundhog, but it’s not that simple. If Newtown is to realize a plan for addressing its most pressing needs, all of us need to shake off our inclination to hibernate and get to work. Attend budget hearings and public information meetings, read The Bee, and talk with your friends and neighbors. Then let our public leaders know what you think with your voice and vote.