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FUN Celebrates At Its Final Meeting Of The School Year

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Jun 11, 2014 12:00 am

Members of FUN (Families United in Newtown) met at Dickinson Memorial Park on Sunday, June 8, for the group’s final meeting of the 2013-14 academic year.

FUN was formed in the memory of Tyler Jones, the son of the program’s founders.

According to the group’s Facebook page, “Families United in Newtown offers events to support families with special needs children and promotes autism awareness in the community.” In partnership with the Newtown high School National Honor Society, meetings are held monthly and the high school students offer “helping hands” at group events.

Sunday’s event highlighted graduating Newtown High School seniors and offered a day of activities, including a picnic, a hula hoop contest, a sack race, live music by the saxophone quartet Sax Fifth Avenue, “dress up fun” with leather items crafted by Newtown resident Andrew Mangold, and a water balloon toss.

FUN Founder and President Linda Jones and NHS graduating senior Anne Beier led the assembled children and students through the day’s activities.

When it was time to recognize all the graduating NHS seniors who have been a part of FUN, a cake was served, which was decorated with a frosting mortarboard and the words, “2014, Congratulations Graduates.”

Students honored during the event were, Nick Norberg, Megan Logan, Amisha Dave, Juliana Sansonetti, Josh Tuffy, Sonya Stanczyk, Patrick Carello, Dale Shearin, Ryan Nathenson, Mia Terracino, Elizabeth Charash, Cari Wollman, Ivy Lee, Connor Bateson, Matt Barra, Nate Steinbrey, Eli Klorczyk, Emily Berube, Matt Baldino, Brian Gregory, Michael Lally, Autsin Raftery, Sarah Hossain, Wesley Morlock, Jack Benedict, Rachel Zambernardi, Michaela Guinee, Jack Benedict, Ryan Errico, Sami Chanko, Brandi Brazil, and Ryan Gray.

More information about FUN is available at its website.

FUN (Families United in Newtown) honored its members who are also graduating seniors at Newtown High School during its final meeting of the 2013-14 academic year, held on Sunday, June 8, at Dickinson Memorial Park.

FUN Founder and President Linda Jones, left, used a microphone to lead attendees at FUN’s final meeting of the school year through activities.

Sax Fifth Avenue performed live music at the FUN event.

Virgil Procaccini, front left, and Nate Steinebrey, front right, were two of many who participated in a water balloon toss at the FUN (Families United in Newtown) event held at Dickinson Memorial Park on Sunday, June 8.

During the last meeting of FUN (Families United in Newtown) of the 2013-14 academic year Andrew Mangold, left, shared some of his leather creations with other event attendees, including Ryan Gray, right.

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The voters certainly spoke — and I respect the outcome — but let’s not forget that a “majority” doesn’t mean everyone agreed. Many of us are deeply concerned about the rising cost of living here. Supporting schools and services is important, but so is ensuring that residents can afford to stay in the town they love. We all want Newtown to be a great place to live, but lately, it’s starting to feel less like “Nicer in Newtown” and more like “More Expensive in Newtown.” That’s not sustainable, and it’s not a criticism of the town itself — it’s a call for responsible budgeting and long-term planning that doesn’t rely on tax increases year after year. I hope future decisions will reflect not just the desire to maintain services, but also the need to ease the financial burden on residents.

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I appreciate the passion behind this message, and I absolutely understand the desire to invest in our town. That said, I voted no — not because I don't care about Newtown, but because I do. Fiscal responsibility is not about ignoring problems, it’s about making sure we address them in a sustainable and transparent way. It’s frustrating to feel like every year there’s a new “urgent” reason to raise taxes, with little serious effort to curb spending or prioritize needs. I worry this just sets the stage for another round of increases next year. That doesn't mean I’m against education, safety, or our town’s future — it means I believe in accountability and in asking tough questions about how our money is managed. Voting no wasn't a rejection of Newtown — it was a call for more thoughtful, balanced leadership. I hope future conversations can include all perspectives, not just those willing to write a bigger check.

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The voters spoke, loud and clear that they support our schools and municipal services. The majority vote was a mandate to keep delivering well rated education services and keep it" Nicer in Newtown."

Great effort by the those who attended to shine a light on the attacks on Democracy. Thanks for the article so all can understand whats happening.

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Thank you LeReine, for speaking out about this. The list of public servants who are unfairly targeted for abuse just for doing their jobs has been growing. It is a testament to the power of propaganda that otherwise good and well-meaning people can get so emotional as to act out in this way.

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FUN Celebrates At Its Final Meeting Of The School Year

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