Date: Fri 07-Nov-1997

By SHANNON HICKS

Published: Aug 13, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNON

Quick Words:

Road-Wallflowers-postal-

Full Text:

ON THE ROAD FOR NOVEMBER 7

A reminder that the big CD release party for ELECTRICWATER will be going on

this evening (November 7) at the Classic Rock Brew Pub in Danbury. This

Newtown band has been playing all over the state, along with dates into New

York, for a few years now and is now ready to celebrate its first album

pressing.

The Brew Pub is the latest incarnation of the Flying Squire/Moondance

building, at 1 Wibling Road (right next to the Dby Airport). Music gets

underway around 10. Copies of the band's self-titled album will be available

at the show.

There will be two openers for the WALLFLOWERS show in Danbury this month. THE

JAYHAWKS and MAYPOLE will both be performing a set each before the Wallflowers

take the stage on November 23. Tickets for the WCSU/O'Neill Center show, at

$24 each, are still available; call 837-8499 or 744-8100. A reminder: Seating

at the O'Neill Center is by general admission.

DURAN DURAN will be performing a concert in Connecticut this week: on

Wednesday night at the Mohegan Sun Wolf Den Lounge. The November 12

performance is the final warmup for the band, who begins its Medazzaland Tour

the following night, in Boston. Admission is free.

A concert by GREG ALLMAN & FRIENDS has been announced at the Palace Theatre in

Stamford, on November 28. The "Friends" will be guitarist Danny Chauncey,

drummer Preston Thrall, Tommy Thompson on keyboards, bassist Tom Miller, and

guitarist Jack Pearson. Opening for the all-star lineup will be Derek Trucks.

Tickets for the 8 pm show are $25 and $35; call the Palace box office,

358-2305.

The Webster Theatre put tickets on sale Saturday morning for a MORRISEY

concert, November 25. Opening the show will be SMOKING POPES.

At Toad's Place, a few new additions to the schedule, all for shows next

month: MOBY will be at the New Haven club December 8; CATHERINE WHEEL returns

the following night; and the return of the 80s glam rock continues December

14, when former SKID ROW frontman SEBASTIAN BACH takes the stage.

I saw something a little disturbing this week in one of the local grocery

stores. No, it wasn't a cashier with an attitude; it wasn't even a produce

worker gone postal. It was a mother, who was a little too close to the edge.

The woman had two young daughters and a toddler with her. First she left the

toddler and one of the daughters out in the store while she went into the back

to use a restroom. That was odd, but not the topper.

When the two older daughters began arguing over who got to push one of the

junior-size shopping carts the family had been able to find at the entrance of

the store, ol' Mom told the girls to stop arguing. When they didn't, she made

the older daughter, and I quote, "Drop!"

The girl got down on her knees - yes, on the nasty, dirty floor of a grocery

store - and actually started doing pushups! I may be wrong, but that's a bit

excessive.

Until next week, I'll be seeing you... on the road, working on my push-up

muscles.

COA Welcomes New Alternate, Discusses Senior Alliance

BOE Recognizes 2026 Profiles In Professionalism Honorees

C.H. Booth Library Hosted Another Successful Volunteer Fair

Fire Reports | April 28-May 4, 2026

Well that is some spin. The Democrats have a super majority on the LC and passed the Education Budget without serious consideration of if the voters could afford the multi million dollar increase. "Was the request justified?" rather than "is this needed?" and "can the voters shoulder yet another large increase?" The voters rightly sent it back. Then for some reason all the discussion around reductions to the increase seemed to be coming from the classroom, rather than administration and overhead costs. Is this a coercive tactic to manipulate parents into supporting the budget like tacit threat of cutting freshman sports was two years ago? Who believes the Democrats did not caucus privately before the meeting and came in with a number already worked out? This is the Dems budget, they own it.

Education Cuts: Who Voted For What

I think it is important that we do not villainize every black box seen around a home, business, farm, or municipal property. A black exterior station does not always mean rat poison is being used. These stations can hold a number of different products, including monitoring blocks, snap traps, non-toxic bait, anti-tick bait stations, organic salt- or cornmeal-based control products, and newer fertility-control approaches intended to reduce rodent populations without traditional poisons. The better conversation, in my opinion, is not simply “black boxes are bad,” but rather: what is inside them, who is maintaining them, and whether the rodent issue is being managed responsibly. Exclusion, sanitation, trapping, habitat reduction, and careful monitoring should all be part of a responsible IPM strategy. To be fair, on my own property I do use rodenticides, including Bromethalin and Bromadiolone, in secured bait stations. But that is a choice I make for my property, based on my circumstances and the risk I am trying to manage. I also believe property owners should understand the tradeoffs and be encouraged to use the least harmful effective method whenever possible. I support protecting Newtown’s wildlife. I also support giving residents accurate information and not assuming that every black box represents reckless or unsafe pest control. The goal should be responsible rodent management, not fear of the box itself.

Discusses Policy Against Rodenticides

Debora, thank you! I accidentally doubled the project prices by adding the bond to the appropriation. Thank you so much for catching that and pointing it out. With the corrected numbers, the voters approved a combined $1.32 million for a salt shed ($600k) and library pavement ($720k), while rejecting the $1.12 million replacement turf. Regarding the 80s, I truly respect the hurdle of 14% mortgage rates. My point is simply that the math has shifted: in 1980, while the rates were higher, the price of a home relative to earnings was significantly lower. We are facing a different, but equally crushing, financial wall. Ultimately, it is disheartening that voters who recognized safe sidewalks and parking lots as essential, dismissed a playing field in the exact same condition. The turf has passed its life cycle and is just as much of a liability as the library’s pavement, the only difference is that this safety concern affects thousands of children who, coincidentally, cannot vote. These are apples-to-apples needs. I was hopeful our community would agree that all Newtown residents deserve safe conditions, regardless of which facility they utilize. Again, I would be remiss not to mention that when 82% of residents don’t show up, we have to deal with the interests of those who did. Hopefully, the next referendum will have a bigger turnout.

The ‘Me’ Generation

Thanks for the reply. I meant the numbers you presented in your letter. I found one place where other numbers were listed: https://www.newtownbee.com/04232026/get-out-and-vote-on-the-2026-27-proposed-municipal-and-school-budgets/?q=\\\%22advisory%20questions\\\%22. In that article, the numbers were cited as: Treadwell field: $1,125,000 Library: $720,000 Salt Storage: $600,000 As one who started out in the early 80's when inflation was double digits, my 1985 mortgage rate was 14%, and child care costs were comparable (in present value), I shared your grief but never considered the voters ironic or shameful. PS. I agree college tuition is ridiculous. Thankfully, universities are offering (or considering) waiving all or most tuition for middle class families (upwards of $200,000 incomes). Hopefully, they'll also reconsider their need for those funds in the first place.

Sure! Child care costs: https://www.ffyf.org/2022/10/13/data-child-care-prices-continue-to-rise-ahead-of-midterm-elections-outpacing-inflation/ (also from 2021-2025 we had 2 children in a local daycare in Newtown and it cost us $3200 a month, so that's a number I am very familiar with) Home price / median price vs income source: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/home-price-income-ratios Tuition increase vs inflation: https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/noting-a-decline-in-middle-class-students-colleges-provide-more-aid/ Hope this helps :)

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Date: Fri 07-Nov-1997

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