Date: Fri 11-Dec-1998

By SHANNON HICKS

Published: Aug 13, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNON

Quick Words:

Blue-Obre-Zoo-Nerds-Tuxedo

Full Text:

ON THE ROAD/SHANNON HICKS

Music returns to the tavern area of the Mary Hawley Inn in Newtown this

weekend. On Saturday night, the jazz/blues band BLUE will be performing. The

inn does not charge a cover for performances. BLUE will begin playing around

9:30 pm. I believe this is the band's debut at the Mary Hawley, but if the

name sounds familiar, it may be because the band used to play Sunday nights at

Hat City Ale over in Danbury.

Newtown guitarist PETER OBRE, who usually performs during the inn's brunches

on Sunday, will also be presenting a few evening performances. Mr Obre will be

at the inn on Saturday, December 19, and Wednesday, December 23. He usually

starts his evening performances around 9.

One of Ireland's popular rock bands, BLACK 47, returns to Connecticut in

February for a show at Toad's Place. The band will be in New Haven on the 5th,

which is a Friday. Tickets are $12.50 in advance, or $15 at the door.

Next Tuesday (Dec 15) will be a night for some local bands to play on the same

stage where some of the world's biggest bands have preceded them. MENTAL ELVIS

and KUDRA will be headlining, with an opening set by Euphoria. Tickets are

$8.50 in advance, $10 at the door.

On December 22, the club is hosting what it is billing its "Headbangers

Holiday Bash." VICIOUS CIRCLE will headline that night, along with sets by X

Factor X and Denied Existance. Tickets are again $8.50 and $10.

Tuxedo Junction will host another CD and record convention next weekend. From

10 am to 4 pm on Sunday, December 20, the club will be open with a few dozen

vendors with a wide variety of recordings.

Concertwise, the club is pretty quiet this month. Next Friday is a return of

the always-popular THE NERDS (Dec 18), and on New Year's Eve it's another

favorite, THE ZOO.

Until next week, I'll be seeing you... on the road.

Questions and comments concerning "On The Road" (or anything music related)

should be sent to Shannon Hicks, c/o Bee Publishing Co., 5 Church Hill Road,

Newtown 06470, or shannon @thebee.com. Include a phone number for

confirmation, please . If you don't have a stamp or a piece of paper or a

writing utensil that works, give me a call! Phone number at the office is

426-3141. Shows listed on the calendar at club locations are for ages 21 and

over unless specified.

UPCOMING CONCERTS

DECEMBER 12 -- Blue at the Mary Hawley Inn, Newtown; Brooks Williams at Night

Lights Coffeehouse (United Methodist Church), Norwalk; Tuck & Patti at Towne

Crier Cafe, Pawling, NY;

December 13 -- Madball and Turmoil at Toad's Place (all ages), New Haven,

Payback, Rev6Eight and 100 Demons opening;

December 15 -- Mental Elvis and Kudra at Toad's Place, Euphoria opening;

December 17 -- Buffalo Tom at Toad's Place, Holiday Rain opening;

December 19 -- Peter Obre at the Mary Hawley Inn, Newtown;

December 18 -- The Nerds at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; The Clancy Tradition at

Towne Crier Cafe;

December 20 -- Marion Meadows at Toad's Place (annual Christmas show);

December 22 -- Vicious Circle at Toad's Place, XFactorX and Denied Existance

opening;

December 23 -- Peter Obre at Mary Hawley Inn, Newtown;

December 26 -- Aztec Two-Step at Towne Crier Cafe, Devonsquare opening;

December 27 -- Duke Robillard Blues Band at Towne Crier Cafe;

December 28 -- Dream Theater at Toad's Place;

December 29 -- Mighty Purple at Toad's Place (all ages), Hot Rod Circuit

opening;

December 31 -- The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction; New Year's Eve Celebration

featuring Bill Perry Blues Band, Todd Charles and Von Em at Town Crier Cafe,

Pawling, NY, special appearance by Steve Katz (The Blues Project); Max Creek

at the CT Expo Center, Hartford, Sassagrass opening.

JANUARY 1 -- The McKrells at Town Crier Cafe, Pawling, NY;

January 8 -- Gargantua Soul at Toad's Place (Opus' Birthday Bash), New Haven,

Candiria opening; Chris Smither at Towne Crier Cafe;

January 9 -- Treblehook at Morris Coffee House; Livingston Taylor at Towne

Crier Cafe, Christian Bauman opening;

January 14 -- D.R.I. at Toad's Place (all ages);

January 15 -- Darik & The Funbags at Toad's Place, Prezens and Eclectic

Nobody's opening; The Nields at Towne Crier Cafe;

January 16 -- John Hammond at Towne Crier Cafe;

January 22 -- Max Creek at Toad's Place, 4:20 and Carnival Dogs opening;

January 26 -- Ladysmith Black Mambazo at Toad's Place;

January 29 -- Simple Jim at Toad's Place;

January 30 -- Fabulous Farquar, Eight to the Bar and Galvanized Jazz Band at

The Palace Theatre, New Haven.

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 :)

<< May 2026 >>
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
26	27	28	29	30	1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31	1	2	3	4	5	6

Log In

Date: Fri 11-Dec-1998

Leave a Reply Cancel reply