Date: Fri 23-Jan-1998

By SHANNON HICKS

Published: Aug 13, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNON

Quick Words:

Joel-Dar-Williams-WPKN

Full Text:

ON THE ROAD/SHANNON HICKS

This weekend, live music returns to The Chat House in Newtown. TREBLEHOOK will

perform Saturday, January 24, beginning at 8 pm. There is no charge to attend.

On February 7, perennial bluegrass favorites ROGER SPRUNG and HAL WYLIE will

be making a return appearance. That show also begins at 8 pm, and there is a

$3 cover charge. Both shows are appropriate for all ages.

Also in Newtown in the fairly immediate future: a reminder that the next

WPKN-sponsored concert coming to Newtown is already less than a week away. DAR

WILLIAMS will be at Edmond Town Hall on Thursday, January 29. Considering the

station's recent track record, which has sponsored performances in the past

two years by GREG BROWN and JOHN GORKA, this year's show should be just as

phenomenal.

Tickets are $15 each. Locally, tickets are available at Grand Union in

Newtown, Trash American Style (12 Mill Plain Road, Danbury; 792-1630) and New

Morning Natural Foods (Middle Quarter Mall, Main Street South, Woodbury;

263-4868). Proceeds will benefit the radio station.

Tickets for BILLY JOEL's May 6 concert at the Hartford Civic Center on

Wednesday, May 6, sold out when they went on sale last Saturday morning. Joel

generally does well when he visits Connecticut, along with most places he

visits. His current tour is expected to raise a lot of additional interest in

light of the fact Joel has announced it will be his last one on the road

before turning his interests from his pop/rock standards and moving into the

classical genre.

Because the tickets sold out so quickly, promoters feel a second Hartford show

should do just as well should it become available, and so a second date has

been added. Joel will now be performing a second concert at the Civic Center,

this one on Friday, May 8. Tickets for the second date will be going on sale

this Saturday (Jan 24), again at 10 am, again at $38.50 for all seats, and

again through TicketMaster. Visit your local TicketMaster outlet to purchase

in person or charge by calling 860/525-4500 or 203/624-0033.

Joel is looking to his fans to help him select his set list for these shows.

Want to help The Piano Man out? Visit his website (www.billyjoel.com) and put

in your request. Joel says he will play the top 20 requests he receives.

The recently reopened Sting has added another new show to its schedule. LIMP

BIZKIT will be at the New Britain venue Thursday, February 19. Clutch and

Sevendust will share opening duties.

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

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 23-Jan-1998

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