Special Events

By SHANNON HICKS

Published: Oct 24, 2008 12:00 am

Special Events

*Church Hill Spook-A-Tory: Come to 17 Church Hill Spook-A-Tory on Friday, October 31, from 4 to 7 pm. Come and have a spooky Halloween! Younger age appropriate: make your own monster hands, touch oozy brains and eyeballs, and receive a Halloween treat bag.

Family Programs And Events

*Parent Education Program (PEP): âPutting Children Firstâ is a State of Connecticut program required as a prerequisite to granting a divorce. Sessions are designed to help families cope with the effects of divorce on children.

Call 270-4335 for more information.

*Gym Time At Edmond Town Hall: Come spend some quality time with your children while preserving a healthy lifestyle. Gym Time for families are Wednesdays from 9:30 until 11:30 am at the town hall beginning September 17.

Cost is $50 per family. Call Elaine at NYFS for more information.

*âFamily To Familyâ is a 12 week class for caregivers of those with serious mental illness. The class meets Tuesday nights from 7 until 9:30 pm.

Youth Programs And Activities

*Job Bank is accepting applications from qualified 13- to 17-year olds who want employment babysitting, pet sitting, or performing other household chores. Call between 10 am and noon weekdays for an application.

*Middle School Homework Club will be running after school Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

*Reed School Homework Club meets after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

*Rock âN Roll Middle School meets on Wednesdays from 2:30 until 5 pm.

Support Groups

*âReality Bitesâ: Join Stacia Helfand for âReality Bites,â a new weight management group that offers strategies and tips for weight loss. Weekly sessions provide a weigh-in for accountability, nutrition education and peer support. The group is 45 minutes in length and is followed by a peer walking group.

Reality Bites will meet Thursday mornings at 9 at NYFS 17 Church Hill Road. Fee $15 per session or ten sessions for $125. For more information, call Stacia at 203-260-8911.

*A new Sibshop group is forming. Meetings are Wednesday nights from 5 to 6 pm.

This program acknowledges that being the brother or sister of a person with special needs is for some a good thing, for others a not so good thing, and for many, somewhere in-between.

Classes for children ages 10-14 will begin November 5. Call Jessi to sign up.

*A Children of Divorce group is also forming. This is a special group to help your child head from the pain caused by separation or divorce.

Meetings are Thursday nights from 5 to 6 pm. A session for children ages 10-14 will begin November 6. Call Jessi to sign up.

*Mommy & Me,Â a support group for first time mothers with children less than a year old, has resumed. The group meets on Tuesdays from 10:30 am until noon. Call Elaine for more information.

All programs take place at NYFS, 17 Church Hill Road, unless otherwise noted. For more information or to register call 270-4335.

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The Editor suggest a meeting between the "Rock This Democracy " and the Police Commission. As a former Police Commissioner the Chief should have followed the chain of command and discussed this with the Police Commission. The Chief reports to the Elected Police Commission not our Republican First Selection. Can't help but feel this is Republican politics again making an issue out of a non issue.

Assembly Ordinance?

I support Chief Kullgren’s request to explore permitting, and cost-sharing for large gatherings. The right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, and I fully support the constitutional right to free speech and assembly. However, where and how often these protests occur matters. Main Street is not just a symbol — it’s a vital artery for daily life in town. When events are held there monthly, and at increasing scale, they cause disruption to residents, businesses, and traffic. While the Rock This Democracy group may describe these protests as unique or urgent, the frequency — roughly once every two weeks this spring — suggests more of a recurring series than a singular, spontaneous moment of civic expression. This isn’t about silencing anyone. It’s about fairness, public safety, and fiscal responsibility. Every time a protest happens, our police department is forced to assign resources, often on overtime. That expense adds up quickly. If any group wants to use public space regularly, particularly in a way that impacts traffic and requires police presence, then it’s reasonable for the town to consider permitting and cost-sharing — just as we do for other organized events like races, festivals, or parades. Let’s protect everyone’s rights — including the right of the community to function smoothly and the right of taxpayers not to bear undue cost for repeated events. I trust the Council to consider a reasonable path forward that balances speech with responsibility.

David, your passion for transparency would carry more weight if it weren’t routinely wielded like a cudgel. Let's set the record straight: no one is against easier access to documents or better online availability—we all want an informed public. But there's a difference between constructive advocacy and the kind of grandstanding that costs this town time, morale, and taxpayer money. You cite Ridgefield’s practices—great. Let's talk about that like adults. But instead, what we see is a steady stream of accusatory posts, legal challenges, and FOIA blitzes aimed less at solving problems and more at creating headlines. It’s not “slander” to point out that your approach often does more to divide and exhaust than to help. I’ve been at the very meetings you claim are inaccessible or opaque. I’ve seen your group turn logistical hiccups into conspiracy theories. I’ve watched as staff—who already work overtime—are dragged into another fishing expedition while real civic needs are left hanging. You’re not just pushing for access; you’re using the tools of open government to grind its gears to a halt. That’s not progress. That’s obstruction dressed up as advocacy. And the people paying for it—literally—are your neighbors. Let’s stop pretending it’s just about uploading PDFs. The issue here is how we engage. We can have real conversations about modernization without constant accusations, FOIA skirmishes, and Facebook pile-ons. Until then, I’ll continue to call out tactics that undermine, not uplift, our town.

Calls For Policies To Create Greater Transparency

The bottom line is this: costs are up, and no group—including teachers—is exempt. Ignoring Anthem’s recommended 22% increase last year may have directly caused the $2 million shortfall. Everyone has to share in the fix. That might mean higher premiums and leaner benefits. Complaints alone won’t solve the problem—realistic solutions will. I urge all Newtown Teachers to email their Union leaders and express their support for higher premiums.

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Its really easy to make assertions and cast doubts from behind a keyboard....a little too easy aparently. You might try conducting the actual research BEFORE doing it next time. If you do, you too will find that there's no need to imagine such a policy to improve public transparency and participation. Take a look at Ridgefield's P&Z meeting agendas on their website for starters. They are just one town that provide links to electronic copies of applications and other public documents, so that their commissioners and residents can easily access them and be well-informed, before meetings and public hearings occur and without making them drive to town hall (during business hours) to ask their land use staff to pull the files and make copies of them, saving everyone time (time is money), and gasoline, and missed work. Most applicants alrleady submit electronic copies, and for those who don't, it's a lot easier for a staffer to scan them once, than to have to make copies every time someone asks for them. And please don't misrepresent or slander those who advocate for smart, low impact & sustainable development policies and practices as 'anti-development'.

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