Â Services for Newtown seniors are sponsored by the Commission on Aging and are available at the Multi-Purpose Building on Riverside Road in Sandy Hook. For more information about programs offered at the Senior Center call 270-4310.

By SHANNON HICKS

Published: Aug 28, 2000 12:00 am

For information on federal, state and community resources available to seniors, call 270-4330 or 270-4315.

You may drop in at the Senior Center on Riverside Road in Sandy Hook weekdays between 10 am and 4 pm. A hot meal is served at noon for which you must reserve three days in advance.

Newtown has daily door-to-door mini-bus service Monday through Friday. Monday from 1 to 3 pm the mini-bus will go to Sand Hill Plaza. Fridays, the bus will alternate going to Danbury Fair Mall and to Berkshire Shopping Plaza. Cost is 60 cents each way for the Sand Hill Plaza trip, 75 cents each way for out of town. Call 748-2511 TWO DAYS IN ADVANCE to book a ride and get the out-of-town Friday schedule.

This Weekâs Programs

NEW HORIZONS meets the first Tuesday of the month at 3 pm. The next meeting will be on September 5.

THE BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP meets the first Wednesday of the month from 2 to 3 pm. At the next book discussion meeting (Wednesday, September 6), we will be talking about Frank McCourtâs âTis.

News For Week of August 21-25

NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS: THE SENIOR CENTER WILL BE CLOSED Monday, September 4, in observance of Labor Day.

âELECTRIC RESTRUCTORING: What Connecticut Consumers Need To Know,â a special presentation, will take place at the senior center on Thursday, October 26, at 1 pm. Guest speakers Donna Devina and Joe Wood, consumer education developers with Connecticutâs Department of Public Utility Control, will be at the center to present information that is critical for consumers to know and understand before entering the competitive marketplace of electric choice. Topics to be covered will include standard offer, aggregations, brokers and marketers, and other restructuring topics all aimed at helping consumers deal with electric choice.

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REMINDERS: VISIT THE SENIOR CENTER NEWSLETTER ON THE INTERNET at www.wisecity.com. Select newsletters, then select Newtown, and get an updated issue whenever you need it.

AN EXERCISE TEACHER IS NEEDED at the senior center. We need a teacher for a few hours on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, with the opportunity to begin teaching as soon as possible. If you are interested, call Marilyn at 270-4315.

âRESPONDING TO HMO BAIL-OUTS: Medicare Rights and Optionsâ will be presented at Newtown Senior Center on Wednesday, September 13, at 1 pm. A speaker from Western CT Area Agency on Agingâs C.H.O.I.C.E.S. program will present information and advice regarding the Medicare HMO bail-outs in Connecticut, and their specific impact on each county. The speaker will address issues and offer advice concerning Medigap policies, possible managed care options for next year, and how to properly enroll â or disenroll â in the various options. The lecture and materials are free, but please call 270-4310 to sign up. If you wish to speak directly with someone at CHOICES, the groupâs hotline is 800/994-9422.

THE ELDERLY & TOTALLY DISABLED RENTERâS TAX RELIEF PROGRAM runs to September 15. Regulations include Connecticut residency, age 65 or older, disabled under Social Security guidelines or widowed between the ages of 50 to 65 from someone enrolled. Also, the maximum income from 1999 must be $23,900 if single, $29,300 if married. You will need to submit the following: Proof of all sources of income from 1999, copies of your 1999 tax return, and proof of rent including electric and heat, water and/or sewer payments.

A PARKINSONâS DISEASE SUPPORT GROUP meets the third Monday on each month from 1 to 3 pm at Southbury Town Hall/Senior Center, at 501 Main Street South (between Southbury Public Library and Center Firehouse). This is a relaxed, informal group for people with Parkinsonâs and their caregivers, who meet to learn from each otherâs experiences and the latest news about this neurological disorders from guest speakers. Call Margaret Clark at 426-5534 for more information. The next meeting will be September 18.

AN APPLE BAKING CONTEST will be held Wednesday, September 20. Bake your favorite apple recipe and bring it in for judging between 9 am and 3 pm. Weâll need to know in advance whatâs coming in, so call 270-4310 to let us know what you are making.

ENERGY BINGO will be played at the senior center on Wednesday, September 27. A representative of Northeast Utilities will be here with special prizes and energy information starting at 1 pm. Come in for a fun afternoon.

The Danbury area ALZHEIMERâS SUPPORT GROUP now meets the fourth Thursday of every month at 7 pm at Almost Family, at 52 Federal Road. Meetings give caregivers an opportunity to exchange ideas, problems and feelings openly with other caregivers. It is open to all caregivers of loved ones with Alzheimerâs or other dementia diseases. Participants can lean on and learn from others who are facing the same challenges. There is no charge for the group. Call 743-6456 or 426-4547 for more information. Next meeting will be on September 28.

WE HAVE AN URGENT NEED FOR MATERIAL. The offerings and availability of senior citizensâ projects have been expanding, so now we have an urgent need for all types of fabric. Please bring any fabric to the center so that we may continue with our very popular quilting, sewing and craft classes. All types of fabric is needed.

Please join us every Monday for BIBLE STUDY. We meet at 1 pm.

Join us at BROOKFIELD LANES each Tuesday and Thursday for a great time bowling. We meet at noon and the cost is only $1.25 per game.

CRAFT CLASSES HAVE RESUMED, each Thursday, at 1 pm. Come help us welcome our new craft teacher, Toni Ivey. Future projects will include decoupage, Christmas ornaments, stationery stamping, and jewelry.

The QUILTING CLASS meets every Friday at 10 am, and we are in full swing. Quilts are individually made.

WHALE WATCH ON STELLWAGEN BANK on Tuesday, September 12. Departure is 7:15 am, and cost is $62 per person. We will take a high-speed Catamaran to the East Coastâs heavist concentration of humpback, finback and mink whales; enjoy a box lunch onboard, and then turn Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall before returning home.

WE WILL HAVE A DAY TRIP to see Crazy For You at Westchester Theatre on Wednesday, October 18. Departure is 9:30 am from the senior center. Cost is $56 per person. Visit the center for details.

In October, join us for OCTOBERFEST AT WILLIAMS INN in Williamstown, Mass. Departure will be at 9 am on Wednesday, October 25. Enjoy authentic cusine, and entertainment including Bavarian music and a story teller. Our return trip will be along the Mohawk Trail, along which we can enjoy the fall foliage and a stop at Atkins Farm for baked goods and fresh apple cider.

A BEIJING CITY TOUR will be leaving Newtown on March 26, 2001, and will last eight days. Costs are $1,249 to $1,339 twin and we will be staying in one hotel the entire time. The price also includes six breakfasts, two lunches, and four dinners. Enjoy tours of the city and its surroundings. Visit Tiananman Square, The Forbidden City, The Summer Palace, Beijing Zoo, Peking Opera, Ming Tombs, The Great Wall, The Temple of Heaven, and take a rickshaw tour through the city.

Menu For Week Of September 4-8

Reservations must be made three days in advance.

Meals are subject to change.

Meals include low-fat milk and margarine.

Monday: The center will be closed in observance of Labor Day.

Tuesday: Tomato soup, unsalted crackers, toasted cheese sandwich, marinated vegetable salad, pineapple tidbits;

Wednesday: Creole fish, rice, corn & peas, rye bread, lemon pudding w/ topping;

Thursday: Pot roast w/ gravy, rosemary roasted potatoes, carrot coins, dinner roll, peaches;

Friday: Chef salad (ham, turkey, cheese, lettuce & tomato) w/ French dressing, Portugese roll, melon wedge garnish, oatmeal-raisin cookie.

Activities Schedule, September 4-8

Monday: The center will be closed for Labor Day â enjoy the Newtown Labor Day Parade, and we will see you on Tuesday!

Tuesday: AM Pinochle, exercise; PM bowling (at Brookfield Lanes), crafts;

Wednesday: AM line dancing, Pinochle; PM Bingo;

Thursday: AM exercise, Pinochle; PM crafts, bowling (at Brookfield Lanes);

Friday: AM mah jongg, sewing, quilting; PM knitting.

Â Remember, you must call three days in advance to book a meal or a ride, 270-4310; the Senior Bus, 748-2511.

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It’s important to clarify the tone and context of Derek Pisani’s remarks, particularly the satirical line about suing Newtown for "Gross Stupidity." This was clearly a tongue-in-cheek jab at the exhausting culture of legal threats that’s become a staple on the local Facebook Group forums. It was a reflection of frustration over endless regulatory hurdles and obstructionism, and the desire to avoid common sense solutions not an insult aimed at residents. Satire, is meant to provoke thought and highlight the absurdities. If we are unable to distinguish between satire and literal threats, perhaps the comment hit closer to the truth than we’d like to admit. Rather than focusing on Pisanis style, we should be discussing the substance of what he’s pointing out: that Newtown’s progress is being routinely blocked by a small but vocal contingent who seem intent on saying “no” at every turn. They are saying no to any development, no to common sense solutions to crowd control, etc. Newtown deserves leaders who are willing to call things as they see them, even if their language ruffles feathers. That doesn’t mean they lack respect for constituents—it means they care enough to challenge the Mob and push for solutions. Isn't that what we elect people to do? I applaud Pisani's dedication, he certainly has earned my vote. Regardless, let’s not reduce conversation to tone-policing and outrage. Let’s focus on the issues that matter.

Who is Calling Newtowners Stupid?

Thank you for pointing out the trail access provisions included in the BOS motion—it’s an important clarification that deserves more attention in this conversation. If the development is, in fact, required to provide permanent free public access and commit to ongoing maintenance of this section of the Rochambeau Trail, that is a remarkably beneficial outcome for the town. oIt’s not every day that a private project shoulders the long-term burden of preserving and caring for a public historical corridor at no taxpayer cost—especially one that previously had no formal access, upkeep, or visibility. Let’s be honest: the idea that the only way to protect history is by preventing any development nearby is a rigid and unworkable standard. What’s being proposed here appears to strike a rare balance—historic preservation, public access, and smart development all rolled into one. That’s not a loss its a win. So rather than allowing a handful of voices to derail progress under the banner of “historic purity,” maybe it’s time to acknowledge the reality: this trail is better off with structured stewardship and visibility than remaining an overgrown ghost on old maps. Let’s move forward. Bring in the easement, bring in the public access—and yes, bring in the bulldozers!!! Progress and preservation can coexist. Let’s not let the NIMBY use fear or nostalgia keep us stuck in the past.

Discusses Rochambeau Trail And 6 Commerce Road

I've heard that several people are under the impression that the public might be banned from the Rochambeau Trail. Points 2 and 3 from the BOS motion (included in full below) make it clear that public access to the trail is part of the requirements for the developer. From what I understand, it requires free public access to the trail in perpetuity. Technically, this could be argued to be a "payment-in-kind," that attempts to balance public good with overall town growth. We can argue about weather that balance is acceptable and how the trail may be affected, but with the understanding that the trail is expected to be maintained as a publicly accessible trail regardless. July 15, 2024 Board of Selectmen approved motion: Discontinuance of Reservoir Road: Selectman Cruson moved the resolution: Resolved, that the Newtown Board of Selectmen, in accordance with Section 2-115(d)(8) of the Town Charter and Conn. Gen. Stat. §13a-49, and subject to the conditions set forth below, hereby discontinues an unimproved portion of Reservoir Road described as “Portion of Reservoir Road to be Discontinued “on that certain survey map which will be recorded on the Newtown Land Records titled “Map Showing Portion of Reservoir Road to be Discontinued” dated August, 2023 and revised September 15, 2023, and certified substantially correct by Gregory Szyszowski of SLR (the “Survey Map”), said discontinuance contingent and effective only upon the completion of the following: 1. The approval of an application for the development of land in the manner described in a letter from Attorney Thomas W. Beecher to First Selectman A. Jeffrey Capeci and Members of the Board of Selectmen dated May 30, 2024, pursuant to the “Residential Open Space Development” regulations of the Borough of Newtown by the Borough of Newtown Zoning Commission, and construction of that approval project within the timeframes required for special exception approval; 2. The inclusion of the discontinued portion of the road as part of the final Declaration of Conservation Restriction; 3. The conveyance of a mutually agreeable public easement to the Town of Newtown for pedestrian, bicycling, equestrian, and all other passive recreational uses (to exclude the use of motorized vehicles except as may be necessary by the Town or its designee to effectuate the purpose of the easement), and for municipal utility purposes; Be it further resolved, that Castle Hill Real Estate Holdings, LLC., its successors and assigns, shall not use any portion of the discontinued road as a vehicular road or access way to and from any developed portions of the property. Be it further finally resolved, that should any of the foregoing contingencies not occur, then the discontinuance contemplated herein shall not become effective and this resolution will become null and void. From: https://www.newtown-ct.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif12216/f/minutes/bos_7-15-24_min-_att_final.pdf

Is this paper road (roads that only exist on paper map but not in reality) even owned by the Town? Many roads that predate the Town's road standards are privately owned and were never accepted by the Town, such as many of the nonconforming roads around the lake communities where the property owners own right to the center line. That is something we had to deal with when working on the Roads Ordinance a few years back. We also had to deal with a private road to run the utilities to the new SHS.

For anyone who wants to know, I cant post a link here, but Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority has an entire website. Look up "HRRA whats in whats out"

I Get It!

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Â Services for Newtown seniors are sponsored by the Commission on Aging and are available at the Multi-Purpose Building on Riverside Road in Sandy Hook. For more information about programs offered at the Senior Center call 270-4310.

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