Date: Fri 12-Feb-1999

By SHANNON HICKS

Published: Aug 13, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNON

Quick Words:

Playback-Hole-Manson-Stewart

Full Text:

ON THE ROAD/SHANNON HICKS

KING'S X is at The Webster Theatre in Hartford tonight (February 12). A little

closer to home, PETER OBRE has a show at The Mary Hawley Inn in Newtown. Also,

FULL HOUSE and BONEHEADS will split the bill at Tuxedo Junction.

The Newtown band PLAYBACK, which had a big CD release party last month at The

Fireside Inn, will begin performing regularly at The Fireside on February 18.

It looks like the band will be at the restaurant each week. There is no cover

charge to get in the door.

There are still tickets available for the February 26 show by Dicky Barrett's

band... a/k/a THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES ...when the band returns to

Connecticut for a concert at Sacred Heart University's Pitt Center. Doors open

at 7 pm, and tickets are $20 each. For information, call SHU's Student

Activities Office, 371-7846.

Very few tickets remain unpurchased for the February 27 concert by ROD STEWART

at the SNET Oakdale. According to a representative from the theatre, "a few

... single seats" were still available at the beginning of the week.

All seats for NATALIE MERCHANT's concert at The Palace in New Haven later this

month are $28.50. The February 27 show was announced late last week, and

tickets went on sale the morning of February 6.

Also at The Palace this month is RUSTED ROOT, on February 17. Tickets are

$23.50, and still available. Next month JONNY LANG will be in New Haven on

March 12 ($25.50). Chris Whitley opens that show. For tickets to any of the

shows at the Palace, contact Pro-Tix (860/422-0000).

CRY, CRY, CRY has a second date scheduled in Connecticut. In addition to the

April 18 performance at Rich Forum that was mentioned last week, the folk

singing trio now has a performance also on the calendar for March 5 at

UHartford's Lincoln Theatre. James Keelaghan opens that show (there isn't one

listed for the Stamford show).

This is no April Fool's joke: COLLECTIVE SOUL returns to Connecticut for a

show on April 1, at The Webster Theatre. Tickets are $17.50, and the show is

open to all ages.

HOLE returns to Connecticut in April, now that Courtney Love's band has teamed

up with MARILYN MANSON for a co-headlining tour. The tour will be at the New

Haven Coliseum on Saturday, April 10. No word on tickets quite yet.

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

FEBRUARY 12 -- Peter Obre at Mary Hawley Inn, Newtown; Full House and

Boneheads at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; King's X at The Webster Theatre,

Hartford (all ages); Frogwings at Toad's Place (featuring John Popper and

Allman Bros. Band members), New Haven, Derek Trucks Band opening;

February 13 -- Blue at Mary Hawley Inn; Violets at Tuxedo Junction;

February 14 -- Peter Obre at Mary Hawley Inn;

February 17 -- Rusted Root at The Palace, New Haven;

February 18 -- Playback at The Fireside Inn, Newtown;

February 19 -- Vibe Tribe at Tuxedo Junction; Dave Mason and Jim Capaldi at

The Webster Theatre; God Street Wine at Toad's Place, Sweeter Than Wine

opening (all ages);

February 20 -- The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction;

February 21 -- Afghan Whigs at Toad's Place (all ages); Tuck & Petti at Towne

Crier Cafe, Robert Messore opening;

February 23 -- Clutch at Toad's Place, Drown and Tree opening (all ages);

February 25 -- The Limit and Smoke the Prophet at Toad's Place, Holiday Train

and The Trag Band opening (all ages);

February 26 -- Peter Obre at Mary Hawley Inn; Mighty Mighty Bosstones at SHU's

Pitt Center, Fairfield; The Nerds at Tuxedo Junction;

February 27 -- Rod Stewart at the Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford; Natalie

Merchant at The Palace, New Haven; Future Tense at Tuxedo Junction;

February 28 -- System of a Down at Toad's Place, (Hed)Pe opening (all ages).

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 12-Feb-1999

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