Date: Fri 06-Feb-1998

By SHANNON HICKS

Published: Aug 13, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNON

Quick Words:

Sedgewick-Cole-Goldfinger

Full Text:

ON THE ROAD/SHANNON HICKS

SEDGEWICK's next show is tomorrow night -- Saturday, February 7. The band will

be at Bank Street Coffee House in New Milford. The show will be starting

around 8:30, and there's no charge to get in.

On Tuesday night, GOLDFINGER returns to Connecticut, this time with a show at

Tuxedo Junction in Danbury. Openings sets by The Pilfers and Sgt Skagnetti

will start the night. Doors open at 7, the music starts around 8. Tickets are

$10 in advance, $12 at the door. Goldfinger and Connecticut seem to have a

good relationship going. The band played at the Webster Theatre in Hartford

last January, and then at Toad's Place in New Haven in October.

Another local band, ELECTRICWATER, has a show next weekend in Danbury, at the

Classic Rock Brew Pub. The band -- Chris Morrison, Mike Connolly, Michael

Gurge and Bob Henderson -- will be performing on Friday, February 13. DIAMOND

TEARS, with Newtown and area members, is also on the bill.

Not really at all a music thing, but with the (awful!!!) resurgence of

everything Seventies into the music and fashion world, those of you who enjoy

such things may be interested to learn of the following: BARRY WILLIAMS --

a/k/a Greg Brady -- will be at Sacred Heart University's Theatre, 5151 Park

Avenue in Fairfield, on Tuesday, February 17. He has an 8 pm

lecture/performance, "Growing Up Brady: I Was A Teenage Greg." The multi-media

comic-lecture and performance promises to remove the goody two-shoes of the

show. Admission is $5. Call 371-7846 for details.

In case you haven't heard, both of the concerts by BILLY JOEL at the Hartford

Civic Center -- May 6 and 8 -- have sold out. Tickets for both of these

concerts sold out the day each date was put on sale.

The Piano Man has decided to work on his birthday this year, and has added a

third, and final, show: May 9. Tickets go on sale February 7 at 10 am, but

good luck. There were over 100 operators at 40 ticket venues working last

weekend when the May 8 date went on sale, so even people who were at the

beginning of the line were getting seats well away from the stage within

minutes of tickets becoming available.

Can't wait for the PAULA COLE show at Toad's Place in a couple of weeks? The

multi-multi Grammy-nominated Cole is this weekend's musical guest on "Saturday

Night Live."

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

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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 06-Feb-1998

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