Date: Fri 25-Jul-1997

By SHANNON HICKS

Published: Aug 13, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNON

Quick Words:

Box-Compass-ZZ-Top-Meadows

Full Text:

ON THE ROAD FOR JULY 25

BOX THE COMPASS will be making a special area appearance this weekend. On

Friday night (July 25), the duo - John Skudlarek and Grant Clinton - is

scheduled to play at Anne's Red Brick Coffee House, beginning around 7:30 pm.

There is no cover charge to get in, and there is always a lot of choices in

the food department at Anne's - coffee and its ilk, muffins, cookies,

whatever. Anne's is at 79 Main Street South/Route 25, in the former Centerbank

building. It's an obvious brick building; can't miss it.

For those of you who saw last month's visit of THE G3 TOUR at The Meadows but

wondered where ERIC JOHNSON was, he had dropped off the bill - which was a

scheduled end of his leg, there was nothing abrupt about it - and was replaced

by Kenny Wayne Shepherd. If you are still interested in seeing Johnson, he is

at The Meadows this weekend, opening the STEVE MILLER show Friday night (July

25).

(photo)

Speaking of the Meadows, I never know which bearded guy is who when it comes

to identifying the members of ZZ TOP, but this was taken at the band's July 22

show at The Meadows. Fellow long-time rockers Kansas opened that one.

At Danbury's Tuxedo Junction, next month's schedule includes dates by GREAT

WHITE, August 5; FATE'S WARNING the following night; EXODUS on August 11; JOHN

VALBY, August 14; MACEO PARKER, August 15; and an August 24 TESTAMENT show.

Tickets are on sale for all of these engagements. Of these shows, only the

Exodus triple bill (Beyond Reality and Vitamin F open) and the Testament

triple bill (with Stuck Mojo and Strapping Young Lad) are all ages.

The annual summer jazz concert series is well underway at McLaughlin Vineyards

in Sandy Hook. The Alberts Hill Road winery presents concerts on Saturday

nights, from 6 to 8 pm, outdoors on the property's gorgeous front lawn.

Tickets are $6 per person, with children under six admitted free.

This year's house band is THE DANE HASSAN TRIO, formerly known as The Sand

Hill Trio. Each weekend's concert also features a special guest musician, like

tenor sax player Ralph LaLama and vocalist Nicole Pasternak this Saturday

evening. Call the vineyards, 426-1533, if you need directions.

If someone has low blood pressure, would it be correct to say they are under

pressure? 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 25-Jul-1997

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