Now On View

By SHANNON HICKS

Published: Feb 17, 2006 12:00 am

Now On View

C.H. Booth Library is hosting âImages of Nature,â an exhibition of photographs by Art Anderson, Bob Berthier and Frank Gardner, in the libraryâs lower meeting room. The show will remain on view until February 29.

The show offers landscapes and wildlife, with views covering everything from Newtown to Denali National Part in Alaska. Mr Berthier is a member of Flagpole Photographers; Mr Gardner and Mr Anderson are both members of Candlewood Valley Photo Club.

A Fully Wireless Library

C.H. Booth Library is now a wireless zone.

Thanks to our generous Friends of the Cyrenius H. Booth Library, wireless Internet access is available 24/7.

Programs For Young Adults

*Battle of the Books 2006 sneak preview: This yearâs competition will be Saturday, March 18 (snow date March 19), at the library. Sign up your team â three to five friends per team â for this yearâs event, which is open to Newtown students in grades 5-8.

The books for this yearâs trivia contest are Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins, Hoot by Carl Hiaasen, Trouble Donât Last by Shelley Pearsall, and Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling.

Adult Events

*Computer Classes: Please register for these classes by calling the library.

âDigital Photography Basics,â a new class, will be presented on Saturday, February 18, from 10 to 11:30 am.

Once you have a photograph in digital format, youâre not done. What about the red eye? What about the paper cup on the floor in the background? You donât have to live with those things ruining your images any longer.

Michael Franco will offer a fun- and fact-filled demonstration class on basic picture editing. Learn how to adjust the pictures you take before printing them.

Adobe Photoshop Elements will be used. The class is free but registration is required.

Once youâve mastered the basics, come back next month for âFun Creations with Digital Photography.â This workshop will be offered on Saturday, March 18, from 10 to 11:30 am.

Learn how to make personalized calendars, baseball cards, pop-up cards and a slide show.

For this class Michael Franco will be using Adobe Photoshop elements and Microsoft MovieMaker (included in Windows XP software). Please register for this class.

*Working In Japan: Darius Mehri, the author of Notes from Toyota-Land, will be at the library on Wednesday, February 22, at 7 pm, to discuss his work.

Notes from Toyota-Land is a wonderfully rich first-hand account, sure to be enjoyed by anyone interested in the organization of work in Japan. This compelling memoir shows the authorâs transformation from a naÃ¯ve young engineer to a journalist, social critic, and activist.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the time of the talk.

*Independent Film Series: The series will continue on March 7 with film shorts including Sangam, Inja and Das Rad; April 4, Drifters; and May 2, Agata and the Storm.

Screenings are free, and all begin at 7:30 pm. Fliers with descriptions for each of the films are available at the library.

*A History of Beer: Steve Small, general manager of Yankee Wine & Spirits in Newtown, will give a talk on the history of beer and offer a beer tasting at the library on Friday, March 10, at 7 pm.

Participants must be 21 years or older. Refreshments will be served. Registration is requested.

*How To Eat A Truffle: Maria Poirer Brandriff will give a lecture and demonstration celebrating chocolate on Wednesday, March 22, at 7 pm.

The demonstration will focus mainly on the making of hand-rolled and dipped chocolate truffles. Participants will sample the chocolate candies and compare several types of chocolate, both imported and domestic.

*Book Nook News: In celebration of Black History Month and Presidentsâ Day, The Book Nook is featuring a great collection of biographies and non-fiction titles, including books by some of our favorite historians.

C.H. Booth Library, at 25 Main Street in Newtown, can be reached by calling 426-4533.

Patricia Anzellotti

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It seems a lot of the discussion around the flagpole focuses on vilifying drivers who pass on the right, but the real issue is being overlooked. If Chapter 248 Section 14-251 were enforced, we wouldn’t see this problem to begin with. That statute prohibits stopping in the middle of a roadway to yield to cross traffic—as so often happens with cars waiting to turn from Church Hill. When vehicles stop illegally in the travel lane, they effectively create a blockage. Other drivers then either sit through unnecessary delays or carefully pass around them on the right, which is fully permitted when the vehicle ahead is “illegally parked” in the roadway. Instead of punishing drivers reacting to the obstruction, enforcement should focus on the cause: vehicles unlawfully stopping and backing up traffic in the first place. If that behavior were addressed, the need to “go around” would largely disappear.

Borough Board of Burgesses Continues Traffic Safety Discussion

John, you raise an important point — these situations are tragic, complicated, and often far less clear-cut than the headlines make them seem. In the Fredericksburg case, the full facts still aren’t publicly known, and like so many of these stories, there’s conflicting information. It was apparently the back door at 3 a.m. — was it justified to use deadly force? We don’t know yet. What we do know is that the homeowner has been charged, and as you rightly noted, that is very serious. But this is also where perspective matters. These cases are quickly sensationalized in the news and on social media, yet when the dust settles, the outcomes are rarely publicized. People forget that in our system, you are innocent until proven guilty. Try to find much coverage of the convication in the case of the Fairfield Realtor vehicle homicide, or updates on the woman who shot her husband a couple of Christmases ago, or even the pedestrian death in Sandy Hook a year or so back. The follow-through simply isn’t there, and public opinion is often shaped only by the first round of headlines. At the end of the day, these situations remind us how split-second decisions in the middle of the night can change lives forever — which is exactly why the right to protect one’s property, home and family is so fiercely debated, and lucky constitutionally protected.

Late Night Prank Gone Wrong

First the low hanging fruit. Dave; it was a joke, please get over it. You are the only person in Newtown that thought I really wanted to build a stadium on 6 Commence Rd. Now on to Alex. You might not appreciate my writing style or my selection of words, but let's not loose sight of the fact that by responding to my letter in the manner that you did, you have removed any doubt whatsoever that you have no idea of the quantifiable benefits you are dismissing not only for the town, but also for protesters. Either you stopped listening at the word "ordinance" or you never started.. Your constitutional rights to assemble were never in question and would actually be strengthened and there would be literally no impediments. We could even title it "The Alex Villamil Ordinance" if you want. It could be your legacy and actually show Newtown your willingness to work in a bipartisan way for the betterment of the town. Businesses would be protected. Traffic wouldn't be interrupted. The town would save hundreds of thousands of dollars in police overtime. And maybe most importantly, the town could prevent another tragedy while mitigating legal risk in the event something terrible happens at a protest. Nothing bad could never happen in Newtown right? All that could be accomplished by a simple, non-intrusive ordinance unless all the detriments to our town are intentional in order to bring more attention to your cause. Alex, this was not me throwing a temper tantrum. Believe me, you will know it if that happens. I am just putting Newtown first. From that perspective, if you think critically, the regulation is necessary. It makes sense logically, rationally, and is reasonable. There is absolutely no down side. None. I would be willing to sit down with you to see if we could come to some type of compromise if you want. Let me know. You would be amazed how much you can accomplish when there is dialogue amongst neighbors.

It’s About Dialogue Amongst Neighbors — Not Regulation

A popular prank circulating on TikTok is “ding-dong-ditch” where a group of young people violently bang or kick someone’s door late at night and then “ditch” or run. On May 3 three high schoolers here in Fredericksburg Va. were participating in such a prank. One homeowner assumed, as in this case, an attempted break in and also took measures to defend his family and property. As the youths were running away he fired, striking an 18 year old graduating senior in the back killing him and seriously injuring a second youth. A wasted life, a family shattered, and the homeowner charged with murder.

You’re absolutely right — no one should ever feel unsafe in their own home. Being startled awake by violent banging at your door late at night is no joke, and it’s a stark reminder that danger can come without warning. That’s why I’m thankful for the right to protect ourselves, our families, and our property. In a moment like that, you don’t get a second chance to call for help before you act — you have to be prepared. Our homes should be a place of peace, not fear, and the ability to defend them is a right worth safeguarding.

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