Date: Fri 13-Mar-1998

By SHANNON HICKS

Published: Aug 13, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNON

Quick Words:

Moppin-Mind-Tydes-Sedgewick

Full Text:

ON THE ROAD/SHANNON HICKS

MOPPIN SAUCE returns to Newtown this weekend. The retro/70s cover band has a

show at The Fireside Inn on Saturday night, starting up around 10 pm. A word

of advice: Get there early! This group always puts on a good show, and to

packed houses. Music starts around 10 pm.

If you are planning on taking in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New Haven

this year -- this weekend -- one place you might want to head towards after

the parade passes you by is Toad's Place on York Street, where THE TIPPERARY

KNIGHTS will continue the revelry with a St. Patrick's Day performance... It's

a bit early, but who cares?, so's the parade! Doors will be open Sunday

afternoon at 3 pm, although the Knights won't be performing until later in the

evening.

BTW, if you want to return to Toad's Place for St. Pat's Day, THE CRAMPS will

be performing. The show that night is open to all ages.

New on the Toad's Place schedule, on opposite ends of the spectrum, are shows

by YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, March 29, and THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS, April 16.

The FIONA APPLE concert that was to have taken place at UConn/Storrs on March

28 has been canceled. Apple has canceled all touring plans for the spring, in

fact.

MIND TYDES, the Newtown band that just handed over its Modern Rock Wars crown

on Thursday night to the latest winners of the radio 104 Modern Rock Wars

contest, will be at Toad's Place in New Haven on March 26.

SEDGEWICK had a great show at Bassetts Coffee House in Brookfield last

Saturday night. Seen here is CJ, who in addition to his guitar playing also

writes the majority of the originals Sedgewick performs and plays the congas.

It was a show of primarily original material, and the guys -- this weekend it

was CJ and MARK -- sounded phenomenal. Just ask any of the hundreds of people

who turned out for the show.

A slight exaggeration there, yes, but there was a good showing Saturday night.

Want to see for yourself what all the fuss is about? Sedgewick returns to the

Bank Street Coffee House in New Milford this weekend, on Saturday, March 14.

Showtime is 8 pm or so.

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 13-Mar-1998

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