Children's Programs

By CURT CLARK

Published: Aug 29, 2000 12:00 am

Childrenâs Programs

Mother Daughter Book Club: The C.H. Booth Library is pleased to offer a series of Mother Daughter book discussions for girls in grades 3-4. The four-part series, âPower Talks II, Courage Under Fire,â begins with a discussion of the book Meet Molly: An American Girl. Multiple copies of the book are available in the childrenâs department. The program will take place on Wednesday, October 11, at 7 pm in the library meeting room. This program is co-sponsored by the Connecticut Humanities Council and the Friends of the Library. Pat Miniter, a 31 year veteran of New Haven school system, will lead the discussions.

Story Hour Registration: Sign up for the fall series of story hours beginning August 28, continuing through September 8. Three sessions for 2 year olds and their caregivers will be offered on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday mornings from 10-10:30, starting September 12. Four sessions for 3-5 year olds will take place Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday afternoon from 1-1:45 and on Thursday morning from 11-11:45. Registration forms will be available in the childrenâs department. No phone registrations will be accepted.

Young Peoples Productions: Interested in the performing arts? Join a new group at the C.H. Booth library, under the direction of library assistants Philomena Conti and Lindsay Kelkres. The group will cast and produce a story for public performance. The program is open to children ages 7-10 and will rehearse on Saturday mornings from 10-11 beginning September 9. The group will meet for 7 weeks. The final performance will take place October 28. Sign up at the library August 26-September 1. Enrollment is limited to 15.

Harry Potter Fans: Liz Arneth is back with another creative H.P. program: âHarry Potter Nimbus Shazam 2000.â This original trivia game based on the popular series of childrenâs books will be offered on Tuesday, October 3, from 6:30-7:30. Enrollment is limited to 25. A signup sheet will be available in the childrenâs department.

First Author/Illustrator Visit: The Bruce Degan fund for visiting authors and illustrators will sponsor a program by author Stepahnie Calmenson on Sunday, October 15, at 2 pm. The author of more than 50 books for children, including the popular Gator Girls series and Dinner at the Panda Palace, Ms Calmenson will present a funny and informative slide presentation, âA Day in the Life of a Childrenâs Book Writer.â Following the program Ms Calmenson will autograph copies of her books. (Available for purchase on the day of the presentation.)

Adult Programs

Revolutionary War Talk: On Tuesday, September 12, at 7:30 pm, renowned author and historian Richard Buel will give a talk entitled âCows, Corn, and Cuba: Critical Factors in the Winning of American Independence.â The talk will feature his latest work, In Irons: Britainâs Naval Supremacy and the American Revolutionary Economy,â a wonderful read, full of fascinating details that bring the revolutionary economy to life. This groundbreaking book addresses for the first time the impact of naval warfare on the agricultural sector of the American economy as the British Navy denied Americans access to overseas markets. The program is free and will take place in the meeting room of the library. Mr Buel will have a book signing at the conclusion of his talk and refreshments will be served.

Victorian Lady:Â Â On Monday, September 25, at 7 pm, the Victorian Lady, Kandie Carle, will be dressing from corset to gloves in the attire of a Newtown woman living in the 1860s. As she adds layer upon layer of clothing she will discuss the history of the undergarment, fashion of the day, role of the servants, rules of etiquette, leisure activities, inventions, along with the social history of the time. This promises to be a very entertaining and educational program suitable for young (10 years and up) and old alike. Please sign up at the circulation desk as space is limited.

Mystery Lovers! The Friends of the Library are sponsoring an exciting new book discussion series, âFemale Detectives: What Makes Them Different?â The series which features four best selling mysteries will begin on Tuesday, September 26, at 7:30 pm. The first book to be discussed will be Agatha Christieâs A Body in the Library; on October 10, All That Remains by Patricia Cornwell; October 24, Ill Wind by Nevada Barr; and on November 7 One For the Money by Janet Evanovich. A limited number of copies of all titles are available at the library. You can come to one discussion or all four. Please sign up at the circulation desk or by calling the library at 426-4533.

Book Group is back: The Booth Library Book Discussion Group will be starting up again on Thursday, September 21. The book to be discussed will be The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger. The group will meet at 7:30 pm in the Special Collections room. New members are always welcome.

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It’s important to clarify the tone and context of Derek Pisani’s remarks, particularly the satirical line about suing Newtown for "Gross Stupidity." This was clearly a tongue-in-cheek jab at the exhausting culture of legal threats that’s become a staple on the local Facebook Group forums. It was a reflection of frustration over endless regulatory hurdles and obstructionism, and the desire to avoid common sense solutions not an insult aimed at residents. Satire, is meant to provoke thought and highlight the absurdities. If we are unable to distinguish between satire and literal threats, perhaps the comment hit closer to the truth than we’d like to admit. Rather than focusing on Pisanis style, we should be discussing the substance of what he’s pointing out: that Newtown’s progress is being routinely blocked by a small but vocal contingent who seem intent on saying “no” at every turn. They are saying no to any development, no to common sense solutions to crowd control, etc. Newtown deserves leaders who are willing to call things as they see them, even if their language ruffles feathers. That doesn’t mean they lack respect for constituents—it means they care enough to challenge the Mob and push for solutions. Isn't that what we elect people to do? I applaud Pisani's dedication, he certainly has earned my vote. Regardless, let’s not reduce conversation to tone-policing and outrage. Let’s focus on the issues that matter.

Who is Calling Newtowners Stupid?

Thank you for pointing out the trail access provisions included in the BOS motion—it’s an important clarification that deserves more attention in this conversation. If the development is, in fact, required to provide permanent free public access and commit to ongoing maintenance of this section of the Rochambeau Trail, that is a remarkably beneficial outcome for the town. oIt’s not every day that a private project shoulders the long-term burden of preserving and caring for a public historical corridor at no taxpayer cost—especially one that previously had no formal access, upkeep, or visibility. Let’s be honest: the idea that the only way to protect history is by preventing any development nearby is a rigid and unworkable standard. What’s being proposed here appears to strike a rare balance—historic preservation, public access, and smart development all rolled into one. That’s not a loss its a win. So rather than allowing a handful of voices to derail progress under the banner of “historic purity,” maybe it’s time to acknowledge the reality: this trail is better off with structured stewardship and visibility than remaining an overgrown ghost on old maps. Let’s move forward. Bring in the easement, bring in the public access—and yes, bring in the bulldozers!!! Progress and preservation can coexist. Let’s not let the NIMBY use fear or nostalgia keep us stuck in the past.

Discusses Rochambeau Trail And 6 Commerce Road

I've heard that several people are under the impression that the public might be banned from the Rochambeau Trail. Points 2 and 3 from the BOS motion (included in full below) make it clear that public access to the trail is part of the requirements for the developer. From what I understand, it requires free public access to the trail in perpetuity. Technically, this could be argued to be a "payment-in-kind," that attempts to balance public good with overall town growth. We can argue about weather that balance is acceptable and how the trail may be affected, but with the understanding that the trail is expected to be maintained as a publicly accessible trail regardless. July 15, 2024 Board of Selectmen approved motion: Discontinuance of Reservoir Road: Selectman Cruson moved the resolution: Resolved, that the Newtown Board of Selectmen, in accordance with Section 2-115(d)(8) of the Town Charter and Conn. Gen. Stat. §13a-49, and subject to the conditions set forth below, hereby discontinues an unimproved portion of Reservoir Road described as “Portion of Reservoir Road to be Discontinued “on that certain survey map which will be recorded on the Newtown Land Records titled “Map Showing Portion of Reservoir Road to be Discontinued” dated August, 2023 and revised September 15, 2023, and certified substantially correct by Gregory Szyszowski of SLR (the “Survey Map”), said discontinuance contingent and effective only upon the completion of the following: 1. The approval of an application for the development of land in the manner described in a letter from Attorney Thomas W. Beecher to First Selectman A. Jeffrey Capeci and Members of the Board of Selectmen dated May 30, 2024, pursuant to the “Residential Open Space Development” regulations of the Borough of Newtown by the Borough of Newtown Zoning Commission, and construction of that approval project within the timeframes required for special exception approval; 2. The inclusion of the discontinued portion of the road as part of the final Declaration of Conservation Restriction; 3. The conveyance of a mutually agreeable public easement to the Town of Newtown for pedestrian, bicycling, equestrian, and all other passive recreational uses (to exclude the use of motorized vehicles except as may be necessary by the Town or its designee to effectuate the purpose of the easement), and for municipal utility purposes; Be it further resolved, that Castle Hill Real Estate Holdings, LLC., its successors and assigns, shall not use any portion of the discontinued road as a vehicular road or access way to and from any developed portions of the property. Be it further finally resolved, that should any of the foregoing contingencies not occur, then the discontinuance contemplated herein shall not become effective and this resolution will become null and void. From: https://www.newtown-ct.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif12216/f/minutes/bos_7-15-24_min-_att_final.pdf

Is this paper road (roads that only exist on paper map but not in reality) even owned by the Town? Many roads that predate the Town's road standards are privately owned and were never accepted by the Town, such as many of the nonconforming roads around the lake communities where the property owners own right to the center line. That is something we had to deal with when working on the Roads Ordinance a few years back. We also had to deal with a private road to run the utilities to the new SHS.

For anyone who wants to know, I cant post a link here, but Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority has an entire website. Look up "HRRA whats in whats out"

I Get It!

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Children's Programs

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