Date: Fri 08-Aug-1997

By DOROTHY EVANS

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

FFA-Vo-Ag-Nonnewaug

Full Text:

At Nonnewaug High School: Students Host "First Ever" FFA Agriculture Day Camp

(with photos)

BY DOROTHY EVANS

How many babies does Aggie the sow have in her tummy?

How old is the sago palm in the Ellis Clark Agri-Science greenhouse at

Nonnewaug High School?

What does oasis have to do with floriculture?

Why don't my dog and my cat get along?

Where does skim milk come from?

Second and third graders from Woodbury and Bethlehem (Region 14) elementary

schools who participated in an Agriculture Day Camp held June 29 recently

found answers to those questions and more.

The children were guests of the Woodbury Chapter of FFA (Fun For Agriculture,

also, Future Farmers of America), which hosted an agriculture day camp at the

Ellis Clark Regional Agri-Science and Technology Center. The center is located

at Nonnewaug High School off Minortown Road in Woodbury.

There were several Newtown students who are also FFA members and Nonnewaug

students, serving as guides and camp workshop presenters.

William Davenport, Woodbury FFA adviser and Nonnewaug agriculture teacher,

said he hoped the "first ever" agricultural day camp would help further

awareness in the community of "how important our Connecticut farms are."

During the day-long event, nearly 90 children were divided into small groups

of six or eight. They signed up ahead of time to attend a series of workshops

on veterinary science, hay making, conservation and tree identification,

equestrian care, farm animals, horticulture or floriculture.

They also participated in the "traveling farm," an educational program

designed to teach children where their food comes from.

Since the idea for the agriculture day camp came from Nonnewaug's sophomore

class, said Mr Davenport, the Nonnewaug students were delighted to see how

much the children were enjoying themselves.

"The kids are really behaving pretty well - and they're listening, too," said

Newtown resident Janice Bond, who is a Nonnewaug senior.

"Next year, maybe we'll have more days and open it up to more towns. Like

maybe have a Newtown day and a Brookfield/Bethel day," said Jackie Lizotte, a

Nonnewaug junior from Bethlehem.

"But we wouldn't want to have the classes get any larger. This is just right,"

Jackie added with obvious satisfaction and relief.

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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 08-Aug-1997

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