Five Newtown Girl Scouts Receive Silver Awards

By LAURIE BORST

Published: Jul 13, 2007 12:00 am

WILTON â The Girl Scout Council of Southwestern Connecticut (GSCSWC) recently honored five Silver Award recipients from Newtown at the 2007 Awards Reception. The Silver awardees were Lauren Hanulik, Mary Kopcik, Faith Mangiafico, Ashley Rothacker, and Caitlin Tefft. The young women were among 26 Silver Award Girl Scouts from the 15 Fairfield County towns the Southwestern Council serves.

The Girl Scout Silver Award recognizes a Cadette Girl Scoutâs completion of specific requirements that culminate in a 40-hour community service project. The choice of service project is up to each girl and usually corresponds with her main interests and talents. The Silver Award Projects addressed a wide variety of community needs.

Lauren Hanulik titled her project âProject Band-aidâ and provided after-school flute lessons and collected medical supplies that she later donated to a center. Mary Kopcik trained her dog Jo-Jo as a pet therapy dog so he could visit hospitals and senior care facilities to cheer up patients. She also ran a summer camp program where children came to improve their reading skills by reading to stuffed dogs.

Faith Mangiaficoâs âProject Runwayâs Fashion Challengeâ was a new event in her Service Unit in which participants had to shop for a complete outfit for under $20 and then model it in the show. Prizes were awarded for Most Creative, Thriftiest, and Overall Best. Faithâs event served more than 80 girls, and she prepared instructions so other towns could duplicate the event.

Ashley Rothacker taught reading skills at a summer enrichment camp for first and second graders. Caitlin Tefft collected and donated more than 1,000 books to a local Safe House and a Head Start Program.

The GSCSWC is very proud of these fine leaders for seeing a need in the community and helping others. The Silver Award is part of the progressive Girl Scout Leadership Development Program that prepares girls with the skills and inspiration for them to discover, lead, and take action in matters that are important to their personal development and the world around them.

The Voters Chose Newtown

The Plastic Problem

Margaret ‘Peggy’ Elizabeth Annett (July 31, 1943-April 26, 2025)

Making America: The Story Of An Immigrant

Snapshot: Andy Ashla

The voters certainly spoke — and I respect the outcome — but let’s not forget that a “majority” doesn’t mean everyone agreed. Many of us are deeply concerned about the rising cost of living here. Supporting schools and services is important, but so is ensuring that residents can afford to stay in the town they love. We all want Newtown to be a great place to live, but lately, it’s starting to feel less like “Nicer in Newtown” and more like “More Expensive in Newtown.” That’s not sustainable, and it’s not a criticism of the town itself — it’s a call for responsible budgeting and long-term planning that doesn’t rely on tax increases year after year. I hope future decisions will reflect not just the desire to maintain services, but also the need to ease the financial burden on residents.

Budget, Capital Projects Pass: Officials Respond

I appreciate the passion behind this message, and I absolutely understand the desire to invest in our town. That said, I voted no — not because I don't care about Newtown, but because I do. Fiscal responsibility is not about ignoring problems, it’s about making sure we address them in a sustainable and transparent way. It’s frustrating to feel like every year there’s a new “urgent” reason to raise taxes, with little serious effort to curb spending or prioritize needs. I worry this just sets the stage for another round of increases next year. That doesn't mean I’m against education, safety, or our town’s future — it means I believe in accountability and in asking tough questions about how our money is managed. Voting no wasn't a rejection of Newtown — it was a call for more thoughtful, balanced leadership. I hope future conversations can include all perspectives, not just those willing to write a bigger check.

The voters spoke, loud and clear that they support our schools and municipal services. The majority vote was a mandate to keep delivering well rated education services and keep it" Nicer in Newtown."

Great effort by the those who attended to shine a light on the attacks on Democracy. Thanks for the article so all can understand whats happening.

Hundreds Attend ‘Rock This Democracy’ Rally

Thank you LeReine, for speaking out about this. The list of public servants who are unfairly targeted for abuse just for doing their jobs has been growing. It is a testament to the power of propaganda that otherwise good and well-meaning people can get so emotional as to act out in this way.

Discusses Role As Registrar

<< May 2025 >>
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
27	28	29	30	1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31

Log In

Five Newtown Girl Scouts Receive Silver Awards

Leave a Reply Cancel reply