Date: Fri 07-Mar-1997

By KAAREN VALENTA

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

Holian-nursing-scholarship

Full Text:

Mary Holian Scholarship

Awarded To Nursing Student

The Newtown Visiting Nurse Association Mary M. Holian Scholarship for

Returning Students has been awarded to Connie Kovacs (center) of 19 Plum Trees

Road, a nursing student at Pace University. The $1,000 scholarship award was

presented by Sally Schwerdtle, (left) VNA scholarship chairman, and Margareta

Kotch, VNA treasurer and past president. -Bee Photo, Valenta

The Newtown Visiting Nurse Association has awarded its $1,000 Mary M. Holian

Scholarship for Returning Students to Connie Kovacs for her studies at Pace

University.

Ms Kovacs, a 1988 graduate of Newtown High School, earned a bachelor's degree

in economics at the University of New Hampshire.

After working in business for several years, she decided that she wanted to be

a nurse. She enrolled at Pace, where she is in the Combined Degree Program

(CDP) earning a bachelor of science in nursing degree (BSN) and a family nurse

practitioner (FNP) degree.

She is the daughter of Paul and Bunny Kovacs of 19 Plum Trees Road.

The Mary M. Holian scholarship is awarded annually to individuals who live in

Newtown and who are returning to school for a nursing degree, either an

associate or BSN. The applicant must be entering the second year of training,

provided he or she has completed the first year within the last five years.

Selection is based on interest in the nursing profession, personality,

scholarship, financial need and upon the recommendation of a faculty adviser

or dean.

The scholarship was established in 1988 in honor and appreciation of Mary M.

Holian for her dedication and leadership in the field of public health nursing

in Newtown and in the state of Connecticut. She has served on the Newtown VNA

Board for 30 years, nine of those as president. She was a charter member and

past president of the state organization, the Association of Community Health

Care Service Agencies.

She was responsible for the establishment of many of the Newtown VNA programs,

including the well-child conferences, the scholarship programs, and the

consortium with the Danbury VNA to provide nursing services to Newtown.

Within a few weeks, the guidance offices of Newtown High School and Immaculate

High School in Danbury will have application forms for the $2,000 Anna E. Clow

Scholarship, which the VNA awards annually to graduating seniors from Newtown

who intend to pursue nursing studies.

Information about the scholarships also is available by writing to Sally

Schwerdtle, 447 North Park Avenue, Easton, Conn. 06612, or by calling her at

(203) 268-8333.

Silver Alert For Blue McGrath Ended

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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 07-Mar-1997

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