Newtown Prevention Council Discusses Events And Grants

By Eliza Hallabeck

At its first meeting since May, the Newtown Prevention Council discussed upcoming events, an after school program at Newtown Middle School, and grants that will effect the community and the Newtown Prevention Council.

The group met in the meeting room at C.H. Booth Library on Thursday, September 17. Near the start of the meeting, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Linda Gejda brought up a new community conversation that will be happening in the district thanks to a grant from the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund. Last year’s community conversation on bullying was funded by the same fund. The community conversation on bullying was also discussed later during the meeting.

Newtown Public School’s Director of Health Judy Blanchard said the subject will be underage drinking, noting that the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, which funds community conversations across the state, has never had a community discuss the issue.

“It is really to get our whole community engaged in the discussion of underage drinking,” said Ms Blanchard.

As a co-chair of the Newtown Prevention Council Beth Agen, executive director of Newtown Youth & Family Services, said, it is phenomenal Newtown was awarded the alumni grant from the foundation.

Later during the meeting, Reed Intermediate School Assistant Principal Anthony Salvatore passed around posters from last year’s community conversation on bullying. The posters were the winning entries in a poster contest for the conversation. Dr Salvatore also said a poster of all the winning entries may find its way into the new Newtown Municipal Center, formerly Bridgeport Hall on the Fairfield Hills campus.

Ms Blanchard said during an interview, like the last community conversation, the conversation on underage drinking will progress to include a large number of people from the community. Currently the conversation is looking for 20 people in the community who would be willing to drive the conversation and plan it. Eventually the conversation will grow to include many more people from the community.

In other business, Health District Director Donna Culbert gave a brief report on the H1N1 virus, otherwise known as swine flu.

“We can expect you will see plenty more as the season moves on,” said Ms Culbert. While the vaccine for the H1N1 flu virus is not yet available in the state, regular flu clinics will be held earlier. The H1N1 vaccine is expected to become available as soon as October.

“It is important that you get a vaccination for the regular flu first,” said Ms Culbert, “because we want to protect the largest amount of the community.”

Ms Culbert said the best way to prevent the spread of H1N1 is in practicing good hygiene, like covering mouths and noses when sneezing and washing hands frequently.

“Just a reminder that Family Dinner Night is a national celebration,” said Ms Agen, regarding a night for families to be held at Reed Intermediate School on Friday, September 25, from 6 until 8. A ziti and meatball dinner, ice cream, and dessert, will be served. DJ Kevin Koschel will be providing music for the evening. There will also be face painting and other fun activities.

The cost is $10 per family of four and $3 for each additional person. Tickets are being sold in advance at Dr Baum’s office and Newtown Youth & Family Services, 17 Church Hill Road. No tickets will be sold at the door.

Another upcoming event discussed during the Prevention Council’s meeting is the 16th Annual Newtown Great American Health & Safety Fair. The event will be conducted at the Newtown Middle School on Queen Street on Saturday, September 26, from 10 am to 2 pm. There will be more than 40 exhibitors participating, and they range from actual medical services to all kinds of health, family, and environmental information, and, of course, lots of giveaways.

“There’s a lot of great health information and giveaways,” said Ms Culbert. She later continued, “I think this is one of the biggest ones that I go to and there is something for everyone.”

Also discussed during the meeting was a Newtown Youth Academy after school program for seventh and eighth grade students from Newtown Middle School. The program is overseen by Kyle Lyddy and Christina Wolf, and the students are transported to the Newtown Youth Academy after school Monday through Thursday.

“I think this is a great addition to the community,” said Ms Agen, after saying the time spent in the program is safe and substance-free.

Mr Lyddy said he believes as the school year continues more students will become involved with the program.