Commission On Aging Discusses Purchasing Second Terminal For Senior CenterThe Commission on Aging began discussions on whether or not they should purchase a new terminal out of concerns for proper attendance and safety for the senior center at their April 15 hybrid meeting.The Commission on Aging (COA) began discussions on whether or not they should purchase a new terminal out of concerns for proper attendance and safety for the senior center at their Monday, April 15 hybrid meeting.Director of Human Services Natalie Griffith opened new business discussions by addressing the challenges of only having one My Senior Center terminal at the senior center. Members use the terminal’s card reader to sign into the senior center when attending a class or event, while staff use it to keep track of who is coming in and out of the building.The terminal also records additional information members provided on their application form, such as emergency contacts and allergies.Griffith detailed how the senior center has been experiencing difficulties with too many members coming in at once for the same activity or event and crowding around the terminal.“Then folks don’t want to stand there to wait and sign in, so they just kind of bypass it,” Griffith said. “We can get 25 people coming in for a class and then a whole other handful coming in for a speaker. It’s challenging to stand there and try to stop everybody and get them to line up.”The idea of adding another terminal initially came up in March, when Griffith talked to the commission on ways to make her reporting more effective, since they know the numbers in the programs are not always accurate because of “that challenge of getting people to sign in.”She went on to say that, much like the community center, attendance for classes and events at the senior center is not taken by the instructors. Griffith explained that instructors say taking attendance takes too much time out of their programs. As such, attendance for classes and events are exclusively taken by the terminal.Commissioner Barbara Bloom brought up that members bypassing the terminal altogether creates potential safety issues.“If somebody doesn’t sign in, you don’t know if they’re in the building,” Bloom said. “And if there’s an emergency, then you at least have their emergency information, like their contact info, allergy info, and medical info.”Griffith also agreed with Commissioner Claire Theune on the importance of knowing who is in the senior center at all times and having accurate information.A second terminal would cost $4,800 according to My Senior Center. Griffith said that this would be “pricey” and that it was not something that was included in her budget for the coming year. There would also be an annual $300 fee for maintenance of the additional kiosk.“So I thought I would put it out there to see if a second kiosk is something that the COA could assist with or felt was necessary,” Griffith said.Commissioner Pat Bailey said that she believed “we really don’t need a second way to sign in, we just need a better way of signing in.”“I think we have to be firm with the community though in some respects,” Bailey added. “We want them to sign in for their own protection.”Agreeing with Bailey, Commissioner Michael Stern added that it was important to ask people to arrive to classes and events earlier.Frampton felt before anything else that the COA should consider how the terminal would be utilized and whether they could get seniors to actually check in and not just skip it.After further discussion, Griffith offered to circle back with senior center staff and “see what other kinds of options might be available, either through the app or something less expensive.”Rothstein then suggested tabling the topic for today and putting it under old business to return during the next meeting. Griffith added that, as they are researching additional options, senior center staff could put some verbiage out there that encourages people to wait and sign in.Commissioner Jack Kitterman also suggested they could also have instructors encourage people to arrive and check in earlier.Director’s ReportGriffith opened her report by saying that she primarily focused on the grant submission to Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging. She gave a “huge thank you” to Rothstein and also FONS President John Boccuzzi Sr who helped proof and add content to pieces of the grant.“I think we ended with a very strong application to Western Connecticut,” Griffith said.Griffith continued, saying a couple hundred thousand dollars is available in the region for transportation services through ARPA dollars directed to the Area Agency on Aging. She and the others looked at how they might use some funds to address the transportation challenges for seniors and disabled residents, and enhance what they already have by making things more effective and efficient.According to Griffith, they went in with an ask of $85,000. With that, they look to add some additional rides to Newtown. The majority of rides they help people access are through the SweetHART Dial-a-Ride service. However, she said that there are some limitations around time and destination with the service.“We’ve also been in communication with HART and have heard more about the strain on their system right now,” Griffith said. “So we need to kind of alleviate some of that so it’s still an effective resource for folks.”She added that they would like to bring in a part-time transportation coordinator that would help figure out what the best options are to get people where they need to go, help residents know what is available to them, and dispatch rides through the town if they were to get those funds.Griffith said that they are in their “fingers crossed period” and will keep everyone posted about those plans. She then transitioned into talking about how the Newtown-based group Friends In Service Here (FISH), a volunteer-to-ride service for medical appointments, went on hiatus after COVID hit and decided to not come back to resume service. With the loss of FISH, Griffith said that they “also lost a piece of our transportation puzzle.”This made Griffith very excited to announce that FONS had formally launched its Newtown Rides Program. She said that FONS Chore Service Coordinator Beverly Bennett-Schaedler put out the word for drivers and that several volunteer drivers have already stepped forward wanting to provide rides.These rides would happen on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to noon and/or from noon to 2 pm as they pilot the program, with the hope to extend into more days over time.Griffith finished her report by showing some pictures from the Newtown Senior Spring Fling on Friday, April 5. Over 60 residents attended the event at the high school. She also thanked Parks and Recreation for partnering with them for the event, and the high school culinary program for catering the meals.“It was so much fun,” Griffith beamed. “I think it was a huge success. We eventually had to get people to leave as their time was up, so they really enjoyed it. They wanted to stay dancing and were having such a good time.”New Alternate Member Introduction, Long-Term PlanningRothstein let the new COA alternate member Jack Kitterman introduce himself to everyone. Kitterman said that he has lived in Newtown since 1977 and has been retired for a little while now. He was happy to introduce himself and hopes to help with and add value to the group.“I’ve been enjoying my time here so far,” Kitterman said.Bloom spoke next, bringing up how she mentioned creating short and long-term goals for the senior center at the last meeting.Rothstein finished the meeting by putting strategic planning on the agenda for the next time.=====Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.Commission On Aging Discusses Purchasing Second Terminal For Senior Center Jenna Visca
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School Budget Fails For First Time Since 2013Newtown voters rejected the $88.8 million school budget at an April 23 referendum, the first time voters have rejected a budget in 10 years.For the first time since a budget failure in 2013, a budget failed to pass muster with the voters, as the education budget failed, 1,701 “no” votes to 1,194 “yes” votes.The town budget narrowly passed, 1,465 “yes” votes to 1,424 “no” votes, so the town’s budget of $48,834,506, a $1,308,366 or 2.75 percent spending increase, is official.The proposed Board of Education stood at $88,817,373, a $3,747,722 or 4.4% increase over last year. With the rejection from voters, the school budget will go back to the Legislative Council and Board of Finance to decide on a new bottom line, as well as the Board of Education for line item cuts.Legislative Council Chairman Keith Alexander said council will “convene to reconsider the proposed Board of Education budget for further adjustment.”“The Council will have to use the feedback of this referendum to assess the tax payers’ priorities,” said Alexander.On the secondary question to the education budget — If the proposed sum for the Board of Education is not approved, should the revised budget be higher? — the responses were 727 “yes” and 2,071 “no.”Superintendent of Schools Chris Melillo said that the proposed budget was “focused on maintaining staff and programs” as well as current levels of curriculum and instruction. With the failure of the school budget, Melillo said the “priority remains the same, to provide the best education and support students.”“We will try and maintain essential staff and programs, and shield them from cuts as much as we can,” said Melillo. “We will advocate for our students and make sure their educational experience is not compromised.”First Selectman Jeff Capeci said that the schools going down “by a large margin” suggests that the council and BOE have work that still needs to be done. He said the follow-up question gave the council “clear direction.”Capeci also noted that while the town passed, it was by a small margin.“We are conscious that taxpayers are feeling the pinch economically in general and from taxes,” said Capeci. “That’s the message I received.”The Bee reached out to BOE Chair Alison Plante but she did not respond before press time.A Letter to the Editor in this week’s Newtown Bee from four Republican Legislative Councilmen, Jennifer Nicoletti, Derek Pisani, John Zachos, and Ben Ruben, stated, “Newtown has not had a budget fail referendum in over a decade and we cannot take this message lightly. Affordability is not a partisan matter, and there were voters of all party affiliations who acted to send this budget back to the Council.”If both budgets had passed, voters were facing an overall budget of $137,651,879, a $5,056,088 or 3.7% spending increase. The mill rate would have increased from 26.24 to 27.24, a 1 mill or 3.82% tax increase.The Registrar of Voters reports 15.1% of Newtown’s registered voters participated in yesterday’s referendum, with 2,952 people showing up at Newtown Middle School to vote and another 47 turning in absentee ballots.In 2023, Newtown saw increased participation at its April budget vote with a turnout of approximately 8.8 percent, the first year of increased participation after years of waning participation, especially following the COVID pandemic. In 2022, participation was only 7.7 percent; in 2021, the turnout was 8.98 percent; in 2020, there was no budget referendum due to the pandemic; in 2019, turnout was 17 percent; in 2018, turnout was 15.7 percent; and in 2017, turnout was 19.9 percent.This year’s participation close to doubled the participation in 2023, but the results seem indicative of discontent with the proposed budget after years of relative apathy.The Board of Finance was expected to at least discuss the referendum results at its April 25 meeting, and the Legislative Council next meets on May 1. The Board of Education next meets on May 7.=====Editor Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.School Budget Fails For First Time Since 2013 Jim Taylor
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Referendum Results: Split DecisionIn short: the town budget passed and the education budget failed during the April 23 referendum.In short: the town budget passed and the education budget failed during the April 23 referendum.The Registrar of Voters reports 15.1% of Newtown’s registered voters participated in yesterday’s referendum, with 2,952 people showing up at Newtown Middle School to vote and another 47 turning in absentee ballots.At the end of the day, 1,465 Yes votes were received for the $48,834,506 municipal budget vs 1,424 No votes.On the education side, with voters deciding on a proposed $88,817,373 budget the final numbers were 1,701 No and 1,194 Yes.On the secondary question to the education budget — If the proposed sum for the Board of Education is not approved, should the revised budget be higher? — the responses were 727 Yes and 2,071 No.See this week’s Newtown Bee print edition for additional details.=====Managing Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.WEB referendum results Shannon Hicks
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Referendum At Midpoint: 5% Turnout ReportedAt the midway point of today’s referendum, 998 of Newtown’s 19,148 registered voters had visited Newtown Middle School to cast their four-question ballot.At the midway point of today’s referendum, 998 of Newtown’s 19,148 registered voters had visited Newtown Middle School to cast their four-question ballot. That represents 5% of the town’s voters appearing in person as of 1 pm.Voters are deciding the fate of a proposed $48,834,506 Board of Selectmen/municipal budget. That figure, approved by the Board of Finance in February, represents a $1,308,366 or 2.75% spending increase.The referendum also includes the proposed Board of Education budget. Following the Board of Finance’s review in February, the BOE proposal is $88,817,373, a $3,747,722 or 4.4% increase over last year.Voters also have secondary questions for each proposed budget: If the proposed sum for the Board of Selectmen/Board of Education (respectively) is not approved, should the revised budget be higher.The polling location opened at 6 am and will remain open until 8 pm. All voting is being conducted in the gymnasium of Newtown Middle School, 11 Queen Street.The Office of the Registrar of Voters received 46 absentee ballots, which will be opened and counted after the close of polls at 8.Read more here: Council Approves Board Of Education Budget Without Cuts On Split Vote=====Managing Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.WEB referendum midday reminder Shannon Hicks
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Dozens Learn About FONS Over Membership Dinner
Around 110 people attended the Friends of Newtown Seniors (FONS) Membership Dinner held on Thursday, April 11 at the Newtown Community Center and learned about FONS' mission and accomplishments, plans and programs for the future, and what they hope to achieve with the help of new volunteers.Around 110 people attended the Friends of Newtown Seniors (FONS) Membership Dinner held on Thursday, April 11 at the Newtown Community Center.The goal of the event was for FONS to share their mission and accomplishments, plans and programs for the future, and what they hope to achieve with the help of new volunteers. To FONS Board Member Beverly Bennett-Schaedler, the event was a “rebirth” of the organization.“We’ve done a lot of stuff behind the scenes, and it’s very frustrating to hear people say ‘who?’ and not know what you do. And I think that this is the beginning of [more people knowing who we are],” Bennett-Schaedler said. “We’re so excited to reach out to people who are interested in helping us and seeing what they want to do.”FONS Secretary Annmarie Durkin says that she was on a small committee of people who started planning and setting up the membership dinner months ago.She went on to say that they “didn’t know what to expect” since FONS had not had a membership meeting in a long while. Even though FONS was organized in 2016, to her and the other members, it felt like not a lot of people in the community were aware of the organization or what they did.“So we thought what better way to spread the word and let people know more about what we do than have a membership meeting and invite our senior population to attend,” Durkin said. “And from there, it kind of expanded. Because of the generosity of all the local businesses, it became much more than just a meeting, it was a nice evening out for everyone ... It really exceeded our expectations.”According to Bennett-Schaedler and Durkin, everything for the event was donated by local businesses. Each table was decorated with silverware and blue linens courtesy of Durant’s Party Rentals, wine bottles donated by Yankee Wine & Spirits, and floral centerpieces from Hollandia Nurseries.Attendees also helped themselves to a dinner buffet provided by Church Hill Village, which featured Caesar salad, chicken francese, and penne alla vodka, alongside bread rolls, brownies, and cookies. Additional food and drink donations were made by Big Y, Stop & Shop, Caraluzzi’s, ShopRite, Stew Leonard’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Costco, and Pepsi.“We were very fortunate to offer everything that we could for the event. Everybody was just very supportive,” Durkin said.Zach Macey played on the piano as people poured into the meeting room of the community center. After socializing over buffet dinner and desserts, FONS Founder and President John Boccuzzi Sr opened the discussion portion of the event by thanking everyone for coming out and detailing the history and purpose of the organization.“We provide services to seniors,” Boccuzzi said. “We deliver advocacy, we deliver services, and we do it by partnering with anyone who is interested in helping our seniors.”Bennett-Schaedler spoke next and was very excited to announce that FONS had recently launched their Newtown Rides program, where FONS volunteer drivers pick up seniors 55 and older and take them to “anywhere they want in Newtown.” FONS hopes that the program will give seniors who might otherwise be unable to get out of the house a chance to go out and do what they want for their “special day.”Other speakers included FONS board members Frank Monette, who spoke about AARP’s HomeFit safety program, and Janice Garten, who spoke about various FONS committees. Some attendees also wrote on membership meeting cards where they could fill out questions on what they wanted to see in the community, what their main concerns are for Newtown. FONS Board Member Ned Simpson also went around with a microphone and asked attendees about their concerns in town. Several seniors expressed concerns about housing, transportation, and lack of medical providers in Newtown.The program ended with a raffle of various items such as restaurant gift cards, movie theater tickets, floral centerpieces, and more. All of these items were also donated by local businesses.After getting feedback from seniors at the event, Durkin says that FONS is trying to figure out their “next steps” moving forward.“Now that we’ve got feedback from the members on those meeting cards, we’re compiling our data, getting statistics together, and figuring out how we can help in the housing, transportation, and medical areas, which seem to be the things that people were most concerned about,” Durkin said. “We’re just seeing if there’s anything else FONS can do in terms of addressing the needs of the community.”Boccuzzi submitted a letter to the editor that appeared in the Friday, April 19 edition of The Newtown Bee, expressing his gratitude for the “highly successful membership meeting and dinner” and especially for the many local businesses who supported the event.“The generosity of local businesses allowed FONS to provide an extraordinary evening for 110 members,” Boccuzzi wrote. “Thank you to all the businesses who donated so generously. Clearly, local businesses support our senior population.”To learn more about FONS, call 203-430-0633, email info@FriendsOfNewtownSeniors.org, or visit their website at friendsofnewtownseniors.org or the Friends of Newtown Seniors Facebook page.Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.Dozens Learn About FONS Over Membership Dinner Jenna Visca
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Around 110 people attended the Friends of Newtown Seniors (FONS) Membership Dinner held on Thursday, April 11 at the Newtown Community Center and learned about FONS' mission and accomplishments, plans and programs for the future, and what they hope to achieve with the help of new volunteers.
Commission On Aging Discusses Purchasing Second Terminal For Senior CenterThe Commission on Aging began discussions on whether or not they should purchase a new terminal out of concerns for proper attendance and safety for the senior center at their April 15 hybrid meeting.The Commission on Aging (COA) began discussions on whether or not they should purchase a new terminal out of concerns for proper attendance and safety for the senior center at their Monday, April 15 hybrid meeting.Director of Human Services Natalie Griffith opened new business discussions by addressing the challenges of only having one My Senior Center terminal at the senior center. Members use the terminal’s card reader to sign into the senior center when attending a class or event, while staff use it to keep track of who is coming in and out of the building.The terminal also records additional information members provided on their application form, such as emergency contacts and allergies.Griffith detailed how the senior center has been experiencing difficulties with too many members coming in at once for the same activity or event and crowding around the terminal.“Then folks don’t want to stand there to wait and sign in, so they just kind of bypass it,” Griffith said. “We can get 25 people coming in for a class and then a whole other handful coming in for a speaker. It’s challenging to stand there and try to stop everybody and get them to line up.”The idea of adding another terminal initially came up in March, when Griffith talked to the commission on ways to make her reporting more effective, since they know the numbers in the programs are not always accurate because of “that challenge of getting people to sign in.”She went on to say that, much like the community center, attendance for classes and events at the senior center is not taken by the instructors. Griffith explained that instructors say taking attendance takes too much time out of their programs. As such, attendance for classes and events are exclusively taken by the terminal.Commissioner Barbara Bloom brought up that members bypassing the terminal altogether creates potential safety issues.“If somebody doesn’t sign in, you don’t know if they’re in the building,” Bloom said. “And if there’s an emergency, then you at least have their emergency information, like their contact info, allergy info, and medical info.”Griffith also agreed with Commissioner Claire Theune on the importance of knowing who is in the senior center at all times and having accurate information.A second terminal would cost $4,800 according to My Senior Center. Griffith said that this would be “pricey” and that it was not something that was included in her budget for the coming year. There would also be an annual $300 fee for maintenance of the additional kiosk.“So I thought I would put it out there to see if a second kiosk is something that the COA could assist with or felt was necessary,” Griffith said.Commissioner Pat Bailey said that she believed “we really don’t need a second way to sign in, we just need a better way of signing in.”“I think we have to be firm with the community though in some respects,” Bailey added. “We want them to sign in for their own protection.”Agreeing with Bailey, Commissioner Michael Stern added that it was important to ask people to arrive to classes and events earlier.Frampton felt before anything else that the COA should consider how the terminal would be utilized and whether they could get seniors to actually check in and not just skip it.After further discussion, Griffith offered to circle back with senior center staff and “see what other kinds of options might be available, either through the app or something less expensive.”Rothstein then suggested tabling the topic for today and putting it under old business to return during the next meeting. Griffith added that, as they are researching additional options, senior center staff could put some verbiage out there that encourages people to wait and sign in.Commissioner Jack Kitterman also suggested they could also have instructors encourage people to arrive and check in earlier.Director’s ReportGriffith opened her report by saying that she primarily focused on the grant submission to Western Connecticut Area Agency on Aging. She gave a “huge thank you” to Rothstein and also FONS President John Boccuzzi Sr who helped proof and add content to pieces of the grant.“I think we ended with a very strong application to Western Connecticut,” Griffith said.Griffith continued, saying a couple hundred thousand dollars is available in the region for transportation services through ARPA dollars directed to the Area Agency on Aging. She and the others looked at how they might use some funds to address the transportation challenges for seniors and disabled residents, and enhance what they already have by making things more effective and efficient.According to Griffith, they went in with an ask of $85,000. With that, they look to add some additional rides to Newtown. The majority of rides they help people access are through the SweetHART Dial-a-Ride service. However, she said that there are some limitations around time and destination with the service.“We’ve also been in communication with HART and have heard more about the strain on their system right now,” Griffith said. “So we need to kind of alleviate some of that so it’s still an effective resource for folks.”She added that they would like to bring in a part-time transportation coordinator that would help figure out what the best options are to get people where they need to go, help residents know what is available to them, and dispatch rides through the town if they were to get those funds.Griffith said that they are in their “fingers crossed period” and will keep everyone posted about those plans. She then transitioned into talking about how the Newtown-based group Friends In Service Here (FISH), a volunteer-to-ride service for medical appointments, went on hiatus after COVID hit and decided to not come back to resume service. With the loss of FISH, Griffith said that they “also lost a piece of our transportation puzzle.”This made Griffith very excited to announce that FONS had formally launched its Newtown Rides Program. She said that FONS Chore Service Coordinator Beverly Bennett-Schaedler put out the word for drivers and that several volunteer drivers have already stepped forward wanting to provide rides.These rides would happen on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to noon and/or from noon to 2 pm as they pilot the program, with the hope to extend into more days over time.Griffith finished her report by showing some pictures from the Newtown Senior Spring Fling on Friday, April 5. Over 60 residents attended the event at the high school. She also thanked Parks and Recreation for partnering with them for the event, and the high school culinary program for catering the meals.“It was so much fun,” Griffith beamed. “I think it was a huge success. We eventually had to get people to leave as their time was up, so they really enjoyed it. They wanted to stay dancing and were having such a good time.”New Alternate Member Introduction, Long-Term PlanningRothstein let the new COA alternate member Jack Kitterman introduce himself to everyone. Kitterman said that he has lived in Newtown since 1977 and has been retired for a little while now. He was happy to introduce himself and hopes to help with and add value to the group.“I’ve been enjoying my time here so far,” Kitterman said.Bloom spoke next, bringing up how she mentioned creating short and long-term goals for the senior center at the last meeting.Rothstein finished the meeting by putting strategic planning on the agenda for the next time.=====Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.Commission On Aging Discusses Purchasing Second Terminal For Senior Center Jenna Visca
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Reed Library And Media Specialist Sara Wasley Receives Outstanding Educational Leader Award When Reed Library and Media Specialist Sara Wasley walked through the library doors on Monday, April 22, she was as surprised as she was overjoyed to learn that she received an Outstanding Educational Leader Award from Connecticut PTA.Reed Library and Media Specialist Sara Wasley thought the first day back from spring break to be one like any other. When she walked through the library doors on Monday, April 22, she was shocked to be welcomed back with a surprise award ceremony and cheer and applause from fellow Reed library staff, PTA members, and even students.This was because the Reed PTA Board wanted to surprise her with the fact that she received an Outstanding Educational Leader Award from Connecticut PTA. According to Reed PTA Secretary Meredith Campbell Britton, these annual awards recognize educators, school professionals, and volunteers that demonstrate exceptional leadership for learning, community involvement, communication, and professionalism.“We just are so proud of you, and we just think you’re so amazing,” Campbell Britton said. “We were so excited to nominate you and are so happy that Connecticut PTA agrees with us.”Reed Library Administrative Assistant Sarah Beier helped gather letters of support from library patrons, students and adults alike, that nominated Wasley as an Outstanding Educational Leader. These included letters from Board of Education member John Vouros, Reed Principal Dr Matt Correia, Reed Assistant Principal Jenna Connors, and many more. Reed PTA then wrote the application and sent it in to Connecticut PTA. According to their website, the Connecticut PTA's mission is "to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children."For the special surprise award ceremony, Reed PTA members and library staff gave Wasley a bouquet of flowers, a congratulations card, stickers, and a folder with the letters of support that were written by students. These students who wrote letters of support were apparently so excited according to Beier that they kept coming up to her and asking if she heard whether Wasley won the award or not. Beier mentioned that she "couldn't wait" to tell the students the good news. When they wanted to take a group photo to memorialize the moment in The Bee, everyone gathered around a fake tree decoration dotted in white flower lights toward the back wall; one of Wasley's favorite spots in the library. “Oh my gosh, this is so amazing. Thank you all so, so much,” Wasley beamed. “This is just so sweet.”There will be a ceremonial brunch held by the Connecticut PTA on Sunday, June 2 at La Bella Vista, 380 Farmwood Road in Waterbury to celebrate all of the 2024 Outstanding Educators. The brunch will start at 11 am and feature a wide variety of foods from appetizers such as sliced seasonal fruit and croissants to buffet items such as Belgian waffles and chicken francese, and much more. All winners are considered guests of Connecticut PTA, while family and friends must register to attend. Registration forms for the Connecticut PTA 2024 Outstanding Educators Brunch are available online at ctpta.org/ct-pta-awards-dinner.Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.MUST Reed Library And Media Specialist Sara Wasley Receives Outstanding Jenna Visca
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NBLA Trail Notes: Annual Slow and Go Ride Pleases All Participants Trail ride through Huntington Park in Redding features slow and fast pace options.Each spring Newtown Bridle Lands Association hosts a group trail ride through Huntington Park in Redding. Called the Slow and Go Trail Ride, it is designed to appeal to all types of riders and horses. The “Slow” group is walk only. Riders who choose this option have different reasons: perhaps their horse is not yet in condition, getting over lameness, or learning about trail riding. Sometimes either the horse or the rider is a senior who just doesn’t feel like hurrying. Spring is a beautiful time to amble through the park and enjoy the trees coming into bloom and the songs of birds as they tend to their babies.The “Go” group is usually made up of confident riders who love a ground covering extended trot and a fast canter through the meadows. Both groups had to navigate mud, water crossings, and some rocky paths, but that is the nature of true trail riding and the horses did what they were asked.This year the ride took place on April 20. Fifteen riders and their mounts showed up to take part and they were evenly divided between the Slows and the Gos. The course was a big loop starting and ending at a member’s house that is located near the park. After the ride, the horses were freed of their tack, brushed down and loaded in their trailers with some fresh hay. Meanwhile, the riders partook of a delicious meal of chicken salad on croissants, soup, green salad, and dessert. Conversation was horse-centric, just what the participants enjoy the most!Tracy Van Buskirk is a 39-year-resident of Newtown and president of Newtown Bridle Lands Association, at www.nblact.com, a nonprofit volunteer organization formed in 1978 to foster an interest in horseback riding as well as preserving, protecting and maintaining riding and hiking trails in the community. Horses have always been a part of her life. She owns a small bay quarter horse named Little Bear.NBLA Trail Notes Tracy Van Buskirk
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State Representatives Speak To Newtown Seniors In ‘Pizza & Policy’ Event
State Representatives Mitch Bolinsky (R-106) and Martin Foncello (R-107) visited the Newtown Senior Center on April 19 for a “Pizza & Policy” event, where they talked to Newtown seniors about the 2024 Legislative Session and then answered questions on state issues.State Representatives Mitch Bolinsky (R-106) and Martin Foncello (R-107) visited the Newtown Senior Center on April 19 for a “Pizza & Policy” event, where they talked to Newtown seniors about the 2024 Legislative Session and then answered questions on state issues.Around 45 people attended the event, with many eager to raise their concerns about various issues such as healthcare, transportation, tax relief, aging in place, and affordable senior housing.To Bolinsky, this event is an extension of the work that he already does on a daily basis.“In all the 12 years I’ve been serving, my mission has been about talking to people in my constituency and helping people in my constituency every single day,” Bolinsky said. “Even on vacation, I answer my phone and my texts. That’s important to me.”The event started with residents treating themselves to either plain, pepperoni, or vegetable pizza alongside refreshments such as water, seltzer, and tea.Attendees were also handed a packet of information detailing the major issues of the 2024 Legislative Session and small cards with Bolinsky’s and Foncello’s contact information, which Foncello referred to as their “baseball cards.”Both Bolinsky and Foncello encouraged any attendees who were confused about the topics in the booklet and at the event to personally reach out to them, as they want to do what they can to help residents understand the policies that affect them.“Seriously, if you need to reach us, on the back of those cards, there’s phone numbers, emails, addresses, and so on,” Foncello said. “We want to help you.”Everyone sat together at tables set with floral centerpieces as they ate and talked amongst themselves before Director of Human Services Natalie Griffith formally introduced Bolinsky and Foncello to the crowd.As a ranking member of the Legislature’s Aging Committee, Bolinsky said they were aiming for a “quantum shift” in the way the state uses its money.“We spend huge amounts subsidizing nursing homes … when the best place to be is in your home,” Bolinsky said. “The access to skilled nursing care, of wheelchair ramps and the ability to widen your bathroom door so you can get in with your walker; all of those things are in the process of happening right now in our Aging Committee.”This focus on helping improve the quality of life for senior citizens serves as the anchor for Bolinsky and his colleagues’ two priority bills in the 2024 Legislative Session.One is with the Speaker of the House and focuses on supporting seniors “aging in place,” which is the desire for seniors to remain in their own homes while receiving proper care. The other is with the governor and focuses on increasing quality and accountability in nursing home settings.Attendees also strongly expressed concerns regarding affordable housing, and asked the state representatives what they are doing to address the issue.Bolinsky explained that they are working to “address it as organically as they can” and that the state does not control housing supply. He and his committee said they also expressed interest in the idea of converting and repurposing long-term care buildings into affordable, independent living communities.“The goal is to use available real estate, convert it, and to have the community take advantage of it,” Bolinsky said. “We need affordable living options now, and have proposed two regional trial programs to redirect more costly, traditional aging resources into subsidizing or bonding-assistance to retrofit and convert increasingly underutilized, existing facilities.”Bolinsky also shared that they just applied for and got a state designation for Fairfield Hills Campus as a state historical site. He went on to say that he was happy to speak on the significance of the campus and why he felt it needed to be declared historic and qualify for historical credits.Some residents, such as attendee Danuta D’Alessandro, expressed their gratitude for the state representatives visiting and talking to the community.“[Bolinsky] comes here from time to time and talks to us and listens to us, and I just feel this makes us more important and heard as seniors,” D’Alessandro said.Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.State Representatives Speak To Newtown Seniors In "Policy & Pizza" Event Jenna Visca
Story State Representatives Speak To Newtown Seniors In ‘Pizza & Policy’ EventState Representatives Speak To Newtown Seniors In "Policy & Pizza" EventFeatured Slider, FeaturesNone
Nighthawk Track And Field Teams Win Meets NHS runners, throwers, and jumpers take on Masuk, Stratford, and Notre Dame.Newtown High School’s girls’ and boys’ track and field teams had meets on April 22 and 23 — the girls at Masuk of Monroe to take on the host Panthers along with Notre Dame-Fairfield and Stratford, and the boys the next day at home against the same opponents. Both teams came out on top.“After a week off from vacation, students exchanging in Spain, and school trip to Italy; we had some highs and lows at the meet,” said Becky Bourret, coach of the girls’ squad, who noted that the team only practiced a couple of times during the spring break week.The girls still came out on top in convincing fashion. They defeated Masuk 121.5-28.5, bested Notre Dame 133-17, and topped Stratford 136-14.“The teams we faced are sprinter heavy so we chose to put forth our best effort in those events knowing our distance team would do their jobs,” Bourret said.Newtown’s distance squad went one-two in the 4x800 relay event.In the 800 Keira Budge led herself and training partner Ana Morris to first and second, going sub 2:30. Sprinter Jessie Moore, coming off of an indoor foot injury, has turned to mid-distance in her recovery and ran the 800 to third place just shy of postseason qualification in 2:35.6 (2:35.5).The 1600 had Clara D’Amico lead the way in a season-best time of 5:39.5 for postseason qualification. Annabelle Foley has found her stride this season and saw a lifetime PR in the mile of 5:42 — qualifying for the South-West Conference Championships and just shy of state standard — Bourret said.In the 3200 Budge and Morris worked together to again take first and second while also qualifying for states.Sprinters saw an exciting finish in 4x100 against top team Notre Dame with a lean at the end by Grace Lyons to secure first in a PR of 50.9; the relay also comprised Amanda Reyes, Lola Kessler, and Ella Hall.Lyons took first in the 200 with a PR of 26.0. Reyes followed in third with a PR of 27.2 and Aashni Shetty (taking a break from hurdles this meet) took fourth in the same time, also a PR.The 400 featured a Newtown sweep with Shetty and Leah Morris taking the top two spots in the same time of 1:03 (both good for state qualification), and Lola Kessler took third in 1:05.7.The 4x400 relay of Lyons, Leah Morris, Moore, and Shetty had a season PR of 4:15.Newtown’s field events competitors had a harder day after not being able to practice their skills but hung on for point scoring positions and strong placements in the pole vault, long jump, triple jump, shot-put, discus, javelin, and high jump.The boys won against both opponents, scoring 72.83 while Masuk had 36.25 and Stratford 29.29. The squads completed 17 of 18 events; the 4x800 relay races were not completed.In the 100 Hayden Bobowick, Elias Brady, and Gabriel Appiah were part of a five-runner tie for first in 11.5 seconds. Appiah and Grady Marks tied for first in the 200 in 24.3. Brady took first in the 400 in a PR time of 51.9 and Noah Kooper took fourth in the 400 in a PR time of 56.2.Ubay Dissa took first in the 1600 clocking in with a PR time of 4:57. NHS had run finishers among the top five in the 1600 as Mitchell Greenhaw placed third in 5:00, Shawn Cardamone was fourth in 5:01, and Adrian Totir fifth in 5:05 — all PR times.Derek Jopp won the 110 hurdles in a PR time of 18.1 seconds. Noah Masotta won the 800 (2:11.7) and was second in the 3200 (10:46). Orion Lowery (PR time of 2:13) and Reid Karnas (PR of 2:309.6) were third and fifth in the 800. Andrew Arena placed third in a PR time of 11:14.7 in the 3200.In the relays, the 4x100 team of Appiah, Gonzalez, Bobowick, and Brady came in second in 44.6 and the 4x400 team of Smith, Kooper, James D’Amico, and Marks was second in 4:03.NHS earned the third through fourth spots in the shot-put event as Jack Chappa had a throw of 41-3, Cole Wanzer 40-1, and Zachary Clouden 36-6.5 — all PR throws. Chappa took second in the discus event with a throw of 125-7, Chris Mattera was fourth with a PR throw of 93-95, and Jayden Cordova was fifth with a 69-9.In the javelin throw competition, Chappa (133), Justyn Gonzalez (118), and Tanner Smoth (117-5.5) took the top three spots with PR efforts. Mattera was fourth with a throw of 114-4. In the high jump, Dominic Simpri was first with a PR leap of 6-2 and Liveon Gavin came in third with a PR jump of 5-2. In the pole vault event Jerimiah Stone cleared 7 feet to place second. Brady won the long jump with a 19-5.5. Appiah (19), Simpri (18-3.5) and Bobowick (16-0.5) took the second, third, and fifth spots. Gonzalez won the triple jump with a 36-10.5.Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.NHS Track Andy Hutchison
Story Nighthawk Track And Field Teams Win MeetsNHS Track_67Featured Slider, SportsNone
Girls’ Golf Team Posts Wins The Nighthawk girls' golf team picked up where it left off with a victory fresh out of spring break.Newtown High School’s girls’ golf team defeated visiting Joel Barlow of Redding 199-247 at Newtown Country Club on April 10. Lucia St Lorenzo shot a 43, Riley Ragan carded a 46, Maddy Watson 53, Amanda Faircloth 57, and Sarah Gore 60.After some time off for spring break, the Nighthawks visited Stratford at Mill River Country Club on April 23 and carded a 210 to win. Stratford had only two golfers and did not score as a team. Defending South-West Conference individual champion Lauren Ogradowicz, of Stratford, shot a 39 for medalist accolades. Newtown was led by Faircloth with a 51 and a balanced score sheet of 53s from Madelyn Marcisz, St Lorenzo, and Ragan, along with a 57 from Watson.The Hawks, after three consecutive scheduled road matches, return to Newtown Country Club Tuesday, April 30 when Immaculate of Danbury and Pomperaug of Southbury visit at 3 pm.NHS Girls Golf Story Girls’ Golf Team Posts WinsNHS Girls Golf_8SportsNone
Girls’ Lacrosse Team Wins Easily After OT Setback, Then Pulls Out Nail-Biter Hawks battled New Fairfield and Joel Barlow in down-to-the-wire contests.Newtown High School’s girls’ lacrosse team shook off a tough 12-11 overtime setback to visiting New Fairfield on April 18 with an 18-1 win over visiting Immaculate of Danbury on April 20, then edged host Joel Barlow of Redding 7-6 on April 23.Against New Fairfield, Summer Harrell recorded four goals and six draw controls, and two assists; Jules Battaglia had three goals; and Natalie Mclean, Brooke Bulkley, Jen Socci, and Ava Mitchell all netted goals. McLean recorded four draw controls and had two assists and Brooke Bulkley had three draw controls to go along with an assist. Goaltender Alexa Manfredonia made ten saves.In the win over Immaculate, Bulkley had four goals and McLean scored three. Battaglia logged two goals and an assist, Nicki Kaplan scored twice, Reese Lischuk scored one and had two assists, and Harrell had an assist. Casey Schnitzler, Mitchell, Rachael Albrecht, Gabby O’Sullivan, Blake Heim-Sherwood, and Sara Ruddy all scored a goal.Newtown jumped out to a quick three-goal lead and held off Barlow. Mitchell scored three times, Battaglia, Bulkley, and Socci each had a goal and an assist, and McLean added a goal.“Barlow is a great defensive team and in conference rival and it was truly a defensive battle,” said Co-Coach Steph Suhoza, who added that possession was critical in this matchup. “Our defense came up with a number of turnovers that helped us secure the Win — led by Abby Ihelfeld, Mo Murphy, Kayla Locke and Ella Macey. Alexa had five saves.”Socci had the winning goal as the Hawks held on with a defensive stand after a Barlow draw circle win.The Hawks, after hosting FCIAC opponent Ridgefield on Thursday get back to South-West Conference action with a Tuesday, April 30, visit to Pomperaug of Southbury at 7 pm. Bunnell-Stratford visit NHS Friday, May 3 at 6:30 pm.Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.NHS Girls Lacrosse Andy Hutchison
Story Girls’ Lacrosse Team Wins Easily After OT Setback, Then Pulls Out Nail-BiterNHS Girls Lacrosse_165SportsNone
Boys’ Volleyball Team Enjoys Success On The Court NHS squad keeps winning ways going against Brookfield and Xavier of Middletown.Newtown High School’s boys’ volleyball team maintained its winning ways when the Nighthawks topped visiting Brookfield 3-0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-8) in its home opener on April 17. The Nighthawks excelled in some facets of the game while continuing to show improvement in others.“I think our serve was pretty good. Our free ball offense is starting to come together,” Head Coach Ardi Kodzodziku said.Newtown’s passing game was also strong and set up some seemingly easy points. “Without the passing you can’t get big swings and the bounce balls we got today,” added the coach, referring to hard hits in which the ball is not returned and bounces off the court or hands of opponents and out of play.Against Brookfield, Charlie Hanson compiled 15 kills, seven digs, and a trio of blocks; Nate Twitchell had 12 kills, three digs, and one block; and Eli Sullivan racked up 11 digs to go along with two aces. A. J. Zatulskis had three kills, Warner Bacon five kills, Max McCarthy logged three blocks, and Matt Tomaj recorded four digs and 33 assists.After winning game one with relative ease the Nighthawks found themselves behind 5-1 to start the second set. The Hawks battled back to take a 7-6 lead only to see the Bobcats go in front 12-7 and 15-8. Newtown went on a 6-0 run highlighted by Twitchell’s cross-court, front-corner placement kill, a Hanson smash down the middle, Sullivan’s service point, and a combined effort block for a point by Zatulskis and Bacon. The Hawks were within a point at 15-14.The teams traded points before Hanson’s block and subsequent kill off contact gave the Hawks an 18-17 lead. Hanson followed that up with another kill and Bacon scored a point to give Newtown a 20-17 lead. Brookfield trailed just 21-19 but saw the Hawks close out on a 4-0 run which included McCarthy and Bacon combining on a block and a strong serve by Tomaj which led to Zatulskis finding an opening just inside the back line to end the set.Newtown had its way in game three, jumping out to a 9-1 lead and never looking back. Twitchell’s kill made it 3-1 and he held serve for and extended run of points aided by a pair of aces that sandwiched a service point. Hanson also had key hits during the early-set pull-away.After the Bobcats clawed a bit to get within eight at 15-7 the Hawks finished strong with a 10-1 run. Sullivan’s ace pushed Newtown’s lead to 20-7 and Zatulskis followed with a booming hit for a point. Twitchell had two consecutive kills, the second a nicely-placed hit just inside the back line, to cap the scoring and clinch the win.The Nighthawks, following a 3-1 (19-25, 25-21, 25-18, 25-19) home win over Xavier of Middletown on April 22, improved to 6-3 overall. Twitchell had 14 kills, 12 digs, and three blocks; Hanson had ten kills and a trio of blocks; Bacon logged four kills and five blocks; Tomaj recorded ten digs and 35 assists; Zatulskis had seven digs and four aces; and McCarthy added two digs and two kills.Kodzodziku likes what he is seeing, especially given the players needed to make some positional adjustments. Kodzodziku noted that he has eight players who are club-level middle hitters and some have had to switch to the outside and right side hitter positions.“It’s starting to come together. They’re running with it very well. They’re a very coachable group,” Kodzodziku said after the Brookfield match. “It’s so fun — really good group.”Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.NHS Boys Volleyball Andy Hutchison
Story Boys’ Volleyball Team Enjoys Success On The CourtNHS Boys Volleyball_36Featured Slider, SportsNone
Hawks Play Long Ball And Small Ball For Dramatic Win Versus Bethel Home run and walk-off finish make for exciting game against Wildcats.There are a variety of ways to score in any sport but perhaps no more differing options can be found in a game other than baseball. Case in point: Newtown High School’s 2-1 walk-off victory over visiting Bethel on April 17.Sure, the Nighthawks only scored twice but the way in which the two runs came across home plate could not have differed any more than they did. Catcher Hayden Conklin hit a game-tying home run and got to round the bases at his leisure when the ball cleared the fence in left field in the fourth inning. “He’s been hitting the ball very well the last couple games and he hit a bomb right there — that was huge,” Newtown Coach Ian Thoesen said.Then there was the decisive run, which came about without the ball ever leaving the infield. First baseman Jack Carta took one for the team; he was hit by a pitch to start the improbable rally. Pinch runner Travis Rekos stole second base with two outs. Then pinch hitter JoJo Meriano hit a smash that deflected off the short stop’s glove and rolled just far enough away for the speedy Rekos to sprint all the way around to score ahead of the throw home.Newtown and Bethel met for the second time in less than a week and the Nighthawks came from behind to come out on top in both contests (winning 7-3 at Bethel on April 11).“I’m very proud of the team,” Thoesen said following the 2-1 win, which was completed just before a light rain began to intensify. “It was a good team effort.”Especially considering a pinch runner and pinch hitter came off the bench to make the difference. Thoesen said he tells his players they always have to be ready and there is no telling when they might be the difference-maker on a given day.“That’s what we instill. Everybody’s got to do their part,” the coach added. “We’re learning to compete. We’ve just got to play our game.”Putting the ball in play, pitchers throwing strikes, and fielders making at least the routine plays will add up to success, Thoesen said.Pitcher Dhilan Amin was outstanding on the mound, striking out 11 batters, walking one, and scattering five hits in seven innings with his four-seam and two-seam fast balls, curve, and changeup all working. Amin scattered a handful of hits and also showed off his athleticism when he got to a back-spin infield blooper that went over his head and made a play to narrowly throw out the batter running to first base.“It feels amazing to get a home win in a conference game. We really stepped up when we needed to. Everybody knew what they needed to do when they got to the plate — everybody knew the job they had,” Amin said.Newtown saw its three-game winning streak halted by visiting Joel Barlow of Redding in another pitching duel and 2-1 outcome on April 19. Newtown scored in the second inning and Barlow plated runs in the third and fifth. Ryan Schmid had two walks and a run driven in and Yarema Stasyshyn walked and scored. Evan Nikolis had the only Newtown hit and also pitched well in relief; Nikolis pitched 2.2 scoreless innings, scattering three hits, walking one, and striking out five. Jamie Piccuillo struck out the side and walked one in a scoreless inning of work. Danny Leyva was solid in 3.1 innings, allowing two runs, but just one earned, giving up five hits, allowing a walk, and fanning one batter.The Hawks fell 11-2 to visiting New Fairfield on April 22 but looked to bounce back with games Wednesday at Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport and home Friday, April 26, versus Immaculate of Danbury at 4:15 pm.Sports Editor Andy Hutchison can be reached at andyh@thebee.com.NHS Baseball Andy Hutchison
Story Hawks Play Long Ball And Small Ball For Dramatic Win Versus BethelNHS Baseball_140SportsNone
Self-guided tour with paved path embellished with an array of poems by local writers displayed on signs, observing National Poetry Month, presented by C.H. Booth Library, full map of path and poetry locations available online (chboothlibrary.org); 203-426-4533.
C.H. Booth Library (John Angel Art Alcove, third floor), 25 Main Street
Third exhibition of works by the Newtown resident and right-handed carpenter who suffered a stroke one year ago, and has since taught himself how to paint and do wood burning with his left hand, through April 29; 203-426-4533.
A national traveling exhibit that focuses on exoplanets and space exploration, learn about exoplanets and NASA’s search for habitable planets through hands-on, multimedia kiosks and activities spread throughout all three floors of the library, through late May; 203-426-4533.
Annual exhibition hosted by The Society of Creative Arts of Newtown featuring original works in watercolor, acrylic, pastel, graphics, mixed media, printmaking and sculpture, on view to May 24; scanart.org.
Join Tom Swanson (M&T Bank) for eye-opening session with tips and tricks on how to protect yourself from identity theft, bank theft, and online scams, also guidance on effective ways to safeguard personal information and financial assets in this digital age, registration required; 203-270-4310.
Mother-daughter team Nicole and Audrey Christensen will discuss snakes that will be seen in and around the area, why they should be left in the wild, which breeds do make good pets, where to find and care for them, and much more, hosted by Newtown Parks & Recreation, registration required; 203-270-4340, newtown-ct.gov/parks-recreation.
