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“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” ~ Abraham Lincoln
FR EE
Bee Intelligencer Informing the towns of Middlebury, Southbury, Woodbury, Naugatuck, Oxford and Watertown A FREE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Volume VIII, No. 3
Friday, January 20, 2012
St. John to hire case-by-case attorneys
Eagle Scout Project
By JONATHAN “CHIP” LONGO The Board of Selectman (BoS) met Tuesday night due to the Monday Martin Luther King Day holiday. The main topic of discussion was having the first selectman appoint town attorneys on a case-by-case basis instead of appointing a town counsel. Attorney Robert Smith, who handles some of the town’s legal matters, attended the meeting. Attorney Stephen Savarese, who worked as town counsel on a retainer under former First Selectman Thomas Gormley the past four years, did not attend the meeting. Citing the need to contain costs, and noting the Board of Finance (BoF) has cut funding, Selectman Elaine Strobel made a motion “that the Board of Selectmen approve the appointment, by the First Selectman, of attorneys on a case-by-case asneeded basis for legal matters, retroactive to the date of the commencement of the First Selectman’s term.” The motion unanimously passed. St. John said he will be free to choose anyone, but would like to use attorneys who have worked for the town in the past, including Savarese in cases that continue from the previous administration. He said there is no set pool to choose from and no
set rate attorneys have to charge. When asked if the Town Charter requires appointment of a town attorney, St. John said, “We have very little funds in our budget. Why would we want to be appointing a town attorney? This is a much more effective way to do it.” St. John said the charter is unclear on the matter. He said he hoped the town would have the funds to return to the retainer system during the next budget process. He also said boards or commissions needing the services of an attorney would have to go through him. In Chapter VI, Section 602, the Town Charter says the town’s administrative employees shall include a town counsel appointed by the selectmen for a term to be determined by them. After the meeting, St. John and Smith said that doesn’t mean the selectmen have to appoint a town counsel. Attorneys’ bills for the first month of St. John’s term (December 2011) total $7,950. Dana D’Angelo’s bill was $1,230, Smith’s bill was $2,205, and Savarese’s bill was $4,515, with $3,000 of that amount being his monthly retainer. He charged an additional $1,515 for general litigation, Straw Pond litigation, and Middlebury Land Associates collections.
During public comment, Jim Crocicchia asked why Planning and Zoning Chairman Curt Bosco was not on the agenda to discuss furloughing Zoning Enforcement Officer Jean Donegan. He said the Bee-Intelligencer reported Bosco would appear. (The Jan. 13 issue reported P&Z members voted at their Jan. 5 meeting to have Bosco present the ZEO issue at the Jan. 17 BoS meeting.) St. John told Crocicchia the BoS has no say in the hiring, firing or discipline of the ZEO. “It’s solely up to the Zoning Board. The charter is very clear on this,” and added, “I had to read it twice.” When asked if a paid town employee should be reporting to an appointed commission, he said this is an issue the Charter Revision Commission is looking into. Bosco said Wednesday he was not at liberty to discuss the issue because it pertains to personnel matters. Asked why he wasn’t on the agenda, he said he doesn’t make the agenda; the BoS does. Asked about the town’s membership in the Torrington Health District (THD), St. John said he asked Chief Financial Officer Lawrence Hutvagner to get some more numbers, but what the town pays now is very competitive. St. John said he has heard
– See St. John on page 4
P&Z continues PoCD work Middlebury Troop 444 Boy Scout Ryan Gobstein stands by a community bulletin board he and a group of volunteers built for his Eagle Scout project. The public can post upcoming town events on the bulletin board, which is outside the entrance to the Parks and Rec office at Shepardson Community Center. See story on page 6. (Evelyn Gobstein photo)
Finance Board re-elects McCormack By MARJORIE NEEDHAM Middlebury’s Board of Finance re-elected chairman Michael McCormack, a Democrat, at its Jan. 11 meeting after he was challenged for the position by member Vincent Cipriano, a Republican. Cipriano lost in a 4 to 2 vote that did not follow Middlebury’s usual voting along party lines. Votes were cast by Republicans Ed Asselin, David Cappelletti, Cipriano and Michael Kenausis and Democrats Stephen Ruccio and Michael McCormack. In attendance, but not voting, was alternate Richard Spierto, a Republican. Preceding the vote on a chair, members agreed the person who got the lesser number of votes would become a vice chairman,
who would serve as chair if the chairman were absent but would otherwise have no duties. During the discussion about a vice-chairman, Asselin said he didn’t like hearing about the idea at the meeting. He said some people must have heard about it beforehand. Taking up the night’s business, McCormack said he heard First Selectman Edward B. St. John had asked Chief Financial Officer Larry Hutvagner to tell the department heads to go to their respective BoF liaisons and get them to approve their budgets. McCormack said that is not the budget process outlined in the Town Charter. He said liaisons can look at the budgets, but they are not to approve them. “I think Ed wants to move things up a bit,” he said.
McCormack said collection of back taxes is at $88,000 of a projected $120,000. He said the average cost to audit accounts before collection is $500, so if the town collects $100,000, the audit cost will be $54,000. He said a consultant had estimated the town could collect $275,000 and he would like to know why the consultant was so far off in his estimate. McCormack cited the zoning enforcement officer situation and the police department as problem areas. Police department liaison Kenausis said the department is dealing with a lot more home and car break-ins and vandalism. McCormack said the police department doesn’t seem to have taken steps to do
– See McCormack on page 5
Tax Reminder
Middlebury Tax Collector Jean Dawes reminds taxpayers real estate and motor vehicle supplemental tax bills are due this month. Original bills mailed in July for real estate taxes had three parts – one for the homeowner and separate payment stubs for July and January. If you need a receipt, please bring or mail both copies. The tax office will stamp one for you and keep the other with your payment. The last day to pay without paying delinquent interest is Feb. 1. There is a 50-cent fee for duplicate bills.
By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE The Middlebury Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) at a Jan. 12 special meeting workshop continued updating the 2001 Plan of Conservation and Development (PoCD) with an emphasis on Middlebury Center. State Statutes require the PoCD be revised every 10 years, but recent legislation allows a slip to 2013. P&Z Chairman Curtis Bosco said last June the commission would get it done by year end 2011 because funds had been appropriated and partially spent, but work slowed, and planned public input sessions did not occur. Town Planning Consultant Brian Miller leads the workshops and at the latest one addressed plans for a Middlebury Center district between Bristol Park and Ledgewood Park on Rte. 64. Miller told commissioners the many different types of city and town centers include traditional downtowns of “mill towns” such as Naugatuck, rural town centers such as Woodbury, suburban automobile-oriented town centers such as Southbury, pedestrian downtowns such as West Hartford and urban downtowns such as New Haven. He said Middlebury had an historic non -commercial node where town hall is located, and he cautioned against trying to use other towns as a model for Middlebury’s unique requirements or trying to “Disneyfy” the center into an unrealistic Main Street USA. Miller said development of the Middlebury Center area should
be consistent with the following overall concepts: • The area should be efficiently used in accordance with the overall rural character of the community. • The retail component should be of a scale to serve the residents of Middlebury. • The area along Middlebury Road centered on the intersection of Glenwood Avenue and Regan Road should become the commercial core of the town. • New development along the core corridor should follow high architectural and site design standards. • The central corridor should retain a primary automobile orientation, as most town residents and other customers need to drive to the area. However, the pedestrian system should be improved to increase comfort and convenience. • The area should include a range of small retail and service businesses primarily for local residents to use on a regular basis. Miller recommended making the center a state-statute-defined “Village District” to allow architectural control of buildings and views with requirements for sidewalks and streetscape landscaping. It should have reduced setback requirements and other zoning relaxations to promote development in the core and not “ooze out” into residential areas such as Clearview Knoll and Middlebury Terrace. Commissioner Matthew Robison said he was against having retail buildings,
professional buildings, and multi-use residential/commercial buildings with apartments on Rte. 64 because it would destroy the sleepy semi-rural town he found so attractive. Land use will be the next workshop topic. Miller said land use maps were necessary for that work, and he knew the Council of Governments of the Central Naugatuck Valley was working on one for Middlebury, so he decided to wait for that map to save the cost of creating one himself. It will be used along with maps of water supplies, sewers, traffic circulation and open space. By projecting population and development potential, it will highlight the need for additional town facilities that might be required to serve new residents or developments. The plan itself does not directly make changes but instead is used by boards and commissions to guide revisions to the zoning regulations or the programming of capital improvements within the Town budget. Additional work on the plan will include joint meetings with the Water Pollution Control Authority and the Economic and Industrial Development Commission and a “Visioning Workshop” public meeting to gather input on streetscape and access control for the Middlebury Center and Four Corners area of Rte. 64. The next regular P&Z meeting is Thursday, Feb. 2. POCD update meetings have not yet been scheduled.
Adoptable pets.................8 Book Review.....................2 Career Coach....................3 Classifieds.........................7 Community Calendar.........2 Computer Tip....................8 Fire Log.............................2 Frugal Mummy..................5
Legal Notices....................7 Library Happenings............2 Obituaries.........................5 Opinion.............................4 Parks & Rec.......................6 Puzzles.............................7 Reg. 15 School Calendar...3 Senior Center News...........3
Editorial Office: Email: mbisubmit@gmail.com Phone: 203-577-6800 Mail: P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 Advertising Sales: Email: mbiadvertising@gmail.com
Upcoming Events
Inside this Issue
monday Jan. 13
thursday Jan. 26
Red Cross Blood Drive
When: 1:30 to 6:15 p.m. What: All donors will receive a coupon for a free pound of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee Where: Jewish Federation at 444 Main St. North in Southbury
Region 15 Community Budget Workshop (Snow date Wednesday, Feb. 1) When: 7 to 9 p.m. What: A roundtable budget workshop for the community to help set budget priorities Where: Pomperaug High School All-Purpose Room
Quo Vadis moves to Washington Depot
Page 8
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Mail: P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 Published weekly by The Middlebury Bee Intelligencer Society, LLC - 2030 Straits Turnpike, Middlebury, CT 06762 - Copyright 2012
The Bee-Intelligencer
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Middlebury Community Calendar Tuesday, Jan. 24
Friday, January 20, 2012
Library displays children’s book illustrations
By MARY CONSEUR Mental Health Support Group 6 p.m............................. Russell Place, 1F, 969 W. Main, Waterbury Children’s book illustrations by Middlebury artist Sue Healy will Economic and Industrial Development Commission 6:30 p.m..............................................Town Hall Conference Room be on display at the Middlebury Public Library through February. The illustrations will be included Thursday, Jan. 26 in a new book by Healy, “TwentyRegion 15 Community Budget Workshop four Crows and the Walking Tree.” 7 to 9 p.m..................................................... PHS All-Purpose Room The book was inspired by a real-life experience of Healy’s. Calendar dates/times are subject to change If your organization would like your event included in the community While she was walking her dog, calendar, please e-mail the information to beeintelligencer@gmail.com Kia, she suddenly noticed a cortege of 24 crows following them and encircling them. She became fascinated with this testimony that even animals in the wild often “The Tiger’s Wife” seek to establish a connection By Tea Obreht with human beings, and she decided to write a children’s book Reviewed by Mary Conseur about the experience. The main characters in the This stunning debut novel by book are a little girl, Eliza, and her Yugoslavian author Tea Obreht dog, Kia. The model for Eliza is is an eye-opener for American 8-year-old Middlebury resident readers unfamiliar with the cul- Wife” is the close relationship Eliza Ford. Healy said, “I just saw ture and lifestyle of the Balkans. between the two main charac- Eliza for the first time at our tennis The book can be appreciated ters, Natalia and her grandfather. club and realized she would be at many different levels. First, it Obreht was raised by her mater- the perfect model for the book. is a testimony to the brutality, nal grandparents, one of whom Luckily, she and her parents the inevitability and the futility is Roman Catholic, the other agreed to let me draw her in difof war. All wars. Though the au- Muslim. Though she now lives ferent poses, with and without thor doesn’t mention specific in the U.S., she returns often to Kia. I think everything happens Balkan countries or actual towns, Belgrade to visit them. In the for a reason.” she demonstrates the magnitude book, Natalia’s grandfather takes Healy holds a bachelor’s degree of the effect of war, particularly her on outings to the zoo and in fine art from Christopher Newon its most innocent victims, inspires her to become a physi- port University in Virginia. She children and animals. She writes, cian like him. He also tells her worked for the U.S. military in “When your fight has purpose folktales, such as “The Tiger’s Gieblestadt, Germany, running a – to free you from something, to Wife,” so important in the Balkan crafts program for the soldiers and interfere on the behalf of an in- culture. Obreht explains, “In this doing illustrations for the Wurznocent – it has a hope of finality. culture, there is a knowledge that burg Army Hospital. After her But when your fight is about un- reality will eventually become husband retired from the military, raveling – when it is about your myth. In ten or twenty years, you she returned to the states and name, the places to which your will be able to recount what hap- taught art in Bridgeport and Danblood is anchored, the attach- pened today with more and more bury. She currently gives private ment of your name to some land- embellishments, until you’ve art lessons in her Middlebury mark or event – there is nothing completely altered that reality studio. but hate, and the long, slow pro- and funneled it into the world of For more information, visit This illustration and others from Sue Healy’s children’s book, “Twenty-four Crows and the Walking gression of people who feed on myth.” (p. 351) suehealyart.com or e-mail her at Tree,” are on exhibit at Middlebury Public Library through February. The model for the illustration Much of the novel is devoted healyart@mac.com. it and are fed it, meticulously, by is Eliza Ford of Middlebury. (Submitted photo) the ones who come before them. to a description of provincial Balkan culture, which, though Then the fight is endless, and comes in waves and waves, but connected to the modern world always retains its capacity to sur- by cell phones, DVD players, and prise those who hope against it.” Walkmen, is still ruled by superCocoa and Crafts stition, hatred, and what Obreht (p. 283) Saturday afternoons in JanuObreht was a child of war calls “pagan sensibility.” (p. 352) ary, families are welcome to drop Surround Sound Gift growing up in Belgrade in the As a physician, Natalia has been in between 1 and 4 p.m. to warm The latest gift to the library 1990s. For her, the word “peace” trained to save lives. She cannot up with cocoa and get creative meant a temporary cessation of understand the carnage around from the Friends of the Middlewith crafts. Children can choose bombing. It did not mean a ces- her; she cries out, “I am not with bury Public Library is a surround from a variety of wintry crafts to sation of hatred. (Obviously the the other side. I have no side. I sound system for the Larkin make and take home. No regisRoom, where movies are shown. U.S. has been embroiled in many am all sides.” (p. 299) tration is necessary. In this novel, Obreht demon- Bring your lunch, and enjoy the wars as well. The difference is, Programs are free and open to for the past 150 years, we have strates a phenomenal command new sound system while you area residents. For information, had the luxury of fighting on of English, especially considering watch a movie Friday, Jan. 20, at call the Children’s Department other people’s soil, not our own, it is not her native language. 12:30 p.m. at 203-263-3502 or visit www. and therefore have not experi- Since she is only 26 years old, we woodburylibraryct.org. Tuesday Evenings enced the full devastation of can hopefully look forward to many more novels by this talTuesday Bookworms will meet Great Decisions war.) Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 6:30 p.m. to A second theme in “A Tiger’s ented author. Discussions discuss “Kensuke’s Kingdom” by The library will host the Great Michael Morpugo. Decisions Series starting Thursday, Jan. 26, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. No School Day in the library gallery and continThe library is offering two acuing on alternate Thursdays untivities Friday, Jan. 27, a day off til all eight topics are addressed. from school for Region 15 stuDate Time Address/Incident Sponsored by the Foreign Policy dents. At 11 a.m., see a movie for Association, the Great Decisions 1/09/12 07:59 Rtes. 63/64. Transformer fire. kids. At 2 p.m., boys in grades two program provides an opportu1/09/12 21:03 76 North St. Electrical fire – Trouble with and up can attend Lego Star Wars nity for people to discuss with electrical switch. Day. Signup is required for Star each other some of the foreign 1/11/12 12:07 Quassy Amusement Park. Fire alarm activa- Wars. policy issues of the day. Basic tion caused by dust from vacuum. reading materials are available 1/11/12 18:06 1171 Straits Turnpike. Motor vehicle acciBook Stroll at the library so participants can dent with injuries. Join the library staff in a leicome prepared for the discus1/12/12 18:22 83 Marney Drive. Smoke in the building surely stroll through the stacks sions. caused by fireplace ashes emptied into a Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 6:30 p.m. You purchase books on a variety of and mixed media art, fiber art Don Giroux of Woodbury, a plastic bucket and left in the building. The and the staff can point out favor- subjects. Each book purchased show, “Identity and Other retired history and English bucket began to burn. ite authors and discuss favorite with these funds is labeled with Things,” at the Gloria Cachion teacher, will facilitate the discus1/13/12 10:33 950 Southford Road. Smell of propane in books as you walk through the a special bookplate featuring the Art Gallery in the library will run sions. Participation and materibuilding. Propane tank was empty. stacks – come with lots of ideas! Rotary seal and a Rotarian’s through the end of February. The als are free, and refreshments are 1/14/12 11:21 Westover School. Activated fire alarm. Please register at the desk or call name. Books are purchased show challenges each partici- provided by the Friends of the the library at 203-758-2634 based on the special interests of pant to use fiber art to create an Woodbury Library. Please stop Rotarian on the occasion image of the essence of her own in the library to pick up a briefing Bird Feeder Workshop each of his/her birthday. To date, Ro- singularity. Each artist also will book. For more information and Flanders Nature Center and tary donations have added more display a collection of some of to register, call 203-263-3502 or Land Trust will offer a workshop than 3,772 books to the library’s their favorite pieces. visit www.woodburylibraryct. on making bird feeders Tuesday, permanent collection. Check www.southburylibrary. org. Feb. 28, at 6 p.m. at the library. The Howard Whittemore Me- org for more information. The Each bird feeder will cost $20. morial Library is at 243 Church library is at 100 Poverty Road in Leroy Anderson Exhibit Register at the library, or call 203- St. in Naugatuck. For informa- Southbury (203-262-0626). The Gallery display this month 758-2634. Space is limited, so tion, call 203-729-4591. is “A Sleigh Ride Together With pre-registration is a must. You,” an exhibit of the life and music of composer Leroy AnderPuzzlemania in March son. Anderson’s son, Rolf AnderFree PG Movie The Sixth Annual Puzzlemason, will share information about Wednesday Film See the movie “Dolphin Tale,” his famous father at a reception nia Contest will be Tuesday, The Wednesday afternoon a story centered on the friend- in the gallery Saturday, Jan. 21, at March 6, at 5:30 p.m. at the library. Call the library at 203-758- movie Jan. 25 at 1:30 p.m. in the ship between a boy and a dol- 2 p.m. The public is invited. PORTABLE GENERATOR SPECIALS 2634 to register your team, or Kingsley Meeting Room is set in phin whose tail was lost in a crab Woodbury’s world-renowned Never Be Left In The Cold And Dark Again ! ! stop in and pick up a set of rules China, past and present. Based trap, in the library’s gallery resident passed away in 1975, at the circulation desk. Pre-reg- on a novel by Lisa See, it connects Thursday, Jan. 26, at 2:30 p.m. but his music has taken on a Generac 5500 - 9000 Watt - Starting At $700.00 istration is a must as entrants are the lives of two women from cen- Directed by Charles Martin timeless quality. Anderson comManual Transfer Switches - Starting At $300.00 turies ago and the lives of two Smith, the movie stars Morgan posed and arranged orchestral limited to 10 teams. Stationary Generators L.P. Or N.G. 10 - 20 The Middlebury Library is at women in present-day Shanghai. Freeman, Ashley Judd, Harry pieces, the Broadway musical It portrays how, through Laotong, Connick Jr. and Kris Kristoffer- “Goldilocks,” and a piano conKilowatt - Starting At $2250.00 30 Crest Road in Middlebury. a type of relationship within Chi- son. The film is rated PG, and certo. Some of the many works 100 - 200 Amp Automatic Transfer Switches nese culture that was practiced popcorn will be served! written in Woodbury are “Sleigh Starting At $480.00 Paul Perrotti in Hunan, two girls are bonded Ride,” “Bugler’s Holiday,” “Blue 203-758-2699 Call For Free Quotes Electric, LLC Saturdays at the Library Tango,” “The Typewriter,” “Belle together for eternity. 2011 Rotary Book INSURED www.paulperrottielectric.com CT Lic. E-1 0195012 The room’s surround sound LEGOS of the Ball,” “Fiddle-Faddle,” and Collection Display theater has an infrared listening Children in grades K to five are “China Doll.” The exhibit at the A display featuring a collec- system available. For more in- welcome to drop in between 10 library includes four display caba.m. and noon Saturdays to use inets of Leroy Anderson memotion of books funded by the Ro- formation, call 203-262-0626. the library’s huge assortment of rabilia. tary Club of Naugatuck during Find the Bee-Intelligencer on Fiber Art Exhibit LEGO pieces to build their own 2011 is on the Gallery Wall this The library is at 269 Main St. The Connecticut Fiber Arts creative creations month. Each year since 1955, the South in Woodbury. Rotary has given the library an Collective, a Connecticut-based . annual stipend with which to group of artists dedicated to fiber
Mary’s Book Review
Library Happenings Middlebury
Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department Call Log
Southbury
Naugatuck
Woodbury
The Bee-Intelligencer
Friday, January 20, 2012
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Senior Center News Probate Information Middlebury Social and Elderly Services offers an opportunity to learn more about probate matters the last Thursday of each month beginning at 2 p.m. (Jan. 26). Probate Judge Hon. Peter Mariano will meet with you on a one-to-one basis to discuss matters of concern or probate issues. To make an appointment, call 203-720-7046, and speak only to Patty Aleggi. Among the many functions of the probate court in addition to distribution of a person’s property after death are dealing with matters concerning custody, guardianship and adoption of minors; the appointment of conservators for adults who no longer can manage their affairs; applications for change of name and processing of passport applications.
Zumba Gold
tails). AARP membership is not required, and drivers of all ages are invited to attend. The fee is $12 for AARP members and $14 for nonmembers. Make checks out to “AARP.” You must register before the class begins by calling 203-577-4166 or going to the Senior Center Office in the Shepardson Community Center at 1172 Whittemore Road in Middlebury.
Trips Stew Leonard’s The Middlebury Senior Center minibus will leave the center Thursday, Jan. 26, at around 11 a.m. to travel to Stew Leonard’s in Danbury, Conn., for a morning of shopping fun followed by a stop for lunch at the Blue Colony Diner. The price is $6 per person for transportation. Call 203-5774166 to reserve a seat.
New Zumba Gold classes will West Point Dress Parade begin Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 10 a.m. Travel to West Point Academy The cost is $30 for six classes. in New York to view its famous dress parade Saturday, April 28. AARP Driver Safety With great pomp and circumstance, the cadets march in full Program The next AARP Driver Safety uniform in cadence with military course will be Monday, Feb. 6, music, presenting arms in unifrom 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the son. Enjoy a bountiful buffet at Senior Center. The nation’s first the Hotel Thayer, which offers an and largest driver refresher assortment of salads, hot and course uses new materials and cold entrees and an extensive new videos to present new de- sweets table. Also included in the fensive driving techniques, a excursion are guided tours of refresher in laws and regulations, West Point’s highlights: the Cadet new laws and regulations, how Chapel, Trophy Point and the to deal with aggressive drivers, Hudson River Lookout. A Friendship Tours luxury and how aging affects reaction coach will depart from Shepardtime, vision and hearing. Drivers who complete this son Community Center at 8 a.m. class get a certificate that may and return to the lot at 6 p.m. The entitle them to a discount on au- cost is $83 per person. Call Midtomobile insurance (contact dlebury Parks and Recreation at your insurance company for de- 203-758-2520 to reserve a seat.
Character Day Above: Middlebury Elementary School (MES) students dress as their favorite literary characters during the school’s annual Character Day Jan. 13. MES Principal Jack Zamary said the event, which is in its second year, is a fun way for students to connect what they’ve learned in class. At right: Middlebury Elementary School Secretary Diane Barnard, dressed as Amelia Bedelia, dusts faculty mailboxes during last Friday’s Character Day at MES. (Cristina Commendatore photos)
Region 15 School Calendar Monday, Jan. 23 Board of Education.......................... PHS AP Room No. 103, 7:30 p.m. Enrollment and Facilities Task Force......... PHS Cafeteria, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 24 Middle School ........................................... Second marking term ends
Grad school an option for the unemployed
Q: A:
Should I consider going to graduate school since I am unemployed?
Career Coach
If it is going to get you a new skill, a new trade and help you find a new career then you should consider going to graduate school. However, I would like you to ask yourself the following questions: What are my long- and shortterm goals? Will an advanced degree help me advance my career goals? Am I choosing graduate school because I have no other options to consider? Am I willing to invest time, effort and a considerable amount of money for graduate study? How will my going to school affect my family life? Is my family supportive of me doing this? Why should you go to graduate school? • To attain your personal goals • Employers require an advanced degree in your profession • To achieve your own personal growth and advancement • You want to become an expert or attain a specialization in a particular area
By MYRSINI PAPOUTSIS • You are passionate about learning new things Graduate school provides an in-depth specialized training that requires commitment and passion, and you must be driven to develop intellectual relationships that enable you to conduct research or do scholarly work that impacts society in relevant ways. When considering graduate school you should do the following: Find out about programs How many nights per week are classes offered? Are classes offered weekends, at night, online? How long will it take you to complete the program? What is the employment rate of the graduating students? Does the program offer a thesis, capstone, practicum or seminar as the last course? Does the school have corporate partnerships that allow grad-
uate students to do internships? Financial Aid Are you eligible for any grants you do not have to pay back? Does the school offer any graduate assistantships for about 10 to 20 hours worth of work weekly? Usually, if they do, these are highly competitive. Are you eligible for any scholarships from the school? Do they offer loans? Have they provided any scholarship websites to you? Do you belong to any local, civic or professional organizations that offer scholarships for going back to school? If you are on unemployment, you may be eligible for a retraining grant from the government to learn a new career. Tuition Cost What is the per credit hour cost? How many credits will it take to complete the program? Does your employer offer tuition reimbursement? Will you need to have graduate housing in addition to the tuition cost? How much will your books and student fees cost? Are there any lab fees you need to consider? You also need to consider at
Avoiding hospital readmissions Question: What’s worse than being admitted to the hospital? Answer: Being readmitted quickly after being released. Far too often, just when we’re out of the hospital, something happens, and we’re right back where we started. It’s expensive, and those who study these things have looked at the reasons for frequent hospital readmissions. Here are some of the statistics from the Center for Studying Health System Change: • About 8 percent of adults go back into the hospital within a month and one-third within a year. • One-third of us don’t see a doctor, nurse or anyone else within a month of being released from the hospital. After 90 days, 17 percent of us still haven’t seen a doctor.
• Those of us who don’t see a doctor are at a higher risk for going back into the hospital, especially those who also have other medical conditions. The sicker the patient, the higher the rate of return. • It doesn’t matter what kind of insurance we have. Researchers say new ways must be found to bridge the gap between the doctors and hospitals. At this point, even where there are programs and coordinators to manage the discharge process, it hasn’t changed the rate of readmissions. There’s one additional, potentially serious glitch: One-third of
doctors did not have the final hospital report on patients who did come in. And if they did have them, the reports were incomplete, and new medications might not be listed. Here’s a suggestion to keep from being readmitted: When you leave the hospital, ask a nurse to write down your prescriptions and instructions for aftercare. The minute you get home, call your doctor. Make the earliest appointment possible, and take your instructions with you. Matilda Charles regrets she cannot personally answer reader questions, but she will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Write to her in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send email to columnreply@gmail.com. (c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
least a 4-percent annual tuition increase and factor this in until you finish the program. Are there application deadlines or rolling admissions? Rolling admissions means you can apply any time and you will start at the beginning of the next semester. What is the class size? Student to faculty ratio? What types of degrees do they offer? Not all schools offer the same types of master’s or doctorate’s programs. Do you have a career question you would like answered? If so, send your question to Papoutsis at careercoach2011@yahoo.com.
Wednesday, Jan. 25 BoE Finance Committee............ PHS Conference Room B, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 26 Kindergarten ....................................................... Marking period ends Budget Priorities Workshop.......................PHS AP Room, 7 to 9 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 27 In-service Full Day................. Schools are not in session for students
Saturday, Jan. 28 PHS..................................................................................................... SAT Region 15 website: www.region15.org
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The Bee-Intelligencer
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Friday, January 20, 2012
Bee Intelligencer in•tel•li•gencer: n. One who conveys news or information The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed.
Issued every week by: The Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer Society LLC Bee-Intelligencer Staff: Editor-In-Chief/Publisher: Marjorie Needham Editorial Assistant: Cristina Commendatore Correspondents: Mary Conseur, Jonathan “Chip” Longo, Terrence S. McAuliffe Art & Production: Mario J. Recupido Advertising Sales: mbiadvertising@gmail.com - Submit press releases in person, by mail or email The Bee-Intelligencer welcomes news, press releases and advertising from all surrounding communitie Editorial office: 2030 Straits Turnpike, Suite 1, Middlebury, CT 06762 Telephone: 203-577-6800 • Email: beeintelligencer@gmail.com Advertising Information: Telephone: 203-577-6800 • Email: mbiadvertising@gmail.com Deadlines: Display Advertising: 5 p.m. Friday preceding publication Classified Advertising: 5 p.m. Monday preceding publication Editorial/Press Releases: Noon Monday preceding publication Copyright © 2012 by The Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer Society, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Editorial
Citizens should be heard In big cities like Houston, residents sign up in advance to address the governing body, the City Council. Each citizen is given two minutes to express his or her concern. They are not asked in advance to share the topic they will discuss. We attended a city council meeting there one day when a citizen told city council members his internal organs had been taken over by aliens from space, and he had to shield his body with aluminum foil. Bizarre? You bet! But in a city that at that time had a population of more than 1.8 million, a citizen was given the right to be heard without having to justify his reasons for speaking. You’d think it would be much easier to get town officials in Middlebury, population about 7,400, to listen to citizens’ concerns. But that is not the case. At last week’s Board of Finance (BoF) meeting, resident Heidi Shea waited patiently for her letter to be opened and read to BoF members. In the letter, she politely asked that she and Southbury resident Frank Pellegrini be given a 10-minute slot at a future BoF meeting to make a presentation on the Region 15 School District budget. That budget currently accounts for 66 cents of every tax dollar Middlebury residents pay. Chairman Michael McCormack said the BoF was not the right forum for the discussion because it had no control over
the Region 15 budget. Shea acknowledged town officials have no control over the Region 15 budget, but said, “The only recourse we have is the court of public opinion.” She said statements from town officials about the need for fiscal responsibility in the Region 15 budget would bring the matter before the public. After allowing some discussion and then noting the BoF had just spent 20 minutes on the matter, McCormack said, “It’s not a Board of Finance responsibility. The Board of Selectmen should do this. We’re not going to put this on the agenda.” Shea asked McCormack if he was going to let BoF members vote on whether or not to put it on the agenda. He said, “No. I’m the chairman, and I was just elected.” The BoF may have spent 20 minutes on the matter, but Shea had taken the time to write her letter, made time in her schedule to attend the meeting, and then waited patiently for a turn to speak while a number of other agenda matters were discussed. It seems the least McCormack could have done was agree to put Shea and Pellegrini on the agenda. Citizens who care deeply about issues affecting the town and its residents should be allowed to share their concerns with town officials, even when town officials can’t officially change matters.
St. John -
at the last meeting to step down from the Property Maintenance Ordinance Committee (PMOC) for that reason. She said “No.” Barra resigned because, as a selectman, he will vote on the PMOC recommendations, so would be voting on his own recommendations. As an MRTC member, Strobel votes on people the MRTC endorses for appointed positions. Selectman Barra, who is a member of the Middlebury Democratic Town Committee (MDTC), does the same. When town-committee-endorsed names come
Continued from page 1 no complaints about the health district from anyone in town. He cited the professionalism of the THD and said there would be financial incentives for the town to sign a contract by May first. Also during public comment, this newspaper asked Strobel if she thought she should resign from the Middlebury Republican Town Committee (MRTC) due to conflict of interest in light of Selectman Ralph Barra’s decision
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In Brief Republican Candidates Meet and Greet Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate and Connecticut’s fifth Congressional district will introduce themselves to Connecticut shooters and sportsmen Saturday, Jan. 21, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Woodbury Senior/Community Center at 265 Main St. South. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. Brian Hill, Peter Lumaj, Kie Westby, Justin Bernier, Mike Clark, Mark Greenberg, Chris Shays, Lisa Wilson-Foley and Andrew Roraback confirmed they will attend. This is an opportunity for voters to share their concerns with a potential senator or representative. Light refreshments will be served. Admission is free and open to all without regard for party affiliation. For more information, visit www.mfeg.org.
Bereavement Support Group Brownstein Jewish Family Service offers a free bereavement group for any adult who has experienced a loss Thursdays through Feb. 9, from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. at the Jewish Federation at 444 Main St. North in Southbury. before the BoS, Strobel and Barra vote on them again. After the meeting, Strobel said she thought it was good to have a selectman on the MRTC in order to avoid MRTC endorsements of unqualified people. The newspaper, however, failed to ask Barra if he thought serving on both the MDTC and as a selectman is a conflict of interest. In other matters, the board postponed giving a service award to Bob Bean, because he was unable to attend the meeting. St. John lauded Bean for his 25 years of work on the Zoning Board of Appeals. The BoS also passed a resolution endorsing a regional animal control facility feasibility study and a resolution of compliance for new IRS regulations regarding the town’s 457 deferred compensation plan. After amending the agenda, the BoS voted to apply for funding under the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection Municipal Quick Spend Energy & Efficiency Conservation Program Competitive Grant program. St. John said the money would be used for LED lighting in town parking lots, bike racks for Parks and Rec and to help pay for a new stove at Shepardson Community Center. The grant application is due today, Friday. The next regular meeting of the BoS will be Monday, Feb. 6, at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall Conference Room. Marjorie Needham contributed to this article.
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The group, facilitated by Jenny Casey, MSW of Regional Hospice, is supportive in nature and provides a safe environment for sharing with others who also have been touched by loss. To register, call Debby Horowitz, Brownstein Jewish Family Service director, at 203-267-3177, ext. 310.
Horowitz, Brownstein Jewish Family Service director, at 203267-3177, ext. 310. All calls are confidential.
Region 15 Budget Workshop
Region 15 will hold a community budget workshop Thursday, Jan. 26, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Pomperaug High School All-PurBlood Drive pose Room. To ensure adequate The Jewish Federation will seating, pre-register by email at hold a Red Cross blood drive kkirk@region15.org or call 203Monday, Jan. 23, from 1:30 to 530-7158. 6:15 p.m. in the social hall at 444 Main St. North in Southbury. All Diabetes Prevention presenting donors this month Program will receive a coupon for a free Area residents are invited to pound of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. register for “Sugar Tips: RecogFor more information, contact Debby Horowitz at 203-267-3177, nition and Prevention of Diabeext. 310. To schedule an appoint- tes,” a free four-week series prement, call 1-800-733-2767 or visit sented by Sandra Micalizzi, APRN, CDE, the Heart Center of www.redcrossblood.org. Greater Waterbury’s clinical Social Service Screening nurse specialist, that will meet Free social service one-hour Thursdays, Feb. 2, 9, 16 and 23, screenings for food stamps and from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the other programs to help any Con- library at the Jewish Federation necticut resident facing difficult at 444 Main St. North in Southtimes will be Thursday, Jan. 26, bury. Micalizzi’s goal is to help the from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Jewpublic recognize symptoms and ish Federation at 444 Main St. understand metabolic syndrome North in Southbury. Reservaand factors associated with the tions are required; call Debby
development of diabetes. The series includes suggestions for lifestyle modifications to prevent diabetes with an emphasis on diet and exercise. “It is important for people to know that diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease,” she said. “By preventing diabetes you can help prevent heart disease.” The program is free and open to the public. For more information or to register, call Debby Horowitz at 203-267-3177, ext. 310.
Gerald Raimo Scholarships Banquet The Middlebury Democratic Town Committee will hold its Gerald M. Raimo scholarships banquet Friday, Feb. 3, at 7:30 p.m. at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church at 937 Chase Parkway in Waterbury. The snow date will be Saturday, Feb. 4. Honorees are Edith Salisbury and Robert Desmarais. The cost is $25 per ticket. Money raised will go toward scholarships given to two Middlebury high school seniors. Tickets are available at the tax collector’s office, Parks and Rec or www. middleburydemocrats.com.
Letters to the Editor McCormack denies request To the Editor: The Middlebury budget is composed of town expenses (34 percent) and Region 15 expenses (66 percent). Our Board of Finance does a superb job of scrutinizing line by line the town side of the budget, but repeatedly remains mute on the region’s share. In reality, we have no direct control over the region’s side. However, if our elected officials analyzed the region’s budget and publicly pointed out areas of excess, there could be an impact in the court of public opinion. The opinions and positions of our elected officials also will be heard by Southbury voters. Therein lies the impact. I recently asked the Board of Finance to address this issue by putting on the agenda a presentation by Frank Pellegrini and myself. At the last meeting, some members were very supportive and thought this should be considered. However, Chairman Mike McCormack refused to let this be put on the agenda. When asked if there could be a vote on this matter, he unequivocally refused without consulting the other five members. This arrogant behavior is reminiscent of our former first selectman. So much for this elected official being fiscally responsible for that 66 percent of our budget. As the Region 15 budget annually increases, our percentage increases, and the Board of Finance keeps our taxes down by cutting the town side of the budget. Will they take notice when the school
side is 90 percent and the town side cut to 10 percent? Earlier in the meeting, McCormack had been re-elected chairman, so this gives a whole new meaning to the word “chairman.” So much for due process and for civility returning to our town. Heidi Shea Middlebury
There is always a way ... To the Editor: Our Middlebury town budget is one-third the size of our bloated Region 15 budget. The chair of our Finance Board has publicly stated that there is nothing the Finance Board can do about this gross inequity. Wow. Doesn’t his statement go against the grain of public service in America? Come on, was there nothing we could do about civil rights, women’s rights, child labor, discrimination, minimum wage, 80-hour work weeks, etc., etc.? Public service is not as easy as giving an order in a corporate structure where subordinates quake. In a democracy, people have rights and opinions. Mr. McCormack, chair of the Middlebury Board of Finance, would not allow a citizen to put the question of the Region 15 budget on the agenda of a Finance Board meeting. Why? Well, his response to that question was, “Because I’m the chairman.” Again, wow. Maybe that’s the answer one can get away with in, as I’ve just
mentioned, the corporate world. A world, by the way, that hasn’t served this country all that well in the past few years. However, it’s not the correct response to taxpayers in a democracy. Citizens want to know why the Finance Board will not lift a finger to challenge the fact that over $60 million goes into a school budget that serves a mere 4,000 students. If the Middlebury Finance Board can’t “do anything” about that, is it because the question hits too close to home for the Finance Board chairman, or is it because he doesn’t have the ability to act other than to muzzle citizens who wish to place items on the Finance Board agenda? Thirty-five years ago, 12 of us were told we could never get the State of Connecticut to agree to collective bargaining. It was difficult, it was time consuming, but we did it. There is always a way. Pat deAngelis Middlebury
Letters to the Editor Letters to the editor may be mailed to the Bee-Intelligencer, P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 or emailed to beeintelligencer @gmail.com. Letters will be run as space permits. Please limit letters to 500 words, avoid personal attacks, and understand letters will be edited. For verification purposes, please include your name, street address and daytime telephone number.
The Bee-Intelligencer
Friday, January 20, 2012
McCormack Continued from page 1
things differently when it comes to their finances. Cappelletti suggested McCormack meet with Police Chief Richard Guisti, and McCormack said he tried to do that in the past and it didn’t happen. He said he would try again to set up a meeting with Guisti. McCormack said he attended a Connecticut Council of Municipalities conference on budgets and heard a lot of talk about looking at the revenue side of the budget. “We need to increase fees,” McCormack said. He encouraged members to look at revenues as they work on the 2012-2013 budget. Among correspondence read by McCormack was a letter from Heidi Shea asking that she and Southbury resident Frank Pellegrini be given 10 minutes on the BoF agenda to discuss the Region 15 School District budget. McCormack said the BoF was not the right forum for discussion of that budget, and he thinks the Region 15 budget takes the spot-
light off the 50 percent more it costs to run the town of Middlebury compared to similar towns. “People spent money any way they wanted because they could blame it on the Region 15 budget,” McCormack said. “We’re not going to discuss this during budget season.” Shea asked the BoF to go over the Region 15 budget and note where cuts could be made. Ruccio said “It’s Southbury that needs to hear this.” Spierto said he attends Region 15 meetings and suggests cuts, but Board of Education members won’t listen to him. Cipriano said he was willing to take a half hour during a BoF meeting to discuss the matter and then make a public suggestion on cuts Region 15 could make. Kenausis said the BoF and selectmen should support Middlebury BoE members with a letter asking Region 15 to be more fiscally responsible. Shea acknowledged town officials have no control over the Region 15 budget, but said, “The only recourse we have is the court of public opinion.” She said state-
ments from town officials would bring the matter before the public. McCormack responded, “It’s not a Board of Finance responsibility. The Board of Selectmen should do this. We’re not going to put this on the agenda.” Shea asked McCormack if he was going to let BoF members vote on whether or not to put it on the agenda. He said, “No. I’m the chairman, and I was just elected.” McCormack and members also discussed what to do when motions the BoF makes at a meeting don’t result in action. Kenausis asked, “For all we do for the taxpayers, we make motions and nothing happens. Why?” McCormack said matters are brought up at a meeting, but then a month passes before the next meeting. “We need to highlight things that need to happen and track them for the next meeting,” he said. The next regular meeting of the BoF will be Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. in Room 26 at Shepardson Community Center.
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Navigate addiction treatment options A new resource, “Seeking Drug Abuse Treatment: Know What to Ask,” will help individuals and families struggling with addiction ask the right questions before choosing a drug treatment program. It was developed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, and is available to the public free online or in hard copy through NIDA’s DrugPubs service (see information below). “Treatment options can vary considerably, and families often don’t know where to begin,” said NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow. “This booklet highlights the treatment components that research has shown are critical for success, to help people make an informed choice during a very stressful time.” The new publication is based on a NIDA resource describing the principles of drug addiction treatment from a research-based perspective. It recommends five helpful questions people should
Café at Whittemore Crossing offers cooking classes
ask and explains what the research has found to be most effective. Specifically, the booklet explores these themes: • Is the program’s treatment plan backed by scientific evidence? • Is it tailored to the individual needs of each patient? • Does the program assess and adapt treatment as the patient’s needs change? • How long should the treatment take? • How do 12-step programs fit into drug addiction treatment? The 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimated 22.1 million persons aged 12 years or older were classified with substance dependence or abuse in the previous year (8.7 percent of the population aged 12 or older). The goal of drugabuse treatment is to stop drug use and help people return to productive functioning in the family, workplace, and community. However, keeping patients in treatment long enough to achieve that goal can be difficult. Finding the right treatment for an individual’s specific needs is critical. The booklet describes available medications and evi-
dence-based behavioral therapies; the need for comprehensive, tailored, and sustained treatment; as well as the reality of relapse and the role of community-level support. Go to www.drugabuse.gov/ publications/seeking-drugabuse-treatment to download “Seeking Drug Abuse Treatment: Know What to Ask.” Order hard copies by calling 1-877-NIDANIH (1-877-643-2644) or by going online to http://drugpubs. drugabuse.gov/. “Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research Based Guide,” which is the basis of the new publication, can be found at www.drugabuse.gov/PODAT/ PODATIndex.html. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and information on NIDA research and other activities are at www.drugabuse.gov. Order publications in English or Spanish by calling NIDA’s DrugPubs research dissemination center at 1-877-NIDANIH or 240-645-0228 (TDD) or fax or email requests to 240-6450227 or drugpubs@nida.nih.gov. Order online at http://drugpubs. drugabuse.gov.
By MARY CONSEUR This semester’s gourmet cooking classes offered at the Café at Whittemore Crossing include six that feature Continental cuisine. “A Taste of France” will be offered Thursday, Feb. 16; “A Rustic Tuscan Meal” Thursday, Feb. 23; “Winter in Bordeaux” Friday, Feb. 24; “Spanish Tapas” Saturday, March 10; “Dining in Tuscany” Friday, March 16; and “Easter Dinner in Tuscany” Sunday, April 1. In addition, a special “Valentine’s Dinner” cooking class will be Friday, Feb. 10; “Fresh Pasta: Winter Sauces” Friday, Feb. 17; “Slow Cooking” Sunday, Feb. 19; “Weeknight Meals for Moms” March 7; “Lenten Seafood Favorites” Friday, March 23; “Surf and Turf” Saturday, March 24; “The Best of Brunch” Wednesday, March 28; “Spring Entertaining” Friday, March 30; and “Spring Pasta” Saturday, April 21. The Café also will offer baking classes Wednesdays, Feb. 1 and 29, and Sunday, March 25. Chefs for the cooking classes are Jeffrey Sherman, former executive chef with Martha Stewart, and Sherry Swanson, owner of A Culinary Experience. Chef for the baking classes is Maria Sanchez, owner of Sweet Maria’s Bakery in Waterbury. When resident chefs Sherman and Swanson are not conducting cooking classes, they are prepar-
Obituaries Henry P. Capozzi Jr.
Brother of Michael Capozzi Mr. Henry P. Capozzi Jr., 55, of Waterbury died Jan. 12 at Waterbury Hospital in the presence of his loving family. He was the husband of Robbie Kohl. His funeral
Jeffrey Sherman, Resident Chef at the Café at Whittemore Crossing, prepares quiche in phyllo dough for the luncheon menu. (Mary Conseur photo) ing lunch at the café every day except Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The café opened in October 2011 and is already serving between 80 and 120 customers a day, Sherman said. The menu includes a choice of soups, quiche in phyllo dough, salad, meat pies, and sandwiches, along with a selection of desserts and beverages. “We have been trying to add some new soups to the menu, but our customers love the pumpkin soup so much that they
don’t want us to change,” Sherman said. Though there are several small tables at which patrons can eat, they often prefer to sit at the open counter in the kitchen, where they can converse with the chefs and get some good tips on food preparation. Marketing Director Rachel Sepelak said, “We opened the café because our customers wanted to enjoy something to eat while they were shopping here.” The Shoppes at Whittemore Crossing now comprise some
20,000 square feet of floor space devoted to new and consignment furniture, interior decorating, art, home accessories, tableware and gifts. The Café at Whittemore Crossing is in The Shoppes at Whittemore Crossing building, also known as Middlebury Consignment, at the intersection of Rtes. 64 and 188 (Whittemore Road). Cost for lunch is around $10 to $12. Cooking and baking classes range from $80 to $90. For information and reservations, call 203-528-0130.
Frugal Mummy
15 ways to save electricity By CLAIR BOONE One year our electricity bill in the winter was HUGE! We’re talking $100 more than a few of our neighbors, so we were determined to cut it down. We did this by using some of the tips below. 1) Put in some eco-friendly light bulbs that use 75 percent less energy than conventional bulbs. 2) Turn the thermostat down when you are not home and at night when you are under blankets. You also can program your thermostat to turn on for around the time you come home or wake up so you aren’t freezing. If you lower your thermostat for at least eight hours a day, you’ll save about 1 percent for every degree
you dial down. 3) Install a wood-burning stove insert into your fireplace. If you can find wood for free, even better, but if you have to pay, check out www.craigslist. com. You also can check Craigslist for a used insert. 4) Use space heaters in the bedroom and bathroom. This is what we do with our children’s room. We leave the heat on really low at night. 5) If you have pull-down attic stairs, make sure you add weather stripping and extra insulation to them. 6) Make sure your attic is insulated. If you increase attic insulation to around 12 inches, you will reduce the electricity consumption by 20 percent.
7) Ask for an electric company inspector to come to your home for an energy analysis. This service, which is usually free, will bring someone to your residence who will inspect all your major appliances, including their voltage, location and frequency of use, before offering ideas for cutting back on the amount of time family members use each appliance. 8) Save energy usage by doing fewer large loads of laundry and by waiting until the dishwasher is full before running it. 9) Be sure to check seals around all your entry doors and even use draft dodgers. Reducing drafts can cut your heating bill as much as 30 percent. 10) Hang heavier drapes in
the winter. 11) Use your ceiling fans to blow the warm air down. 12) Unplug all your non-essential appliances when you’re not using them. 13) Keep your furnace clean by replacing filters. 14) Always turn off lights when you leave a room. 15) Close blinds and curtains at night. These ideas require a little money and time upfront, but they will save you so much in the long run they are well worth the investment! Join Clair Boone and thousands of other savvy shoppers at www.facebook.com/mummydeals.org or read her other tips at www.mummydeals.org.
Buying vs. renting Somewhere in the middle of the falling costs of homes and the rising costs of rentals is the tipping point where it becomes more cost effective to buy. Those calculations will vary depending on your location and situation. Buying a home can be a positive step if 1) you are financially stable, 2) you plan to stay in your home for at least five years, and 3) you do your homework first. Look online at www.bankrate. com and search for the “rent versus buy” calculator. Go through the dozen questions as a place to start to see if you’re a good candidate for buying. Do a “rent ratio” calculation. Take the price of a home similar to one you’d like to buy, and di-
vide that by how much the rent would be for one year. A ratio of 15 or under indicates buying would be better. Higher than 20 indicates renting would be better. For example, if the home you’d like to buy is selling for $100,000 but would rent for $850 a month, the calculation becomes $100,000 divided by $10,200, which comes to under 10, well within the range where it’s smarter to buy. Be sure to add the cost of renter’s insurance.
To get a broad-brush picture of whether it’s better to rent or buy in your area, check Trulia, the real-estate site that analyzes homes from the national level down to the neighborhood. Go online to Google and put this in the search box: Trulia Insights rent versus buy. The top four links in the list are the ones that will be most helpful. For example, Trulia’s research indicates in 72 percent of buying areas, it’s better to buy than rent. If you buy, remember the standard caveats: Only accept a fixed loan. Don’t be lulled by initial lower rates into taking on a mortgage that can increase to an unknown amount in the future.
Know in advance how much the taxes will cost. Give yourself more of a monthly cushion than the lenders do. If the lender says you can afford a payment of $1,000 per month, give yourself some breathing room and cap it at $850. You might need to take on an additional expense down the road, perhaps a vehicle payment. David Uffington regrets he cannot personally answer reader questions, but he will incorporate them into his column whenever possible. Write to him in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 328536475, or send email to columnreply@gmail.com. (c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
was Jan. 16. Henry was born in Waterbury Feb. 6, 1956, a son of Jo-Ann (Mile) Capozzi of Waterbury and the late Henry P. Capozzi Sr. He graduated from Kennedy High School and attended several technical schools, where he earned certificates. He was a foreman for Johnson and Johnson, where he worked for 25 years until becoming disabled. He was an avid fisherman who especially enjoyed bass fishing. His greatest joy in life was spending quality time with his grandchildren. Besides his wife of 12 years and his mother, he leaves two sons, Christopher Capozzi and Henry P. Capozzi III, both of Waterbury; two daughters, Sarah Muccino and her husband, Jeff, and Amy Capozzi, all of Waterbury; a stepson, Joshua Waicunas and a stepdaughter, Mithrandir Waicunas, both of Waterbury; two brothers, Michael Capozzi of Middlebury and Anthony Capozzi of Waterbury; a sister, Joann Sichau and her husband, Kenneth, of Waterbury; and nine grandchildren. He was predeceased by a grandson, Anthony Ryan Capozzi. The Chase Parkway Memorial/ The Albini Family Funeral Home handled the arrangements. Burial was in New Pine Grove Cemetery in Waterbury. Contributions in Henry’s memory can be made to Muscular Dystrophy Association, MDA/ALC Center at Hospital for Special Care, 2150 Corbin Ave. New Britain, CT 06053.
Ethel E. Carlstrom Timex Retiree
Ethel E. Carlstrom of Eugene, Ore., died Friday, Dec. 9, of age-related causes. She was 97. She was born Aug. 29, 1914, in Waterbury, to Alexander and Alma Johnson Palmquist. She married George Carlstrom June 20, 1941, in Waterbury. He died April 24, 1989. Ethel resided in Waterbury until 1991, when she moved to Eugene with her older sister, Elsa, following her husband’s death.
She graduated from Wilby High School in 1932. She worked for Timex as a keypunch operator for many years and was a homemaker. Survivors include three sons, Donald of Mattapoisette, Mass., and David and Douglas, both of Eugene, Ore.; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. A memorial service is planned for Saturday, Jan. 21, at 11 a.m. at Mattapoisette Congregational Church on Church Street in Mattapoisette, Mass. Memorial gifts may be made to Emmaus Lutheran Church, 1250 West 18th Ave., Eugene, OR 97402. Arrangements were by Poole-Larsen Funeral Home in Eugene.
Evelyn A. Graham
Mother of Deborah Slight Evelyn A. (Clifford) Graham, 92, of Middlebury, formerly of Waterbury, died peacefully Jan. 15 at the home of her daughter in Middlebury. She was the widow of William J. Graham. Mrs. Graham was born in Hartford Sept. 2, 1919, a daughter of the late Edward and Alice (Shipman) Clifford. She had been a Waterbury resident most of her life and graduated from Crosby High School and Post Junior College. Mrs. Graham worked for 20 years in the admitting office at Waterbury Hospital and continued to volunteer at the hospital until the time of her death. She also volunteered at Gaylord Hospital and was a lifelong parishioner of St. John’s Episcopal Church on the Green in Waterbury. Mrs. Graham is survived by her two children, Dr. Edward “Ned” Graham of Waterville and Augusta, Maine, and Deborah J. Slight and her husband, Dennis, of Middlebury; and two grandsons, Bryan and Shaun Slight. She was predeceased by her sister, Jean Saunders. Her funeral will be Saturday, Jan. 21, at 10 a.m. at the Murphy Funeral Home at 115 Willow St. in Waterbury. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home Saturday from 9 a.m. until the time of the service. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, 5 Brookside Drive, Wallingford, CT 06492-1822 (www.heart. org) or Animal Rescue Foundation, 366 Main St., Terryville, CT 06786 (www.arft.org). Visit www.murphyfuneralhomect.com for more information or to send an online condolence.
Obituary Policy The Bee-Intelligencer runs obituaries and their accompanying photos free of charge. We do this as a community service to honor the deceased and the family and friends who love them. Please ask your funeral director to send obituaries and photos to us at beeintelligencer@gmail. For more information, call 203577-6800.
The Bee-Intelligencer
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Middlebury Parks & Recreation Christmas Tree Burn The annual Christmas tree burn will be this Saturday, Jan. 21, at 6 p.m. at Shepardson Community Center. Drop your trees off any time that day, and return to enjoy the community event sponsored by Parks and Rec and the Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department.
Corrections Due to an editing error, two programs from 2011 were listed in the last issue: the kindergarten enrichment program and ballroom dancing classes. Neither will take place in Middlebury this winter. However, Bill and Bev Hanna will teach six weeks of ballroom dancing in Woodbury starting Friday, Jan. 27, from 8:30 to 9:45 p.m. The first class will be at the Woodbury Senior Center; the other classes will be at Mitchell Elementary School. The class is for those with some experience in ballroom dancing. It is not for beginners. The fee for Woodbury residents is $65 per couple; nonresidents pay $70 per couple.
Infant Toddler Playgroup The infant/toddler playgroup for parents of children age newborn to 3 to meet and socialize will meet Monday to Thursday, Jan. 23 to May 10, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in Room 5 at Shepardson Center. Parents may choose to attend the program one or two of the four days each week. There will be no program Feb. 13 or 20. The fee is $20 for residents; $30 for nonresidents. You must register in person for playgroup. No
Laughter Yoga Instructor Kristin Barber will teach laughter yoga for students age 21 and up alternating Saturdays starting Feb. 4 and ending April 14 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The fee is $50 for residents and $60 nonresidents for six classes. Please note: Classes meet EVERY OTHER Saturday. phone registrations will be taken. Laughter Yoga combines yoga breathing exercises and simuMusic and Me Class lated laughter in a group setting that provides health and psyOpen House Instructor Marcia Nelken’s chological benefits to its particMusic and Me program for ages ipants. 6 months to 5 years will meet Guitar Lessons Fridays, Jan. 27 to March 30 (no Woodbury Music Shop coclass Feb. 17), from 10 to 10:45 a.m. in Room 8 at Shepardson owner David Zemper will teach beginner/intermediate guitar Center. The class fee is $120 for resi- lessons for youth and adults this dents and $130 for nonresidents winter. Classes for youth ages 8 for the first child and $64 for res- to 13 will meet Saturdays, Feb. idents and $74 for nonresidents 4 to March 17, from 10 to 11 a.m. for the second child. For more in Room 28 at Shepardson Cominformation, see www.marcias- munity Center (No class Feb. 25). musiccenter.com. Classes for adults age 20 and up will meet Wednesdays, Feb. Youth Karate A number of youth karate 8 to March 14, from 7 to 8 p.m. classes will begin Tuesday, Jan. in Room 7 at Shepardson Com24. Those already enrolled have munity Center. The classes will cover tuning, priority. Limited spots are availscales, rhythm, chords and techable, so register early. niques. No experience is necessary, and guitars are available First Aid Classes Instructor Terry Schmidt will to rent for $35 per month. Class teach Adult CPR/AED Tuesday, sizes are limited to four to 10 Jan. 31, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.; students, so please register Infant/child CPR Thursday, Feb. early. The fee is $112 for resi2, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.; and dents; $122 for nonresidents for Standard First Aid Tuesday, Feb. six classes.
7, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. All Youth Dance Program classes will be at Shepardson Instructor Linda Rice offers a Center in Room 4. The per-class variety of dance classes (tap, fee is $82 for residents; $92 for ballet and jazz) on various days nonresidents. of the week starting Monday, Feb. 6, in Room 8 at Shepardson. Returning students please note: Payment is due prior to first class. No classes Feb. 13 and 20 Jan. 21 to 28, 2012 and April 6 and 16 to 20.
Pomperaug High School Varsity Games Boys Basketball
Tuesday, Jan. 24................... Bunnell (A)............................................ 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27...................... Kolbe Cathedral (H)............................... 7 p.m.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Community benefits from Eagle project By CRISTINA COMMENDATORE A few months back, Troop 444 Boy Scout Ryan Gobstein, 17, of Middlebury decided he wanted his Eagle Scout project to be something the community could use. Last week, he and his group of volunteers saw his idea through to fruition when they finished building a large wooden structure to hold a community bulletin board outside the Parks and Rec office at Shepardson Community Center. “I wanted to do something to benefit the community in some way,” Gobstein said. “The town can post information, and it’s something that one day I could look back on.” The idea to build a bulletin board came after the troop’s Committee Chairperson, Chris O’Donnell, got Gobstein in touch with the Parks and Rec Commission, which approved the project. When Gobstein, a Holy Cross High School senior who loves sports, decided on the bulletin board, he sought out inspiration. He found a structure he liked at Hollow Park in Woodbury and began drawing sketches similar to it for his design. Joe Hine, whose son, Dustin, is in Troop 444, helped Gobstein finalize his drawings. Then Gobstein began his hunt for materials. He submitted a letter to area businesses and received a $300 donation for materials from the Home Depot Foundation. He also received donations from businesses in Middlebury and funded the rest out of pocket. Overall, the project cost $660. Gobstein recruited volunteers, including his Scoutmaster, Lou Salerno; troop members Dustin Hine and Christian Kean; and his father, Michael Gobstein, to
Left to right, Troop 444 Scoutmaster Lou Salerno, Scouts Ryan Gobstein and Dustin Hine, and Michael Gobstein place the roof over a community bulletin board they built last week for Ryan’s Eagle Scout project. The community can post upcoming town events and announcements on the bulletin board, which is outside the Parks and Rec office at Shepardson Community Center. (Karen Streeter photo) help build the project. All parts of the 66-inch wide, 10-foot tall structure had to be measured and hand cut without power tools. “It was like LEGO pieces,” Gobstein said. “People made the pieces, and I kind of put them together the way I envisioned them in my drawings.” He said the project, which they built and completed in four days, took around 70 man hours and 20 hours of crafting the drawings. Gobstein completed all his merit badges, and now his Eagle project, but he still has to submit paperwork, take part in a Scoutmaster conference, and successfully complete a board of review before he is awarded Eagle. Eagle is the highest attainable rank in Boy Scouting.
Girls Basketball
Tuesday, Jan. 24................... Bunnell (H)............................................ 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27...................... Kolbe Cathedral (A)............................... 7 p.m.
Cheerleading
Tuesday, Jan. 24................... Bunnell (H)............................................ 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27...................... Kolbe Cathedral (H)............................... 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28................. SWC Cheer Championship (A)............... 4 p.m.
Gymnastics
Tuesday, Jan. 24................... Weston, et al (H)................................... 6 p.m.
Ice Hockey
Saturday, Jan. 21................. New Milford (H)................................ 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28................. New Fairfield-Immaculate (H)........... 7:30 p.m.
Boys Indoor Track
Saturday, Jan. 21................. New Balance Games (A)........................ 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 26................. SWC Meet (A).................................. 3:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27...................... Milrose Games Field Trip (A).................. 4 p.m.
Girls Indoor Track
Gobstein, who has been in Scouts since he was 5 years old, said, “My uncle (Tom Salson) had been an Eagle in this troop, so it is something special in our family. I think the values I’ve learned in Scouting, especially the Scout Law, have taught me to be the mature and responsible person I am today. I’d like to thank my parents for all their support and for putting up with the headaches I’ve given them over the past 10 months.” On behalf of he and his wife, Evelyn, Michael Gobstein said, “He took a project that was very sophisticated and saw it to completion, and it came out beautifully, and it will last for decades. It has helped him learn time management and the logistics of getting material and gathering people at the right time and place – we couldn’t be prouder of him.” Middlebury Parks and Recreation Commission Chairman Ron Clark said the community can post events pertaining only to the town on the bulletin board. “We don’t want people advertising their businesses and stuff,” he said. There is no encasement over the cork bulletin board; however, a roof shelters it. “It’s well done structurally, and it should last a while there,” Clark said. “We need to think about whether we need to protect the cork board, but for right now it should be pretty sheltered from the weather.”
Thursday, Jan. 26................. SWC JV & Varsity Meet (A)................ 3:30 p.m.
Boys Swimming
Tuesday, Jan. 24................... Masuk (H)........................................ 4:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27...................... Watertown (A)....................................... 7 p.m.
Wrestling
Saturday, Jan. 21................. Lyman Memorial Tournament (A)......... 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25.............. New Milford (H)..................................... 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28................. Eastern Duals (A).................................. 9 a.m. (H) Home (A) Away
(Kathleen Brown-Carrano cartoon)
We want to cover local sports! Our readers want us to cover local sports. We just need reporters to attend games/matches/ meets and write about them. Reporters can be students or adults. Would you like to help us cover sports? We’ll help you learn newspaper style, you’ll get a byline so everyone will know what you have written, and you’ll have clips to show colleges/potential employers. If you write well, love sports and would like to report on them for this newspaper, please call us at 203-577-6800 or email us at beeintelligencer@gmail.com.
We’d like to hear from you! Got a hot news tip for us? Please email it to: mbisubmit@gmail.com Please include your name and telephone number. We also welcome your ideas for articles you’d like to see in the newspaper. If you don’t have email you can call us at 203-577-6800.
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Inner ear often cause of dizziness DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 82 and in pretty good health except for a recent problem. During the day everything is fine, but when I lie down to go to sleep, the room starts to spin. It lasts about 10 seconds. Then if I turn my head to look at the clock, the dizziness returns. In the morning when I wake and turn my head again, the room spins. Do I have an inner-ear infection? How can this problem be fixed? – J.C. ANSWER: Although I can’t give you 100 percent assurance, I can say on solid ground that you have benign positional vertigo, BPH. Vertigo is dizziness. BPH is not an inner-ear infection. It comes on just as you have written, with a change in the position of the head – lying down, turning to the side or looking up to a cupboard shelf. The attacks are brief but disrupting. Crystals normally found in one part of the inner ear have migrated to another part. Moving the head activates the displaced crystals, and they send a message to the brain that brings on dizziness. The inner ear is not only for hearing; it’s also for balance. You can bring the crystals back to their original site through a series of movements called the Epley repositioning maneuvers.
Sit on the side of a bed and bend your head to the shoulder on the side that triggers dizziness. Let’s make it the right side, so you can follow the instructions. If it’s the left, just change the direction. With the head turned to the right, lie down so your head projects off the other side of the bed. When dizziness stops, turn the head to the left side, with the left ear facing down. Next, roll over on your left side so the head faces down for 10 to 15 seconds. Finally, return to the sitting position with your head bent slightly down in front. You might have to repeat the procedure more than twice. If this is too confusing, have your family doctor or an ENT doctor put you through the motions. The booklet on vertigo explains the common causes of it and their treatment. To obtain a copy, write to Dr. Donohue – No. 801W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.
Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Canada with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery. DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Why doesn’t the heart ever get cancer? I’ve never seen this question asked or talked about on TV. Blood feeds tumors, so it makes sense the heart would be a target. – C.V. ANSWER: Tumors do arise in the heart. A somewhat-common benign tumor is a myxoma. It can disrupt the flow of blood through the heart. Malignant cancers, ones that spread and grow rapidly, also arise in the heart. They are quite rare. A rhabdomyosarcoma is a malignant tumor of heart muscle. The blood contained in the heart doesn’t feed heart muscle. If it did, we’d never have heart attacks. Heart muscle is nourished by its own arteries. So are heart tumors. Dr. Donohue regrets he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. (c) 2012 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved
1. Who is the San Diego Padres’ all-time leader in career home runs? 2. How many times has a Texas Ranger been named the A.L. Most Valuable Player? 3. When was the last time before the 2010 season that Green Bay and Chicago faced off in an NFL playoff game? 4. How many NCAA men’s basketball championships have the UConn Huskies won? 5. Name the first Eastern bloc player to skate in the NHL. 6. Which was the last team before the L.A. Galaxy in 2011 to win the MLS Cup after being the No. 1 seed entering the playoffs? 7. In 2011, thoroughbred Rapid Redux won his 20th consecutive race, topping the North American record held by two horses. Name either horse.
Answers: 1. Nate Colbert with 163. 2. Six – Jeff Burroughs (1974), Juan Gonzalez (‘96, ‘98), Ivan Rodriguez (‘99), Alex Rodriguez (2003) and Josh Hamilton (‘10). 3. It was 1941. 4. Three – 1999, 2004 and 2011. 5. Jaroslav Jirik with St. Louis in the 1969-70 season. 6. The Columbus Crew in 2008. 7. Zenyatta and Peppers Pride.
We need sports reporters
(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
The Bee-Intelligencer
Friday, January 20, 2012
Classified Ads Q: Classified Advertising Deadline: 5 p.m. Monday Classified Advertising Cost: $10 per week, up to 40 words. 25c each additional word. Submit ad with your name, address, telephone number, and payment to: Mail: Bee-Intelligencer, P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 Email: mbisubmit@gmail.com Office: 2030 Straits Turnpike, Suite 1 This publication does not knowShopping Coupons. FREE Education For Sale ingly accept advertising which is Towing. All Cars Acdeceptive, fraudulent, or which cepted. 1-855-WE-CURE- AVIATION MAINTENANCE/ GIGANTIC MIRRORS! Jobsite might otherwise violate the law KIDS/1-855-932-8735, AVIONICS Graduate in 15 Leftovers. Nine 72”x100”, or accepted standards of taste. CarsCureKids.org months. FAA approved; fiPerfect For Gym/Dance, However, this publication does nancial aid if qualified. Job $165. Each. Six 48”x100”, not warrant or guarantee the Autos Wanted placement assistance. Call Perfect For Bathrooms, accuracy of any advertisement, National Aviation Academy $125. Each. Perfect Condinor the quality of the goods or CASH FOR CARS: Any Make, Today! 1-800-292-3228 or tion. Free Delivery! Instalservices advertised. Readers Model or Year. We Pay are cautioned to thoroughly NAA.edu. lation Available. 1-800-473MORE! Running or Not, Sell investigate all claims made in 0619 you Car or Truck TODAY. any advertisements, and to use For Rent Free Towing! Instant Offer: good judgment and reasonable Instruction 1-800-871-0654 care, particularly when dealing FOR RENT: One week at the SELL YOUR CAR, TRUCK with persons unknown to you largest timeshare in the LANGUAGE TUTOR: English, OR SUV TODAY! All 50 who ask for money in advance French, English as a second world. Orange Lake is right states, fast pick-up and payof delivery of the goods or serlanguage, SAT, PSAT, and next to Disney and has many vices advertised. ment. Any condition, make
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TOEFL preparation. Middleamenities including golf, tenbury: 203-758-1888 nis, and a water park. Weeks available are Feb. 26 to Mar. Music 4 & Mar. 4 to Mar. 11, 2012. (Sun. to Sun.) $850 inclusive. INSTRUMENTS Call Carol at 978-371-2442 or MUSICAL CLARINET/ FLUTE/ VIOLIN/ email: carolaction@aol.com WARM WEATHER IS YEARTRUMPET/Trombone/AmpliROUND In Aruba. The water fier/Fender Guitar, $69 each. is safe, and the dining is fanCello/Upright Bass, Saxotastic. Walk out to the beach. phone/French Horn/Drums, 3-Bedroom weeks available $185 ea. Tuba/Baritone Horn/ in May 2012 and more. Hammond Organ, Others 4 Sleeps 8. $3500. Email: carsale. 1-516-377-7907 olaction@aol.com for more information.
Legal Notice Legal Notice Town of Middlebury
Legal Notice Town of Middlebury
A certified list of 25 Democratic party-endorsed candidates for the Town of Middlebury for election as Members of the Town Committee At-Large is on file in my office at 1212 Whittemore Road, Middlebury, Connecticut 06762 and copies are available for public distribution. The number of Town Committee Members to be elected, under party rules, is twenty-five (25). A Primary will be held March 6, 2012, if seven (7) candidacies (which is at least 25% of the number of town committee members to be elected by such party in the municipality) are filed in accordance with State Statute 9-382 to 9-450, inclusive, of the General Statutes, by persons other than party-endorsed candidates, not later than 4:00 p.m. of February 1, 2012, provided the number of such candidacies plus the number of endorsed candidates, exceeds the number of town committee members to be elected. (If the number of opposing candidacies filed is reduced to less than such 25%, no primary will be held.). Petition forms, instructions and information concerning the procedure for filing opposing candidacies, may be obtained from Thomas McCormack, Democratic Registrar of Voters, 1212 Whittemore Road, Middlebury, Connecticut 06762.
A certified list of 21 Republican party-endorsed candidates for the Town of Middlebury for election as Members of the Town Committee At-Large is on file in my office at 1212 Whittemore Road, Middlebury, Connecticut 06762 and copies are available for public distribution. The number of Town Committee Members to be elected, under party rules, is twenty-one (21). A Primary will be held March 6, 2012, if six (6) candidacies (which is at least 25% of the number of town committee members to be elected by such party in the municipality) are filed in accordance with State Statute 9-382 to 9-450, inclusive, of the General Statutes, by persons other than party-endorsed candidates, not later than 4:00 p.m. of February 1, 2012, provided the number of such candidacies plus the number of endorsed candidates, exceeds the number of town committee members to be elected. (If the number of opposing candidacies filed is reduced to less than such 25%, no primary will be held.). Petition forms, instructions and information concerning the procedure for filing opposing candidacies, may be obtained from Nancy S. Robison, Republican Registrar of Voters, 1212 Whittemore Road, Middlebury, Connecticut 06762.
Edith Salisbury, CMC Municipal Clerk of Middlebury
Edith Salisbury, CMC Municipal Clerk of Middlebury
PAGE 7
Winter roof maintenance
The last time I did an inspection of the outside of my house, I noticed a tree branch hanging over the roof gutter. My neighbor let me into his house upstairs to get a better look, and I saw it was a fairly large branch. By Samantha Mazzotta I don’t think I can reach it safely as there is too much snow and ice around to climb up there. leaving it until the snow and ice Should I just leave it until spring? thaw and then working with a friend to remove it. – Chet C., Portland, Maine But safety should always be a It’s up to you, really. If consideration. Even without it’s too dangerous to snow and ice, the limb could be remove by yourself, too heavy to move safely, or eleccontact a professional tree ser- trical wires could be nearby, or vice and get a written estimate you may not have a ladder tall of how much it will cost for them enough to access that part of the to remove the limb. If the cost is roof. Also, if the tree limb caused too steep, you have the option of roof damage and a leak, there’s
A:
little time to lose to clear the roof and fix the leak before more serious damage occurs. In those cases, the tree service is your best option. Send your questions or tips to ask@thisisahammer.com, or write This Is a Hammer, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. (c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
Ice dams forming along your gutters? Poor insulation or ventilation at the eaves may be your problem. An insulation installer can inspect and recommend a solution.
Entertainment Listings Southbury Flat-pick guitarist/singer Willie Nininger will perform a solo show Friday, Jan. 27, from 6:30 to 9:30 at The Olive Tree at 137 East Hill Road. Make reservations at 203-263-4555.
Waterbury Flat-pick guitarist/singer Willie Nininger Saturday, Jan. 21, from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. at The Hills Restaurant (Western Hills Country Club) at 600 Park Road. Ken Melton on vocals and percussion and Jan Scruggs on vocals and guitar will join him. Reservations are suggested, 203-755-1331. “That’s Life! Stories and Songs of Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra” Saturday, Feb. 4, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m. at Seven Angels Theatre. TelArc recording artist Tony DeSare’s and author Tom Santopietro’s new show that intersperses amusing and revelatory anecdotes from Waterbury native Santopietro’s, author of “Sinatra in Hollywood,” and singer/pianist DeSare’s new take on crooner classics. Recording artist Tony DeSare (Submitted photo) Tickets are $27.50 at the box office on Plank Road, 203-757-4676 or SevenAngelsTheatre.org.
Torrington
Bach: Counterpoint by pianist Timothy Alexandre Wallace Saturday, Jan. 21, at Studio 59 at 59 Barber St. Hors d’oeuvres at 7:15 p.m.; performance at 7:30 p.m. Experience the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Tickets are $16.50 for adults and free for children younger than 12 (must be accomDated at Middlebury, Connecticut this 20th day of January 2012. Dated at Middlebury, Connecticut this 20th day of January 2012. panied by an adult). Seating is limited; RSVP at 860-482-6801. Legal Notice of the Middlebury Planning and Zoning Commission
TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY LEGAL NOTICE
The Planning and Zoning Commission of the Town of Middlebury will hold a public hearing on February 2, 2012, 7:30 p.m. at the Auditorium, Shepardson Community Center, 1172 Whittemore Road, Middlebury, Connecticut regarding the application submitted by 489 Middlebury Rd./Mark Gyolai – Application for Special Exception pursuant to Section 66.3 of the Middlebury Zoning Regulations. The public is invited to attend and be heard. Written comments may be sent and will be read into the record. They should be addressed to the Zoning Office at 1212 Whittemore Road, Middlebury, CT 06762. A copy of the application is on file for public inspection during normal working hours of that office.
Notice is hereby given that Motor Vehicle Supplemental tax bills on the Grand List of October 1, 2010 plus the second installment of Real Estate and Personal Property taxes become due and payable January 1, 2012. The last day to pay is February 1, 2012. After that date taxes draw interest at the rate of 1-1/2% per month from the due date. Minimum interest is $2.00. Failure to receive a bill does not invalidate the tax, interest or penalty.
Hartford Return one copy of the bill with payment. If a receipt is required return all copies plus a self-addressed stamped envelope. The Sunday Bluegrass Series with Too Blue Jan. 29 Town Hall is open Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at The Firebox Restaurant at Waterbury native and author Tom Santopietro for legal holidays. 539 Broad St. No cover. Hosted by Nick Novia and Jean Dawes, CCMC Joe DeLillo. For more information, call 860-2461222 or visit www.fireboxrestaurant.com.
Dated this 17 day of January, 2012 th
Curtis Bosco, Chairman
Call 203-577-6800 for information
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Bridgeport Bluegrass group Too Blue benefit show for WPKN FM 89.5 Bridgeport Saturday, Jan. 21, from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at Too Boots at 277 Fairfield Ave. “Five In the Chamber” will open the show. Admission is $15 with all the proceeds going directly to benefit WPKN. For more information, visit www.wpkn.org/wp or www.twobootsbridgeport.com.
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Fairfield Fred Garbo Inflatable Theater Co. performance Sunday, Jan. 22, at 1 p.m. at Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. The company will provide theatre experience that transcends the barriers of culture, age, language and gravity, with brilliant colors and movement. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for children at 203-254-4010 or www.quickcenter.com. The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts is on the Fairfield University campus at 1073 North Benson Road. Entrance to the Quick Center is through the Barlow Road gate at 200 Barlow Road.
The Bee-Intelligencer
PAGE 8
Friday, January 20, 2012
Animal advocates DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I recently read on your website about a North Carolina county board that wanted to disallow adoptions of certain dog breeds from its shelter. The proposal was defeated thanks to a huge public outcry, but what about other rulings that don’t get as much publicity? How do we find out about them, and how can we get enough public support to stop unfair pet laws? – Jane in Missouri DEAR JANE: It’s great that you’re concerned and want to be more active in the area of pet legislation. The North Carolina case was a classic example of legislators (or in this case, a county board) proposing pet laws based upon popular but often inaccurate information, particularly about “bully breeds” (pit bulls, Doberman pinschers, etc). The
county board shelved its proposal after receiving tens of thousands of emails and facing a packed house of dog owners, rescuers and other advocates at its board meeting. Getting started can be as simple as an Internet search. Major organizations such as the Humane Society of the U.S., the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and growing organizations like the No-Kill Advocacy Center are good websites to start with. You often can find local chapters or local ad-
vocacy organizations through larger nonprofits’ websites. Facing down local legislators is just one facet of animal advocacy. If you want to learn more about protecting pets, pick up “Defending the Defenseless: A Guide to Protecting and Advocating for Pets” by Allie Phillips (Rowman and Littlefield). Phillips is an attorney and animal-rights advocate, and her book is packed with information on ways you can become more active. Send your questions or tips to ask@pawscorner.com, or write to Paw’s Corner, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. For more pet care-related advice and information, visit www. pawscorner.com. (c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
Handmade Italian leather handbags and Murano glass necklaces are among the specialty items featured at the Quo Vadis gift shop. The shop relocated to Washington Depot from Southbury.
Adopt a Rescue Pet
Quo Vadis moves to Washington Depot By MARY CONSEUR
STRETCH Stretch was recently rescued along with his two housemates, Smokey and Prince. This very unfortunate trio found themselves suddenly living on the street after a fire consumed their home, and the only family they ever knew left them behind to fend for themselves. They sat day after day on the steps of their burnt-down home despite the glass and debris that lay all around them. Now they are at the Animals For Life shelter, where they await their new homes. Stretch appears to be the oldest of the bunch, though all three are around age 10. He is identified as the one with the white whiskers, giving this black cat a unique little trait about him. Like the others, Stretch would be very happy to be in a warm home where he can be fed regularly. He loves attention and will give back tons of affection.
DIDI Didi is a 4-year-old female kitty who was abandoned recently. This very pretty cat loves attention and being petted and would be happiest as the only kitty in her new home. She would need to be tested with dogs prior to sharing her home with canines. Didi has an adorable little meow with a squeak that resembles a mouse more than a cat! If you would like to meet Didi, please call Animals For Life.
For more information on these pets, call 203-758-2933 or visit Animals For Life at the Middlebury Transfer Station on Rte. 63 at the corner of Woodside Ave. Adoption hours are Mondays and Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 12 to 3 p.m. For more about the adoption process, visit www.animalsforlifect.org. P UZZLE SOLUTIONS:
Subscription Information The Bee-Intelligencer is available by mail to those outside our delivery area or in need of extra copies. Mail delivery costs $40 a year for each subscription. Send a check and the mailing address to Bee-Intelligencer, P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762. Call 203577-6800 for rates for shorter periods of time.
“Quo Vadis,” a specialty gift shop featuring European imports, has relocated to Washington Depot from Southbury. Owner Roberta Hawley said, “In Southbury we were in the midst of a lot of chain stores; when our lease expired in 2011, we decided to move to a location with other specialty shops.” Quo Vadis first opened in 2008. It features Murano glass jewelry as well as handbags, belts, wallets, gloves and other handmade leather products from Italy. Because the value of the dollar has weakened against the euro, the store has added more affordable items, such as handpainted ceramics, table décor, desk accessories, linens, and organic body-care products. Some of the products are made in France or England; some are made by U.S. artisans. Hawley, who was born in Florence, returns to Italy at least twice a year to make a personal visit to the artisans from whom she orders her inventory. The name of her store, “Quo Vadis,” means “Where are you going?”
Hand-painted Tuscan ceramics are among the specialty items featured at the Quo Vadis gift shop. Quo Vadis recently moved to Washington Depot from Southbury. (Mary Conseur photos) in Latin. It was the title of a 1950s film about ancient Rome that inspired Hawley. Quo Vadis is in downtown Washington Depot next to the Hickory Stick Book Store. From the Canfield Corner Pharmacy
in Woodbury, follow Rte. 47 North into Washington Depot. Quo Vadis is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 860-619-0022.
Chapin’s Computer Tip
Data usage on smart phones Sprint has an unlimited data plan that allows users to view movies, text, and play music, games, etc., on the phone without paying more when the plan cap is exceeded. Most companies, however, have a data limit associated with their plan.
First, check your plan’s limit if you do not know what it is. Typically, 200 MB is the limit per user. If it is viable, bump that up to 2 GB to avoid additional fees. You can stop some activities to reduce the chance of being charged an overage fee.
Stop watching videos on your phone. They use up an average of 225 MB of data per feature length film (approx. 1.5 hours). Stop letting the music play and play and play on. If you are on Pandora, for example, you can use as much as 24 MB per hour. Use the GPS only when really necessary. Stop playing games stay informed all week long! online with friends, etc. It uses a FOLLOW US at lot of data. Do not share everywww.twitter.com/ thing on the phone on sites like Facebook. Data use there is mbinews heavy. keep up to date with breaking news, Keep track of the data usage weather alerts, traffic advisories and more. on your own phone so you can react when you are close to the cap. Most plans offer a tool to track data usage. It is worth the download. For more tips, visit chapinSupplies for all your cake and candy needs! business.com. For answers to Classes for kids and adults (Call for details.) your technology questions, call us at 203-262-1869. We’re here Birthday Parties • Hard-to-find Specialty Items to help. Gift Certificates
Ladybug Cake & Candy Supply
134 Main St. South
72G Bennett Sq., Southbury, CT (behind Leo’s Restaurant)
203-264-BAKE (2253)
LadybugCakeandCandy.com
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Ferrari’s Appliance 1255 Middlebury Road (the Hamlet)
Offering beer, wine & distilled spirits Beer tastings Thursdays 5 - 7 pm Wine tastings Fridays, 5 - 7 pm & Saturday afternoons
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203-527-6651 Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
We Sell & Service All Brands 160 Rubber Ave. Naugatuck, CT
(203) 723-7230