“For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.” ~ Edwin Way Teale
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Bee Intelligencer Informing the towns of Middlebury, Southbury, Woodbury, Naugatuck, Oxford and Watertown A FREE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Volume VIII, No. 39
Family Center meet & greet tomorrow By MARJORIE NEEDHAM Tula Family Enrichment Center in Middlebury will open its doors to the public for the first time Saturday, Sept. 22, from 4 to 8 p.m. when owner Jen Lizotte hosts a meet and greet. Visitors will meet the Zumba and yoga teachers who will lead classes for the entire family, from toddlers to grandparents. Refreshments will be served. At the meet and greet, visitors will be able to sign up for 45-minute miniclasses being offered Sunday, Sept. 23, through Thursday, Sept. 27. The mini classes are designed to let people get to know the instructors and learn about the classes they teach. They can then choose which classes they want to enroll in when regular classes begin Oct. 1. Lizotte said “tula” means balance in Sanskrit, and that is what the center will offer families. “Yoga, Zumba and martial arts all offer balance,” Lizotte said. Her goal is to enrich family members from the youngest to the oldest. The center’s yoga and Zumba classes will start immediately; a martial arts program will begin Nov. 1. Lizotte hails from Waterbury. She said she decided to open her business in Middlebury because she didn’t see anyone around here offering yoga for kids. “Down by the shore, there are lots of programs for kids to do yoga,” she said. Because yoga makes people more flexible, Lizotte said athletes who practice yoga are not so easily injured. She said her 9-year-old son started yoga after learning Miami Heats star LeBron Jen Lizotte of Tula Family Enrichment Center stands beside shelves holding James includes yoga in his training. yoga bolsters and mats. The new Middlebury business will offer yoga and Lizotte has fitted out the 3,600- Zumba classes for all ages. (Marjorie Needham photo) square-foot space around the back of She envisions ballroom dancing classes, break dancing Dunkin’ Donuts on Middlebury Road (Route 64) in Middlebury as two expansive rooms suitable for the yoga, classes and mommy and me music sessions in her space. Zumba and martial arts classes she will offer. She plans She supports relief efforts for Haiti, too, and hopes her to offer children’s and adult classes at the same time. That business can serve as a collection point for clothing drives will solve the babysitting issue that may keep some parents and other aid to Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas. Mini classes that will be offered starting Sunday include from joining exercise classes. She continues to add classes and is hoping Zumba gold classes for seniors will soon children’s yoga for 3 to 5 year olds, Hatha flow and stretch yoga for beginner to intermediate adults, Zumba for adults be on the schedule. She also wants to include a lot of community outreach with or without experience, Zumbatomic for kids ages 4 to in her business. “I want it to be kind of a like a family here,” 12, Chakra yoga for adult beginner to intermediate and she said. The space will be available for rentals, and she intensati, a combination of cardio, martial arts, yoga and has already been contacted by someone who wants to start dance. Pick up a full schedule at the Saturday open house, a mom’s club there and have visiting speakers address or find it on Facebook at tula/FEC. Tula is at 489 Middlebury Road in Middlebury. The issues unique to moms. telephone number is 203-527-7324.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Selectmen approve tax incentive application By KATHLEEN RIEDEL Monday night’s Board of Selectmen (BoS) agenda included reappointments of Elderly Tax Relief Committee members, proclamation of Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma Awareness Month and the beginning of Constitution Week. Also on the agenda was the Economic and Industrial Development Commission (EIDC) presentation of Winchester Electronics’ tax incentive application, whose BoS approval would make town history. Because no questions were raised at the Aug. 21 EIDC meeting, Winchester Electronics’ application to be the first participant in the EIDC tax incentive program for the Town of Middlebury was forwarded to the selectmen for approval. It was on the agenda at the Sept. 4 BoS meeting, but First Selectman Edward B. St. John asked selectmen to defer a decision until an EICD representative could make a formal presentation to the BoS. Monday night, EIDC co-chairman Michael Kenausis presented the Winchester Electronics’ application to the board. Fitting with the theme of the BoS meeting, Kenausis’ presentation was just that – brief. He referred to the previously mentioned Aug. 21 meeting where the EIDC systematically reviewed Winchester Electronics’ application and compared it to the tax incentive policy. “Their application was complete. It was submitted appropriately to the first selectman’s office, at which point it was forwarded to the EIDC for review. We found it met all of the criteria,” Kenausis said. He said there was a subsequent request by the assessor’s office for a listing of taxable property from Winchester Electronics’ location of 10 years in Wallingford, Conn. That listing also was forwarded to the selectmen. Kenausis then introduced Jasmine McIntyre, a Winchester Electronics representative and its head of human relations. He said she had previously appeared before the EIDC and had been “extremely cooperative.” “We have no problems whatsoever, and that’s why we forwarded to you folks
a formal letter requesting your review and hopefully your approval of their application,” he said. The selectmen had no questions for Kenausis. McIntyre said Winchester Electronics hopes to relocate to its new Park Road space by Nov. 15, 2012. The company plans to create four jobs within the first year of its move and four more the year following. Roughly 60 people will be employed in the Middlebury location. “I want to say we’re making history tonight,” St. John said. “This is the first time the community will be acting on a tax incentive program. We want to extend to you, Jasmine, and your principals at Winchester Electronics, our heartfelt thanks for choosing our community.” Next, the company’s tax incentive application must be approved at a town meeting. St. John said he does not anticipate any issues at the town meeting. Kenausis said because Winchester Electronics is the pilot company, the town meeting will focus on delivering information to the public regarding the policy and what the EIDC hopes to gain in working relationships with businesses in the community. “It will be more informational for them versus them trying to look at Winchester Electronics and be scrutinizing Winchester Electronics,” Kenausis said. See legal notice on page 7 for date and time for the town meeting. Earlier in the meeting, selectmen approved the reappointments of Kris E. Jacobi (R) as a member of the Land Preservation and Open Space Commission for Sept. 20, 2012, through Sept. 20, 2013. Reappointments for Elderly Tax Relief Committee members – Paul T. Babarik (R), Senior Services Director JoAnn Cappelletti, Tax Assessor Daniel J. Kenny, Gail W. Lamarre (U) and Ann V. Spierto (R) – were approved for the term from Sept. 15, 2012, through Sept. 15, 2013. The proclamation of Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma month and that of Constitution Week were added to the Sept. 17 minutes. The next regular BoS meeting will be Monday, Oct. 1, at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall Conference Room.
MES principal takes new position in Monroe By KATHLEEN RIEDEL Not only has Jack Zamary been the Middlebury Elementary School (MES) principal for nearly a decade, he also has directed the Newtown High School band, acted as Region 15’s department chair for music and now moves on to be Monroe’s Director of Instructional Technology and Operations. Perhaps his running – his dedication to long-distance marathon training – is the inspiration for his constant courage and drive. “I really felt the need to get involved with multiple disciplines,” Zamary said of his shifts within the educational field. His versatility as an individual and a professional has served him well – taught him the importance of a well-rounded classroom perspective. “In this age of really finite assessment, we’ve kept our eye on teaching the whole child,” Zamary said. Speaking collectively of his work with the MES faculty, Zamary said he is proud he and his
colleagues have not sacrificed their arts, library and physical education programs for the sake of test scores. He sees social development as core to a child’s early growth. Facilitating programs like the Coast to Coast Marathon each spring – where teachers and students track miles together in the morning before school – as well as implementing Smart Board technology, he has helped energize students to communicate with each other in and out of the classroom. But MES has not let its national ratings slip either. Last year, ConnCAN (Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now) reviewed exiting grades across the state, and MES ranked in the top 5 percent. “It’s not about the really myopic approach to a few discrete sets of understanding. It’s really looking to support and promote the needs of children as whole human beings,” Zamary said. Leaning back in his chair and talking with his hands, Zamary fit easily into the MES backdrop – its culture drew him there nine years ago.
“The thing I’m going to miss most about being here is the people. I really believe that this profession is built on the quality of relationships,” Zamary said. He said he considers MES home – a community of great human beings who care deeply about serving children. Just as Zamary spoke fondly of his relationships with students, family and staff, his administrative assistant Diane Barnard and office secretary Maureen Arnone expressed their mutual admiration for him. “He is the real deal,” Barnard said, speaking softly so she wouldn’t be heard through Zamary’s open door. “Honestly, he is one of the smartest, most hard-working people I know.” Arnone agreed, saying Zamary made MES a fun place to work. “He’s level-headed, intelligent and very humble. And he infuses everything with humor,” she said. “We’ve been through a lot together,” Barnard said. “We’re really going to miss him.” In honor of Zamary’s last day, the staff dressed formally on their
Left to right, Middlebury Elementary School (MES) office secretary Maureen Arnone, MES Principal Jack Zamary and Zamary’s administrative assistant, Diane Barnard, are shown on his last day at MES. (Kathleen Riedel photo) usual dress-down Friday. “We anyway, so we did it for him.” don’t normally look like this,” Zamary’s last day was Friday, Barnard and Arnone laughed. Sept. 14. He began his new job “He’s never liked dress-down day in Monroe after the long week-
end. Dr. Sandra Nadeau, a retired New Milford elementary school principal, is acting as interim principal.
Inside this Issue Legal Notices....................7 Letter to the Editor............2 Library Happenings............2 Nuggets for Life................6 Obituaries.........................3 Region 15 Calendar..........3 Senior Center News...........3 Varsity Sports Calendar......6
Editorial Office: Email: mbisubmit@gmail.com Phone: 203-577-6800 Mail: P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 Advertising Sales: Email: mbiadvertising@gmail.com
Autumn Begins Upcoming Events
Book Review.....................2 Adoptable Pets..................8 Charter Revision.............4-5 Classifieds.........................7 Community Calendar.........2 Computer Tip....................8 Fire Log.............................2 In Brief..............................8
Fenn’s Farm Annual Fall Farm Tour
saturDay
Sept. 22
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Rain date Oct. 6) What: Farm tours, refreshments, pumpkin raffle and pumpkins to all children Where: 55 Artillery Road in Middlebury
Southbury Women’s Club Fall Fine Arts Festival When: What: Where:
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fine arts and crafts, wellness booth and an amateur photography contest, all to benefit local charities. Southbury Green on Main Street South in Southbury
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