Middlebury Bee April 2015

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Volume XI, No. 4

April 2015

Town, Region 15 budget hearings April 6

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM Monday, April 6, will be the last opportunity Middlebury taxpayers will have to comment on the proposed town budget, which is a 2.1-percent increase over the current budget, and the proposed Region 15 budget, which is a 2.48-percent increase over the current budget, before the budgets move to a Wednesday, May 6, referendum. The public hearing for the town budget is set for 6:30 p.m. at the Middlebury Fire House at 65 Tucker Hill Road in Middlebury.

The Region 15 hearing is set for 7:30 p.m. in the All Purpose Room at Pomperaug High School.

If voters approve the two budgets at the May 6 referendum, Middlebury’s mil rate will increase .83 mil to 30.17 from the current 29.34.

Middlebury property taxes will increase a bit more than 2.8 percent. Taxes on properties with an assessed value of $250,000 will increase $207.50 to $7, 542.50 from $7,335. Taxes on properties with an assessed value of $500,000 will increase $415 to $15,085 from $14,670.

Middlebury’s portion of the Region 15 budget is increasing more than a half million dollars, $664,463, over the current fiscal year. The amount Middlebury pays is determined by the percentage of students the town has in Region 15 schools. That percentage is determined as of Oct. 1 each year, and then used to calculate the obligation for the following fiscal year.

On Oct. 1, 2014, Region 15 had 3,881 students enrolled compared to 4,012 the previous October. For the 2015-2016 year, Middlebury has 1,226 students, down 31 students from this year’s 1,257 students. Southbury has 2,655 students, down 100 students from this year’s 2,755 students. These numbers generate a budget obligation

of 31.59 percent for Middlebury (up from this year’s 31.33 percent) and 68.41 percent for Southbury (down from this year’s 68.67 percent). Numbers are rounded.

Last year, the Board of Education (BoE) reduced the Region 15 budget proposed by Superintendent of Schools Regina Botsford by $154,000, but so far this year there is no indication reductions will be made.

Two of the four budget workshops scheduled in March were canceled due to bad weather. BoE member Paul Babarik said the first of the two remaining meetings was dedicated to explaining the budget book, which is 4 to 5 inches thick.

He said he left the second meeting with a lot of unanswered questions, and he had to ask Chairman Pat Perry to bring the meeting to order because Southbury parents at the meeting booed him while he was asking questions about the budget.

“They spent two or three or four months preparing the budget,” he said, “and we got four hours to review it and ask questions.”

Babarik said when he asked Perry to schedule more budget workshops between March 23 and April 6, she suggested meeting at 5:30 p.m. April 6.

“The way I see it is there was really no serious consideration given to reduce the budget amount, and Regina felt she had all the support she needed from the Southbury PTO members and she could ignore the Board of Education,” Babarik said.

Meanwhile, the Middlebury Board of Finance reduced the town budget by a total of $120,809 to $10.18 million from the original $10.30 million. Details of the changes to the budget will be in our mid-April issue, which will be distributed April 17, in time for readers to review budget data before the May 6 referendum.

EIDC votes to send guide out for review

By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE The Middlebury Economic and Industrial Development Commission (EIDC) at its March 24 meeting unanimously voted to send a draft of the Commercial Development Guide (guidebook) to town officials and commissions involved in the planning and approval of commercial projects. It also reviewed a new section on the Airport Development Zone to be incorporated into the town’s Tax Incentive Program.

The fifth draft of the guidebook, now 20 pages in length, was approved after a page-by-page review of corrections and a newly added section containing maps and descriptions of Middlebury’s seven distinct commercial districts.

Those districts were defined in the updated 2015 Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) currently being reviewed in Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) public hearings. EIDC members used the same definitions and ter-

minology in the guidebook to be consistent. Forty bound copies of the draft guidebook, including a cover letter of instructions, will be printed by Commissioner Mark Petrucci and distributed by guidebook writer Terrence McAuliffe for review by members of P&Z, Zoning Board of Appeals, Conservation Commission, and every town official involved in commercial development.

In a discussion about the POCD, the subject of a final P&Z public hearing April 2, commissioners agreed the town needed architectural standards more specific than the ones in the plan, which McAuliffe said were soft and unenforceable, with the exception of a few “thou shall nots” in the regulations.

Commissioners agreed the development of Middlebury Station on Route 64 in 2006 and the proposed new Shell gas station across the street were quality designs by

– See EIDC on page 8

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

Library Lines.................... 2 Obituaries....................... 5 School Daze.................... 3 Diversified Tax Tidbits....... 5 This is a Hammer............. 7 Winning Ways................. 6

Arrow of Light awards given Saturday, March 14, six Cub Scouts from Den 7 and Pack 15 were awarded the highest rank in Cub Scouting, “The Arrow of Light,” at a blue-and-gold banquet at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Southbury. The arrow of light is made up of an arrow that points the way to a rising sun. It symbolizes the constant and new challenges these boys will face in scouting and life itself.

The seven rays in the emblem represent the seven virtues a young man learns on his path to earning the arrow of light: wisdom, courage, self control, justice, faith, hope and love. The six boys who were recognized and crossed over to Boy Scouts are Aidan Butler, Cooper Gilroy and Michael Cub Scouts Cooper Gilroy, Michael Shaker and Aidan Butler Shaker, all moving over to Troop 5 as Boy Scouts, and Spencer Bigman, Ian hold their Arrow of Light plaques at their crossing-over cerCoughlin and Ethan Harrington, all moving over to Troop 444 as Boy Scouts. emony March 14.

(Melanie Butler photos)

P&Z continues gas station, Plan of Conservation and Development hearings

By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE The Middlebury Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) at its March 5 meeting continued public hearings on plans to replace the Shell Station on Middlebury Road with an larger facility and on updates to the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD).

Approximately 20 residents attended a public hearing to review and comment on plans by Wesson Energy to demolish the Shell Station at 520 Middlebury Road and construct a larger station and convenience store on that site and the adjacent lots formerly occupied by Vinnie’s Pizza and Johnny’s Dairy Bar. Attorney Michael McVerry, representing Wesson Energy, owner of all the properties, said a 3,275-square-foot gas station and convenience store with an expanded canopy, five double-sided gasoline pumps, and 34 parking spaces would replace the existing four-pump, 1,630-square-foot Shell station. The new building and canopy would be constructed on the adjacent empty lots, and the old station, canopy and underground tanks would be removed upon completion of the new one. McVerry said the fire marshal and the Economic and Industrial Development Commission (EIDC) have approved the project, and applications are under way with the Conservation Commission, Water Pollution Control Authority, and Torrington Health District.

Professional Engineer Dainius Virbickas of Artel Engineering Group said the store would re-utilize the existing water and sewer connections and would add an external grease trap to comply with Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection requirements. The drainage system will have a series of six catch basins and two trench drains, and roof and canopy runoff will be routed into a subsurface storm-water infiltration system. He

said the property would be heavily landscaped with an evergreen Geo retaining wall in the rear, a building design fitting the character of the town, and a gabled wooden canopy instead of the flat-roofed canopies typical of gas stations. A sidewalk, curb cuts and decorative lamp posts would be similar to those of Middlebury Station across the street. The identification sign would be on the southeast portion of the site.

McVerry explained a drive-through window in the plans and a driveway around the building for cars to queue up off the main road. He said the pick-up window was not for food prepared or consumed on site, but instead for prepackaged items such as potato chips, pretzels, prepackaged sandwiches, dairy products, beverages, tobacco products and other nonfood items. He told commissioners he was aware zoning regulations prohibited restaurant takeout food and said the window was intended as a convenience for those not wanting to get out of their car to come into the store.

Town Engineer John Calabrese said he would review the drainage retention system to be sure it was large enough and told McVerry Department of Transportation approvals needed to be given to the town prior to construction. Calabrese questioned the 16 seats inside the building and said they might affect parking calculations depending on what they were being used for. He also questioned how truck deliveries and dumpster pickups would be handled.

Town Planner Brian Miller said the proposed station did not seem to match the vision for a pedestrian-friendly Middlebury Center as described in the POCD, despite the incorporation of sidewalks. He said the five gasoline pump islands were very automobile-oriented and more suited for Straits Turnpike or right off a highway exit.

In comments from the public, Kris Jacobi and Cathy Smith spoke in opposition, with Jacobi questioning the need for 34 parking

spaces if there was a drive-through. She asked commissioners to consider how the in-and-out flow of vehicles would mix with traffic from the Dunkin’ Donuts and bank across the street, noting concerns for the safety of children walking along and crossing the street, and site lines obscured by plantings and shrubbery. She read a letter from her husband, Michael Jacobi, who said the unattractive commercial district of Middlebury was a drag on the reputation of the town, lowering real estate values and deterring employers from locating here. His letter said commissioners have a rare opportunity to decide the future of Middlebury. He encouraged a safer, more pedestrian-friendly downtown with power lines buried underground and more green spaces.

Smith said the Wesson proposal was not downtown development but instead a destination gas station for traffic coming in from Exit 16 and circling through town for the 10 gas pumps and convenience store that she said was more like a truck stop. She called it a travesty and a disservice to everyone in the community.

Other public comments were more favorable. John Cookson, former EIDC chairman, said he was pleased with the development moving forward but did not see the purpose of a drive-through and worried it would lead to fast-food restaurants.

David Theroux said the design was a big improvement and encouraged approval.

Ingrid Manning said there were pros and cons, but the new station needed to be large enough to be economically viable, and it was an improvement in architectural appearance and better planned traffic flow.

George Frantzis said the new station improved the appearance of the center of town and could help attract more local businesses. Paul Anderson said the design and

– See P&Z on page 5

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny

Inside this Issue Adoptable Pets................ 8 Book Review................... 2 Classifieds....................... 7 Community Calendar....... 2 In Brief............................ 4 Library Highlights............ 2

Cub Scouts who earned Arrow of Light awards and their den leader are, left to right, Aidan Butler, Michael Shaker, Cooper Gilroy, Den Leader Frank Gilroy, Ian Coughlin, Ethan Herrington and Spencer Bigman.

SATURday

March 28

What: When: Where: Cost:

Pancakes, sausage, bacon, baked goods, coffee, tea and juice 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Middlebury Fire House at 65 Tucker Hill Road Adults $7; Children under 6 $5; Family maxiumum $25

Emerald Ash Borer, ash tree presentation

Troop 5 Redeemable Bottle and Can Drive

What: Collection of recyclable bottles and cans to raise funds for Boy Scouts When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Village Square Shopping Plaza, 530 Middlebury Road, Middlebury

FRIday

April 3

SATURday

April 4

Page 8

Good Friday, Passover starts at sundown Middlebury Easter Egg Hunt (Rain date April 11)

What: Annual egg hunt for Middlebury children ages 3 to 10.

When: 1 p.m.

Where: Shepardson Community Center Field. Sponsored by Middlebury Police Social Club and Parks and Recreation.

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The Bee-Intelligencer

2

April 2015

Library Highlights This column features highlights from each library. For a more extensive list of events at each library, please visit our website, www.bee-news.com, and click on “Libraries.”

Middlebury Good Friday closing The library will be closed Friday, April 3, for the Good Friday holiday.

Holocaust survival

Middlebury Community Calendar Bielawa, author of “Bridgeport Baseball,”will discuss the Park City’s colorful history of teams and players. Don Harrison, former sports editor of the Waterbury Republican, will speak about some of the Nutmeg ’s greatest contributions to baseball.

Douglas Malan will speak about the history of Bristol’s Muzzy Field as well as the great Red Sox farmhands who called the Bell City home in the 1970s and 80s.

Bill Ryczek, author of the recently released “Connecticut Gridiron,” is a two-sport threat and will highlight the 19th century pioneers of the national pastime in the Constitution State. Here’s your chance to talk with fellow fans and purchase a signed book from an all-star lineup. Baseball refreshments served! Free and open to all ages, but please register to ensure seating.

Wednesday, April 8, at 1 p.m., local author Eric LeMoullec will discuss his book, “Remember Your Name,” a true story of his grandfather’s survival of the Holocaust. Books will be available before and during the discussion.

Please register for the program by calling the library or stopping by the circulation desk. Light refreshments will be served.

Immigration and The Middlebury Public Library citzenship basics is at 30 Crest Road. The telephone Are you interested in becoming number is 203-758-2634, and the a citizen but don’t know where to website is middleburypubliclistart? Join us Tuesday, April 14, brary.org. at 6:30 p.m. when Lindsey Bordeaux from Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Hartford will provide a free workshop on immigration subjects including lawSaving for college Saving for college with the col- ful permanent residents (green lege guys, a free workshop, will card), families seeking citizenbe held Tuesday, April 7, at 6:30 ship, visa waiting periods, asyp.m. Paying for college can easily lum/refugee status, and options be one of your lifetime’s biggest for undocumented immigrants. expenses. To help parents and Have your questions answered students better understand their confidentially and find out how college funding options, advisers to get additional assistance. AtTom Polowy, M.S., and Vincent tendance is open to all. Please let Winans will explain how the fi- the library know if you are internancial aid system works and ested. Limited translation may be share strategies you can use today available.

The Howard Whittemore Meto help make college affordable.

Call the library at 203-729-4591 morial Library is at 243 Church for more information or to regis- St. in Naugatuck. For information, call 203-729-4591 or visit whitteter. morelibrary.org.

Naugatuck

Connecticut baseball history

Get out of the Hot Stove League and into the spring “stands” at the library Wednesday, April 8, at 6:30 p.m. when local authors will pitch true stories of interest to Connecticut baseball fans. Michael

able to access the library’s catalog at www.southburylibrary.org .

The library will be open Saturday, April 4, for regular business hours, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Learn how to create and record music Recording and producing professional, Jon Smoli will demonstrate how to use Apple GarageBand to create your own music Thursday, April 9, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. This program is for students in grades six to 12. Registration is required, and space is limited. Please call the library at 203-262-0626, ext. 110, for information or registration.

Anita Gregorski exhibit

The Gloria Cachion Gallery at the library will host “Surroundings,” an exhibit by artist Anita Gregorski, from Wednesday, April 1, until Thursday, May 14. Local barn and fences, quaint neighborhood homes, flowers from her gardens, New England landscapes, area store fronts and street scenes are among her artworks on display.

Gregorski has lived all her life in Connecticut, and her paintings successfully reflect the colors and atmosphere that are so much a part of this landscape. Many of the barns she has captured in paintings have disappeared, streets have changed and storefronts have been modernized. “I like to find that bit of nostalgia, record that weathered look, catch the light on fresh fallen snow and Good Friday, the new bloom on the flower from Easter closings my garden. A paint brush and a The library will be closed Good few props and a painting gets creFriday, April 3, and Easter Sun- ated. Some days I wrestle with the day, April 5. The public will be paint brush and other days I hang

Southbury

onto the brush as the painting March 29 to April 4, 2015 paints itself.”

For more information, call 203Tuesday, March 31 262-0626 or visit www.southburylibrary.org. The library is at Conservation Commission 100 Poverty Road in Southbury. 7:30 p.m......................................................... Shepardson, Room 26

Woodbury Islamism: It’s the thought that counts This program will be held Tuesday, March 31, at 7 p.m. in the Senior Community Center as part of a collaboration between the center and the library. Leslie S. Lebl, a fellow of the American Center on Democracy and principal of Lebl Associates, is an independent scholar who specializes in European security and defense issues, the European Union, Balkan peacekeeping, Russian politics and economy, and Islamism in Europe, will discuss Islamism and the threat it poses to the West.

A former foreign service officer, she served as political adviser to NATO commanders in Bosnia-Herzegovina and as minister counselor for political affairs at the U.S. mission to the European Union in Brussels. She speaks French, German, Russian, Polish and Spanish. Since 2003, she has resided in Woodbury with her husband Giora.

Tree trimming and maintenance Saturday, April 11, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., learn the ins and outs of tree care and proper pruning techniques from expert arborist Bud Neal. Registration is required. To register, call the sponsor, the Woodbury Shade Tree Sidewalk Committee, at 203-2632141, For more information, call 203263-3502 or visit www.woodburylibraryct.org. The library is at 269 Main St. S. in Woodbury.

To see more library events, please look online at www.beenews.com.

By Mary Kubica (Mira, $14.95) Reviewed by Ealish Waddell Early in “The Good Girl” (new in paperback) we meet Mia, who’s recently returned home after being kidnapped and held for months in a remote cabin in the frigid Minnesota wilderness.

So the reader knows right off the bat she will be found and rescued safely. The real mystery of this suspenseful thriller is in figuring out what exactly happened in that cabin, and why Mia can’t seem to remember any of it.

Constructed with a timejumping plot that glimpses var-

ious points before, after and during the abduction, the story is told largely in the alternating voices of three characters: Eve, Mia’s mother, who loves her daughter deeply and fiercely but has never been able to understand her; Gabe, the detective assigned to the investigation, increasingly driven to close the case for Eve’s sake as well as his own; and Colin, Mia’s abductor, a man long hardened to brutal reality but suddenly learning just

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what his limits are.

True to this narrative design, Mia herself is a bit of a cipher.

She’s viewed mostly through the eyes of the three fallible narrators, each of whom also is trying to figure her out themselves.

When, late in the story, Mia finally gets her own say, the impact is devastating: Unexpected secrets are revealed and relationships altered forever.

There actually are several stories intertwining here, and the themes of guilt, disappointment and resentment thread their way through them all. In one, each member of a fractured family is doomed in a different way by a lifelong lack of communication and care. In another, desperation leads to an escalating series of epically bad decisions. But in them all, despite everything, people keep instinctively grasping for connection and understanding – and sometimes find it in the most unlikely of places. (c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.

Pomperaug District Department of Health

Senior Vaccination Services • Pneumonia Vaccines (Prevnar & Pneumovax) • Shingles Vaccine (Zostavax) • Tetanus & Pertussis Vaccine (Tdap & Td) Medicare Part B and D Accepted

Also available:

Travel Vaccination Services

Immunizations & Guidance for International Travel

Low est In C Cost T

By appointment: Call 203-264-9616, ext. 0 For more information about immunizations, visit: www.pddh.org Pomperaug District Department of Health Playhouse Corner • 77 Main Street North • Suite 205 • Southbury Providing Public Health Services Since 1986

Thursday, April 2 Planning and Zoning Commission 7:30 p.m.....................................................Shepardson, Auditorium

April 5 to 11 Monday, April 6 Board of Selectmen 6 p.m...................................................Town Hall Conference Room Board of Finance Town Budget Public Hearing 6:30 p.m............................Middlebury Firehouse Tucker Hill Road Region 15 Board of Education Budget Hearing and Vote 7:30 p.m.......................................................................PHS AP Room

Tuesday, April 7 Water Commission 7 p.m.............................................................. Shepardson, Room 26

Thursday, April 9 Parks and Recreation 7 p.m................................................................ Shepardson, Room 1

April 12 to 18 Monday, April 13 Police Commission 6 p.m...................................................Town Hall Conference Room

Tuesday, April 14 Library Board of Directors 3 p.m.......................................................Middlebury Public Library Democratic Town Committee 7:30 p.m......................................................... Shepardson, Room 27 Republican Town Committee 7:30 p.m......................................................... Shepardson, Room 26

Wednesday, April 15 Beautification Committee 6:30 p.m......................................................... Shepardson, Room 26

Thursday, April 16 Safety and Health Committee 12:30 p.m............................................Town Hall Conference Room Calendar dates/times are subject to change.

If your organization would like your event included in the community calendar, please email the information to beeintelligencer@gmail.com.

Library Lines

Book Review “The Good Girl”

Wednesday, April 1 Land Preservation and Open Space 6 p.m.............................................................. Shepardson, Room 26 Zoning Board of Appeals 7:30 p.m..............................................Town Hall Conference Room

M

Library offers range of new books

arch book arrivals ranged from a tale of Sherlook Holmes to a book on preparing for aging Baby Boomers. Hopefully, we will be able to enjoy these books in a warm and sunny April, and this winter’s many snowstorms will become a distant memory. It seems everyone who comes into the library has the same tune to toot, “I am so tired of winter – thank goodness spring is here!”

Can’t wait for that first crocus!

One of my favorite authors has written a continuation of her series featuring the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and his wife, Mary Russell. “Dreaming Spies” (KIN) by Laurie King finds the couple sailing to California and stopping in Japan. They ask a young Japanese woman to tutor them on the ways of the Japanese, a topic that interests many passengers. Daily tutoring classes are only part of Holmes’ and Russell’s day – there is a disappearing passenger, possibility of blackmail, and just who is Haruki Sato (the tutor)? Turns out she is much more than she appears.

“The Magician’s Lie” (MAC)

by Greer Macallister features a quirky character, “The Amazing Arden,” an illusionist known for sawing her husband in half. Does the illusion turn tragically wrong while Virgil Holt, a policeman with his own story to tell, is in the audience? Or was this just another sleight-of-hand trick by

Arden? When Holt captures Arden, she tells him her life story … so is she married to Ray or to Clyde? Hmm. Danielle Steel dishes up a new mystery involving twin brothers.

“Prodigal Son” (STE) features small-town doctor, Michael, and Peter, who loses everything and retreats to his family cottage. After reading his mother’s journals, Peter realizes that Michael may not be the “perfect twin” he always imagined him to be. He may be someone much more dangerous …

Finally, in fiction, we have a new book by best-selling author, C.J. Box, “Endangered” (BOX), another Joe Pickett novel. I haven’t read this series or author, but I may have to read this one.

Joe’s teenage daughter runs away with a rodeo star and is found beaten on the side of the road.

Did the boyfriend do it? Or some stranger? April is in a medically-induced coma and can’t say.

Did you read “The Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson? It is great writing and a fascinating true story of a murderer at the 1893 World’s Fair. The author has now written about the sinking of the Lusitania in “Dead Wake: the Last Crossing of the Lusitania” (940.4 LAR). Combine a U-boat captain intent on victory with a passenger ship whose captain believed they were safe from attack, and you know the rest of the story. Written as if we were present both on the U-boat and

Middlebury Road (Opposite the Shell Station) Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily Anthony Calabrese 203-758-2765

Pansies • Easter crosses Easter Flowers Bird Seed Headquarters Black Oil, Premium Mix, Sunflower Hearts,

Deer Corn • Livestock & Poultry Feed

on the doomed Lusitania, the account allows us to become part of the historic and terrifying event. Just as an interesting side note, Theodate Pope Riddle, the architect of Westover School as well as the Hill-Stead Museum, was among the survivors.

Somewhat along the lines of the movie “Julie and Julia,” is “Life from Scratch: a memoir of food, family and forgiveness” (641.5092 MAR), a recent book

by Sasha Martin. A blogger and food writer, Martin is determined to create 195 recipes from 195 countries in 195 weeks (yes that is nearly four years). Recipes appropriate to each tale accompany her life story. We follow Martin through a difficult childhood with her brother Michael as they are placed in foster care and struggle to maintain contact with their mother. Part memoir, part cookbook, this is a story of self-discovery, growth and forgiveness.

On a much lighter note, Dave Barry has written “Live Right and Find Happiness” (818.602 BAR).

Barry addresses the totally bewildering world of teenage girls as he tries to understand his own teen while driving her around for soccer practice. He is very funny.

He writes about his parents and how much fun they had doing things he specifically directs us not to do (drinking too much, smoking, drinking and driving).

He really is very funny. He writes about Russia and Russians and finishes up with a letter to his first grandson – I did giggle out loud. So I guess if you need a laugh, read this book.

Finally, we look at a subject many of us are facing, “The Age of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America” (361.6097 POO). Written by Ai-Jen Poo, it is a realistic take on the aging of America and some viable solutions to the decent and affordable care many Baby Boomers will need. It is written to be read by the lay person. We should probably all read this book.

Middlebury Public Library Adult Services Librarian Donna Hine writes Library Lines once a month. If you have a topic you’d like her to cover, contact her at the library at 203-758-2634.

The Bee-Intelligencer

April 2015

3

Common core can be scary Greetings from School Daze!

Two of the most frightening words in public education today are “Common Core.” Why frightening? Because most parents are unsure what it truly is. I will attempt to shed some light as I know it. Common Core is a unified set of high standards in the math and language curricula. It is called “unified” because each state that chose to adopt the Common Core concept set learning goals every student is required to master by the end of his/her grade level.

This was conceived in part by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center). This initiative was developed as a way to accelerate the aptitude of U.S. students to better prepare them academically so they are competitively equal to their European counterparts when they enter college.

In essence, what this means is the NGA has determined our students need to raise their level of aptitude through a more chal-

School Daze by Mrs. M. lenging and rigorous curriculum.

In the area of math, “rigor,” the new buzzword in education, refers to a deeper, authentic command of mathematical concepts.

The three areas of rigor include conceptual understanding, procedural skills and fluency, and application.

While they stand on their belief that Common Core is not meant to make math harder or introduce topics at earlier grades, I hesitate to agree with this. As I observe my fourth-grade class, I see several struggling with many of the strategies and concepts they are

required to master. This is because they are asked to multithink, multi-task, and multianalyze the process for each concept they learn. All that is quite a challenge for a 9-year-old!

The procedure requires much repetition. It is not something that can be achieved in a week’s worth of lessons, but must be ongoing and continuously revisited. This is where you, as parents, play a huge role. Practicing at home the skills your child is learning in school is very important to your child’s success.

Your child is learning new ways to understand and solve math problems. Today’s math is not the math of your day. To that end, you need to know how your child needs to perform in order to be able to help him/her. The Common Core math curriculum requires students to solve a problem by an algorithm (numbers), by an explanation, and by drawing a model to show the process.

Whether your child is learning addition, subtraction, multipli-

Don’t be a sucker The FBI website has a list of and pounce on the spouse to scams aimed at seniors. Many of try to collect money the dethese swindles have been going ceased didn’t even owe. Someon for years, and the scammers times, shady funeral-home still are finding plenty of victims. operators will try to pad the Why do they target seniors? bill.

Because they think we have • Telemarketing: Seniors make money. Because they think we • Reverse mortgage scam: Seniors twice the average number of won’t report the crime. Because purchases over the phone, so can lose all their home equity we were raised to be polite to callwe’re a handy target. Don’t buy to scammers or even be conned ers. Here are some examples: anything from anyone who into aiding the scammers in • Medicare and insurance fraud: calls you. If you want somestealing equity from a flipped Scammers posing as Medicare thing, make the call yourself. property. Beware reverse mortrepresentatives call to try to get gages, and don’t sign anything • Charity scams: Especially after personal information. Or, even a natural disaster, the scamwithout expert advice. Be wary more brazen, they set up fake mers are looking for money. If of investment seminars, even mobile clinics and entice seyou want to donate to an orgathose hosted by churches. niors to provide their Medicare • Funeral and cemetery scams: information.

Scammers read the obituaries

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Middlebury Senior Center News

cation or division concepts, he or she needs to master this process. Have your child work out the problem; then have your child explain how he or she solved it, and finish off by having your child draw a picture to prove the answer.

Practice this nightly so it becomes a routine procedure for your child. Next month, I will expand on strategies to use with your child’s math curriculum.

Until then, if you are unsure how to proceed, You Tube has numerous videos on many Common Core math concepts. Don’t hesitate to view them as a tutorial.

Please feel free to email me at fmull04@gmail.com if you have any questions. I welcome your opinions or comments. Until next month … sharpen your pencils, tell your child he or she is simply awesome, and keep on smiling!

Mrs. M. Mrs. M. (Fran Mullen) is an educator in the Waterbury School District.

Good Friday closing The Senior Center will be closed Friday, April 3, in observance of Good Friday.

Diet and memory health Can diet affect your memory?

Join us Tuesday, April 14, at 11:30 a.m. at the Senior Center to learn more about what to eat to help keep your memory sharp and reduce your risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Free hearing screenings

Trips Meditation and relaxation lunch Jennifer King, a devoted yoga and meditation practitioner for 11 years, will explore the many benefits you can achieve with mindful meditation Thursday, April 16, at 11:30 a.m. at Masonicare of Newtown at 139 Toddy Hill Road in Newtown. A complimentary lunch will be provided.

The Senior Center mini-bus will provide transportation from the center for a fee of $5 and will leave the center at 10:30 a.m.

Reserve a seat on the bus by April 10 by calling 203-577-4166.

The Middlebury Senior Center and And How Hearing’s free hearing screening open to all will be Wednesday, April 15. To make Painted Pony an appointment, please call 203577-4166 or stop in at the Midrestaurant dlebury Senior Center. ScreenAs part of the Senior Dine ings begin at 9 a.m. and end at lunch program, the minibus will 11:30 a.m. and are in 15-minute go to the Painted Pony restaurant increments. in Bethlehem Friday, April 24.

A screening is a simple PASS/ This trip is on the fourth Friday FAIL evaluation of a persons’ each month. hearing. They also will clean exYou must have a Senior Dine isting hearing aids during the card to participate. If you do not same 15-minute allotment. have a card, stop by the senior Should you have any questions, center office to get one. If you or to change a particular apwant to go to the Painted Pony, pointment, please call the And call 203-577-4166 to reserve a nization, make the call yourHow Hearing office at 203-754seat. self.

2200.

Clip this column and share it with your friends the next time you get together. Maybe you’ll keep one potential victim away from the scammers. To read about more senior scams, go online to www.fbi.gov/scams- Advertise Your Properties For Sale or Vacation Rentals throughout New safety/fraud/seniors.

England in free distribution newspapers with over 700,000 circulation Matilda Charles regrets she FOR cannot personally answer reader FOR A questions, but she will incorpoONLY 25 - WORD CLASSIFIED rate them into her column whenever possible. Send email to columnreply2@gmail.com.

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The Bee-Intelligencer

4

April 2015

Bee Intelligencer

in•tel•li•gencer: n. One who conveys news or information The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed.

Issued by: The Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer Society LLC Bee-Intelligencer Staff: Editor-In-Chief/Publisher: Marjorie Needham Contributing Writers: Mary Conseur, Terrence S. McAuliffe Art & Production: Mario J. Recupido - Submit press releases in person, by mail or email The Bee-Intelligencer welcomes news, press releases and advertising from all surrounding communities Editorial Office: 2030 Straits Turnpike, Suite 1, Middlebury, CT 06762 Direct mail to P.O. Box 10.

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.

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In Brief Woodbury egg hunt Children up to age 10 are invited to the Woodbury Parks and Recreation 2015 Egg Hunt Saturday, March 28, at 10 a.m. SHARP in Hollow Park in Woodbury! It’s a rain or shine event. Wear your pretties or funniest spring bonnet, bring your basket, and join the Easter Bunny at the Hollow!

Take your child’s photo with the Easter Bunny before the race.

Then children can race to fill their basket with chocolate eggs hidden in the fields. The Easter Bunny will arrive at 9:30 a.m. The egg hunt starts exactly at 10 a.m.

This is a free event, but nonperishable food donations for the Woodbury Food Bank are welcome.

MCC seeks donations Donations are needed for the Middlebury Congregational Church’s 25th Sale and Old Fashioned Auction Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Shepardson Community Center. This is a fundraiser to benefit the mission and ministries of the church.

Items needed include antiques, collectibles, furniture, housewares, electronics, small appliances, sports equipment, linens, toys and holiday items.

Items can be dropped off at the church on Saturdays, April 11, 18, and 25 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and during church office hours the week prior to the event.

On Friday, May 1, donors may bring items directly to Shepardson Community Center any time after 1 pm. Pick-ups are available for larger items. For more information, contact Jeanine at 203758-2671. Middlebury Congregational church is at 1242 Whittemore Road in Middlebury.

Other events being held in Middlebury that day include the Middlebury Library’s Annual Book Sale and St. George’s Episcopal Church’s Tag Sale.

Middlebury Soccer Middlebury Soccer’s Spring 2015 registration will close soon.

This year, Middlebury Soccer is expanding professional training to enhance player development at all levels and is adding a new program for 3-year-olds called Dinomites.

The Dinomites program will focus on improving coordination and motor skills, which are critical for very young players.

Games for the spring season are expected to begin April 11 and end in mid-June. All registrations must be processed through the Middlebury Soccer Association website, www.middlebury-soccer.com. See the website for program details.

Register for the in-house program prior to April 1 to avoid a $20 late fee. Travel program registration was due before March 16 to avoid a $20 late fee and being placed on a waiting list. Travel registration closes March 31.

Please contact Glen Gleissner at gegleissner@hotmail.com with any questions.

Quilts that Care Quilts that Care, an organization that makes quilts for people who undergo cancer treatment, will meet Mondays, April 6 and 20, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at The Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center at 1075 Chase Parkway in Waterbury.

It also will meet Tuesdays, April 7 and 21, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Bristol Public Library at 5 High St. in Bristol.

Donations of fabric shop gift cards, 100 percent cotton fabric,

Antiques like these may be among the finds at the Middlebury Congregational Church’s annual tag sale and auction Saturday, May 2, at Shepardson Community Center.

(Submitted photo) twin-size quilt backings, cotton flannel, quilting materials, and gallon Ziploc bags are being accepted. Volunteers are being sought. Quilters are especially needed. Monetary donations can be given through PayPal at www. quiltsthatcare.org, or at P.O. Box 166, Watertown, CT 06795. For information, call Deb at 860-9450184, email QuiltsThatCare.Deb@ gmail.com or visit www.quiltsthatcare.org.

Writing workshop

The Arts Escape four-week Alzheimer’s and Writing Workshop will begin Tuesday, April 7, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 Related Dementias p.m. at B’nai Israel Synagogue in Support Group Southbury. The group will journey A monthly support group for through the world of writing with friends and family of people with instructor Pat Conti. They will exAlzheimer’s disease and related amine different genres of creative dementias will meet Thursday,

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“Wines of the World” fundraiser The Literacy Volunteers of Greater Waterbury (LVGW) will present their annual wine dinner and auction fundraiser Friday, April 17, at 6 p.m. at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville. This year’s theme is “Wines of the World” and guests will sample and savor a collection of wines from the award-winning regions of Spain.

Chris Berman of ESPN will serve as the master of ceremonies. The evening also will feature a musical performance by the Boogie Boys, and both a live

and silent auction. Bob Sagendorf Jr. will be honored for his commitment to literacy in our community.

Registration of $75 per person includes hors d’oeuvres, dinner and dessert. Proceeds will benefit the educational programs of LVGW. For more information on the event, including auction donation and ad opportunities, call 203-754-1164 or visit Lvgwct.org.

Woodbury Lions seek vendors The Woodbury Lions Club is seeking vendors/crafters for their 37th Annual Car Show Sunday, June 14, at Hollow Park in Woodbury. The event opens at 9 a.m., and runs until about 3 p.m., rain or shine. In the past, this event attracted about 400 cars and over 1,000 viewers. Vendors are allowed to start setting up at 7:30 a.m..

“Based on our feedback from last year, we’ve moved the vendor area onto the field,” Lion President Frank Longo said. “It will give the vendors more visibility and, hopefully, more sales.”

The cost is $25 for a 10-footby-10-foot area, and vendors can rent multiple spaces. Of specific interest are sellers of jewelry, soaps, perfumes, crafts, and anything automotive. Applications from food vendors will not be accepted.

Email the Lions at WoodburyCTLions@gmail.com for a vendor application.

Opinion

Governing by crisis isn’t governing at all

By LEE H. HAMILTON

Online 24/7 at

writing and the techniques specific to each. Each participant may develop a new writing project or work on writing in progress. Writing exercises to spark creativity, tips on writing, publishing and reader feedback will be examined in this workshop. Conti will help guide you along the path to your writing goals over the four consecutive weeks. Please register for the workshop online at www.artsescape. org/site/programs or call the office at 203-405-6751. The workshop is limited to 10 participants.

April 9, at 10:30 a.m. at the Jewish Federation of Western Connecticut at 444 Main St. N. There is no charge for this open and on-going group, whose purpose is to provide emotional, educational and social support for caregivers through regularly scheduled meetings.

The meetings help participants develop methods and skills to solve problems and encourage caregivers to maintain their own personal, physical and emotional health while optimally caring for the person with dementia. Patty Gibbs, a volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association, facilitates the group. Registration is not required. For more information, call Debby Horowitz, Brownstein Jewish Family Service director, at 203-267-3177, ext. 310.

After Congress came a hair’s breadth from shutting down the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a few weeks ago, members of the leadership tried to reassure the American people.

“We’re certainly not going to shut down the government or default on the national debt,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell declared on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” Congress, he said, would not lurch from crisis to crisis.

I wish I could be so confident.

Because if you look at the year ahead, the congressional calendar is littered with opportunities to do just that. www.nfda.org

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Next month, unless Congress acts, doctors will see a steep cut in Medicare reimbursements. In May, the Highway Trust Fund runs out of money, meaning that infrastructure projects all across the country could grind to a halt.

The following month, the federal Export-Import Bank’s charter runs out. By the end of summer, Congress will need to raise the debt ceiling. Then it will have to find a way of funding the government for next year, deal with across-the-board spending cuts that are scheduled to take hold, and make it possible for the Treasury to continue to borrow money.

I don’t know about you, but my bet is not on smooth sailing.

This is a huge problem. Great democracies do not veer from one doomsday moment to the next, nor do they fund government on a week-to-week basis.

World superpowers do not risk their creditworthiness or threaten to strangle their own agencies or force them to plan repeatedly for shutdowns. Yet that is precisely the habit Congress has developed. It’s embarrassing.

Why? Look at what happened with Homeland Security. The issue, essentially, was that members, unhappy with President Obama’s plan to shield undocumented immigrants from deportation, tried to use the DHS funding measure to force him to back down. In other words, they tied two unrelated issues together.

The solution ultimately lay in

separating them, allowing a vote on each.

But during the weeks Congress spent arriving at this commonsense approach, DHS had to get ready for roughly 30,000 employees to be furloughed, arrange to wind down administrative support functions, prepare law enforcement across the country for the loss of training funds, and ask crucial employees to be willing to work without pay – we’re talking the border patrol, Coast Guard, screeners at airports, cargo inspectors … the people on the front lines.

The impasse threatened ongoing research and planning on making the country safer and grants to local communities to pay salaries for emergency personnel. At the very point when terrorism overseas was consuming the attention of our national security agencies, the department charged with protecting the nation at home had to be consumed with shuttering its operations.

Small wonder that much of the world thinks the United States is incapable of governing itself.

I know that the politics of Capitol Hill are difficult right now.

But they’ve been troublesome for years, and legislating is about getting things done in a difficult environment. Congress is designed to be an institution where the dilemmas of the moment can be overcome by skillful legislators. We need a Congress that

can address its problems before a crisis comes up.

What will it take to do so? Part of the answer lies in dedication to Congress’s job. Its members need to work at legislating every day – not just the three days in the middle of the week. Its leaders need to make clear their determination to move legislation through in an orderly fashion.

The so-called “Hastert Rule” – that the speaker of the house will not allow a vote on a bill unless he has a majority of his own party behind it – needs to be jettisoned for good, not just in extreme circumstances. Allowing a majority of the House and the Senate to work its will, whatever the partisan alignment, would do wonders.

And perhaps most important, the tactic of tying two unrelated issues together in order to force an opponent’s hand needs to be rejected. The parade of make-orbreak issues that Congress faces this year presents myriad opportunities for legislative mischief.

If all we see before us is one government-shutdown threat after another, the remaining faith Americans hold in our chief lawmaking body could disappear altogether. And deservedly so.

Lee Hamilton is Director of the Center on Congress at Indiana University. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years. For information about the Center’s educational resources and programs, visit www.centeroncongress.org.

The Bee-Intelligencer

April 2015

P&Z -

Continued from page 1 setback of the new station and canopy was more in keeping visually with the character of the town and was replacing dated 1970s buildings. Robert Wesson said it was his intention to build something that would be an asset to the town and a convenience to its citizens.

In comments from commissioners, Matthew Robison said he didn’t think the station was oriented toward residents but more towards commuters. He encouraged a traffic study and pointed out the need for fencing on the retaining wall. William Stowell and Erika Carrington were concerned with children walking to the site, suggesting repositioning of the crosswalk and adding a walkway that avoids the pumping area. Carrington said the drive-through was a big decision and she didn’t think it would be possible to stop prepared foods from being served, setting a precedent.

McVerry said there would be a separate clerk at the drivethrough, limited to items intended for those customers.

Paul Babarik agreed with the concerns of Stowell and Carrington on children safety and in opposition to the drivethrough. Chairman Terry Smith said he also agreed with commissioner concerns regarding safety and the drive-through and said he liked the improved architectural appearance of the station but thought five pump islands was not in keeping with a semi-rural town.

Attorney McVerry replied to Cathy Smith’s comment about the facility being a “destination gas station.” He said there were already gas stations with convenience stores at many Route 84 exit ramps, so there would be no incentive to drive six miles into Middlebury. He said the renovation was an improvement to the existing station and not a truck stop or change in use.

In the public hearing on updates to the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), Chairman Smith read a petition from 20 residents urging the elimination of Section 9 from the plan. That section describes the concept of Middlebury Cen-

ter and suggests the adoption of regulations and land-use changes to improve the area.

The petition, signed by owners of properties on Nutmeg, Regan and Edgar Roads, said the concept would lead to over-development and have an adverse impact on residences and water courses. Town Planner Brian Miller, author of the POCD, said updates since the previous public hearing included an expanded section on open space, clarification of boundary lines, and details on areas of proposed commercial development.

In public comments, resident Brendan Browne of Clearview Knoll also commented on Middlebury Center, noting the difficulty of calculating parking requirements and traffic backup concerns along Route 64. He asked commissioners to increase setback requirements if a commercial property abuts a residential property. In comments from commissioners, Robison said he did not favor a business center district in the POCD. He said he was in favor of architectural standards and agreed beautification is necessary but said he was fearful of the potential of rezoning the areas.

Miller said the POCD did not recommend rezoning Middlebury Center for commercial use but did specify the character of such development if it did occur.

Chairman Smith emphasized the POCD did not change zoning regulations but was simply a set of considerations and concepts. He said zoning changes would always require a public hearing.

In other comments, Smith said the 2015 POCD would completely replace the 2001 POCD and not require a reference from one to the other. He also said the inclusion of names and definitions for the eight commercial districts could lead to architectural standards and permitted uses for each one in future regulations. Smith asked Miller to provide a reference to potential uses of the Triangle Boulevard area acquired by the State of Connecticut. The public hearing was continued to April 2.

The next regular P&Z meeting will be Thursday, April 2, at 7:30 p.m. at Shepardson Community Center.

5

Obituaries James M. Barrett Loving husband and grandfather

Mr. James M. Barrett, 68, died peacefully in his Middlebury home surrounded by family, Thursday, March 12, 2015, after a prolonged illness. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Judith (Urbanowicz) Barrett, and his son, Sean Barrett of Stamford.

Jim was born in Waterbury Feb. 22, 1947, son of the late John F. and Muriel (Cass) Barrett. Jim grew up in Middlebury and graduated from Woodbury High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from Fairfield University in 1969 and a master’s degree in education from Southern Connecticut State University in 1971. He taught in the Waterbury school system for 32 years, at both West Side Middle School and Bunker Hill School.

An avid fisherman who enjoyed blissful days on the lakes of Connecticut and cruises with his wife, Jim also was a passionate ham radio operator for 55 years, with the call letters K1RDO. The family would like to extend their appreciation to the Hartford HealthCare VNA program for helping Jim spend his final days with comfort and dignity.

The family will host a private memorial service. Chase Parkway Memorial/The Albini Family Funeral Home in Waterbury has been entrusted with the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The American Radio Relay League, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111. For more information or to send e-condolences, visit www.chaseparkwaymemorial.com.

Andrea Fasulo

Loving father, grandfather and great-grandfather Mr. Andrea Fasulo, 93, of Waterbury passed away unexpectedly Sunday March 8, 2015, at the Cheshire House Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Waterbury. He was the widower of Maria (Libera) Fasulo.

Andy was born in Alvignanello, Caserta, Italy, on Dec. 3, 1921, a son of the late Raffaele and Maria Giovanna (DeFrancesco) Fasulo. He served as a barber in the Italian Army during World War II and continued barbering after the war in Switzerland and Italy before settling to Waterbury in 1967. He became co-owner of Andy and Tony’s Barber Shop in Southing-

ton from 1978 to 1981, when he turned the business over to his grandson, Simone. He stayed and helped at the barbershop for several years after. He enjoyed making homemade wine, gardening and the art of basket weaving. He was a communicant of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church.

He is survived by a son, Raffaele Fasulo, and his wife, Patti, of Waterbury; a daughter, Maria Giovanna DelBuono, and her husband, Silvio, of Palm Coast, Fla.; seven grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a brother and two sisters of Italy.

His funeral was March 14 at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church. Burial was to follow at All Saints Cemetery in Waterbury. Memorial contributions can be made in Andy’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 381486983. For more information or to send e-condolences, visit www.chaseparkwaymemorial.com.

Daniel Joseph “Da” Fitzgerald

Loving husband, father, brother and grandfather Mr. Daniel Joseph “Da” Fitzgerald Sr., 60, of Middlebury passed away unexpectedly at Waterbury Hospital surrounded by his loving family Sunday, March 15, 2015. He was the husband of Sharon R. (Millette) Fitzgerald.

Dan was born in Waterbury May 5, 1954, a son of the late Roy B. and Rosemary (Flanagan) Fitzgerald. He was a graduate of Holy Cross High School.

Dan had a long career in transportation. While in high school he, worked for his father at Fitzgerald Transportation in Waterbury. He later worked at D&L Transportation and for the last 25 years was the manager at All-Star Transportation in Waterbury. He was a communicant of St. John of the Cross Church in Middlebury.

Dan was an avid outdoors-man who loved to hunt, fish, quad and snowmobile. You could find Dan on Sundays enjoying a NASCAR race on television and spending quality time with his family and his beloved dogs, Toby, Mya, Brody, Lexi and Dunkin.

He was a member of Bristol Fish and Game Association and Algonquin Archer Inc. of Woodbury.

Besides his wife, Sharon, of 23 years, Dan leaves his son, Daniel J. Fitzgerald Jr. of Waterbury; daughter, Shanley Fitzgerald of Waterbury; stepson, Scott Bisaillon and his wife, Heather, of Waterbury; stepdaughter,

Celine Pelletier and her husband, Bruce, of Waterbury; three siblings: Roy B. Fitzgerald Jr. and his wife, Cindy, of Goshen; Roseanne Brennan of Waterbury; and David W. Fitzgerald of Middlebury; and grandchildren, Scott, Bryan, David, Eric and Andrew.

He was predeceased by a sister, Kathleen Beckett.

The funeral was March 20 at St. John of the Cross Church in Middlebury. Burial will be in the spring at Lake Elise Cemetery in Middlebury.

For more information or to send e-condolences, visit www.chaseparkwaymemorial.com.

Erma M. Normand Erma M. Normand, 101, of Middlebury passed away Friday, March 13, 2015, at Middlebury Convalescent Home.

She was predeceased by her husband, Edward Normand, in 1990, and her cousin, Jane Wynn Hay. She was born June 7, 1913, in Waterbury to the late Thomas and Carrie Maton.

Erma was a graduate of Post College and was employed at Patent Button Company prior to her retirement. She was a member of St. George’s Episcopal Church.

Her close friends would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to the staff at Middlebury Convalescent Home for the wonderful care they showed Erma during her stay.

A funeral service for Erma was held March 20 at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Middlebury. Burial was to follow in Old Pine Grove Cemetery in Waterbury.

The Alderson-Ford Funeral Home of Waterbury was in charge of the arrangements. To express a condolence or share a photo, please visit www. fordfh.com.

Rose Shaker

One of the original founders of The Shaker Auto Group Our beloved Rose Shaker passed away into eternal rest on March 2, 2015. She was surrounded by three generations of her family by her side. She was the daughter of the late Joseph Shaker and Sadie (Malula) Shaker. Rose was born in Maassir El Chouf, Lebanon, and came to America at the age of 6. She traveled 30 days by sea with her mother; younger sister, Adla; and her brother Ed to meet her father, who had established a home

for them in Waterbury. Rose welcomed her brother Richard nine years later.

Rose graduated from Crosby High School and the Perry School of Business. She was one of the original founders and officers of The Shaker Auto Group Inc. with her brothers and father. She was an extremely hard worker and worked full time until she was 88 years old. She continued to visit the business daily up until her brief illness a week before her death.

Rose traveled all over the world with her family. She was proud to be an American. She would recite the Gettysburg Address from memory and with pride. She was an avid reader and relished sewing all of the latest fashions. She was both the epitome of class and the definition of a true lady. In business, she was articulate and witty.

Her performance and actions were of the highest integrity. She lived by the highest standards and values.

There was nothing on earth more precious to Rose than her family. But her greatest joys were the addition of her nieces and nephews. Although she never married, she was a mother to them all. This love and adoration continued with the addition of her grandnieces and grand-nephews. This love and adoration was mutual to her as well. Rose had been an active member of Our Lady of Lebanon Catholic Church since its inception in 1975. She was involved in charities such as the Maassir El Chouf Charitable Society, Boys Town U.S.A., The Salvation Army and The Red Cross.

Left to cherish her amazing love are her brothers, Edward Shaker and his wife, Lillian, of Middlebury and Florida and Richard Shaker and his wife, Labibe, of Waterbury; her nephews: Corey Shaker and his wife, Danielle; Paul Shaker, and his partner, Cleveland; Joseph Shaker and his wife, Susan; Steven Shaker and his wife, Holly; Edward Shaker and his wife, Marisa; Mark Hannon and his wife, Anne; and Kevin Hannon and his wife, Betsy. Also left are her beloved nieces: Janet Shaker; Sadie O’Rourke and her husband, Brian; and Tara Milchak and her husband, Rudy. Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her sister, Adla Hannon.

The Shaker Family is particularly grateful to the outstanding and compassionate nurses and staff of the Waterbury Hospital.

The funeral was March 7 at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church. Burial was to follow at Calvary Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made in Rose’s name to Our Lady of Lebanon Church, 8 East Mountain Road, Waterbury, CT 06706. For more information or to send e-condolences, visit www.chaseparkwaymemorial.com.

AMT (not to be confused with ATM) An ATM is a machine where you magically can get cash for your spending needs. AMT stands for “Alternative Minimum Tax,” and these days many of you are finding out you owe more money on your federal tax return than you expect due to the AMT. What exactly is the Alternative Minimum Tax? The AMT is a second tax calculation on your tax return. But you do not get to choose which one to pay. You have to pay the higher of the two.

Thus the AMT establishes the “minimum” tax you have to pay.

If your regular tax is already higher than the AMT, then you are not affected by the AMT, but if the AMT is higher, then you get hit for the higher tax. Every tax return is subject to this calculation. But you may only know about it if you are negatively affected.

Diversified Tax Tidbits

By MARK A. BURNS

How does the AMT calculation work? The calculation starts on Form 6251 with the amount from line 41 of Form 1040, i.e., adjusted gross income less your itemized deductions. (The starting point is different if you take the standard deduction.) Line 42 on Form 1040 is your personal exemptions, so in the AMT calculation you do not get this tax benefit for you and your dependents.

On Form 6251, you then add back certain deductions from Schedule A, including taxes from line 9 and miscellaneous deductions from line 27. So, effectively,

you lose part or all of these tax deductions in the AMT calculation. Other adjustments are required on Form 6251 for things such as stock options and certain tax-exempt interest income, if they apply.

The AMT calculation then arrives at a total on line 28 called alternative minimum taxable income. Depending on your level of income, you may then be allowed to subtract an “exemption amount,” thus reducing the amount subject to the AMT. The resulting total is then multiplied by a flat tax rate of either 26 or 28 percent. Then that total is compared to the regular tax on line 44 of Form 1040, and you pay the higher of the two.

It should be noted that in the AMT calculation above, longterm capital gains and qualified

dividends are subject to the same lower tax rates as they are for regular tax purposes.

In the past, once a person was affected by the AMT, the problem usually got worse each year. But now the exemption amount is adjusted for inflation each year, so if one’s tax situation is fairly stable from year to year, then the AMT probably will stay pretty constant too.

The above is a very general discussion of a very complicated subject. Always consult a tax professional if you are uncertain how complicated tax matters might affect you.

Mark A. Burns, MBA is a CPA with Diversified Financial Solutions PC in Southbury. He can be reached at 203-264-3131 or Mark@DFSPC.biz.

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Tips for choosing summer camps Are the kids talking about summer camp yet? It’s time to start investigating the possibilities and get them signed up.

Look into day or sleep-away camps at colleges near you. Look for math, computer and science camps run by older students.

Drama majors especially love to introduce theater to kids. The fees for these day camps are typically fairly low.

For older kids, combining sleep-away camp with their in-

terests could lead to new career possibilities. Spending a week on a farm could lead an animal lover in the direction of veterinary medicine. A water- or ocean-related camp could lead to a career in marine ecology. A week at video camp could open

opportunities in television, digital media, advertising and more.

When it comes to special interests, no matter what they are, there’s a camp for it. If your child wants to get a head start with SAT tests, there are prep camps for that. Photography, rock music songwriting, entrepreneurship, wilderness adventure – they all have camps. Check www.camppage.com and explore the information in the drop-down menus.

Search through the offerings at www.campresource.com. It has comprehensive listings of sleep-away camps, day camps, co-ed, boys, girls and traditional camps. Use the drop-down menus to search for camp types, activities and locations. For kids who want a new experience, search for camps that emphasize Nashville music, rodeo riding, PGA golf or hockey. Look for teen travel camps that provide tours and camps all over the globe.

Language majors can take advantage of language immersion camps and tours, and more.

There’s even a roller-coaster camp! It involves visiting amuse-

ment parks across the country in one-, two-, three-, four- and sixweek camps.

For younger children you want to keep nearby, check the resources around you for traditional camps at recreation departments, the YMCA and churches. They’re sure to provide plenty of summer activities: swimming, boating, archery, sports, arts and crafts, and singing around the campfire.

When it comes to choosing a camp, the American Camp Association has must-read information at www.acacamps.org.

Look for How to Choose a Camp: Safety Tips. Learn about the difference between accreditation versus licensing, questions to ask camp directors, camper-to-counselor ratios and how the camp handles behavioral and disciplinary problems.

David Uffington regrets he cannot personally answer reader questions, but he will incorporate them into his column whenever possible. Send email to columnreply2@gmail.com. (c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.

Trust & Dignity

The Bee-Intelligencer

6

April 2015

Dealing with disappointment for anything else. Getting mad or trying to get even with someone usually will only make a situation worse.

The most insidious kinds of disappointments are those we inflict upon ourselves. These can often have a serious negative impact on our self-esteem. It’s important to recognize that we all make mistakes in our lives and to understand this is natural. It’s just how life is.

In fact, this is a key mechanism by which we learn and develop as human beings. Looking back often gives us a clearer view of what might have been, or should have been, but dwelling excessively on negative history can lead to the development of unjustified, limiting beliefs about our capabilities and overall personal worth. Such feelings can seriously interfere with the attainment of our true potential.

Therefore, we need to continually keep in mind that we all are

Winning Ways

By Pat Iannuzzi Insights for Constructive Living

works in progress as human beings and forgive ourselves for our past disappointing behaviors. We need to accept the idea that personal and professional growth arises out of our disappointments as well as from our successes.

Here are three ways to effectively deal with disappointment: • Never be overconfident: We should always understand that our expectations – no matter how likely we believe they will come true – may never be fulfilled. By keeping this in mind, we are less likely to be overwhelmed by the impact of a disappointment. Restraining our anticipation a bit usually won’t diminish the possibility our expectation will be realized,

but it can significantly lessen our devastation if it doesn’t.

• Set realistic expectations: Since the feasibility of an expectation being achieved can play a significant role in the level of stress caused by a disappointment, we should continually strive to evaluate what we expect from ourselves and others and realistically assess whether our expectations are fair and reasonable. Disappointments often result from our expectations being out of touch with reality.

Even if we think our expectations are appropriate and realistic, they may not be. Whenever possible, we should seek others’ input to help us effectively define our expectations • Have a backup plan: Having a backup plan will not only make us feel more secure, it also will lessen the impact of a disappointment when something unexpected happens. If we are prepared to quickly move on to

plan B (or C for that matter), we will tend to be much less stunned or distraught if Plan A doesn’t work out as expected.

Disappointments can’t be avoided, but they can be managed. Managing disappointment is the difference between getting stuck in fear, frustration, and doubt and using that experience to learn, grow, and embrace the next opportunity that comes our way.

“The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.” ~ Robert Kiyosaki.

Pat Iannuzzi of Symbiont Performance Group, Inc. is a performance consultant, trainer and coach focusing on selling, presentation and interpersonal skills. He lives in Litchfield and can be reached at 860-283-9963 or piannuzzi@symbiontnet.com.

Help for spinal stenois pain DEAR DR. ROACH: I enjoyed your informative article on spinal stenosis. I also have acute and chronic pain in my lower back. I am 75 years of age and have had vertebroplasty on seven vertebrae. I realize my back will not be normal again. I am currently working with a doctor who uses osteopathic manipulation. He is suggesting prolotherapy in conjunction with the manipulation.

I have tried the prolotherapy previously without any relief of pain.

What is your assessment of prolotherapy therapy, or would you advise me to go to a pain clinic? The pain level in the lower back usually is about 6 or higher on pain scale of 1 to 10.

I walk three miles every day in a grocery store using a small grocery cart. I am trying other exercises, even working on a balance ball. But it just does not seem to improve. I would greatly appreciate any advice you could give me. – D.R.

ANSWER: Prolotherapy is the injection of an irritant solution into a space, designed to stimulate healing and reduce pain. However, if it hasn’t worked for you in the past, it is unlikely to work for you again. On the other hand, some studies have shown prolotherapy to be modestly effective when combined with spinal manipulation.

A pain clinic has several modalities available, including steroid injections and pain medications. Unfortunately, steroid injections have been shown to be ineffective in back pain that is due to spinal stenosis lasting beyond six weeks.

It sounds as if you are doing what you can with exercise. I think continuing with the manipulation and prolotherapy as a trial of six weeks or so is reasonable, and at that point you can continue if it begins helping. If not, you can try a pain specialist as there are effective non-narcotic medications that may be of help in combination with your continued exercise.

due to unproven effectiveness and the possibility of side effects.

Quinine in large doses can cause abnormal heart rhythms, blood problems and even organ failure.

However, the amount of quinine in tonic water is quite small compared with that in quinine tablets. One common brand has 17 mg in a liter, so your husband is getting about 25 mg. The quinine tablets formerly prescribed for leg cramps were 200 mg.

However, I think an experi- Toxic effects are unlikely at the enced physical therapist may be dose in quinine water. Some peoable to guide your exercises more ple are allergic to quinine, in effectively. which case even the small dose DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband drinks tonic water with quinine every day because he was told it will help alleviate his leg cramps.

He drinks as much as 1-1/2 quarts a day. Is that much safe?

If not, what is a safe amount? – D.V. ANSWER: Many people have found quinine relieves leg cramps. However, the Food and Drug Administration banned sales of quinine for leg cramps

in tonic water could potentially cause problems.

Your husband can keep on as he’s been doing if he finds that it helps.

Dr. Roach regrets he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell. edu. To view and order health pamphlets, visit www.rbmamall. com, or write to P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. (c) 2015 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved

1. When was the last time before 2014 that the Kansas City Royals had a winning streak of at least 10 games?

2. Name the last College World Series game to go 15 innings before Virginia and Texas Christian did it in 2014.

3. Who was the first tight end to be named an NFL Offensive Player of the Month?

4. In 2014, Oakland’s Travis Bader set a Division I record for most career 3-point shots made (504). Who had held the mark?

5. Who was the last defenseman in the 20th century to score four goals in an NHL game?

6. In 2014, Austrian Mario Matt became the oldest alpine men’s skier (34) to win an Olympic gold medal. Who had been the oldest?

7. Who are the three male pro golfers to win three major titles by age 25?

Answers: 1. The Royals won 14 in a row in 1994.

2. Southern Cal and Florida State, in 1970.

3. New Orleans’ Jimmy Graham, by the NFC in 2013.

4. Duke’s J.J. Redick, with 457 made.

5. Edmonton’s Paul Coffey, in 1984.

6. Norway’s Kjetil Andre Aamodt, who was a younger 34 when he won the 2006 Olympic super giant slalom.

7. Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

Disappointment often results when our expectations are not realized, especially if those expectations are deeply held and highly desired. It happens to all of us, and it can be distressing and demoralizing. Disappointments, whether in our personal or work lives, can sometimes take the wind out of our sails or even make us feel as if we had taken a powerful punch to the gut. Such feelings can rob us of our energy and dampen our drive and determination.

Sometimes we are disappointed by others who have let us down or treated us wrongly.

When this happens, the first thing we should to do is to accept the situation, control our emotions and turn our attention to something positive. Being angry with someone can weaken us emotionally, mentally and physically.

All our energy goes into dealing with our anger, and we have little strength and few resources left

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The Bee-Intelligencer

April 2015

7

Take stock for spring With the long freeze and snow melts. You can begin snowy conditions the eastern patching up damaged areas part of the country has dealt with even before the last hard frost. this winter, it may be hard to be• Make a budget: List the suplieve spring is actually here. But plies and tools you need, plus in southerly parts, signs of spring repairs. Also budget how much are already appearing. Regardtime you can dedicate to home less of whether you’re still shovand garden work this year.

By Samantha Mazzotta eling snow, or watching buds Send your questions or home tips sit outside all winter, check it to ask@thisisahammer.com. blossom, it’s time to start pre(c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc. for damage and clean off dirt, paring for the busy spring season. mineral scaling or other crud.

Here are a few things to add to Help salt-damaged your to-do list over the next few • Check window and door screens: Replacing a torn or grass and plants reweeks: ratty screen is one of the easiest cover by watering • Take stock: Check your garage and most affordable DIY jobs. them thoroughly or storage shed to make sure you have all the tools and sup- • Inspect your lawn for damage: once the weather is consisFreezing weather, icy patches tently above freezing, then plies needed to prep the lawn and salt-burnt edging are re-seeding and treating with and garden – things like grass among the problems home- appropriate fertilizer. seed for treating brown or thin owners often find after the spots, fertilizer and lawn tools like thatchers and rakes.

• Prepare your lawnmower and power tools: Make sure the mower is assembled, the blades are sharp and you have fresh fuel on hand. Check that power tools like edgers, blowers, string trimmers and hedge trimmers are in good shape.

• Turn your compost pile: Or, if you don’t have one, start one.

It won’t be ready for early spring but could be usable in the summer to help along your vegetable garden.

• Get outdoor furniture ready: Whether your patio furniture is stored or sturdy enough to

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Legal Notice TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY ANNUAL BUDGET HEARING Monday, April 6, 6:30 P.M.

Pursuant to the General Statutes of the State of Connecticut, The Board of Finance of the Town of Middlebury, will hold a PUBLIC HEARING on April 6, 2015 at 6:30 pm at the Middlebury Firehouse, 65 Tucker Hill Rd, for the presentation of the Proposed Operating Budget and Federal Revenue Sharing Appropriations for the FISCAL YEAR ending JUNE 30, 2016. Estimated Mil Rate 30.17.

Submitted by the Board of Finance Michael McCormack Vincent Cipriano Stephen Ruccio David Cappelletti Michael Kenausis William Stowell Peter Trinchero, Alternate Joseph Drauss, Alternate Ken Heidkamp, Alternate

Town Of Middlebury Means Of Financing - Fiscal Year 2015-2016 Revenues

Actual Revenues Approved Budget

Fy 2013-14 W/Revisions Fy 14-15

Actual Revenues Estimated Revenues Proposed Budget 9 Months Fy 14-15 For Fy 14-15 Fy 2015-16 thru 3/15/14

Property Taxes................................................... 26,368,845 ............$26,844,307 ............ $26,210,983 ...............$26,844,307 ......... $27,873,443 Supplemental Auto................................................. 196,220 ...................160,000.................... 152,647.......................160,000..................160,000 Prior Years Taxes.................................................... 354,049 ...................230,000.................... 243,153.......................230,000..................230,000 Interest/Penalties.................................................... 232,568 ...................120,000...................... 99,115.......................120,000..................120,000 Tax Collector Copies..................................................... 265 ..........................200........................... 139..............................200.........................200 TOTAL PROPERTY TAXES........................... $27,151,947 ............$27,354,507 ............ $26,706,037 ...............$27,354,507 ......... $28,383,643 State Grants........................................................... 678,701 ...................360,550.................... 292,208.......................360,550..................380,150 Investment Income................................................... 12,539 .....................12,000........................ 7,962.........................12,000....................12,000 Assessor Copier Fees................................................... 688 ..........................450........................... 392..............................450.........................300 Assessor Personal Property Audits...........................................................16,000...................... 30,596.........................16,000....................20,000 Town Clerk.............................................................. 123,750 ...................148,000.................... 100,932.......................148,000..................165,500 Building Department............................................... 260,707 ...................217,050 ................... 129,748 ......................217,050 .................218,050 Donations / Tower Rental Revenues...................... 193,685 ...................194,687 ..................... 85,548 ......................194,687 .................194,687 Water Commission..................................................... 2,402 .......................4,000 ....................... 2,102 ..........................4,000 .....................4,000 Fire Department............................................................ 240 ........................................................... 240 .......................................................25,240 Police Department.................................................... 50,456 .....................48,600...................... 25,793.........................48,600....................50,200 Public Works Department/Sale Of Old Assets..........................................................................................................................................................

Transfer Station Fees............................................... 47,850 .....................41,000...................... 27,788.........................41,000....................47,850 Park & Rec Self Sustaining Account...................... 157,338 ...................175,000.................... 144,773.......................175,000..................196,000 Park & Recreation.................................................... 47,680 .....................66,950........................ 5,970.........................66,950....................71,350 Elderly Program Revenue........................................ 13,855 .....................20,245........................ 9,195.........................20,245....................20,000 Public Library.............................................................. 2,013 .......................2,500 ....................... 1,488 ..........................2,500 .....................2,500 Education Cost Sharing - State.............................. 725,879 ...................754,453.................... 369,450.......................754,453..................735,195 Reimbursement From Region #15...........................................................................................................................................................................

Special Duty Fund.................................................. 105,539 .....................92,615.................... 126,721.........................92,615..................112,615 Capital Non Recurring Fund.....................................................................................................................................................................................

Infrastructure Trust Fund...........................................................................25,000........................ 6,032.........................25,000....................22,000 Park & Rec Rev Fund...............................................................................................................................................................................................

Library Improvement Fund .......................................................................10,000..........................................................10,000....................10,000 Fema........................................................................................................................................................................................................................

TOTAL REVENUES.......................................... 29,575,269 ..............29,543,607 .............. 28,072,977 .................29,543,607 ........... 30,671,280 Transfers From Sewer Fee & Assessment............. 286,179 ...................283,270...................... 36,073.......................283,270....................84,703 Transfers From Unassigned Fund Balance...............................................95,000..........................................................95,000...............................

Medical Insurance Reserve...........................................................................................................................................................................40,000 TOTAL MEANS OF FINANCING...................... 29,861,448 ..............29,921,877 .............. 28,109,050 .................29,921,877 ........... 30,795,983

Town Of Middlebury Appropriations Summary 2015-2016

Actual Expenses Adopted Budget

Fy 2013-14 W/Revisions Fy 14-15

Actual Expenses 9 Months Fy 14-15 thru 3/6/15

Estimated Expenses For Fy 14-15

Proposed Budget Fy 2015-16

Board Of Selectman.............................................. 136,242 ................ $138,336.................... $98,686.................... $138,336................$139,074 Finance Department.............................................. 209,858 .................. 218,896.................... 159,015...................... 218,896..................222,984 Town Treasurer.......................................................... 4,536 ...................... 4,628........................ 3,201.......................... 4,628......................1,981 Assessor................................................................ 157,274 .................. 156,040.................... 120,534...................... 156,040..................164,174 Tax Collector............................................................ 93,639 .................... 95,250...................... 66,721........................ 95,250....................95,156 Town Clerk............................................................. 122,904 ...................117,678...................... 84,971...................... 117,678..................119,849 Registrar Of Voters.................................................. 29,417 .................... 42,384...................... 24,858........................ 42,384....................39,525 Board Of Finance.................................................... 32,148 .................... 33,029...................... 32,556........................ 33,029....................33,059 Board Of Assessment Appeals.................................. 1,201 ...................... 1,550........................... 421.......................... 1,550......................1,550 Legal...................................................................... 150,559 .................. 125,000.................... 109,947...................... 125,000..................115,000 Probate Court............................................................ 2,063 ...................... 5,000........................ 2,661.......................... 5,000......................3,000 Town Hall................................................................. 75,970 .................... 74,243...................... 56,392........................ 74,243....................77,392 Building Department.............................................. 122,088 .................. 131,538...................... 83,465...................... 131,538..................126,942 Payments To Other Jurisdictions............................. 47,729 .................... 52,466...................... 50,375........................ 52,466....................51,118 Planning And Zoning............................................... 17,936 .................... 43,400...................... 17,615........................ 43,400....................40,400 Zoning Board Of Appeals.......................................... 4,275 ...................... 5,805........................... 734.......................... 5,805......................3,505 Conservation Commission...................................... 11,977 .................... 12,212........................ 7,052........................ 12,212....................10,836 Economic Development Committee............................. 612 ...................... 1,500............................... 0.......................... 1,500......................1,000 Beautification Committee.......................................... 1,475 ...................... 1,475........................... 344.......................... 1,475......................1,475 Insurance............................................................... 370,524 .................. 410,276.................... 402,741...................... 410,276..................464,178 Historical Society....................................................... 5,254 ...................... 4,500........................ 4,256.......................... 4,500......................4,750 Water Commission.................................................. 84,147 .................... 93,255...................... 82,525........................ 93,255....................91,167 Fire Department.................................................... 230,846 .................. 243,258.................... 173,202...................... 243,258..................240,038 Civil Preparedness.................................................... 1,717 ...................... 1,500........................... 960.......................... 1,500......................4,000 Fire Marshal.............................................................. 9,731 .....................11,933........................ 6,789........................ 11,933....................11,961 Police Department.............................................. 1,356,014 ............... 1,300,546................. 1,019,516................... 1,300,546...............1,435,151 Communications Center........................................ 535,550 .................. 267,500.................... 274,903...................... 267,500..................251,251 Engineering............................................................. 14,584 .................... 17,000...................... 15,790........................ 17,000....................17,000 Buildings And Grounds.......................................... 273,921 .................. 280,806.................... 250,900...................... 280,806..................287,173 Shepardson Community Center.............................. 37,642 .................... 48,342...................... 30,006........................ 48,342....................48,342 Public Works....................................................... 1,465,244 ............... 1,398,808................. 1,128,892................... 1,398,808...............1,405,646 Waste Removal..................................................... 275,954 .................. 324,079.................... 251,952...................... 324,079..................323,788 Park & Rec Self Sustaining Account..................... 160,970 .................. 164,000.................... 109,610...................... 164,000..................182,000 Park & Recreation................................................. 247,816 .................. 251,920.................... 177,408...................... 251,920..................267,014 Youth & Family Services................................................................................... 0............................... 0................................. 0...............................

Social Services........................................................ 41,203 .................... 44,387...................... 29,848........................ 44,387....................44,594 Elderly Services..................................................... 138,145 .................... 92,008...................... 58,533........................ 92,008....................96,804 Public Library......................................................... 406,924 .................. 425,940.................... 299,295...................... 425,940..................427,903 Employee Benefits............................................. 1,990,409 ............... 2,141,462................. 1,333,839................... 2,141,462...............2,188,974 Contingency Fund................................................................................... 17,500......................................................... 17,500....................10,000 Contingency Fund Ice And Snow Removal............................................. 50,000...................... 50,000........................ 50,000....................50,000 Information Technology........................................... 75,908 .................... 75,908...................... 76,078........................ 75,908....................78,352 Debt Service.......................................................... 207,979 .................. 300,436.................... 295,436...................... 300,436..................277,936 Refund Of Taxes........................................................ 6,284 .................... 15,000........................ 2,032........................ 15,000....................15,000 Capital Budget-Town / Facilities............................ 634,471 .................. 549,369.................... 492,238...................... 549,369..................549,388 Capital Budget-Town / Public Safety..................... 247,107..................... 38,625.................... 116,657........................ 38,625..................130,900 Extraordinary Items................................................................................116,900...................... 13,614...................... 116,900......................4,000 Dog Pound.............................................................. 13,681..................... 14,200...................... 11,453 ....................... 14,200....................14,200 Municipal Infrastructure Fund................................................................................................................................................................................

Library Improvement Fund....................................................................................................................................................................................

Park & Rec Revenue Fund........................................ 8,500..................... 10,000........................ 7,000........................ 10,000....................10,000 Transfer To Other Funds (Capital Projects)........... 211,943...................................................................................................................................

Total Town Appropriations................................. 10,274,371................ 9,969,888................. 7,635,019................... 9,969,888.............10,179,530 Department Of Education Not Final For 15-16.... 19,694,996.............. 19,951,990............... 19,951,990................. 19,951,990.............20,616,453 Total Appropriations........................... $29,969,367............ $29,921,878............. $27,587,009............... $29,921,878...........$30,795,983

The Bee-Intelligencer

8

EIDC -

April 2015

Adopt a Rescue Pet

Continued from page 1 good local developers, but Commissioner Frank Mirovsky noted a former bank building in Naugatuck with a curved concrete roof that he said “clanged” with the other buildings due to lack of enforceable standards there. He offered to discuss the subject of district standards with experienced architectural firms and bring comments on categories of design terminology and town enforcement policies to the next meeting. Commissioner Armando Paolino menFEATURED PET tioned styles such as Georgian Revival, and Mirovsky offered New England Colonial.

In other matters, Paolino disYour pet could be featured as “Featured Pet” in this picture frame. tributed a proposed addition to Send us your pet’s photo by email to mbisubmit@gmail.com or by the Tax Incentive Program adopted regular mail to P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 along with your by the town in 2011. The new section describes the Airport Develpet’s name, your last name and your town. opment Zone incentive program that also is available to qualifying business construction or expansion. Most of Middlebury is within the radius for qualification, but a business must have an economic relationship to the Oxford airport to be approved. The incentives differ in several ways, and businesses can choose only one plan if they qualify for both.

The next regular meeting will be Tuesday, April 28, at 6:30 p.m. at Shepardson Community Center.

Maundy Thursday Tenebrae Service

Your pet’s photo could be here

Send in your pet photos

Come celebrate with us!

Easter Sunday Worship April 5 at 10 a.m.

April 2 at 7 p.m.

Middlebury Congregational Church United Church of Christ On the green 1242 Whittemore Road Middlebury, CT 06762 (203) 758-2671

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Old Fashioned Auction and Tag Sale Saturday May 2, 2015

Housewares, Electronics, Sporting Goods, Linens, Holiday Decorations, Toys, Furniture

Shepardson Community Center 1172 Whittemore Road, Middlebury Tag Sale (free admission)............9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Tag Sale Early Admission ($10 donation)...................................... 8:30 a.m.

Silent Auction and Auction Preview Party.................... 5:30 p.m.

Live Auction............................................... 7 p.m.

Auctions Fee: $10 (Includes Preview Party & Auctions)

SAMSON

MADDIE This pretty female spayed brown-and-black tabby mix cat with green eyes is 2 to 3 years old.

She is active at times, loves attention, is affectionate, healthy, social, good with everyone, mellow and a real sweetheart. She is fine with most other mellow cats. Find an adoption/foster application on the website or call or email for one (see below).

Samson is a sweet male neutered orange-andwhite short-haired cat with golden eyes who is approximately 3 to 4 years old. He is mellow, affectionate, healthy, calm and a sweetheart. He may be slightly shy at first, but he soon comes around. He probably would be fine with another mellow cat; it may depend. Samson is in need of a reliable foster home until he can be placed, everything provided.

Please open up your heart and home to Samson.

Find a foster application on the website or call or email for one (see below).

These cats are with Pet Protectors. If you foster a cat for them, they will provide everything needed for their care. Learn more about the Foster Care Program at www.petprotectorsrescue.org. Applications are on the website, or call 203-330-0255 or email contactus@petprotectorsrescue.org for more information or for an application.

Entering the world of cat shows DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I think I have the most beautiful cat, and I’d like to enter him in a cat show to see if he’d win. How can I get George into a show? – Tracey B., via email DEAR TRACEY: The first thing you should do is study: Read up on cat shows, how they’re conducted, what breed groups are typically shown, what judges look for, and so on.

Don’t worry if you’re not sure of George’s breed. Many shows have a “Household Pet Class” that doesn’t have a specific breed standard.

Where’s the best place to start studying? The Cat Fanciers Association (www.cfa.org) has a website with lots of good information on the basics of cat shows, like how to enter, rules of competition, tips on caring for and grooming your cat, and a list of upcoming events.

The International Cat Association (http://tica.org/) is another good

Emerald Ash Borer resource, with lots of information and a robust show calendar.

It’s important to be sure George is up to the stress of being shown.

Is he a friendly, well-socialized cat who is OK with being petted and picked up by strangers? Can he stay relaxed in a strange, noisy environment near several other cats?

Is he in good health? Are his vaccinations up to date?

Finally, attend one or two cat shows near you, without George, to see how they are conducted and decide if you’d like to make your cat a competitor.

Send your questions or comments to ask@pawscorner.com. (c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.

Accepting donations. Please call the church at 203-758-2671

Sponsored by

Middlebury Congregational Church (All proceeds benefit MCC & its Missions)

(Submitted photo)

Emerald Ash Borer, ash tree presentation Learn about the Emerald Ash Borer Thursday, April 16, at 7 p.m. when entomologist Katherine Dugas of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) gives a presentation on the Emerald Ash Borer and ash trees at Flanders Nature Center.

The Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive beetle that is highly destructive, particularly to ash trees. Since its accidental introduction into the United States it has killed millions of ash trees and is now present in almost every county in Connecticut. What does this mean for our ash trees?

Must they be removed? Are treatments available?

Dugas will discuss options for property owners that will allow them to make informed deci-

sions on whether to remove or treat the ash trees on their own properties based on factors such as tree age, size, health and the population of Emerald Ash Borer.

Dugas is the state survey coordinator for the CAES under the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey and Forest Pest Outreach and Survey Program projects.

The program will be held at the Flanders Studio at 5 Church Hill Road on the corner of Flanders and Church Hill Roads in Woodbury. The cost for the program is $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers.

Preregistration is required.

Register online at www.flandersnaturecenter.org.or call 203263-3711, ext. 10, for more information.

www.middleburyucc.org

Worship with us Sunday at 10 a.m. All are welcome!

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