Middlebury Bee Jan 16

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Volume XII, No. 1

January 2016

CC approves grocery store, crematory, salary increase

By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE The Middlebury Conservation Commission (CC) at its Nov. 24 meeting approved a septic tank at Tyler Cove and plans for a commercial building on Southford Road. It also accepted an application for a crematory on Benson Road, set a Dec. 29 special meeting date to consider that application, and voted to request an increase in the budget for the wetlands enforcement officer (WEO) salary.

At the Dec. 29 special meeting, commissioners approved the crematory application and agreed on the procedure for reopening the former Sunoco station on Middlebury Road.

In November, the commission unanimously approved an additional 1,000-gallon septic holding tank at property owned by Antoinette Moore at 17 Tyler Cove with member George Tzepos recusing himself. A resolution of approval stated the proposed activity conformed to the purposes and requirements of the Inland Wetlands Commission and there was no prudent alternative available. Town engineer John Calabrese confirmed the Health Department will perform an inspection.

The commission also unanimously approved plans for a grocery store on Southford Road across from the former Golden Age of Trucking Museum with member Justin Stanziale recus-

ing himself. Joseph Desantis and Richard Brown of Middlebury, D/B/A Southford Road LLC, developed the plans for the new 14,000-square-foot commercial building. They made room for the building by combining their 2½ acre parcel at 1000 Southford Road with an acre from the adjoining lot at 984 Southford Road owned by Francis Cipriano of Watertown D/B/A Southford Park LLC. The final plans were reviewed for commissioners by engineer Jeremy Oskandy of Arthur H. Howland and Associates, who responded to drainage comments by Calabrese and to wetland impact comments in a third-party report written by Matthew J. Sanford of Milone and MacBroom. The approval was conditioned on bonding for soil erosion control, wetland plantings, and five years of maintenance and monitoring.

In November new business, an application by Raymond and Panagiota (Penny) Albini D/B/A Albini Enterprise - Benson Road to build a 10,000-square-foot crematory on Benson Road was accepted for commissioner review. Civil engineer Brian Baker of Civil One briefly reviewed the plans, saying there will be 116 parking spaces in front and a cremation garden in the rear. All development will be in the open area and not require any tree

– See CC on page 2

EIDC discusses website plans

By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE The Middlebury Economic and Industrial Development Commission (EIDC) at its Nov. 24 meeting unanimously voted to not renew a yearly membership in the Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC).

It also discussed the streetscape request for quotations (RFQ) and set 2016 meeting dates. At its Dec. 22 meeting, it unanimously voted to construct a website to promote business in Middlebury. It also welcomed new member Todd Anelli, who was appointed by the Board of Selectmen Dec. 21.

At the November meeting, a motion to not renew membership in the CERC Sitefinder Search database at a cost of $600 per year passed unanimously.

Commissioners agreed there was not enough benefit in paying for a search capability also available directly from the CERC web site.

After a discussion on what nearby towns are doing for marketing, Chairman Terry McAuliffe agreed to bring a website proposal to the December meeting based on good ideas from Newtown and others.

At the December meeting, McAuliffe said the planned website will follow the general design used by the Newtown, Conn., economic development commission and will cost about $115 per year. A Facebook page also will be created. Members discussed a possible photography contest to be held in early 2016 to obtain attractive quality-of-life images of Middlebury for the site, with details to be worked out in coming meetings.

McAuliffe told members he had spoken to Chief Financial Officer Larry Hutvagner and First Selectman Ed St. John regarding the Streetscape and Zoning Regulations request for quotations (RFQ) going out for bids. Hutvagner said the bid package would go up on a statewide bidding web site in early January and also be published in the BeeIntelligencer for local awareness.

St. John said there was funding for the Zoning Regulations and that part of the work would be a first phase of the entire project, to be phased as funds or grants became available. The package also will be sent to Hiram Peck

Inside this Issue Adopt a Rescue Pet........... 8 Library Lines................2 Classifieds...................7 Now Here’s a Tip.........7 Diversified Tax Tidbits...5 Obituaries...................5 Fire Log.......................2 Puzzles.......................7 Golden Technologies....5 Veterans Post..............5 Library Highlights........2 Winning Ways.............5

Editorial Office: Email: mbisubmit@gmail.com Phone: 203-577-6800 Mail: P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 Advertising Sales: Email: mbiadvertising@gmail.com

– See EIDC on page 4

Middlebury’s newly elected Board of Selectmen, left to right, Selectman Elaine Strobel (R), First Selectman Edward B. St. John (R) and Selectman Michael McCormack (D) met for the first time Dec. 21.

(Marjorie Needham photo)

New Board of Selectmen meets

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM Middlebury’s new Board of Selectmen (BoS) met for the first time on Dec. 21, approximately two weeks after they were sworn in by Town Clerk Edith Salisbury.

Selectman Elaine Strobel and First Selectman Edward B. St. John, both Republicans, were re-elected. The lone Democrat on the board, Michael McCormack, a first selectman candidate, garnered more votes than the incumbent minority party selectman, Democrat Ralph Barra, so could serve as a selectman if he so chose.

On Dec. 8, the day newly elected officials were sworn in, McCormack resigned as chairman of the Board of Finance so he could serve as a selectman. He was sworn in several hours later in the ceremony at Shepardson Community Center.

At the Dec. 21 meeting, selectmen voted to offer members of the Middlebury Police Department an incentive to retire early.

They also approved the contract for Acting Police Chief Francis Dabbo, who will take over for departing Chief James Viadero when he leaves Middlebury to become the police chief in his home town of Newtown.

After McCormack took his place at the table Dec. 21, the meeting moved right to the pledge of allegiance and consideration of agenda items. After handling routine matters, St. John motioned to approve the contract for Dabbo, and Strobel seconded it. St. John said to McCormack, “Mike, normally we make the motion and get a second and then discuss the motion.”

McCormack asked for clarification of “extra duty overtime” in the contract, noting that management usually doesn’t get paid overtime. Town counsel Bob Smith explained past acting chiefs were lieutenants and remained lieutenants while they were

acting chiefs. Smith said Dabbo is not a lieutenant and is not a union member, so he won’t get special duty; he will get timeand-a-half for overtime, but that overtime will not be for working late during the day.

Instead, it will be overtime pay when there is a personnel shortage for events like the Rev3 Triathlon at Quassy Amusement Park and Dabbo needs to help out. St. John said in that case the vendor reimburses the town for the overtime cost.

The contract between the town and Dabbo became effective Dec. 27, 2015. It is a 9-month contract that ends June 30, 2016, but could terminate earlier if the town hires a permanent police chief before then. The contract also can be extended in 3-month increments.

The town will pay Dabbo a salary based on $90,000 a year. Dabbo may not work extra duty during this time, but he may work overtime outside of his scheduled work day with approval from the first selectman. St. John said the town doesn’t have enough police personnel for events like the Rev 3 triathlon at Quassy Amusement Park, so that would be an event Dabbo would likely work. The BoS unanimously approved the contract.

The next item on the agenda was the voluntary retirement incentive offer for police officers. It covers those who are eligible for retirement or would become eligible for retirement during the incentive program window of Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, to Thursday, March 31, 2016. Those officers who elect to retire will receive one additional year of credited service at the current applicable prevailing wage rate on the effective date of their retirement. First Selectman Edward B. St. John confirmed the offer is limited to police officers and does not apply to other town employees.

McCormack asked town counsel Bob Smith, who drew up the offer, what the town was trying to accomplish with the offer.

Smith said there would be substantial savings to the town if two or three of the highest-ranking officers decide to retire. The new hires would be paid $25.44 an hour compared to the $33.80 an hour those being offered early retirement are paid. He said if two officers retired, the town would save $33,000 in the first year, and even after eight years, the town would be paying less than it is now.

St. John said he talked to the chief about this offer three months ago. He said he hopes the savings from the offer will offset the budget overruns in police overtime.

McCormack asked Smith to report back after the offer’s March 31 ending date. The BoS unanimously approved the offer.

In routine matters, the BoS approved the minutes of the Dec. 7 meeting, with St. John turning to McCormack and saying, “Mike, you weren’t here so you can’t vote on that one.” (McCormack was sworn in Dec. 8).

The BoS also approved five tax rebates ranging from $30.70 to $179.45. They appointed Todd Anelli (R) to the Economic and Industrial Development Commission for a five-year term starting Dec. 21, 2015, and they appointed Sandra Young (R) to the Beautification Committee for a four-year term starting Dec. 21, 2015. They reappointed two people, Ted Mannello (R) as a member of the Land Preservation and Open Space Committee for a one-year term starting Dec. 15, 2015, and Janice LeDuc to the Safety and Health Committee for a one-year term starting Dec. 21, 2015.

The next regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen will be Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall Conference Room.

P&Z discusses Bristol Road house, illegal signs

By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE The Middlebury Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) on Dec. 3 informally discussed construction of a second house on a Bristol Road lot. It also set the meeting schedule for 2016 and heard a progress report on illegal sign removal.

Chairman Terry Smith told Mitchell Quain, owner of a house on 1 Bristol Road, that zoning regulations were unclear about constructing a second house on a residential lot. He said one section restricted the number of buildings to one and another

permitted multiple structures. Quain said he wanted the second house to provide sleeping accommodations for his extended family during holiday gatherings and had received letters of approval from adjacent property owners. Smith instructed Quain to withdraw his application until a legal opinion had been obtained and agreed to keep the letters of approval on file.

In procedural matters, commissioners unanimously voted to keep the monthly meeting schedule unchanged. It currently meets the first Thursday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at Shepardson Community Center.

PHS Varsity Basketball coverage returns to the Bee! See pages 3 and 6 in this issue.

Check www.bee-news.com every Wednesday for updates on both the Girls’ and Boys’ Varsity teams.

In enforcement matters, Zoning Enforcement Officer Curtis Bosco said on Dec. 1, he removed 37 illegal telephone pole signs by using an ice scraper. He said the signs frequently are replaced soon after he removes them, and remarked the posters must be using extension ladders to make removal more difficult, sometimes screwing them in. Bosco said he was usually lenient with signs for non-profit local events.

The next regular P&Z meeting will be Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016, at 7:30 p.m. at Shepardson Community Center.

Fire prevention poster winners announced

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The Bee-Intelligencer

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Fire prevention poster winners announced

Library Highlights This column features library about nutrition. A free health fair highlights, this month from only will follow the lecture. the Middlebury Public Library.

Middle School For an extensive list of events at area libraries, please visit our Masterminds website, www.bee-news.com, The Middle School Masterand click on “Libraries.” minds, youth in grades six to eight, will meet Tuesday, Jan. 26, at 4 p.m. Registration is required.

Middlebury

Brown Bag Book Discussion Group The Brown Bag Book Discussion Group will meet Wednesday, Jan. 6, at 12:30 p.m. for a discussion and tapas. New members are welcome.

Personal disaster preparedness

Join us for Tech Talk: Using the OverDrive app on Wednesday, Jan. 6, at 11 a.m. and Tuesday, Jan. 12, at 6 p.m. Bring your tablet or smartphone and learn how to download an ebook from our OverDrive collection using the OverDrive app.

Dr. Joseph DeMayo will discuss personal disaster preparedness Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 1 p.m. Learn how to make a personal preparedness plan in case of a disaster. Dr. DeMayo also will be available to answer specific disaster preparedness questions individually. DeMayo is a certified national disaster life support instructor who served as a member of the Yale New Haven Health System, Office of Emergency Preparedness team. Registration is required.

Mystery Book Group

Resolution Reboot

OverDrive app class

The Mystery Book Group will meet Thursday, Jan. 14, at 6 p.m. to discuss J.A. Jance’s “Damage Control.” New members are welcome.

Thursday, Jan. 28, at 6:30 p.m., join Tammy MacAdams for Resolution Reboot. Learn how to set yourself up for success and keep your New Year’s resolutions to eat healthier and feel better.

How to use your Fitbit Tammy will show you how to Are you wondering what to do jump-start healthy habits and with your new Fitbit? Learn how maintain a better lifestyle. Regto get started with your Fitbit istration is required. during Tech Talk: Fitbit 101 on Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 11 a.m.

Children’s programs and Tuesday, Jan. 26, at 6 p.m. to start You may bring a tablet or smartProgram sign-ups for the winphone and your Fitbit with you ter children’s story times and for hands-on practice. other programs begin Monday, Jan. 4. All programs begin MonCulinary Bites day, Jan. 11. You may register at Cookbook Club the Children’s Desk or call the The Culinary Bites Cookbook library at 203-758-2634.

Club will meet Thursday, Jan. 21, For Middlebury Public Library at 6:30 p.m. Please bring an egg events, please visit middleburydish to sample and a written publiclibrary.org. The Middlecopy of your recipe to discuss. bury Public Library is at 30 Crest Registration is required.

Road. The telephone number is 203-758-2634.

Nutrition lecture To see more library events, Friday, Jan. 22, at 1 p.m., Dr. please look online at www.beeRandy Trowbridge will speak news.com

Middlebury Senior Center Events Driver safety program

Computer training

The next AARP Driver Safety course will be Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the senior center. The course is the nation’s first and largest driver-refresher course. Using new materials and new videos, the course covers new defensive driving techniques, new laws and regulations, how to deal with aggressive drivers, and how aging affects drivers.

Drivers who attend the class will receive a completion certificate and may be entitled to a discount on automobile insurance (contact your insurance company for details).

AARP membership is not required, and drivers of all ages are invited to attend. The cost to participate is $15 for AARP members and $20 for nonmembers.

All checks must be made out to “AARP.” Call 203-577-4166 to register.

The Middlebury Senior center computer lab is giving one-onone computer classes every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. A single one-hour session costs $15. A set of four classes costs $25.

Viruses, malware and adware can slow down your computer.

Bring it in and have the programs removed for $20.

There is no age limit for computer services and training.

Those interested should call Sean Howard at 203-577-4166, ext. 711.

Commission on Aging meeting The Commission on Aging will meet Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 9:45 a.m. in Room 26 at Shepardson Community Center. All are welcome to attend.

Trips

Free Be Well Bus The Waterbury Hospital Be Well Bus will transport you for free to and from your medical appointments at Waterbury Hospital and participating area physicians’ offices. This service is available Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Service is available in Cheshire, Beacon Falls, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Prospect, Southbury, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown and Wolcott.

For a reservation on the Be Well Bus, call 203-575-7711 a day in advance of your appointment.

Painted Pony restaurant As part of the Senior Dine lunch program, the minibus will go to the Painted Pony restaurant in Bethlehem Friday, Jan 22. This trip is usually the fourth Friday each month.

You must have a Senior Dine card to participate. If you do not have a card, stop by the senior center office to get one. If you want to go to the Painted Pony, call 203-577-4166 to reserve a seat.

Middlebury Road (Opposite the Shell Station) Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Anthony Calabrese 203-758-2765

Bird Seed Headquarters

Black Oil, Premium Mix, Sunflower Hearts, Niger Seed (thistle for finches)

Deer Corn • Livestock & Poultry Feed Firewood available in bins and bags

January 2016

Middlebury Fire Marshal Jack Proulx announced the following winners of the 2015-2016 Annual Fire Prevention Poster Contest. Cash prizes were donated by the Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department and presented to the winners by Chief Anthony Bruno at an awards ceremony held Dec. 9 at Middlebury’s Fire Headquarters. $125 First-Place Winners Nicholas Shaker – Fourth grade (Middlebury Elementary School) Hector Astudillo - Fifth grade (Long Meadow Elementary School) $75 Second-Place Winners Lola McMahon – Fourth grade (Long Meadow Elementary School) Luke Brower – Fifth grade (Long Meadow Elementary School) This year students from both Middlebury Elementary and Long Meadow Elementary schools participated in the contest for a total of 186 participants.

The fourth-and fifth-grade first-place posters from each participating town will be submitted for judging at the county level.

Then four winners will be selected from each county, two from fourth grade and two from fifth grade, and each will receive a $150 savings bond.

These winners will then become eligible for the state contest. One of the 32 finalists will be selected as the state winner.

That student will receive an additional $750 savings bond, and their school will receive a $500 grant.

The winning poster will be reproduced and distributed as Connecticut’s official Year 2015-

CC -

Continued from page 1 clearing. Storm-water management will include several rain gardens. He agreed to stake out the building and driveway for commissioner inspection.

At the December meeting, commissioners unanimously approved the crematory application after Woodbury civil engineer Curtis Jones reviewed the site plan circulation and stormwater distribution system, telling commissioners he had relocated the crematory garden to preserve trees. Manchester environmen-

Winners of the annual Fire Prevention Poster contest, shown here with Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department Chief Anthony Bruno are, left to right, Luke Brower, Nicholas Shaker, Bruno,Hector Astudillo and Lola McMahon. They are holding their award-winning posters. (Submitted photo) 2016 Fire Prevention Poster. It also will be displayed at the state capital building during National Fire Prevention Month, October 2016.

The state winner will be announced in March at an awards luncheon to which all 32 finalists, their parents, teachers, principals and fire marshals are invited.

The annual Connecticut Fire Prevention Poster Contest is a cooperative effort of the Bureau of State Fire Marshals; the Connecticut Fire Marshal’s Association, the Connecticut Public Fire Education Association, and the Connecticut FAIR Plan. It is an

annual event that attracts thousands of students throughout the state. Last year over 30,000 students from more than 135 communities participated. The theme for the contest is Fire Prevention Everyone/Every day.

Fire continues to be a leading cause of death and injury in the United States. Every 2½ hours, someone is killed in a home fire and thousands more are injured each year. Children are often victims of residential fires that most often happen at night. Through fire prevention education and community participation, many of these fires can be prevented.

Children are likely to retain

fire safety messages. They are a valuable link in the chain of communication, taking the lesson home and promoting fire-prevention measures to the family.

It is hoped that fire safety and prevention awareness will be increased through this educational program.

Proulx and the poster contest committee would like to thank Region 15, Principal Feltz, Principal Wermuth, the fourth- and fifth-grade teachers, and all of the participating students for their enthusiastic artwork and creative thinking in this very important fire prevention awareness program.

tal scientist George Logan discussed wetlands mitigation plans that included removal of invasive species and addition of a shrub-and-tree planting scheme for the rain gardens with long-term maintenance instructions for removal of accumulated silt.

In other matters in November, commissioners approved a budget increase of $3,115, or 39 percent, to $11,195 from $8,080, for WEO Deborah Seavey for the 2016-2017 fiscal year for submission to the Board of Finance.

Chairman Vincent LoRusso told commissioners the current budget allowed for about four hours

a week for Seavey. Member Terence Manning said that wasn’t enough time to get work done in advance of meetings.

In other matters in December, commissioners unanimously agreed WEO Deborah Seavey and town engineer John Calabrese could administratively handle a reopening of the former Sunoco Station at 550 Middlebury Road which new owners Nadeem Khalid and his partner, Mir Sabbir Ahmed, purchased from Robert and Kerrie Ford Oct. 28. Seavey had questioned whether a permit was required, which would involve the commission.

Waterbury professional engineer and land surveyor Scott Meyers said the new owners planned to move right in and convert it to a Citgo gas station/ convenience store on the same footprint, adding parking in the rear where junk cars formerly were stored. He said drainage would not be changed, and impervious surfaces only slightly increased, with less impact on town drains after site work was completed.

The next regular CC meeting will be Tuesday, Jan. 26, at 7:30 p.m. in Room 26 at Shepardson Community Center.

Library Lines

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Many good books to choose among

ome months it seems difficult to find good books to write about and others, like this one, it’s difficult to winnow down the choices to just five. I’m completely intrigued by the one fiction choice and fascinated by all the nonfiction choices.

There’s just not enough time in the day to read everything we want to read!

Let’s start with the fiction. “The Man on the Washing Machine” (COX) by Susan Cox, a First Crime Novel Award winner of the Mystery Writers of America. I did not want to put this book down, yet I can’t tell you why it was so riveting! The author immediately engages you with her characters in some mystical way so that you need to read on to find out the

Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department Call Log Between Nov. 15 and Dec. 1, 2015, the Middlebury Volunteer Fire Department responded to the following calls: Date Time Address/Incident 11-15 18:50 Main Street in Watertown. Mutual aid.

11-15 20:37 Fire headquarters Middlebury. Mutual aid standby for T1.

11-18 13:53 33 White Ave. Wires down.

11-21 09:58 I-84 East. Medical problems. Transferred to Waterbury Hospital.

11-21 17:06 Route 63. Two-car motor vehicle accident.

One patient transported to Waterbury Hospital.

11-23 17:09 Route 63 at Middlebury Shell. Small gas spill.

11-24 21:39 I-84 East. Two-car motor vehicle accident.

Transported one patient to Waterbury Hospital.

11-25 08:16 18 Independence Drive. Fire alarm. Confirmed false alarm.

11-25 12:54 984 Middlebury Road. Motor vehicle accident. No injuries.

11-25 17:50 Route 64 at Yale. Three-car motor vehicle accident. One patient transported to Waterbury Hospital.

11-25 18:07 Route 63 at Route 64. Two-car motor vehicle accident. No injuries reported.

11-27 12:52 Southford Road. Two-car motor vehicle accident. No injuries.

12-01 05:47 Route 63 at Route 64. One-car motor vehicle accident. One patient transported to Waterbury Hospital.

outcome. Read this twisty, complex mystery, but you’ll have to wait until I finish it.

Moving on to nonfiction, it’s true I cannot resist paging through a good or a bad cookbook. But really, “Sea Salt Sweet: The Art of Using Salts for the Ultimate Dessert Experience” (641.8 BAI) just calls to me. The salty-sweet combination is mouthwatering and the recipes are inventive. Recipes are grouped by how little or how much salt is required – from a pinch for lightly seasoned to more for a well-seasoned salty flavor. Could you resist Bananas Foster Belgian Waffle Sundaes?

How about a Coconut Lime Mojito Shooter with Fleur de Sel? Yum. “438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea” (910.9164 FRA) by Jonathan Franklin tells the tale of Salvador Alvarenga, who was caught in a five-day storm just 20 miles from the shore of Mexico and set adrift for 14 months. His companion didn’t survive, and it is a miracle that Alvarenga was able to endure shark attacks, thoughts of suicide, brutally hot days and a constant struggle to find edible food and obtain water from rain.

On day 438, Alvarenga washed ashore on Tile Islet, a nearly deserted island on the far side of

the Pacific Ocean. This is a very readable story.

Next is “The Generals: Patton, MacArthur, Marshall, and the Winning of World War II” (94054 GRO) by Winston Groom. World War II history buffs will relish this in-depth look at the military lives of these iconic figures, from their stint in their respective military schools to their bold and brash leadership during the war. The details should be boring, but the storytelling is so well done that even laymen will find the book mesmerizing.

A more visual but no less fascinating book is “Light: The Visible Spectrum and Beyond” (535 ARC) by Kimberly Arcand and Megan Watzke. Interspersed with remarkable photographs of the various ways light is seen are many snippets about the scientists who made discoveries about light. From the mundane visit to the dentist to exploring deep space, this book examines every aspect of how we see light. This book could be a “cocktail table” item, but the text with each picture is absorbing and brings science to life.

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

See the Region 15 School Calendar at

bee-news.com

The Bee-Intelligencer

January 2016

3

Lady Panthers out to prove themselves

Singing, music help with dementia

By KEN MORSE The Pomperaug girls basketball team has racked up a lot of success over the past five years, but they’re still missing that piece of hardware for the trophy case. Head coach Joe Fortier has guided the Lady Panthers to a 97-28 record since he’s been at the helm but has no trophy to show for the Pomperaug girls’ effort.

“We have a lot of wins but no trophy,” commented coach Fortier as he entered his sixth season. “We were SWC (South West Conference) runner-up in 2012 and finished the regular season at 19-1 in 2013, but we’re still looking for that championship.

“I’m really excited about this year. We have five seniors back and a lot of experience. This could be our year, but the South West Conference is very strong, and there are a whole lot of other teams who are contenders,” he said.

This year’s group of seniors has gone 50-10 during the regular season in their high school career, and they are intent on putting some hardware in the trophy case. Pomperaug is led by senior captains Caly Farina, Kathryn Rafferty and Lauren Rubinstein along with seniors Leah Rubinstein and Rachel Bonnanzio.

“New Fairfield went undefeated last year and returns their entire team,” said Fortier. “They will certainly be the team to beat.

Newtown lost only one senior, and teams like Kolbe, Notre Dame and Barlow return with a lot of quality players.

“So there are no easy games on the schedule, and we will need to come prepared every night. But I like the challenge and that will make us a better team come tournament time.”

Pomperaug went 16-4 last season, came up short in the SWC semifinals and reached the second round of the Class LL state tournament. The Lady Panthers graduated their only senior, Katelyn Perrotti, who was a force to be reckoned with.

But the experience and the depth Pomperaug has coming back makes them one of the frontrunners in the SWC. Bonnanzio is a 6-foot-1-inch three-year starter in the post and will lead the Panthers under the boards.

That is where the depth comes in as sophomore Karli Opalka is simply a rebounding machine, averaging 18 boards a game for the Panthers, who are off to a 3-1 start on the season.

“Karli was coming off the bench for us last year as a freshman averaging 11 rebounds a game, and already she has been a leader in that department,” said Fortier. “It’s not the size of her; it’s the heart that she plays with.”

Sophomore Claudine Legato at 5 foot 11 inches is another force in the paint and brings some added depth along with sophomores Allison McCormick, Alexis Flood and Megan Todhunter. Freshmen Olivia Farina and Maggie Lee add to the mix as Pomperaug has shown the ability to play some sturdy defense along the way.

“We have seven out of our top eight players returning, so we come in with a lot of experience,” said Fortier. “We did lose an

Pomperaug senior girls (left to right) Senior Captain Kathryn Rafferty, Senior Captain Caly Farina, Senior Captain Lauren Rubinstein and seniors (not captains) Leah Rubinstein and Rachel Bonnanzio.

(Ken Morse photo) emotional leader in Perrotti, and that will be hard to replace.

“Defense has always been our strong point. It’s just the style we like to play, and we have good athletes who go after the ball.

Caly (Farina) is averaging 10 steals a game and that opens up the transition game for us offensively.”

Lauren Rubinstein directs the ball up court and is the leader on the team in assists with eight per game to go along with a 14-pointper-game scoring average. Rafferty is one of the three-point threats out on the perimeter.

Pomperaug has it all covered, from rebounds to defense to multiple scoring threats, and it shows in the fast start they have gotten off to this season. The Lady Panthers opened up with St. Joseph of Trumbull in the SWC-FCIAC Challenge Tournament at Newtown and came away with a hard-fought 41-34 win Tuesday, Dec. 15.

Lauren Rubinstein led all scorers with 10 points as Opalka had eight points and 13 rebounds.

Caly Farina came up with 11 steals and dropped seven points through the cylinder, with Rafferty adding seven points and Bonnanzio scoring eight points with eight rebounds.

Pomperaug won the tournament two days later, coming back to defeat Danbury 59-39. Lauren Rubinstein led the way with 12 points, nine steals and eight assists. Opalka was a force in the paint, scoring 12 points, pulling down 15 rebounds, coming up with seven steals and blocking three shots.

Raferty hit three three-pointers for nine points, and Caly Farina added five points and eight steals. Legato had six points; McCormick, Todhunter and Bonnanzio checked in with four points each, and Leah Rubinstein added a three-pointer.

“If we can stay together through adversity, that will be the key to our success,” said Fortier.

“Not a lot of teams are going to get through a season undefeated.

It’s how you respond to a loss and try and build off of it that will help you to be successful. We have that kind of team chemistry.”

Pomperaug put that test into theory when they dropped a tough 50-48 heartbreaker to

Cromwell in the opening round of the Newtown 3’s for Charity Tournament played Monday, Dec. 21.

Cromwell went 21-4 last season and was the Class M state runner-up to St. Joseph, but the Lady Panthers fell by a basket.

Lauren Rubinstein had a team high of 22 points with seven rebounds and seven assists. Bonnanzio added 12 points, with Opalka pulling down 18 boards, blocking three shots and scoring seven points.

How well the Lady Panthers would respond to the loss would go a long way to show how far this team can go this season.

Pomperaug didn’t have to wait too long for redemption as two nights later, on Wednesday, Dec. 23, the Panthers pulled away from Hillhouse by a 53-40 margin.

Lauren Rubinstein had 13 points and seven assists, with Bonnanzio throwing in 12 points and hauling in 12 rebounds. But the stat that caused the most head-shaking reaction was Opalka tearing away a career high and quite possibly a school record 28 rebounds while finding time to score 15 points and come up with eight steals.

“Our offense is geared for the transition game,” said Fortier.

“Scoring off steals and getting baskets off the outlet pass on quick rebounds. We like to play an up-tempo game.

LAW OFFICES

“These girls just have an attitude that they refuse to lose. They feel that they expect to win every game they play. They are not intimidated by the top teams in the league. The other day we were down by eight points in the third period, and they didn’t show any panic and came back to win that game. They know what it takes to finish out a game and get the win even when things aren’t going their way,” he said.

“As far as championships go.

I’m not about to define a successful season by the fact if you win a championship. Sometimes it’s luck, sometimes you need a little help from another team, but the bottom line is you need to stay healthy. A few years back we were right there and then two girls blew out their ACL in the same game.

“A successful season in my book is having the opportunity to play for a championship, and that is what these girls have this season, the opportunity,” Fortier said.

Pomperaug was to be back in action to close out December on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 28 and 29, in the Plainville Holiday Tournament. On Saturday, Jan. 2, the Panthers will be at Kolbe, and on Tuesday, Jan. 5, they will be home against Stratford.

Stay tuned throughout the season for weekly updates on the Pomperaug girls basketball season at www.bee-news.com.

Researchers revealed a year ago that singing could greatly help Parkinson’s disease patients with breathing, speaking and memory.

Now researchers have discovered singing also helps those with dementia.

In a study from the University of Helsinki, 89 pairs of patients (with mild to moderate dementia) plus their caregivers were assigned for 10 weeks to one of three groups: listening to music, singing, or only standard care. After nine months, patients were assessed, and researchers found better memory function, focusing, planning, multitasking, orientation and mood in the groups that participated in music.

The results weren’t the same, though. The biggest benefit for memory and orientation came from the singing group, especially those with mild dementia. In patients with more severe dementia, it was listening to familiar music that provided cognitive benefits.

Researchers suggested that in early, mild dementia, singing could help maintain memory. In both groups, music helped alleviate depression, especially in those with mild Alzheimer’s disease.

Music as a therapy for Alzheimer’s isn’t new. In 1989, researchers in Colorado conducted a small study to determine if music had any impact on patient physical and social behavior. Specifically, they wanted to encourage conversation. The results showed that those who participated in group singing had higher vocal and verbal behaviors than those who were in the discussion-only group.

In a recent study in Israel, researchers wanted to encourage conversation in mostly nonverbal patients with middle to late Alzheimer’s by using familiar songs.

Songs were carefully chosen and behaviors were noted after each one. The result was that songs related to their social and national identity brought out memories and much subsequent conversation.

Afterward the participants had a feeling of accomplishment and belonging.

Have you considered the benefits of joining a local choir or chorus? (c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.

New flag for the post office

Middlebury Postmaster Mary Donahue stands by, far right, as Middlebury Lion Dick Bulkovitch, left, helps postal employee Jerome Dais, right, prepare to raise the flag donated to the post office by the Middlebury Lions Club.

(Marjorie Needham photo)

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The Bee-Intelligencer

4

January 2016

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 Writer: 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.

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Opinion

A very tough job You know who I feel sorry for?

Today’s politicians.

You’ll laugh at this, but hear me out. This is a very tough time to be a politician – whether running for office or trying to lead while holding office. The people who’ve undertaken to represent us face circumstances that make campaigning and governing unusually challenging right now.

For starters, our political discourse, from city councils to state legislatures to Congress, is less forgiving than it was a generation ago. Political opponents are no longer just people with whom we happen to disagree – they’re people who need to be shamed into silence. The extent to which politicians today genuinely distrust the other side is something new in our politics. It makes progress on the issues of the day extremely complicated.

This is exacerbated by politicians’ awareness that voters have lost confidence in our traditional political leadership and are searching hard for alternatives.

Why are Americans upset, and more willing than usual to rally to outlying candidates? I don’t think there’s any great mystery. For starters, we have a society that is deeply concerned about economic insecurity; as the Pew Research Center reported recently, the American middle class is in trouble and no longer in the majority.

You can add to this the fear of terrorism and a deeply unsettled

EIDC -

Continued from page 1 and Hugh Sullivan, the local architects who prepared the package, for forwarding to other firms known to respond to such RFQs. McAuliffe also reported at the November meeting that updates made to the Tax Incentive program would be on the agenda for approval by the Board of Selectman (BoS) at their Dec. 7 meeting. As expected, the BoS approved the updates, which added information about the Oxford Airport Enterprise Zone incen-

view of the major changes taking place in American society: the rise of big data and its attendant loss of privacy; migration flows; tensions over diversity, gender and race; changing religious patterns; the decline of the traditional, objective media. America today is an uneasy place, and we see this reflected in voters’ frustration and pessimism.

Voters are just now starting to hold candidates up to the standards of the offices they seek; as they do, the unsettled political environment in which we find ourselves will grow a bit less uncertain. But the long-term issues – the fears and uncertainty and the forces driving them – won’t have gone away. Which is why I feel great sympathy for politicians at the moment. The skills we need in our political leaders, like the ability to approach those with whom they disagree with a measure of good will and an openness to negotiation and compromise, are not held in high esteem by the voters or by the loudest voices in their own parties. Yet that is precisely what many politicians recognize our country needs.

Lee Hamilton is a Distinguished Scholar, Indiana University School of Global and International Studies; and a Professor of Practice, IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years. tives. The BoS also voted at their Dec. 7 meeting to proceed with the streetscape RFQ. That RFQ was written as a result of an August joint meeting of the EIDC and the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z).

A streetscape plan is expected to cost about $100,000. Funding will come from P&Z funds and grants such as the Small Town Economic Assistance Program and Eversource Main Street grant program.

The next regular meeting will be Tuesday, Jan. 26, at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Hall Conference Room.

Trust & Dignity

Twins’ Eagle Scout projects benefit town

Boy Scout James Rescsanski stands beside the mulch pathway up to the picnic tables at Ledgewood Park in Middlebury. For his Eagle Scout project, he installed the pathway, refurbished two picnic table sites and installed two new sites. In the process, he excavated enough rocks to build a small stone wall.

Standing in front of the storage shed that was Boy Scout Charles Rescsanski’s Eagle Scout project are, left to right, Joseph Andruk, Kevin Knowles, Charles, James Rescsanski, Michael Andruk and Sean Lynch. The shed will house gardening tools for the Middlebury Senior Center Community garden.

(Marjorie Needham photos)

In Brief Quilts that Care Quilts that Care, an organization that makes quilts for people who undergo cancer treatment, will meet Mondays, Jan 4 and 18, 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, Jan. 5 and 19, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Bristol Public Library at 5 High St. in Bristol and Wednesdays, Jan. 6 and 20, at the Litchfield Community Center at 421 Bantam Road (Route 202) in Litchfield.

Donations of fabric shop gift cards, 100-percent cotton fabric, twin-size quilt backings, cotton flannel, quilting materials, and gallon Ziploc bags are being accepted. A donation of work and storage space would be gratefully 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 860-945-0184, email QuiltsThatCare.Deb@gmail.com or visit www.quiltsthatcare.org.

Literacy volunteer orientation Literacy Volunteers of Greater Waterbury will host volunteer orientations for those interested in learning about helping adult learners develop literacy and English as a Second Language skills. Those interested should register for one of the following orientation sessions: Monday, Jan. 4, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m

at the Thomaston Public Library at 248 Main St. in Thomaston; Tuesday, Jan. 5, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Middlebury Public Library at 30 Crest Road in Middlebury; Wednesday, Jan. 6, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Howard Whittemore Memorial Library, Nellie Beatty Meeting Room at 243 Church St. in Naugatuck; Thursday, Jan. 7, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Silas Bronson Library Auditorium at 267 Grand St. in Waterbury; and Saturday, Jan. 9, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Southbury Public Library, Kingsley Room, at 100 Poverty Road in Southbury.

Volunteers are trained to tutor adult learners in functional literacy and language skills to help them achieve their personal, educational, employment and civic goals, Tutors and their students meet a minimum of two hours per week for one year, All tutors must be at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or equivalent, No previous teaching experience is required, To register for an orientation or for more information, call 203-7541164 or email vvowe@waterburytct.org.

Programs offered are English as a Second Language and Basic Literacy instruction, both with a focus on life and work skills.

Also, U.S. Citizenship Preparation is provided. Last year 230 adults were served by these programs. In addition, the Family Literacy and Waterbury Reads programs promote the benefits of reading to thousands of children each year.

Community and Senior center events are listed at

www.bee-news.com

Friends of Fiber Arts meeting The Jewish Federation Friends of Fiber Arts, a group open to anyone who is interested in any kind of fiber art or craft, will meet Monday, Jan. 11, from 1 to 3 pm at The Jewish Federation of Western Connecticut at 444 Main St. N. in Southbury. Anyone who is interested in the fiber arts is welcome to attend this free event.

There will be knitters, spinners, weavers, crocheters, felters, quilters and needlepoint enthusiasts attending, and anyone with a love or hankering to create things from yarn or fabric is welcome to come. Participants should bring their own projects to work on, with some informal help and/or teaching provided. There is a $2 donation. To register for this program, call 203-267-3177 or email rsvp@jfed.net.

Death Café Chaplain Ronald C. Herrmann, local hospice and hospital chaplain, will be the coordinator/facilitator for two meetings of the Death Café, one on Tuesday, Jan. 12, at 1 p.m. and one on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Jewish Federation of Western Connecticut at 444 Main St. N. in Southbury. Death Café does not promote any religion, value system or product.

This is not a bereavement group. but a forum for lively and respectful discussions on subjects that have included the nature of the soul, reincarnation, end-of-life decisions, living wills, palliative care, talking to children about death, Compassionate Choices, and what the dying “need” in order to die, among many other topics.

There is no charge for this program and it is open to all adults, but seating is limited to 10 people in order to keep the conversation open. All participants must preregister, even if they have come

to a previous session. Registration is first-come, first-served. To make a reservation, leave a message at 203-267-3177, ext. 340, stating which meeting you would like to attend. All reservations will be confirmed.

Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Support Group A monthly support group for friends and family of people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias takes place the second Thursday of each month at 10:30 a.m. at the Jewish Federation of Western Connecticut at 444 Main St. N. The next meeting is Jan. 14. 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. The groups encourage caregivers to maintain their own personal, physical and emotional health, as well as optimally care for the person with dementia. Patty Gibbs, a volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association, facilitates the group.

It is not necessary to register in advance. For more information, call Debby Horowitz, Brownstein Jewish Family Service director, at 203-267-3177, ext. 310, or email dhorowitz@jfed.net.

Free community dinner Master’s Table Community Meals will host a free dinner Sunday, Jan. 24, from 3 to 5 p.m. (winter hours) at Assumption Church at 61 N. Cliff St. in Ansonia. The event is open to the public, and the facility is handicap-accessible. The meal is free, but donations are accepted. For more information, visit www. masterstablemeals.org or call 293-732-7792.

The Bee-Intelligencer

January 2016

It Happened in Middlebury

Obituaries Douglas E. Diver

Raymond C. Gabani

Douglas E. Diver, 60, of Naugatuck passed away at his home Nov. 29, 2015.

Doug was born in Waterbury, Conn., Aug. 21, 1955, a son of Jean (Woodside) Diver and the late Edwin Diver. A longtime Naugatuck resident, he graduated from Emmet O’Brien Technical School in 1973 and also attended Naugatuck Valley Community College. He was a retired firefighter and served with the Naugatuck Fire Department for 25 years.

Doug had a passion for cars. He operated Auto Memories, a Model A shop in town for several years, and also ran a car club. He was active in the community and was involved in numerous fishing and soap box derbies. He enjoyed camping, the outdoors, and spending time with his granddaughter. He was always there to lend a helping hand, and knew how to make people laugh.

Besides his mother, Doug is survived by his daughter, Danielle Diver of Naugatuck; his granddaughter, Ariel Pierre; his former wife, Deborah (Renzoni) Diver of Naugatuck; his brothers, Mark Diver and his wife, Theresa, of Naugatuck and Dwight Diver and his wife, Donna, of Southington; his sisters, Leslie Diver and Shelley Fallon and her husband, Michael, all of Naugatuck; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son, Dustin Diver.

His funeral service was Dec. 10 at the Naugatuck Valley Memorial/ Fitzgerald-Zembruski Funeral Home in Naugatuck.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Peter J. Foley Little League, 170 Park Avenue, Naugatuck, CT 06770 or the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, 282 Washington Street Hartford, CT 06106. To send an online condolence, please visit www.naugatuckvalleymemorial.com.

Raymond C. Gabani, 74, of Naugatuck, husband of the late Patricia M. (Wityak) Gabani, passed away unexpectedly Dec. 12, 2015, at Waterbury Hospital.

Mr. Gabani was born in Waterbury, Conn., April 26, 1941, the son of the late Carlo M. and Lena D. (Patignelli) Gabani. A longtime resident of Naugatuck, he was a graduate of Naugatuck High School in 1959, Post College and the University of New Haven.

He retired from Engineered Sinterings and Plastics of Watertown and had also worked for many years at Timex and Grolier Book Company. Ray served in the Connecticut National Guard, was a member of the Naugatuck Elks Lodge and a communicant of St. Mary’s Church. He enjoyed carpentry, golf and ballroom dancing.

Ray is survived by his son, Craig R. Gabani of Naugatuck; his grandson, Brandon K. Gabani; his sister Jacquelyn Adler Byrne of Waterbury; and several nieces and nephews: Darren Adler; Heather Varrone; Tammy Hanson and her husband, Gerald; and Lori Santopietro and her husband, Frank. He was predeceased by his sister, Christina Gabani.

His Mass of Christian Burial was Dec. 16 at St. Mary’s Church. Burial was to be in St. James Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center, 1075 Chase Parkway, Waterbury, CT 06708. To send an online condolence, please visit www.naugatuckvalleymemorial.com.

Retired Naugatuck firefighter

Worked at Timex

Madeline A. (Zonghetti) Mangine Worked at Uniroyal

Madeline A. (Zonghetti) Mangine, 98, of Naugatuck passed away at Apple Rehabilitation Center in Watertown Dec. 12, 2015. She was the

widow of William Mangine, the former owner of the Corner Barber Shop in Naugatuck.

Madeline was born in Naugatuck, Conn., Feb. 4, 1917, a daughter of August and Rose (Ambrosini) Zonghetti. She and her sister and lifelong friend May (Zonghetti) Kreissig, lived their childhood on Coen Street. She worked at Uniroyal Inc. and later lived in Oak Park, Ill.; Cleveland, Ohio; and several locations in California.

She eventually returned to Naugatuck and married Bill in 1969. She worked at Worth’s Department store in Waterbury for more than 20 years until her retirement in 1982. Recently, she and her sister May resided in Apple Rehab in Watertown until May’s passing in 2013.

Madeline’s interests included painting and following professional tennis and thoroughbred racing, which she enjoyed with her husband, Bill. They also shared a love of cooking. Their home was usually filled with the aroma of Italian cuisine such as homemade pasta and sauces. The family shared many happy holidays at their home.

Madeline is survived by her four children, Richard Glendening of Palo Alto, Calif.; Donald Glendening of Shelton, Conn.; James Bower of Bristol, Conn.; and Diane Lubin Horn of Cape Coral, Fla.; eight grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren. She was predeceased by husbands Marshall Glendening of Oak Park, Ill. and Arnold “Al” Bower.

The family would like to thank the staff of Apple Rehab for their wonderful care.

Her Mass of Christian Burial was Dec. 18, 2015, at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Naugatuck. Burial was to be in St. James Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to National Osteoporosis Foundation, 251 18th St., Suite 630, Arlington, VA 22202 or www. nof.org. To send an on-line condolence, please visit www.naugatuckvalleymemorial.com.

Golden Technologies

The Internet of Things in our interconnected world

By JUSTIN GOLDEN Wikipedia defines the Internet of Things as the network of physical objects or “things” embedded with electronics, software, sensors and network connectivity that enable these objects to collect and exchange data.

With the worldwide existence of these objects, Gartner, the information-technology market research and advisory firm, estimates the number of devices, excluding computers and smartphones, will grow to an estimated 21 billion from the current 5 billion by 2020. Cyber security methods need to step up to protect the data that will be produced and shared by these devices.

Steve Weissman stated in a USA Today article dated Dec. 27,

2015, in his baker’s dozen cyber security predictions for 2016: “The Internet of Things will be increasingly exploited by hackers. With more and more products including cars, refrigerators, coffee makers, televisions, smartwatches, webcams, copy machines and even medical devices being connected to the Internet, the Internet of Things will become a prime target for hackers to exploit in many ways.”

Two recent examples of products being hacked appeared in the press. An article in CNN’s Money by Jose Pagliery titled “The Cybercrime Economy – Your Car is a Giant Computer – and it can be hacked,” told how security engineers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek demonstrated last year they could hijack control of a car by connecting

Diversified Tax Tidbits

By MARK A. BURNS

tion starting in 2016.

• Deduction for sales tax that some people are allowed to take in lieu of state income taxes (this generally benefits people who live in states with no income tax such as Florida or Texas).

• Research and development credit for businesses that incur these types of expenses.

• Section 179 level of $500,000, which allows businesses to write off all in one year the acquisition of certain business assets.

The following tax breaks have been extended for five years through 2019: • Work Opportunity Tax Credit – allows businesses to get a tax credit for hiring new employees from certain “targeted” groups.

• Bonus Depreciation that allows businesses to write off (depreciate) up to 50 percent of the asset cost in the first year. This benefit works in conjunction with the Sec. 179 benefit above,

The Bradley Knife Factory and the Bowman House

By DR. ROBERT L. RAFFORD The Bradleyville section of Middlebury is in the southeast corner of town where Middlebury, Naugatuck and Waterbury meet.

Its name comes from the family that owned and operated the knife factory there – Lyman (1798-1879) and Hannah (Leavenworth) Bradley and Lyman’s parents, Enos (ca.

1765-1845) and Sarah (Bishop) Bradley. The Mary I. Johnson Region 15 Administrative Building on Whittemore Road was once called the Bradleyville School.

Enos Bradley established a mill on Hop Brook about 1795, and Lyman established the country’s first organized pocketknife factory in Salem (which became Naugatuck in 1844). Lyman also was listed as operating in Middlebury on Hop Brook in the 1850s. Some sources for these mills list conflicting dates for their operation, so please consider these dates to be approximate.

For centuries, brooks running throughout New England have been “dammed up to create waterpower to turn factory wheels, which made this section of the country the greatest industrial area in the land,” according to Delia Bronson’s “History of Middlebury.” She points out that “there is hardly a stream that does not have remnants of factories or dams to attest to the early manufacturing propensities of the settlers.” Middlebury always has been wellendowed with small brooks, which made it ideal for the establishment of industrial mills. The advent of electricity in the late 1800s, however, made these mills virtually obsolete, and the knife factory seems to have suspended operations about 1883. “… Enos Bradley built a saw mill and clothing works some time after 1795. He was a fine cloth dresser, and rough cloths were brought to this mill from all parts of the country,” according to Rockey’s History of New Haven County. After Enos’ death in 1845, his son Lyman manufactured wagon wheels and later pocket cutlery at the mill.

Hop Brook curls through Middlebury and enters the Naugatuck River shortly after it passes the former knife factory, the foundation of which can still be seen in Hop Brook Park. Many of the factories in the Greater Waterbury

laptops to the dashboard. Now, this was not a real example of a car being hacked. But it showed it is only a matter of time before someone does figure out how to access and take control of your automobile.

The Washington Post’s Vivek Wadhwa reported a recent situation involving hacking. It involved Chinese toymaker Vtech, which had its servers accessed and personal information involving almost 5 million parents and 200,000 children stolen. This included home addresses, names, birth dates, email addresses and passwords.

If you served at Camp Lejeune TV Station Fox 19 in Cincinnati, Ohio, advised last year that and were made ill by the toxic a man hacked into a baby mon- drinking water, more hope is beitor in a home there and started ing offered. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert – See Golden on page 8 McDonald wants to classify certain illnesses as presumptive for service connection after seeing more reviews by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

It determined that numerous petroleum products – vinyl chloride, benzene, perchloroethylene since you can’t depreciate (dry cleaning fluid) and trichlomore than 100 percent of the roethylene (a degreaser) – leaked asset cost, and each benefit ap- from storage tanks from 1953 to plies to certain types of busi- 1987 and contaminated the ness assets. drinking water. Per a VA news The following tax breaks have release, McDonald wants to crebeen extended for two years, ret- ate a list of presumptives for kidroactive for the full year 2015 and ney cancer, liver cancer, nonalso 2016: Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, • Exclusion from taxable income multiple myeloma, scleroderma, (in most cases) when an indi- Parkinson’s disease and aplastic vidual incurs forgiveness of anemia/myelodysplastic syndebt income due to a mortgage dromes. modification or short sale related to their primary residence.

• Tax deduction for mortgage insurance premiums paid on personal residence.

• Above the line tax deduction for qualified higher education tuition and related expenses.

• Many of the energy tax incentives.

The above is a very general summary of these extended tax breaks. Individual items may or may not apply to you based on your particular tax situation. Always consult a tax professional if you are uncertain about how tax matters might affect you.

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

Congress provides some holiday season tax relief In mid-December, Congress passed and the president signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act reinstating or extending many different tax breaks, in most cases effective for the then current year, 2015. Most of these were tax provisions that had repeatedly been extended in the past for short periods of time.

The act made many of them permanent and extended others for longer time periods.

In this column, we will do our best to briefly mention some of the topics that might be of interest to the most readers. In future columns, we can delve into more details on some of them.

The following tax breaks have now been made permanent: • American Opportunity Tax Credit that provides certain tax credits for higher education.

• Enhanced provisions of the Earned Income Tax Credit that increases the amounts people may be entitled to receive and, starting in 2016, indexes for inflation the income amounts that determine who is eligible for this credit.

• Deduction of up to $250 that elementary and secondary school teachers are allowed to take for classroom supplies.

That $250 is indexed for infla-

5

This display at the Middlebury Historical Society features a vintage pocketknife sitting atop an original factory grinding wheel.

A knife price list surrounded with knife blades sits behind it.

(Middlebury Historical Society photo) area were interconnected in some way; Lyman Bradley also was manager at Waterville Manufacturing Company (Waterbury) in 1843 and was listed as an agent for the American Knife Company in Plymouth Hollow in 1851.

After Lyman Bradley, Samuel Root (1833-1924) bought the property and made fine cutlery there from 1867 to 1890. The H. Sears Manufacturing Company, which functioned there beginning in 1877, was probably operated by Root. The success of these companies was due to their employment of skilled English workmen who came to this country to work in the many knife factories in this area, including Middlebury. Root previously was a principal at Sprague and Root, which later became Waterville Cutlery.

The 1860 U.S. census for Middlebury listed a few workers in a knife shop, including Lyman Bradley; the 1870 U.S. census showed at least 26 knife-shop workers living in Middlebury, most born in England, and in at least one case, almost an entire family was employed in the knife factory. The 1880 U.S. census similarly showed 26 knife-shop workers, and 15 of them were born in England.

Delia Bronson’s history relates that deeds at town hall show the

Waterbury Knife Company bought the mills and water rights in 1881 and then sold them to Roswell B. Wheaton (1815-1892), who was the grandfather of Wheaton Bronson (1870-1935), the husband of Delia Bronson. In any event, the knife factory seems to have ceased operations by the end of the 19th century.

A wonderful house stood near the knife factory. Sometimes called the Bowman House, it was built around 1725. It was probably the residence of the Bradley family, but was torn down during the building of Hop Brook Dam; we’ll write more about that house in another issue. The Historical Society has knife blades manufactured at the factory on display, and a wonderful benefactor, Alison Smith, donated some of the original grinding wheels from the factory.

Don’t forget, we’re open yearround every Monday from 2 to 6 p.m. and other times by appointment. Join us!

Bob Rafford is the Middlebury Historical Society president and Middlebury’s municipal historian.

To join or contact the society, visit MiddleburyHistoricalSociety.org or call Bob at 203-206-4717. Your membership would be a valuable addition.

Camp Lejeune vets offered fresh hope

Reserve and National Guard personnel also would qualify for disability compensation and medical care, as well as dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving dependents.

If you served at Lejeune during the specified period (Aug. 1, 1953, to Dec. 31, 1987) and have any of the illnesses listed, you’re encouraged to apply for disability compensation.

Under current rules, if you served at Lejeune for more than 30 days from Jan. 1, 1957, to Dec. 31, 1987, you may be eligible to receive care (and family members may receive reimbursement for out-of-pocket medical care)

for esophageal cancer, breast cancer, kidney cancer, multiple myeloma, renal toxicity, female infertility, scleroderma, nonHodgkin’s lymphoma, lung cancer, bladder cancer, leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, hepatic steatosis, miscarriage and neurobehavioral effects.

(Note the different time span for these currently covered illnesses.)

For information on family care, go to www.clfamilymembers.fsc.va.gov. The link in the VA newsletter doesn’t work, but for veteran care go to www.index. va.gov and put Camp Lejeune in the search box. To establish eligibility for benefits, call 1-877222-8387, or www.1010ez.med. va.gov.

Note: Some of us have apparently mispronounced the camp’s name our whole lives. It’s “luhJERN.” (c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.

www.nfda.org

I am an individual, who is part of a family and that is part of our community. I want my funeral to reflect that.

We know the things that are important to the families we serve. After all, they’re the same values that guide our business... family, community, and personal service. To learn more about how we can help you and your family create a meaningful funeral, please contact us.

The Bee-Intelligencer

January 2016

Pomperaug boys ready to challenge in SWC

By KEN MORSE The Pomperaug boys basketball team, under seventh-year head coach Dave Yachtis, comes into the season with high hopes of challenging in the South West Conference (SWC) and was off to a 2-0 record heading into the new year.

Last year, the Panthers went 7-13, missing the postseason tournament for the third time in the last four seasons; however, coach Yachtis believes this team has the ability to challenge for an SWC title for the first time since 2014, when Pomperaug went 14-6.

In 2011, the 15-5 Panthers played in the SWC championship game, the first Pomperaug team to ever play for a league title.

They finished as runner-up. The coach sees comparisons from those two squads with this year’s group of players.

“We graduated only two players from last year and virtually have almost everyone back,” said Yachtis. “I think the key this year is we not only have some depth but we have quality depth.”

Pomperaug graduated 6-foot6-inch center Jonathan Bedard and thus lost his 7 points per game and 9 rebounds per game under the boards. They also need to replace 6-foot guard Drew Gabelman.

So far this season it appears Pomperaug has all the tools in the shed to make a serious run at an SWC title and has gotten even stronger with the addition of first-year senior transfer Noah Miree from Massachusetts.

“We have Grant Wallace, another senior captain who is going to step up and fill that void under the basket,” said Miree, one of four senior captains for the Panthers. “Matt Wynne, a junior, is also a guy we are going to rely on to step up in the paint.”

Pomperaug is led by senior captains Miree and Wallace along with Rich Pugliese and Steve Walsh. Returning as AllColonial Division guards are Pugliese at 13 points per game

This year’s PHS boys’ basketball senior captains are, left to right, Noah Miree, Rich Pugliese, Steve Walsh and Grant Wallace.

(Ken Morse photo) and junior Chase Belden at 13 points per game, who led the team with 39 three-pointers.

“We are fired up and ready to go,” said Pugliese. “We have a lot of talent this year. I think what will make us so competitive is we have a lot of things covered. We are strong in the paint getting to rebounds, we have quite a few guys who can score, and we have a solid defense.”

When it comes to putting points on the scoreboard Pomperaug will have a variety of playmakers who will make it happen.

Walsh delivered 11 points per game last season and is another outside threat, dropping 28 three-pointers through the net.

“I think it all starts with defense for us,” said Walsh. “We have a lot of big guys crashing the boards. We have guys who can bring it up court through traffic and put points on the board. But our success and how far we can go will fall on our defense.”

Wallace was a key player in the middle coming into last year but played only five games due to a season-ending injury. His presence in the paint will be a crucial aspect to the Panthers’ defense.

He will have help with Wynne at 6 foot 4 inches and another junior post player, 6-foot-6-inch Josh McGettigan.

“We have a real strong team coming back, and we are even stronger with Noah coming in,” said Wallace. “Everyone worked real hard in the off season preparing for our senior year, and we want to go out with a bang. I had back surgery last year, but I’ve worked hard to get back into shape and I’m excited about the season.”

Pomperaug has a few more additions to the varsity lineup with juniors Tom Satkowski and Jacob Mendicino and sophomores Jason Hirschauer and Will McDonald; they will provide depth to an already impressive lineup.

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“Tom and Jacob are football players, so they are trying to get up to speed,” said Yachtis. “Jason and Will are sophomores and will play junior varsity and can give us some varsity minutes off the bench.”

“We have our top two scorers back in Rich and Chase, who were both All-Colonial Division.

Noah is a transfer student who will make our inside game that much stronger and gives us some more size.”

“I think this team is more like the 2011 team that made it to the SWC finals. I think the difference between now and then is we have a much better bench. We can go 12 deep and that makes us a real good team going into the season,” Yachtis said.

Pomperaug got the season underway Monday, Dec. 21, with a solid 71-58 win over Wilton.

The Panthers had all the cylinders going, landing five players in double figures.

Belden led the way with 18 points, followed by Miree with 16 points and seven rebounds.

Pugliese and McGettigan added 11 points each with Wynne checking in with 10 points.

On Wednesday, Dec. 23, the Panthers improved to 2-0 with a convincing 82-67 win over New Milford. Belden threw down 23 points to lead the offensive attack with Pugliese knocking down 18 points.

The Panthers played big underneath and controlled the boards with Miree scoring 14 points and hauling away nine rebounds. Wynne added 12 points and 10 rebounds with McGettigan chipping in with 11 points.

It marked the second game in a row that the Panthers had five players in double digits in scoring, showing a consistency on offense that makes them a threat in the SWC. Pomperaug finished out December playing in the Nonnewaug Holiday Tournament Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 29 and 30, against Bristol Eastern and Nonnewaug. The Panthers head into the new year Monday, Jan. 4, at Northwestern. They will be home Wednesday, Jan. 6, taking on Bethel and then conclude the first week of January Friday, Jan. 8, at Masuk in Monroe.

Stay tuned for further Panthers basketball action at www. bee-news.com throughout the season.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver is increasingly common DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 59 years old and am having problems with my lower abdomen. After colonoscopy and ultrasound, my doctor called to say I have a fatty liver. When asked what that means, I was told to lose weight.

I weigh 170 pounds, and am 5 feet 6 inches tall.

Research online suggests that alcohol is an issue, but I don’t drink. I may have a drink or a beer when I go out, but most times I am the designated driver, so I don’t drink. The only medication I take is estradiol-norethindrone 0.5-0.1; I take one daily.

Diabetes does not run in my family, and I have not been tested for it.

Can you give me information on “fatty liver” and treatment?

– J.A. ANSWER: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is an increasingly common problem; in fact, it is the most common liver disorder in industrialized countries. Recent studies have suggested that 30 to 46 percent of people in the U.S. have NAFLD. Most people are diagnosed in their 40s or 50s.

Obesity, particularly abdominal obesity (as opposed to fat around the hips and thighs) is common in fatty liver disease.

People with suspected NAFLD should have other possible causes evaluated, especially viral hepatitis (types B and C), hemochromatosis and autoimmune hepatitis.

Simple fatty liver is a benign condition; however, some people will develop the more serious condition non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Seventy percent of people with NASH are obese, and up to 75 percent have Type 2 diabetes. NASH without treatment can lead to fibrosis and even cirrhosis of the liver.

Your body mass index is 27, so you are considered overweight, not obese. Still, I would recommend gradually losing 10 pounds or so. I also would recommend that you continue to drink very moderately or not at all. Exercise also can help.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am 77, female and in great health except for being diagnosed with achalasia. I know it is rare, and I was happy to find out why my digestive system had discomfort. Do yoga twists or shoulder stands worsen this? It seems worse when I do these. – E.H. ANSWER: Achalasia is a disease of abnormal movement in the esophagus, the muscular tube that carries food from the back of your throat to the stomach. It is caused by damage to the nerves in the esophagus, possibly from destruction by the body’s immune system. Because of the nerve damage, the food gets stuck in the esophagus, leading to difficulty swallowing and vomiting of undigested food.

Both solids and liquids are affected, as opposed to esophageal cancer, in which the problem is mostly solids.

Gravity helps us swallow, so being upside down will make gravity work against you, and I would expect the condition to worsen with yoga positions that turn the esophagus upside down.

1. When was the last time before 2015 that the Detroit Tigers started a season 6-0?

2. Who had more stolen bases in his career: George Brett or Pete Rose?

3. Name either of the two Ohio State quarterbacks to be picked in the first round of the NFL Draft.

4. Entering this season, who is the Memphis Grizzlies’ leader in career blocked shots?

5. In the 2014-15 season, Carey Price set a Montreal Canadiens record for most wins by a goaltender (44). Whose mark did he break?

6. Montreal’s Didier Drogba in 2015 became the oldest MLS player (37) to record a hat trick. Who had been the oldest?

7. Which horse holds the record for fastest Breeders’ Cup Classic victory?

Answers:

(c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.

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I wouldn’t recommend those types of positions, especially since they may cause or worsen vomiting.

Treatment of achalasia should be done by an expert in the condition, and may include dilation of the esophagus, injection with Botox into the muscle or surgery.

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.

1. It was 1985.

2. Brett had 201 steals in 21 seasons; Rose had 198 in 24 seasons.

3. Don Scott (1941) and Art Schlichter (1982).

4. Pau Gasol, with 877.

5. Jacques Plante (twice) and Ken Dryden each had 42 wins in a season.

6. Marco Di Vaio was 36 when he had a hat trick in 2013 for Montreal.

7. Ghostzapper ran a 1:59.02 in 2004.

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The Bee-Intelligencer

January 2016

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Classified Advertising Deadline: 5 p.m. Monday Classified Advertising Cost: $10 per insertion, up to 40 words. 25¢ each additional word.

Submit ad with your name, address, telephone number and payment to: Mail: Bee-Intelligencer, P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 Email: mbisubmit@gmail.com Office: 2030 Straits Turnpike, Suite 1 This publication does not knowurdays and Sundays yearingly accept advertising which is round 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. deceptive, fraudulent, or which Routes 6 and 64 in Woodmight otherwise violate the law bury, Conn. 203-263-6217. or accepted standards of taste.

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Legal notice LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF CAUCUS OF THE MIDDLEBURY REPUBLICAN PARTY Notice is hereby given that there will be a caucus of all enrolled Republican electors of the Town of Middlebury on Tuesday, Jan.12, 2016, at 7:30 P.M. at the Shepardson Community Center, 1172 Whittemore Road, Middlebury, CT to endorse candidates for the Republican Town Committee. Proper identification will be required for voting purposes.

Thomas King Chairman

Legal notice LEGAL NOTICE BID REQUEST TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY Request for Qualifications Middlebury Design Guidelines Response Deadline: March 1, 2016, 10:00 AM Middlebury Town Hall Office of First Selectman 1212 Whittemore Road Middlebury, CT 06762-2425

(Kathleen Brown-Carrano cartoon)

Now Here’s a Tip

Preparation of Design Guidelines • Wondering what winter fruits The Town of Middlebury is accepting Statements of Qualificaand vegetables are in season? tions and Cost Proposals from qualified professional planning Here’s a sampling: apples, and design consultants or consultant teams to assist in the dates and pears, as well as citpreparation of a set of Design Guidelines. These Design Guidelines will be used in conjunction with the Town Zoning Regularus like grapefruit, oranges and tions when and where appropriate to help the local land use and tangerines. For vegetables, economic development commissions obtain the best possible consider endive, bok choy, and feasible building and site design. The selected consultant, Brussels sprouts, kale, leeks, specifically the individual(s) assigned to directly interact with the mushrooms, parsnips, radicTown, shall have extensive and specific understanding, technical knowledge, and experience in community design, planning chio, rutabagas, sweet potaand the drafting of Design Guidelines. toes, turnips, yams and winter

squash.

Preparation of a Village Center Streetscape Plan • Don’t store propane tanks in The Town of Middlebury is accepting Statements of Qualifications and Cost Proposals from qualified professional planning the garage or shed. Propane and design consultants to assist in the preparation of a Village has a freezing point of -310 F, Center Streetscape Plan. The selected consultant, specifically so tanks can stay outside yearthe individual(s) assigned to directly interact with the Town, shall round. Even a small leak can have extensive and specific understanding, technical knowlbuild up in an enclosed space, edge, and experience in community planning and the drafting of a Streetscape Plan so be sure to keep those tanks outdoors!

Comprehensive Zoning Regulations Update The Town of Middlebury is accepting Statements of Qualifica- • If you want to keep pots and pans looking great, scrape off tions and Cost Proposals from qualified professional planning consultants and/or land use attorneys to assist in the preparation of a comprehensive update to the Town’s Zoning Regulations. The selected consultant, specifically the individual(s) assigned to directly interact with the Town shall have extensive and specific understanding, technical knowledge, and experience in community planning and the drafting of Zoning Regulations.

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residue as soon as you can af-

• Need a patch for old woodwork? cooking. the heat from Tryter mixing paintUse (whatever color you to arerecently using) andturned-off flour. Make aovens paste, fill Getlike a in loosen the holes stuck-on and let dry.bits.

It’s hard cement, and can be sanded plastic scrubbie, whichinto willshape not if necessary. damage the finish on your pots.

• When you get near the end of a roll For cast iron, scrub with salt of paper towels, save it to put in your butthe notfollowsoap. car.for Putabrasiveness, together a kit with with oil and wipe dry. ingCoat items: a small bottle of Windex or other cleaner, a squeeze bottle of • Looking to cut calories?

Add water, some wet wipes and short more vegetables to the meals. rollCook of paper you’ll with towels. steam, Now or stir fry always be ready for a quick on-thewith very little oil – or better road cleanup.

• Use baking soda to scrub away stuck-on food on your grill. Sprinkle it on the metal brush, and scrub away.

If your grate is beyond the power of fire and baking soda, remove it and lay it on the ground on some newspaper. Spray with oven cleaner and let sit (keep pets and kids away from it).

Rinse with a garden hose and replace By grill.

Pat Iannuzzi on the • “I have a plastic Insights for cup that changes color when the Living drink is hot. Oddly Constructive enough, it changes at the perfect temperature for my baby’s bath. So, I fill the andat toss in theinsurmountcup. When the ingtub and, times, cup starts to change back to its origiable. nal color (blue), I know the bathwater If both your is not too hot.”

—personal P. in Idahoand pro-

yet, use broth to stir fry! Roast root vegetables to bring out the natural sweetness instead of frying.

• This tip to remove antiperspirant stains has worked for me.

Take two aspirin and crush them; mix with a half cup of hot water. Pour directly on the stain, and allow it to sit for a couple of hours.” – S.D. in Georgia • Recipe substitutions: If you need 1 cup self-rising flour, use 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1½ teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. (c) 2015 King Features Synd., Inc.

Expanding your comfort zone

Whether or not we are aware

OVERVIEW of it, we all have them, and The Middlebury Planning and Zoning Commission recently adopted a revised Plan of Conservation and Development whether or not we realize it, they have a definite impact on our (POCD).

personal and professional suc-

Middlebury’s Zoning Regulations were adopted in May 29, cess. I’m talking about our be1975 and periodically revised. Since they were originally adopted, a number of amendments have been made, but a compre- havioral comfort zones.

The term comfort zone origihensive review and rewrite is currently desired by the Planning and Zoning Commission. nally was used to describe a temFurther updating and improvement of the Regulations, consistent with the Town’s Plan of Conservation and Development, is now a priority to assist in the implementation of ongoing efforts and measures to promote positive and efficient economic development, encourage appropriate mixed use pattern of development in Village Center creation and other tactics to provide for a mix of housing opportunities while preserving and enhancing the character of the community. The adopted 2015 Plan of Conservation and Development make numerous recommendations for updating and amending the Regulations.

The Complete request for Qualifications for Middlebury Design Guidelines is available on the Town website at www.middleburyct.org or the State of Connecticut Department of Administrative Services (DAS) website at www.das.ct.gov, State Contracting Portal, Town of Middlebury Project specifications are also available Monday – Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm at: Office of the First Selectman 1212 Whittemore Road Middlebury, CT 06762 Direct Questions regarding this RFP in writing or by email to: Office of First Selectman 1212 Whittemore Road Middlebury, CT 06762 203-758-2439 firstselectman@middlebury-ct.org The Town of Middlebury reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or to reopen the process, or to waive defects in same, if it deems such to be in the best interest of the Town.

Monthly SUDOKU

perature range of about 67 to 78 degrees at which, depending on the season, people were neither too hot nor too cold, i.e., comfortable. Today the term also describes a condition in which a person feels content, in control and anxiety-free. From a psychological standpoint, a comfort zone is an artificial mental boundary within which we maintain a sense of security and outside of which we can experience discomfort.

To a significant degree, our comfort zones are a reflection of our self-concept and how we think and expect things should be. Our self-concept reflects how we view ourselves and determines how we experience life. If we see ourselves in a positive and healthy light, our life experiences likely will also be positive and healthy. On the other hand, if our opinion of ourselves is that we are weak and fragile, we will find life’s challenges overwhelm-

Winning Ways

fessional lives are currently right on track, then the boundaries of your behavioral comfort zones are just right for you. Your behaviors are giving you exactly what you desire from life. However, if you are not completely satisfied with the direction in • Sprinkle powder in dish which somebaby aspects of your life gloves to help them slide on an are headed, you must adoptindifinstant. ferent behaviors.

As the saying • “To remove muffins or rolls from if ityou doing what agoes, pan, set on ankeep old, damp towel for you’re to ayou’re minute.doing, The steam must going loosen the bottoms, because they just slide right keep getting what you’re getting. out. thank my mom thisexpand tip.” — ThisI means that wefor must Janey R. via e-mail our comfort zones to accommoSendthe your tips to Now date necessary newHere’s behav-a Tip, c/o King Features Weekly Seriors P.O. thatBox will536475, generate the life vice, Orlando, FL outcomes we desire.

32853-6475.

Change can be disturbing and © 2015 King Features Synd., Inc. uncomfortable. That’s why people usually try to avoid it and consciously or subconsciously decide to stay within the familiar behavioral boundaries of their comfort zones. To step outside his or her comfort zone, a person

must experiment with new and challenging behaviors and then be prepared to deal with the consequences those behavioral changes generate. A person must proactively decide that he or she would rather deal with the challenges, anxiety and discomfort that are associated with the behavioral changes that are required to achieve meaningful, rewarding and satisfying results than put up with the disappointments and frustrations that come from remaining within his or her comfort zone.

Do you know what your comfort zones are? Have you consciously thought about them? Do your comfort zones empower you to achieve or do they limit your potential? What price are you willing to pay to be mentally and emotionally comfortable? As we begin 2016, it may be a great time to assess our personal comfort zones with an eye toward expanding them for a more successful new year.

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.

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The Bee-Intelligencer

8

Golden -

Continued from page 5 screaming “Wake up baby!” at a 10-month-old girl.

As technology innovates and enables us to communicate with the devices that surround us, legislation on the state and federal level as well as the international levels needs to follow suit to address those newfound features with the resulting exposures they may create.

Roland Vogl, who heads Codex, the Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, foresees users in the Internet of Things connecting their devices to a “personal

dashboard” through which they would monitor and control their data. They would select which data could be shared and with which companies. While that wouldn’t prevent the hacking of people’s data or information, it would place greater control in the hands of the user and the creators of it.

Addressing the challenges and opportunities posed by our everincreasing interconnected world must be balanced against the mutually associated privacy and cyber security.

If you require assistance in cyber security, contact Golden Technology Services at (972)679-9738 or justin.golden@gtscloud.com.

Send in your pet photos Your pet could be featured as “Pet of the Month” in this picture frame. Send us your pet’s photo by email to mbisubmit@ gmail.com or by regular mail to P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 along with your pet’s name, your last name and your town.

January 2016

LPOS Fenn Farm discussions continue

By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE The Middlebury Land Preservation and Open Space Acquisition Committee (LPOS) at its Dec. 2 meeting discussed Fenn Farm maintenance and an easement between farm property and the adjacent cemetery.

Chairman Ray Pietrorazio told members a bid package for reroofing the cow barn was still being prepared by a consulting engineer and a tarp had been temporarily installed to prevent further leakage during the winter. He said Public Works Director Dan Norton would have a request for quotations (RFQ) for the reroofing out to bid by February so work could begin in early

spring before roofing contractors became busy and costs would be higher. Pietrorazio also discussed further repairs needed for the horse barn, where a mason recently repaired the foundation.

He said he would seek volunteers to shore up basement entrance support timbers.

In other matters, LPOS member Pat Dwyer, also a member of the Middlebury Cemetery Association (MCA), told Pietrorazio he was OK with a proposed meeting between the association and Middlebury town attorney Dana D’Angelo at her office on Dec. 12, but could not commit without officer approval. The purpose of the meeting was to address a proposed revocable

license agreement allowing gravesite preparation and burial vehicles to travel over a 15-foot strip of Fenn farm property, a matter Pietrorazio said had nothing to do with LPOS, but which had consumed long back-andforth discussions at every meeting since August.

Much of those discussions concerned the role of Robert Fenn in the license agreement, which Dwyer said wasn’t acceptable to the MCA. Fenn sold the historic farm he grew up in to Middlebury on Oct. 31, 2006, for $1,600,000 with preservation easements to the town and the Middlebury Land Trust, retaining what the 26-page contract called a life estate to live on the

farm, oversee operations, and care for it as if he retained ownership, with major repairs becoming the responsibility of the town.

The relationship between Fenn and the LPOS as to what was meant by “oversee the premises as if he remained the full owner” was controversial at many meetings and never put to rest, “coming up time and time again,” according to comments

by Pietrorazio to members James Crocicchia and Richard Spierto, who questioned Fenn’s legal right to run the farm.

The next regular LPOS meeting will be Wed. Jan. 6, 2016, at 6 p.m. at Shepardson Community Center.

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He is 3 to 4 years old. He is mellow, affectionate, healthy, calm and a real sweetheart. He may be slightly shy at first, but he will soon come around and be your best friend and loyal companion. He loves attention. He would be fine with another mellow cat, but also would be good as an only cat.

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Quincy, Samson and Silvio are with Pet Protectors. Find an adoption application on the website, www.petprotectorsrescue.org, or call 203-330-0255 or email contactus@petprotectorsrescue.org for more information or an application.

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