B EE I NTELLIGENCER B EE I NTELLIGENCER Informing the towns of Middlebury, Southbury, Woodbury, Naugatuck, Oxford and Watertown Volume VIII, No. 43 Friday, October 19, 2012 A FREE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER FREE Prst. Std. U.S. Postage Paid Naugatuck, CT #27 “How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days.” ~ John Burroughs Adoptable Pets ................. 8 Classifieds ........................ 7 Community Calendar........ 2 Computer Tip ................... 8 Fire Log............................ 2 In Brief ............................. 4 Legal Notices ................... 7 Letters to the Editor.......... 4 Library Happenings........... 2 Nuggets for Life ............... 6 Obituaries ........................ 5 Parks & Recreation ........... 6 Puzzles............................. 7 Region 15 Calendar ......... 3 Senior Center News.......... 3 Varsity Sports Calendar..... 6 Inside this Issue Published weekly by The Middlebury Bee Intelligencer Society, LLC - 2030 Straits Turnpike, Middlebury, CT 06762 - Copyright 2012 Editorial Office: Email: [email protected]Phone: 203-577-6800 Mail: P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 Advertising Sales: Email: [email protected]UPCOMING EVENTS Our office is at 2030 Straits Turnpike, Suite 1 203-577-6800 Mail: P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 SATURDAY Oct. 20 SWC fills backpacks for those in need Page 3 All Hollow’s Eve at the Glebe House When: 5 to 8:30 p.m. What: A night of spooky spirits and historic revelations during a tour through the Ancient Burying Grounds. Where: The Glebe House Museum at 49 Hollow Road in Woodbury Middlebury Volunteer Fire Dept. Open House When: 1 to 5 p.m. What: Tour fire trucks and ambulances, watch fire safety demos, raffle at 4 p.m. Where: Tucker Hill Road Firehouse SUNDAY Oct. 21 By KATHLEEN RIEDEL A week ago Thursday night, classmates, friends and family congregated on the Pomp- eraug High School (PHS) track for a Walk of Light memorial in honor of Tucker Gowen. He died Tuesday, Oct. 9. As Truck Gowen said in the eulogy for his son at Saturday’s funeral service, “We rarely remember a person for one thing. Rather we remember a collage of moments, expressions and touches – the look in their eyes, their smile.” In this way friends and teammates remem- bered Tucker – sharing stories of his constant smile, the way he imitated Michael Jackson’s dance and sang Eminem, played the piano dur- ing free blocks and refused to tie his own tie. The evening of remembrances concluded with a candlelight vigil during which field lights were turned off and the community walked the track, holding lights and quietly remembering Tucker. March 24, 2012, after a routine checkup, then 17-year-old Tucker Gowen was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Throughout the seven months that followed, Tucker, his family and the community fought hard for Tucker’s life. But Tucker’s fight, his energy and determi- nation were not limited to his battle with cancer. As a member of the PHS band and swim team, Tucker “taught us how a person is really capa- ble of fighting to succeed at a whole new level,” PHS swim coach Fran Pentino said at Thursday’s walk. Twenty years ago, Pentino began the tradi- tion of writing letters to his senior athletes at the end of the season. At Thursday’s Walk of Light, he shared his letter to Tucker with the 1000-plus attendees. “You, Tucker, will always be remembered for your amazing kind heart, your never-ending positive attitude, your competitive spirit and your refreshing innocence you brought to prac- tice, to school and to life every day,” Pentino read. Tucker excelled academically, loved and made music in the band room and on the pool deck and swam with a fervor that helped his team achieve a 41-1 record as well two South West Conference league and three Class-L state championship titles. His positive energy was contagious and stim- ulating to his peers and teammates. “He taught me it’s okay to be yourself,” swim- mer Tommy McNamara said. “That seemed to be his mission,” fellow band member Claire Boettcher said. “To make people laugh or smile by simply doing what he knew best. Being Tucker.” Tucker was the eldest of five children, and Pentino spoke of the love Tucker showed his brothers and sister. “I saw how seriously you took the job of mentor and big brother. Never did I see you stray from your responsibility as a leader or role model for your siblings or your teammates and other classmates.” “When we think of you,” Boettcher said, “We will swim extra laps, play more beautiful music and smile more often.” Tucker’s funeral service was Saturday, Oct. 13, at Sacred Heart Church in Southbury. By KATHLEEN RIEDEL After three years of work to come up with an acceptable elderly tax relief plan, Paul Babarik of the Elderly Tax Relief Committee presented the com- mittee’s latest plan to the Board of Se- lectmen (BoS) for approval at Monday night’s meeting. Also at the BoS meet- ing, Parks and Recreation Director Betty Proulx proposed establishing a trust fund to alleviate the budget strain for the Middlebury Recreation Area (MRA), Middlebury parks and the Greenway. Babarik said the latest elderly tax relief plan uses the State Circuit Breaker (SCB) program as its backbone. Recip- ients of SCB tax relief – currently 74 Middlebury residents – would apply and qualify for the program through Middlebury Director of Social Services JoAnn Cappelletti. Currently, the pro- gram pays out $45,857, an amount re- imbursed to Middlebury by the state. Babarik said the new program is rather simple. To receive additional re- lief, candidates must be 65 or older and participants in the SCB program. Other qualifications include meeting state income requirements (married couples gross income of $39,000 maximum and singles gross income of $32,300); living in Middlebury 183 days or more per year; living at the same residence for five years or more; owning, paying taxes on and living in the home; as well as being up-to-date on tax payments. Following the BoS rejection of the committee’s former $99,000 income limit, the Elderly Tax Relief Committee has devised three new proposals for aid. The first would provide a flat $500 in additional tax relief. With 74 possible applicants, the maximum exposure to Middlebury would be $36,500. The second would provide 60 per- cent additional tax relief, creating $27,514 maximum exposure. The third, favored by the committee, offers 50 per- cent additional relief with $22,928 max- imum exposure for the town. Seeking approval for one of the three plans, Babarik asked for further guid- ance from the BoS. “It was my understanding that we would fall in the $25,000 area,” First Se- lectman Edward B. St. John responded. “Basically you have two proposals that fall in that area.” In terms of proper protocol, St. John suggested a meeting between the com- mittee and the Board of Finance (BoF) for further proceedings, with BoF alter- nate member Dick Spierto acting on the committee’s behalf. “It actually is the town that has to sign off on this. It’s a little complex. This is not really something the Board of Selectmen would officiate. You fall within the guide- lines for the monetary amount. The prob- lem is there is a process which will ulti- mately take a public hearing and a bud- get approval to finally get it approved. Then it would become a part of the bud- getary process,” St. John said. In an effort to move the process for- ward, St. John revealed $25,000 was put into a reserve account by former board member Francis Ruccio for a similar plan proposed in the past. This money would pay for only year one of the pro- gram. Babarik said he will ask Chief Financial Officer Larry Hutvagner about this reserve account. During public comments, Proulx proposed a Parks and Recreation trust fund that would allow residents donat- ing to the department to receive tax deductions. “My goal is eventually to set up a Friends of the Greenway pro- gram. There are a lot of people who use the Greenway who would maybe like to donate to it. And to donate now, they can’t do a tax deduction,” Proulx said. She used the Greenway Committee’s current flowerbed maintenance fund- raiser as an example. If the trust fund were established, fundraising money could go into the trust fund to alleviate future budget strain. She also proposed using funds from the snack bar for MRA expenses. Drawing a parallel to the Library Improvement Fund, Selectmen Elaine Strobel expressed concern over how the Parks and Rec fund would be run. “The treasurer signs off on it, but you can do what you want with the money, cor- rect?” St. John agreed. In the past, auditors felt the Library Improvement Fund should be handled by the town’s audi- tors. All finances and checks would be accounted for by the BoS with the bless- ing of the library. “I would recommend very strongly that if you are going to set up a fund, it be under the umbrella of the town, be audited by the town and at your direc- tion the funds would be expended. This is a nice clean way,” St. John said. Parks and Rec Commission Chair- man Ron Clark said the committee’s intent “was never to bypass regulations.” St. John said selectmen will revisit the issue at a future meeting. In the in- terim, he asked Proulx and Clark to consult Hutvagner and the town attor- ney about how a trust fund would be structured. Earlier in the meeting, selectmen approved the reappointment of Dennis M. Small (R) as Zoning Board of Appeals member from Oct. 6, 2012, to Oct. 6, 2017. Selectman Ralph Barra also an- nounced a Lights on the Greenway meeting Wednesday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. in Room 26 at Shepardson Community Center. The next regular BoS meeting will be Monday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall Conference Room. By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE The Middlebury Economic and Industrial Develop- ment Commission (EIDC) at its Oct. 15 special meeting fleshed out plans to create a commercial development guidebook for new and expanding businesses. To prepare for the project, commissioners were asked Sept. 25 to visit the various land use offices, gather forms and inter- view employees and appointed officials involved in ap- provals. Co-chairman Gerry Matthews said one objective of the effort was to simplify the processes. He said Planning and Zoning (P&Z) has a one-page application requiring a $25 filing fee and several other required forms depending on the work. He recommended they all be placed on the town website to cut out unnecessary trips to Town Hall. Co-chairman Michael Kenausis suggested the $30 printed zoning regulations also be available online for free. Matthews said recent Planning and Zoning Commis- sion procedural amendments require all commercial use changes to go before the commission, making the process more onerous for simple changes formerly approved by the Zoning Enforcement Officer (ZEO). Commissioner Joseph Salvini noted limited hours of the Fire Marshall, ZEO and Wetlands Enforcement Officer (WEO) due to reduced staff budgets and the few incoming applications in our small town. Commissioner Frank Mirovsky said he visited WEO Deborah Seavey and learned there were a lot of “it depends” in a process defined by a $15 folder of regulations. Salvini said getting approvals could easily exceed 60 days because applications wait for acceptance at public meetings, and public hearings sometimes continue more than a month before a decision is made. He complimented the land use office staff, saying they guide applicants through the necessary forms. Kenausis passed around a flowchart and recommended it as a method of showing the steps and approvals needed for different situations, but cautioned it could not cover everything. Commissioner Mark Petrucci passed around a guidebook from Georgetown, Mass., as an example to use, and Matthews remarked it covered most of the nec- essary ground but was much more than a few pages. A follow-up special meeting was set for Monday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. to continue the work, and commissioners were assigned to speak with the Town Engineer, Fire Marshall and Water Pollution Control Authority before that meeting. The next regular EIDC meeting will be Tuesday, Nov. 20, at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Hall conference room, but it may be cancelled if there is no new business. Elderly Tax Relief Committee presents plan; Proulx proposes trust fund EIDC tackles commercial development guidebook More than 1,000 people hold lights as they remember PHS senior Tucker Gowen at the PHS track last Thursday night. A Walk of Light was held there to remember Gowen, who lost his battle with leukemia last Tuesday. (Kathleen Riedel photo) Community remembers PHS senior Tucker Gowen
Transcript
Bee IntellIgencerBee IntellIgencerInforming the towns of Middlebury, Southbury, Woodbury, Naugatuck, Oxford and Watertown
Volume VIII, No. 43 Friday, October 19, 2012A FREE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
FREE
Prst. Std. U.S. Postage PaidNaugatuck, CT
#27
“How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days.” ~ John Burroughs
Adoptable Pets .................8Classifieds ........................7Community Calendar ........2Computer Tip ...................8Fire Log ............................2In Brief .............................4Legal Notices ...................7Letters to the Editor ..........4
Library Happenings ...........2Nuggets for Life ...............6Obituaries ........................5Parks & Recreation ...........6Puzzles.............................7Region 15 Calendar .........3Senior Center News ..........3Varsity Sports Calendar .....6
Inside this Issue
Published weekly by The Middlebury Bee Intelligencer Society, LLC - 2030 Straits Turnpike, Middlebury, CT 06762 - Copyright 2012
All Hollow’s Eve at the glebe House When: 5 to 8:30 p.m.What: A night of spooky spirits and historic revelations during a tour through the Ancient Burying Grounds.Where: The Glebe House Museum at 49 Hollow Road in Woodbury
middlebury volunteer Fire Dept. open HouseWhen: 1 to 5 p.m.What: Tour fire trucks and ambulances, watch fire safety demos, raffle at 4 p.m.Where: Tucker Hill Road Firehouse
SuNdayOct. 21
By KATHLEEN RIEDEL
A week ago Thursday night, classmates, friends and family congregated on the Pomp-eraug High School (PHS) track for a Walk of Light memorial in honor of Tucker Gowen. He died Tuesday, Oct. 9.
As Truck Gowen said in the eulogy for his son at Saturday’s funeral service, “We rarely remember a person for one thing. Rather we remember a collage of moments, expressions and touches – the look in their eyes, their smile.”
In this way friends and teammates remem-bered Tucker – sharing stories of his constant smile, the way he imitated Michael Jackson’s dance and sang Eminem, played the piano dur-ing free blocks and refused to tie his own tie.
The evening of remembrances concluded with a candlelight vigil during which field lights were turned off and the community walked the track, holding lights and quietly remembering Tucker.
March 24, 2012, after a routine checkup, then 17-year-old Tucker Gowen was diagnosed with
acute myeloid leukemia. Throughout the seven months that followed, Tucker, his family and the community fought hard for Tucker’s life.
But Tucker’s fight, his energy and determi-nation were not limited to his battle with cancer. As a member of the PHS band and swim team, Tucker “taught us how a person is really capa-ble of fighting to succeed at a whole new level,” PHS swim coach Fran Pentino said at Thursday’s walk.
Twenty years ago, Pentino began the tradi-tion of writing letters to his senior athletes at the end of the season. At Thursday’s Walk of Light, he shared his letter to Tucker with the 1000-plus attendees.
“You, Tucker, will always be remembered for your amazing kind heart, your never-ending positive attitude, your competitive spirit and your refreshing innocence you brought to prac-tice, to school and to life every day,” Pentino read.
Tucker excelled academically, loved and made music in the band room and on the pool deck and swam with a fervor that helped his
team achieve a 41-1 record as well two South West Conference league and three Class-L state championship titles.
His positive energy was contagious and stim-ulating to his peers and teammates.
“He taught me it’s okay to be yourself,” swim-mer Tommy McNamara said.
“That seemed to be his mission,” fellow band member Claire Boettcher said. “To make people laugh or smile by simply doing what he knew best. Being Tucker.”
Tucker was the eldest of five children, and Pentino spoke of the love Tucker showed his brothers and sister. “I saw how seriously you took the job of mentor and big brother. Never did I see you stray from your responsibility as a leader or role model for your siblings or your teammates and other classmates.”
“When we think of you,” Boettcher said, “We will swim extra laps, play more beautiful music and smile more often.”
Tucker’s funeral service was Saturday, Oct. 13, at Sacred Heart Church in Southbury.
By KATHLEEN RIEDEL
After three years of work to come up with an acceptable elderly tax relief plan, Paul Babarik of the Elderly Tax Relief Committee presented the com-mittee’s latest plan to the Board of Se-lectmen (BoS) for approval at Monday night’s meeting. Also at the BoS meet-ing, Parks and Recreation Director Betty Proulx proposed establishing a trust fund to alleviate the budget strain for the Middlebury Recreation Area (MRA), Middlebury parks and the Greenway.
Babarik said the latest elderly tax relief plan uses the State Circuit Breaker (SCB) program as its backbone. Recip-ients of SCB tax relief – currently 74 Middlebury residents – would apply and qualify for the program through Middlebury Director of Social Services JoAnn Cappelletti. Currently, the pro-gram pays out $45,857, an amount re-imbursed to Middlebury by the state.
Babarik said the new program is rather simple. To receive additional re-lief, candidates must be 65 or older and participants in the SCB program. Other
qualifications include meeting state income requirements (married couples gross income of $39,000 maximum and singles gross income of $32,300); living in Middlebury 183 days or more per year; living at the same residence for five years or more; owning, paying taxes on and living in the home; as well as being up-to-date on tax payments.
Following the BoS rejection of the committee’s former $99,000 income limit, the Elderly Tax Relief Committee has devised three new proposals for aid.
The first would provide a flat $500 in additional tax relief. With 74 possible applicants, the maximum exposure to Middlebury would be $36,500.
The second would provide 60 per-cent additional tax relief, creating $27,514 maximum exposure. The third, favored by the committee, offers 50 per-cent additional relief with $22,928 max-imum exposure for the town.
Seeking approval for one of the three plans, Babarik asked for further guid-ance from the BoS.
“It was my understanding that we would fall in the $25,000 area,” First Se-lectman Edward B. St. John responded.
“Basically you have two proposals that fall in that area.”
In terms of proper protocol, St. John suggested a meeting between the com-mittee and the Board of Finance (BoF) for further proceedings, with BoF alter-nate member Dick Spierto acting on the committee’s behalf.
“It actually is the town that has to sign off on this. It’s a little complex. This is not really something the Board of Selectmen would officiate. You fall within the guide-lines for the monetary amount. The prob-lem is there is a process which will ulti-mately take a public hearing and a bud-get approval to finally get it approved. Then it would become a part of the bud-getary process,” St. John said.
In an effort to move the process for-ward, St. John revealed $25,000 was put into a reserve account by former board member Francis Ruccio for a similar plan proposed in the past. This money would pay for only year one of the pro-gram. Babarik said he will ask Chief Financial Officer Larry Hutvagner about this reserve account.
During public comments, Proulx proposed a Parks and Recreation trust
fund that would allow residents donat-ing to the department to receive tax deductions. “My goal is eventually to set up a Friends of the Greenway pro-gram. There are a lot of people who use the Greenway who would maybe like to donate to it. And to donate now, they can’t do a tax deduction,” Proulx said.
She used the Greenway Committee’s current flowerbed maintenance fund-raiser as an example. If the trust fund were established, fundraising money could go into the trust fund to alleviate future budget strain. She also proposed using funds from the snack bar for MRA expenses.
Drawing a parallel to the Library Improvement Fund, Selectmen Elaine Strobel expressed concern over how the Parks and Rec fund would be run. “The treasurer signs off on it, but you can do what you want with the money, cor-rect?”
St. John agreed. In the past, auditors felt the Library Improvement Fund should be handled by the town’s audi-tors. All finances and checks would be accounted for by the BoS with the bless-ing of the library.
“I would recommend very strongly that if you are going to set up a fund, it be under the umbrella of the town, be audited by the town and at your direc-tion the funds would be expended. This is a nice clean way,” St. John said.
Parks and Rec Commission Chair-man Ron Clark said the committee’s intent “was never to bypass regulations.”
St. John said selectmen will revisit the issue at a future meeting. In the in-terim, he asked Proulx and Clark to consult Hutvagner and the town attor-ney about how a trust fund would be structured.
Earlier in the meeting, selectmen approved the reappointment of Dennis M. Small (R) as Zoning Board of Appeals member from Oct. 6, 2012, to Oct. 6, 2017.
Selectman Ralph Barra also an-nounced a Lights on the Greenway meeting Wednesday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. in Room 26 at Shepardson Community Center.
The next regular BoS meeting will be Monday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. in the Town Hall Conference Room.
By TERRENCE S. MCAULIFFE
The Middlebury Economic and Industrial Develop-ment Commission (EIDC) at its Oct. 15 special meeting fleshed out plans to create a commercial development guidebook for new and expanding businesses. To prepare for the project, commissioners were asked Sept. 25 to visit the various land use offices, gather forms and inter-view employees and appointed officials involved in ap-provals.
Co-chairman Gerry Matthews said one objective of the effort was to simplify the processes. He said Planning and Zoning (P&Z) has a one-page application requiring a $25 filing fee and several other required forms depending on the work. He recommended they all be placed on the town website to cut out unnecessary trips to Town Hall. Co-chairman Michael Kenausis suggested the $30 printed zoning regulations also be available online for free.
Matthews said recent Planning and Zoning Commis-sion procedural amendments require all commercial use changes to go before the commission, making the process more onerous for simple changes formerly approved by the Zoning Enforcement Officer (ZEO). Commissioner Joseph Salvini noted limited hours of the Fire Marshall, ZEO and Wetlands Enforcement Officer (WEO) due to reduced staff budgets and the few incoming applications in our small town. Commissioner Frank Mirovsky said he visited WEO Deborah Seavey and learned there were a lot of “it depends” in a process defined by a $15 folder of regulations.
Salvini said getting approvals could easily exceed 60 days because applications wait for acceptance at public meetings, and public hearings sometimes continue more than a month before a decision is made. He complimented the land use office staff, saying they guide applicants through the necessary forms.
Kenausis passed around a flowchart and recommended it as a method of showing the steps and approvals needed for different situations, but cautioned it could not cover everything. Commissioner Mark Petrucci passed around a guidebook from Georgetown, Mass., as an example to use, and Matthews remarked it covered most of the nec-essary ground but was much more than a few pages.
A follow-up special meeting was set for Monday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. to continue the work, and commissioners were assigned to speak with the Town Engineer, Fire Marshall and Water Pollution Control Authority before that meeting. The next regular EIDC meeting will be Tuesday, Nov. 20, at 6:30 p.m. in the Town Hall conference room, but it may be cancelled if there is no new business.
Elderly tax Relief committee presents plan; proulx proposes trust fund
EIDc tackles commercial
development guidebook
More than 1,000 people hold lights as they remember PHS senior Tucker Gowen at the PHS track last Thursday night. A Walk of Light was held there to remember Gowen, who lost his battle with leukemia last Tuesday. (Kathleen Riedel photo)
community remembers pHs senior tucker gowen
2 Friday, October 19, 2012The Bee-Intelligencer
middleburyWeekly Programs
Monday, Oct. 22, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Travel DVD on gi-ant screen with surround sound in Larkin Room: “France and Benelux.” Chess with Mike: be-ginners welcome.
Tuesday, Oct. 23, 3 p.m.: Ask Mike! E-reader and computer questions and instruction. Sign-up required.
6:30 p.m.: Drop-in knitting with Miss Ann.
Wednesday, Oct. 24, 1 p.m.: Stroll through the stacks with Lesley.
Thursday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m.: Ask Mike! E-reader and computer questions and instruction. Sign-up required.
Friday, Oct. 26, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Video in the Larkin Room. “Life of Birds, Part 2.” Chess with Mike: beginners wel-come.
12:30 p.m.: Newest release movie for adults. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the giant screen. If you have any suggestions for movies, let us know.
Halloween Art Project 1Sue Healy, a professional art-
ist and illustrator, will present a special Halloween workshop Tuesday, Oct. 23, from 3 to 4 p.m. She will show children in grades one and two how to create 3D pumpkins.
StoryWorldA new program, “StoryWorld
- Tales from the Haunted House,” will meet Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 6:30 p.m. A cross between choos-ing your own adventure and a card game where you get to make up the rules, “StoryWorld - Tales from the Haunted House” en-courages participants to use cre-ativity to tell stories.
Halloween Art Project 2Sue Healy, a professional art-
ist and illustrator, will present a special Halloween workshop Thursday, Oct. 25, from 3 to 4 p.m. She will show children in grades three and four how to create a 3D Halloween pop-up story, which children will illus-trate and write on their own!
Busy Mom Book ClubThe library is launching a new
book group for busy moms Tues-day, Nov. 6, at 6:30 p.m. The Four Seasons Book Club will meet only four times a year, once each season, to read and discuss a novel and compare it to its re-lated movie. Discussions will be accompanied by snacks and good company.
The November book will be “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” by Lisa See. Books are avail-able at the library. For more in-formation, call Sue at 203-758-2634 or visit www.middlebury-publiclibrary.org,
Mystery Book Discussion Group
Do you enjoy reading myster-ies, thrillers and detective sto-ries? Middlebury Library is form-ing a mystery book discussion group that will meet the second Thursday of each month. The first meeting will be Thursday, Nov. 8, from 6 to 7 p.m.
Sign up at the library or e-mail Joan at [email protected] to join. The first book will be “Choc-olate Chip Cookie Murder” by Joanne Fluke. Chocolate chip cookies will be the featured re-freshment. Each month, a new title will be chosen to read and discuss.
Books will be available at the Middlebury Library. No commit-ment is necessary. Check the library website to see which book will be discussed each month.
For more information, call 203-758-2634 or visit www.middleburypubliclibrary.org. The Middlebury Library is at 65 Crest Road in Middlebury.
naugatuckChair Yoga
Experience this gentle ap-proach to yoga from the comfort and safety of a chair every Wednesday, Oct. 31 and Nov. 7, 14 and 21, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Learn how continued yoga prac-tice can lead to improved flexibil-ity and an overall feeling of good health. The class is taught by Kathleen Greco, RYT, for adults. Donation is $20 per person.
Chair Yoga Fundraiser A Chair Yoga fundraiser will
take place at the Whittemore Li-brary Tuesday, Oct. 30, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Kathleen Greco, a certified yoga instructor, will lead the class. The fundraiser will benefit the library’s program-ming.
A $10 donation is requested, and registration is required. Any-one can attend – all levels of abil-ity and disability, all ages, male or female. Learn some basic principles of yoga movement. You may observe or participate. Please call 203-729-4591 to reg-ister.
The Howard Whittemore Me-morial Library is at 243 Church St. in Naugatuck. For informa-tion, call 203-729-4591 or visit whittemorelibrary.org.
southburyWednesday Film
The Wednesday afternoon movie Oct. 24 begins with a cou-ple’s romantic sailing getaway that turns into a six-year night-mare for the wife (Ashley Judd), who wakes up to find herself covered with blood and her hus-band missing. Convicted of mur-der and believing she was framed, she finally is able to an-swer the question, “Did she or didn’t she?” by tracking down the truth with the help of her pa-role officer (Tommy Lee Jones).
The room’s surround sound theater has an infrared listening system available. For more in-formation, call 203-262-0626.
Understanding Medicare Basics
Licensed Health Insurance Professional Margaret Ackley will give a PowerPoint presen-tation about the intricacies of enrolling in Medicare to those applying for the first time or for members considering making changes to their current cover-age Saturday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m. in the Kingsley Room at the li-brary. Her presentation will in-clude the basics of Medicare, different parts of the program, eligibility requirements and en-rollment windows.
Attendees will have an oppor-tunity to ask questions about their coverage options and find-ing coverage that best meets their health and financial needs. Each attendee will receive “Med-icare Made Clear - Answer Guide,” an easy-to-use reference for understanding Medicare op-tions and frequently used Med-icare language.
Ackley is the principal at Ackley Insurance Agency. She is a community speaker on “Med-icare Made Easy” and specializes in a personal approach to taking the mystery out of Medicare op-tions. The program is free and open to the public. Registration is suggested. Stop by the Refer-ence Desk or call 203-262-0626, ext. 130, to register.
Photography ExhibitA selection of nature-inspired
photographs taken by Renee Coma is on display in the Gloria Cachion Gallery until Oct. 29. Coma is a photographer who lives in Southbury. She is pursu-ing a bachelor’s degree in bio-chemistry and holds an associ-ate’s degree in environmental science with a focus on biology. Her unaltered digital images all were taken in New England, with the majority being taken in Con-
necticut. A love of the wilderness is at the heart of these photos.
Check www.southburylibrary.org for more information. The library is at 100 Poverty Road in Southbury (203-262-0626).
WoodburyZombies at the Library
Caroline Wilcox, a special- effects makeup artist, will be leading a Zombification work-shop for teens Saturday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m. Teens will learn special makeup techniques they can use to “zombify” themselves.
The workshop is part of the li-brary’s recognition of the na-tional Teen Read Week event, “It Came from the Library.” Partic-ipants in grades six and up must register for this program as space is limited.
To register, call 203-263-3502. Check the teen blog at www.woodburylibraryct.org for more information about Teen Read Week.
Make a Cigar Box Purse A Cigar Box Purse Workshop
for teens in grades seven and up and interested adults will be Fri-day, Oct. 26, from 3 to 5 p.m. Master Crafter Vanessa Fasanella will instruct participants in cre-ating their own purse to keep or use as a gift. She will provide a variety of helpful tips and will display several ready-made purses for inspiration.
All materials, including the cigar boxes and a variety of pa-pers and embellishments, will be provided. The class is free, but it is limited to 12 adults, so call 203-263-3502 to register or visit www.woodburylibraryct.org for more information.
“Trees” A Photographic Exhibit
The October photographic art exhibit, “Trees,” features the works of Steve Eazarsky. Trees dot and beautify our hills, help clean our air and mark the pas-sage of time through seasonal change. Eazarsky presents trees as they’ve never been seen before. Eazarsky is a self-taught photog-rapher from Watertown, Conn. Half of all proceeds from the show will be donated to the Arbor Day Foundation for trees to be pur-chased and planted. His website is www.ulteriorphoto.com.
The library is at 269 Main St. South in Woodbury. To register for programs or for more infor-mation, call 203-263-3502 or visit www.woodburylibraryct.org.
Library Happenings
(Kathleen Brown-Carrano cartoon)
Fun Factor of Middlebury 950 Southford Road 203.528.0118
• $5.00 weekday Open Play
• All-new party packages starting at just $179.99
• Create & Play weekly preschool playgroup
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“Giving Up the Ghost”
By Eric Nuzum
(Dial Press, $15)Reviewed by Rose M. Croke
There are many kinds of ghost stories. “Giving Up the Ghost” is one about second chances, the power of friendship and what it means to be haunted.
In his memoir, Eric Nuzum reflects on his troubled adoles-cence – a time in his life when he felt lost and weighed down by an omnipresent sense of isolation and disconnection. Depression
and substance abuse finally lead him to hit rock bottom, and a brief stint in a psychiatric ward forces him to face his demons – both real and imagined.
One source of stress is the presence of a ghost. Throughout his teen years, Nuzum had re-curring dreams involving a little girl who appeared wet, with blond curly hair and wearing a
blue dress. He remembers she tried to speak to him in a lan-guage he couldn’t understand, and each time he tried to touch her, he would wake up. He and his family lived in a creaky old house in Canton, Ohio, and he believed she resided in his attic bedroom, where he often heard sounds.
During his downward spiral, his beautiful friend Laura kept him from completely losing con-trol. Through a mutual love of music and emo-rock, they be-came friends in high school. He describes her as the one “stabi-lizing force” in his life. Then in a tragic twist of fate, Laura dies
after being struck by a car. The memory of her and a mystery poem written on a lost scrap of paper she gave to him haunts Nuzum for years.
Determined to make peace with his past and confront his fears, Nuzum sets out on a jour-ney to investigate the most no-torious haunted locations throughout the United States. In his travels, he doesn’t discover any tangible proof the places are haunted, but he encounters many people who are haunted by the ghosts of their pasts, the people they’ve known and the world they’ve experienced.
(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
Book review
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The Middlebury Elementary School (MES) Parent Teacher Organization semi-annual month-long used clothing and household items drive began Sept. 27 and will end Saturday, Oct. 27. Donations packed in 30- or 45-gallon trash bags can be brought to MES and placed in the PODS unit. Donors are asked
to place them towards the back of the unit so others can place their donations as well.
When you drive into the drive-way at MES, in addition to the cars parked in the parking lot and children playing on the play-ground, you also will see the PODS storage container sitting on the grounds.
Needed donations are gently used children’s and adult’s cloth-ing in all sizes; shoes and acces-sories such as hats, belts, scarves, backpacks, purses and ties; household items such as blan-kets, pillows, sheets, towels, ta-blecloths and curtains; and hard and soft toys, stuffed animals and games (but nothing breakable).
MES will receive money for every pound that is collected. The donations will be sold to A&E Clothing Company, whose mission is to provide good qual-ity new or used clothing to de-veloping countries. A&E collects the items and weighs, sorts and ships them in containers to countries such as Ghana, Haiti, Mexico, Chile and areas within the U.S. for a profit. None of the clothing will be shredded or de-stroyed.
mEs holds semi-annual used clothing drive
Donations to the MES semi-annual used clothing and household items drive can be placed in this PODS unit on the school’s grounds this month. (Submitted photo)
Middlebury Community Calendar
Friday, October 19, 2012 The Bee-Intelligencer 3
Middlebury Senior Center News
Depression in seniors is a lot more common than we let on. We point to aging as a reason for how we feel, but that’s not necessarily the case. There are any number of reasons why we might feel de-pressed: if we’ve recently lost someone in our life, if our health isn’t what it used to be, if we’re taking multiple prescriptions, if we’re alone or if we’ve retired and no longer feel vital.
Depression can impact all ar-eas of our lives: our appetite, in-terest in activities, how we sleep and so much more. The key is to recognize the symptoms and get treated, because depression is treatable.
If you can point to at least one item on the following list as being true, it’s time to talk to your doc-tor:• Having trouble sleeping or
sleeping too much.• Losinginterestinactivitiesor
hobbies you used to enjoy.• Feelingisolatedorexcluding
yourself from activities with friends.
• Thinkingaboutdeath.• Skipping your medications,
meals or baths.• Feelinganxious,hopeless,guilty
or irritable.
• Experiencingnewachesandpains or a worsening of existing ones.
• Havingtroubleconcentrating.Your doctor might ask a lot of
questions and make a number of suggestions. He might recommend (as a place to start) you get enough sleep or volunteer at a charity agency, make regular visits to friends or visit a nutritionist to make sure you’re getting enough nutrients in your diet. The key might be as simple as scheduling regular exercise and taking your medications on time all the time.
If you don’t feel like your nor-mal self, there’s help for you. Please go to your doctor and ask for it.
Matilda Charles regrets she can-not personally answer reader ques-tions, but she will incorporate them into her column whenever possible. Write to her in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Or-lando, FL 32853-6475, or send e-mail to [email protected].
(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
Are you depressed?
region 15 School Calendar
for State Representative 71st DistrictErnest Brunelli
“Our district deserves a legislator with a positive vision who is committed to building a brighter future for our families and small businesses. Like you, I want our community to move forward.”
- Ernest Brunelli
Comprehensive economic legislation that invests $180 million in job creation, expands tax credits for hiring unemployed workers and CUTS the Business Entity Tax in half.
The Small Business Express Package, which will help small businesses grow by providing funding through incentives, grants and loans.
Keeping local taxes down and helping our students by getting more funds for district schools through state Education Cost Sharing grants.
Protecting our seniors and people with disabilities, as with legislation that ensures they will be able to continue to use the Medicare Savings Program to help pay their Medicare co-pays and deductibles.
Pairing education and business leaders to create curricula that prepare our students for today’s competitive workforce.
As your State Representative, Ernest will support efforts like …
A HISTORY OF SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY
Contact Ernest at 203-592-1119 or [email protected] for and authorized by Brunelli 2012, Paul Nogueira, Treasurer. - Approved by Ernest Brunelli.
A lifelong Waterbury resident, private investigator and retired Connecticut Police Sergeant.
A military veteran with U.S. Army Police training and a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.
Member of the Waterbury Board of Aldermen since 2009 and the Waterbury Zoning Commission since 2004.
Aldermanic liaison to Waterbury’s Good Jobs and Charter Revision commissions and the Waterbury Board of Education.
Member of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, VFW, AMVETS, American Legion and Elks Lodge 265.
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Monday, October 22Board of Education ......................... PHS AP Room No. 103, 7:30 p.m.LMES Author VisitMMS Grade 6 Nature’s ClassroomPHS Spirit WeekPersonnel Policies/Curriculum Committee
...PHS Media Center Conference Room, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, October 23
Elementary Parent Conference ........ Elementary Early Release DayMMS Grade 6 Nature’s ClassroomPES Book FairPHS Spirit Week
Thursday, October 25Elementary Parent Conference ........ Elementary Early Release DayMMS Grade 6 Nature’s ClassroomPES Book FairPHS Spirit Week
Friday, October 26MMS PTO Community Service: Cupcake DecoratingMMS Grade 6 Nature’s ClassroomPES Book FairPHS Pep RallyPHS Spirit WeekPHS Homecoming Dance ............................ New Gym, 6:30 to 9 p.m.
23, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., learn about Google Voice. The future of telecommunications is now with Google Voice. You’ll get your own exclusive telephone number and a personalized phone man-ager – free! This is one of the best apps available. The class fee is $10.
Skype - Wednesday, Oct. 24, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., find out what Skype is and how it works. Sign up for free video calling to friends and family both near and far. The class fee is $10.
Computer Checkup – Thurs-day, Oct. 25, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., learn how to schedule, maintain and keep your computer safe and up to date. Learn to back up your data, settings and programs and how to recover data you thought was corrupted, damaged or lost. The class fee is $10.
Chair YogaThe Middlebury Senior Center
will offer a free chair yoga
demo class Thursday, Oct. 25, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. The instruc-tor will be Joyce Picker. Chair yoga students practice poses while seated in a chair or use the chair for assistance in some standing poses.
Chair yoga benefits those with chronic conditions, weight is-sues, past injuries, disabilities and anyone looking for gradual and gentle ways to increase his or her range of motion. Call 203-577-4166 to reserve your “seat.”
AARP Driver Safety Program
The next AARP Driver Safety course will be Monday, Nov. 5, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Senior Center. The nation’s first and largest driver refresher course uses new materials and new videos to present new de-fensive driving techniques, a refresher in laws and regulations, new laws and regulations, how to deal with aggressive drivers, and how aging affects reaction time, vision and hearing.
Drivers who complete this class get a certificate that may entitle them to a discount on au-tomobile insurance (contact your insurance company for de-tails).
AARP membership is not re-quired, and drivers of all ages are invited to attend. The fee is $12 for AARP members and $14 for nonmembers. Make checks out to “AARP.” Veterans can take the class free of charge through the AARP Veterans’ Program. They just need to fill out a coupon that will be provided.
You must register before the class begins by calling 203-577-4166 or going to the Senior Cen-ter Office in the Shepardson Community Center at 1172 Whit-temore Road in Middlebury.
Understanding Medicare
Medicare specialist Jeffery Gomulinski will give seminars on Medicare Friday, Nov. 2, and Friday, Nov. 30, at 10 a.m. at the Middlebury Senior Center.
Medicare Annual Open Enrollment
The Medicare 2012 open en-rollment started Oct. 15 and ends Dec. 17, 2012. During this time, Medicare recipients may choose among a wide range of health and drug plan options available, including original Medicare.
Most people with Medicare can choose a “Part D” plan to help them pay for prescription drugs. And people who have chosen to enroll in a “Part C,” Medicare ad-vantage plan for their basic health care services have the option of staying in that plan, choosing a different plan, or going back to the original Medicare program (unless their current plan is among those that will not be of-fered in 2013). Plans can change from year to year, so these choices should be made with care.
If you need information or help deciding what is best for you, you can make an appoint-ment with an insurance repre-sentative by calling 203-577-4166.
Raymond Hurd, Acting Re-gional Administrator for Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Ser-vices, Boston Regional Office, sends the following message to Medicare recipients.
Reminders – what would we do without them? Whether it’s the Outlook calendar pop-up letting me know my next meeting is in 15 minutes or the handwrit-ten note with a list of “to-dos,” reminders help me keep track of the important little details in an extremely busy world.
I am reaching out to seniors in Connecticut with an impor-tant reminder about your most valuable asset, your health. Open enrollment for Medicare health and drug plans began Oct.15 and ends Dec. 7. To prepare, you should begin by comparing your current Medicare plan with your health needs. It’s important to
evaluate your Medicare plan each year even if you are happy with your current plan. A simple change in your health status could mean your healthcare needs would be better served through a different Medicare plan. The opportunity to make changes to your plan comes only once a year, and now is the time to begin evaluating what, if any, changes you would like to make.
Next, you should gather infor-mation about Medicare health and drug plans and compare them to determine which plan is right for you. The Medicare Plan Finder available at www.Medicare.gov is a great resource to help you evaluate plan op-tions. On this site, you are able to compare quality summary ratings for health plans, identify which drugs may or may not be restricted on a plan’s formulary
and compare the cost ranges for plans available in your commu-nity.
Average premiums for Medi-care prescription drug coverage will not rise in 2013, and premi-ums for Medicare health plans are expected to drop an average of 4 percent. If you are a Medi-care beneficiary with high drug costs and you reach the “donut hole,” you will receive 50 percent discounts on brand-name drugs each time you fill a prescription. If you have a limited income, you may qualify for “Extra Help.” “Ex-tra Help” is a program that helps pay the costs of Medicare pre-scription drug coverage.
This is a small snapshot of the options available to you. Be on the lookout for an updated “Medicare & You” handbook coming in the mail that will pro-vide more information about
health plans and open enroll-ment. If you prefer to speak with someone about your options face-to-face, it might be worth-while to visit your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) office. Counsel-ing is free, and the toll free num-ber in Connecticut is 1-800-994-9422. A list of SHIP offices in your community as well as the “Med-icare & You” handbook can both be found online at www.Medi-care.gov. You also may call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for more information.
Mark your calendars, write a note or cut out and post this ar-ticle on your refrigerator. Remind yourself in whatever way works for you that Medicare open en-rollment ends Dec. 7. Start taking control of your healthcare deci-sions today.
Your health, your choice – medicare open enrollment
As it has done for the past sev-eral years, the Southbury Wom-en’s Club (SWC) again assem-bled backpacks filled with school supplies for Southbury school children in need. This year SWC assembled and delivered 81 completed backpacks for the 2012-2013 school year, which is close to an all-time high.
SWC was aided in this worth-while cause by generous dona-tions from the Sacred Heart Mus-tard Seed Fund, the Southbury Business Association and Region 15 Before and After School Pro-gram as well as the local com-
munity through donations mailed in or collected in jars in businesses around town such as Patty’s Pantry, Southbury LaBonne’s and Leo’s.
SWC is always accepting spon-sors for this worthwhile cause. If you or your business would like to contribute, or if you would like more information, contact Chris-tina at 203-627-3880. Donations for this project in any amount are welcome and can be sent directly to Southbury Women’s Club, ATTN: Backpacks, P.O. Box 195, Southbury, CT, 06488.
sWc fills backpacks for those in need
Southbury Social Services Director Sandra Saren is shown with the 81 backpacks the Southbury Women’s Club provided for Southbury children in need. (Submitted photo).
4 Friday, October 19, 2012The Bee-Intelligencer
Who Do You trust?To the Editor:
Recently I came across a folder entitled, “What Kind of Con-necticut Do You Want to See in 2050?” Congressman Chris Mur-phy had arranged this June 2010 conference that included con-servation experts and various stakeholders on how to deal with Connecticut’s “smart growth,” water management and trans-portation for 2050. The confer-ence, which included experts in the field, provided participants with invaluable information.
While I was thinking of the “Planning for 2050 Conference,” I recalled how often Chris Mur-phy has provided opportunities for constituents to meet with him. He set up “Congressman on Your Corner” and “Town Hall Meetings” on weekends and when Congress was not in ses-sion. Those I attended were friendly and informative. And others who participated were very appreciative of the one-on-one with Chris, asking about matters that concerned them most.
What does this Senate election boil down to? For me it comes down to: WHO DO YOU TRUST?
Throughout Chris’ career as a state senator and Connecticut Congressman, Chris has always been honest, hardworking, in-telligent, friendly and open to his constituents. Thursday night at the Senatorial Debate in Storrs, he stated, “l’ve worked my tail off” for the Fifth District. I know this to be true, because I’ve seen it firsthand.
When you go to the polls Nov. 6, remember Chris has always
put the best interests of hisconstituents first. Now we need to vote in our own best interests and send him to Washington as our Senator. Help him continue his “good works.”
Sharon ShermanWoodbury
career politicians Damage our country
To the Editor:I don’t mind writing about
who I favor in the Nov. 6 election. But, in general, career politicians have damaged our country more now than in the past. Mitt Rom-ney and Paul Ryan and Linda McMahon and locally, Ernest Brunelli in our 71st district, are most worthy of being elected.
I have examined the resumes of Alderman Brunelli and Rep-resentative D’Amelio very care-fully and conclude that D’Amelio, after 14 years, is that career pol-itician. But let’s take a good look at who is most qualified by com-paring a college graduate to a high school graduate.
If it is true that college gradu-ates can earn more and contrib-ute more to a society in general, then Mr. Brunelli is the more qualified person. Our Middle-bury Bee is publishing the truth you need to know in political ads, so please take an educated look at who is most qualified to be our 71st district state representative.
I am hopeful that I have per-suaded Independents, Republi-cans and Democrats to follow my opinions here so that our country and state politicians start to change politics by staying on the truth. Our founding
fathers never favored career pol-iticians.
Sincerely,Ray Rivard
Middlebury
Doesn’t performance count?To the Editor
I’m inundated with political flyers and have overdosed on partisan letters to the editor. Nei-ther address our problem, which is irresponsible government.
We get higher taxes, debt, per-petual unemployment, inflation, energy crises, wars, etc. This di-lemma is habitual in D.C. and has now ingrained itself at the state government level.
The catalyst of our problem is simply “professional politicians.” Due to special interest funding, party fiscal reinforcement, PACs and astute candidate marketing, our political system has become stagnant with unacceptable per-formance.
Is it realistic to expect an ob-jective, responsible reaction to society’s problems without party doctrine dictating the outcome?
Is it realistic to expect a poli-tician to combine a good Demo-cratic idea with a good Republi-can idea and produce an effective solution?
Is it realistic to evaluate an incumbent’s performance with the state or country’s perfor-mance regarding debt, budget policy, unemployment, defense, etc.?
If not, why not?We have a senate seat being
contested for by a politically in-
experienced woman. The woman is a novice and will gen-erate “freshman” ineffectiveness. Her success in business is her resumé.
The incumbent is a “profes-sional politician” now in Con-gress, who wants to be promoted to senator. Our incumbent was a state congressman, then sena-tor, graduated to D.C. congress-man and now wants your vote for senator. His performance is archived at the state and federal level, both contributing to our country’s dismal state concern-ing debt, economy, taxes, bail-outs, etc. His votes are his legacy, solutions or not.
Doesn’t performance count? In November, we make a choice. Do we get a new senator with promised solutions, who lacks the capacity to get it done, or do we get a “professional politician” and accept a party line approach even though neither party has the solutions, but together they are the cure.
Either way, freshman or in-cumbent, it’s time to make per-formance count.
Frank PellegriniSouthbury
Letters to the EditorLetters to the editor may be
mailed to the Bee-Intelligencer, P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 or emailed to beeintelligencer @gmail.com.
Letters will be run as space per-mits. Please limit letters to 500 words, avoid personal attacks, and understand letters will be edited. For verification purposes, please include your name, street address and daytime telephone number.
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Saturday, Oct. 20, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. The Glebe House Museum will host All Hollow’s Eve when at least 20 unsettled ghosts of former Woodbury residents will be at their gravesites to tell tales of their lives and untimely deaths. Walk amongst the dead in burying grounds more than 300 years old, hear stories of those whose mor-tal remains lie beneath your feet and listen to tales of many sordid practices that went along with them. The old burying grounds and the houses in the “hollow” date to the town’s very beginnings when John Marshall, the first Epis-copal minister in the Woodbury parish, lived in the house on the glebe, and his friend, Jabez Bacon, Connecticut’s first millionaire, lived down the road.
Some of the spirits expected for the evening are Moll Cramer, a woman from Woodbury’s earliest days who was accused of witch-craft, Samuel Foote who came to a violent end in the horse shed behind St. Paul’s Church, Matthew Morris who was murdered in his sister’s home in 1861 and Sarah Walker, the heroine of Bethel Rock who fell to her death in 1687. The actors in period garb portraying these Woodbury characters are the museum’s Marshall Children Young Docents, museum adult volunteers, local high school teachers and students and other
volunteers from the community.After the cemetery tour, people
will be brought across the street to the Glebe House Museum where additional spirits of the past will be hovering. John and Sarah Marshall and Gideon Bots-ford will greet guests to their home on the glebe for ongoing tours by flickering candlelight in a house that has its share of ghosts
with stories to tell. Madame Su-zolo, tarot card reader, also will be in the museum to give read-ings. And Joyce Marie Raynor will be in the museum cottage telling Connecticut ghost stories. Com-plimentary hot chocolate, cider and cookies will be available.
For more information and to reserve space for the Old Burying Ground Tour, call 203-263-2855.
Tickets in advance are $10 per person or $20 for a family. Tickets the night of the event are $12 per person or $25 for a family. You also may send a check for tickets to The Glebe House Museum, P.O. Box 245, Woodbury, CT 06798. Parking will be in Hollow Park next to the Glebe House. The rain date will be Oct. 27 from 5 to 8:30 p.m.
Allison Gabrielson, as Sarah Marshall, is in the Glebe House kitchen for the night caring for a sick child. (Submitted photo)
Walk amongst the ghostsWoodbury Lions Club 22nd Annual Haunted
Hayride Calling all goblins, ghouls and
ghosts! The Woodbury Lions Club’s 22nd Annual Haunted Hayride with Haunted Barn will be Friday, Oct. 19; Saturday, Oct. 20; Friday, Oct. 26; and Saturday, Oct. 27, with the first ride leaving from Mitchell Elementary School at 7 p.m. each night.
Visitors climb aboard a hay wagon and take a trip through the haunted fields and cemeter-ies of Woodbury meeting the ghosts of Woodbury’s Civil War veterans and other town resi-dents, various denizens of the dark, assorted ghouls and, of course, zombies. Be sure to be on guard for attacking werewolves!
Riders also stop at the Haunted Barn, a 3-D display un-like any other in the area. Using ChromaDepth technology, the Haunted Barn allows you to walk through illusions that seem to hang in the middle of space, creatures that seem to jump out at you, or enter a hallway that seems to go on forever.
For youngsters and those too squeamish for the evening rides, a Children’s Hayride will be Sat-urday, Oct. 20, from 1 to 3 p.m. starting at Mitchell Middle School. Children will ride through open fields and make a stop at a pumpkin patch, where they will select a pumpkin for themselves.
Ticket sales for the evening rides begin at 6:30 p.m. each night, and the last scheduled ride is at 9:30 p.m. Tickets for the haunted hayride are $10 for adults and $5 for children un-der 12. Tickets for the Children’s Hayride are $3 for adults and $2 for children.
Portrait Painting Demonstration
Portrait artist Scott Bricher will give a live demonstration Saturday, Oct. 27, at 11 a.m. in the Wykeham Room at the Gunn Memorial Library in Washing-ton, Conn. Bricher’s work is on view and available for purchase in the Stairwell Gallery of the Library. In addition to being a portraitist, Bricher is an illustra-tor, animator and instructor.
The program is free and open to the public, but registration is recommended. Light refresh-ments will be served. Call 860-868-7586 or visit www.gunnli-brary.org for more information.
Easter Seals Annual Ladies Night Out Event
The 5th Annual Ladies Night Out to benefit Easter Seals will be Friday, Nov. 9, from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott at 63 Grand St. in Wa-terbury. Tickets are $40 per per-son. Seating is limited, and res-ervations are required. Tables of 10 will be reserved. No tickets will be sold at the door.
Enjoy dinner and a show fea-turing Hypnotist Heidi Vollmer, dessert buffet and many laughs and shop from vendors offering unique and exceptional prod-ucts. There also will be door prizes, games, a silent auction and special drawings. Call 203-754-5141 Mary Reid, (ext. 251) for more information.
Proceeds benefit the programs and services of Easter Seals, serv-ing the special needs of infants, children, and adults with disabil-ities in greater Waterbury, central, and northwestern Connecticut.
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Friday, October 19, 2012 The Bee-Intelligencer 5
The Mattatuck Museum and the Jewish Federation of Western Connecticut will hold a public reception for the exhibit, “They Found Their Way; Earning a Liv-ing in Waterbury,” Tuesday, Oct. 23, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Jewish Federation of Western Connecti-cut in Southbury. The reception is free and open to the public.
The exhibit, which is installed at the Jewish Federation of West-ern Connecticut, features the stories and images of 20 families who made their homes and their livelihood in Waterbury and who continue to live and work in the city and the region.
Peddlers, traders and mer-chants were among the earliest occupations of Jewish migrants to Waterbury, and the retail trades remained a highly visible arena for successful Jewish busi-nesses over the next century and a half. Many Jewish immigrants, however, worked in other occu-
pations. They were farmers, bak-ers, tailors, jewelers, mechanics and manufacturers. Their chil-dren became teachers, lawyers, judges, writers, entertainers and doctors.
The exhibit is taken from the archive of oral histories and im-ages collected eight years ago by the Jewish History Project Com-mittee of the Mattatuck Museum, which was led by Audrey Walzer. The committee members were Sherman London, Leo and Ethel Goldberg, Norman Feitelson, Don Liebeskind, Belle Cross and Gary Broder.
Florence Cohn Erlanger told the story of her grandfather and grandmother, Samuel and Pearl Cohn, who came from Belarus in 1896. They were married in Russia, which she described as being “Polish one year and Rus-sian the next.” The Cohns bought a bakery on Kingsbury Street where Florence was born. Her
grandfather died of silicosis from the flour. Florence Erlanger was married to Jay Erlanger, who ran a men’s clothing store. Erlanger remembered, “He was a wonder-ful, wonderful salesman. If you asked him what somebody looked like, he’d tell you he was a 44 long.”
William Goldstein, who would go to the family jewelry store in Waterbury every day, tells the story of his grandfather who was a watchmaker, silversmith and goldsmith. When he came to Waterbury, he got a job in a jew-elry store owned by the Green family. Mr. Goldstein remembers that after several years, his father told Green he was going to open his own business because he needed more money. Green gave him the merchandise to get
started and told Goldstein to “pay me when you sell it.”
Arriving as immigrants in re-sponse to national and interna-tional events, Jewish families in Waterbury shared distinctive traditions that served to link gen-erations. Together they forged new lives in Waterbury that were based on successful enterprise, religious observance and com-munity celebration.
Please register for the recep-tion in advance by calling 203-753-0381, ext. 17.
Visit www.MattatuckMuseum.org or call 203-753-0381 for more information on all of the muse-um’s adult and children’s pro-grams, events and exhibits. The Mattatuck Museum is at 144 West Main St., Waterbury.
Because new banking laws limit how much banks can charge retailers, user fees have continued to rise as banks have hustled to find other ways to prop up their income.
The recent 15th annual survey by Bankrate shows the average monthly fee is in the range of $5.50 – up 25 percent in a year – for accounts that don’t pay in-terest. For accounts that do pay interest (averaging 0.05 percent), that amount is more than $14.
ATM fees also are up, averag-ing $1.57 (charged by your own bank) if you make a withdrawal at a bank not your own. The bank you withdraw from will charge an average of $3.50 if you don’t have an account there.
Overdraft charges now aver-age $31.
Non-sufficient funds charges are all in the $30 range across the country, except for two states.
Free checking is on its way out: Only 39 percent of checking accounts today are free, as op-posed to 76 percent of banks offering free checking back in 2009. “Free” not only means free of a charge for having the ac-count, but being free of the re-sponsibility of meeting bank requirements such as keeping a minimum balance.
There are ways to get around being charged fees, but they aren’t for everyone. Setting up direct deposit is one way, but not everyone works for a company that offers to pay electronically. Another way is to agree to keep a higher minimum balance at all
times, although those minimums have continued to rise, in many cases to more than $6,000.
Banks are betting you won’t abandon them despite higher fees – that you’ll decide it’s just easier to stay and hand over the money, no matter how high the charges go. They have a point: If you change banks, you might need to deal with new routines, the inconvenience of changing a direct deposit, new tellers who don’t know you and more. Per-haps you have a loan with an interest rate that’s directly tied to having an account (not a good idea, for obvious reasons).
Best bet: Per Bankrate, more than 70 percent of credit unions still have free checking. If your bank’s fees are continuing to climb, investigate a credit union near you. The “pain” of switching banks is only temporary.
For more information, see bankrate.com.
David Uffington regrets he can-not personally answer reader questions, but he will incorporate them into his column whenever possible. Write to him in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475, or send an email to [email protected].
(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
Obituaries
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us at beeintelligencer@gmail. For more information, call 203-577-6800. The Bee-Intelligencer runs obituaries and their accompanying
photos free of charge. We do this as a community service to honor the deceased and the family and friends who love them.
Edith BrownsteinMother of
Lawrence Brownstein
Edith (Wortman) Bro-wnstein, 88, of Ridge-field, formerly of Wa-terbury, passed away Wednesday, Oct. 10, at Danbury Hospital. She was the widow of
Jack Brownstein.Edith was born in Hartford March
13, 1924, daughter of the late Abra-ham and Lena (Lansing) Wortman. She was a devoted mother and grandmother, a loving and dedicated wife, a partner in her husband’s busi-ness affairs, a world traveler and a participant in many philanthropic endeavors.
Edith leaves two sons: Andrew R. Brownstein and his wife, Elise, of New York City and Lawrence F. Brownstein and his wife, Judith, of Middlebury and four grandchildren: Alex, Julia, Amy and Everett.
Services were held Sunday, Oct. 14, followed by burial at Beth El Cemetery in Waterbury.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the charity of your choice or to The Brownstein Jewish Family Service program at the Jewish Federation of Western Connecticut, 444 Main St. North, Southbury, CT 06488. For more info or to send e-condolences, visit www.chase- parkwaymemorial.com.
William B. StaeblerBrother of Doris Meier
William B. Staebler, 72, of Middlebury pas-sed away Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012, at Griffin Hospital in Derby.
Mr. Staebler was born Nov. 17, 1939, in
Waterbury, a son of the late William H. and Kathleen (McCarthy) Stae-bler. He was a Korean War Veteran serving his country in the U.S. Air Force. He was active with the Con-necticut Food Bank as well as the National Audubon Society.
Mr. Staebler is survived by his sons, W. Bruce of West Hartford, Charles of Waterbury and Kevin of Oakville; his daughters, Gloria Ann Staebler of Colorado and Rebecca Fabiano of Waterbury; his brother, Richard, “Rick,” and his wife, Linda, of Joplin, Mo.; his sister, Doris Meier, and her husband, Bruce, of Middle-bury; 10 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
A memorial service was held Wednesday at the Alderson Funeral Home of Cheshire. Burial was to be at the convenience of the family. Memorial contributions may be made to Carol Meier Memorial Scholarship Fund c/o Doris Meier, 213 Acme Drive, Middlebury, CT 06762. For online condolences, to light a candle or share a story, visit www.aldersonfuneralhomes.com.
Re-ElectProven Leadership by Someone Who UnderstandsAnthony J. D’Amelio
Paid for by D’Amelio 2012, Erika Carrington, Treasurer. Approved by Tony D’Amelio
l Co-sponsored expansion of Learn Here, Live Here Program to help recent graduates buy homesin Connecticutl Supported bipartisan jobs bill to help businesses adding employees, updating equipment andtraining workers, as well as streamlining state’s permitting processl Supported education reform bill to strengthen Connecticut schools and deliver $30,000 inadditional ECS funds to Middlebury l Supported creation of the Oxford Airport development zone to boost local businesses and pro-mote job growth in the regionl Supported “Caylee’s Law” to strengthen penalties for people who fail to report missing childrenwithin 24 hours
Vote D’Amelio H 71st District H Middlebury H Waterbury
H A family man working for families like yours H
I understand how hard it is for families today. I have a family of my own and I worry about their future, just like you worry about yours. This is why I have consistently supported legislation thateases the burden on taxpayers.
Last session I, along with myRepublican colleagues, proposed an alternativebudget that didn’t increasetaxes but still fully fundedprograms and services to thepoor, sick and elderly.
During the past two years I supported several bipartisanbills aimed at creating jobs, reducing unfunded mandates,lowering property taxes, increasing state aid to Middlebury schools and protect-ing our children and seniors.
The Middlebury Town Clerk reminds Middlebury electors who are not affiliated with a major po-litical party that they can be ap-pointed a justice of the peace by the town clerk.
Applications are available from the town clerk’s office during busi-ness hours (Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or by calling 203-758-2557. Applications must be filed with the town clerk by Nov. 1, 2012.
To be eligible, you must not and will not have enrollment privileges in a major political party for a period beginning May 1, 2012, and ending on the date of appointment, which is be-tween Nov. 1, 2012, and Nov. 23, 2012. If more than 27 applica-tions are received, a lottery will be held.
The term of office will be from Jan. 7, 2013 to Jan. 2, 2017.
Justice of the peace openingsA home invasion last week,
stolen vehicles abandoned in Middlebury and break-ins along the Greenway have kept the Mid-dlebury Police Department busy this month. Acting Police Chief Richard Wildman said two favor-ite areas for Greenway break-ins are Steinmann Avenue and Chase Road. He urged residents to re-move valuables from their vehi-cles and lock them at all times, even in their own driveways.
In the home invasion case, two children ages 12 and 14 were in their Yale Avenue home a week ago Thursday when two people entered it about 4 p.m. and went upstairs to the bedrooms. Nine-teen dollars in cash was taken from the children’s rooms, and the people kicked in the locked master bedroom door and took assorted jewelry, a CD player and a pellet gun. The children were not injured.
Police received two good tips from the public that led them to two suspects. Working with the Connecticut Parole Department, Connecticut Probation Depart-ment, Waterbury Police Detective Division and Naugatuck Police, they were able to make two arrests last Friday in connection with the case. Arrested were Jennifer Labbe, 24, of 255 North Main St.
in Waterbury and Michael Mccur-rey, 32, of 47 Irion Street, first floor, in Waterbury.
The suspects reportedly left the scene driving a white van with power wash logos on it. A witness told police he saw the van pull into the Yale Avenue residence Thursday afternoon. A second tip came from a Naugatuck fireman on his way to work around 4:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon. He said he observed a white van driving erratically southbound on Route 63 towards Naugatuck. He said it had a power wash logo on it with a telephone number that began with 203, and he said it drove
down Water Street in Naugatuck the wrong way on a one-way street.
Police said Officer Al Cronin should get special recognition for helping solve this crime. He knew of a power wash company and contacted the owner, who coop-erated fully with the department. Mccurrey was an employee at the company. When police seized the van, it was missing the power wash signs and had a rear license plate reported as stolen to Water-bury Police.
Mccurrey was wanted for vio-lation of parole for cutting off his tracking bracelet. He was appre-
hended in Waterbury on the un-related charge of violation of pa-role, and some evidence was re-covered related to the case. A Jeep was seized, and search warrants were being obtained as part of the investigation.
Labbe and Mccurrey were ar-raigned in Waterbury Superior Court Monday, and bond was set at $95,000 each. Charges are home invasion, conspiracy to commit burglary second degree, risk of injury to a minor (two counts) and conspiracy to commit larceny sixth degree.
Middlebury Police on Wednes-day, Oct. 10, recovered their third vehicle stolen out of Waterbury in the past two weeks. At 2:25 a.m., following a call to police about suspicious males running through yards on Yale Avenue and White Avenue close to Route 64, officers found a 1998 Honda Civic blocking Goff Street. It had a flat tire and some damage. It was reported taken earlier in the night from Newfield Ave in Wa-terbury
Police surmise the suspects who stole the car abandoned it on Goff Street and then ran through yards and checked other vehicles in the area for keys in an attempt to steal another car. No arrests have been made in this case.
police deal with home invasion, stolen vehicles
Labbe Mccurrey
6 Friday, October 19, 2012The Bee-Intelligencer
Pumpkins are ripe for the choosing. They’re bright, beau-tiful, decorative and healthy! It’s a gourd-like squash delight! Just walk through a pumpkin patch near you and discover the joys of autumn. Enjoy the wonderful versatility of these veggies by creating healthy soups, stews, pancakes, breads, risottos and pies. Roast the seeds for a nutri-tious kick. Their bright orange color tells you pumpkins are full of that all-important antioxidant beta-carotene. The plant’s caro-tenoid converts to vitamin A in the body and has many overall health benefits. Pumpkins are full of calcium, magnesium, po-tassium, vitamin C, iron, folate, niacin, zinc and selenium.
Boiled, steamed, roasted or pureed, the pumpkin is a gift of flavor and health. Mash some warm pumpkin, add a little sea salt, honey, milk and olive oil, and you’ve got a wonderful mois-turizing mask for your face – avoid the eye area, slather on and rest 20 minutes, wipe with cool water, and you’ve exfoliated, nourished and hydrated your face. Snack on the seeds, and you’re eating a nice crunch of health that fuels the body.
This week’s nugget for life is to dive into the amazing gifts of the pumpkin. Get to know the vari-eties of gourds, and enjoy their many health and beauty benefits. Roast them with beets, baby red potatoes and butternut squash for a tasty vegetarian supper. Pop leftovers into airtight containers for school lunches the next day because they’re just as tasty cold. Simply quarter the veggies, place them in a roasting dish making sure they are not overlapping, toss with sea salt and pepper, be generous with the extra virgin olive oil and bake at 400° for 50 minutes. Serve with crumbled goat cheese on top, sprinkle with slivered almonds, and you’ve got an easy, delicious nutritious meal with 10 minutes prep time.
Have roasted seeds on hand for a quick snack. Boil the seeds for 10 minutes, dry on a paper towel, toss with olive oil, sea salt, a touch of brown sugar and spread them out on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 30 min-utes, and store them in airtight containers. Kids love to create, play and help out in the kitchen, so create your own complete vegetarian meals using pump-kins. Pumpkin pancakes aren’t just for breakfast anymore! And pumpkins aren’t just for carving faces or making pies anymore!
Cynthia De Pecol is a Yoga teacher, Reiki master and life coach who lives in Washington, Conn. See lifecoachingllc.com or email [email protected].
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Will you give me information on the low-purine diet for gout? – C.J.ANSWER: Years ago, before ef-fective gout medicines were available, diet was the major treatment for gout. Now, with modern medicines, diet doesn’t play such a big role.
Elevated blood uric acid sets the stage for a gout attack. Uric acid infiltrates joints as needle-shaped crystals. Most uric acid comes from the recycling of body cells, a daily process. Only a small amount comes from food. It’s still wise for gout patients to take it easy on foods high in pu-rines, but they don’t have to be as strict about diet as former pa-tients had to be. Purines are the substances that produce uric acid.
Gout patients ought to scale back a bit on meat and fish. An-chovies, organ meats like liver and sweetbreads and gravies have lots of purines in them and should be taken only once in a while, if at all. Patients need to watch the amount of alcohol they drink. Beer, in particular, often triggers a gout attack. High-fruc-tose corn syrup and table sugar ought to be used in moderation. Soft drinks have a large amount of high-fructose corn syrup in them. These are the only foods that bear some watching.
Milk and other dairy products lessen the chance of gout attacks. All fruits and vegetables can be eaten without any restriction.
Weight loss is important for overweight gout patients. That’s about all you need to know about the low-purine diet for gout.
The gout pamphlet explains this quite common and often misunderstood illness. Readers can obtain a copy by writing Dr. Donohue – No. 302W, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can-ada with the printed name and
address of the recipient. Please allow four weeks for delivery. DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have gotten my weight to a point where I am happy with it. I still have fat bulging at my sides. I think these are called love handles. I don’t love them. I don’t think losing more weight will rid me of them.
What do you think of liposuc-tion? Is it risky? – A.S.ANSWER: Liposuction removes
fat from fat deposits beneath the skin. It doesn’t remove deep de-posits of fat, the fat that surrounds organs in the abdomen, the fat that creates most metabolic trou-bles. It’s the deep fat that’s asso-ciated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Your dieting should have taken care of that fat.
Liposuction surgery is cos-metic surgery, so you’d better check with your insurance if you need it to cover the procedure.
All surgical procedures, in-cluding liposuction, carry a risk. Complications from it, however, are not frequent.DEAR DR. DONOHUE: As I un-derstand it, drinking coffee makes a person’s blood sugar rise, and then insulin has to be released by the body. Does drink-ing coffee overstimulate insulin production and contribute to
diabetes, especially if a person is prone to diabetes? – T.F.
ANSWER: Coffee has turned into a health drink. It’s believed to prevent diabetes. It’s also said to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
Dr. Donohue regrets he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.
(c) 2012 North America Synd., Inc., All Rights Reserved.
By CYNTHIA DE PECOL
nuggets for Life
Middlebury Parks & recreation
Please support the advertisers who help us bring you this free weekly newspaper.
“ Due to the current state of the economy, YOU CAN’T AFFORD
NOT TO GO TO TONY’S TIRES !”
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Fresh Pumpkin Flower Arrangement
John Cookson will show how to make an autumn centerpiece Tuesday, Oct. 23, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Shepardson Community Cen-ter. Use either fresh or artificial flowers to create an autumn cen-terpiece in a fresh pumpkin. En-hance the pumpkin with your own creative abilities.
Supplies needed: For fresh flowers – Scissors and a sharp knife. For artificial flowers – Scis-sors and a glue gun if you have one. The fee is $25 for residents; $35 for nonresidents.
Basketball Program 2012 to 2013
Registration for basketball programs can be done online at www.middlebury-ct.org or in the Parks and Recreation office through Oct. 26. After Oct. 26, a late fee of $20 will be charged, and placement is not guaran-teed. Once teams have been picked, no new registrations will be taken. No exceptions!
First and Second Grade Basketball
Middlebury residents in grades 1 and 2 can learn the fun-damentals of basketball in both group and individual ses-sions. Two sessions are offered Saturdays from Nov. 3 to Feb. 9 at Middlebury Elementary School. The first session runs from 9 to 10:15 a.m., and the sec-ond session runs from 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. The fee is $82 for the first child with a discount for sib-lings. Limited spots are available for the sessions. Registration ends Friday, Oct. 26.
2nd Annual Trick or Trunk
Middlebury Parks and Recre-ation’s 2nd Annual Trick or Trunk will be Saturday, Oct. 27, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Chemtura’s parking lot off North Benson Road in Middlebury. Car deco-rating will be from 12 to 1 p.m.
Those handing out candy should plan to stay at the event until 3 p.m. For more informa-tion, contact the Parks and Rec-reation office at 203-758-2520 or email [email protected].
Over-30 Men’s Basketball
Over-30 men’s basketball for Middlebury residents only will meet Mondays, Nov. 5 to April 8, from 8:30 to 10 p.m. at Pomper-aug High School. No gym Dec. 24 and 31, Jan. 21 and Feb. 18. The fee is $30.
Co-Ed VolleyballStrictly recreational play for
persons 18 and older will be Tuesdays, Nov. 6 to April 9, from 8:30 to 10 p.m. at Long Meadow Elementary School. No gym Dec. 25 or Jan. 1. The fee is $20 for residents; $30 for nonresidents.
Bus Trip
Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
Leave Shepardson Commu-nity Center Thursday, Nov. 22, at 6 a.m. and Southbury Parks and Recreation at 6:30 a.m. for a trip to New York City to see the Ma-cy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The bus will return by 2 p.m. The fee is $30 per person, tip in-cluded.
Eric Groody helps riders off a wagon at a previous Woodbury Lions Club hayride. Details on this year’s hayrides, which are this weekend and next, are on page 4 in “In Brief.” (F. M. Longo photo)
Woodbury Lions Club hayride
By KATHLEEN RIEDEL
The Region 15 Board of Educa-tion (BoE) met Tuesday, Oct. 9, due to the Monday Columbus Day holiday. Superintendent Dr. Frank Sippy started with a moment of silence in remembrance of Pom-peraug High School senior Tucker Gowen, who passed away that morning of complications from leukemia. The board then dis-cussed Region 15’s Pledge of Al-legiance policy and Oct. 1, 2012, enrollment reports.
BoE member Francis Brennan took issue with the Pledge of Al-legiance policy. The final sentence in policy No. 5146 reads: “This policy shall not be construed to require any person to recite the Pledge of Allegiance should he or she choose not to do so.”
“I object to that as policy,” Bren-nan said. “I would redefine that as poor policy.”
Brennan held the pledge is not optional. Rather it is an obligation we inherit once we become mem-bers of our community.
Chairman Janet Butkus dis-agreed. “I’m not sure we have that in our schools. I think the statute requires that students have the option.”
“The statute is noted in the pol-icy we have, but it is not inherent in any statute that any board should accept a statute when it is a poor statute … We are not obli-gated to accept any legislation that is poor legislation,” Brennan said.
Brennan drew a parallel be-tween a citizens’ choice to vote and their choice to recite the pledge. He said when an individ-ual abstains from either, poor gov-ernment results. Members of the community become less involved and less devoted to local needs or values.
Brennan said he liked the pledge. “I like the pledge, too,” member Sharon Guck said.
Butkus suggested the board pull the pledge policy from the consent agenda and vote on it as a separate entity.
Board member Paul Babarik said he agreed with Brennan. “If you are in this country and you’re enjoying the benefits of this de-mocracy, I don’t think it’s a harm to pledge allegiance to the flag,” he said.
Member John Bucciarelli said he agreed with Brennan and Bab-arik, but suggested the board send the issue back to committee for review. “We could also get an at-torney opinion on whether we are obligated in any way to adhere to the state statute,” he said. Butkus agreed to return the matter to Pol-icy and Curriculum and have it undergo legal review.
As part of the PTO Advisory Council report, Jennifer Connelly said the Oct. 1 enrollment num-bers were down 162 students since last year with the largest decline at the elementary level.
The region has seen an enroll-ment decrease of approximately 10 percent over a four-year period. Demographers will continue to refine these numbers, information that will be important for future BoE decisions.
“This is why we have had to slow our deliberations over what we’re going to share on Oct. 22 with respect to redistricting, with respect to full-day kindergarten,” Sippy said. “Because these data do create a shift that we want to be sure we’re going to capture.”
The next regular BoE meeting will be Monday, Oct. 22, at 7:30 p.m. in All-Purpose Room No. 103 at Pomperaug High School.
As temperatures begin to drop and consumers turn to alternative heating sources to stay warm, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) offers tips on avoiding home fires this fall and winter. Heating fires account for 36 percent of all residential home fires in rural areas every year, according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), and it says the majority of residential heating fires (87 percent) are started by a confined fire, such as from a chimney or fuel burner. Take the following precautions to stay safe:
Fireplace• Havethefireplaceinspectedandcleanedan-
nually by a professional chimney sweep.• Havearemovablecapinstalledatthetopofthe
chimney to keep out debris and animals.• Installasparkarrestorthathas¼-inchmesh.• Maintainproperclearancearoundthefireplace,
and keep it clear of combustible materials such as books, newspapers and furniture.
• Alwaysclosethescreenwheninuse,butkeepglass doors open during the fire.
or plastic in the fireplace.• Avoidusinggasolineorany liquidaccelerant.• Cleanoutashesfrompreviousfires, andstore
them in a noncombustible container with a
tight-fitting lid. Keep the container outside and away from the house.
• Makesurethefireiscompletelyextinguished be-fore closing the damper.
Space HeatersThese appliances are an affordable option for
heating a small space, but they also are the leading source of house fires during winter months. Follow these guidelines when using space heaters:• LookforproductsthathavebeentestedbyUn-
Electrical FiresThe USFA says electrical home fires in the U.S.
claim the lives of 280 people and injure 1,000 more each year, while home electrical problems account for $1 billion in property losses every year. Take these steps to reduce the risk of an electrical fire:• Routinelycheckyourelectricalappliancesand
wiring for frayed wires or cords. • Promptlyreplaceanycordsthatarefrayedor
• Don’tallowchildrentoplaynearelectricalap-pliances.Visit DisasterSafety.org for more information.
IBHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific and educational organization supported by the property insurance industry.
I’m not thrilled with all the leaves piling up in my yard. Do you have any tips to make
fall cleanup easier? Why can’t I just leave them where they lie? – Barbara in Dover, N.H.
Raking leaves can be a tedious task and gets exhausting when deal-
ing with a large yard with lots of trees. During the fall season, a homeowner could wind up rak-ing the yard at least once a week.
Unfortunately, leaving those leaves to pile up will wreak havoc on your lawn. First, the coating of leaves prevents air and sun from reaching grass directly, but lets rainwater trickle down, cre-ating a harsh environment for grass. Second, leaves are filled with alkaline compounds that can damage the grass. These fac-tors make leaves a great mulch ingredient, because you typically
put mulch where you don’t want grass or weeds to grow. You don’t want a heavy coating of leaf mulch on your lawn, though.
So, you’ve got to clean up those fallen leaves eventually. Here are a few ideas to make the task somewhat easier:• Pickupthefirstlightcoating
of leaves while mowing the lawn with the bag attached.
• Borroworrentaleafblowertotackle larger areas with a mod-erate-to-heavy coating of leaves. Carefully blow the leaves into rough piles around the lawn.
• Useyourraketofinishalargeleaf cleanup job: Pile the leaves
closer together, or use the rake to shift leaves into a bag or wheelbarrow for disposal else-where.
• Addleavestoyourcompostpile. Fall is a favorite time for homeowners who keep com-post piles because leaves add bulk to their compost and can help balance nutrients and acidity or alkalinity if used in the right amounts.
Send your questions or tips to [email protected], or write This Is a Hammer, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.
(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
Q:By SAMANTHA MAzzOTTA
A:This publication does not knowingly accept advertising which is deceptive, fraudulent, or which might otherwise vio-late the law or accepted stan-dards of taste. However, this publication does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy of any advertisement, nor the quality of the goods or services adver-
tised. Readers are cautioned to thoroughly investigate all claims made in any advertise-ments, and to use good judg-ment and reasonable care, particularly when dealing with persons unknown to you who ask for money in advance of de-livery of the goods or services advertised.
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The Bee-Intelligencer is available by mail to those outside our delivery area or in need of extra cop-ies. Mail delivery costs $40 a year for each sub-scription. Send a check and the mailing address to Bee-Intelligencer, P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762. Call 203-577-6800 for rates for shorter periods of time.
Lawn will thank you for raking leaves
Watch out for that noisy leaf blower. Be aware of any local
noise ordinances before us-ing a leaf blower, and try to avoid using it before 10 a.m. most days. Your neighbors will thank you.
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LEGAL NOTICETOWN OF MIDDLEBURY
PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION
The Planning and Zoning Commission of the Town of Middle-bury will hold a public hearing at Shepardson Community Center, 1172 Whittemore Road, Middlebury, at 7:30 P.M. on November 1, 2012 on an application of Middlebury Land Development LLC for approval of a Section 64 excavation and grading special per-mit, such a permit having been previously approved for Middle-bury Land Development LLC, and originally granted in the name of Timex Corporation, for work related to a planned residential development now under construction called Benson Woods for 79 homes, a 1200± sq. ft. community building, and related roads, drainage and utilities, for property described generally as follows:
Property situated at North Benson Road on the east and west sides thereof and also bounded on the north by Judd Hill Road, in part, and in part by land now or formerly of Francis M. McDon-ald, et al, which Benson Woods property is shown as Parcel 001 on Middlebury Tax Assessor’s Map No. 7-6.
Maps depicting the project are on file in the Middlebury Town Hall in the Office of the Zoning Clerk.
The Middlebury Zoning Board of Appeals hereby gives notice that at the Regular Meeting held on October 3, 2012, at 7:30 P.M. in the Shepardson Hall, 1172 Whittemore Road, Room #26, Middlebury, CT, the following decisions were made:
Appeal #3150 – Joseph L. Molder & Elizabeth M. Molder, Unit D-10 in the Condominium known as the West Shore at Lake Quassapaug – Seeking a variance from Sections 11 and 10.4 of the Zoning Regulations for the construction of a new cot-tage to replace an existing one. Continue the public hearing on Wednesday, November 7, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
Appeal #3151 – Jeff Bette & Melissa Parisi, 48 Richardson Drive – Seeking a sideline variance from Section 11 of the Zon-ing Regulations to extend the footprint of a detached garage. Approved.
Appeal #3152 – Marc & Beverly Dassonville, 101 Yale Ave-nue – seeking a setback variance from Section 11 of the Zoning Regulations for a garage. Approved.
Dated this 10th day of October 2012
Linda Burton, ClerkMiddlebury Zoning Board of Appeals
take steps to prevent fires
8 Friday, October 19, 2012The Bee-Intelligencer
If you have deleted items on a Macintosh system, they will end up in the Trash. When ready, most users will empty the Trash routinely to keep their system free of unwanted data and to keep the hard drive clean. What happens when the Trash will not empty?
The message reads the items in the Trash cannot be deleted because they are “locked,” or you do not have permission to rid the system of the data. The solution is to download a tool that will “force empty” the Trash.
To obtain this tool, go to
Google and search for Trash It! Trash It! is a free utility that will force the Mac system to empty the Trash and rid your system of unwanted data. We suggest using the CNET download site to ob-tain the tool.
The description of the tool by Noname Scriptware is: “This Ap-pleScript force-empties your Trash and/or removes stubborn items. Especially useful if you have files or folders in the Trash with permissions set incorrectly, locked Trash items, want to se-curely delete a stuck item or trash items from other partitions. If you drop files or folders onto the Trash It! icon, it will delete them immediately. If you double click on it, it will clean out your Trash can.”
Trash It! is a very useful tool.For more tips visit www.chap-
inbusiness.com. For answers to your technology questions, call us at 203-262-1869.
Adopt A Rescue pet
For more information on these pets, call 203-758-2933 or visit Animals for Life at the Middlebury Transfer Station on Rte. 63 at the corner of Woodside Ave. Adoption hours are Mondays and Thurs-days from 4 to 7 p.m., Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sundays from 12 to 3 p.m. For more information about the adoption process, visit www.animalsforlifect.org.
For more information on these animals, as well as others at Meriden Humane Society (MHS), email [email protected]. MHS is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m., and volun-teers can be available to meet with you through an appointment. MHS is at 311 Murdock Ave. in Meriden.
subscription InformationThe Bee-Intelligencer is available by mail to those outside our delivery area or in need of extra copies. Mail delivery costs $40 a year for each subscription. Send a check and the mail-ing address to Bee-Intelli-gencer, P.O. Box 10, Mid-dlebury, CT 06762. Call 203-577-6800 for rates for shorter periods of time.
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Your pet could be featured as “Pet of the Week” in this picture frame. Send us your pet’s photo by email to [email protected] or by regular mail to P.O. Box 10, Middlebury, CT 06762 along with your pet’s name, your last name and your town.
Send in your pet photos
Brownie, a Rhode Island Red hen, is 1.5 years old and and lives with the Beavers in Middlebury.
PET OF THE WEEK
Chapin’s Computer tip
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS:
For the month of October, the adoption fee for all adult cats 9 months and older is just $25!
Family EnrichmEnt cEntEr
Yoga • Zumbamartial artsFor all agEs
203-527-7324 check our schedule on Facebook: tulaFEc489 middlebury road in middlebury (behind Dunkin' Donuts)
10% offall class cards during the month of october!
yoga class cards for 5, 10 and 20 classes (adult or children)Zumba Class Cards for 10 classes (adult or Zumbatomic)
Tae Kwon Do starts in November. Sign up now!
1255 Middlebury Road (the Hamlet)Offering beer, wine & distilled spirits
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.Sunday 12 to 4 p.m.
*Not to exceed State of Connecticut minimum pricing
cannot empty the trash on a macPEPPER
Pepper is a 1 to 2-year-old Jack Russell/Fox Terrier. She is very affectionate and loves to give kisses. If you love the small terrier breeds but aren’t up for all their typical energy, then Pepper may be your girl. She likes her walks and is playful, but her energy level is not over the top. She is easy to handle on leash. Call 203-758-2933 to learn more.
RONNIERonnie is back at the shelter after being in a
home for six months. His family loved him, but had to return him due to a medical emergency. This young dog will make an amazing companion. He has lived wonderfully with children and he is described as a “love bug.” He is selective about other dogs. Some of them he likes, and some he barks at, especially during trips to PetSmart. If you would like to meet Ronnie, call 203-758-2933.
DIAMONDDiamond is a spectacular Boxer with a won-
derful disposition, and he’s in need of a new home. He is 8 years old and extremely healthy. Diamond is great with children and has lived with another boxer. He is shy of cats, but will not hurt them. Diamond is not yet here at our shelter, and we are looking for a special home that could take him in. Due to his age, we feel that this would be a better situation for him, rather than staying in a shelter. If you are interested, please email us.
KAGEKage is a 1.5 yr old male shar-pei and cocker
spaniel mix. This dog is not at our shelter yet. For the most part, he is a really good boy: loves to play, housebroken and thinks he’s a lapdog some-times. He knows a few commands, has a lot of energy and is very inquisitive. He can become possessive with items (especially ones that aren’t his) towards children, so we would not place him with children. If you would like to adopt this dog or can be a foster parent to him, please email us at [email protected].
Candidate for State Representative 71st District
Saturday, Oct. 27, 2 to 4 p.m.at Pies & Pints, One Store Road, Middlebury
Paid for and authorized by Brunelli 2012, Paul Nogueira, Treasurer – Approved by Ernest Brunelli
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Saturday, Oct. 20, at 10 a.m., Tim Mooney will present his “Molière Than Thou” program at Pomperaug High School. In his one-man show, Mooney ex-plores some of Molière’s funniest speeches.
“Molière Than Thou” finds the French playwright and actor left without a cast when all of his fel-low performers happen to con-sume “the same sort of shellfish” at one of the local public inns the company tends to frequent. Rather than actually refund the precious box office income, Molière offers to perform a “greatest hits” of sorts and leads the audience (which occasionally participates) through a hilarious succession of favorite speeches that trace his illustrious career.
Mooney plays Molière per-forming routines from “Tar-tuffe,” “Don Juan,” “The Doctor in Spite of Himself,” “The Pre-cious Young Maidens,” “The Mis-anthrope” and “The School for Wives,” among others. This gives Molière the perfect opportunity to explain his process of working on these plays while managing to take a few deft stabs at some of his enemies: the doctors, the lawyers and the sanctimonious hypocrites who would attack him throughout the years.
For more than 20 years, Moo-ney has acted, directed, staged sword fights, juggled and filled positions from literary manager
to artistic director at theatres across the country. Mooney is the author of a new book on the craft of acting, “Acting at The Speed of Life.” Many of his nu-merous translations of Molière are published by Playscripts, Inc.
For more information on Mooney, his translations of the plays of Molière and his one-man show “Molière Than Thou,” visit moliere-in-english.com/mo-liere_than_thou.html.
