Mansfield council seeks budgetary input

Solar plush calculator courtesy of nerdapproved.com

The town council will seek input on the budget from residents during a public hearing Monday (April 11) as it continues to work on its own proposal.

The public hearing will be at 7:30 p.m., as part of the council’s regular meeting, in the council chambers of the Audrey P. Beck Municipal Office Building.

The council has been working to craft its own budget proposal since receiving Town Manager Matthew Hart’s $4,582,720 budget for town and education expenses last month.

The spending plan includes a general gov¬ernment budget of $13,836,320, an increase of $722,435, or 5.5 percent and an education budget of $20,572,170, a drop of $15,990, or 0.1 percent, over the current year.

Those two portions of the budget would result in a combined increase of $706,435, or 2.1 percent, over the same allocations this year.

Hart’s proposal also includes a change in the town’s $9,924,230 share of the Regional School District 19 budget (for E. O. Smith High School) – which goes to a separate vote – and a $250,000 contribution to the town’s fund balance.

The total combined budget means a spend¬ing increase of $956,435, or 2.2 percent, al¬though Finance Director Cherie Trahan said the fund balance is technically not considered an expense because it remains with the town.

Hart’s proposal would also mean a mill rate of 26.97 mills, an increase of 1.26 mills, or 4.9 percent, over the current mill rate.

The owner of a home assessed at $168,770 – the median value used for tax bills in Mansfield – would pay $4,551 in taxes with a mill rate of 26.97 mills, an increase of $212 over the current year. The owner of a home assessed at $100,000, meanwhile, would pay $2,697, an increase of $126.

Hart told the council a drop in state aid to Mansfield is the largest reason for his pro¬posed increase.

He said reductions in the Mohegan and Pe¬quot grants specifically are “driving the need” to increase the town’s contribution to its capi¬tal improvement plan.

The town had been using the grants, which peaked at just over $3 million combined in 2002, to fund the plan, which covers major projects and equipment purchases.

But Hart said the proposal includes only $195,000 from the Mohegan and Pequot grants toward his recommended $525,000 capital improvement budget.

The council will continue to host workshops, with the goal of approving its own budget recommendation by April 19, with a meeting also scheduled for April 20 if necessary.

The council has also scheduled a second budget information meeting on April 28 before sending it to voters at the annual town meeting on May 10.

After a town charter change in 2007, residents can petition the Mansfield budget to referendum if they collect signatures from at least 2 percent of the registered voters in town within 21 days of the town meeting.

Posted 4-8-2011

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This weekend – Easter Egg hunt, tag sale, Soup cook-off and more

Saturday April 9

PASSPORT FAIR
South Windham Post Office, 12 Main St. (for GPS use Machine Shop Hill Road), South Windham, will host a passport fair for those looking to obtain passports from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Info: (860) 456-0169

CANTERBURY HISTORICAL SOCIETY: BIG TAG SALE
The Canterbury Historical Society will host a tag sale in the com­munity room of Canterbury Town Hall, 1 Municipal Drive, Canterbury, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Free admission. To donate items, call (860) 546-9062.

LITTLE ANGELS BICYCLE DRIVE
The Mansfield Community Center, 10 South Eagleville Road, Storrs, will host a bicycle drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bicycles that are received are evaluated and then repaired if necessary by Little Angels staff before being distributed. Bikes are distributed through the Little Angels Bicycle Program in Willimantic after the date of this event. Mansfield residents in need of bikes should contact either Jay O’Keefe at Mansfield Parks and Recreation or Little Angels directly at (860) 429-4290 or freebi­cycles@littleangelsbicycles.com. Additionally, Little Angels will offer tax-deduction receipts upon request.

PARTY OF GOLD FUNDRAISER
Hampton Congregational Church, Main Street, Hampton, will host a gold fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Exchange broken, unwanted gold/silver jewelry, etc., for payment on the spot. For information or to make an appointment, call (860) 530-1171.

CAR SEAT CHECK UP
The Eastern Connecticut State University Police Department park­ing lot, 44 Charter Oak Road, (across from Windham High School) Willimantic, will host a car seat check up program from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. No appointment is necessary. Average car seat education and installation per safety seat is 30 minutes. Bring your child. For informa­tion, call Safe Kids Windham County at (860) 456-6978 or visit www.ctsafekids.org.

MULTI MEDIA WORKSHOP WITH NANCY SHAY

Creamery Brook Retirement Village, 36 Vina Lane, Brooklyn, will host a multimedia workshop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is $50/person and registration required. Make check payable to NECTAG and send to Judy Doyle, 19 Beckwith St., Danielson 06239. Info: (860) 774-4250 or e-mail to perennialherb@sbcglobal.net.

TOTAL RELAXATION: PUTTING THE MIND ON HOLD
A workshop in Storrs with mystic meditation will allow participants to totally relax. Event is free from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Details/reg­istration information are at (860) 487-3597. Held at Friends Meeting House, 57 Hunting Lodge Road, Storrs.

APRIL KIDS CLUB ACTIVITY
The Windham Textile & History Museum, 411 Main St., Willimantic, will host its April Kids Club Activity from 1 to 2:30 p.m. In conjunc­tion with “Willimantic Reads,” children will read and make books in Willimantic’s oldest Library, Dunham Hall Library, which is located inside the Mill Museum. Also included will be the museum’s Easter activity: painting Easter eggs. Kids Club members are free. General admission is $5 for children and $2 for adults.

ROAST PORK DINNER
The First Congregational Church of Coventry will host a roast pork dinner from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall at 1171 Main St., Coventry. Cost is $8 adults, $7 seniors, $4 children ages 6-12 and free for children under age 6. Info: For more information, call (860) 742-5689 or (860) 742-8487 or www.firstchurchcoventry.org.

2ND ANNUAL SOUP COOK-OFF
First Congregational Church of Lebanon, corner of Route 87 and 207, Lebanon, will host its second annual soup cook-off at 5 p.m. Admission is $5. Admission is $2 for those bringing soup. Register your soup at kst0128@yahoo.com. Contact: (860) 642-6179.

FREEDOM GOSPEL CHOIR
The Voices of Freedom Gospel Choir, under the direction of Rev. Lisa Clayton, will be performing at the University of Connecticut’s von der Mehden Recital Hall, 875 Coventry Road, Storrs at 6 p.m. General admission $7 and free for students and children. Info: (860) 486-2969 or visit www.sfa.uconn.edu.

ACT’S ‘HERE AND NOW’ DANCE PERFORMANCE
“Here and Now,” which is the 2011 title of ACT’s annual DanceFest, is open to the public, and will take place at 7 p.m., at EastConn’s Capitol Theater, 896 Main St., Willimantic. Tickets $5 for students and seniors, and $10 for adults. Tickets may be purchased at the Capitol Theater box office on the day of the show, or reserved by calling the box office at (860) 465-5636.

Sunday April 10

SECOND ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT
An Easter egg hunt – sponsored by the Hebron Parks and Recreation Department and the Hebron Interfaith Human Services Bureau – will be held at Burnt Hill Park, 150 East St., Hebron at 10 a.m. The Easter Bunny will make an early visit. Photographs can be taken of the bunny with your own camera. There is no charge for this event.

SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES – STORRS
The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Storrs, 10:30 a.m. “Singing As Worship.” UU musician, Verne McArthur will lead the service. Info: (860) 429-6088.

COLUMBIA ‘DEMOCRATS OF THE YEAR’ BRUNCH
Honoring Elaine Camposeo, Don Cianci, Ed Gallagher and Joan Lewis from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Beckish Senior Center on Route 66, Columbia. $15/person. Info: Hank Schwartz (860) 228-6885.

MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY LECTURE
The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History presents “The Promises and Pitfalls of Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing,” a lecture by Linda Strausbaugh, internationally renowned geneticist and direc­tor of the Center for Applied Genetics and Technology at UConn. The lecture will be held in the biology/ physics building, Room 130, UConn Storrs Campus, at 3 p.m. Free and open to adults and children ages 10 and above. Info: http://www.cac.uconn.edu/mnhcurrentcalendar.html or call (860) 486-4460.

UCONN CHOIRS SPRING CONCERT
The UConn Choirs will perform their spring concert at von der Mehden Recital Hall, 875 Coventry Road, Storrs, on the University of Connecticut campus across from Mirror Lake at 3 p.m. $7 admission and free for students and children. Info: (860) 486-2969 or visit the web site www.sfa.uconn.edu.

Posted 4-8-2011

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Marching bands invited to join UConn Huskies April 17 Victory Parade

UConn Marching Band - courtesy photo

Marching bands from Middle Schools and High Schools in Connecticut and other organized musical marching units are invited to march in the University of Connecticut’s Men’s Basketball Victory Parade that kicks off at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 17 in downtown Hartford.

The parade celebrates the UConn Huskies for winning the 2011 NCAA Men’s National Basketball Championship, after defeating Butler University 53-41 on April 4.

The parade will begin and end at the State Capitol Building and take place near the Bushnell Park, Main Street and Capitol Avenue areas of Hartford.

A celebration rally with the coaches and players will be held on the north steps of the Capitol Building immediately following the parade.

Band leaders interested in volunteering to march in this parade should contact Parade Participant Organizer Steven Lazaroff at 860-728-2263.

Parade and rally organizers are relying on private funds to support the parade and the rally.

For parade sponsorship opportunities, contact Michael Zaleski at the Hartford Business Improvement District (HBID) at 860-728-2274.

Spectator information about the April 17 UConn Victory Parade – including the parade route – will be posted on www.hartford.com as it becomes available.

Posted April 8, 2011

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