The Suffield Observer (https://thesuffieldobserver.com/category/columns/page/47/)
Ordinarily I bypass the perpendicular pronoun. But wished happiness as I recently celebrated my 89th birthday, I thank in first person all happiness wishers! Their wishes came true! Judging by photo albums, all birthdays have been happy! The 18th was especially so.
The 16th Seduction by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro and Travels with my Aunt by Graham Greene
Gloria and Bernard Magliozzi discovered a copy of the Observer in their luggage when they journeyed to Lovers Key in Florida to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary and renew their vows on the beach there on February 14.
Several years ago a friend who supports the Libertarian Party invited me to come along to a weekend gathering of libertarians in New Hampshire. It was called the Porcupine Freedom Festival – PorcFest for short. It was, generally speaking, a happy gathering of people who shared the political view that less government would make life better. Its name derives from the mascot of the Libertarian Party, the porcupine. It was only the second or third time this event had taken place but there was a good crowd of about 100 people staying in a local motel or camping out in trailers and tents using the bathroom facilities provided by Rogers Campgrounds in Lancaster, NH.
It seems impossible that a year has passed since the 2017-18 budget was approved, especially since the State of Connecticut continues to slash the aid expected in our current budget. Yet here we are, presenting the 2018-19 budget. Budgets always face a unique set of challenges and this year includes the following:
• $276,618 (+15%) increase estimated in employee health insurance
• $105,174 increase over the Town’s regular contribution to employee pension plan per the Board of Finance’s decision to decrease annual return assumptions from 7.25% to 6.75%
• $273,903 (+1.7%) increase in Fire and Police “catch-up” pay due to settled union contracts from multiple prior years
These items alone account for an increase of $655,695 or 4.16% over last year. Also affecting costs is the 4-2 schedule that Police and Dispatch follow per their union contracts. This provides for 4 work days, 2 off and salary commensurate with a 7-day period.
“A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.”
– Douglas Adams
Connecticut’s a funny state. It’s the third smallest state in the nation, but it has 169 municipalities. To contrast, our neighbor Rhode Island has 39. Complicating matters is that each one of those Connecticut cities and towns believes itself to be an entity unto itself. Even towns that share a border, like, say, Suffield and Windsor Locks, consider the other to be so different as to be another state.
Sharon E. (Smith) Beneski
February 13, Age 75
Janet Devlin
February 13, Age 86
Michael “Meho” Alexopoulous
February 15, Age 86
Florence Miarecki
February 19, Age 95
Claude E. Rice
February 21, Age 70
Charles Donaghy
February 24
Anna Gilbert
February 25, Age 101
Leon Keith Markwell
February 27, Age 90
Rosemarie Lownds
March 1, Age 88
Janet Aidan Lapinski
March 7, Age 80
Robert Hinkley
March 12, Age 82
Sunshine celebrated Betty Dalgleish’s 93rd birthday. It ushered in one of Betty’s 16 great-grandchildren, “Addie-for–Adelaide,” her smallness and innocence a joy.
