C.H. Booth Library’s Newtown Nonprofit Council (NNC) had its monthly virtual meeting on October 18, where a quarterly in-person gathering was proposed.

Reference Librarian Lily MacHugh, who moderates the meetings, asked if those in attendance would be interested in online and in-person hybrid meetings come 2023.

“I just want to put that out there,” she said.

The group mulled whether this might be a way to get more nonprofits to join the council and play an active role in it, which has been an area the group hopes to improve.

Since there are about 40 organizations signed up with the Newtown Nonprofit Council, but only a small fraction was at the meeting, MacHugh said she would send out a poll in the next newsletter to get a group consensus.

EverWonder Children’s Museum representative Niki Giordano brought up that since the meetings run at 10 am on a weekday, it may conflict with people’s work schedules and make it “harder to attend the meeting.”

After more brainstorming, it was decided that MacHugh would begin to create a planning committee to prepare for a hybrid meeting in January.

‘Successful Event’

Friends of Newtown Seniors (FONS) representative John Boccuzzi, Sr, was the first council member to share what his group has been working on.

Recently, FONS hosted its Ocktoberfest at NewSylum Brewing Company in Fairfield Hills, and he said it was a “very successful event … even though there was pouring rain.”

FONS will have its monthly social gathering at Sal e Pepe on Wednesday, October 26.

“All are invited regardless of age,” Boccuzzi said.

He also told the group how American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) came to meet with FONS to talk about its HomeFit program.

Boccuzzi described it as a way for seniors to “age in place … for as long as possible.”

Lastly, he reported the plan for a fixed bus line in Newtown is going before the Department of Transportation (DOT).

“It’ll be the first link in this chain … If we have a fixed bus route and HART [Housatonic Area Regional Transit] bus, we have a basis to start building a transportation plan,” Boccuzzi said.

Katherine Simpson, who usually represents multiple organizations at NNC meetings, including the Newtown Lions Club, noted that Bruce Walczak of the Newtown Lions Club will now be attending on behalf of the group.

As for the Newtown Congregational Church news, Simpson said the Mississippi BBQ & Shrimp Boil is coming up on Saturday, October 22.

Giordano then spoke about how “a lot is going on currently” at EverWonder.

Its Science of Mixology event is on October 22 and will have a silent auction available online that anyone not able to attend can still participate in.

EverWonder’s Spooktacular event on Saturday, October 29 still has tickets available.

Latest Member

A new face to the NNC was longtime Newtown resident Randy Walker, who is the new president of the Pootatuck Watershed Association.

He shared that the organization is “trying to rebuild the Pootatuck Watershed Association effort, the focus being on water quality in the streams and the aquifer, but also to support other groups in ecological efforts to ensure that the watershed around the water sources and waterways are protected, enhanced/improved.”

Walker mentioned that he just completed 16 miles of stream assessment on the Pootatuck and Deep Brook with the Housatonic Valley Association (HVA).

“We are preparing a watershed plan, the first one for Newtown. We hope to have that done, so that we can have a basis for applying for grants,” he said.

Tripp Killin and Janice Bonsignore, of the Jeniam Foundation, were also present at the council meeting.

Killin asked if everyone was interested in them continuing the Galaxy Digital subscription for the council’s online volunteer site Get Connected, Newtown!

The Jeniam Foundation funds the website.

“We are happy to support this,” Killin said.

After some input from members, he said, “It sounds like the group would like to make sure Galaxy Digital is still around. As long as it’s providing value for folks, we feel the same way,” Killin said.

NNC meets virtually on the third Tuesday of each month at 10 am.

People with questions or interest in joining the upcoming NNC meetings can contact MacHugh at lmachugh@chboothlibrary.org.

Reporter Alissa Silber can be reached at alissa@thebee.com.