Louise M. Parascondola, 94, of Ridgefield, wife of the late Arthur F. Parascondola, died on Thursday, Feb. 20, at her home.

Mrs. Parascondola was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on June 10, 1919, a daughter of Ercole and Angeline (Polio) Parascandolo.  She attended New York schools and graduated from the New York School of Hairdressing.

Mrs. Parascondola was a hairdresser and stylist. She and her husband owned and operated Arthur’s Beauty Center of Brewster, N.Y., from 1955 to 1975.

Mrs. Parascondola was resident of Ridgefield since coming from Brooklyn in 1955.  She enjoyed needlepoint, oil painting and cooking.

She attended St. Mary Church of Ridgefield.

Mrs. Parascondola is survived by two sons, Jack Parascondola (Gina Aflalo) and Louis Parascondola (Theresa Lynch); two grandchildren, Stacey Jchick (Walter) and Deborah Vasquez; four great grandchildren, Robert Dowell, Christopher, Ashley and Jonathan Martinson, two “grandchildren by love,” Deborah and Jennifer Aflalo and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, her family said.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 10:15 am in St. Mary Church, Ridgefield.

Interment will take place at the direction of the family.

There will be no calling hours.

Contributions may be made to Regional Hospice and Home Care of Western Connecticut, 30 Old Ridgebury Rd., Danbury, CT  06810.

Kane Funeral Home, 25 Catoonah St., Ridgefield is in charge of arrangements.

The Internal Revenue Service recently announced the release of IRS2Go 4.0, an update to its smartphone application featuring new added features available in both English and Spanish.

The redesigned IRS2Go provides new features for taxpayers to access the latest information to help them in the preparation of their tax returns. In this version, IRS2Go highlights the addition of an innovative new refund status tracker, providing taxpayers an easy-to-use feature to follow their tax return throughout the process.

“The new version of IRS2Go provides taxpayers another way to quickly get information and help around the clock,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “The IRS is focused on providing taxpayers with convenient self-service tools like IRS2Go, which provides details on everything from tax refunds to free tax assistance.”

There have been about 3.5 million downloads of IRS2Go since its inception in 2011. iPhone and iPod Touch users can update or download the free IRS2Go application by visiting the iTunes App Store. Android users can visit Google Play to download the free IRS2Go app.

The newest version of the free mobile app offers a number of safe and secure ways for taxpayers to access other popular tools and the most up-to-date tax information, including:

• Refund Status. Taxpayers can check the status of their federal tax refund through IRS2Go. People simply enter their Social Security number, which will be masked and encrypted for security purposes, then select their filing status and enter the amount of their anticipated refund for their 2013 tax return. A new refund status tracker has been added so that taxpayers can follow their tax return throughout the process. Users can check their refund status 24 hours after the IRS acknowledges receipt of an e-filed return, or four weeks after mailing a paper return. The IRS reminds taxpayers the tool is updated just once a day, usually overnight, so there is no reason to check more than once a day.

• Free Tax Prep Providers. The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Programs offer free tax help for taxpayers who qualify. This brand new tool on IRS2Go will help taxpayers find the nearest VITA site to their home by simply entering their zip code and selecting a mileage range. By clicking on the directions button within the results, the maps application on the device will load with the address, making it easy to navigate to your desired location.

• Tax Records. Taxpayers can request their tax account or tax return transcript from IRS2Go. The transcript will be delivered via U.S. Postal Service to their address of record.

• Stay Connected. Taxpayers can interact with the IRS by following the IRS on Twitter, @IRSnews or @IRSenEspanol, watching helpful videos on YouTube, signing up for email updates, or by using the Contact Us feature.

For more information on IRS2Go, products and services through social media channels and other media products, visit www.IRS.gov.

There are a few seats left for people who have been told they are funny and want to hone their skills with some professional training and enroll in comedienne Christine O’Leary’s Comedy Writing. The workshop starts Monday, March 3, and runs through April 14 from 7 to 9 p.m. for eight consecutive weeks at the Ridgefield Playhouse.

Ms. O’Leary will teach stand-up comedy writing and guarantees that “all students will be funny, with no risk of not being laughed at.” Students will learn the fundamentals of comedy writing and performance.

Ms. O’Leary is a social worker, project manager, social media editor, and award-winning professional comedienne.

The workshop culminates with a “graduation” show on the stage of the Ridgefield Playhouse on Sunday, May 4. The workshop is part of Hamlet Hub’s A Whole New You series.

To register ($300), call the box office at the Ridgefield Playhouse, 203-438-5795, or go online to ridgefieldplayhouse.org. To apply for a Bruce Becker Scholarship, email allison@ridgefieldplayhouse.org.

Robert A. Sharkany, 83, of Ridgefield, husband of Gloria (Lavatori) Sharkany died on Saturday, Feb. 22, at Laurel Ridge Health Care Center. The funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by the Kane Funeral Home, 25 Catoonah Street.

Better Business Bureau is urging Connecticut consumers to understand what they are getting into before switching electricity suppliers.

State utility regulators are preparing for a series of public hearings between Feb. 19 and March 3, on the heels of a spike in complaints to the government about a jump in consumers’ electricity rates.

The Connecticut Attorney General’s office and the Office of Consumer Counsel say some consumers have been hit with a $100 a month increase compared to the standard rate. Last month, Connecticut Light and Power/United Illuminating offered rates of approximately nine cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), as compared to as much as almost 25 cents per kWh charged by other suppliers.

Consumers may choose from a variety of suppliers that offer different electricity rates, and compare them online at ctenergyinfo.com. Suppliers may offer a fixed rate for a predetermined period, or variable rates. Some suppliers may offer attractive introductory rates, and consequently increase them considerably without warning.

Connecticut consumers can prevent energy price spikes and save money on electricity by following these tips:

Fixed or variable — If you opt for a fixed rate supplier, find out how long the rate is guaranteed and what penalties are imposed for early termination. If you opt for a variable rate, that rate may suddenly jump, so check your statements monthly and call your supplier if you have any questions.

File a complaint — If you feel you were misled about pricing, terms or conditions, you may file a complaint at www.ct.bbb.org and through the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) at 800-382-4586.

Avoid peak hours — Rates rise and fall according to daily demand. Peak hours are generally from 6 to 10 a.m., and between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. Check with your supplier for details and whether “off peak” rates apply on weekends.

Unplug the parasites — Many appliances drain electricity even though they may not be turned on or on standby, including computers, televisions and power supplies for chargers, printers and any other appliance or gadget that uses a plug-in transformer. Plug these into a power bar and shut them down when you have finished using them.

Other tips — Close curtains over windows at night to prevent warm air leakage. If you haven’t already, switch over to energy-efficient light bulbs, turn down your water heater temperature, and drop the thermostat a few degrees during peak periods and in empty rooms.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has a free, comprehensive guide with tips to bring down energy bills at: www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/06/f2/energy_savers.pdf.

Abigail Bay of Ridgefield was named to the fall 2013 dean’s list at Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass. Ms. Bay is a senior.

Bentley University in Waltham, Mass., reports two Ridgefielders receiving honors: Megan Kirchoff, a sophomore, was named to the president’s list and Bradley Rosenfield, a freshman, to the dean’s list.

Clemson (S.C.) University reports two residents are on the fall dean’s list: Maya Salamon, majoring in accounting, and Seth Vonkuhn, marketing. On the president’s list is Shannon Reed, whose major is early childhood education.

Kevin J. Coleman, a 2011 graduate of Ridgefield High School, was named to the dean’s list at Curry College in Milton, Mass. He is a junior majoring in communications and is the son of Jim and Mary Coleman.

Springfield College has named Duncan Cozens of Ridgefield to the dean’s list for the fall term. He is studying sports biology.

Helene Dacey and Joseph Hannigan were named to the dean’s list at the University of Dayton, Ohio.

Kaitlyn Gerber has been awarded Academic All-Conference honors for fall. Ms. Gerber, a member of the Carleton College women’s soccer team, graduated from Ridgefield High School and is a senior at Carleton. To earn Academic All-Conference honors, student athletes must be a sophomore, junior or senior with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale while also meeting sport-specific athletic requirements.

Sara Kay, a senior at Ithaca (N.Y.) College, was named to the dean’s list for the fall semester. She will graduate in May 2014 with a double major in communications management and design and theater arts management with a minor in business administration.

Blake Liebling, a member of the Class of 2016 at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., has earned dean’s list for the winter term.

Four Ridgefielders were named to the dean’s list at the University of New Haven in West Haven for the fall: Joseph Bonitatebus, Parker Mathis, Catherine Pin, and Marco Zandri.

Jeff Rohrer is on the fall dean’s list at James Madison University, where he is a junior.

Skidmore College in Saratoga, N.Y., reports two Ridgefiedlers are on the fall dean’s list: Zachary Uslianer, Class of 2014, son of Lisa Siegel of Ridgefield and Barry Uslianerof Danbury; and Emily Damon, Class of 2015, daughter of James Damon and Kathleen Richards.

Stonehill College, Easton, Mass., recently named two residents to its fall dean’s list: Michelle A. David, Class of 2017, and Christopher P. DiElsi, Class of 2016.

The fall dean’s list at the University of Rhode Island at Kingston includes Michelle Ferrara, Mickey Hicks, Samantha Lowe, Hayden Turek, Nicole Doyon, and Avery McGinty.

Five Ridgefielders have been named to the dean’s list for the fall semester at the University of Vermont in Burlington: Lauren Gerber, an elementary education kindergarten through six major, Bianca Holzthum, a undeclared major, Kori Krichko, a civil engineering major, Stephanie Preter, a undeclared major, and Caitlin Winson, a social work major.

Ridgefielders on the dean’s list at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., are Kara N. Carpenter of North Street, a senior majoring in civil engineering; Kailey M. Proctor of Taporneck Court, a senior majoring in human nutrition, foods and exercise; Kirk T. Smith of Hull Place, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering; and Brianne V. Varnerin of Bobby’s Court, a senior majoring in wildlife science.

Henry Walton, a sophomore at UConn, Storrs, has been named a New England Scholar. He was selected for the honor because of his semester grade point average of at least a 3.7 for the spring and fall semesters of the 2013 calendar year.

Kara Ann Gasparrini, a first-year student at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., is on the fall dean’s list. The daughter of Tehri and John Gasparrini is a pre-health major.

The fourth annual Ridgefield Chili Festival is Sunday, March 9, from 2 to 4 at the Ridgefield Community Center, 316 Main Street.

The festival, a nonpartisan event sponsored by Ridgefield Democrats, offers the “famous and not so famous” chili recipes that make local cooks and restaurants proud.

Event coordinator Ellen Darvick said, “This will be Ridgefield’s fourth annual chili festival, just in time to beat the winter blues. We expect this year’s event to be our biggest, with newsworthy new entrants and mystery guests. We invite all Ridgefield area residents to join us in spicing up March with a little bit of southwestern flavor.”

The 2014 Chili Festival will feature free tastings of chili specialties by several of Ridgefield restaurants, including Bissell House, Little Pub and Southwest Café and new professional entrants from So Good Vegan and Bartolo. A final list will be announced soon; typically at least 10 to 12 are offered.

First Selectman Rudy Marconi and other local amateur cooks will offer their own favorite chili specialties in competition for the People’s Choice Award for Best Amateur Chili, while a judges panel composed of restaurateurs will bestow a Judges Panel Award for Best Amateur Chili.

Tickets are $25 per person ($10 for children ages 7 to 12, age 6 and under admitted free) and are available at the door or in advance. No charge for cook-off entrants.

To enter as an amateur cook, contact Ms. Darvick at edarvick@ridgefielddems.org. To buy tickets, visit ridgefielddems.org.

Christine Tracy and Crystal Madyda

Two people recently joined the staff of the Ridgefield Visiting Nurse Association.

Crystal Madyda has her master’s degree in physical therapy, is a certified kineseotaping practitioner, and has been is a physical therapist with 15 years of experience. She’s married, has one son and lives in Danbury.

Christine Tracy is a new clinical office assistant. A former employee of Candlewood Valley Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in New Milford, she will support the clinical department in day to day functions, includingh professional scheduling. She lives in New Milford and is newly married.

Dear EarthTalk: What is the “de-extinction” movement all about? —Bill Mitchell, New York, N.Y.

De-extinction — bringing back extinct animal and plant species — is a term that conservation biologists and environmentalists have been bandying about for a decade or so. But only recently have advances in genetic sequencing and molecular biology transformed de-extinction from theory into something that we are all likely to see in our own lifetimes.

Or so Revive & Restore, a project of the Stewart Brand’s California-based non-profit Long Now Foundation, likes to think. The group is creating a movement around de-extinction, and is taking the lead on efforts to bring back the passenger pigeon while helping out on other ongoing efforts to restore other extinct species including European aurochs, Pyrenean ibexes, American chestnut trees, Tasmanian tigers, California condors, even wooly mammoths.

The main rationale behind bringing back these long gone species and others is to preserve biodiversity and genetic diversity, undo harm that humans have caused in the past, restore diminished ecosystems and advance the science of preventing extinctions.

While de-extinction may seem only theoretical at this point, biologists are already knocking on its door. In 2003, Spanish researchers used frozen tissue from the last Pyrenean ibex, which had died three years earlier, to clone a new living twin (birthed by a goat). While the baby ibex died of respiratory failure within 10 minutes of its birth — a common problem in early cloning efforts — the de-extinction movement was officially born.

Revive & Restore expects to see much more progress in the coming decade given the recent focus on the topic by geneticists, conservation biologists and environmentalists. The group is working with researchers around the world to put together a list of “potentially revivable” species. Some of the criteria for whether a given species is a good candidate for revival include how desirable it would be to have it around, how practical it would be to bring it back, and whether or not “re-wilding” (returning it to a natural environment) would be possible.

First up for Revive & Restore is the passenger pigeon, which was hunted from a population of billions in the 19th century to extinction by 1914. The group has enlisted the help of bird experts around the world to contribute to the project, and in February 2012 convened a meeting at Harvard University to coordinate the next steps. Currently Revive and Restore is busy sequencing the DNA of the passenger pigeon’s nearest living relative, the band-tailed pigeon, and is simultaneously gathering DNA from some 1,500 preserved passenger pigeon specimens. The group hopes to combine this biological and genetic material to reintroduce the once abundant species.

In response to critics who question the logic of bringing back extinct species in a world potentially unprepared to host them, Brand, founder of the Whole Earth Catalog, counters that it’s our job to try to fix “the hole in nature” we created. “It’s our fault that some of these crucial species have been completely wiped out, so we should dedicate our energy to bringing them back,” he says. “It may take generations but we will get the wooly mammoth back.”

Contact: Revive & Restore, www.longnow.org/revive.

 EarthTalk is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E-The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe. Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

Danielle Cococcia and son Kaden.

A Ridgefield native is doing her bit to help Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, in her current home, The Cayman Islands.

Danielle Cococcia organized the Lemon Aid road run three months ago to raise money and awareness about the need to help children suffering with cancer, which she feels is a relatively unaddressed issue not only in the Cayman Islands but worldwide.

She and her husband have two healthy small children of their own, which piqued their interest in the foundation.

Now Ms. Cococcia has committed to running a road race every month this year to raise money for the cause. “I’m nervous, very scared, but mostly hopeful that I will be able to make a difference in the coming year,” she said.

“Just a while ago I learned about Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. These folks raise money for childhood cancer research, which is very much needed for the kids of the world.

“As I learned more about the foundation, the grants, the research needed, something resonated with me in my core. I am now bound and determined to do whatever I can to help these folks with their mission.”

She will average one race a month with the final one, the Cayman Islands half-marathon of 13.1 miles, in December.

“I am not what I would consider a runner, so this is a huge undertaking for me,” she said. “I’m not going to lie, there might be some walking, but I will finish every race and hope all who support me will cheer me on along the way.”

She said that running is not even the scariest part; reaching her fundraising goal of $12,000 for the year is. So far, she has raised more than $1,500.

She pays her own entry fees for each run, so every penny raised goes straight to helping find cures for children with cancer.

Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation emerged from the front-yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra Scott, who died at age 8 in 2004. At age 4, she announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer.

Since that first stand, the foundation bearing her name has evolved into a worldwide fundraising movement,  with thousands of supporters.

Kids cancer is the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 15 in the United States.

Ms. Cococcia said, “For children, there are very few treatments made just for them and the government money allocated to childhood cancer research is minimal. As such, typically, children are given watered-down versions of adult treatments those, even if successful, result in terrible lifelong side effects.

“As a mother of two, this is unacceptable to me and I have set out to do anything I can to help raise awareness and funds specifically for pediatric cancer research. While the running is a challenge for me, I’d much rather be doing that than sitting at my child’s bedside while he or she receives a round of chemo.”

Around 90 percent of the money raised for the foundation goes to research grants. Anyone wishing to help may contact Ms. Cococcia at caymanlemonade@gmail.com.

Members of Ridgefield High School’s POWER club, or Promotion of Women’s Equal Rights club, will present a program for children and their parents on media literacy.

The program will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 26, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Ridgefield Library.

Children age 5 and up are welcome to watch the movie Brave (PG, 93 minutes), while their parents are encouraged to take part in a discussion about female representation in the media, toy marketing and how to encourage their children to be media literate. Library staff will be on hand to supervise the movie screening, and food and drinks will be provided.

Ridgefield High School POWER is a club with the mission of promoting gender, class and race equality throughout the student body and community.

The program is free. To register, visit ridgefieldlibrary.org or call 203-438-2282.

Average retail gasoline prices in Connecticut have risen 5.2 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.70/g yesterday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 1,540 gas outlets in Connecticut. This compares with the national average that has increased 5.0 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.40/g, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com.

Prices in Ridgefield Sunday included $3.78 at State Line, $3.79 at Valero, $3.84 at Irving, $3.97 at Mobil, and $3.99 at Shell. The low price in Danbury was $3.57 at BP on White Street. Lowest in the state was $3.49 at a Citgo in Cromwell.

Including the change in gas prices in Connecticut during the past week, prices yesterday were 25.3 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 7.6 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has increased 12.5 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 32.6 cents per gallon lower than this day one year ago.

“The rate of increase in the national average has accelerated over the last week, and the worst is likely yet to come,” said GasBuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan. “Oil prices continue to move higher as refineries continue their maintenance season, leading to a double whammy at the gas station. In addition, in another month we’ll also start seeing refineries producing more expensive, cleaner burning summer gasoline, and that will likely keep upward pressure on retail gasoline prices. Just a handful of stations across the nation are seeing a price under $3/gallon, and a few weeks from today, motorists along the West Coast with perhaps a few other states will be wishing for those current $3 prices,” DeHaan said.

Verna J. Budd, 92, of Ridgefield, mother of Kathryn J. Keaveny of Ridgefield died at her home on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014.  The family will receive friends in the Kane Funeral Home, 25 Catoonah St., on Friday, Feb. 28, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.  Contributions to Regional Hospice and Home Care, 39 Old Ridgebury Rd., Danbury 06810 would be appreciated.

It’s been a record-setting winter already, and it is only February! But don’t let the weather keep you from enjoying your Ridgefield Library, even on days when our building is closed.

Snow and ice won’t keep you from visiting our virtual branch at www.ridgefieldlibrary.org. You can keep up with school work with many authoritative reference databases like A to Z: The USA or Literary Reference Center. Take advantage of a snow day at home to finally get started on your family history project with Heritage Quest Online or brush up on a foreign language ahead of a vacation or business trip with Mango.

EBooks and audiobooks from OverDrive can be downloaded and enjoyed without ever setting foot out of doors. A day home from school would be a great time to try the new OverDrive interface for kids and teens. Look for the download buttons on our homepage and give them a try.

If you have health or mobility issues that are aggravated by snow and cold, keeping you stuck at home, contact Adult Services Librarian Dorothy Pawlowski about our Homebound Delivery Service. Staff and volunteers work together to get library materials such as books and DVDs right to your door. Dorothy can be reached at 203-438-2282, ext. 1003.

Mary Rindfleisch is assistant director at the Ridgefield Library. She can be reached at mfrind@ ridgefieldlibrary.org or 230-43802282, ext. 1009.

Four months and six public hearings later, the Planning and Zoning Commission has OKed more dense residential development in parts of the town’s B1 and B2 commercial zones.

The zoning amendment, which permits more residential units on the upper level of commercial buildings, passed with a unanimous 6-0 vote Tuesday night after lengthy discussion about its language.

The change allows eight units per acre, up from four now. Developments that include units considered “affordable” by state standards can qualify for a 20% density “bonus.”

The proposal was submitted as a two-part application on Oct. 22. It also sought a special permit for the construction of a mixed-use office building at 40 Grove Street.

The applicant, Reed Whipple, withdrew that part of the application during the extended public hearing Tuesday night.

“We will come back to you with that,” said Robert Jewell, the applicant’s attorney. “We don’t have enough time for the special permit so the focus is on this amendment.”

Mr. Whipple and Mr. Jewell seemed flexible about the language of the regulation after several commissioners requested a change about a clause that would grant developers 20% more residential units on their property if they build age-restricted or affordable units.

“This clause doesn’t do the town any good — it’s troubling,” said Commissioner John Katz. “You’re increasing density with no give-back to the town.

“It can’t be age-restricted and affordable.”

“It doesn’t really affect us; I will leave that at the discretion of the commission,” Mr. Jewell said.

After the public hearing closed on the amendment, the commission discussed the clause for about 30 minutes, ultimately deciding to strike the age restriction from the bonus clause and designating it as “deed restricted affordable.”

Out with the old, in with the — well, who knows.

The school district recently got word that it can ditch the long-administered CAPT and CMT tests in favor of a pilot of the new Common Core tests for elementary and high school students. Officials aren’t sure what to expect.

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, which is part of the state’s Department of Education, will administer the computer-based math and English tests between March 31 and June 6 for students in third through eighth grade and high school juniors.

Fifth, eighth and 10th grade students will still take the CMT science test, a Feb. 7 letter sent to parents said.

Trial run

This year’s test, being called a “field test,” will serve as a trial run of the spring 2015 test, which will be the state’s first official standardized test based on Common Core.

“The field test is an opportunity to ‘test the test,’” according to the letter to the parents. “Information will be used to evaluate the testing software, ensure the quality of test questions, and evaluate the effectiveness of the test administration and training materials.”

The district will also be working on the logistics of testing students on computers, ironing out challenges of “device compatibility, bandwidth capacity and scheduling.”

Assistant Superintendent Kimberly Beck said, “They’re deploying it this year to see how well it works. The purpose is strictly to see how the kids take the test and correct whatever problems kids may have with the online format.”

What to expect?

The Board of Education had plenty of concerns about the transition away from the familiar CMT and CAPT Monday, Feb. 10.

“What are we actually going to learn about our kids from taking it this year?” asked board member Karen Sulzinsky.

School board Vice Chairwoman Irene Burgess asked, “How will we get the scores, and do we know what they’ll even mean when we get them?”

Ms. Beck said, “We will get aggregate test results back at the end of the year or the early part of next year.”

Why are juniors taking the test if they already took the CAPT last year as sophomores?

“The current 11th grade class has to take some form of this new state standardized testing before they graduate, and the field test will serve as that,” Ms. Beck said. “They took the CAPT last year, but the CAPT is going to be an outdated testing system by the time they’re ready to graduate next spring.”

Can parents have their kids opt out from taking the test?

“There is an opt-out program in place, and there have been four parents that have contacted me about it so far,” Ms. Beck said. “A student can’t opt out of taking a state standardized test though. We’ve asked the state that question. Eventually they’re going to need to take this test, whether it’s this year or next.”

No strings

Superintendent Deborah Low spoke in favor of the switch, focusing on the switch to online test taking.

“In the long term, this is really a no-brainer,” she said. “Kids should try it now because online testing is the way of the future at any level — it’s not going away.”

“If I were a parent, I’d want my kid to try it out,” Ms. Beck added. “Every kid in the district will have to take a similar, online test in 2014-15 regardless if they opt out now.”

Ms. Low said the district wasn’t going to attach any “real meaning” to the aggregate test results they get back from the state.

“We’re not going to tie ourselves to the first-year results — that’s not the goal of this,” she said. “We don’t want any undue stress to kids and teachers.”

Some board members addressed possible parental apprehension about having a new standardized test.

“I’m sure the CMTs were a disaster when they were first rolled out,” Ms. Burgess said. “What I always tell my kids is that they’re testing the school, not you — how a student does on this field test won’t affect where they can go to college.”

Ms. Beck agreed and reaffirmed that the SBAC’s field test won’t affect course placement or individual student assessment next year.

She addressed several questions about the test’s accommodations for special education students.

“They’re going to offer different times for students to complete certain test items, which is a real benefit of the field test,” she said. “SBAC is taking care of all the accommodations — they’re built into the test, so anything an individuals needs will get taken care of.”

Work in progress

The district has been looking to switch to the field test since August, when Ms. Low first recommended the change in assessment. Despite any growing pains, they say the new direction is inevitable.

Ms. Beck stated her recommendation to the board at a Jan. 22 meeting.

“The state legislation is clear: We have to test our kids every year,” she said. “Even though the testing data may not be broken down specifically kid by kid, or grade by grade, we will be able to see it broken down school by school, which is something positive.

“We can’t afford to suspend the value we will get from this type of assessment and how it will benefit us in the long term,” she added. “Most districts are going ahead with the field test even though it’s a work in progress.”

Ms. Low also spoke at that meeting about the state’s plans for the 2014-15 school year.

“They’ve been very up front with us — this is not a high-stakes year with the first official test coming in spring 2015, so we’re not going to lose sleep over the field test and the data we get back from it,” she said. “It’s only for this year, and we’ll have better knowledge about the test this time next year if we go ahead with the field test; there’s no sense in taking the CMT or the CAPT in math or English.”

Questions remain

Some board members still had reservations Monday about all of the uncertainty surrounding the new test and scores.

“We won’t know if these tests are working or not until next year,” said board member Chris Murray. “I agree with the logic of not taking the CMT and the CAPT, but I’m worried about the kids because it seems like a suspension in the learning process and kids don’t get a suspension in their development.”

Board of Education chairman Austin Drukker said, “We don’t know what will happen next and I don’t think they have the answers to some of our questions either.”

Ms. Sulzinsky said, “We have to keep asking questions though. If the answer we get back is, ‘I don’t know,’ then that’s the answer and we’ll have to keep asking until they do know.”

New York Times best-selling author Kim Harrison will be at the Ridgefield Library on Tuesday, March 4, at 7:30 p.m. to discuss the latest and penultimate installment of her Hollows series, The Undead Pool, published by Harper Voyager Feb. 25.

The Undead Pool follows witch and day-walking demon Rachel Moran as she seeks out an ancient magic that is her only chance to preserve the truce between humans and the supernatural world before all-out war consumes both sides.

Ms. Harrison was born and raised in the upper Midwest. Her best-selling Hollows novels include Dead Witch Walking, The Good, The Bad, and The Undead, Every Which Way But Dead, A Fistful of Charms, For a Few Demons More, The Outlaw Demon Wails, White Witch, Black Curse, Black Magic Sanction, Pale Demon, A Perfect Blood, Ever After, plus the short story collection Into the Woods and The Hollows Insider. She also writes the bestselling Madison Avery YA series.

The program is co-sponsored by Books on the Common, and copies of The Undead Pool will be available for sale and signing at the event.

Space is limited and registration is recommended at ridgefieldlibrary.org or 203-438-2282.

State Rep. John Frey

State Rep. John Frey (R-111) welcomed in the 2014 legislative session Feb. 6, a day after House leaders braved the snow to officially open the session on the day outlined in the state Constitution.

Along with his fellow legislators at the state Capitol, Mr. Frey took part in the traditional joint convention of the General Assembly and Gov. Malloy’s State of the State speech.

The ceremonies mark the beginning of a three-month-long “short session,” during which only bills that are fiscal in nature may be considered. All non-budgetary or fiscal bills must be submitted through committees.

Mr. Frey currently serves as a minority whip, and also serves on the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee, the Banks Committee, and the Aging Committee.

Mr. Frey said the most pressing issue of the current session will be making adjustments to the budget, which currently reflects a large surplus consisting largely of one-time and unreliable revenues, with billion-dollar deficits waiting in the coming years as well as significant unfunded liabilities such as pensions and retiree health care.

The House will also take up such issues as continuing the work on school safety, mental health, evaluating the Common Core state standards, evaluating the effects of the Affordable Care Act and the spending associated with Medicaid expansion, and improving the state’s overall economic climate and long-term fiscal outlook.

Mr. Frey has also been serving on a task force looking at reforms to the state’s affordable housing (8-30g) statutes.

“We will work hard this year to try to get Connecticut’s finances healthier in both the short and long terms, and I also want to make sure we address the things that are holding us back from a full recovery — be it excessive regulations, high taxes, or other inefficiencies,” said Mr. Frey. I’m also ready to take a deeper look into how the Common Core standards are affecting our schools. I want people in Ridgefield to know that they can always reach out to me with any other ideas they may have.”

Mr. Frey and his colleagues  will sloon announce official caucus priorities for the session, which adjourns May 7.

Mr. Frey may be reached at John.Frey@ housegop.ct.gov or by phone at 800-842-1423. Constituents may also follow his legislative activity throughout the session by visiting his website, www.repfrey.com. There, they may also sign up for email updates sent throughout the legislative session.

The Ridgefield High School National Honor Society is sponsoring “Hair to Share,” a charity drive to collect hair donations for wigs for cancer victims.

Anyone with eight inches or more of hair to share has been invited to the Ridgefield Recreation Center Tuesday, March 4 (snow date March 5) from 4 to 6 to donate.

Hair must be clean, dry, and free of styling products. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Local salons will be on hand to cut and style donors’ hair.

Hair donations will be sent to Beautiful Lengths, a joint collaboration between the American Cancer Society and Pantene. For more information, email Monica Housen at mhousen@ridgefield.org.