Margaret (Webb) Hawthorne, 104, of Ridgefield, formerly of Stamford, wife of the late Robert D. Hawthorne; mother of the late Robert W. Hawthorne; grandmother of Shane Hawthorne and Gunner Hawthorne, died on Sunday, Feb. 23, at Laurel Ridge, Ridgefield. Graveside funeral services and burial will take place in Fairfield Memorial Park Cemetery, on Friday, Feb. 28, at a time to be announced. There will be no calling hours. The Kane Funeral Home, 25 Catoonah St., is in charge of arrangements.

Anticipated tax refunds may prompt some consumers to rush to get their taxes filed as soon as possible. However, if you are careless about selecting a tax preparer, it may delay a refund and result in fraud.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) estimates 60% of Americans will hire a tax professional to prepare their return. The cost of carelessness can range from high fees and fines to lost time and identity theft.

Regardless of whoever prepares a tax return, the taxpayer is responsible for the accuracy of the paperwork and meeting the filing deadline.

Consumers should also be aware that some tax preparation businesses are open for only a few months every year. It may be hard to track down the preparer if there are problems after a tax service office closes.

The IRS also has issued warnings about online tax-related schemes that can steal taxpayers’ identities. For example, scam emails may state there is an issue with a refund, that the taxpayer is being audited, or that there’s a delay in processing the tax return. Links in the emails usually go to a scammer’s website, which will then ask for Social Security or bank account numbers, or credit card information.

The IRS doesn’t contact taxpayers by email and it won’t request personal or financial information, or inform you of an audit by email either.

Retail tax return preparation franchises offer competent tax service for individuals who need to file a relatively straightforward tax return. Some tax preparers will be more experienced than others, and you can sometimes find CPAs and Enrolled Agents working in these offices. Prices are often determined by how many tax forms need to be filled out.

Connecticut Better Business Bureau urges consumers to be careful when selecting a preparer and understand how tax-related scams work:

Check the preparer’s qualifications — All paid tax preparers are required to have a Preparer Tax Identification Number or PTIN. Paid preparers must sign returns and include their PTIN as required by law. Ask preparers if they belong to a professional organization and attend continuing education classes.

Ask about service fees — Request an estimate of the cost of preparation and whether any additional fees may apply.

Request eFile and direct deposit — Make sure your preparer offers IRS e-file and that any refund due is sent to you or deposited into your bank account. Do not allow a refund to be deposited into a preparer’s bank account.

Check availability — Make sure you’ll be able to contact the tax preparer after you file your return — even after the April 15 due date. This may be helpful in the event questions come up about your tax return.

Verify your return before signing — Before you sign your tax return, review it and ask questions if something is not clear. Make sure you’re comfortable with the accuracy of the return before you sign it.

Steer clear of any tax preparer who promises you an inflated refund, or charges fees based on the size of your refund, and ensure that all documents are enclosed

You can report abusive tax preparers and suspected tax fraud to the IRS irs.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

A heart monitor for ambulance patients, hydraulic extraction tools for car accidents, thermal imaging cameras for fires and rescue searches — with the Fire Department seeking a relatively routine 2.87% operating increase, budget talk with the selectmen quickly turned to capital requests.

“Relatively flat,“ First Selectman Rudy Marconi said of the Fire Department’s 2014-15 operating request, from this year’s $3,805,000 to $3,914,000 for next year. Most — about $2,488,000 — is for salaries for the department’s 43 employees.

The department’s big capital request, a $575,000 replacement fire truck for “Engine Two,” had been pushed off from next year to the year after next, the 2015-16 budget, but was returned to next year, at the fire department’s request

It was the first thing discussed when acting Fire Chief Kevin Tappe appeared at the Board of Selectmen’s Feb. 4 meeting.

“You might want to reconsider,”  Chief Tappe said of the decision to put off the fire truck purchase.

With the $575,000 fire truck pulled from next year’s capital budget and delayed a year, it would bump into another high-cost purchase the following fiscal year.

“We’re due for an ambulance,” Chief Tappe said.

The selectmen’s five-year capital plan shows the 2015-16 ambulance purchase at a projected cost of $215,000.

Still, none of the selectmen seemed eager to move the fire truck back into 2014-15 and add more than a half-million to next year’s capital budget.

Instead, the selectmen questioned Chief Tappe about difficulties the department reported in December with the new “Engine One” that was delivered a year ago

“Still a few little bugs, nothing major,” Chief Tappe reported.

The principal problem, with the $575,000 truck’s steering, has been successfully addressed. But some electrical problems persist.

“We’re still getting these idiot lights that come on,” Chief Tappe said.

How do the firefighters who use it feel about the new truck? Mr. Marconi asked.

“The guys love the new Engine One, driving it, working on it,” Chief Tappe said.

“It turns on a dime. It was built specifically for the winding roads of Ridgefield.”

He said the company that built the new truck for the town, E-One, has extended the warranty and been cooperative on providing needed repairs. Mr. Marconi added that the previous fire truck the town had bought from the firm had demonstrated good performance and durability over many years.

The selectmen hoped that if the company is considered as a supplier for planned purchase of the next engine, the town be given a break in price.

“There should be some consideration of the difficulties we’ve had,” Selectwoman Maureen Kozlark said.

For next year, 2014-15, the Fire Department capital budget. The request includes $43,000 for more new hydraulic extraction tools that firefighters use to free accident victims from the twisted wrecks of crashed automobiles; $32,000 for a new cardiac monitor for one of the emergency medical service ambulances; and close to $45,000 labeled “firefighting equipment” that involves three different items, according to Chief Tappe.

This would be the second year of a replacement program for the hydraulic extraction tools. The department had found the older tools it had weren’t adequate to cut some of the reinforced frames of newer cars.

The $32,000 cardiac monitor is also a continuation of a multiyear replacement program begun two years ago to equip the department’s vehicles with up-to-date cardiac monitors that provide medical workers with more information.

“A Life-Pac 15, which will replace our last Life-Pac 12,” Chief Tappe said of the new monitor.

The five-year capital plan anticipates replacements every two years, with further cardiac monitor purchases in 2016-17 and 2018-19.

A big part of the $45,000 “firefighting equipment” line is replacements for three thermal imaging cameras used for locating people in burning buildings, or searching out hidden hot spots in walls.

“Infrared, so we can see heat signatures,” Chief Tappe said. “You’ll see the fire in bright white, you can see a body slightly dimmer white.”

But the cameras can also be of use in search rescue operations when there’s a missing person.

“We’ve used them searching the woods — daytime, nighttime, it doesn’t matter,” Chief Tappe said.

The department wants to replace all of its three thermal imaging cameras, at $10,000 each.

Chief Tappe also proposes starting a four-year program to replace the five-inch-wide supply hoses that run from a supply source, such as a hydrant or a pond, to a fire engine that in turn pumps it out through smaller hoses to the firefighters battling a blaze.

“This our supply hose,“ Chief Tappe said. “Each engine has 1,000 feet.”

The exception is the volunteers’ Engine Three, which is used as the main supply pumper in larger fires and has 2,000 feet of the hose.

The hose all dates to 1997, Chief Tappe said, and he hopes to start replacing 1,000 feet a year to avoid a situation where the aging hose is found to have rotted or gotten weak — and it all has to be replaced at once.

The hose costs $6 a foot, so it will appear in the five-year plan as a $6,000 request every year through 2017-18.

The selectmen expect to look at the fire and other town department budgets again in the first week of March.

“Thank you, guys,” Mr. Marconi said to the Fire Department’s delegation. “A big thank-you, not only to the paid but to the volunteers.”

The Ridgefield Library’s ongoing Tech Fridays series continues on Friday, Feb. 28, at 1 with a program called Tips and Tricks to Keep Your Computer Running Smoothly.

The program will be led by Doug Hayden, president and senior technician at Ridgefield’s CT PC Tech (formerly CT PC Exchange), who graduated from WCSU with a bachelor of arts degree in computer science. He worked at General Electric and IBM in analysis and programming and then focused on smaller companies and a mix of software/hardware duties. CT PC Tech has been servicing Fairfield and Westchester County computer needs for all Microsoft and Apple systems since 1989.

Participants at Tech Fridays are also welcome to bring their own topics of interest, tips, online experiences, and favorite websites to share. For more information or to suggest a topic for a future session, email dlpawl@ridgefieldlibrary.org or call 203-438-2282, ext. 1003.

They may not come down in high winds or a car crash, but those underground lines aren’t impervious to bad weather.

During a recent storm some 67 customers on Holmes Road were without power Friday afternoon, Feb. 14, into Friday night while snow several repairmen dug through feet of snow to reach the blown underground distribution transformer — once the workers had finally located it after more than a two-hour search. 

“It took a while — the guys had to do a lot of digging,” said CL&P spokesman Mitch Gross. “It also took them some time to locate the equipment before anything was dug out.

“They had to get maps of the territory to figure out where the problem was coming from.”

Can anything be done to prevent this from happening again to the about 150 homes in the Westmoreland area that are served by underground utilities?

“It really was circumstantial,” Mr. Gross said. “Besides changing the utility lines to overhead, which we know the customers prefer ‘out of sight, out of mind,’ there’s no solution because it’s strictly snow-related.

“The underground utility lines are sometimes hard to locate,” he added. “The heavy snow makes it more complicated for them to get through.”

Once the problem transformer was located, a lineman on the scene referred to the plowed and fallen snow as “a monster.”

Mr. Gross called the ordeal “a very, very busy Friday.”

He confirmed the call came in at 2:56 p.m. and that 42 customers didn’t have power restored until 8, while 25 customers affected by the same outage didn’t have power until 10.

As many as 1,000 Ridgefield residents had been affected by the initial outage, but many regained power minutes later.

Mr. Gross could not confirm how long the power was out for the majority of customers, but stressed that the company’s goal is always to work quickly in these types of situation.

“Nobody wants to lose power in a storm like this,” he said. “Our guys responded and tried to work as quick as possible for the customers who were left without power, but the situation required digging.”

However, the main problem might not have been the digging, which was referred to as “quite a bit of shoveling” on scene.

More than two hours into the outage, crews were still tracking down the source of the outage and trying to locate the underground transformer that had blown out.

Meanwhile, as they searched, residents in 67 homes were left to bundle up, put a log on the fire and get through the storm the old-fashioned way — without power.

Westmoreland wasn’t the only area in town where CL&P repair crews were dispatched Friday.

A transformer on Limestone Road went out, causing around 300 additional customers to go without power.

First Selectman Rudy Marconi noted that the initial focus was on Limestone, where power was restored around 5 p.m.

“As soon as they had completed the work on Limestone they drove over to Westmoreland,” he said. “I’d say they arrived there around 4:30 to 5 and began working on finding where the problem was.

“CL&P said it was underground and they needed to eliminate some of the variables to pinpoint the location,” he said. “Since it’s underground, that process takes much longer than having the equipment overhead.

“Making a visual inspection is much easier, obviously.”

The first selectman talked about the benefits of underground lines —  specifically, that they aren’t affected by falling trees.

He added that the town’s zoning regulations require any new subdivision to have underground utility lines.

Holmes Road is a subdivision of Westmoreland.

Mr. Marconi said the bigger issue might not be the location of the power lines but the age of the equipment.

“Any new pole being installed today is a much larger diameter than the previous, giving it much more strength and resistance to limbs and trees coming down,” he said. “The new wire that is being used is a much heavier gauge, therefore making it more weather-resistant.

“However, it will take years for power companies to complete full replacement,” he said. “I would say going back and reviewing the three storms we encountered — Irene, Alfred, Sandy — that the number of overhead problems far exceeded the number of underground problems caused by those storms.”

Decorative Painting Techniques and More is a new class available through Ridgefield Continuing Education. Students will learn and create fundamental decorative painting techniques, including faux marbleizing, shabby chic, creating checkerboard patterns, taping, sponging, stamping, and lettering. No art experience is necessary. This is a hands-on workshop where students follow along with the instructor.

The techniques are used primarily for painting decorative furniture; however, many of the principles may be used to paint a wall, steps or a wood mantel in your home. Cost is $86 plus a materials fee of $15 to $20 per student. The instructor supplies all material.

Instructor Shelley Lowell is a painter, sculptor, art teacher, and poet. She has a bachelor of fine arts degree in advertising design and visual communications from Pratt Institute and has won many art awards.

Class meets on Tuesdays, March 4, 11, and 25 and April 1, from 10 to noon at the Venus Building (old high school). Drawing, painting, felting, jewelry, and knitting classes are also available. Advance registration is required. Visit ridgefieldschools.org or phone Peggy Bruno at 203-431-2812 for materials information and to register.

Ridgefielder Marty Heiser will host a televised debate among the four Republican candidates seeking the party nomination for the 4th Congressional District on Thursday, Feb. 27.

The candidates include state Rep. John Shaban, Harvard University graduate Dan Debicellla, former Navy SEAL Carlton Higbie, and eye doctor Joseph Bentivegna.

The hourlong broadcast has no commercials.

It will be broadcast live on Comcast Cable Channel 23 at 9 and rebroadcast on Comcast Channel 23 on Friday at 12 and on Cablevision Channel 88 on Wednesday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m. and Charter Cable Channel 21 on Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m.

Calls, texts and emails are welcome during the live show. The studio line for call-in questions is 203-438-2003, the text number is 914-490-4980 and email is martyheiser@aol.com.

Here are some of the stories and features in this week’s Ridgefield Press, out today in print and e-edition:

• The high school senior who started BandJam is being recognized.
• A homecoming for Tucker West is planned.
• A Ridgefielder and CBS newsman discusses decades of storytelling for the network.
• The library is planning to open soon, with some helping hands to fill the shelves.
• The number of people seeking pistol permits has risen quite a bit.
• The town’s tax base has risen 1.8%.
• Speaking of taxes, the top 10 taxpayers make up 7% of the town’s grand list.
• The railroad crossings still aren’t working properly.
• Emergency medical service calls make up the bulk of firefighters’ work.
• Republican congressional hopefuls will debate on Marty Heiser’s TV show.
• Letter writers opine on trails, snow day safety, Route 7 policing, mailmen and climate change among other topics.
• Selectmen ponder whether the town should have immunity over plow-versus-mailbox crashes.
• They’re also looking at rules to regulate plowing.
• The school board is over budget.
• A couple Ridgefield couples are being honored for their philanthropy.
  An artist and his “goddesses” will talk at the Guild
• The Ridgefield Press is on Facebook — become one of more than 1,715 friends and get news updates. Facebook.com/RidgefieldPress.
• 8,268 people have signed up for Ridgefield Press news bulletins via Twitter. You can, too, by stopping by twitter.com/RidgefieldPress.

For newsstands carrying The Press, click here.

Due to problems on with gates on the branch line of the New Haven rail line, the are making some changes.

• Read more on the gate problems in Branchville in this week’s Ridgefield Press.

Under the plan, peak-hour trains will continue to operate, and buses will be used during off-peak, evening and weekend hours. The Danbury Branch operates between Danbury and South Norwalk and includes the Branchville station, connecting with the main New Haven Line, the Department of Transportation and Metro-North announced Thursday.

• Beginning Saturday, March 1, weekend train service will be replaced with bus service.
• Beginning Monday, March 3, weekday morning peak-hour trains will leave Danbury 8-10 minutes earlier than the current schedule.
• Evening peak-hour trains will arrive in Danbury 11 minutes later than the current schedule.
• Travel times for all rail and bus trips have been adjusted compared to current schedules to reflect additional travel time required due to rail and highway travel time requirements.

BBB Military Line is sharing information from the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Command (CIC) warning about a new website scam in which criminals are attempting to take advantage of soldiers and their families.

The My Army Benefits website at usmilitarybenifit.org, is a fraudulent site designed to “collect soldiers’ Army Knowledge Online, email accounts and passwords.” The site also falsely claims that “the U.S. military has granted access to unclaimed and accumulated benefits for active duty soldiers, and that benefits not claimed within the stipulated period will be available for claims after 60 months,” according to investigators.

The website is not affiliated or endorsed by the U.S. Army. The Army’s official website is MyArmyBenefits at myarmybenefits.us.army.mil.

“Official military websites will all have the .mil domain name,” notes BBB Military Line director Brenda Linnington. “Any other domain extension should be a red flag.” Other red flags include unsolicited emails or text messages; spelling, punctuation and grammar errors; requests for private information such as email addresses or passwords.

Fraudulent websites come and go quickly (and it appears this one may have been taken down already), but others pop up in their place. Service personnel, family members and veterans need to be especially alert to scams that target them. “Unfortunately, we hear about new ones almost every day,” says Linnington.

CIC provided the following advice for anyone who has received correspondence from the My Army benefits website or provided information through it:

Do not log in to the website

Do not respond to any emails

Stop all contact if you have previously responded to any emails

Immediately contact your local information assurance office if you accessed the website from a government computer or system.

Since 2004, BBB Military Line has provided free resources to our military communities in the areas of financial literacy and consumer protection through the efforts of local BBBs across the U.S. Visit us ay bbb.org/military for more information.

Covered bridges are the topic of a seminar at Founders Hall on Friday, Feb. 28 at 1 p.m.

For more than 50 years, Dan and Norene Foley have been photographing covered bridges in 26 states and three Canadian provinces and will show their photos.

The Foleys, who are members of the National Society of Preservation of Covered Bridges, will also explain the history of the bridges, point out some nearby structures and describe steps towns are taking to preserve these landmarks.

This seminar is free and open to the public.

Theodore Jabara Sr.

It has been said that which we once deeply loved can never be lost, for all that we love deeply becomes a seamless part of us. The life and passion of Theodore Jabara lives on because he was loved.

Theodore Jabara Sr., 90, of Boca Raton, died Sunday, February 16 while visiting with friends and enjoying the warm Florida sunshine. Life was good for Theodore “Ted” Jabara.

He was born to the late Richard and Baheeya Jabara, June 9, 1923 in Brooklyn, New York. Ted graduated from Poly Prep Country Day School and Colgate University in New York.

He married Elaine Massabini Jabara 69 years ago and they began their life together in Brooklyn, NY. At a young age he joined the United States Army serving in Fort Riley, Kansas. Once out of the military he joined forces with his father and the Jabara Brothers business, supplying linen to hotels in New York City, Atlantic City and Miami.

He fell in love with the hotel business and the act of creating great guest service. One particular property, the Holiday Inn in Durham, North Carolina particularly interested him.  He joined a partnership with Monroe Seifer and his hospitality career began. He then met Arthur Meyer and the three of them formed the world-famous Servico, building to 60+ hotels before selling it.

Ted Jabara dedicated his life to the business of hospitality — creating memorable hotel experiences for guests and associates alike. He was a phenomenal people person, never missing an opportunity to engage in conversation and positively touch another life.  His body aged over the years but his mind was forever sharp and his passion for the hospitality business grew stronger with each passing year.

Theodore Jabara Sr. is survived by his beloved wife, Elaine Jabara; his daughter and son-in-law, Janet and Dan Walsh; his son Ted, Jr.; his son and daughter-in-law, Richard Jabara II and Lori Fusco-Jabara. Eight grandchildren will carry on his legacy, Kaitlin Walsh, Danny Walsh, Kristen Jabara, Danielle Jabara, Cassandra Jabara, Ted Jabara III, Justin Jabara and George Jabara.

Theodore Jabara Sr. was a man of faith, highly involved in the Orthodox Church.

The wake was held Thursday, February 20, at Barrett Funeral Home and Mass, Friday, February 21 at Saint Anthony’s Orthodox Church in Bergenfield, NJ. The family encourages donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“Ted Jabara was a positive and beautiful spirit. The world is a better place because he lived. May his memory be eternal.” Richard Jabara

The recent nasty weather couldn’t prevent Rides for Ridgefield from launching its inaugural Friday, Feb. 14.

“The first ride went fine,” said Dr. Margaret Thompson, the program’s chairwoman. “Because of the weather it took a few times to launch, but we were able to complete the first ride last week.”

The nonprofit transportation service, which operates out of an office in town hall Monday through Friday between 10 and 2, will serve Ridgefield seniors and residents who have mobility problems — a population that is only growing, according to Dr. Thompson.

“There are almost 3,500 seniors in Ridgefield — that’s 14% of the population,” she said. “With an additional 1,000-plus residents who suffer from mobility disabilities, this is a service that is needed and will only continue to be needed.”

A 2012 survey of the town’s senior population revealed that 23% of Ridgefield seniors were non-drivers and that 40% have limited their driving by driving only in town or only during the day.

In addition, the Administration on Aging predicts the proportion of people 65 or older will increase to 19% of Ridgefield’s population by 2030.

With the elderly population growing and the medical restrictions on drivers increasing, Rides for Ridgefield is seeking as many volunteer drivers as it can possibly get for the newly launched rides program.

“We’ve been operating as a mobility call center since May, giving this vulnerable population ride information and other transportation guidance and assistance,” Dr. Thompson said. “But now that we’re out on the roads providing an additional service, we’re going looking for more volunteers — more drivers, specifically.

“The key to this program’s growth is the driver, because there’s no guarantee of a ride without them or a vehicle,” she said. “We’re really going to depend on them.”

Becoming a volunteer driver isn’t as simple as wanting to lend a helping hand, though.

Volunteer drivers have to pass what Dr. Thompson calls a “fairly rigorous review process” that includes completing the volunteer application form, submitting a list of references and interviewing with the call center’s manager.

All volunteers are then required to authorize a background check, review the organization’s code of ethics policy and sign a confidentiality agreement.

Following that step, drivers are required to complete registration forms for themselves and their vehicles, authorize a motor vehicle record check and provide copies of their driver’s license, registration, and a current passed DMV emissions inspection.

Drivers also have to have insurance, although Rides will provide them with secondary insurance when approved as a volunteer.

After all those steps, there are training requirements, which include a safe driving course and an assistance program that teaches volunteers how to assist riders in and out of a vehicle.

“Ideally, we want to be able to match the customer with a vehicle and a driver that is capable and equipped to accommodate all their needs,” Dr. Thompson said. “Once in the vehicle, the rider can go anywhere they need to go.”

She added that volunteers create their own schedule, but must commit to a minimum of six months of service to the organization.

Rides will celebrate those who have already jumped on board — four drivers and 30 volunteers, who help operate the call center throughout the week — Wednesday, Feb. 26, in the large conference room in town hall.

“These are tremendous volunteers that are working their absolute hardest to ensure community members are comfortable with and have confidence in the service being provided,” said First Selectman Rudy Marconi, who helped spearhead the initial senior-mobility task force in 2012.

Dr. Thomspon added that the call center’s manager, Nancy Brandon, and the executive director of Founders Hall, Grace Weber, have played an integral role in getting Rides where it is today.

The call center helps coordinate transportation providers, including the American Cancer Society, Friends in Service Here (FISH), the Ridgefield Visiting Nurse Association, the SPHERE town loop bus, the SweetHART bus, and local faith-based groups.

“We’re not looking to compete or replicate anything that’s already out there,” Dr. Thompson said. “This is an alliance — we’re all working together to give more options to these people and to give them the information they need to take advantage of these transportation services.

“It’ll be great to celebrate all that’s been accomplished,” she added. “I’m sure our partners will come out and celebrate our volunteers and the launching of the ride program.”

Dr. Thompson said that Rides doesn’t have any plans to own vehicles of its own, as it would “change the complexion” of the nonprofit organization.

She wishes to have a minimum of 10 volunteer drivers available once the rides program is established.

Although the call center is open only during the week, she said that riders may call in to schedule a weekend ride if they need one — and if a driver is available.

“The more drivers, the more rides we can offer,” Dr. Thompson said. “The office is closed when town hall is closed, but the rides service can have a lot more flexible schedule depending on how many volunteer drivers sign up.”

For more information about applying to be a volunteer, email info@RidesforRidgefield.org or call 203-894-7433.

To RSVP for Wednesday’s event, email Margaret@RidesForRidgefield.org.

The RHS National Honor Society is hosting Hair to Share on Tuesday, March 4 (snow date March 5), at the Rec Center from 4 to 6. No appointment is necessary to drop by and donate at least eight inches of hair to the American Cancer Society and Pantene’s program making wigs for chemotherapy patients. Anyone may donate. Hair must be clean, dry and free of styling products. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. For more information, email Monica Housen at mhousen@ridgefield.org.

The Ridgefield Library’s ongoing Tech Fridays series continues on Friday, Feb. 28, at 1 with a program called Tips and Tricks to Keep Your Computer Running Smoothly.

The program will be led by Doug Hayden, president and senior technician at Ridgefield’s CT PC Tech (formerly CT PC Exchange), who graduated from WestConn with a bachelor of arts degree in computer science. He worked at General Electric and IBM in analysis and programming and then focused on smaller companies and a mix of software/hardware duties. CT PC Tech has been servicing Fairfield and Westchester County computer needs for all Microsoft and Apple systems since 1989.

Participants at Tech Fridays are also welcome to bring their own topics of interest, tips, online experiences, and favorite websites to share. For more information or to suggest a topic for a future session, email dlpawl@ridgefieldlibrary.org or call 203-438-2282, ext. 1003.

With snowstorms seeming to arrive every few days, little room left for stacking the snow, road salt supplies nearly exhausted, state and municipal snow-removal budgets in deficit, and the General Assembly reconvening, many people in Connecticut feel that they have had enough of the state.

It’s little consolation to them that Connecticut may have the best snowplowing operation in the country, with the state’s major roads almost always kept passable throughout even the heaviest snowstorms. For besides the extra snow, Connecticut’s economy and standard of living are still declining, which may be the cause of most of the surliness here; the snow just makes people feel their resentments more keenly.

As a result many of them look south enviously, especially to subtropical Florida, to which many Connecticut residents already have fled, either permanently or just for the winter. Indeed, when the University of Connecticut’s basketball teams play colleges in Florida, the crowd often seems to favor the visitors.

But while it may be harder to appreciate Connecticut after shoveling snow or falling on ice, Florida has its own climate disadvantages. In the late summer and fall Florida can be crossed by as many hurricanes as Connecticut suffers snowstorms in the winter, and the resulting property damage in Florida is far greater than that inflicted by snowstorms in Connecticut, just as weather-related electricity outages in Florida can last longer.

Because of bad weather a few weeks ago it took three days and several flight reschedulings for a recently retired couple from Connecticut to escape the state by air for their new winter home in south Florida, one of those tightly regulated condominium complexes that forbid admission to anyone under 55. The couple had hardly begun breathing the state income tax-free air when a line of thunderstorms stalled overhead for 24 hours and dumped 14 inches of rain on them, flooding their new neighborhood, closing its roads, and incapacitating sewer lines and toilets for a couple of days.

It wasn’t a snowstorm; it was worse.

Not long after the couple got dried out and settled, some university researchers reported that crocodiles, which infest south Florida, not only swim stealthily but also climb trees, in part for better surveillance of their prey.

Told of the crocodile study, the new arrivals from Connecticut refused to be concerned. While they had not yet read their condo association’s many rules, they figured that, in addition to excluding people younger than 55, there was probably one against crocodiles climbing trees on the property and eating the residents.

• • •

They shouldn’t count on it. Annoying as Connecticut’s snow has been, at least it also has gotten in the way of the state’s own many predators, both those with four legs and those with two. There’s never much crime in bad weather.

Two executives of the Metropolitan Transit Authority came to Hartford last week so Gov. Malloy could reprimand them in front of the television cameras about the MTA’s mismanagement of the Metro-North Commuter Railroad, whose many recent disasters have impaired service from New Haven to Grand Central Station in New York. The MTA executives duly promised improvements soon.

But while the governor got to look tough, he really didn’t increase Connecticut’s leverage with the MTA, a New York state agency paid by Connecticut to operate the state’s rail lines into New York. To gain such leverage Connecticut needs a plan, just as Metro-North needs a plan to improve rail service.

Connecticut’s plan might include demanding representation on the MTA’s board, the renegotiation of Connecticut’s contract with the MTA, and a study of how Connecticut could take over the management of its rail lines into New York.

Until Connecticut has a rail service improvement plan that goes beyond scolding MTA officials on television, the MTA may assume that it can take its time about improving service here.

Chris Powell is managing editor of the Journal Inquirer in Manchester.

Mailboxes are often casualties of heavy snow. (Macklin Reid photo)

Winter can be icy, cold, cruel. Sometimes, it’s the mailbox that takes the hit.

“It happens,” First Selectman Rudy Marconi said. “You can drive around town today and see mailboxes everywhere.”

Contrary to the way people imagine it, most of the broken mailboxes haven’t been hit by plow trucks, according to Mr. Marconi.

• Read more about the selectmen discussing mailbox mayhem in the Feb. 27 Ridgefield Press.

“It was a heavy, wet snow,” he said.

“The reality is, the snow has done most of the damage. It is not the plow striking the mailbox,” Mr. Marconi said.

“It is almost impossible to hit a mailbox post with your plow, given the amount of setback from a curb,” he said.

That doesn’t mean mailboxes don’t get wiped out.

“The weight of the snow itself will take care of that,” Mr. Marconi said.

Public Works Director Peter Hill, too, has come to view mailbox destruction as one of winter road-clearing’s realities.

“That’s just the nature of the beast,” Mr. Hill said. “Unfortunately, we have to get the snow pushed back.”

When there’s a good amount of snow on the ground and roads have been plowed before, the roads become lined with those familiar walls or berms —  frozen snow and ice. To get the roads clear, plow drivers have to get the new-fallen snow lofted up over the frozen piles along the roadsides.

“People think we go too fast,” Mr. Hill said. “But they’ve got to realize you’ve got to cast that snow up over existing berm that’s there,” he said.

“Otherwise it rolls back into the street and you gain nothing. Sometimes you have to go a little fast, in order to make that happen.”

If the snow isn’t sent flying up and off the street, the roadway available for travel gets narrower and narrower.

“You could only get one car down them,” he said.

How many mailboxes are damaged?

“I don’t know,” Mr. Hill said. “We get enough of them.”

A plow drives down a street throwing the heavy, wet snow to the side. Most mailboxes survive, but some don’t.

The problem might be the mailbox, not the plow driver.

“Some of the mailboxes are placed in areas they shouldn’t be placed in,” Mr. Hill said. “The posts are rotted. They’re not attached well. It doesn’t take much to knock them over.

“You get that heavy, wet snow, that’s where it really causes problems. It causes a lot of problems,” Mr. Hill said.

Plow drivers also have a problem with people who put garbage cans out along the street for their trash haulers to pick up.

“I don’t know what they’re thinking about when they place these garbage cans in the street,” Mr. Hill said,

“They should place these things back in the driveways so our plows don’t come in contact with them,” he said.

Of course, homeowners who have to replace mailboxes often don’t like it. Both Mr. Marconi and Mr. Hill said they sometimes get complaints.

“Yes, we do — more than we should,” Mr. Hill said. “People are getting impatient. It’s been a long winter. People are fed up with it almost as much as we are.”

Mailboxes start at $15.99 at Ridgefield Hardware, according to store manager Sarah Scott, but they can cost $100 or more — one sells for $149.

Posts are often needed as well. They run about $50 to $60 for cedar posts.

Mailboxes do seem to sell well when there’s a lot of snow — and plowing.

“Oh, yeah. It’s picking up substantially,” said Jerry Rabin, Ridgefield Hardware’s owner.

“Twelve last week,” Ms. Scott said.

“I was driving to work,” Mr. Rabin said, “and 30% of the mailboxes on Route 33 are down.”

Mr, Marconi said many towns have ordinances that protect them from mailbox damage claims.

“I’ve been researching ordinances all over the state,” he said. “Many municipalities have adopted ordinances.

“The state, I know, will not even consider the replacement of a mailbox on a state highway — that is solely up to the resident.”

Mr, Marconi said the town has sometimes replaced mailboxes for homeowners who can make a good case.

“We have,” he said, “when the evidence supports that a mailbox was struck by a plow directly. However, seldom is this the case.”

Congressman Jim Himes, whose 4th District includes Ridgefield, is inviting high school students to participate in the first annual Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math contest known as the House App Contest.

Students will compete by creating and exhibiting their software application, or app, for mobile, tablet or computer devices on a platform of their choice.

“We know that science, technology, engineering, and math skills are essential to our children’s future professional success — especially in this changing world economy — and this competition is a great way to show kids in a real-life situation why these areas are so important,” Mr. Himes said.

The House App Contest is open to all high school students ages 13 and up in the 4th District. Students entering the competition must submit their app’s source code online by 11:59 p.m. on April 30 and provide a YouTube or Vimeo video demonstration explaining their app and what they learned through the competition process. Entries will be judged by a team of STEM experts from the 4th District.

To enter, students must register at studentappchallenge.house.gov, create an account on challengepost.com and register for the House Student App Contest under Himes’ profile. All entries must be original in concept, design and execution. For more information, visit himes.house.gov/stem-academic-competition.

The Newcomers Club of Ridgefield is hosting its annual Summer Camp and Preschool Fair to provide information about local summer camps at the Recreation Center on Tuesday, March 4. The snow day is March 18.

The fair will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The event is free. No registration required.

“There will be something for everyone at the Fair from preschool through middle school, with a even a few programs of interest for high school students,” said Rayda Krell, Newcomers co-vice president of community affairs. “This event is a wonderful showcase of the outstanding opportunities available for kids in our area. It is rare to have the chance for one-stop shopping when it comes to local programs for our kids and this event provides that opportunity.”

Summer camp and preschool staff will discuss their programs including sports, recreation, martial arts, dance, art, music, theater, nature, horseback riding, academics and sleep away camps.

“We make it easy for parents to browse around the event by offering activities and refreshments for little ones during the morning session,” said Jen Fixler, co-vice president of community affairs. “And for working parents, instead of cooking dinner, we invite them to bring the kids and drop in for a slice of pizza at the evening session while they collect the information they need.”

For more information or to join, visit ridgefieldnewcomers.org.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Ridgefield will officially be underway as event volunteers and participants gather to launch their fundraising efforts for the year at Ridgefield Park and Rec Center, 195 Danbury Road, on Saturday, March 1, at 9 a.m. (doors open at 8:30) . 

The kick-off will feature speakers who have benefitted from the funds raised at Relay For Life Ridgefield.  This is also an opportunity to register a team for the overnight event to be held on Friday to Saturday, May 30 to May 31 at Tiger Hollow Stadium.

To join a Relay For Life, call 1-800-227-2345 or203-563-1514, or visit RelayForLife.org/Ridgefieldct.