A Gettysburg address, census workshops and time to pay up

NORWALK, Conn. — Some items of interest:

• Norwalk author giving talk in Torrington
• Free census workshops for nonprofits
• Info on paying your tax bills

Attention Civil War Buffs

Norwalk author Bruce Mowday will present his book J. Howard Wert’s Gettysburg to the Connecticut Civil War Round Table at noon Saturday Jan. 18 at the Torrington Library, 12 Daycoeto Place.

Chronicling the life of Union soldier J. Howard Wert, the book depicts the largest private collection of Gettysburg artifacts, such as President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address podium.

Among Mr. Mowday’s 21 published tomes are two others concerning Gettysburg: Pickett’s Charge: The Untold Story, and the just-released Emotional Gettysburg, which examines the battle’s historical and emotional connection to the town as it exists today.

Emotional Gettysburg combines today’s rich landscapes with the Pennsylvania town’s Civil War history.

“This book is all about emotions,” artist Karl J. Kuerner said. “The strong feelings emanating from the hallowed ground of Gettysburg is the foundation of this book. Few places exist in the world emit the sensitive energy that is found at Gettysburg.”

More info is at www.mowday.com.  To learn about the Connecticut Civil War Round Table, go to http://www.ctcwrt.org/

Free census workshops for nonprofits

For every Connecticut resident not counted in the 2020 census, the state will lose an estimated $2,900 in federal funding   Nonprofit organizations are critical for encouraging census participation, because many residents trust their local nonprofit staff more than they trust government officials who come to their doors.

Representatives of Connecticut’s nonprofits are urged to attend one or more of the free “Count Me in 2020” workshops, at which U.S. Census Bureau staff will show how to ensure that every person within the nonprofits’ programs, services and operations is counted.

“Count Me in 2020” workshop schedule:

• Friday, Jan. 10 – Middletown, 2:30-3:30 p.m., MARC Community Resources, 124 Washington Street. Registration at  https://www.marccommunityresources.org/count-me-in-2020
• Tuesday, Jan. 14 – Norwalk, 2-3 p.m., Fairfield County Community Foundation, 40 Richards Ave. Registration at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/count-me-in-2020-how-community-nonprofits-can-support-census-2020-tickets-87441185941
• Thursday, Jan. 16 – Waterbury, 9:30-10:30 a.m., CT Counseling Centers, 50 Brookside Road (presented by the Connecticut Community Foundation) Registration at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/count-me-in-2020-how-community-nonprofits-can-support-census-2020-registration-86578989087
• Wednesday, Jan. 22 – New Haven, 2-3 p.m., 70 Audubon St., Registration at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/count-me-in-2020-how-community-nonprofits-can-support-census-2020-tickets-87813120407
• Wednesday, Jan. 29 – Hartford, 1-2 p.m., Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, 10 Columbus Ave. Registration at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/count-me-in-2020-how-community-nonprofits-can-support-census-2020-tickets-87441827861

The workshops are sponsored by Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance, Connecticut Council for Philanthropy and Connecticut Data Collaborative,

Tax time is here

Norwalk taxpayers have until Monday, Feb. 3 to pay their property tax bills for real estate, motor vehicle, business personal property, and sewer use charges.

Interest on late payments will be charged at the rate of 3 percent beginning on Feb. 4. This represents 1.5 percent interest per month for the months of January and February.

How to pay:

• Pay by mail (encouraged): Payments postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service on or before Feb. 3 are timely, regardless of when the Tax Collector’s office received it.
• Pay by phone: 866-974-8090 (toll-free).
• Pay online: The charge for an E-Check is $1.50.
• Pay at Tax Collector’s office:  Norwalk City Hall, 125 East Ave., Norwalk, Conn. 06856, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office does not close for lunch.
• Pay at these banks’ Norwalk branches: Bankwell, Fairfield County Bank, M & T Bank, Norwalk Bank and Trust, Patriot National Bank, Webster Bank, and TD Bank. There is no charge for the service, and the taxpayer does not need to be a customer of the bank to pay but must bring their current tax bill. The banks only accept payments through Feb. 3.

For information about how to pay online or over the telephone, visit norwalkct.org/payment.

While most motor vehicle taxes are due in July in a single installment, the Norwalk Tax Collector’s office issues supplemental motor vehicle tax bills in January. These are prorated bills for newly registered vehicles (first time registration – not registration renewals) registered after the grand list date. In this case, that’s vehicles registered between Oct. 2, 2018 and July 21, 2019.   They are, again, due in a single installment by Feb. 3.

Failure to have received a tax bill does not exempt the taxpayer from interest charges. Interest is charged on all late payments, with absolutely no exception. If you have not received your tax bill, call the Tax Collector’s office at (203) 854-7731

This story was amended at 1:50 p.m. Monday to add information about motor vehicle taxes and about author Bruce Mowday’s book, Emotional Gettysburg.