Date: Fri 26-Jul-1996

By KAAREN VALENTA

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

historic-district

Full Text:

Historic District Panel To Start Work

B Y K AAREN V ALENTA

The new Borough of Newtown Historic District Commission will conduct its first

meeting at 8 pm on Monday in the Mary Hawley Room of Edmond Town Hall to elect

officers and adopt its regulations. The public is invited to attend.

Five persons were appointed to the commission by the Board of Burgesses at its

last meeting. They include Charles Fulkerson, Lindell Hertberg, Kathy Jamison,

Stephanie Gaston and Betsy Kenyon. They will serve terms ranging from one to

five years.

Three alternates, to serve one- to three-year terms, also were named. They are

Patrick Hill, Gordon Williams and Gretchen Hyde. The burgesses recommended

that Burgess James Gaston, Bee publisher R. Scudder Smith and Town Historian

Daniel Cruson be appointed to serve as consultants.

All positions are unpaid.

In April, 29 years after resident Ben Blanchard went to a borough meeting and

suggested that a historic district be formed on Main Street, the concept

became a reality when, on the sixth try, property owners voted 29.5 to 1 to

form the historic district. The Board of Burgesses subsequently asked for

volunteers to serve as regular members and alternates on the historic

commission.

"I was pleased that people were more than willing to serve," said Borough

Warden Joan Crick. "I believe it will be a good commission - one of working

with your neighbor to preserve historic Main Street."

Mr Gaston, an attorney who said he will continue to provide free legal

services for the historic commission, said Monday night's meeting will begin

with the election of a chairman, vice chairman and clerk/secretary. The

commission then will discuss proposed regulations, he said.

"The State Historic Commission has given us four or five examples of

regulations adopted by other historic district commissions in the state," he

said. "Some are voluminous, others very thin. The (Newtown) commission will be

reviewing, adding, amending, to come up with user-friendly regulations."

All regulations must comply with the requirements of the state statutes

governing historic district commissions, he said.

The district includes 52 properties in an area which extends along Main Street

from Route 302 to Johnnycake Lane and along parts of West Street, Currituck

and Church Hill Road. Main Street was designated as a historic roadway which

links the properties in the district together.

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Well that is some spin. The Democrats have a super majority on the LC and passed the Education Budget without serious consideration of if the voters could afford the multi million dollar increase. "Was the request justified?" rather than "is this needed?" and "can the voters shoulder yet another large increase?" The voters rightly sent it back. Then for some reason all the discussion around reductions to the increase seemed to be coming from the classroom, rather than administration and overhead costs. Is this a coercive tactic to manipulate parents into supporting the budget like tacit threat of cutting freshman sports was two years ago? Who believes the Democrats did not caucus privately before the meeting and came in with a number already worked out? This is the Dems budget, they own it.

Education Cuts: Who Voted For What

I think it is important that we do not villainize every black box seen around a home, business, farm, or municipal property. A black exterior station does not always mean rat poison is being used. These stations can hold a number of different products, including monitoring blocks, snap traps, non-toxic bait, anti-tick bait stations, organic salt- or cornmeal-based control products, and newer fertility-control approaches intended to reduce rodent populations without traditional poisons. The better conversation, in my opinion, is not simply “black boxes are bad,” but rather: what is inside them, who is maintaining them, and whether the rodent issue is being managed responsibly. Exclusion, sanitation, trapping, habitat reduction, and careful monitoring should all be part of a responsible IPM strategy. To be fair, on my own property I do use rodenticides, including Bromethalin and Bromadiolone, in secured bait stations. But that is a choice I make for my property, based on my circumstances and the risk I am trying to manage. I also believe property owners should understand the tradeoffs and be encouraged to use the least harmful effective method whenever possible. I support protecting Newtown’s wildlife. I also support giving residents accurate information and not assuming that every black box represents reckless or unsafe pest control. The goal should be responsible rodent management, not fear of the box itself.

Discusses Policy Against Rodenticides

Debora, thank you! I accidentally doubled the project prices by adding the bond to the appropriation. Thank you so much for catching that and pointing it out. With the corrected numbers, the voters approved a combined $1.32 million for a salt shed ($600k) and library pavement ($720k), while rejecting the $1.12 million replacement turf. Regarding the 80s, I truly respect the hurdle of 14% mortgage rates. My point is simply that the math has shifted: in 1980, while the rates were higher, the price of a home relative to earnings was significantly lower. We are facing a different, but equally crushing, financial wall. Ultimately, it is disheartening that voters who recognized safe sidewalks and parking lots as essential, dismissed a playing field in the exact same condition. The turf has passed its life cycle and is just as much of a liability as the library’s pavement, the only difference is that this safety concern affects thousands of children who, coincidentally, cannot vote. These are apples-to-apples needs. I was hopeful our community would agree that all Newtown residents deserve safe conditions, regardless of which facility they utilize. Again, I would be remiss not to mention that when 82% of residents don’t show up, we have to deal with the interests of those who did. Hopefully, the next referendum will have a bigger turnout.

The ‘Me’ Generation

Thanks for the reply. I meant the numbers you presented in your letter. I found one place where other numbers were listed: https://www.newtownbee.com/04232026/get-out-and-vote-on-the-2026-27-proposed-municipal-and-school-budgets/?q=\\\%22advisory%20questions\\\%22. In that article, the numbers were cited as: Treadwell field: $1,125,000 Library: $720,000 Salt Storage: $600,000 As one who started out in the early 80's when inflation was double digits, my 1985 mortgage rate was 14%, and child care costs were comparable (in present value), I shared your grief but never considered the voters ironic or shameful. PS. I agree college tuition is ridiculous. Thankfully, universities are offering (or considering) waiving all or most tuition for middle class families (upwards of $200,000 incomes). Hopefully, they'll also reconsider their need for those funds in the first place.

Sure! Child care costs: https://www.ffyf.org/2022/10/13/data-child-care-prices-continue-to-rise-ahead-of-midterm-elections-outpacing-inflation/ (also from 2021-2025 we had 2 children in a local daycare in Newtown and it cost us $3200 a month, so that's a number I am very familiar with) Home price / median price vs income source: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/home-price-income-ratios Tuition increase vs inflation: https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/noting-a-decline-in-middle-class-students-colleges-provide-more-aid/ Hope this helps :)

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Date: Fri 26-Jul-1996

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