Date: Fri 28-Jun-1996

By Previous Employees

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: TOMW

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

Glorydays-June-28-96

Full Text:

This week in 1991

Chris Hayward slugged a grand slam home run and an RBI double at the plate and

fanned 12 batters in five innings on the mound as Pineapple Oxygen concluded a

12-3 season with a 14-1 dismantling of Redding in the Babe Ruth Prep Division

championship game, winning by the ten-run rule. Paul Drap, Matt Zavatsky,

Terry McGovern, Bill Swift, Mike Christopher, Paul Kopchek, Rob DeCosta, and

Jeff Metcalf all contributed in the title-game triumph.

This week in 1986

Paul Pedone struck out 19 batters (out of 21 possible outs) as he led the

Newtown Jaycees to a 5-3 win over Tendler in the Newtown Senior League

baseball semifinals. But in the title game it was all Dupont and its stud

pitcher Marc Nespoli. Nespoli went 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of doubles

and baffled Jaycees hitters as he led Dupont to a 13-6 championship victory.

Chris Cotton homered in the game for the winners as well while Dara Zemo (the

only girl in the league) was cited for her outstanding defensive play at

second base.

This week in 1981

The Newtown High School golf team captured its first WCC Championship in 17

years as it defeated 14-1 Wild Division champion Central Catholic 335-351 in

the WCC Championship Tournament. Newtown finished the season 14-4 overall and

12-2 in the conference led by the efforts of Joe LaCava (7-8-1), Frank

Bolander (8-6-2), Bob Gibbons (10-3), and Jeff Downer (8-0). Other NHS golfers

who lettered included Matt Bartics, Pete Karpacz, Doug Bigham, Conrad Smith,

Jim Traub, Jeff Gleason, and Matt Kay. LaCava, Newtown's top shooter, came in

with a team-best 80 during the conference tourney.

This week in 1976

The NHS boosters conducted the First Annual NHS Sports Awards picnic at

Dickinson Park and more than 300 athletes, cheerleaders, coaches, and boosters

attended. The Newtown Kiwanis presented their athletic achievement awards to

Tracy Bouvette (cross country), Pat Coyne (football), Jerry Bilsky (soccer and

golf), Rich Scanlon (basketball), Jeff Smith (wrestling), Bob Morgan

(swimming), Fred Rau (tennis), Mike Adams (baseball), Mike Whelan (track),

Donna Leavitt (volleyball), Jane Whitney (basketball and field hockey), Debbie

Pierson (swimming), Gale Gollenberg (softball), Doretta Kearns (track), and

Mary Leitner (tennis). Cheryl Hensel took home the Ann Anderson Award and John

Leitner the Harold DeGroat Award as the school's top athletes.

This week in 1971

Ann Grandel and Henry Pullner won first-low-net and Cindy Howard and Jim

Boynton secured first place for low gross at Newtown Country Club's Mixed

Member Tournament.

This week in 1966

A total of 264 boys and girls enrolled in the playground division of the Park

Commission's summer recreation program at Dickinson Park. Coach Roger Streeter

and his junior and seniore aides- Candy Storrs, Jeanne Farrell, George Jacobi,

Susan Falvey, John Schmidt, James Shpunt, Linda Hubbell, Susan Dayton, Judy

Nelson, and Margie Kaufman have started and will continue the program of

games, sports, skills, free swim, and arts and crafts that have been so

popular with the children in the past years.

Fire Reports | April 28-May 4, 2026

Just Over The Border: Southeast Kitchen And Bath’s New Showroom

Police Reports | April 27-May 3, 2026

Silent Auction To Coincide With Garden Club Standard Flower Show

BOE CFF Discusses Itemized Estimates, Summer CIP Projects

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 28-Jun-1996

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