Date: Mon 26-Jun-1995

By KAAREN VALENTA

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

b9-capital-expenditures

Full Text:

Council Puts Off Action On

Capital Expenditure Guidelines

Without comment, the Legislative Council Wednesday night tabled an agenda item

to discuss and possibly act on guidelines for capital expenditures until after

a vote is taken on the proposed $4 million expansion of the Booth Library.

The capital expenditure question had been tabled earlier this year to the June

21 meeting by the council members, who assumed the library project would have

gone out to bid by now. Two variances needed for construction of the project

had to be approved first by the Borough Zoning Board, however, and this vote

was not taken until June 13.

The capital expenditure guidelines, requested by council member Joseph

McGowan, would require that all major capital projects be considered together

at budget time each year rather than piecemeal throughout the year.

Birdwatching

Abounds

Bird watching, the second fastest growing hobby, is enjoyed by more than 65

million Americans. In response, the manual How To Attract And Enjoy Wild Birds

has been prepared with the cooperation of the Department of the Interior, US

Fish and Wildlife Services. Topics included in the book are attracting,

feeding, and building homes for birds.

The book costs $17.77 plus $3.50 for shipping and handling from CMG - Enjoy

Wild Birds, 4001 Center Street, Suite 218, Omaha, NE 68105.

Be Safe

This Summer

Summer safety information on topics ranging from vacations to lawn mowers is

available on Bridgeport Hospital's free 24-hour Healthy Message telephone

hotline.

``Home Alone: Prevention,'' one of 11 Healthy Messages categories, offers 50

separate health and safety tips, including how to help make your home

child-proof and burglar-proof. Burns, food poisoning and electrical safety are

among other topics.

Call 333-3900 and enter the four-digit category numbers 3151-3200 on your

touch-tone phone to hear the messages. For a complete listing of more than 500

topics in all categories, call 203-384-3757.

Bridgeport Hospital is a private, not-for-profit community hospital and a

major affiliate of Yale University School of Medicine.

Ballroom Dance will be held at St Nicholas Church Hall at 5458 Park Avenue,

(off Exit 47 on Merritt Parkway), Bridgeport, on July 8 from 8 pm to midnight.

DJ Song will provide the music. Admission is $10 per person. For information

or reservations call 203-268-8570.

‘Color Our World With Hope’ Filled Newtown With Music, Meaning, And Community Impact

Nighthawk Baseball Team Beats Conference Opponents

Late Goal By Ruddy Lifts Nighthawk Lacrosse Team To Victory, Showcases Chemistry In Midfield

Reed Intermediate Presents Sold-Out Performances Of 'Willy Wonka Jr'

Draw Dominance, Transition Game Lift Boys' Lacrosse Team To Lopsided Wins

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: Mon 26-Jun-1995

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