Date: Fri 07-Nov-1997

By STEVE BIGHAM

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Booth-Library-BTI-Crumb

Full Text:

Library Project Creeps Toward The Finish Line

BY STEVE BIGHAM

No matter how close the Cyrenius H. Booth Library comes to being completed, it

always seems to still be only halfway there. The endless process of cutting

something in half is proving to be frustrating for town officials.

This week, the town gave the man in charge of getting the job done yet another

ultimatum: get it done this week or get out.

Last month, the town managed to get a temporary certificate of occupancy (CO),

and, last week, the town's Public Works Department started bringing books into

the library. However, the building is not fully completed yet, and town

officials are irritated. The project was supposed to be done more than five

months ago, and, though the contractor, Building Technologies, Inc of

Prospect, is close to the end, the job still drags on.

"In each room, there are a lot of little things that need to be done," said Ed

Callo, the project's clerk-of-the-works. "We're hoping the project will be

done by next week."

Mr Callo said workers "come and go," making it difficult to get any work done.

Nevertheless, BTI's Keith Crumb was spotted on the job Wednesday going over

punch list items, trying to wrap and clean things up. No doubt, the general

contractor will be glad to finally get out of Newtown. He was originally

slated to have the expansion project completed by June 1. Mr Crumb said this

week that the building could be CO ready by Thursday, but town officials

doubted that would be possible.

According to Public Works Director Fred Hurley, the reason for the delay has

been slow movement on little things like paint touch-up and emergency light

installation. These small jobs are not being done, and First Selectman Bob

Cascella has had to put his foot down. The first selectman has been on the job

site several times this week, literally overseeing the work.

He declined to comment on the ongoing saga, but he clearly wants to finish the

project before he leaves office early next month.

Mr Hurley said the town does not want to remove Mr Crumb. It just wants to see

the job get done. However, the town has indicated it will not send out any

more checks to the contractor until after work is done. On the other hand, Mr

Callo explained, the sub-contractors are hesitant to use their tools until

they get paid.

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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 07-Nov-1997

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