A Great Day For Ducks (And Sandy Hook)

By STEVE BIGHAM

Published: May 29, 2001 12:00 am

By Steve Bigham

Most would agree that the idea of racing rubber ducks down a river in the rain is a bit silly. Organizers for this past weekendâs event could have just as easily pulled one of some 1,500 tickets out of a hat, like the lottery. Still, everyone had a great time at the inaugural Great Pootatuck Duck Race in Sandy Hook on Saturday afternoon.

And, most importantly, the charity event raised money for the Treadwell Park Playground and drew still further attention to an ever-improving Sandy Hook Center.

More than 200 people lined the banks of the Pootatuck River to watch the race. They cheered in the rain as 1,448 rubber ducks floated their way to the finish line.

The event was put on by the Newtown Lions Club to benefit the Treadwell Park Playground project. It was held in conjunction with the inaugural Sandy Hook Village Festival Days, put on by Sandy Hook business owners to showcase the ongoing revitalization of the area.

âI think it went pretty well considering it was a rainy day. It also got Sandy Hook a little exposure. It really is a beautiful spot down there and I think people came to appreciate it a little more. Altogether, I think it came together pretty well,â said event chairperson Jim Larin of the Lions Club.

The exciting race began with the ducks being dumped into the river from the Church Hill Road Bridge. Many of the ducks became caught along the banks, while other found themselves mired in the pack. A few did break free, including one duck, purchased by the Reynolds family, which led from start to finish. The duckâs performance won the Reynolds family of New Jersey a 50-inch Toshiba projection TV.

Suzanne Musco of Sandy Hook took second prize, a Sony PlayStation II video system.

âWe realized that some of the ducks would get caught up, but the premise was that the first 22 ducks to finish got prizes,â Mr Larin said.

Mike Porco of Porco Construction, who helped organize the Festival Days, used a front-end loader to drop the ducks into the river. A roar rose from the crowd as the ducks began their quarter-mile race to the finish line, which in this case was situated just beyond the Dayton Street Bridge on Glen Road. The excited crowd was seen actually running along the banks as the ducks floated past.

And as the lead ducks approached the finish line, a huge crowd gathered on the bridge. There to record the winners were âRiver Ratsâ Tom Evagash, Paul Arneth, and Jon Christiansen of the Lions Club, who used nets and other apparatus to secure all those ducks that crossed the finish line.

The event raised approximately $10,000 for the playground project, a figure bolstered by a $5,000 donation from the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Corp. Also chipping in was Peopleâs Bank with $500, as well as other contributions from Blue Colony Diner, Dodgingtown Garage, Henry Gellert, DDS, Newtown Chamber of Commerce, Bob Tendler Real Estate, Walker Industrial, and Curtis Beck, DMD.

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The editorial took no position on the budget going up or down so you're reading things into the editorial that simply aren't there. The turnout is tied to the lack of passage, in that people who came out to vote last time did not this time, indicating a lack of support on their part. Perhaps it wasn't spelled out clearly enough, but that's what the editorial was driving at, people showing lack of support by not casting a vote. The editorial did address likely concerns among voters that may have led to lack of support and lack of turnout. This lower turnout also follows increasing turnout over the past four referendums in three years (meaning it is an aberration from that), and increased turnout is something that I do push for regularly in editorials. Any disappointment you might be seeing is at the break in that trend, not at whether the budget passed or not. I'd rather see more people come out and vote "no" then not vote at all.

Lower Turnout Results In Two Budget Defeats

Clearly, property owners no longer want to bear the burden of expenses while the state does not meet it’s responsibilities. Rising costs must be addressed by actions that do not include yearly increases of property owners’ taxes. The state of CT must meet its share of the educational costs, and other costs.

Town And School Budgets Fail At Referendum

This feels like an oddly misleading headline and narrative, particularly coming from the Editorial Board. The headline "Lower Turnout Results in Two Budget Defeats" pushes a misleading narrative regarding voter turnout, and then seeks to tie the outcome of the referendum to that misleading narrative. Sure, voter turn out for this year's referendum, 18%, was lower than last year's. However, last year's turnout, 25.4%, represented the highest turnout in the most recent 10 budget referendums. If you take the time to examine turnout percentages between 2017 and 2026 (2017: 19.9, 2018: 15.7, 2019: 17, 2020: 0, 2021: 8.98, 2022: 7.7, 2023: 8.8, 2024: 15.1/17.49, 2025: 25.4, 2026: 18), this year's turnout was actually the third highest in the past 10 cycles. Perhaps the headline of this article should say "Lower Voter Turnout Than Last Year", which is more accurate, rather than creating an impression that this year's turnout is some type of aberration - a narrative that the turnout numbers, in all their binary glory, simply do not support. Further, the headline of this article appears to tie the "lower turnout" to the defeated budgets. Sure, that could be true. But, perhaps, its more likely that Newtown residents are feeling the squeeze of multiple economic influences. In Newtown, we've experienced property revaluations and increased municipal spending. Eversource continues to raise rates. The state legislature gives PURA the authority to impose Public Benefit charges that benefit a tiny percentage of the public (and subsequently burdening the rest of us). At the national level, inflation has run rampant for years and many of those costs remain high to this day. In short, the data tells a far less dramatic—and far more honest—story than the headline suggests. This wasn’t an electorate vanishing in apathy; it was a fairly typical turnout delivering an verdict that, perhaps, some at the Editorial Board didn't like. At some point, it’s worth considering that residents aren’t confused, disengaged, or misled by turnout; they’re simply doing math at their kitchen tables and concluding that “no” is the only responsible answer left.

Enjoyed the forum which only confirmed my support for Brandon Moore as the Democratic candidate to run for the state representative position. Brandon Moore did not waiver about his duty to all the people, if elected, when an issue presents itself that requires that he voice a difference of opinion for the wellbeing of Newtown residents. If Michelle Ku’s 16 years have led to her loyalty being to other elected officials, as she implied, then Newtown is going to continue to witness actions that do not protect its residents. She could not unseat republican, Mitch Bolinsky, during a Blue Wave, and once again, will not do it now. Winning that seat is critical for all. That explains why her previous campaign committee now campaigns for Brandon Moore. It explains all the endorsements he has received from local elected democratic officials. It’s why we need Brandon Moore to be the democratic candidate to run for state representative.

Second Newtown DTC, League Of Women Voters Candidates Event Planned

Appreciated the opportunity to hear from both candidates as we were present for the College Dems forum but only heard from Brandon Moore. It was an opportunity to see who can unseat the Republican incumbent and there is no doubt that Brandon Moore should be the Democratic candidate. One concerned parent posed a question about discrimination unaddressed by the school district and interestingly enough, Michelle Ku, who proudly speaks of her Board membership years, said little, while Brandon Moore passionately addressed the issue along with his experience as an Apache Helicopter Commander. This family is supporting Brandon Moore. We need change and someone who is not afraid to disagree, especially about the rising costs of living in Newtown.

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A Great Day For Ducks (And Sandy Hook)

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