Date: Fri 01-May-1998

By Previous Employees

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: SUZANN

Quick Words:

mail-carriers-food-drive

Full Text:

Mail Carriers Slate Annual Food Drive May 9

BY SUZANNA NYBERG

On Saturday, May 9, mail carriers at the Newtown Post Office are sponsoring a

food drive in conjunction with the National Association of Letter Carriers.

Mail carrier Robert Fragione is in charge of the event and is encouraging

residents to leave non-perishable foods such as canned soups and fruits, rice,

and potato mixes by their mailboxes on that date. Perishable foods, such as

fruits and vegetables, and food in glass jars should not be left. All food

must be placed by mailboxes by 10 am on Saturday. Residents may also leave

food in the garbage pails stationed at the Hawleyville and Botsford Post

Offices and at Edmond Town Hall. Letter carriers and volunteers will collect

the food, which will be split between the town's Department of Social Services

and the Faith Food Pantry.

Mr Fragione said that the food drive has been a success since its inception

five years ago, with more residents leaving more food every year.

"Kids need to eat," said Mr Fragione. "That's reality; it's not corny." Having

grown up in a large family himself, with seven sisters and a brother, Mr

Fragione knows the importance of getting enough nutritious food on the table.

"All residents should contribute something," he said. "There are too many who

have less than most."

Mail carrier Michael Granja, a former organizer of the event, agreed. "As the

federal government has cut back, more needs to be done at the local level," he

said. "The community has to take care of its own." Mr Granja believes that

local efforts, centered as they are in churches and food pantries, are often

more effective than the well-meaning, but large-scale attempts of government

bureaucracies.

As the carrier spearheading the drive, Mr Fragione has done the legwork

necessary to make it happen; he has placed the phone calls, tacked up the

posters, run the ads, and enlisted area businesses to provide energy food for

volunteers. Yet volunteers are still needed, especially to pick up food from

the mailboxes on May 9. Those interested may call Karen Hoyt at the Town Hall

Department of Social Services at 270-4330, or Nancy Taylor at Faith Food

Pantry at 426-8507.

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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 01-May-1998

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