News

Finance Board Adds Sandy Hook School To CIP

By John Voket

Published: August 07, 2013 12:00 am

During a brief special meeting August 5, the Board of Finance unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the town to appropriate $49,250,000 for the planning, design and construction of a new Sandy...

12/14 Investigation Report Due 'In The Fall'

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: August 06, 2013 12:00 am

HARTFORD —On Tuesday morning, August 6, state officials involved in the investigation into the 12/14 shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School met to discuss the progress of the state police probe and...

DOT Advises That Bridge Construction Will Cause I-84 Traffic Delays

Published: August 06, 2013 12:00 am

The state Department of Transportation (DOT) advises that normal dual-lane traffic flowing on eastbound Interstate 84 between Exits 11 and 13 will be reduced to one lane of traffic on Tuesday, Wednesd...

Unity Riders Arriving Today; All Related Events Taking Place At 2GHG HQ

By Shannon Hicks

Published: August 05, 2013 12:00 am

The Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard will welcome The Unity Riders to the 2GHG headquarters today. The group is expected to arrive by late morning, and , according to 2LT Ken Fay, public affairs ...

Sandy Hook Man Sentenced In Massachusetts DUI Fatality

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: August 02, 2013 12:00 am

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On Thursday, August 1, a Sandy Hook man was sentenced by a Berkshire Superior Court judge to serve 15 to 18 years in state prison, after the man pleaded guilty to nine charges stem...

Police Probing NHS Field Vandalism

Published: August 02, 2013 12:00 am

Police received a report at about 9:30 am on July 25 that someone had vandalized a rear athletic field at Newtown High School, so they went there to investigate. The probe indicated that someone had u...

Student Arrested On Three Charges After Knife Incident

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: August 02, 2013 12:00 am

Police report that an incident that involved the threatening display of a knife occurred among a group students who were working summer jobs at Newtown High School. There were no injuries, police said...

SUV Crash Closes Route 34, Causes Electrical Outages

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: August 02, 2013 12:00 am

At about 11:45 am on Monday, July 29, motorist Michael Verini, 25, of Oxford was driving a 2002 Honda CRV SUV westward on Berkshire Road (Route 34), when the vehicle went off the right road shoulder a...

Police Reports July 18 - 28, 2013

Published: August 01, 2013 12:00 am

DUI Incident Police report that while on patrol along Wasserman Way at the Exit 11 interchange of Interstate 84 at about 8 pm on July 28, they stopped motorist Patricia Esposito, 53, of North Hav...

The Governor Takes A Tour Of Sandy Hook Center

By Kendra Bobowick

Published: August 01, 2013 12:00 am

Governor Dannel P. Malloy’s arrived in Sandy Hook Wednesday morning for a walking tour of the business district in the village center. First Selectman Pat Llodra was waiting to guide him along the new...

‘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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Finance Board Adds Sandy Hook School To CIP

12/14 Investigation Report Due 'In The Fall'

DOT Advises That Bridge Construction Will Cause I-84 Traffic Delays

Unity Riders Arriving Today; All Related Events Taking Place At 2GHG HQ

Sandy Hook Man Sentenced In Massachusetts DUI Fatality

Police Probing NHS Field Vandalism

Student Arrested On Three Charges After Knife Incident

SUV Crash Closes Route 34, Causes Electrical Outages

Police Reports July 18 - 28, 2013

The Governor Takes A Tour Of Sandy Hook Center