News

Task Force 'Tech Team' Reveals Details Of School Site Selection

By John Voket

Published: June 20, 2013 12:00 am

Long before a task force of 28 elected officials unanimously decided to raze and rebuild Sandy Hook School roughly on the site of the existing facility, a “tech team” consisting of town officials and ...

Oklahoma Tornado Recovery Collection Reminder

By Shannon Hicks

Published: June 20, 2013 12:00 am

Residents of Newtown and anyone in the vicinity are reminded that Sandy Hook native John DiCostanzo, and a few friends, will be returning to Oklahoma for the second time since the fatal EF5 tornado of...

Task Force 'Tech Team' Reveals Details Of School Site Selection

By John Voket

Published: June 20, 2013 12:00 am

Long before a task force of 28 elected officials unanimously decided to raze and rebuild Sandy Hook School roughly on the site of the existing facility, a “tech team” consisting of town officials and ...

Oklahoma Tornado Recovery Collection Reminder

By Shannon Hicks

Published: June 20, 2013 12:00 am

Residents of Newtown and anyone in the vicinity are reminded that Sandy Hook native John DiCostanzo, and a few friends, will be returning to Oklahoma for the second time since the fatal EF5 tornado of...

New Emergency Medical Service Center Could Soon Break Ground

By Kendra Bobowick

Published: June 20, 2013 12:00 am

A six-bay, 14,500-square foot ambulance garage is a step closer to construction at Fairfield Hills. The Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Association Inc. (NVA) Board of Trustees on June 12 voted unanimousl...

Residents Needed To Fill Committee Vacancies

Published: June 19, 2013 12:00 am

First Selectman Pat Llodra is calling on qualified or interested residents to consider filling several vacant posts on municipal boards or commissions. There are appointed, not elected, positions. The...

Biden Says White House Won't Quit On Gun Control

By Ana Radelat

Published: June 19, 2013 12:00 am

WASHINGTON – Gun control remains stalemated in Congress, but Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday he’s optimistic a bill that would expand background checks of gun buyers will become law. “The presid...

Residents Needed To Fill Committee Vacancies

Published: June 19, 2013 12:00 am

First Selectman Pat Llodra is calling on qualified or interested residents to consider filling several vacant posts on municipal boards or commissions. There are appointed, not elected, positions. The...

NEA Grant Will Allow NCAC To Hire Executive Director For HealingNewtown Project

By Shannon Hicks

Published: June 19, 2013 12:00 am

First Selectman Pat Llodra has announced that Newtown Cultural Arts Commission has received a $30,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support HealingNewtown. Mrs Llodra made on...

School Board Approves 2013-14 Budget With Full-Day K

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: June 19, 2013 12:00 am

The Board of Education unanimously approved its 2013-14 budget Tuesday, June 18, with adjustments recommended by Acting Superintendent of Schools John Reed to allow the implementation of full-day kind...

‘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.

The ‘Me’ Generation

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 :)

The ‘Me’ Generation

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