News

Opening Weekend Draws Hundreds To New Ambulance HQ

By John Voket

Published: October 25, 2014 12:00 am

From “ambulance driver” Stuart Smith, who was an active responder in Newtown for more than a half-century, and local community leaders to Danbury Hospital emergency physicians and state officials, inc...

Firehouse Proposal Gains Architectural Endorsement

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: October 25, 2014 12:00 am

Following an architectural review, the Borough of Newtown Historic District Commission on October 16 granted Newtown Hook & Ladder Company, No. 1, a “certificate of appropriateness’ for the new fireho...

Consigli Breaks Ground On Sandy Hook School

Published: October 25, 2014 12:00 am

Consigli Construction Co., Inc has broken ground for Newtown’s new 87,000-square-foot state-of-the-art Sandy Hook Elementary School. With offices in Hartford, Consigli was selected as construction man...

Lake Authority: 'Rake Away From The Lake'

By Kendra Bobowick

Published: October 25, 2014 12:00 am

Making a request of the lakeside community, Candlewood Lake Authority (CLA) members have asked residents to “rake away from the lake this fall.” A recent announcement from CLA states: “While the vast ...

New Poverty Hollow Road Bridge Open To Traffic

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: October 25, 2014 12:00 am

It has been a long time coming, but the new Poverty Hollow Road bridge that spans the Aspetuck River near Centennial Watershed State Forest is now open to traffic. Although detour signs were still pos...

IWC Reviewing Dodgingtown Subdivision Proposal

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: October 25, 2014 12:00 am

The Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) this week concluded its public hearing on The Preserve at Newtown, a proposed 23-lot residential subdivision on 167 acres in Dodgingtown. IWC members closed the he...

Second Annual Charlottes's Litter Therapy/Comfort Dog Walk-A-Thon Celebrated

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: October 25, 2014 12:00 am

WEST HAVEN — The second annual Charlotte’s Litter Therapy/Comfort Dog Walk-A-Thon had more than 200 registered walkers and about 40 therapy dogs with handlers participate on Saturday, October 18, at S...

Sandy Hook Panel To Hear From Two Parents

Published: October 24, 2014 12:00 am

HARTFORD (AP) — The panel created to develop policy recommendations in the wake of 12/14 is expected to hear this morning from the parents of two children who were killed. The parents making presentat...

Parent Lecture Slated On Internet Safety

Published: October 24, 2014 12:00 am

The Newtown Prevention Council and the Newtown Middle School PTA are set to host a Parent Lecture titled “Internet Safety for Parents of Teens & Tweens,” on Wednesday, October 29, at 7 pm, in the Memo...

Bee Forum Draws Five Local Candidates

By John Voket

Published: October 24, 2014 12:00 am

The Newtown Bee Editor Moderator Curtiss Clark welcomed five state candidates to the newspaper’s annual pre-Election Day Candidates Forum Tuesday, October 21, at the Edmond Town Hall Theatre. With...

Silver Alert For Blue McGrath Ended

Top Of The Mountain

Cargo Van Driver Taken To Hospital Following Collision With Gas Tanker

Knotweed Initiative Program Planned

Newtown Cultural Arts Commission Grant Application Deadline Approaching

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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Opening Weekend Draws Hundreds To New Ambulance HQ

Firehouse Proposal Gains Architectural Endorsement

Consigli Breaks Ground On Sandy Hook School

Lake Authority: 'Rake Away From The Lake'

New Poverty Hollow Road Bridge Open To Traffic

IWC Reviewing Dodgingtown Subdivision Proposal

Second Annual Charlottes's Litter Therapy/Comfort Dog Walk-A-Thon Celebrated

Sandy Hook Panel To Hear From Two Parents

Parent Lecture Slated On Internet Safety

Bee Forum Draws Five Local Candidates