News

Wasserman Way To Close To Through-Traffic During August 10-11 Overnight

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: August 06, 2014 12:00 am

In conjunction with the construction of a new ambulance garage at Fairfield Hills for the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps, a section of Wasserman Way will be closed to through-traffic for an estimat...

Expect Route 302 Delays Due To Overnight State DOT Roadwork

Published: August 06, 2014 12:00 am

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is conducting a night-time milling and resurfacing project on Route 302 in Newtown and Bethel. The project consists of milling and resurfacing a 7.96 mile...

Dickinson Park Playground Closed For Final Construction Stages

By Shannon Hicks and Kendra Bobowick

Published: August 05, 2014 12:00 am

Newtown Parks & Recreation Department has announced that “Dickinson Park Playground is closed until further notice. The construction company is [in] the final stages of completing the playground. Your...

GOP Primary Contenders Argue Over Specifics

By Susan Haigh, Associated Press

Published: August 04, 2014 12:00 am

STRATFORD — Republican gubernatorial candidate John McKinney jumped at the chance to accuse his primary opponent of not offering voters a plan as detailed as his proposal to tackle future state budget...

Saving Annie: A Pet Owner's Efforts For Her Rescue Dog

By Kendra Bobowick

Published: August 02, 2014 12:00 am

Annie, a rescue dog, could not have known her life was in danger, but owner Alison Cole did. Ms Cole, of Woodbury, works at The Taunton Press. She noticed something was wrong the week before July 4, “...

Brief Public Hearing Airs Two Suggested Charter Revisions

By John Voket

Published: August 01, 2014 12:00 am

The first of at least two public hearings being conducted by Newtown’s newly seated Charter Revision Commission (CRC) only took about 12 minutes, but it provided two residents an opportunity to air id...

One Year Later: Sandy Hook Man's Disappearance Still 'A Big Question Mark'

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: August 01, 2014 12:00 am

As the family and friends of Robert Hoagland this week formally marked the first anniversary of his mysterious disappearance from town, police continued to pursue leads on his possible whereabouts in ...

Peacock Comes To Roost With Newtown Couple

By Kendra Bobowick

Published: August 01, 2014 12:00 am

A wandering peacock chose a beautiful late afternoon to walk into a backyard on Shepard Hill Road Thursday, July 24. Looking outside that evening, Lex Nalley said, “I first thought it was a turkey. My...

GOP Primary Voting Location Changed, Registration Deadlines Loom

By John Voket

Published: August 01, 2014 12:00 am

Due to the likelihood of extreme heat, and no other place in the facility with air-conditioning, Republican Registrar of Voters Karin Aurelia is moving all GOP Primary voting August 12 from the Newtow...

Wetlands Hearing On Cluster-Style 23-Lot Subdivision Slated For Late August

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: July 31, 2014 12:00 am

The Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) has scheduled a public hearing on a proposed 23-lot cluster-style residential subdivision for late August. IWC members decided at a July 28 session to hold the pub...

The Way We Were

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

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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Wasserman Way To Close To Through-Traffic During August 10-11 Overnight

Expect Route 302 Delays Due To Overnight State DOT Roadwork

Dickinson Park Playground Closed For Final Construction Stages

GOP Primary Contenders Argue Over Specifics

Saving Annie: A Pet Owner's Efforts For Her Rescue Dog

Brief Public Hearing Airs Two Suggested Charter Revisions

One Year Later: Sandy Hook Man's Disappearance Still 'A Big Question Mark'

Peacock Comes To Roost With Newtown Couple

GOP Primary Voting Location Changed, Registration Deadlines Loom

Wetlands Hearing On Cluster-Style 23-Lot Subdivision Slated For Late August