News

Flag With Messages Of Support Delivered From The Front Lines Of Afghanistan

By John Voket

Published: June 10, 2013 12:00 am

Sgt Laurence F. Bennett was fighting on the front lines in Afghanistan when his unit learned about the tragic school shootings that happened in Newtown, so he obtained a Connecticut flag that was flyi...

Children Leave Schools After 'Modified Lockdown'; Phone Call Threat Received

Published: June 10, 2013 12:00 am

The office of the Superintendent of Schools confirmed Monday that Newtown schools were placed in "modified lockdown" in the afternoon. They did not elaborate on the nature of the threat. At 2:05 pm a ...

Police Probe Threat Of Violence Against Hawley School Occupants

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: June 10, 2013 12:00 am

“At approximately 2:05 pm [Monday], staff at Hawley School received a telephone call from an unidentified male caller,” Police Chief Michael Kehoe said at about 5 pm today, in explaining an incident w...

Assured Of Its Passage, Newtown Delegation Votes No On $2B Bonding Measure

By John Voket

Published: June 08, 2013 12:00 am

All four members of Newtown's legislative delegation - Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, along with Reps Mitch Bolinsky, DebraLee Hovey and Dan Carter - knew from day one of this year's session, t...

Special Olympics Torch Run Cancelled

Published: June 07, 2013 12:00 am

Due to today’s inclement weather, the final leg of the Connecticut Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run, which was due to pass through Newtown shortly after 11 this morning, has been cancelled. ...

The Newtown Bee's Buzzcast From June 7

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: June 07, 2013 12:00 am

This is The Newtown Bee's Buzzcast for the edition dated June 7, 2013. The Buzzcast is a podcast roundup of top news from each edition of The Newtown Bee. Tune in weekly.

Newtown's GE Support Team Updates Selectmen On Progress

By John Voket

Published: June 07, 2013 12:00 am

From establishing a municipal recovery portal to providing local ticket distribution logistics for special Yankee and Red Sox games dedicated to Newtown, a trio of loaned executives from GE Capital to...

Superintendent Asked To Prepare Budget Plan That Includes FDK

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: June 07, 2013 12:00 am

The Board of Education has directed Acting Superintendent of Schools John Reed to develop an example of what the 2013-14 school budget would look like with the inclusion of full-day kindergarten, and ...

Police Dog Baro Retires; New Dog Sought

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: June 07, 2013 12:00 am

Town police said this week that Baro, their nearly 10-year-old German shepherd, has been retired from law enforcement service due to health concerns. After examination and consultation with veterinari...

The Newtown Bee's Buzzcast From June 7

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: June 07, 2013 12:00 am

This is The Newtown Bee's Buzzcast for the edition dated June 7, 2013. The Buzzcast is a podcast roundup of top news from each edition of The Newtown Bee. Tune in weekly.

Fire Reports | April 28-May 4, 2026

Just Over The Border: Southeast Kitchen And Bath’s New Showroom

Police Reports | April 27-May 3, 2026

Silent Auction To Coincide With Garden Club Standard Flower Show

BOE CFF Discusses Itemized Estimates, Summer CIP Projects

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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