Features

State Artist Grant Awarded to Sandy Hook Writer

Published: February 15, 2020 8:00 am

Local author Sophfronia Scott has been awarded an Artist Fellowship Grant from the Connecticut Office of the Arts.

Valentine Dance Draws Sold-Out Crowd

By Kendra Bobowick

Published: February 15, 2020 8:00 am

Young ladies arrived at the ball and promptly left their “dates” behind. Wearing sparkling dresses and bows in their hair, ladies between 8 and 12 years old rushed toward the dance floor at the Parks ...

Flagpole Radio Cafe Twists Humor, Music Into Valentine Show

By Kendra Bobowick

Updated: February 16, 2020 3:59 pm

John Forster was the special guest during the most recent Flagpole Radio Cafe, presented February 8 at Edmond Town Hall.

New Projector At Edmond Town Hall Improves Theater Experience

By Kendra Bobowick

Updated: February 14, 2020 5:20 pm

A closet-size room behind the Edmond Town Hall Theatre balcony holds a new piece of equipment. An NEC NC1200c — a new projector now takes up space in the cubby, enabling a better-quality theater experience.

Snapshot: Deborra Zukowski

Updated: February 14, 2020 9:14 am

Occupation: I am now retired after 30 years as an information systems engineer. Family: My husband, Charles, and I have been married since 1983. He is a professor of Electrical Engineering at ...

The Top Of The Mountain

Updated: February 14, 2020 8:22 am

Newtown, from a cat's point of view.

Six Awards For 'Newtown Bee' Following NENPA Better Newspaper Competition

Updated: February 14, 2020 4:10 pm

picked up six awards during The New England Newspaper & Press Association Better Newspaper Competition last weekend.

Chamber Of Commerce Planning New Event: Mardi Gras Celebration, February 20

Updated: February 13, 2020 11:08 am

The Chamber of Commerce of Newtown is counting down toward its newest event: "The French Quarter: A Mardi Gras Celebration," scheduled for February 20 at Newtown Community Center.

‘Echoes Of Sinatra’ Raises Funds For Future NYA Programming

By Shannon Hicks

Updated: February 12, 2020 10:45 am

Guests of “Echoes of Sinatra with Special Guest Dean: Lounge Night at NYA” were transported back to a time when suave vocalists performed to guests seated around tables in smaller settings.

‘Meet The Presidents’ Shares Facts Without Getting Political

By Alissa Silber

Published: February 10, 2020 7:00 am

Newtown Senior Center member Larry Passaro gave an insightful history lesson during his “Meet the Presidents” program at the Senior Center on January 30. A packed audience listened as Mr Passaro gave ...

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

Theater Review: No Weak Links In Farnol’s Gripping, Fast-Paced ‘King Lear’

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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State Artist Grant Awarded to Sandy Hook Writer

Valentine Dance Draws Sold-Out Crowd

Flagpole Radio Cafe Twists Humor, Music Into Valentine Show

New Projector At Edmond Town Hall Improves Theater Experience

Snapshot: Deborra Zukowski

The Top Of The Mountain

Six Awards For 'Newtown Bee' Following NENPA Better Newspaper Competition

Chamber Of Commerce Planning New Event: Mardi Gras Celebration, February 20

‘Echoes Of Sinatra’ Raises Funds For Future NYA Programming

‘Meet The Presidents’ Shares Facts Without Getting Political