Features

Lisa Unleashed: Happy Holidays To The Hounds

By Lisa Peterson

Published: December 24, 2016 12:00 am

My holiday memory bank is now filled with half a century of Christmas Eve celebrations, almost all of them include the family dog or dogs, a few with one cat, and most with a horse somewhere in a near...

NewArts 'Christmas Carol' Has Audiences Singing Its Praises

By John Voket

Published: December 23, 2016 12:00 am

BETHEL - Based on the positively explosive reactions of audience members during the sold-out December 18 matinee of the NewArts production of A Christmas Carol at Walnut Hill Community Church, the McC...

The Top Of The Mountain

Published: December 23, 2016 12:00 am

Bee editorial staff received a lovely holiday gift this past Friday, when former intern Maddie Peck, home from college for the festive season, stopped by to say hello - and deliver some warm brown...

Pop Open (Or Gift) A Bottle To Celebrate The Holidays

Published: December 23, 2016 12:00 am

By Andy Hutchison Corks will be flying in about a week. Business at liquor stores picks up this time of year as customers shop for bubbling beverages to celebrate at holiday parties, gift giving, and ...

The Way We Were, for the week ending December 23, 2016

Published: December 23, 2016 12:00 am

January 3, 1992 At its meeting Monday, January 6, the Board of Selectmen is expected to schedule the date for a town meeting to consider appropriating money for the proposed swimming pool at Treadwell...

Deck The (Outdoor) Halls With Boughs Of Holly ... And More

Published: December 22, 2016 12:00 am

By Nancy K. Crevier Simply looking to bring some fun into Newtown, Sandy Hook resident Lois Barber decided on the spur of the moment to organize a holiday outdoors decoration contest this year. A simi...

Snapshot: Allyson Story

Published: December 22, 2016 12:00 am

Occupation: I am a K-5 math specialist at Farmingville Elementary in Ridgefield. I used to teach third grade for 14 years in Wilton. I am the president of the Merryhill Child Care Center board of ...

Julie Allen Bridals Donates Dresses To Connecticut Alliance Of Foster And Adoptive Families

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: December 19, 2016 12:00 am

Julie Allen Bridals donated 220 dresses to the Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families (CAFAF) on Wednesday, December 7, for a planned March 18 Avenue of Dreams event, which will provide ...

Lisa Unleashed: The Order of the Spur - A Cavalry Tradition

By Lisa Peterson

Published: December 18, 2016 12:00 am

On Sunday I had the honor of attending the Second Company Governor's Horse Guard (2GHG) Annual Promotions and Awards Luncheon held at Edmond Town Hall in the Alexandria Room. About 25 troopers and the...

Slip, Slidin' For Fun: Newtown Resident Enjoys Curling At Nutmeg Club

By Andy Hutchison

Published: December 18, 2016 12:00 am

Grab a rock and a broom, find a sheet of ice, and you have got a game to play.A Little History nutmegcurling.com. That is just about all that is needed for the sport of curling, although it is not ...

COA Welcomes New Alternate, Discusses Senior Alliance

BOE Recognizes 2026 Profiles In Professionalism Honorees

C.H. Booth Library Hosted Another Successful Volunteer Fair

Fire Reports | April 28-May 4, 2026

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 :)

<< May 2026 >>
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
26	27	28	29	30	1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31	1	2	3	4	5	6

Log In

Lisa Unleashed: Happy Holidays To The Hounds

NewArts 'Christmas Carol' Has Audiences Singing Its Praises

The Top Of The Mountain

Pop Open (Or Gift) A Bottle To Celebrate The Holidays

The Way We Were, for the week ending December 23, 2016

Deck The (Outdoor) Halls With Boughs Of Holly ... And More

Snapshot: Allyson Story

Julie Allen Bridals Donates Dresses To Connecticut Alliance Of Foster And Adoptive Families

Lisa Unleashed: The Order of the Spur - A Cavalry Tradition

Slip, Slidin' For Fun: Newtown Resident Enjoys Curling At Nutmeg Club