Cultural Events

Change Of Venue For Tuesday's Summer Jam Concert

By Shannon Hicks

Published: Jul 14, 2014 12:00 AM

The second annual Summer Jam Concert Series, a weekly offering of free concerts for children and families that opened on June 24, “has been phenomenal” so far, according to volunteer coordinator Erin ...

Artist To Share Skills Of Painting Seascapes During Next SCAN Program

Published: Jul 14, 2014 12:00 AM

Connecticut artist Jacqueline Jones will demonstrate “Oil Painting of a Seascape” at the Wednesday July 23, meeting of SCAN, the Society of Creative Arts in Newtown, at 1:30 pm, in the lower level of...

Second Annual Newtown Yoga Festival Announced For August 23

Published: Jul 05, 2014 12:00 AM

The Sandy Hook Promise Foundation Community Fund will host the 2014 second annual Newtown Yoga Festival on Saturday, August 23. The event will run from 9 am to 4 pm, and will again be presented at NYA...

Linoleum Block Printing at HealingNewtown, July 12

Published: Jul 02, 2014 12:00 AM

Virginia Zimmerman from The Center for Contemporary Printing will be returning to HealingNewtown this month, this time to lead a linoleum block printing workshop. Her program will be Saturday, July 12...

Photography Exhibit In Monroe Featuring Works Of Newtown Photographer Paul R. Berger

Published: Jul 02, 2014 12:00 AM

MONROE — Newtown fine art photographer Paul R. Berger is exhibiting a compelling selection of his landscapes, architectural, and editorial images at Edith Wheeler Memorial Library during the month of ...

Pastel Demo By Buchanan During Next SCAN Program

Published: Jun 30, 2014 12:00 AM

The Society of Creative Arts of Newtown (SCAN) will have Clayton Buchanan, an internationally known artist, offering a demonstration during its meeting on Wednesday, July 9, at 7:30 pm. The meeting-pr...

Start Summer With Kindness: Charlotte's Lemonade Stand Starter Kits Available Saturday

Published: Jun 27, 2014 12:00 AM

As the summer heats up, lemonade stands will begin sprouting in neighborhoods. While some kids are using lemonade stands for some extra change, Newtown Kindness, a non-profit organization whose goal i...

Weekend Events By Historical Society: Homes & Garden Tour, Open House, History Of Ice Cream Event And Walking Tour

Published: Jun 26, 2014 12:00 AM

Newtown Historical Society will host its annual homes and gardens tour on Saturday, June 28. Then on Sunday, the society will host the final open house of the season at its headquarters, a program abo...

Auditions Notice: "An Inspector Calls," July 7-9

Published: Jun 25, 2014 12:00 AM

Town Players of Newtown announces auditions for An Inspector Calls, the classic “drawing room theater” production by J.B. Priestly. Auditions will be conducted Monday through Wednesday, July 7-9, from...

Laurel & Hardy, And Greta Garbo: Sunday Cinema Series Resumes This Weekend

Published: Jun 25, 2014 12:00 AM

Keep an eye out for “Laurel and Hardy” in front of the Edmond Town Hall on Sunday, June 29, when the theater will host screenings of two Hollywood classics. The screenings will be the next installment...

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 :)

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