Cultural Events

Flagpole Photographers Camera Club Programs, Annual Exhibition

Published: May 28, 2014 12:00 AM

Flagpole Photographers is a local non-profit group that enables members to share their images and expertise, to learn and grow in their photography, and to enjoy the camaraderie of fellow photographer...

Award-Winning Graceful Planet Routines To Be Performed For Public

Published: May 28, 2014 12:00 AM

The Graceful Planet’s Dance Ensembles will offer a special performance of some of their award-winning dance ensembles this weekend. The public is invited to Reed Intermediate School on Saturday, May 3...

Flagpole Photographers Camera Club Programs, Annual Exhibition

Published: May 28, 2014 12:00 AM

Newtown Family Will Host Return Visit Of Fresh Air Child; Additional Hosts Sought For 2014

Published: May 27, 2014 12:00 AM

When Heather and Chris Peck first learned about The Fresh Air Fund in a local newspaper, they thought The Fresh Air Fund’s Volunteer Host Family Program would be a terrific opportunity for a New York ...

25th Annual Hospice Breakfast Fundraiser Set For June 11

Published: May 27, 2014 12:00 AM

MONROE — Marg Studley and Marie Sturdevant, co-chairpersons of the Newtown Chapter of Regional Hospice and Home Care of Western Connecticut, have announced that the annual fundraising and volunteer th...

Lakeside Gallery To Host Annual Art Show

Published: May 25, 2014 12:00 AM

Local artist Patricia Barkman will hold her annual Taunton Lakeside Gallery art show and sale on Saturday and Sunday, June 7 and 8. “A Gallery In The Garden” will take place at 49 Taunton Lake Road fr...

Animation Workshop Series For Young Artists Begins May 28

Published: May 23, 2014 12:00 AM

Earlier this spring Ben’s Lighthouse offered a workshop called “Meet the Animator.” For contractual reasons, the artist’s name and the company he works for were not announced, but it was a lead an...

Food Pantry To Benefit From June Car Show

By Shannon Hicks

Published: May 22, 2014 12:00 AM

While car enthusiasts of all ages will have a chance to check out and admire myriad vehicles during a special car show being planned for June 14, FAITH Food Pantry will ultimately benefit from the eve...

Demo On Landscape Painting In Oil, May 28 At Meeting House

Published: May 22, 2014 12:00 AM

The Society of Creative Arts of Newtown (SCAN) will have Paul Batch demonstrating landscape painting in oil at its meeting on Wednesday, May 28, at 1:30 pm. The meeting will be Newtown Meeting House (...

Strutt Your Mutt At New Location This Year

Published: May 21, 2014 12:00 AM

Friends of Park and Bark are preparing for the Fifth Annual Strutt Your Mutt Dog Walk, scheduled for Saturday, May 31, at 11 am. This year’s event will be at the on Old Farm Road.recently opened dog ...

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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Flagpole Photographers Camera Club Programs, Annual Exhibition

Award-Winning Graceful Planet Routines To Be Performed For Public

Flagpole Photographers Camera Club Programs, Annual Exhibition

Newtown Family Will Host Return Visit Of Fresh Air Child; Additional Hosts Sought For 2014

25th Annual Hospice Breakfast Fundraiser Set For June 11

Lakeside Gallery To Host Annual Art Show

Animation Workshop Series For Young Artists Begins May 28

Food Pantry To Benefit From June Car Show

Demo On Landscape Painting In Oil, May 28 At Meeting House

Strutt Your Mutt At New Location This Year