Cultural Events

Newtown Hikers Announce Late Spring Schedule

Published: May 05, 2014 12:00 AM

PLEASE NOTE this press release has been corrected to reflect a change in plans for the May 17 hike. * * * * * Newtown Hikers has released its schedule for the remainder of the 2014 spring seaso...

Weaving, Writing, Clay And Now Acting, All Through HealingNewtown

Published: May 02, 2014 12:00 AM

HealingNewtown is continuing to host weaving, writing, clay dates and an open studio for hand work. In addition, the arts group will welcome Newtown resident and actor Kate Katcher, who will offer a s...

SCAN Spring Juried Show & Sale Opens Saturday; Reception Sunday

Published: May 01, 2014 12:00 AM

The Society of Creative Arts of Newtown, Inc. (SCAN), an organization dedicated to promoting art and art education in the region, will present its 44th Annual Spring Juried Art Show at Cyrenius H. Boo...

Open Auditions This Weekend At Connecticut Broadway Stage Company

Published: May 01, 2014 12:00 AM

Connecticut Broadway Stage Company is holding open auditions this weekend for a July production of “Summer Follies 2014: Where Newtown Meets Broadway.” Ages 5 to 18 are encouraged to audition and be ...

Juggling & Circus Arts Club Gathering Saturday

Published: May 01, 2014 12:00 AM

The Newtown Juggling & Circus Arts Club will be meeting from 3-5 pm on Saturday, May 3, at the park along the Pootatuck River, near 3 Glen Rd in Sandy Hook. Jugglers of all ages and abilities are welc...

Join Jessica Rekos Foundation To Celebrate The Spirit Of One Sandy Hook Victim

Published: May 01, 2014 12:00 AM

The Jessica Rekos Foundation has announced that from May 4 to May 10, it will participate in activities that benefit organizations that best represent the interests of the foundation’s namesake. Jessi...

'Alice, A New Musical' To Debut At Edmond Town Hall

Published: Apr 30, 2014 12:00 AM

Newtown’s Community Learning Project (CLP) will entertain young and old alike with their all-new musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic story about a girl caught in a mesmerizing dreamworld. Al...

Pasta Dinner & Bluegrass Music At NUMC, May 3

Published: Apr 29, 2014 12:00 AM

The next Saturday Pasta Dinner at Newtown United Methodist Church will take place on May 3 in the church’s fellowship hall, 92 Church Hill Road in Sandy Hook. The public is cordially invited to join c...

Book Donation Day At Library, Sunday

Published: Apr 29, 2014 12:00 AM

The Friends of the C.H. Booth Library counts on donations dropped off to the library for the Annual Book Sale, the biggest fundraiser of the year for the library support organization. With the library...

Ben's Lighthouse To Host Info Session For Young Adult Mission Trip To Colorado

Published: Apr 25, 2014 12:00 AM

For the second consecutive summer, Ben’s Lighthouse will bring about 20 Newtown high schoolers across the country to assist the victims of a massive natural disaster. From July 27 to August 2, this vo...

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 :)

Log In

Newtown Hikers Announce Late Spring Schedule

Weaving, Writing, Clay And Now Acting, All Through HealingNewtown

SCAN Spring Juried Show & Sale Opens Saturday; Reception Sunday

Open Auditions This Weekend At Connecticut Broadway Stage Company

Juggling & Circus Arts Club Gathering Saturday

Join Jessica Rekos Foundation To Celebrate The Spirit Of One Sandy Hook Victim

'Alice, A New Musical' To Debut At Edmond Town Hall

Pasta Dinner & Bluegrass Music At NUMC, May 3

Book Donation Day At Library, Sunday

Ben's Lighthouse To Host Info Session For Young Adult Mission Trip To Colorado