Cultural Events

Juggling Club To Gather Saturday

Published: Jan 09, 2014 12:00 AM

The Newtown Juggling & Circus Arts Club will be meeting from 3 to 5 pm on Saturday, January 11, at Reed Intermediate School Auxiliary Gym, 3 Trades Lane. Any last minute changes can be found on the cl...

Newtown Hikers Announce 2014 Winter Schedule

Published: Jan 08, 2014 12:00 AM

Newtown Hikers is an open group that welcomes anyone interested in hiking. There is no membership fee. Hikers participate at their own risk and are asked by the Newtown Parks & Recreation Department t...

Choral Society Seeking New Members

Published: Jan 08, 2014 12:00 AM

The Newtown Choral Society is inviting prospective new members to an open rehearsal Wednesday, January 22, at 7 pm, at Newtown Middle School, 11 Queen Street. Under the direction of Mary Andreotta, th...

First Selectman To Read During Next Bookworms Story Hour

Published: Jan 08, 2014 12:00 AM

The Children’s Adventure Center will continue with its series of Bookworms Story Hour this month with readings by First Selectman Pat Llodra on Saturday, January 11. Mrs Llodra will be selecting from ...

Genealogy Club Meeting & Program Cancelled

By Shannon Hicks

Published: Jan 08, 2014 12:00 AM

The Genealogy Club of Newtown’s meeting and program scheduled for tonight at C.H. Booth Library has been cancelled. The cancellation is a result of water pipes that burst and damaged many areas of the...

Newtown Club Organizes To Carry On 70-Year Tradition Of Competitive Bridge

Published: Jan 07, 2014 12:00 AM

With the retirement of club director and manager Ed Finlay, Newtown Bridge Club has organized as a member-owned, member-run club to continue the 70-year tradition of competitive duplicate bridge in th...

Table Tennis To Benefit Memorial Fund

Published: Jan 07, 2014 12:00 AM

A table tennis event to support Newtown Memorial Fund will take place at Newtown High School, 12 Berkshire Road, on Saturday, January 25, beginning at 5:30 pm. The event is a tournament for all ages, ...

Town Historian's Annual Lecture Relocated Due To Library Flooding

Published: Jan 07, 2014 12:00 AM

Newtown has produced many notable characters in its 300-plus years. On Monday, January 13, at 7:30 pm, Town Historian Dan Cruson will present a line-up of some of them for Newtown Historical Society’s...

Dave Mason Highlighting Short-Lived Tenure With 'Traffic Jam' Tour Stops In Ridgefield, Norfolk

By John Voket

Published: Jan 03, 2014 12:00 AM

Before Dave Mason enjoyed success as a solo artist in the 1970s and 80s, he made his mark on musical history while securing a place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as co-founder of Traffic along with ...

Hot Tuna Trucking Into Ridgefield Playhouse With New Album, Tour

By John Voket

Published: Jan 02, 2014 12:00 AM

Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Jefferson Airplane made an indelible mark in the musical history books for their uniquely energized take on the Blues and psychedelic rock. Airplane co-founders Jorma Kaukon...

Newtown Seniors Hit The Floor For Annual Spring Fling

Snapshot: Perry Levenson

Mom Walk Collective Newtown Mini Photos Session Rescheduled

Newtown Prevention Partnership Offers Resources For Mental Health Awareness

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

Juggling Club To Gather Saturday

Newtown Hikers Announce 2014 Winter Schedule

Choral Society Seeking New Members

First Selectman To Read During Next Bookworms Story Hour

Genealogy Club Meeting & Program Cancelled

Newtown Club Organizes To Carry On 70-Year Tradition Of Competitive Bridge

Table Tennis To Benefit Memorial Fund

Town Historian's Annual Lecture Relocated Due To Library Flooding

Dave Mason Highlighting Short-Lived Tenure With 'Traffic Jam' Tour Stops In Ridgefield, Norfolk

Hot Tuna Trucking Into Ridgefield Playhouse With New Album, Tour