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State Representative Honored For Work In Emergency Communications

By John Voket

Published: Aug 30, 2016 12:00 AM

Most of Connecticut's part-time state legislators spend their time outside, and often during state house sessions, working their so-called day jobs.The Newtown Bee. "With any achievement, team work is...

Fire Reports | August 11-25, 2016

Published: Aug 30, 2016 12:00 AM

The radio dispatchers at Newtown Emergency Communications Center at Town Hall South at 3 Main Street report the following fire calls and their responders: Thursday, August 11: 12:54 pm, alarm, 42 ...

Police Reports | August 3-23, 2016

Published: Aug 30, 2016 12:00 AM

Canoe Missing Police said this week they received a report on August 3 that a canoe is missing from its grassy storage area at the end of Riverside Road in the Riverside section of Sandy Hook. Po...

SHES One Of Several Town Projects Running Under Budget

By John Voket

Published: Aug 27, 2016 12:00 AM

The Sandy Hook Elementary School building project, which was completed with a $50 million grant from the State of Connecticut, could return in excess of $1 million back to state taxpayers as construct...

Procession And Events To Mark Hook & Ladder Firehouse Changeover

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: Aug 26, 2016 12:00 AM

Newtown Hook & Ladder volunteer firefighters plan to mark a long-awaited move from their 1929 firehouse at 45 Main Street to their new firehouse at 12 Church Hill Road with a procession of firefighter...

Proposed CIP Changes Balance Debt Pressure, Visible Projects

By John Voket

Published: Aug 26, 2016 12:00 AM

The Board of Selectmen received an updated Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for municipal projects during an August 15 meeting that First Selectman Pat Llodra said makes a number of adjustments to take ...

All-Star Transportation Employees Hold Meeting And Tour New Sandy Hook Elementary School

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Aug 26, 2016 12:00 AM

All-Star Transportation employees assembled at the new Sandy Hook Elementary School ahead of the 2016-17 school year for the company's annual back-to-school meeting on Wednesday, August 17. All-Star T...

Community Center Plans Encounter Hurdle

By Kendra Bobowick

Published: Aug 26, 2016 12:00 AM

The Newtown Community Center project has encountered another hurdle, "and we have to find a way to overcome" that hurdle said First Selectman Pat Llodra. "We are inching forward, but I still have grea...

FAITH Closes At St John's, Ready To Open At Tier One

By John Voket

Published: Aug 25, 2016 12:00 AM

FAITH Food Pantry will permanently leave its St John's Episcopal Church location and move this weekend to its new quarters at Tier One, 31 Pecks Lane. Signs will be posted. The pantry will NOT be open...

Santucci Sentenced To 16-Month Prison Term For Drug Crimes

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: Aug 25, 2016 12:00 AM

HARTFORD - A judge in US District Court on Thursday, August 25, sentenced a former Newtown police sergeant to a prison term, house arrest, probation, a fine, and community service for his role as the ...

The Way We Were

Malcolm Andrew 'Andy' Bryant

Top Of The Mountain

Garden Club Spring Plant Sale Saturday

Full Slate Of May Programs Planned By Flagpole Photographers

The editorial took no position on the budget going up or down so you're reading things into the editorial that simply aren't there. The turnout is tied to the lack of passage, in that people who came out to vote last time did not this time, indicating a lack of support on their part. Perhaps it wasn't spelled out clearly enough, but that's what the editorial was driving at, people showing lack of support by not casting a vote. The editorial did address likely concerns among voters that may have led to lack of support and lack of turnout. This lower turnout also follows increasing turnout over the past four referendums in three years (meaning it is an aberration from that), and increased turnout is something that I do push for regularly in editorials. Any disappointment you might be seeing is at the break in that trend, not at whether the budget passed or not. I'd rather see more people come out and vote "no" then not vote at all.

Lower Turnout Results In Two Budget Defeats

Clearly, property owners no longer want to bear the burden of expenses while the state does not meet it’s responsibilities. Rising costs must be addressed by actions that do not include yearly increases of property owners’ taxes. The state of CT must meet its share of the educational costs, and other costs.

Town And School Budgets Fail At Referendum

This feels like an oddly misleading headline and narrative, particularly coming from the Editorial Board. The headline "Lower Turnout Results in Two Budget Defeats" pushes a misleading narrative regarding voter turnout, and then seeks to tie the outcome of the referendum to that misleading narrative. Sure, voter turn out for this year's referendum, 18%, was lower than last year's. However, last year's turnout, 25.4%, represented the highest turnout in the most recent 10 budget referendums. If you take the time to examine turnout percentages between 2017 and 2026 (2017: 19.9, 2018: 15.7, 2019: 17, 2020: 0, 2021: 8.98, 2022: 7.7, 2023: 8.8, 2024: 15.1/17.49, 2025: 25.4, 2026: 18), this year's turnout was actually the third highest in the past 10 cycles. Perhaps the headline of this article should say "Lower Voter Turnout Than Last Year", which is more accurate, rather than creating an impression that this year's turnout is some type of aberration - a narrative that the turnout numbers, in all their binary glory, simply do not support. Further, the headline of this article appears to tie the "lower turnout" to the defeated budgets. Sure, that could be true. But, perhaps, its more likely that Newtown residents are feeling the squeeze of multiple economic influences. In Newtown, we've experienced property revaluations and increased municipal spending. Eversource continues to raise rates. The state legislature gives PURA the authority to impose Public Benefit charges that benefit a tiny percentage of the public (and subsequently burdening the rest of us). At the national level, inflation has run rampant for years and many of those costs remain high to this day. In short, the data tells a far less dramatic—and far more honest—story than the headline suggests. This wasn’t an electorate vanishing in apathy; it was a fairly typical turnout delivering an verdict that, perhaps, some at the Editorial Board didn't like. At some point, it’s worth considering that residents aren’t confused, disengaged, or misled by turnout; they’re simply doing math at their kitchen tables and concluding that “no” is the only responsible answer left.

Enjoyed the forum which only confirmed my support for Brandon Moore as the Democratic candidate to run for the state representative position. Brandon Moore did not waiver about his duty to all the people, if elected, when an issue presents itself that requires that he voice a difference of opinion for the wellbeing of Newtown residents. If Michelle Ku’s 16 years have led to her loyalty being to other elected officials, as she implied, then Newtown is going to continue to witness actions that do not protect its residents. She could not unseat republican, Mitch Bolinsky, during a Blue Wave, and once again, will not do it now. Winning that seat is critical for all. That explains why her previous campaign committee now campaigns for Brandon Moore. It explains all the endorsements he has received from local elected democratic officials. It’s why we need Brandon Moore to be the democratic candidate to run for state representative.

Second Newtown DTC, League Of Women Voters Candidates Event Planned

Appreciated the opportunity to hear from both candidates as we were present for the College Dems forum but only heard from Brandon Moore. It was an opportunity to see who can unseat the Republican incumbent and there is no doubt that Brandon Moore should be the Democratic candidate. One concerned parent posed a question about discrimination unaddressed by the school district and interestingly enough, Michelle Ku, who proudly speaks of her Board membership years, said little, while Brandon Moore passionately addressed the issue along with his experience as an Apache Helicopter Commander. This family is supporting Brandon Moore. We need change and someone who is not afraid to disagree, especially about the rising costs of living in Newtown.

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State Representative Honored For Work In Emergency Communications

Fire Reports | August 11-25, 2016

Police Reports | August 3-23, 2016

SHES One Of Several Town Projects Running Under Budget

Procession And Events To Mark Hook & Ladder Firehouse Changeover

Proposed CIP Changes Balance Debt Pressure, Visible Projects

All-Star Transportation Employees Hold Meeting And Tour New Sandy Hook Elementary School

Community Center Plans Encounter Hurdle

FAITH Closes At St John's, Ready To Open At Tier One

Santucci Sentenced To 16-Month Prison Term For Drug Crimes