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Residents Sought For Commission Posts

Published: May 20, 2014 12:00 AM

First Selectman Pat Llodra is seeking residents to fill several opening on local appointed boards and commissions. In some cases the appointments are required to be affiliated with a specific politica...

Foley Wins Big On First GOP Roll Call, But Faces August Primary

By Mark Paznoikas and Keith M. Phaneuf ©The Connecticut Mirror

Published: May 20, 2014 12:00 AM

UNCASVILLE — Tom Foley, who lost a historically close election for governor in 2010, was overwhelmingly endorsed Saturday by the Republican State Convention for a second try at defeating Democrat Dann...

Hawleyville Sewer Grant Expected To Reduce Assessments, Hasten New Development

By John Voket

Published: May 20, 2014 12:00 AM

The ripple effects of a half-million dollar grant Newtown received May 19 will have immediate and positive implications for property owners waiting to hook up to a new Hawleyville sewer line extension...

Local Delegation Hosting Post-Session Update

Published: May 20, 2014 12:00 AM

State Senator John McKinney (R-28), along with State Representaves Mitch Bolinsky (R-106) and Dan Carter (R-2), are inviting any interested Newtown residents to a legislative wrap-up on the just concl...

Latest Copper Pipe Theft Leaves A Basement Flooded

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: May 19, 2014 12:00 AM

Police have added to their expanding list of local copper pipe thefts two incidents that occurred at vacant houses near the intersection of Sugar Street, West Street, and Boggs Hill Road. In one case,...

Officials Ramping Up Focus On New Businesses, Economic Development

By John Voket

Published: May 17, 2014 12:00 AM

With deliberations and the authorization by voters of the 2014-15 budget behind them, local officials are focusing intensely on the best way they see for keeping residential taxation in check — growin...

Application Period For Armed School Security Officers Closing At Month's End

By John Voket

Published: May 17, 2014 12:00 AM

The period for retired and certified Connecticut police officers to apply to become one of nine Newtown school security officers (SSOs) is closing at month’s end. Police Chief Michael Kehoe told The N...

NYFS Partners With Caroline Previdi Foundation

Published: May 17, 2014 12:00 AM

Newtown Youth & Family Services has partnered with The Caroline Previdi Foundation to offer financial support to families whose children may not otherwise be able to participate in select extracurricu...

New Fundraiser Highlighted At Library Board Meeting

By Nancy K. Crevier

Published: May 16, 2014 12:00 AM

At the regular monthly meeting of the board of trustees of the C.H. Booth Library May 12, trustees emeritus Mary Thomas and Kathy Geckle came to ask the board’s approval of a spring 2015 fundraiser th...

P&Z Weighs Expanded Hawleyville Industrial Uses

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: May 16, 2014 12:00 AM

With an expanded sanitary sewer system planned for Hawleyville, Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members are considering revising the zoning regulations to allow three additional land uses in the ...

Silver Alert For Blue McGrath Ended

Top Of The Mountain

Cargo Van Driver Taken To Hospital Following Collision With Gas Tanker

Knotweed Initiative Program Planned

Newtown Cultural Arts Commission Grant Application Deadline Approaching

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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Residents Sought For Commission Posts

Foley Wins Big On First GOP Roll Call, But Faces August Primary

Hawleyville Sewer Grant Expected To Reduce Assessments, Hasten New Development

Local Delegation Hosting Post-Session Update

Latest Copper Pipe Theft Leaves A Basement Flooded

Officials Ramping Up Focus On New Businesses, Economic Development

Application Period For Armed School Security Officers Closing At Month's End

NYFS Partners With Caroline Previdi Foundation

New Fundraiser Highlighted At Library Board Meeting

P&Z Weighs Expanded Hawleyville Industrial Uses