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DTC's Jefferson-Jackson-Bailey Dinner To Honor Anna Wiedemann

By John Voket

Published: May 05, 2014 12:00 AM

Longtime Newtown resident Anna Wiedemann believes the measure of a person cannot be defined by their political persuasion. So it is fitting that the Democratic Town Committee’s Jefferson-Jackson-Baile...

Town Clerk, Staff Striving For Professional Development, Certifications

By John Voket

Published: May 03, 2014 12:00 AM

All Connecticut town clerks are elected. But as far as any other requirement to learn or acquire skills to do a better job on behalf of their communities, there are no further requirements. That hasn’...

Former Resident Sentenced In Federal Firearms Case

Published: May 03, 2014 12:00 AM

HARTFORD — A judge sentenced a Naples, Fla., man on April 23 to three years of probation and 450 hours of community service for illegally possessing stolen firearms silencers. US District Judge Alvin ...

Natural Disaster Planning Project Underway

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: May 03, 2014 12:00 AM

While natural disasters may be unavoidable, the severity of their effects in terms of loss of life, personal injury, and property damage, can be lessened through coordinated planning and preventive me...

Letter Carriers' Food Drive, To Benefit Local Food Bank, Returning May 10

Published: May 02, 2014 12:00 AM

The 22nd Annual Letter Carriers’ Food Drive will be conducted Saturday, May 10. This drive is the major supplier of food to the Newtown Salvation Army Food Pantry, which is located within the office o...

Trudeau To Have Prison Sentence Reviewed

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: May 01, 2014 12:00 AM

NEW YORK CITY — A federal appeals court has ruled that William A. Trudeau, 50, who is a former owner of Newtown Oil Company and a former Norwalk land developer, will have his current prison sentence r...

Using Inner Strength To Overcome Adversity: Holocaust Survivor To Speak At Adath Israel

Published: May 01, 2014 12:00 AM

Marion Blumenthal Lazan, a Holocaust survivor and co-author of Four Perfect Pebbles, an award-winning memoir about her childhood under Hitler’s rule, will talk about her life during a special program ...

Regionalized Radio Dispatching Under Review By Fire Officials

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: May 01, 2014 12:00 AM

Fire officials from the town’s five volunteer fire companies are reviewing a controversial proposal to move the town’s radio dispatching for 911, police, fire, and ambulance calls from the Newtown Eme...

Phone System Changeover At Town Hall South This Morning

By Shannon Hicks

Published: Apr 30, 2014 12:00 AM

A changeover to a new phone system at Town Hall South will be taking place this morning around 9:30 am, according to Director of Emergency Communications Maureen Will. The system change will cover the...

Town Hall South Phone System Still Being Worked On

By Shannon Hicks

Published: Apr 30, 2014 12:00 AM

A changeover for the phone system at Town Hall South is complete this evening, but there are still a few technical issues being worked on, according to Newtown Director of Emergency Communications Mau...

The Way We Were

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

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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DTC's Jefferson-Jackson-Bailey Dinner To Honor Anna Wiedemann

Town Clerk, Staff Striving For Professional Development, Certifications

Former Resident Sentenced In Federal Firearms Case

Natural Disaster Planning Project Underway

Letter Carriers' Food Drive, To Benefit Local Food Bank, Returning May 10

Trudeau To Have Prison Sentence Reviewed

Using Inner Strength To Overcome Adversity: Holocaust Survivor To Speak At Adath Israel

Regionalized Radio Dispatching Under Review By Fire Officials

Phone System Changeover At Town Hall South This Morning

Town Hall South Phone System Still Being Worked On