News

Library Director Search This Time Is Deliberate And Comprehensive

By Nancy K. Crevier

Published: Apr 29, 2014 12:00 AM

Thoughtful, diligent, thorough, and complete are a few of the words Michael Talluto chose to describe the work being done by the New Director Search Committee of the Board of Trustees of C.H. Booth Li...

Informational Session Slated On Hawleyville Sewer System Expansion

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: Apr 29, 2014 12:00 AM

An informational session to explain the construction aspects and cost implications of the planned expansion of the Hawleyville sanitary sewer system is scheduled for Thursday, May 8. The meeting, whic...

Public Comments Sought On Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan

Published: Apr 29, 2014 12:00 AM

The Town of Newtown will host a public information meeting on Wednesday, April 30, at 7 pm, in the Newtown Municipal Center to discuss the preparation of a Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan for the town....

Dedication Of National Memorial To Fallen Educators Scheduled

Published: Apr 29, 2014 12:00 AM

EMPORIA, KAN. — The National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) will dedicate the Memorial to Fallen Educators on June 12, at 2 pm, on the Emporia State University campus. This memorial and dedication cerem...

Supermarket Seeks Approval For Grocery Pickup Service

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: Apr 28, 2014 12:00 AM

The town will be reviewing a proposal from the Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, LLC, to allow the firm to position several storage lockers outdoors near the front entrance to its Botsford store as par...

Grant Will Cover Abatement Of Single-Family Homes In FFH

Published: Apr 28, 2014 12:00 AM

Thanks to $200,000 in grant funds, hazardous materials abatement in the single-family houses at Fairfield Hills has begun, with abatement and demolition of Danbury Hall to follow. An additional $200,0...

Council Releases Draft Of Proposed Senior Tax Relief Changes; Hearing May 7

By John Voket

Published: Apr 26, 2014 12:00 AM

Legislative Council Ordinance Committee Chair Ryan Knapp has released a draft of the revised senior tax relief proposals going to a planned public hearing May 7 before the regularly scheduled council ...

The Spring Construction Season Sprouts Several Commercial Projects

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: Apr 25, 2014 12:00 AM

As with the spring flowers that emerge in April, construction projects often also start this time of year. Four notable examples of commercial construction projects that are starting, or are about to ...

Firefighters Provide Mutual Aid To Southbury During Factory Fire

By Shannon Hicks

Published: Apr 25, 2014 12:00 AM

Firefighters from three of Newtown’s volunteer companies provided mutual aid to Southbury Volunteer Fireman’s Association early Friday morning. A team made up of officers and firefighters from Botsfor...

GE's Alzapiedi Departing After A Very Full Year Of Post-12/14 Service

By John Voket

Published: Apr 25, 2014 12:00 AM

Even on the occasion of her final report to the Board of Selectmen ahead of her departure as Newtown’s Recovery Program leader, General Electric’s Anne Alzapiedi chose to promote her work and her coll...

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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Library Director Search This Time Is Deliberate And Comprehensive

Informational Session Slated On Hawleyville Sewer System Expansion

Public Comments Sought On Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan

Dedication Of National Memorial To Fallen Educators Scheduled

Supermarket Seeks Approval For Grocery Pickup Service

Grant Will Cover Abatement Of Single-Family Homes In FFH

Council Releases Draft Of Proposed Senior Tax Relief Changes; Hearing May 7

The Spring Construction Season Sprouts Several Commercial Projects

Firefighters Provide Mutual Aid To Southbury During Factory Fire

GE's Alzapiedi Departing After A Very Full Year Of Post-12/14 Service