News

Council Approves Acquisition Of 37 Acres In Sandy Hook

By John Voket

Published: Mar 21, 2014 12:00 AM

Following a closed session during its March 19 meeting, the Legislative Council reconvened in public and unanimously endorsed the acquisition of a 36.89-acre parcel off Chestnut Hill Road that will be...

Booth Library Focus Groups Scheduled

Published: Mar 21, 2014 12:00 AM

As part of C.H Booth Library’s search for a new director, a series of focus groups have been scheduled, facilitated by the State of Connecticut Library Development office. Young adults are invited to ...

Fire Reports | March 14-20, 2014

Published: Mar 20, 2014 12:00 AM

The radio dispatchers at the Newtown Emergency Communications Center at Town Hall South, 3 Main Street, report the following fire calls and the responders: Friday, March 14: 9:04 am, medical assis...

New Rating Saves Taxpayers $700,000 On Latest Bond Issue

By John Voket

Published: Mar 20, 2014 12:00 AM

How much is Newtown’s latest bond rating increase worth to taxpayers? According to finance officials, almost a three quarters of a million dollars. Finance Director Robert Tait is touting the rock bot...

Church Hill Road Commercial Redevelopment Project Expected To Start Soon

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: Mar 20, 2014 12:00 AM

The developer of a planned major commercial project in the borough said this week his firm soon plans to start site work at the 30-32 Church Hill Road property where more than 60,000 square feet of en...

Police Reports | March 3-17, 2014

Published: Mar 20, 2014 12:00 AM

Mirror-To-Mirror Police said they are seeking information on the identity of a person who was driving a “blue truck” that was involved in a motor vehicle accident near 49 Hanover Road at about 4:...

Newtown Woods Condo Complex Construction Continues In Hawleyville

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: Mar 20, 2014 12:00 AM

Toll Brothers, Inc, a major Pennsylvania-based homebuilder, is well into the construction of Newtown Woods, an age-restricted 178-unit condominium complex at a 50-acre site off Mt Pleasant Road in Haw...

Library Board To Welcome New Members

Published: Mar 19, 2014 12:00 AM

The Board of Trustees of the C.H. Booth Library will welcome new board members Julie Starkweather, Carolyn Signorelli, Walter Motyka, and Raymond Irrera, at the regularly scheduled April meeting, said...

Open Burning Season Extended to May 15

Published: Mar 19, 2014 12:00 AM

Fire Marshal Bill Halstead has extended the open burning season to May 15. Normally, the open burning season concludes at the end of March, but when weather conditions allow, the season is extended. O...

Three-Year Tax Abatement OK'd For Retail/Office Complex

By John Voket

Published: Mar 18, 2014 12:00 AM

A Saint Patrick’s Day wish for a nominal tax break may generate a little green for two local developers and their future tenants. The 146 South Main Street parcel that first received approvals for com...

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.

The ‘Me’ Generation

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 :)

The ‘Me’ Generation

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