News

Blight Ordinance In Action: A Church Hill Road Eyesore Comes Down

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: Feb 07, 2014 12:00 AM

A vacant, deteriorated building on Church Hill Road that town officials have long considered to be an eyesore was demolished this week following the town’s pursuit of its removal through the provision...

BOE Passes 2014-15 Budget With No Increase, Tables Security Vote

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Feb 07, 2014 12:00 AM

During its final workshop meeting for the 2014-15 budget, the Board of Education passed a budget proposal on Thursday, February 6, with no increase over the previous year. The board also tabled a seco...

Well Intentioned Passersby Could Have Made 3-Car Accident Even Worse

By Shannon Hicks

Published: Feb 06, 2014 12:00 AM

NOTE: This story has been updated to include details about the vehicles involved in the accident. * * * * * A three-car accident on Sugar Street last week resulted in damage to three cars, and in...

Police Reports January 25 - February 5, 2014

Published: Feb 06, 2014 12:00 AM

Public Indecency Newtown police said that they took Michael M. Dinho, Jr, 51, of Danbury into custody about 11:30 am on February 1, after he was detained by Danbury police at the Danbury police s...

Fire Reports | January 30-February 5, 2014

Published: Feb 06, 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: Thursday, January 30: 5:16 pm, motor veh...

Finance Director: Pension Caveat 'Saves Newtown Taxpayers Millions'

By John Voket

Published: Feb 06, 2014 12:00 AM

Newtown Finance Director Robert Tait calls them "horror stories." He is referring to endless news reports from states and cities including Connecticut and many of its 169 municipalities, about the hor...

Llodra Updates School Board On Security Plan

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Feb 05, 2014 12:00 AM

For the second workshop meeting in a row, the Board of Education discussed security measures in the school district on Tuesday, February 4. Tuesday’s meeting marked the next-to-last budget workshop me...

Cancellations & Postponements: Feb. 5

By Shannon Hicks

Published: Feb 05, 2014 12:00 AM

Groups and organizations that need to postpone or cancel events planned for Wednesday, February 5, due to the weather are invited to contact Newtown Bee Associate Editor Shannon Hicks, at (preferred)...

Contact The Bee With Cancellations & Postponements; Public Schools To Be Closed Wednesday

By Shannon Hicks

Published: Feb 04, 2014 12:00 AM

With an average of six inches of new snow thanks to Monday’s storm, Newtown and the region are preparing for another storm to arrive on Wednesday, February 5. Superintendent of Schools Dr John Reed ha...

Gun Control Activists Shift Tactics

By Ana Radelat

Published: Feb 04, 2014 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON – With Congress opposed to even the most modest efforts at gun control, activists are pressing a sympathetic White House to make gun ownership a public health and safety issue, and they're ...

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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Blight Ordinance In Action: A Church Hill Road Eyesore Comes Down

BOE Passes 2014-15 Budget With No Increase, Tables Security Vote

Well Intentioned Passersby Could Have Made 3-Car Accident Even Worse

Police Reports January 25 - February 5, 2014

Fire Reports | January 30-February 5, 2014

Finance Director: Pension Caveat 'Saves Newtown Taxpayers Millions'

Llodra Updates School Board On Security Plan

Cancellations & Postponements: Feb. 5

Contact The Bee With Cancellations & Postponements; Public Schools To Be Closed Wednesday

Gun Control Activists Shift Tactics