News

Storm Bringing More Snow Than Expected, Few Accidents Reported

By Shannon Hicks

Published: Feb 03, 2014 12:00 AM

Newtown’s roads are slippery today. Fred Hurley has had crews out working since 4 am, but 10 hours into the storm, the public works director says the roads are “slick.” Snow began falling around 5 am ...

Postponements & Cancellations

By Shannon Hicks

Published: Feb 03, 2014 12:00 AM

Groups and organizations that need to postpone or cancel events planned for today due to the weather are invited to contact Newtown Bee Associate Editor Shannon Hicks, at 203-426-3141 or shannon@thebe...

Newtown Public Schools Closed Monday

Published: Feb 03, 2014 12:00 AM

Due to the weather, all Newtown Public Schools will be closed Monday, February 3.

Selectmen Approve Seven-Year Tax Benefit For Lexington Villages

By John Voket

Published: Feb 02, 2014 12:00 AM

After requesting developers for the Lexington Villages complex off Church Hill Road return to the Economic Development Commission to further discuss a pending business incentive tax abatement that was...

Town Plan, FFH Plan Now Available In Book Form

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: Feb 02, 2014 12:00 AM

Printed bound versions of the 2014 Town Plan of Conservation and Development and the 2013 Fairfield Hills Master Plan are now available at the town Land Use Agency office at Newtown Municipal Center a...

Town Poised To Secure DOJ Grants For Long-Term Recovery Efforts

By John Voket

Published: Feb 01, 2014 12:00 AM

Newtown officials and a GE representative working with the first selectman’s office are about a week away from filing for approximately $6 million in grants from the US Department of Justice that the ...

FFH Authority Enters A New Phase, Chairman Says

By Kendra Bobowick

Published: Feb 01, 2014 12:00 AM

What will the Fairfield Hills Authority’s role be in the future? This and other topics including building upkeep and prospective tenants to occupy the nearly 80-year-old former state hospital building...

Company Apologizes For Using 12/14 Crime Scene Photo To Market Window Treatment

By Associated Press

Published: Feb 01, 2014 12:00 AM

A South Carolina company that has installed protective window coverings at the US Capitol and other buildings around the world is apologizing for an email advertisement that used a photo of the shot-o...

Protective Order Violations Against Former Resident: Police Arrest New Haven Man On 186 Felonies

Published: Jan 31, 2014 12:00 AM

Newtown police said that after learning that they held warrants for his arrest, a former resident came to the police station on January 24 and was charged with 186 counts of violation of a protective ...

Fire Marshal Offers Clothes Dryer Safety Tips

Published: Jan 31, 2014 12:00 AM

Fire Marshal Bill Halstead noted this week that during the past year, malfunctioning clothes dryers have caused three structure fires in town. Most recently, on January 2, a malfunctioning clothes dry...

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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Storm Bringing More Snow Than Expected, Few Accidents Reported

Postponements & Cancellations

Newtown Public Schools Closed Monday

Selectmen Approve Seven-Year Tax Benefit For Lexington Villages

Town Plan, FFH Plan Now Available In Book Form

Town Poised To Secure DOJ Grants For Long-Term Recovery Efforts

FFH Authority Enters A New Phase, Chairman Says

Company Apologizes For Using 12/14 Crime Scene Photo To Market Window Treatment

Protective Order Violations Against Former Resident: Police Arrest New Haven Man On 186 Felonies

Fire Marshal Offers Clothes Dryer Safety Tips