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Newtown Shooting Has Galvanized Disparate Anti-Gun Groups

By Ana Redelat ©The Connecticut Mirror

Published: Dec 15, 2013 12:00 AM

WASHINGTON — The Newtown tragedy has galvanized gun-control groups and turned victims of gun violence into advocates like no other mass shooting in US history. In the year since the Sandy Hook Element...

One Year Ago, Monroe Stepped Up To Help A Neighbor In Need

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Dec 14, 2013 12:00 AM

As Interim Superintendent of Schools John Reed said recently, the effort Monroe went through to help Newtown following the events of 12/14 was “complex and extremely important.” Within days of the tra...

Weather Cancellations

Published: Dec 14, 2013 12:00 AM

St John's Sandy Hook has postponed its 5 pm memorial service scheduled for Saturday until tomorrow, Sunday evening at 5 pm. There will be no 9:30 am service at the church Sunday morning. The Al Heday...

Garner Prison Gets A New Warden

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: Dec 14, 2013 12:00 AM

A new warden has taken charge at Garner Correctional Institution, the state’s high-security prison for men at 50 Nunnawauk Road. Henry Falcone, who served as a deputy warden for operations at Garner u...

Interact Clubs Selling Trees For The Holidays

Published: Dec 13, 2013 12:00 AM

Police Officer With PTSD Awaits Departure Talks

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: Dec 13, 2013 12:00 AM

A Newtown police officer who responded to the 12/14 shooting incident at Sandy Hook School, and who has been off work since then due to subsequent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), said that the ...

When Connecticut's Budget Realities Follow Tragedies

By Keith M. Phaneuf, ©The Connecticut Mirror

Published: Dec 13, 2013 12:00 AM

State legislators sprang into action after the Newtown tragedy, allocating nearly $19 million for an array of initiatives on school safety, mental health and gun control. For the third time in six yea...

Gov Malloy Urging Drivers To Limit Travel On Saturday

By Shannon Hicks

Published: Dec 13, 2013 12:00 AM

Residents hoping to purchase Christmas trees, do holiday shopping, run errands, attend 12/14 services, or anything away from their homes are being encouraged by Governor Dannel P. Malloy to get all of...

Police Reports | December 4-11, 2013

Published: Dec 12, 2013 12:00 AM

Flagpole Bumps Oksana Sokolova, 28, of Derby received an infraction from local police November 30 for failing to drive a reasonable distance apart following a minor traffic collision November 30 ...

This Weekend: Faith Communities Offering Anniversary Gatherings

By Shannon Hicks

Published: Dec 12, 2013 12:00 AM

Many faith communities in Newtown are offering services and support for residents this weekend, to mark and honor the first anniversary of 12/14. The media is being asked to respect the privacy of tho...

‘Color Our World With Hope’ Filled Newtown With Music, Meaning, And Community Impact

Nighthawk Baseball Team Beats Conference Opponents

Late Goal By Ruddy Lifts Nighthawk Lacrosse Team To Victory, Showcases Chemistry In Midfield

Reed Intermediate Presents Sold-Out Performances Of 'Willy Wonka Jr'

Draw Dominance, Transition Game Lift Boys' Lacrosse Team To Lopsided Wins

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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Newtown Shooting Has Galvanized Disparate Anti-Gun Groups

One Year Ago, Monroe Stepped Up To Help A Neighbor In Need

Weather Cancellations

Garner Prison Gets A New Warden

Interact Clubs Selling Trees For The Holidays

Police Officer With PTSD Awaits Departure Talks

When Connecticut's Budget Realities Follow Tragedies

Gov Malloy Urging Drivers To Limit Travel On Saturday

Police Reports | December 4-11, 2013

This Weekend: Faith Communities Offering Anniversary Gatherings