Features

Great Pumpkin Challenge: The Biggest Year Yet?

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Oct 17, 2015 12:00 AM

This year will mark the fifth and possibly the last year for the Great Pumpkin Challenge, but Mackenzie Page, who began the annual luminaria celebration on Main Street, received news last week of the ...

Saturday Performance At Sound Center To Feature Jami Sieber

Published: Oct 16, 2015 12:00 AM

Electric cellist and vocalist Jami Sieber is set to perform an intimate solo concert at Sound, a center for music, creative arts, and mindfulness, located at 31 Hawleyville Road, this Satuday, October...

The Top of the Mountain

Published: Oct 16, 2015 12:00 AM

Is it my imagination, or did all of the maple trees outside of C.H. Booth Library suddenly dump their leaves in the gutters this week? Looks like foliage season is going to be swift this year. The Thi...

The Way We Were

Published: Oct 16, 2015 12:00 AM

October 19, 1990 Officials at the US Postal Service’s Hartford area office have identified a site on Commerce Road as the preferred site for a Newtown Post Office that would replace the present o...

Snapshot: Sophfronia Scott

Published: Oct 16, 2015 12:00 AM

Occupation: I’m a writer. I received my MFA in July 2014, and I’ll be teaching at the low-residency MFA program at Regis University in Colorado. I’ll go there occasionally, but I’ll work with my s...

HGTV Show 'Property Brothers' Draws Talent From Sandy Hook

By Nancy K. Crevier

Published: Oct 13, 2015 12:00 AM

Her face may not appear on camera, but Sandy Hook interior designer Bobbie Sue Smart’s mark will be apparent to viewers when four of the Season 5 episodes of the popular HGTV program Property Brothers...

Theater Review: Campy Cult 'Rocky Horror' Is Incredibly Entertaining

By Elizabeth Young

Published: Oct 13, 2015 12:00 AM

SHERMAN — The Sherman Players swung for the rafters, scoring huge with their raucous and racy (is there any other kind?) rendition of Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show. Under the wickedly creati...

Volunteers Sought To Help Beautify Library Grounds Sunday

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Oct 10, 2015 12:00 AM

Volunteers were busy sheering hedges, pruning, and removing excess mulch on Friday, October 9, the first of two set days for a library grounds beautification project. More volunteers are still being s...

Lisa Unleashed: Morris & Essex Kennel Club Dog Show - A Vintage Experience

By Lisa Peterson

Published: Oct 10, 2015 12:00 AM

Every five years all of us in the dog fancy world don fashionable hats and period outfits to celebrate a commemorative version of an iconic dog show. Since its reincarnation in 2000 by a group of dedi...

Beekeeping In Newtown

By Sam Cox

Published: Oct 10, 2015 12:00 AM

Tucked away in the Victory Garden at Fairfield Hills, Jeff Shwartz picked out a worker bee last month from one of the three hives he owns and maintains on the property. Mr Shwartz started beekeeping i...

Next HRRA Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Event Scheduled In Newtown

Genealogy Club's Next Program To Dig Into 'Dissecting A Civil War Pension Record'

Choral Society Planning ‘Voices Of America’ Performance

Newtown Earth Day Festival Was A Success

Local Fourth Grader To Host ‘Gaming For Change’ On May 16

The editorial took no position on the budget going up or down so you're reading things into the editorial that simply aren't there. The turnout is tied to the lack of passage, in that people who came out to vote last time did not this time, indicating a lack of support on their part. Perhaps it wasn't spelled out clearly enough, but that's what the editorial was driving at, people showing lack of support by not casting a vote. The editorial did address likely concerns among voters that may have led to lack of support and lack of turnout. This lower turnout also follows increasing turnout over the past four referendums in three years (meaning it is an aberration from that), and increased turnout is something that I do push for regularly in editorials. Any disappointment you might be seeing is at the break in that trend, not at whether the budget passed or not. I'd rather see more people come out and vote "no" then not vote at all.

Lower Turnout Results In Two Budget Defeats

Clearly, property owners no longer want to bear the burden of expenses while the state does not meet it’s responsibilities. Rising costs must be addressed by actions that do not include yearly increases of property owners’ taxes. The state of CT must meet its share of the educational costs, and other costs.

Town And School Budgets Fail At Referendum

This feels like an oddly misleading headline and narrative, particularly coming from the Editorial Board. The headline "Lower Turnout Results in Two Budget Defeats" pushes a misleading narrative regarding voter turnout, and then seeks to tie the outcome of the referendum to that misleading narrative. Sure, voter turn out for this year's referendum, 18%, was lower than last year's. However, last year's turnout, 25.4%, represented the highest turnout in the most recent 10 budget referendums. If you take the time to examine turnout percentages between 2017 and 2026 (2017: 19.9, 2018: 15.7, 2019: 17, 2020: 0, 2021: 8.98, 2022: 7.7, 2023: 8.8, 2024: 15.1/17.49, 2025: 25.4, 2026: 18), this year's turnout was actually the third highest in the past 10 cycles. Perhaps the headline of this article should say "Lower Voter Turnout Than Last Year", which is more accurate, rather than creating an impression that this year's turnout is some type of aberration - a narrative that the turnout numbers, in all their binary glory, simply do not support. Further, the headline of this article appears to tie the "lower turnout" to the defeated budgets. Sure, that could be true. But, perhaps, its more likely that Newtown residents are feeling the squeeze of multiple economic influences. In Newtown, we've experienced property revaluations and increased municipal spending. Eversource continues to raise rates. The state legislature gives PURA the authority to impose Public Benefit charges that benefit a tiny percentage of the public (and subsequently burdening the rest of us). At the national level, inflation has run rampant for years and many of those costs remain high to this day. In short, the data tells a far less dramatic—and far more honest—story than the headline suggests. This wasn’t an electorate vanishing in apathy; it was a fairly typical turnout delivering an verdict that, perhaps, some at the Editorial Board didn't like. At some point, it’s worth considering that residents aren’t confused, disengaged, or misled by turnout; they’re simply doing math at their kitchen tables and concluding that “no” is the only responsible answer left.

Enjoyed the forum which only confirmed my support for Brandon Moore as the Democratic candidate to run for the state representative position. Brandon Moore did not waiver about his duty to all the people, if elected, when an issue presents itself that requires that he voice a difference of opinion for the wellbeing of Newtown residents. If Michelle Ku’s 16 years have led to her loyalty being to other elected officials, as she implied, then Newtown is going to continue to witness actions that do not protect its residents. She could not unseat republican, Mitch Bolinsky, during a Blue Wave, and once again, will not do it now. Winning that seat is critical for all. That explains why her previous campaign committee now campaigns for Brandon Moore. It explains all the endorsements he has received from local elected democratic officials. It’s why we need Brandon Moore to be the democratic candidate to run for state representative.

Second Newtown DTC, League Of Women Voters Candidates Event Planned

Appreciated the opportunity to hear from both candidates as we were present for the College Dems forum but only heard from Brandon Moore. It was an opportunity to see who can unseat the Republican incumbent and there is no doubt that Brandon Moore should be the Democratic candidate. One concerned parent posed a question about discrimination unaddressed by the school district and interestingly enough, Michelle Ku, who proudly speaks of her Board membership years, said little, while Brandon Moore passionately addressed the issue along with his experience as an Apache Helicopter Commander. This family is supporting Brandon Moore. We need change and someone who is not afraid to disagree, especially about the rising costs of living in Newtown.

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Great Pumpkin Challenge: The Biggest Year Yet?

Saturday Performance At Sound Center To Feature Jami Sieber

The Top of the Mountain

The Way We Were

Snapshot: Sophfronia Scott

HGTV Show 'Property Brothers' Draws Talent From Sandy Hook

Theater Review: Campy Cult 'Rocky Horror' Is Incredibly Entertaining

Volunteers Sought To Help Beautify Library Grounds Sunday

Lisa Unleashed: Morris & Essex Kennel Club Dog Show - A Vintage Experience

Beekeeping In Newtown