Sports

Wrestling Team Has Standouts In Class LL Championships

By Andy Hutchison

Published: Feb 20, 2018 12:00 AM

Newtown High School's Aaron Occhipinti won the 126 pound weight division championship, and 285 pound grappler Joe Zeller was runner-up as the Nighthawks, the lone South-West Conference team in the com...

Girls' Cagers Upset In SWC Semifinals

By Andy Hutchison

Published: Feb 20, 2018 12:00 AM

Things had fallen into place for Newtown High School's girls' basketball team. Winners of nine straight regular-season games, culminating with a win over Notre Dame-Fairfield (previously unbeaten in c...

Track And Field Athletes Shine In State Open

By Newtown Bee

Published: Feb 19, 2018 12:00 AM

Newtown High School's indoor track and field teams had standout performances in the State Open, at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven, on February 17. Carly Swierbut was third in the 55 met...

Occhipinti Wins Title, Zeller Second In State Wrestling Championships

By Newtown Bee

Published: Feb 18, 2018 12:00 AM

Girls' Basketball Team Advances To Tournament Semis

By Andy Hutchison

Published: Feb 17, 2018 12:00 AM

Newtown High School's girls' basketball team defeated visiting Immaculate of Danbury 28-21 in the South-West Conference tournament quarterfinals, on February 16. The top-seeded Nighthawks led 19-5 at ...

Nighthawk Wrestling Team Has Strong Postseason Performances

By Andy Hutchison

Published: Feb 15, 2018 12:00 AM

Newtown High School's wrestling team had seven place winners in the February 10 South-West Conference championships, at New Milford High School.Note: This is an expanded version of the article posted ...

Hockey Team Wins, Inches Closer To Playoff Berth

By Andy Hutchison

Published: Feb 15, 2018 12:00 AM

Newtown High School's boys' hockey team carries a three-game winning streak into its final three contests of the regular season, and the Nighthawks are within one victory of qualifying for the Divisio...

Girls' Basketball Team Turns Tables On Panthers, Beats Lancers To Clinch Top Seed

By Paul Samberg

Published: Feb 14, 2018 12:00 AM

Newtown High School's girls' basketball team defeated visiting Notre Dame-Fairfield 40-35ÃÂ in the February 12 regular-season finale. It was Notre Dame's first loss in South-West Conference play...

Sprint Medley Relay Contingent Sets School Record As Track Teams Compete In States

By Newtown Bee

Published: Feb 11, 2018 12:00 AM

Newtown High School's girls' and boys' indoor track and field teams battled with some of the top competitors in Connecticut during the February 10 Class LL state championship meet, at Floyd Little Ath...

Newtown Grapplers Have Seven Place Winners In SWC Championships

By Andy Hutchison

Published: Feb 11, 2018 12:00 AM

Newtown High School's wrestling team had seven place winners in the February 10 South-West Conference championships, at New Milford High School The Nighthawks placed fourth as a team, just behind Pomp...

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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Wrestling Team Has Standouts In Class LL Championships

Girls' Cagers Upset In SWC Semifinals

Track And Field Athletes Shine In State Open

Occhipinti Wins Title, Zeller Second In State Wrestling Championships

Girls' Basketball Team Advances To Tournament Semis

Nighthawk Wrestling Team Has Strong Postseason Performances

Hockey Team Wins, Inches Closer To Playoff Berth

Girls' Basketball Team Turns Tables On Panthers, Beats Lancers To Clinch Top Seed

Sprint Medley Relay Contingent Sets School Record As Track Teams Compete In States

Newtown Grapplers Have Seven Place Winners In SWC Championships