Sports

Former NHS Coach Ken Roberts Reflects â¨On Memories At Blue & Gold Stadium

By Andy Hutchison

Published: Oct 19, 2017 12:00 AM

Ken Roberts spent a lot of time on the Blue & Gold Stadium playing surface sideline in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Roberts was an assistant coach in 1997 and served as head football coach at NHS f...

Swim Team Caps Regular Season With Victories

By Andy Hutchison

Published: Oct 18, 2017 12:00 AM

Newtown High School's girls' swimming and diving team defeated host Masuk 102.5-82.5 in the regular-season finale, on October 17. Newtown's 200 yard medley relay team of Mary Hufziger, Maddie Carter, ...

NHS Girls' Volleyball Team Spikes Opponents And Breast Cancer

By Andy Hutchison

Published: Oct 17, 2017 12:00 AM

Newtown High School's girls' volleyball team defeated Stratford and Pomperaug of Southbury in a pair of home matches this past week and, in the latter, also made efforts to help defeat breast cancer. ...

Nighthawk Football Team Fights Back But Falls Short

By Andy Hutchison

Published: Oct 14, 2017 12:00 AM

Newtown High School's football team battled back from early- and late-game three-touchdown holes but ultimately could not dig themselves out in a 35-28 loss to visiting Shelton on October 13.The Bee. ...

Boys' Soccer Team Knocks Barlow From Unbeaten Ranks

By Andy Hutchison

Published: Oct 13, 2017 12:00 AM

Newtown High School's boys' soccer team handed South-West Conference rival Joel Barlow of Redding its first defeat of the campaign with a 1-0 win on the road, on the afternoon of Thursday, October 12....

Cross Country Teams Head Into SWC Championships On Winning Note

By Newtown Bee

Published: Oct 12, 2017 12:00 AM

Newtown High School's cross country teams swept the competition in an October 10 home meet, on the Fairfield Hills trails adjacent to Reed School. This was the team's final meet before the October 18 ...

Newtown High Boys' Soccer Team Blanks Pomperaug, Falls To Masuk And Strives To Learn From Defeat

By Andy Hutchison

Published: Oct 12, 2017 12:00 AM

Sure, the 2-1 setback at Masuk of Monroe on October 10 could have been chalked up as an acceptable loss to a really strong team; the Panthers came into the contest, after all, like Newtown with only o...

Swimmers Fall To Panthers In Close Meet And Beat Stratford

By Newtown Bee

Published: Oct 12, 2017 12:00 AM

Newtown High School's girls' swimming and diving team dropped a close meet to the visiting Pomperaug of Southbury Panthers, 95-91, on October 6. The Nighthawks went on the road and topped Stratford 94...

Nighthawk Volleyball Team Competes

By Andy Hutchison

Published: Oct 12, 2017 12:00 AM

Newtown High School's girls' volleyball team results from recent action are as follows:The Bee sports webpage and in the October 20 print edition of The Bee for more coverage of the win over Stratford...

Newtown Girls' Soccer Match To Benefit March Of Dimes On Saturday, October 14

Published: Oct 12, 2017 12:00 AM

The Saturday, October 14 girls' soccer game between Newtown High School and Daniel Hand of Madison, at Blue & Gold Stadium, beginning at 6 pm, will be played as fundraiser to benefit The March of Dime...

‘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.

The ‘Me’ Generation

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 :)

The ‘Me’ Generation

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