Sports

Athletes Give It Their All In Rooster Run

By Andy Hutchison

Published: Jun 14, 2014 12:00 AM

Cool temperatures and dry conditions greeted runners for the 40th Annual Newtown Parks and Recreation Rooster Run 5K, won by Newtown 23-year-old Kevin Hoyt in a time of 15:35, on June 14. Nearly 350 p...

Football Players Spring Into Game Action With Annual Scrimmage

By Andy Hutchison

Published: Jun 13, 2014 12:00 AM

Muggy conditions and a sparse crowd at Blue & Gold Stadium on June 13 were indicators that football season is still a long way off. But the annual Blue & Gold Game, an intrasquad Newtown High School f...

Doubles Team Reached Semifinals

Published: Jun 11, 2014 12:00 AM

Newtown High School tennis players Julia Frattaroli and Aimee Alexander got all the way to the semifinals of the State Open individual tournament before finally being eliminated this week. The top see...

Doubles Team Reached Semifinals

Published: Jun 11, 2014 12:00 AM

Newtown High School tennis players Julia Frattaroli and Aimee Alexander got all the way to the semifinals of the State Open individual tournament before finally being eliminated this week. The top see...

Girls' Track Team Fourth In State Open Meet

Published: Jun 10, 2014 12:00 AM

Newtown High School's girls' track and field team placed eighth at the State Open at Middletown High School on June 9. The Hawks scored 19 points. Darien, with 45.75, took top honors. Jenna Calandro e...

June 16 Friel Golf Scramble Will Benefit Scholarship Association; Few Openings Remain For Players

Published: Jun 10, 2014 12:00 AM

The 22nd Annual Jack Friel Golf Scramble to benefit Newtown Scholarship Association (NSA) will be drawing the association’s supporters to the links on Monday, June 16. Registration will open at 11 am,...

NHS Golf Team Fourth In State

Published: Jun 10, 2014 12:00 AM

Newtown High School’s boys’ golf team finished tied with Southington for fourth place in the Division I state championship match, held at Watertown’s Crestbrook Park on June 9. The Nighthawks and Sout...

June 16 Friel Golf Scramble Will Benefit Scholarship Association; Few Openings Remain For Players

Published: Jun 10, 2014 12:00 AM

The 22nd Annual Jack Friel Golf Scramble to benefit Newtown Scholarship Association (NSA) will be drawing the association’s supporters to the links on Monday, June 16. Registration will open at 11 am,...

NHS Golf Team Fourth In State

Published: Jun 10, 2014 12:00 AM

Newtown High School’s boys’ golf team finished tied with Southington for fourth place in the Division I state championship match, held at Watertown’s Crestbrook Park on June 9. The Nighthawks and Sout...

Girls' Track Team Fourth In State Open Meet

Published: Jun 10, 2014 12:00 AM

Newtown High School's girls' track and field team placed eighth at the State Open at Middletown High School on June 9. The Hawks scored 19 points. Darien, with 45.75, took top honors. Jenna Calandro e...

C.H. Booth Library Hosted Another Successful Volunteer Fair

COA Welcomes New Alternate, Discusses Senior Alliance

BOE Recognizes 2026 Profiles In Professionalism Honorees

Fire Reports | April 28-May 4, 2026

Just Over The Border: Southeast Kitchen And Bath’s New Showroom

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

Copyright ©2026 The Newtown Bee / All rights reserved