News

At Last Check, Voter Turnout Beginning To Mirror First Budget Referendum

John Voket • News •
Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Local registrars reported budget voting turnout continued at virtually the same pace as the referendum that took place two weeks ago. According to poll officials 3,487 ballots were logged by 6 pm May 14, 66 more than at the same time on April 23. Residents are being asked to vote on a Legislative Council-endorsed second round budget request with a combined $900,000 reduction, making the new school district request $71,345,304 and the municipal request $38,904,521. The municipal side of the budget includes all previously committed debt service costs for all town and school capital projects equaling $10,058,924.
Budget Turnout Up Slightly In Morning Voting

John Voket • News •
Tuesday, May 14, 2013

At noon today, local registrars reported budget voting turnout was slightly higher than at the same time during the first referendum April 23. According to poll officials 1,387 ballots were logged by noon, eight more than at the same time two weeks ago, during the first round of voting on April 23. Town Clerk Debbie Aurelia said absentee voting for this referendum was slightly higher than in April, with 105 ballots issued, and 101 returned as of 9 am today. Voting for the second round budget referendum is today at Newtown Middle School. Qualified residents are invited to cast ballots on separate town and school requests until 8 pm this evening.
Newtown’s Turn To Host: Next HRRA Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day Is Saturday

• News •
Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority (HRRA) will conduct a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on Saturday, May 18, for residents of Newtown, Bethel, Danbury, New Fairfield, Redding, and Ridgefield. Residents of these towns can drop off items that ...
Boston Mayor Thanks Newtown For Banner Of Support

John Voket • News •
Monday, May 13, 2013 at 10:01 am

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino sent a heartfelt letter of thanks to Newtown for a banner of support that was recently sent to the city signed by dozens of Newtown officials, responders, town workers and residents. The banner, which was sent to Boston shortly after the marathon bombing on April 15, offered a symbol of solidarity between two New England locations rocked by violence in the past months...
Kitten Associates Announces The Passing Of A Healing Feline

• News •
Monday, May 13, 2013

Kitten Associates, a home foster-based cat rescue group located in Sandy Hook, announced this week that one of the kittens who helped heal residents following 12/14 through its established “Kitties For Kids” program, has passed away. Fred, an orange tabby and white domestic short-haired 10-month old kitten, was the star of the Kitties for Kids program, according to Kitten Associates, and he died due to complications stemming from a fatal illness called Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP).
State Voting Changes Go To Referendum In 2014

Mark Pazniokas ©The Connecticut Mirror • News •
Friday, May 10, 2013

The Senate voted along party lines Wednesday night to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November 2014 that could open the door to early voting in Connecticut in time for the 2016 presidential election. If approved by voters, the General Assembly would have the flexibility to consider a number of election changes that are now precluded by Connecticut’s unusual constitutional restrictions on the use of absentee ballots. The 22-14 vote was the last legislative step in a process that required the House and Senate to approve a constitutional referendum question twice in consecutive years in order for voters to now have their say. “Today marks a historic and significant step forward for modernizing elections in Connecticut so we can finally enact early voting in our state,” Secretary of the State Denise Merrill said.
The Sandy Hook Christmas Tree Will Remain Standing

Kendra Bobowick • News •
Friday, May 10, 2013

The Sandy Hook Christmas tree will remain standing, following an eight-person unanimous vote by the executive board of The Newtown Forest Association (NFA) Thursday night. The board of the NFA, which owns the property where the tree grows, met May 9, and “reaffirmed a tentative decision” made in prior weeks to keep the tree up for an undetermined amount of time, said NFA President Robert Eckenrode. The evergreen decorated annually for the holidays is outgrowing its spot on The Glen — a small NFA property at the intersection of Church Hill Road, Glen Road, and Washington Avenue.
Sandy Hook School Task Force To Recommend Building Of New School On Site Of Current Sandy Hook School

Nancy K. Crevier • News •
Friday, May 10, 2013

With united voices, the 26 members of the Sandy Hook School Task Force voted Friday night to recommend to the Board of Education that a new school be built at 12 Riverside Road, where the current Sandy Hook Elementary School now stands.
Taxpayers Urged To Visit With Llodra, Officials Ahead Of Budget Vote

John Voket • News •
Friday, May 10, 2013

First Selectman Pat Llodra and various officials from the Boards of Education and Finance and the Legislative Council will be available to hear from and respond to taxpayer questions during the final two
Police Applications Opened To General Public; June 1 Written Test Planned

Andrew Gorosko • News •
Thursday, May 9, 2013

Although voters have yet to approve a budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year, the police department is proceeding with plans to hire additional officers in light of public requests for added police staffing to beef up security at local schools. Police Chief Michael Kehoe said this week that the police department has expanded the range of people from whom it is accepting applications for an upcoming written test for the position of police officer. The department has opened up the field of applicants to include the general public. The department plans to hold the written test for the post of police officer at 9 am on June 1 at Newtown High School.