‘Nicer In Newtown’ –– The Slogan That Stuck

By Steve Bigham

It has been more than a decade since the Newtown Board of Realtors first coined the phrase “Nicer in Newtown.” It was printed on bumper stickers back in the summer of 1989 and almost everyone had one on their cars.

A lot has changed in Newtown since those days. The population has increased by more than 10,000 people and the size of the new homes keeps getting bigger. And you rarely see a Nicer in Newtown bumper sticker anymore. Most have long since faded.

But a lot of people say the phrase still sticks.

“There’s been a lot of new construction and there’s more traffic than ever, but the fabric of the town really hasn’t changed. The phrase still pertains,” said realtor Bob Tendler this week.

Other slogans have come and gone, but the Nicer in Newtown phrase just does not seem to want to go away. Probably because there is some element of truth to it.

“I always thought it was a great sticker. We had a bunch of them made up,” longtime Newtown realtor John Klopfenstein recalled. “Nicer in Newtown seemed to signify the feelings of residents about the town.”

The Nicer in Newtown campaign was first announced in July 1989 following the formation of the Newtown Board of Realtor’s beautification committee. The committee –– which included members Keven Ann Larson, Donna Downing and Maxinne Ginn –– was formed after several articles appeared in The Bee about how the town’s physical appearance and image were slipping partly due to problems such as burned-our buildings and litter.

For many, however, the Nicer in Newtown slogan came to mean much more than just clean streets. They saw Nicer in Newtown having more to do with the people, the quality of life, and the character of the town.

Indeed, Newtown’s character has been tested over the years, particularly during the 1990s. According to the 2000 US Census, Newtown was the fastest growing community in the area and one of the fastest in the state for its size. The town population surpassed the 25,000-person mark last year after experiencing a 20.5 percent increase during the 1990s.

In 1990, Newtown’s population stood at 20,779, but nearly 1,800 new homes and condominium units built in the 10 years (1,400 since ’94) following changed the face of the community. Newtown is now the 12th wealthiest town in the State of Connecticut with a median family income of $90,123. Between 1990 and 2000, Newtown led the state in the construction of new homes with nine rooms or more. A total of 993 of these so-called luxury homes were built during that time, a 78.7 percent increase.

“I would say it’s still nicer in Newtown,” noted Kim Stendahl, a longtime organizer of the annual Labor Day parade. “Even though we’ve seen so much development, there are still so many country roads. Our Main Street is still so beautiful and our school system is still excellent.”

Most would agree, however, that Newtown has lost some of that small town charm that it once had. People now tend to move in and out of town more frequently and fewer faces are recognized at the store.

But the flagpole still stands tall above Main Street, people still greet you with a smile and The Newtown Bee still comes off the presses every Thursday at around 2 pm, serving as a mirror for the town and reminding its citizens that things are indeed…Nicer in Newtown.