Newtown High School's 200 yard medley relay team broke the school record with a time of 1:39.59, good for a fifth-place finish, in the Class LL state championship meet, which culminated with the swimm...
Newtown Youth Basketball Association's Senior League's night full of competition and fundraising efforts for the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, has been moved to Thursday, March 15. It will t...
What a state playoff run for the underdogs from Newtown High School. The No. 21 seed in the Division II boys' basketball bracket, the Nighthawks have gone on the road and upset No. 12 Ledyard 66-61, N...
The Newtown Bee to see if readers supported or opposed a plan for a skating rink in town after reading
informal poll(
"Former Hartford Whaler Partnering On NYA Skating Rink Proposal" condu...
Update: The semifinal-round game between Newtown and Amity has been scheduled to be played at neutral site Shelton High on Wednesday, March 14, beginning at 7 pm. This update was made by the ciac ...
Youth Football and Cheer will hold an open house
webpageSignups for prospective football players and cheerleaders in grades 2-8 continue online. Early signup discounts end May 31. Visit the...
Update: The quarterfinal-round game versus Wilton has been changed to a 6 pm start. Same date and location - Monday, March 12, at Wilton High.
Newtown High School's boys' basketball team used a 1...
The Unified Sports program at Newtown High School is more about participants having opportunities than about wins and losses, but the doors that open through the program make for quite a winning formu...
Newtown High School's boys' basketball Division II state tournament game at Pomperaug of Southbury has been rescheduled again due to schools being closed in the aftermath of the March 7 storm. The sec...
Note: This is an expanded version of the coverage of Newtown in the state playoffs that was posted to our website March 1 and March 5.
Newtown High School's girls' basketball team nearly dug itse...
Thank you LeReine, for speaking out about this. The list of public servants who are unfairly targeted for abuse just for doing their jobs has been growing. It is a testament to the power of propaganda that otherwise good and well-meaning people can get so emotional as to act out in this way.
While I respect the outcome of the referendum, I’m disappointed by the way this budget was presented and passed. A 6.72% tax increase and a mill rate jump to 28.78 may have been framed as “just a few dollars a day,” but for many families in town — especially those already stretched thin — those “few dollars” add up quickly.
It’s frustrating to see large increases minimized in this way, and I worry that next year we’ll hear, “It’s only a little more than last year,” as if that justifies an ongoing trend of rising taxes. This year’s combined municipal and education budgets total over $141 million — that’s a significant sum.
All of the referendums deserve to be pasted. We have a history of deferring needed maintenance and then paying more years later. These are required to keep our town owned building and roads in working condition.
Every vote matters and that’s exactly why it’s important to recognize that voting No on a proposed budget is not a vote against Newtown, but rather a vote for accountability, transparency, and fiscal responsibility. Last year, when voters rejected the education budget in its first round, it wasn’t just a symbolic gesture—it resulted in a reduced spending plan that ultimately passed. That outcome showed that our voices can and do make a difference.
Voting “No” is one of the few tools residents have to encourage our town leaders to re-evaluate spending, find creative solutions, and prioritize needs over wants.
So yes, please vote on April 22—but don’t be afraid to vote “No” if you believe we can do better. Last year’s vote proved that when residents speak up, real changes can follow.
Breaking the tax increase down to a “cost per day” may make it sound more palatable, but it minimizes the real impact these increases have—especially on those already struggling with rising costs across the board. A dollar here and a dollar there adds up, and for many families, it's not just about the price of a cup of coffee—it's about stretching every dollar to cover groceries, fuel, healthcare, and housing.
A 6.72% property tax increase is significant, regardless of how it’s framed. Saying “it’s only $1.13 a day” overlooks the fact that for some residents, every expense matters. Just because costs are rising doesn’t mean the burden should automatically fall on taxpayers without exploring real efficiencies, cost savings, or long-term planning.
We need to prioritize fiscal responsibility and find smarter ways to manage our town’s needs without assuming residents can or should absorb another round of tax hikes.
