Rosenthal Issues New Code Red Message, Tourism Bureau Begins Touting Take-Out, Delivery ServicesCheck out the text of First Selectman Dan Rosenthal's latest Code Red message to the community Friday, and find out how the State Tourism office is going to bat for food service businesses doing take-out and delivery.First Selectman Dan Rosenthal issued a new Code Red message to the community Friday, April 3. And the number of positive cases of COVID-19 in Newtown remained static overnight and into Saturday with Health District Director Donna Culbert continuing to monitor 47 residents with the novel coronavirus.Statewide Saturday, Fairfield County continued to surge with 2,824 of the 5,276 positive cases statewide, in stark contrast to eastern regions like Windham County with 31 cases and one fatality compared to Fairfield County's 86 deaths.Across Connecticut at 4 pm Saturday Governor Ned Lamont reported 1,033 patients are currently hospitalized and 165 residents have died. Among 215 nursing homes in CT, 55 (26%) have had at least one confirmed case of COVID-19. A total of 281 nursing home residents with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 have been identified of whom 90 (32%) were hospitalized and 33 (12%) have died.In his fifth Code Red message to the community Friday, the first selectman picked up on a subject he touched upon earlier in the day during his video outreach message produced in partnership with The Newtown Bee regarding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), particularly face masks.(View the video outreach message by CLICKING HERE)"Consistent with messages shared by the President and our Governor we are in crunch time in our battle against this virus," Rosenthal said in the phone message. "The next two weeks are especially critical, as case numbers climb and test our healthcare system."I had the opportunity to speak with Newtown resident and Nuvance CEO, Dr John Murphy, earlier this week on how Danbury Hospital is managing this crisis and I want to convey how fortunate we all are to have John and all of the men and women working long hours, at risk to their own health, to keep us safe," the first selectman continued. "Now three plus weeks into the social distancing effort, we have to continue to do our part for them. Cases in our community are nearing 50 and as I mentioned last week, the number of cases are still what I would call a lagging indicator and understate what is likely more widespread infection in our town. Keep Space BetweenRosenthal recommended Newtown residents remain vigilant and continue to keep space between us, avoid gathering with people you don’t live with and wash your hands regularly," he said. "I’m sure you have all heard recent suggestions about wearing masks in public. As such, we have had requests for masks from residents. Personal Protective Equipment is a precious commodity and at this time and we are preserving our limited supply for our first responders. Additionally, our healthcare workers need this gear."Effective today, the Governor has ordered that grocery stores and other essential stores reduce their occupancy by 50 percent," Rosenthal related. "We can help cooperate and limit our exposure by shopping for our neighbors and especially those that are particularly vulnerable to this illness." He also urged Newtown residents to continue checking on our friends and neighbors and to support our local businesses. "We are wired for social interaction so I know this process has been anathema to who we are but we cannot quit now."In closing Rosenthal shared a Bible passage passed on to him by the Health District director that says, “Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up.”New State AnnouncementsOn Saturday afternoon, the governor also shared the following new information: FEMA notified the state that it has approved the Lamont administration’s request to add housing for survivors of domestic violence in the reimbursement guidelines it previously approved for Connecticut, which authorized the state and municipalities to receive a 75 percent reimbursement for the costs associated with providing non-congregate housing first responders and health care workers who temporarily need a place to live separate from family or roommates, and also for those who are homeless.“Ensuring safe housing for survivors of domestic violence in locations that are less congested than what many of the locations that typically offer these services usually provide is critical at this time, and I thank FEMA for approving our request to cover these services,” Governor Lamont said.As of Friday afternoon, Connecticut’s public schools have served more than one million meals under the emergency meals programs the State Department of Education launched last month in response to Governor Lamont’s order for classes at schools to be canceled statewide. A total of 128 school districts are serving meals at 407 locations, including out of Newtown Middle School.In accordance with federal requirements, the state is operating two emergency meals programs to ensure children do not go hungry during this crisis:*Under one program, certain school districts are authorized to serve meals only to students who attend their schools or any other child 18 years of age and younger residing in the same household.*Under the other program, certain school districts are authorized to serve meals to any child 18 years of age and younger, regardless of which town or city the child lives or what school they attend.Households should check with the Newtown school district for information on the time and location the meals are being served, and further guidance regarding their distribution.(Read more here: Feeding Newtown Public School Families In Need)The State of Connecticut’s Tourism Office has shifted its focus from its usual promotional activities to adjust to the public health emergency and Governor Lamont’s order for residents to “Stay Safe, Stay Home.”The state’s official tourism website, CTVisit.com, has been adapted to reflect this new reality and is featuring a number activities residents can either do in secluded locations or safely at home through virtual experiences.This includes the creation of a list of restaurants, breweries, and vineyards that are now offering take-out and delivery services; and also a collection of online, virtual experiences about Connecticut landmarks, museums, and attractions that provide educational opportunities to engage children while staying safe at home.For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, including an FAQ and other guidance and resources, residents are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus.Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can also call 211 for assistance. The hotline and corresponding website is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance and TDD/TTY access.It intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms but may have general questions related to COVID-19. Anyone experiencing symptoms is strongly urged to contact their medical provider.The Newtown Bee is continuing to provide and mirror information and messages coming from local and state agencies on a daily and sometimes hourly basis. Newtown residents can get more details by visiting:*Town of Newtown COVID-19 web page - CLICK HERE*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - CLICK HERE*World Health Organization - CLICK HEREResidents can also review all prior COVID-19 updates and follow the newspaper’s Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages for breaking local and state reports.Please check in regularly, share, and follow the newspaper’s hyperlocal coverage through the remainder of this public health emergency.COVID-19 Weekend Update 04-04-20 John Voket
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Attending Worship Services During A PandemicAs of last weekend, Christ the King Lutheran Church continues to offer worship services — live as well as online.During the most recent Newtown Interfaith Council meeting, it was clear that those in the room were struggling on the best way to continue serving their respective faith communities. The meeting was on March 11, right on the cusp of COVID-19 entering the mainframe of Newtown life.Even then, it was really the only topic discussed during a meeting that ran nearly 90 minutes. A visit by Newtown Health District Director Donna Culbert was the lead item on the afternoon’s agenda. Her brief presentation, then answers to some questions, was followed by continued discussion on what came next: fewer services? Online services? A combination of the two?While most in the room felt it was time to close their doors, and move to an online presence, one voice kept challenging the idea of halting live services. Christ the King Lutheran Church Pastor Rob Morris was not ready to start telling people they could not attend worship services.As of last weekend, Christ the King continues to offer worship services — live as well as online. Church members can watch the services while they happen, or they can pull them up at their convenience.In addition to continuing traditional Sunday Divine Services, Morris recently launched weekday noon services.“We’re not locking the doors,” the pastor said this week. “People can come to those, too.”It’s a matter of principle Morris has been talking about and praying over for weeks.In a post he wrote for fellow Lutheran pastors, a copy of which he shared with The Newtown Bee, Morris explained in part: “I am not impugning or second-guessing anyone else’s decisions. It may be the right choice not to meet…but I hope that decision always and fully remains with the church, not the state.”Taking PrecautionsAttending church during a pandemic means taking the same precautions that many other locations are taking. At Christ the King, this means pews have not only been wiped down, they have also had their hymnals, Bibles, visitor cards and pencils, and all other materials removed.In the recent post for fellow pastors, Morris further described steps taken to protect himself and the ten others who chose to join him for a recent evening prayer group. Similar steps are also taken for the live services.“Bulletins are full-text and laid out individually on a table so you don’t touch anyone else’s, nitrile glovers are available to anyone who comes, hand sanitizer is at every entrance and in every pew, no one sits within six feet of anyone else or touches anyone else…every possible precaution, rendering the chance of transfer between asymptomatic carriers (all of whom would be in the church anyway) almost zero,” he wrote.Even with all these precautions, Morris is not preaching to a full house these days. In person attendance, he said March 30, has “definitely decreased.”Typical attendance for Sunday services is 100 people, he said. On March 29, there were 33 people for that morning’s Divine Service.“If people feel safe, and they’re taking the proper precautions, I’m glad they can gather and worship,” Morris said. “If safety demands they stay at home, I’m glad they can do that.”The service of March 29 had 88 views by the morning of March 30.“I hear from couples and families who are watching from home,” he said, “so 88 views is more than 88 people” who have viewed the service.“But honestly,” he continued, “I told people yesterday I’m happy with either outcome. If people feel safe, and they’re taking the appropriate precautions, I’m glad they can gather and worship here. If safety demands they stay at home, I’m glad they can do that.”‘Good Conversations’Pastor Morris said he and the church elders have had “some really good conversations” concerning in-person worship services.“We have an elder who’s a physician, and others in other walks of like, so there are a lot of different viewpoints,” he said. Any public statement the pastor makes, therefore, comes after “everyone is relatively at peace with the overall direction” being taken, he added.It helps, he added, “because we work so hard to provide people with all kinds of options.”The choices have been appreciated by parishioners. Many have written to thank their pastor for keeping church in their lives during this time. Morris agreed to share some of the recent feedback, but asked to keep the names of those who wrote to him anonymous.One person wrote to thank the church leader for “leading us by example and keeping us a caring congregation,” while another said that while they could not be at the church in person, they were grateful that its doors were not closed.“It helps to have the visual and be constantly reminded we will get through this,” they wrote.Being able to watch the services at any hour is a comfort to another member of Christ the King, who wrote they “have been comforted and encouraged by the noon services. Watch them before I go to sleep — peaceful way to end the day.”Finally, one parishioner summed up the feelings of many others — including those in other faith communities who are also waiting for the day when everyone can gather without fearing for their health — when they wrote: “This live streaming technology is awesome, but I long for the return to the old days.”attending Christ the King church during a pandemic Shannon Hicks
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Love — And A Very Small Wedding — Blooms In Spite Of Virus Gloom Based on the heartfelt and tearful wedding vows Peter Cloudas recited to his fiance Cynthia Ann Carraway on the stoop of Newtown’s Municipal Center, March 20, the local engineer had discovered his life partner the day he met her over a dozen years ago.Based on the heartfelt and tearful wedding vows Peter Cloudas recited to his fiance Cynthia Ann Carraway on the stoop of Newtown’s Municipal Center, March 20, the local engineer had discovered his life partner the day he met her over a dozen years ago.Carraway, a paralegal from Orlando, Fla., expressed a similar sentiment as the pair stood before minister Herman Olivera III, as one of the couple’s tripod-mounted mobile phones simultaneously recorded the brief ceremony, while the other broadcast it to friends and family across the country on Facebook Live.Otherwise, the only witness to the brief but touching event was The Newtown Bee. The newspaper was invited to cover the wedding after connecting with the couple through Assistant Town Clerk Monica Duhancik.Olivera, from Monroe, said this was the first wedding he was asked to officiate since the COVID-19 outbreak, which actually forced the postponement of several other weddings on his calendar this spring.“A lot of the venues have already shut down and they can’t even reschedule with all the uncertainty around this virus situation,” Olivera said, adding his wife is a wedding videographer and is also facing the financial fallout from clients whose weddings and other activities have been put on hold.Speaking to Duhancik as the couple completed their wedding license, Carraway said after being together for 13 years, the coronavirus situation spurred them to make their relationship official so they would never be separated if one or the other was ever hospitalized.Off To The Wedding!With all the necessary formalities completed inside, the couple joined their minister just outside the northern entrance of the Municipal Center.Speaking loud enough so he could be heard by those watching remotely on video, Olivera remarked that the Friday morning skies over the ceremony were cloudy, “but the love radiating here is about to brighten the darkest moments in this journey we call life.”The minister said life is not like a Hollywood movie, and that couples like the pair standing before him March 20 need to weather the storms they may face to truly appreciate “the rainbows that will follow.”Reading from vows she created, Carraway acknowledged, “to vow that we will be together in the future is irrelevant, you have already proven to me in many, many ways during our years together in health and sickness, happiness and tragedy, your love. We are in this together and I love you.”In turn, her beloved replied, “Sometimes bad things happen in our lives that put us directly on a path to the most wonderful things. That certainly explains how we came together and stay together.“You have already been, for 13 years, with me for better and for worse, through the good times and bad, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health as my life partner,” Cloudas continued. “And I promise to commit my life to you... to paddle that crazy water of joy and sorrow with you. I love you.”Foregoing for just a few moments the rules of social distancing, Olivera asked the couple to join hands while he recited his official script, and in lieu of actual rings, asked the couple to hold each other’s hand using their ring fingers.“This is typically where I talk about what the wedding ring symbolizes, but I want this little bond you’ve created to serve as a lasting memory of the true bond — it’s not metal, or a tattooed ring, but a simpler bond,” he said, encouraging the couple to hook their ring fingers together whenever they are challenged in life.After completing the rest of their vows, the very newly wedded couple kissed and embraced tightly as several of those watching on the Facebook broadcast shouted out congratulations and best wishes.Love — And A Very Small Wedding — Blooms In Spite Of Virus Gloom John Voket
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Based on the heartfelt and tearful wedding vows Peter Cloudas recited to his fiance Cynthia Ann Carraway on the stoop of Newtown’s Municipal Center, March 20, the local engineer had discovered his life partner the day he met her over a dozen years ago.
SEC Charges Newtown Resident, Microcap Company CEO With Fraud On March 25, The Newtown Bee learned that the US Securities and Exchange Commission had charged a Connecticut-based penny stock company and its CEO — a Newtown resident — with making false and misleading statements in press releases as part of a scheme to defraud investors.On March 25, The Newtown Bee learned that the US Securities and Exchange Commission had charged a Connecticut-based penny stock company and its CEO — a Newtown resident — with making false and misleading statements in press releases as part of a scheme to defraud investors.According to the SEC’s complaint, Halitron, Inc and its CEO, Bernard Findley, allegedly issued false and misleading press releases that materially misrepresented Halitron’s financial condition and the value of the company’s assets in an effort to prop up the value of Halitron’s stock and thereby attract financiers who provided funding to Halitron in exchange for discounted shares of Halitron stock.The press releases allegedly included false and misleading descriptions of a purported financing arrangement that Halitron had in place, and falsely claimed that Halitron was implementing a stock buyback program. Findley allegedly misappropriated a majority of the money Halitron received from the financiers by using those funds to cover personal expenses and pay off personal credit card debt.Upon reaching Findley, he declined immediate comment. However, the newspaper was contacted via e-mail March 30 by his attorney, Joseph Dever of the New York City-based firm Cozen O’Connor, who said, “Findley and the Company do not intend to comment to the press on the pending lawsuit.”Dever released the following statement: “The Company and Mr Findley are disappointed the SEC chose to file the recent lawsuit. While litigation often becomes part of a distressed turnaround business, Mr Findley and the Company always seek to avoid costly and wasteful litigation whenever possible. The Company and Mr Findley have retained legal counsel to defend the SEC lawsuit and look forward to being cleared of any wrongdoing in a court of law.”According to its website, Halitron, with offices on Simm Lane, “is a multisector holding company, is focused on acquiring sales, marketing, and manufacturing businesses, and then rolling them into an efficient, low-cost operating infrastructure. Management targets operating entities that can either benefit from current operating infrastructure or operate autonomously and offer an additional product or service to scale existing operations.”According to the website, Halitron’s clients include the US Air Force, Buzzuto’s Inc, True Value, Wegman’s, Cardinal Health, and Brookshire’s Food & Pharmacy.The SEC’s complaint, filed in federal district court in Connecticut, charges Findley and Halitron with violating the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and seeks disgorgement of ill-gotten gains plus prejudgment interest, penalties, and injunctive relief.Section 10(b) makes it unlawful to “use or employ, in connection with the purchase or sale of any security” a “manipulative or deceptive device or contrivance in contravention of such rules and regulations as the [SEC] may prescribe.”The SEC’s complaint further seeks to bar Findley from serving as an officer or director of any SEC-reporting company and from participating in the offering of a penny stock. The SEC’s case is being handled by Xinyue Angela Lin, Alfred Day, Rebecca Israel, Sofia Hussain, and Paul G. Block of the Boston Regional Office.According to bio information obtained through the website InvestorsHub, Findley has been Halitron’s CEO since January 2015. He is also the co-founder of Hopp & Hemp Co, which, according to the companies website, is a purveyor of CBD and other hemp-derived goods.The company’s website states Hopp & Hemp Co’s “long-term goal is to establish a fund to go toward more research and development in the hemp industry. So that more ways of how hemp can help us cure diseases and illnesses are available to us.”The bio states he is the founder of 4S Management, LLC, and served in several capacities there since 2002. A Wall Street Journal profile additionally states “Findley occupied the position of President and Director at Life’s Time Capsule Services, Inc; and President, Chief Executive Officer and Director at Hyperera, Inc.”He was previously affiliated with Doctors Research Group, Inc, and National Retail Services — a division of Snyder Communications going back to the early 1990s. The online bio states that since 2008, Findley had acquired and consulted with more than 16 brands that were bankrupt, distressed, and/or insolvent.The online source states he holds an MBA form the University of New Haven, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Western Connecticut State University.SEC Charges Newtown Resident, Microcap Company CEO With Fraud John Voket
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Rosenthal Issues New Code Red Message, Tourism Bureau Begins Touting Take-Out, Delivery ServicesCheck out the text of First Selectman Dan Rosenthal's latest Code Red message to the community Friday, and find out how the State Tourism office is going to bat for food service businesses doing take-out and delivery.First Selectman Dan Rosenthal issued a new Code Red message to the community Friday, April 3. And the number of positive cases of COVID-19 in Newtown remained static overnight and into Saturday with Health District Director Donna Culbert continuing to monitor 47 residents with the novel coronavirus.Statewide Saturday, Fairfield County continued to surge with 2,824 of the 5,276 positive cases statewide, in stark contrast to eastern regions like Windham County with 31 cases and one fatality compared to Fairfield County's 86 deaths.Across Connecticut at 4 pm Saturday Governor Ned Lamont reported 1,033 patients are currently hospitalized and 165 residents have died. Among 215 nursing homes in CT, 55 (26%) have had at least one confirmed case of COVID-19. A total of 281 nursing home residents with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 have been identified of whom 90 (32%) were hospitalized and 33 (12%) have died.In his fifth Code Red message to the community Friday, the first selectman picked up on a subject he touched upon earlier in the day during his video outreach message produced in partnership with The Newtown Bee regarding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), particularly face masks.(View the video outreach message by CLICKING HERE)"Consistent with messages shared by the President and our Governor we are in crunch time in our battle against this virus," Rosenthal said in the phone message. "The next two weeks are especially critical, as case numbers climb and test our healthcare system."I had the opportunity to speak with Newtown resident and Nuvance CEO, Dr John Murphy, earlier this week on how Danbury Hospital is managing this crisis and I want to convey how fortunate we all are to have John and all of the men and women working long hours, at risk to their own health, to keep us safe," the first selectman continued. "Now three plus weeks into the social distancing effort, we have to continue to do our part for them. Cases in our community are nearing 50 and as I mentioned last week, the number of cases are still what I would call a lagging indicator and understate what is likely more widespread infection in our town. Keep Space BetweenRosenthal recommended Newtown residents remain vigilant and continue to keep space between us, avoid gathering with people you don’t live with and wash your hands regularly," he said. "I’m sure you have all heard recent suggestions about wearing masks in public. As such, we have had requests for masks from residents. Personal Protective Equipment is a precious commodity and at this time and we are preserving our limited supply for our first responders. Additionally, our healthcare workers need this gear."Effective today, the Governor has ordered that grocery stores and other essential stores reduce their occupancy by 50 percent," Rosenthal related. "We can help cooperate and limit our exposure by shopping for our neighbors and especially those that are particularly vulnerable to this illness." He also urged Newtown residents to continue checking on our friends and neighbors and to support our local businesses. "We are wired for social interaction so I know this process has been anathema to who we are but we cannot quit now."In closing Rosenthal shared a Bible passage passed on to him by the Health District director that says, “Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest, if we do not give up.”New State AnnouncementsOn Saturday afternoon, the governor also shared the following new information: FEMA notified the state that it has approved the Lamont administration’s request to add housing for survivors of domestic violence in the reimbursement guidelines it previously approved for Connecticut, which authorized the state and municipalities to receive a 75 percent reimbursement for the costs associated with providing non-congregate housing first responders and health care workers who temporarily need a place to live separate from family or roommates, and also for those who are homeless.“Ensuring safe housing for survivors of domestic violence in locations that are less congested than what many of the locations that typically offer these services usually provide is critical at this time, and I thank FEMA for approving our request to cover these services,” Governor Lamont said.As of Friday afternoon, Connecticut’s public schools have served more than one million meals under the emergency meals programs the State Department of Education launched last month in response to Governor Lamont’s order for classes at schools to be canceled statewide. A total of 128 school districts are serving meals at 407 locations, including out of Newtown Middle School.In accordance with federal requirements, the state is operating two emergency meals programs to ensure children do not go hungry during this crisis:*Under one program, certain school districts are authorized to serve meals only to students who attend their schools or any other child 18 years of age and younger residing in the same household.*Under the other program, certain school districts are authorized to serve meals to any child 18 years of age and younger, regardless of which town or city the child lives or what school they attend.Households should check with the Newtown school district for information on the time and location the meals are being served, and further guidance regarding their distribution.(Read more here: Feeding Newtown Public School Families In Need)The State of Connecticut’s Tourism Office has shifted its focus from its usual promotional activities to adjust to the public health emergency and Governor Lamont’s order for residents to “Stay Safe, Stay Home.”The state’s official tourism website, CTVisit.com, has been adapted to reflect this new reality and is featuring a number activities residents can either do in secluded locations or safely at home through virtual experiences.This includes the creation of a list of restaurants, breweries, and vineyards that are now offering take-out and delivery services; and also a collection of online, virtual experiences about Connecticut landmarks, museums, and attractions that provide educational opportunities to engage children while staying safe at home.For the most up-to-date information from the State of Connecticut on COVID-19, including an FAQ and other guidance and resources, residents are encouraged to visit ct.gov/coronavirus.Individuals who have general questions that are not answered on the website can also call 211 for assistance. The hotline and corresponding website is available 24 hours a day and has multilingual assistance and TDD/TTY access.It intended to be used by individuals who are not experiencing symptoms but may have general questions related to COVID-19. Anyone experiencing symptoms is strongly urged to contact their medical provider.The Newtown Bee is continuing to provide and mirror information and messages coming from local and state agencies on a daily and sometimes hourly basis. Newtown residents can get more details by visiting:*Town of Newtown COVID-19 web page - CLICK HERE*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - CLICK HERE*World Health Organization - CLICK HEREResidents can also review all prior COVID-19 updates and follow the newspaper’s Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages for breaking local and state reports.Please check in regularly, share, and follow the newspaper’s hyperlocal coverage through the remainder of this public health emergency.COVID-19 Weekend Update 04-04-20 John Voket
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Feeding Newtown Public School Families In Need
Whitsons Culinary Group is distributing food to Newtown Public Schools families in need. Learn more about the program here.Whitsons Culinary Group Food Service Director Joseph Stango and District Chef Nicole Demers were about six hours into their day and distributing food to one person at a time at Newtown High School on March 30 — and it was only 10 am.“Have a good day,” Demers said while placing an armful of white bags on a table for a woman to pick up. Despite the crisp, wet air, smiles were exchanged. The table was blocked off to maintain distance and Demers wore gloves when handling the bags.As individual families drove up, a sign detailed how to pull up, get out of the car, and go up to the table to collect food. With school buildings closed, this is the new system designed to get Newtown Public School families in need, and those feeling extra pressures due to the current environment, the food they need for their students.As previously reported in The Newtown Bee, Whitsons Culinary Group, which is the food service provider for Newtown Public Schools, began overseeing the new food program on March 18. Superintendent of Schools Dr Lorrie Rodrigue said recently that Whitsons Culinary Group’s employees are working under the “strictest precautionary measures,” and online surveys are used to determine how much food families need.The food provided to families on Monday were designed to cover lunches for Monday to Wednesday. Another pickup day on Wednesday would cover lunches for Thursday and Friday.Between the three sites — Newtown High School, Newtown Middle School, and Head O’ Meadow Elementary School — where food is being distributed, Stango said Whitsons Culinary Group made and distributed 750 sandwiches on March 30. They were set to make another 500 sandwiches two days later on April 1.“I think it is going great,” Demers said, adding, “we’ve gotten a lot of really good feedback on it [from families].”Stango said many people have expressed gratitude that the food program is an option.A typical school day had the Whitsons Culinary Group team members arrive an hour later, at 5 am, “but because of the abundance of sandwiches and the lunches that they get, we come a little earlier,” Stango said. “We do it for the community.”Since the new food service program began on March 18, Stango said the number of families needing lunches increased from around 150 to 250.“It’s all fresh made product. Nothing is brought in,” Stango said, adding that the Boar’s Head deli meat is sliced fresh and served with fresh vegetables and fresh fruit. The prepared sandwiches options on Monday included ham, turkey, and buffalo chicken.“We’re glad we could help the community out when they need it,” said Stango. “Whatever the community needs we are here for [them].”And with another “Have a good day,” Demers handed more bags filled with food to another person who pulled up, hopped out of a car, and smiled as they collected the white bags filled with sandwiches.Whitsons Culinary Group Providing Newtown Public School Families In Need Fo Eliza Hallabeck
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State ACLU Files Suit To Protect State Prison Inmates
The ACLU of Connecticut filed a lawsuit, April 3, to try and force the state to better protect other inmates in Connecticut prisons from exposure to the sometimes deadly coronavirus.Twelve days after the State Department of Corrections reported its first officer testing positive for COVID-19 at Newtown’s Garner Correctional facility, and with several other officers and multiple inmates at other facilities testing positive since, the ACLU of Connecticut filed a lawsuit, April 3, to try and force the state to better protect other inmates in Connecticut prisons from exposure to the sometimes deadly coronavirus.The ACLU, representing the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association (CCDLA) and people who are incarcerated, filed the lawsuit in Superior Court, Friday, seeking emergency action to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by reducing the number of people who are incarcerated in Connecticut Department of Correction (DOC) prisons and jails.The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the CCDLA and four men who are incarcerated, including one with an autoimmune condition, one who is over the age of 60, one who is scheduled for release next month, and one who is being held for want of a $5,000 bond and has only one lung.“People who are incarcerated in Connecticut are in imminent danger from COVID-19. The longer Connecticut fails to act to protect them, the closer our state comes to a deadly and unconstitutional disaster,” said Dan Barrett, the ACLU of Connecticut’s legal director and an attorney on the case.As of Friday morning, eight incarcerated people and 16 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 in Connecticut prisons. Five of the inmates live in the Cybulski building of the Willard-Correctional Institution, a lower security prison in Enfield that holds people who pose a low risk to the community and prepares them to reintegrate into society once they are released.The entire facility is now on lockdown, to prevent the spread of the virus.“Once the virus comes in, it’s going to spread like wildfire,” Anthony Johnson, a prisoner at Willard-Cybulski and one of the plaintiffs, says in the complaint.“Connecticut’s courts did not sentence people to suffer and potentially die from a pandemic. While lawyers, advocates, and family members have been filing motions and pleading with the governor and policymakers, we need urgent, coordinated, and system-wide change now to protect incarcerated people’s lives,” said Barrett. “Thousands of people who are incarcerated right now could be safely with their families, posing no danger to the public and out of harm’s way themselves, if the state were simply to act.”Lawsuit StipulationsThe suit asks the Court to order Governor Ned Lamont and Department of Corrections (DOC) Commissioner Rollin Cook to immediately release people who are vulnerable to serious illness based on CDC heightened risk factors, being held pre-trial on lesser charges or low bond amounts, being held solely for technical violation of probation or parole, eligible for home confinement or supervised release, or within six months of the end of their sentence.The suit also asks the Court to require Lamont and Cook to submit, for the Court’s review, a plan to: provide hygiene, social distancing, diagnoses, and treatment for people who remain incarcerated; approve residential placements within seven days for those eligible for release; and fund transitional housing for those without residences to go to upon release.Joining the ACLU of Connecticut in representing the CCDLA and incarcerated people are lawyers from Yale Law School’s Allard K. Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic and Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization.According to the Healthy & Just CT Coalition at the Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice, the novel coronavirus is spreading in jails and prisons across the country — and to prevent even greater harm and death, many states are taking action to release people. In the tri-state area, both New York and New Jersey have started to release people from jails and prisons.But, defying all logic and public health recommendations, the coalition stated in a release March 31 that Governor Ned Lamont has refused to release incarcerated people in response to COVID-19. The Connecticut Department of Corrections (DOC) is reportedly not widely testing people; the DOC released a memo on Friday, March 27, stating that the Department had conducted only 12 tests.“Lamont’s refusal to act is completely out of sync with the national trend to save lives and reduce the spread of COVID-19 in correctional settings, and is entirely indefensible from a public health perspective,” the coalition states. The governor has deflected any conversation about even strategic prisoner releases during numerous daily press briefings since the news of the Garner officer was first floated March 23.The Garner SituationThat day, the DOC said the Garner employee had been self-monitoring at home since Wednesday, March 18, and last entered Garner on Tuesday, March 17. Effective March 23, anyone entering a DOC facility became subject to screening, including a temperature check.Anyone with a fever of 100.4 or higher is not being allowed in, and as of that day, no other staff or any offenders at Garner had shown any COVID-19 symptoms — and no more had reported being positive as of the noon hour on April 3.The suit filed April 3 follows an ACLU of Connecticut request, sent on March 26, for the Judicial Branch to consider changing pre-trial release rules during the COVID-19 pandemic.With that request was a letter from a group of Connecticut medical professionals, who wrote: “Based on current staffing levels in CDOC (including correctional health staffing levels), and based on our experience working within correctional facilities and with affected populations, we do not believe that screening, social distancing, and quarantining measures can be sufficiently employed within CDOC facilities to combat the spread of this virus.”The suit also follows letters sent on March 10, 12, 16, and 19 from the ACLU of Connecticut and other organizations to Governor Lamont and Commissioner Cook asking for urgent measures to protect incarcerated people from COVID-19.On March 24, a day after the Garner announcement, Lamont said, “We do have extra capacity [at] our correctional facilities right now.“We are going to do everything we can to make sure that anybody who may be at risk of being a carrier is segregated or quarantined in a separate area. That’s going to be my priority before we have to think about releasing anybody. It is something we’re watching.”On April 3, State Senator Gary Winfield, a New Haven Democrat and chair of the Judiciary Committee, said there has been a lot of public pressure to get officials to explain how they plan to protect the 11,784 people incarcerated in Connecticut from a COVID-19 outbreak behind bars. He said the ACLU’s suit was not unexpected.“It doesn’t surprise me at all there’s a lawsuit. For weeks now advocates, legislators, and organizations have been asking questions,” he said. “At some point, one would expect they would use the legal system to find out the answers to the questions they’ve been posing and to try and protect the rights of people in our prisons.”CTMirror content was used in this report.State ACLU Files Suit To Protect State Prison Inmates John Voket
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The Long And ‘Shortt’ Of A Local CSA During Days Of Social Distancing This time of the year is usually pretty quiet at Shortt’s Farm and Garden Center in Sandy Hook, but this year is a bit different. Find out why here.This time of the year is usually pretty quiet at Shortt’s Farm and Garden Center in Sandy Hook, but this year is a bit different.Sue Shortt, who owns and operates the farm with her husband, Jim, said people typically sign up for the farm’s community supported agriculture (CSA) program around this time of year or swing by in late May when it normally opens to sell garden materials.This year there is “a pile” of new people signing up for the CSA. Shortt said locals are e-mailing and calling, looking for information about the CSA or for things to do in their gardens.“I think people just want to feel like they know it is going to be there. They know we are right down the road, and everything is open air here, so that helps,” Shortt said about the CSA program and buying food locally.The Shortts are also thinking ahead and worrying “about the summer and how we are going to handle social distancing at need-be at this point.”Speaking from her experience running the Newtown Farmer’s Market with others, Shortt said the market should still continue and is expected to open in early June. Farmers’ markets are considered essential, she said, but how the local farmers’ market will handle crowds and opening will be determined at a later time, when more information is known.The Shortt’s Farm and Garden Center CSA program begins at the end of June, and Shortt said they are already approaching their maximum number of people to sign up for it, though the number may increase depending on other impacts of COVID-19 locally.“We don’t like to take more than 100 customers [for the CSA],” Shortt explained. “We are a small farm and that is the number we feel comfortable with.”If restrictions are put in place with the Newtown Farmer’s Market due to COVID-19 though, Shortt said the number of people the farm can offer the CSA to may increase.In a March 17 e-mail to customers, Shortt’s Farm and Garden Center wrote, “First and foremost, we hope you and your family are safe and healthy during this very challenging time. We are all in this together and the Shortt family is taking the recommendations of the CDC to stay home. Lucky for us this time of year, much of our time is spent on the farm anyway.”According to the e-mail, the early spring weather will allow the center to “have everything you need to start your gardens in a few weeks.” Potting soil and compost are being delivered to the venue.“We will have limited hours when that time comes in order to serve everyone safely. As soon as we are up and running we will post hours,” the e-mail reads.While Shortt said she knows people are “raring to go” with their gardens, the nights are still cool. People looking to work outside can mend fences and prepare soil, she recommended.Shortt suggested planting not begin until warmer days of April.Regarding the CSA, the e-mail shared, “Our CSA is filling up and with the current state of our country, we anticipate reaching our membership max quickly this year. If you have already signed up, we wanted to let you know that we will do everything necessary to keep a limited amount of people coming to pick up at once, if this is still necessary come June. This may mean extending pick up times and having time slots for people.“We will assess the needs of our customers when we get closer to our start time and will work with the Connecticut Department of Agriculture and CDC and follow their guidelines, whatever they may be,” the e-mail continues. “If you are immune compromised or are over the age of 60 and you would prefer to pick up outside of normal pick up hours, we will certainly work with you to make that happen.”Shortt’s Farm and Garden Center also offers “add ons” to its vegetables CSA in support of two local businesses, Butchers Best Market and BD Provisions. Each “add on” offers customers the option to purchase items offered through the CSA from the business, to pick up when also collecting the CSA items weekly. The items will vary each week.“Depending on the climate of things this spring and summer we may offer more ‘add-ons’ to help out our fellow business owners,” the e-mail reads. “We will keep you updated on any other add-ons we may offer. This may be a great way to keep people safe (pick up in one location and outdoors) while supporting all the wonderful small businesses around us.”Information on how to sign up for the CSA is available on the farm’s website shorttsfarmandgarden.com. The center also posts updates on its Facebook page “Shortt’s Farm and Garden Center.” Updates are also available by e-mailing farmerjim@shorttsfarmandgarden.com.Social distancing and other local safety efforts are not impacting the farm much at this time, Shortt said.“We’re at home like everybody else, but that’s not much different from what it is normally like this time of the year,” Shortt said, adding that she frequently tells people she is in her “own little world” on the farm.One difference is that the Shortt’s boys, seventh grader Jesse and fifth grader James, are home while the school buildings are closed. They have been helping around the farm between school work.Once the farm and CSA are open and underway there may be some changes, like how far baskets are spread out, but for now growing season is underway. And so far it has been a good spring.Shortt's Farm And Garden Center CSA Filling Up Eliza Hallabeck
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Snapshot: Matt Wood
Occupation: I have been with the Newtown Police Department since 2004, and I have been a patrol sergeant since 2014. I always had an inclination I wanted to go into law enforcement. It seemed like an exciting and interesting career choice.Occupation: I have been with the Newtown Police Department since 2004, and I have been a patrol sergeant since 2014. I always had an inclination I wanted to go into law enforcement. It seemed like an exciting and interesting career choice.I run the police department’s Citizen Police Academy each year. It’s a ten-week program that shows different aspects of law enforcement to give people a better idea of what we do, why we do it, and how we do it. We’ve had residents, business owners, people from surrounding towns, and younger kids interested in law enforcement be part of it. We make it specific to Newtown and small-town policing.In line with running the Citizen Police Academy, I oversee our Community Services Division. As part of our Community Services, we help Toys For Tots and Special Olympics. We have a Penguin Plunge coming up in April, and we do the Torch Run usually a Friday in June. At the Torch Run, the Unified Sports team meets us at St Rose to run the last section with us.I’m also a motor vehicle stops instructor for the state, an impaired driving instructor for the state, and a drug recognition instructor for the state since 2012. I teach several times a year. It’s fun because it gives you something different to do in this career.Family: I have two teenage daughters. They’re good kids.Pets: We have lots of pets — cats, a dog, fish, and rabbits. We whittled it down. We no longer have hamsters and Guinea pigs.What do you like to do in your free time? I am a runner and I like to mountain bike. I’ve biked all over the country.What is your favorite travel destination? I like being by the ocean. Rhode Island is nice.What is the best part about Newtown? The people are pretty friendly here. We have a different frame of reference of town, but as a whole most people support us.If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? My grandfather. He was a World War II vet. He passed away when I was 12 years old. I knew him fairly well, but I wasn’t old enough to fully comprehend what he had done in his life.What is your favorite musical genre? I like a lot of different genres of music, but if I had to pick one, it would be bluegrass.What is your favorite food? Sushi.What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given? Career wise, it’s “don’t take anything personally.” In my line of work, that is probably the best piece of advice you can be given. You hear it all the time, but it takes a few years for that to really sink in.What is something you cannot live without? My mountain bike. I’ve been biking since 1991 fairly consistently. I briefly thought about doing it professionally, but I didn’t want to take the fun out of riding.What advice would you give to your younger self? “Be more prepared.” Prior to starting my job at the Newtown Police Department, I worked for seven years with an outdoor adventure company. I traveled all over the country for it and it was super fun, but it didn’t set me up for life long term. But it was fun.What is your proudest accomplishment? My kids.Snapshot: Matt Wood Story Snapshot: Matt WoodSnapshot: Matt WoodFeaturesNone
‘Pillar Of The Community’ Joe Borst Mourned By Family, Friends, And Colleagues Newtown learned this week of the death of one of its treasures, longtime Sandy Hook resident and former First Selectman Joseph Borst.UPDATE: This story was updated at 11:30 am on April 3 to include some added thoughts about Joe Borst from community members.Newtown learned this week of the death of one of its treasures, longtime Sandy Hook resident and former First Selectman Joseph Borst.Joseph Edward Borst was born on July 17, 1927, in Jackson Heights, Queens, N.Y. He died March 31, 2020, at Bishop Wicke Health and Rehabilitation Center in Shelton. He was 92 years old and had literally been named a Town Treasure in November 2016, when he and former Superintendent of Schools Dr John Reed were fêted during a testimonial “Newtown Treasures” event organized by town officials.Borst had long been known for his patriotism, dedication to community, and love of family.Wendy LaBarge, one of Borst’s ten grandchildren, summed up her grandfather’s qualities Wednesday afternoon, saying “Even if you disagreed with his policies, it was impossible to deny that he had a deep love for his town, his family, and his community.”A veteran of World War II, Borst served in the US Army Air Corps and subsequently the US Air Force.In speaking in November 2014 of his service to fellow members of Newtown Senior Center’s Men’s Breakfast Club — several of whom were also veterans — Borst said many men were caught up in the “nationalistic attitude” present during that era. Every man who could, wanted to enlist, he said.Borst served two tours in the military. After being initially discharged in 1947, he reenlisted five years later for another tour, that time with the US Air Force.“It was my job,” he said during his senior center presentation. “It’s all our jobs.”He and Barbara Ann Caron were married July 31, 1954.The newlyweds moved from New York to Sandy Hook the following year, into one of the first homes in the Buttonball area development. There they raised their five children — Joe, Jr, Liz, Michael, Jim, and Mary.By then, Borst was also working with Sikorsky Aircraft as a technical services engineer. The family relocated for a few years during the early 1960s to South Dakota, where Borst worked on the aforementioned missile projects.Returning to Newtown in 1963, he worked for Perkin Elmer for 17 years, and took early retirement in 1984. Then he was employed by Sikorsky as a contract administrator, retiring in 1994.His federal service included work as a government contractor on projects such as the Titan and Minuteman Missiles and the Hubbell Telescope, among many others.A Life Of Public ServiceBorst almost immediately began his public service to Newtown, becoming a Justice of the Peace shortly after moving here. He was devoted to residents of all ages over the years, having served as everything from a school bus owner-operator to president and secretary of Newtown Housing for the Elderly.He was long involved in town governance, including, but not limited to, the Planning & Zoning Committee, the Legislative Council, and Board of Selectmen, culminating with his election as first selectman in 2007.Following his term as the town’s top official, he remained active as part of the Sustainable Energy Commission and the Public Building & Site Commission (PBSC). In 2016, Borst was the first person to be named chairman emeritus of the PBSC.Then-First Selectman Pat Llodra told Borst that while the new position was a nonvoting one, “You will still have a seat at the table, your voice and opinion on projects will continue to be heard and respected, and your presence with the commission will be honored for as long as you wish to serve.”Llodra also felt Borst’s commitment to his hometown was without question.“His capacity for giving of himself is remarkable and he always seems to be driven by the common good,” she said, at that time. “We have benefited by his service and thank him for all he has done.”PBSC Chair Robert Mitchell was also one to comment on the appointment of his newly appointed colleague then.“Joe has a mental history of Newtown that is an incredible resource to us,” Mitchell told The Newtown Bee in June 2016. Borst, he said, “helps give PBSC a personality.“We may wander quite a bit from our discussions while Joe describes the growth and development of a project site, or why part of Sandy Hook looks the way it does, but he adds color to our discussions and deliberations.“His memories of the projects, how they were run, the various personalities is vivid,” Mitchell added.Over the course of his time in town, Borst was a point person consulting on the conversion of a former tractor and power supply store into the current police station and municipal office space for Social Services and Parks & Recreation offices. He also consulted on the original Newtown High School construction project and several other school projects, including roof installations and upgrades.When he spoke to The Newtown Bee in 2016, he was excited about a solar farm being developed at that time for a large parcel at the town’s transfer station.While certainly involved in politics, and long a member of the town’s Republican Town Committee, Borst did not see party affiliations as a defining measure of a person’s commitment to community. Longtime family friend and fellow Newtown official Anna Wiedemann shared a memory from 2016.“I went to his house to take his picture for the program book the year that he and Dr John Reed were being honored by the town,” she said. After the photo was taken, according to Wiedemann, Borst asked if she was a Democrat or a Republican.“He said he didn’t know which I was,” she said. “I replied, ‘Does it really matter?’ He looked at me and said ‘You are absolutely right. We should all just be serving the community for the right reason regardless of our party affiliation.’ I completely agreed!”A few months later, accepting the 2019 Community Americanism Award on behalf of his father, Michael Borst said his father’s qualities of serving God, his country, his town, and community exemplify the traits many people associate with those of the Greatest Generation. He could not remember a time, Michael said, when his father was not actively involved in the community.“I know for a fact my father will always hold Newtown close to his heart,” Michael said during a Veterans Day ceremony hosted by American Legion Post 202.A Love Of FamilyWhen they were able to break away from town affairs, the Borsts traveled extensively.Over the years they traveled to many locations throughout the continental United States, plus Hawaii, taking all 22 immediate family members to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 2004.They also traveled to Ireland, France, England, Austria, Germany, Italy, and the Dominican Republic, among other destinations. The couple also traveled with the Newtown High School Band as chaperones on several of these trips, while others were strictly for pleasure with family.In fact, in announcing his decision to not run for a second term as First Selectman in 2009, Borst told The Newtown Bee he had already made plans for another family vacation.He also planned to “catch up with a lot of chores on my honey-do list once I’m finished here,” he added.The Borsts celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2014. A silver anniversary party was held at The Inn at Newtown, organized by their children Joe, Jr, and Kristi Borst, Liz Haugaard, Michael Borst, Jim and Laurie Borst, and Mary and Fred Marks.Many of their ten grandchildren were able to attend, as were two of Borst’s brothers, Bob and Jack, both members of the original bridal party.Msgr Weiss Pastor of St Rose of Lima Parish said "We remember Joe Borst with great sadness at his passing but with great peace being aware of all that he accomplished in his life."Referring to Borst as "a true Newtown legend,' Msgr Weiss said the former town leader "will always be affectionately remembered by the thousands of people he served in the military, as a Newtown school bus driver, as a First Selectman and as an outstanding Catholic gentleman. Our prayers are with his family in these days. May he have the rest and peace he so richly deserves with the lord and all who have gone before him."Former school board member and long-time acquaintance Kathy Hamilton said she remembered Borst when he was a well-liked local school bus owner-operator. Her term on the Board of Education overlapped his tenure as first selectman."Joe always put the town first in his thoughts right after his immediate family," Hamilton said. "He served in so many capacities helping move the town forward. "I was very sad to hear about his passing — Joe and his family are in my thoughts."Anna Wiedemann said what struck her the most was Borst’s “unending love for his wife.” She recalled being at a Christmas party once, and asking Borst where his wife was.“She had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimers,” Wiedemann said. “He told me that his greatest hope was that they would come up with a cure, and she could be the first one to be cured.“He was very devoted to her, and she to him.”In May 2019, one of Mr Borst’s granddaughters was among those who participated in a Twitter series hosted by this newspaper. In response to the question “Who or what would you say is a Newtown treasure?” Wendy LaBarge tweeted “I might be biased, but Joe and Barbara Borst have loved and done their best to serve Newtown since the 1960s. Everything they did was with love in their hearts for the town.”The Borsts lived in Sandy Hook until just a few years ago, when they moved into an assisted living facility. They did not go far from their beloved home, however, relocating just over the town line into Southbury.Bob Hall, who was friends with Borst for 54 years, recalled the day last year when he picked up his friend so that he could attend the funeral of another longtime resident, Mae Schmidle. The service and reception were at St Rose Church.“He was positively invigorated by being back in Newtown among his friends,” Hall shared. “He had his picture taken with all the living first selectmen” in attendance that day.“When I asked how he was holding up, he was very clear that he wanted to partake in the reception,” he continued. “It was wonderful to see him so alive and refreshed, like the Joe Borst we knew when he lived here.”Maureen Crick Owen also recalls that day.“My most recent memory of Joe was at Mae Schmidle’s funeral,” said the selectman. “After Joe received Communion, he started to walk back to his pew. As he entered his pew, our current first selectman got up and walked to our elder, former first selectman to extend his hand to help him to his seat.“I am sure Joe helped many people in Newtown throughout his time here,” Crick Owen continued. “That day it was about someone helping him.”Local TributesWithin hours of hearing of the loss, local friends and colleagues began sharing tributes to Borst.Among those were current and former first selectmen.Dan Rosenthal has known Borst most of his life, he said this week. He “had the pleasure of serving with him on the Legislative Council” before Borst defeated Herb Rosenthal in 2007 in the campaign for first selectman. Despite his father’s loss to Borst, “I can honestly say our relationship never changed,” Dan said this week.“Joe would always encourage me to stay involved in the town, and was one of the first people to congratulate me when I was elected first selectman,” Rosenthal said.“Joe loved Newtown and raised his hand to serve in countless ways. There’s no question we are a better community because of Joe,” he added. “May he rest in peace, and his family find comfort in our collective gratitude.”Herb Rosenthal, who was first selectman from 1997 until 2007, also served with Borst for two years on the Board of Selectmen.“Although we sometimes had our differences, I knew that he was always interested in doing what he thought to be in the best interests of Newtown,” Herb Rosenthal said this week. “Most of all we were always able to remain friends over the years.”Sue Marcinek, the executive assistant in the office of the first selectman, began working for the town four days after Joe Borst took office.“It was an honor and a privilege to work with him,” she said. “Joe was a respectful man, a true gentleman through and through, and someone I remained close to after he completed his term,” she added. “He deserves to be remembered for his dedicated service to the Town of Newtown.”Calling Borst “a uniquely sweet man who was purely honest and pulled no punches, never hesitating to speak his mind because he cared,” State Representative Mitch Bolinsky offered his condolences to the Borst family. “The deep affection Joe had for his wonderful family always shined through. It was admirable to see and feel, and I am so sorry for the sense of loss and emptiness being felt by the entire Borst family.”Bolinsky noted that for Borst, “serving others was a labor of love. He always wanted to do what was best for others.”Bolinsky also noted Borst’s quiet intelligence.“Sometimes we talk about keeping things simple,” the state representative said. “When trying to assure someone they are up to a task, I often use the expression ‘it’s not rocket science.’“Then in my soul I smile a secret smile each time, knowing that Joe Borst was a rocket scientist,” he continued. “He never openly talked about that work, and was never one to boast, but, in my mind, Joe was that ‘Rocket Scientist.’ Eventually I’ll smile, knowing this sweet Rocket Scientist is among the stars and watching out for all of us.”Selectman and longtime political colleague Jeff Capeci on April 1 echoed the sentiments of others, noting Borst “spent his entire adult life selflessly serving both his country and his hometown. Newtown and America are better places because of Joe’s love for his community.“Joe is dearly missed and my thoughts and prayers go out to Barbara and his family in this time of loss,” Capeci added.Former Selectman and Legislative Council Chair Will Rodgers also admired Borst’s leadership by example.“Joe was the epitome of volunteerism,” he said. “He put his money were his mouth was,” he added, saying Borst reportedly became involved in local government after hearing ride sharers from his Perkin-Elmer days complain about perceived political problems without offering solutions or actions.“He will be missed, and Moira and I extend our sympathies and condolences to his families, friends, and indeed the whole town.”Robert Hall was among those who spoke about Borst during the 2016 Newtown Treasures event. He closed, he said, “on the theme that for all his accomplishments he remained a humble man, and never sought the recognition he deserved. The world would be a better place if we had more people like Joe Borst living in it.”Another longtime friend, Barbara O’Connor said she and her husband moved into Newtown the same year the Borsts did. The former town official and fellow Republican Town Committee (RTC) member also joined the Newtown RTC around the same time.“Joe and Barbara were always involved, working on fundraisers, campaigns, wherever and whenever anything was needed to help get Republicans elected,” she recalled. “Joe really stepped up to the plate when we needed a Republican candidate for first selectman. He always wanted to be involved in any position on a board or commission that would be a benefit to the town.”He was, she said, “a really good guy.”Former selectman and longtime RTC colleague William Brimmer also met Borst through the local political chapter.“When I first moved to Newtown and began attending RTC meetings, Joe took me under his wing and made sure to guide me on how to become assimilated into Newtown,” Mr Brimmer said. That guidance extended well beyond politics, however.“I remember that he and his wife, Barbara, invited my wife Barbara and I to sit with them at a Newtown Scholarship Association annual gala. Joe was always thinking of others before himself. He was a kind and generous man.”Current RTC Chair Dennis Bloom echoed the sentiments of many others.“Joe was a pillar of the community,” he said. “He put in countless volunteer hours over many, many years and was a well-respected community leader, father, grandfather, and friend.”Borst obituary feature Shannon Hicks
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The Way We Were, Week Ending April 3, 2020
A look back at Newtown, 75, 50, and 25 years ago.April 21, 1995Fairfield Hills Hospital workers upset with the planned closure of the state psychiatric institution rallied Wednesday on the steps of the administration building to register their protest and call for the facility to remain open. More than 100 people gathered at Newtown Hall in a light drizzle to walk a picket line and hear speakers voice their concerns over Governor John Rowland’s proposal to close Fairfield Hills in 1996. The state legislature hasn’t yet acted on the proposal.***Perplexed by the defeat of the historic district proposal in last Thursday’s referendum, borough officials have begun looking for other ways to protect Main Street from the encroachment of commercial development. Borough Warden Joan Crick said it would be premature to consider whether to mount another campaign for the historic district, which failed by 2-1/2 votes to get the necessary two-thirds support of its property owners.***Earlier this year, a group of Newtown High School students taped a pep rally and then brought it to the Institute of American Indian Studies in Washington for some Native Americans to view. After seeing the school’s oversized tomahawk, cheerleaders dressed up as squaws and young men parading as warriors, not many of those Native Americans felt like cheering the Newtown High School Indians on to victory. Many of them called the pep rally a mockery of their religion and an insult to their heritage. The high school students — Cheryl Bennett, Molly Dorozenski, Stephanie Dorenbosch and Mark Ruckenwald taped their reactions and then put together a video on the mascot issue to show fellow students... They said they hope to make this point to peers through the video and garner support for their campaign to have the Indian mascot changed.***Faced by the need to spend millions of dollars to upgrade Newtown’s roads, town officials are starting to take a hard-line position with property developers. At two Board of Selectmen meetings this month, developers learned that if they wanted to build houses along a town road, they would have to improve the road as part of the agreement. “We’re getting buried by road costs,” explained First Selectman Bob Cascella.***Before the Newtown High School golf team takes one swing the next time it hosts a match at the Newtown Country Club, it should nail a plaque to the tree at the first tee. And it should read, “Home Sweet Home.” The Indians, who have one of the most prevalent home course advantages in Western Connecticut Conference golf, coasted over the soggy fairways and tiny greens of NCC last week to an 11-shot victory over WCC rival Brookfield... Newtown’s senior captain, John Dansdill, was comfortable on the sodden NCC layout, and showed it, parring five of the first six holes enroute to a medalist round of 4-over-par 38.April 17, 1970Newtown’s biggest concern for the future is for more and better elementary schools, with emphasis upon the primary grades, John B. Sommi, former Superintendent of Schools told the League of Women Voters Wednesday night, April 15. The most important periods in a child’s growth are during his first few years in school... Change was the topic of the meeting and Mr Sommi stressed the point that teachers and parents must be brought to believe in the new methods if the necessary changes can be made.***It started out as a brush fire and spread to a small barn on the property of Abraham Nezvesky on Huntingtown Road, April 14. Five firetrucks of the United Fire Company of Botsford and eight men under the direction of Chief John Trowbridge fought the blaze that almost completely destroyed the structure. As a result of this fire, Chief Trowbridge urges all fire calls to be put through the emergency fire number, which is 426-4425, and for people not to dial the operator, since this can cause serious delays in reaching the proper fire companies.***There will be a cake sale on Saturday, April 18, at the Grand Union, by the Town & Country Garden Club. The sale will begin at 9 am. Homebaked cakes and cookies will be featured. The proceeds will be used to help defray the expense of staging the club’s forthcoming flower show, “Happiness Is...”***It was a big night for the Camejo family, Friday, April 10, when a Scouts Award Ceremony for Troop 270 was conducted at the Botsford Fire House. Paul Camejo Jr, a 15-year-old sophomore at Newtown High School, became an Eagle Scout at the ceremony; and his younger brother Ricky became a Tenderfoot, while another brother, Skip, received a Merit Badge. Their father, Paul Camejo, is Scoutmaster for Troop 270.***Jerry Philbin, start defensive lineman for the New York Jets, will be the speaker at the sixth annual sports award banquet sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Newtown. Richard Teller, principal of the Middle School, is chairman of the May 28 event.***There will be a Bingo Night, Friday, April 17, at 7:45, at the K of C Hall in Newtown to benefit FISH of Newtown. The FISH are neighbors who are able to give their time, talents, and resourcefulness to others who are temporarily unable to meet their own needs independently. Two years ago, on April 15, the FISH program began in Newtown.April 13, 1945Tech. Sgt. Charles Ust, Jr. Has Been Reported Missing Over Germany Since March 24th, According to A Telegram Received On Sunday from The War Department By His Father, Charles Ust, Sr., of Sandy Hook. Sgt. Ust, Who Was a Paratrooper, Enlisted in the U.S. Army in December 1941, Three Days After Pearl Harbor. His Sister, Mrs Carl Hornbeck of Hawleyville, Learned That He Was Recently Wounded in Action But Had Recovered and Returned To Duty. He Was Serving With the 513th Paratroop Infantry. Before Entering Service He Was Employed at The Sandy Hook Garage and at the Store of Corbett and Crowe.***Responding to the contagious enthusiasm of its hard-working Red Cross chairman, Russ Strasburger, Newtown, has achieved the distinction of passing its quota by a larger percentage than any other town in the area. The five figure goal has been reached. A check for $10,080 was turned over last Friday evening to Howard Comstock, campaign manager, when he and Mrs Stephanie McCarthy, executive secretary for the Bridgeport Chapter, presented the Red Cross “E” with two stars to Mr Strasburger. This flag now flies from the staff in front of Edmond Town Hall.***It has been announced by Mrs Paul Clarkson, Surgical Dressings chairman, that after a long delay in shipment, a new supply of gauze for dressings has finally reached Newtown. She states that there is an urgent need for workers to fold these bandages, since there is a large quota which must be filled within the next few weeks.***Local war garden chairmen, functioning as part of the War Council organization, will assist the OPA again this year in determining what extra gasoline should be allowed for war gardeners who must travel by automobile to the garden plots... the local chairmen have been asked to investigate and certify all claims from gardeners for extra gasoline, whenever the rationing board feels that such certification is necessary.***Only two more weeks left for high school students to enter the National Essay Contest sponsored by the Ladies’ Auxiliary of the V.F.W. Subject: “What Americanism Means To Me.” Be one of those lucky winners of the 24 cash prizes. Rules and regulations can be obtained from either Charles LeGrow, principal of Hawley high school, or The Newtown Bee.April 9, 1920The microfilm containing 1920 Newtown Bee editions is kept at the C.H. Booth Library, which is temporarily closed due to coronavirus health precautions.Your memories are the ones we want to share! Do you have photographs of people or places in town from a bygone era? The Way We Were is the perfect landing spot so that your photographs can be enjoyed by Newtown Bee readers. Images can be e-mailed as attachments to editor@thebee.com, subject line: Way We Were photo. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date.Way We Were Week Of April 3 Story The Way We Were, Week Ending April 3, 2020Way We Were Week Of April 3FeaturesNone
Newtown's ‘At Home’ Life In Photos With local school buildings closed and many workers now working from home, The Newtown Bee asked local residents to submit photos and descriptions of the new “at home” life.With local school buildings closed and many workers now working from home, The Newtown Bee asked local residents to submit photos and descriptions of the new “at home” life.The pictures submitted for the week of April 3 show students venturing outside, completing school assignments, and monitoring siblings while they work.Adults are home, too, of course, and for those working from home, family pets can prove to be adorable distractions, as proven by an accompanying photo.Scroll through the photos above to see what residents are doing "at home." At Home Life, Submitted Photos For April 3 Story Newtown's ‘At Home’ Life In PhotosAt Home Life, Submitted Photos For April 3FeaturesNone
Athlete Profile: Kaitlyn King
Kaitlyn King is this week's athlete profile.Favorite part about playing sports: “Having fun with competition.”Toughest aspect: “Balancing school with sports.”Favorite subject: Women StudiesFood of choice: PastaFavorite movie:ShrekFavorite sports team: USA Women’s National TeamThe Athlete Profile this week is sponsored by Ingersoll Auto of Danbury, Inc, www.ingersollautoofdanbury.com.Athlete Profile Kaitlyn King King plays soccer.
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Senior Leagues Give High School Students Competitive Basketball-Playing Opportunities
The last in a series of articles highlighting 50 years of the Newtown Youth Basketball Association.This is the last in a series of articles highlighting 50 years of the Newtown Youth Basketball Association. The Bee previously published two features detailing the history of the program and a sidebar about the league’s presidents.By Andy HutchisonAlthough the Newtown Youth Basketball Association (NYBA) helps prepare up and coming players for the high school programs, it continues at the high school level with the Senior Leagues for girls and boys each winter, concluding with championship and all-star games in March.Unlike the other NYBA programs (grades K-8), this league only has games — there are no practices — and no parental involvement when it comes to coaching the teams. What makes it especially unique is that teams are coached by players, giving students responsibility, as well as leadership — and, of course, coaching — experience.Every team consists of ten players, with representation from each high school grade, and with a senior captain drafting players to form the team like a general manager. The captain coordinates all player communication like a public relations representative, and makes the lineup for each game as a player-coach, all with intention of leading his team to victory, according to Cornelius Dunn who served as the Senior League director for three years and also held the position of player agent for five years. Dunn’s roles include assisting with the start of the season for the in-house programs, running player evaluations, overseeing player drafts, and running preseason clinics.Dunn shows exceptional dedication and commitment. He continues to volunteer with the NYBA despite now working out of state.“My chemistry job relocated to Boston in 2018, so I couldn’t commit to running the senior league due to the required time commitment, and ended up taking a year off from NYBA. This 2019-2020 hoop season I returned as a fifth grade boys’ travel coach, as I was able to set my practices for Friday evening to compensate, and we already have a weekend game schedule, so no excuse to not volunteer again,” said Dunn, who followed in the footsteps of past directors including Jack Shpunt, Keith Kling, and Tim Doyle.“There is so much to coordinate with all the boys teams in the senior league, and with games practically every night and at multiple gyms in parallel throughout the winter, that other dad volunteers are required to make this league a success, including Ted Hannan, Ken Roche, Andy Stubbs, Bob Elston, Mark Chernoff, to name a few,” Dunn said.The Senior League seasons start in early December, after players are first selected to the high school teams at Newtown High or from a neighboring school such as Immaculate of Danbury. The regular season is 15 games for each boys’ team, played at Newtown Youth Academy or Newtown High School, and according to high school rules, including 3-pointers, and players fouling out. The one rule exception is no free player substitution; all players are required to have equal playing time throughout the game, which is monitored by the paid high school student scorekeepers.Two adults qualified as referees are paid to officiate the often-heated boys games, Dunn said. The overall team record determines the seeding for the March Madness single elimination playoff format in order to determine the champion, which is played on the Newtown High School court. The end of the season also involves an all-star game determined by players through online voting, and also a senior-only game as a capstone for their involvement in NYBA throughout the years.Ted Hannan is the current Senior League director and notes that the players — about 250 of them this season — go into the slate with lots of enthusiasm.“The 25 captains always start with big anticipation and draft strategies to win it all,” Hannan said.“By the championship game, we’ll have played 219 games this year, thanks to Kathleen Mulligan and John O’Leary scheduling courts, referees, and scorekeepers, and Ryan Regan who ensured we had enough basketballs, shirts, trophies, and ice packs,” Hannan said as the playoffs unfolded this season. “I was lucky to have Ken Roche and Andy Stubbs help me with game-site management to make sure everything runs smoothly.”“Some kids simply choose Senior League because they just love the game, some because they just want to have fun with friends, and some because the high school team path didn’t work out. In the end, our league has stayed pretty competitive. We always have a good amount of parity,” Hannan said.A boys’ summer Senior League was organized by the graduating seniors during the summer of 2017. A Memorial Sloan Kettering Fundraiser was organized in 2018 and raised $2,428, led by Harry Eppers and other senior captains from the boys’ and girls’ Senior Leagues; NYBA increased the donated amount to $3,000.The Senior League featured a high of 30 total teams in the 2018-19 season for the boys’ league, involving a total of 225 regular season and 29 playoff games to coordinate, Dunn noted.Dunn points out that the Senior League games draw big crowds. In past years there has been an unsanctioned game between the senior league all-stars and NHS varsity team (after their season is complete) for in-school bragging rights.The NYBA also has a girls’ Senior League for high school students. The girls play games in the regular season, once a week, and have a championship game.“The focus is to keep girls interested in the sport and hopefully to have them continue playing after they graduate. The girls have built great relationships through their teams as the league is small. The league similarly hosts a Senior Night game, and typically a non-senior player designs a t-shirt with all senior names and all the players purchase one to wear at the game,” Dunn said.Laura Terry has served as League Director for the girls for the past four years and is passing the baton to Leigh Libero to take over.“I am thankful that NYBA offers a league for high school students to continue playing basketball. The girls’ league helps build camaraderie between students and leadership skills for senior captains all while having fun playing basketball. My hope is that the girls continue to enjoy the sport of basketball beyond high school. It has been a pleasure working with the girls’ senior league the past four years,” Terry said.“Just like in the NCCA tournament, the kids are crushed when they are finally eliminated,” said Hannan, adding that many of the playoff games are decided on last-second shots or in overtime. “We’ve had great crowds this week at NYA, so the community really seems to enjoy the games as much as the kids do.After the championship game, the season isn’t quite done. An All-Star game, led by the league’s top two MVP vote-getters Jack Zingaro and Jared Dunn, took place after the final tourney game. The seniors also coordinate games with players from Senior Leagues in nearby towns.“Because our rec league is filled with a lot of talented athletes, there are always more talented players than spots available on those teams. But it is a way to get some extra games in and have some more fun,” Hannan said.The league has a social media team, run by one of the team captains, Robbie Hetzer, with help from Charlie Eppers to communicate updates on the 25 team rankings, post fun Twitter polls like Rookie of the Year, or Most Improved Player, and to provide playoff updates. “The kids are very creative,” Hannan said.This past season, the program had its second annual March Madness bracket reveal and All-Star selection lunch meeting this year at Cover Two Sports Cafe, one last chance for the senior captains to hang out together and prepare for the post season before 24 games in seven days to determine the champion, Hannan said.“In the end, we just try to give the kids the space to run their teams, follow some simple rules and hopefully have a lot of fun,” Hannan added.NYBA 50 Years Senior League Story Senior Leagues Give High School Students Competitive Basketball-Playing OpportunitiesNYBA 50 Years Senior LeagueFeatured Slider, SportsNone
Registration For Newtown Youth Football And Family Cheer Is Open
Registration for Newtown Youth Football and Family Cheer (NYF&C) is open for the upcoming 2020 seasonRegistration for Newtown Youth Football and Family Cheer (NYF&C) is open for the upcoming 2020 season, according to a March 30 announcement.“Due to the recent outbreak of COVID-19, fundraising for our NYF&C league has been brought to a complete stop. Thus, NYF&C asks that families register their athletes as soon as possible.”The small increase in this year’s registration fee will help make up for the league’s lost revenue. If families have more than one child registering there is a $25 dollar discount for each additional child. Also, please note that if your family is registering for cheer, “50 percent of the fee must be paid on or before May 30 in order to get specific apparel delivered,” the announcement reads. “You can register directly on our website at newtownyouthfootball.org. We hope that all of our Newtown families are staying safe and healthy. Let’s go, Nighthawks!”Registration For Newtown Youth And Family Cheer Is Open Story Registration For Newtown Youth Football And Family Cheer Is OpenYouth Cheer 50 Years_4SportsNone
Former Newtown Soccer Coach Takes Over At PrepFAIRFIELD— Fairfield College Preparatory School announced in late March that Brian Neumeyer, former head coach at Newtown High School, has been named the head coach of its varsity soccer team. Newtown, this past winter, named former Prep Coach Ryan Lyddy its new head coach.Fairfield Preparatory School announced in late Match that Brian Neumeyer, former head coach at Newtown High School, has been named the head coach of its varsity soccer team. Newtown, this past winter, named former Prep Coach Ryan Lyddy its new head coach.Prior to joining Prep, Neumeyer served as an assistant coach at Sacred Heart University from 2017-2019. He spent 19 seasons as the head coach of Newtown, leading the team from 1997 through 2016.The Nighthawks won the Class LL State Championship in 2004 and runner-up finishes in 1998 and 2002 under Neumeyer’s direction. Newtown won South-West Conference Championships in 2001, 2002, and 2004, and his teams finished the season nationally ranked in 2002 and 2004.Neumeyer was a Connecticut Olympic Development Program (ODP) Coach for boys ages 15-18 from 1998-2005 and was the Director of Coaching at the Newtown Soccer Club from 1999-2010. Currently, Neumeyer is still involved at the club level with Connecticut Football Club.Neumeyer has also been involved in semi-professional soccer, serving as the general manager of the Elm City Express in 2017 and 2018, and helped build the team that won the National Premier Soccer League Championship in 2017.
Armored Combat Enthusiasts Compete In Medieval Martial Arts David Schill, of Sandy Hook, competes in armored combat, which is a form of traditional medieval martial arts. Schill uses heavy equipment weighing more than 100 pounds as he battles others who bring new meaning to throwback athletes.David Schill, of Sandy Hook, competes in armored combat, which is a form of traditional medieval martial arts. Schill uses heavy equipment, weighing more than 100 pounds in fact, as he battles others who bring new meaning to throwback athletes.Newtown native Tyler von Oy competes along with Schill in part as a way to fulfill a childhood dream of someday being a knight. He researched medieval martial arts while in college and found out about a group that competes out of the Knights Hall in Nashua, N.H.After attending a competition in Nasuha, von Oy was hooked. Contacts in the circle of armored combat led to von Oy and Schill joining a group that has formed over recent years, taken on the name New Haven Highlanders, and recently moved to CrossFit RedZone, 3 Simm Lane. The Highlanders comprise area competitors/history enthusiasts, with New Haven first serving as part of the team name when it had no official home.On March 7, the Highlanders suited up and took on the Nashua Knightmares in a competition that went into overtime. A comeback by the Highlanders forced extra time before a hard-fought (literally) 16-15 loss.“I absolutely love it. First and foremost, it’s a team sport. All the camaraderie you would get from any other sport is there. Because it’s an extreme sport you get the adrenaline rush as well,” said von Oy, adding that the competitions work as a stress reliever as well as providing tremendous exercise. “It’s an amazing way to workout.”The armor and weapons have to meet historical standards, Schill said, and most of the equipment is made overseas; the activity originated in Europe. While the armor itself might be similar to what was used in the 1400s, it is modernized with padding to help prevent concussions, he said, describing it is 1,000 times safer than what was used 600 years ago. Equipment costs between $3,000 and $5,000, Schill said.“We’re not actually trying to kill each other,” Schill added.That’s not to say this activity isn’t somewhat dangerous. Athletes suffer concussion and broken bones — not unlike in other sports, Schill noted. “It’s a full-contact sport,” Schill said.But quite a bit different than the mainstream sports.“To put the armor on and have somebody running at you with an ax, it’s a different feeling,” Schill, 53, pointed out.Schill, a former hockey player, adds that his friends have suffered worse injuries playing hockey and football. Schill, himself, recently suffered an ACL injury while competing and had to sit out this event. Injuries have sidelined von Oy as well. He took an ax to the heel and said he was fortunate to not have a tendon or bottom of his foot absorb the blow, von Oy said. The 32-year-old has also suffered myriad bruises. Despite this somewhat tempered violence, the competitors socialize together following their competitions, von Oy said.Now residing in New Milford, von Oy is a wilderness mentor at Two Coyotes Wilderness School at Sticks and Stones Farm in Newtown. He started competing about three or four years ago; he ran track and field in high school and played rugby in college.Schill also had his introduction to armored combat in Nashua and has participated for two years.“I said ‘this is a sport I’ve got to try,’” Schill recalls.Matches can last an hour and a half to two hours. They are broken into four quarters each with a one-on-one duel and five melees consisting of three or five competitors on a side, all of which can last several minutes or just seconds. Points are scored for strikes with the weapons as well as competitors hitting the ground. Grappling, kicking, and punching are allowed but not to the groin, back of the knee, or directly to the neck, Schill said. A referee is present to score points and manage the competitions inside an arena with metal guard rails.Schill said there are approximately 1,200 competitors across the country. This sport originated in Europe as a way to train soldiers, Schill said. “It’s huge overseas,” said Schill, adding that tens of thousands of people compete. A lot of the competitors are ex military representatives or have a background in one of the martial arts, Schill added.Armored combat follows the International Medieval Combat Federations rules. Many of the fighters, including von Oy, have been featured on the recent History Channel show called “Knight Fight.” Participants must be 18 years of age to compete and most of those in the sport are in their mid-20s to late 50s.The Highlanders try to practice as a team once each week, usually Sunday afternoons at CrossFit RedZone. With participants spread out all over the state it is difficult to get everybody together more often, and independent training is important, Schill said.“Staying in shape is a huge component,” said Schill, who said most participants train five to six days each week.Schill said the team members appreciate the support of CrossFit RedZone. Those interested in joining or learning more may find New Haven Highlanders: Armored Combat Sports on Facebook or e-mail ct.highlanders.club@gmail.com.Armored Combat Andy Hutchison
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Hello! My family has been doing this for years (since our now 16 year old was in Project Eagle at SHS). We have picked up over 30 bags of litter since the quarantine started. Kristy Davenport, paraeducator at SHS just picked up a ton of litter too! It is my hope that this is one of the many ways we can (again) take something tragic and horrible and use it to do some good. Thank you!
My name is Jack McAvoy, older brother of Joanne and Patricia McAvoy who lost their lives in an automobile accident 50 years ago on the date above. I wonder if any readers still remember two of the most wonderful sisters a brother could ever have, and I'll bet two of the nicest friends one could ever know. Joanne was 17, Patricia 15. I can't thank the Bee enough for posting this In Memoriam. As a regular reader of the "Way We Were" feature from my home in Pennsylvania, I wondered if any mention would be made of the accident as the sad anniversary approached. It was not (so far anyway), and I totally understood because that's probably not the place to recount such a tragic event. And then . . . then I clicked on Obituaries and saw that the precious memory of these dear girls is still alive in their hometown thanks to this newspaper with a heart. I am so moved. If anyone knew them, you would understand why. On the chance that a former classmate/friend might want to visit their grave site, they are interred in St. Rose Cemetery very close to the entrance. Take the road to the right just a little way and you'll find the headstone close to the road. If anyone reads this and remembers, I thank you for any kindness you might have ever done for them. Chances are they were kind to you as well. That's the way they always were. RIP, Joanne and Patricia. I love you both.
