Friday, April 20

By ANDY GOROSKO

Published: Apr 20, 2007 12:00 am

Friday, April 20

Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials, 12:30 pm, Brookfield Town Hall.

Botsford Spring Carnival continues, 6â10 pm, at Newtown High School, 12 Berkshire Road, carnival rides, amusements, sponsored by and fundraiser for United Fire Company of Botsford.

Saturday, April 21

Absentee ballot voting, 9 amânoon, Town Clerkâs Office at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street, special hours for absentee voting in advance of April 24 town budget vote; 270-4210.

Earth Day Trail Clean-Up, meet 9:30 am, Nettleton Preserve, Old Castle Drive, volunteers needed to help Newtown Forest Association members clean up Blue Trail, bring hand tools for cutting, lopping and raking (no power tools needed), water will be available, children must be accompanied by adults, groups larger than four people are asked to call in advance; 270-5340.

Final day Botsford Spring Carnival, 3â10 pm, Newtown High School, 12 Berkshire Road, carnival rides, amusements, etc, sponsored by and fundraiser for United Fire Company of Botsford.

âNothinâ But A Hound Dogâ Sock Hop, 8â11:30 pm, Edmond Town Hall gymnasium, 45 Main Street, tickets $30, dancing to music by PowerStation and vocals by Suzan Hurtuk, silent auction, dance contest, refreshments, all proceeds to benefit Canine Advocates of Newtownâs New Pound for Newtown Building Fund; 426-5327.

Monday, April 23

Informational session on proposed expansion of the Iroquois natural gas pipeline in Sandy Hook, Reed Intermediate School, 3 Trades Lane, general info during first hour, presentation and question & answer session will run 7â8 pm.

Â Board of Fire Commissioners, 7:30 pm, Sandy Hook Firehouse, Riverside Road.

Tuesday, April 24

Referendum on the proposed 2007â08 town budget, 6 amâ8 pm, Newtown Middle School gymnasium, Queen Street.

âButterflies and Their Gardens,â 1 pm, C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street, free slide program by John Himmelman, hosted by Garden Club of Newtown; 270-1108.

Conservation Commission, 6 pm, Town Offices, 31 Peckâs Lane.

Public Building and Site Commission, 6:30 pm, Reed Intermediate School, 3 Trades Lane.

Design Advisory Board, 6:30 pm, Town Offices, 31 Peckâs Lane.

Charter Revision Commission, 7 pm, Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street.

Hattertown Historic District Commission, 7 pm, Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street.

NewtownREADS program: Mockingbird Today, 7:30 pm, C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street, free program by editor, columnist and features writer Joanne Greco Rochman, who will integrate discussion of Harper Leeâs To Kill a Mockingbird with current events; 426-4533.

Wednesday, April 25

Housatonic Area Regional Transit (HART), board of directors, 4 pm, HART offices, 62 Federal Road, Danbury.

Inland Wetlands Commission, 7:30 pm, Town Offices, 31 Peckâs Lane.

Legislative Council, 7:30 pm, Multi-Purpose Center, 14 Riverside Road, note: this meeting will only take place if the proposed 2007â08 budget is defeated at referendum on April 24.

Society of Creative Arts of Newtown program, 7:30 pm, Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main Street, free and open to nonmembers, oil painting of figure program by Tom Kidd; 426-6654.

Thursday, April 26

Board of Finance, 7:30 pm, Town Hall South, 3 Main Street.

NewtownREADS Author Program: Charles Shields, 7:30 pm, Newtown High School lecture hall, 12 Berkshire Road, free, discussion by author of Mockingbird: A Biography of Harper Lee will continue town-wide Kill A Mockingbird events; 426-4533 (library).

Saturday, April 28

Passport Day, 1â4 pm by appointment, Hawleyville Post Office, 30 Hawleyville Road, passport fee $67 adults, $52 ages 16 and under, plus $30 Passport Execution fee (optional $60 expedited service fee, $15 photo fee if needed) bring evidence of US citizenship or nationality, also bring photo ID, children age 14 and under must be accompanied by both parents; 270-6062.

NewtownREADS: Mockingbird performances, 2 and 7 pm, Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main Street, tickets $5 (matinee) and $10 (evening show), drama based on Harper Leeâs To Kill a Mockingbird will continue Mockingbird-related events, evening performance will include reception, advance tickets strongly suggested; 426-4533 (Booth Library for details).

Top Of The Mountain

Lamont, Bysiewicz Invite Public To Connecticut’s Annual 9/11 Memorial Ceremony

Crash Closes Busy Road, Sends Three To The Hospital

Trinity Church Building & Driveway To Be Closed During Parade

Students Start 2025-26 School Year Across The District

I have to say, I don’t understand how this project could be considered “morally wrong.” That kind of language feels more like obstruction than constructive dialogue. What is morally wrong is leaving seniors in our community without enough housing options. Right now, Newtown does not have adequate senior housing, and the few developments that exist, like Naunawag Meadows, already have waiting lists. As for the comment that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” that simply isn’t accurate. The system is broken when residents who’ve lived here their whole lives cannot find an affordable and appropriate place to age in town. Responsible development that balances environmental concerns, safety improvements (such as traffic calming measures and sidewalks), and the needs of our seniors is exactly the kind of planning Newtown should be doing. This isn’t about wanting or not wanting something in one’s backyard—it’s about building a community that takes care of its people. Please don't get scared away by the nimby mob.

Planning & Zoning Continues Discussion Of 12 Cold Spring Road

It seems a lot of the discussion around the flagpole focuses on vilifying drivers who pass on the right, but the real issue is being overlooked. If Chapter 248 Section 14-251 were enforced, we wouldn’t see this problem to begin with. That statute prohibits stopping in the middle of a roadway to yield to cross traffic—as so often happens with cars waiting to turn from Church Hill. When vehicles stop illegally in the travel lane, they effectively create a blockage. Other drivers then either sit through unnecessary delays or carefully pass around them on the right, which is fully permitted when the vehicle ahead is “illegally parked” in the roadway. Instead of punishing drivers reacting to the obstruction, enforcement should focus on the cause: vehicles unlawfully stopping and backing up traffic in the first place. If that behavior were addressed, the need to “go around” would largely disappear.

Borough Board of Burgesses Continues Traffic Safety Discussion

John, you raise an important point — these situations are tragic, complicated, and often far less clear-cut than the headlines make them seem. In the Fredericksburg case, the full facts still aren’t publicly known, and like so many of these stories, there’s conflicting information. It was apparently the back door at 3 a.m. — was it justified to use deadly force? We don’t know yet. What we do know is that the homeowner has been charged, and as you rightly noted, that is very serious. But this is also where perspective matters. These cases are quickly sensationalized in the news and on social media, yet when the dust settles, the outcomes are rarely publicized. People forget that in our system, you are innocent until proven guilty. Try to find much coverage of the convication in the case of the Fairfield Realtor vehicle homicide, or updates on the woman who shot her husband a couple of Christmases ago, or even the pedestrian death in Sandy Hook a year or so back. The follow-through simply isn’t there, and public opinion is often shaped only by the first round of headlines. At the end of the day, these situations remind us how split-second decisions in the middle of the night can change lives forever — which is exactly why the right to protect one’s property, home and family is so fiercely debated, and lucky constitutionally protected.

Late Night Prank Gone Wrong

First the low hanging fruit. Dave; it was a joke, please get over it. You are the only person in Newtown that thought I really wanted to build a stadium on 6 Commence Rd. Now on to Alex. You might not appreciate my writing style or my selection of words, but let's not loose sight of the fact that by responding to my letter in the manner that you did, you have removed any doubt whatsoever that you have no idea of the quantifiable benefits you are dismissing not only for the town, but also for protesters. Either you stopped listening at the word "ordinance" or you never started.. Your constitutional rights to assemble were never in question and would actually be strengthened and there would be literally no impediments. We could even title it "The Alex Villamil Ordinance" if you want. It could be your legacy and actually show Newtown your willingness to work in a bipartisan way for the betterment of the town. Businesses would be protected. Traffic wouldn't be interrupted. The town would save hundreds of thousands of dollars in police overtime. And maybe most importantly, the town could prevent another tragedy while mitigating legal risk in the event something terrible happens at a protest. Nothing bad could never happen in Newtown right? All that could be accomplished by a simple, non-intrusive ordinance unless all the detriments to our town are intentional in order to bring more attention to your cause. Alex, this was not me throwing a temper tantrum. Believe me, you will know it if that happens. I am just putting Newtown first. From that perspective, if you think critically, the regulation is necessary. It makes sense logically, rationally, and is reasonable. There is absolutely no down side. None. I would be willing to sit down with you to see if we could come to some type of compromise if you want. Let me know. You would be amazed how much you can accomplish when there is dialogue amongst neighbors.

It’s About Dialogue Amongst Neighbors — Not Regulation

A popular prank circulating on TikTok is “ding-dong-ditch” where a group of young people violently bang or kick someone’s door late at night and then “ditch” or run. On May 3 three high schoolers here in Fredericksburg Va. were participating in such a prank. One homeowner assumed, as in this case, an attempted break in and also took measures to defend his family and property. As the youths were running away he fired, striking an 18 year old graduating senior in the back killing him and seriously injuring a second youth. A wasted life, a family shattered, and the homeowner charged with murder.

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