Business

Newtown Resident Presents Restaurant Week To Benefit Danbury Hospital Nurses

By Sam Cross

Published: May 02, 2026 7:00 am

Scott Skrzypczak, a Newtown resident for 20 years, also works as AVP of supply chain at Nuvance Health. Skrzypczak considers himself a “foodie,” so when the Danbury Hospital Philanthropy Committee was looking for new ideas for fundraisers, Skrzypczak suggested a restaurant week.

“I think Newtown has some of the best restaurants in the area,” Skrzypczak told The Newtown Bee this week. Skrzypczak added he thought it would be a “great way to get some awareness for Danbury Hospital Foundation,” as well as help out the nurses on staff.

Nurses have to pay annually to keep certificates up to date and are always looking to continue their education to stay informed. Skrzypczak explained the funds raised from this upcoming week will go directly toward supporting nurses continuing their education to “help offset” those costs.

This restaurant week is an inaugural event he hopes to bring back next year, but for now, there are quite a few restaurants participating. Skrzypczak said he is hoping “to pack the restaurants” because this will “benefit everybody.”

In each restaurant, there will be placards with QR codes on them that will lead directly to a donation site if any customer wishes to donate beyond what is raised through their purchase. Skrzypczak said, “This is all for the benefit of the community. It's all about supporting nurses who are the unsung heroes of healthcare.”

The Schedule

It all starts on May 3 and runs through May 10, which coincides with National Nurses Week. Participating restaurants include Aquila’s Nest Vineyards, Cosmic Café + Smoothie Bar, Good Ole Days, Hilltop Kitchen, Marygold’s, NewSylum Brewing Co, and Taco Dia. Not all of these restaurants are participating the whole week.

Aquila’s Nest Vineyards will be donating proceeds from the Aquila Sunrise Mocktail on Wednesday, May 6 and Thursday, May 7.

Taco Dia will donate ten percent of each check on Wednesday, May 6.

Cosmic Café will donate a percentage of sales on Friday, May 8.

Good Ole Days and Marygold’s will be donating a percentage of proceeds from specialty pies.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.

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The editorial took no position on the budget going up or down so you're reading things into the editorial that simply aren't there. The turnout is tied to the lack of passage, in that people who came out to vote last time did not this time, indicating a lack of support on their part. Perhaps it wasn't spelled out clearly enough, but that's what the editorial was driving at, people showing lack of support by not casting a vote. The editorial did address likely concerns among voters that may have led to lack of support and lack of turnout. This lower turnout also follows increasing turnout over the past four referendums in three years (meaning it is an aberration from that), and increased turnout is something that I do push for regularly in editorials. Any disappointment you might be seeing is at the break in that trend, not at whether the budget passed or not. I'd rather see more people come out and vote "no" then not vote at all.

Lower Turnout Results In Two Budget Defeats

Clearly, property owners no longer want to bear the burden of expenses while the state does not meet it’s responsibilities. Rising costs must be addressed by actions that do not include yearly increases of property owners’ taxes. The state of CT must meet its share of the educational costs, and other costs.

Town And School Budgets Fail At Referendum

This feels like an oddly misleading headline and narrative, particularly coming from the Editorial Board. The headline "Lower Turnout Results in Two Budget Defeats" pushes a misleading narrative regarding voter turnout, and then seeks to tie the outcome of the referendum to that misleading narrative. Sure, voter turn out for this year's referendum, 18%, was lower than last year's. However, last year's turnout, 25.4%, represented the highest turnout in the most recent 10 budget referendums. If you take the time to examine turnout percentages between 2017 and 2026 (2017: 19.9, 2018: 15.7, 2019: 17, 2020: 0, 2021: 8.98, 2022: 7.7, 2023: 8.8, 2024: 15.1/17.49, 2025: 25.4, 2026: 18), this year's turnout was actually the third highest in the past 10 cycles. Perhaps the headline of this article should say "Lower Voter Turnout Than Last Year", which is more accurate, rather than creating an impression that this year's turnout is some type of aberration - a narrative that the turnout numbers, in all their binary glory, simply do not support. Further, the headline of this article appears to tie the "lower turnout" to the defeated budgets. Sure, that could be true. But, perhaps, its more likely that Newtown residents are feeling the squeeze of multiple economic influences. In Newtown, we've experienced property revaluations and increased municipal spending. Eversource continues to raise rates. The state legislature gives PURA the authority to impose Public Benefit charges that benefit a tiny percentage of the public (and subsequently burdening the rest of us). At the national level, inflation has run rampant for years and many of those costs remain high to this day. In short, the data tells a far less dramatic—and far more honest—story than the headline suggests. This wasn’t an electorate vanishing in apathy; it was a fairly typical turnout delivering an verdict that, perhaps, some at the Editorial Board didn't like. At some point, it’s worth considering that residents aren’t confused, disengaged, or misled by turnout; they’re simply doing math at their kitchen tables and concluding that “no” is the only responsible answer left.

Enjoyed the forum which only confirmed my support for Brandon Moore as the Democratic candidate to run for the state representative position. Brandon Moore did not waiver about his duty to all the people, if elected, when an issue presents itself that requires that he voice a difference of opinion for the wellbeing of Newtown residents. If Michelle Ku’s 16 years have led to her loyalty being to other elected officials, as she implied, then Newtown is going to continue to witness actions that do not protect its residents. She could not unseat republican, Mitch Bolinsky, during a Blue Wave, and once again, will not do it now. Winning that seat is critical for all. That explains why her previous campaign committee now campaigns for Brandon Moore. It explains all the endorsements he has received from local elected democratic officials. It’s why we need Brandon Moore to be the democratic candidate to run for state representative.

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Appreciated the opportunity to hear from both candidates as we were present for the College Dems forum but only heard from Brandon Moore. It was an opportunity to see who can unseat the Republican incumbent and there is no doubt that Brandon Moore should be the Democratic candidate. One concerned parent posed a question about discrimination unaddressed by the school district and interestingly enough, Michelle Ku, who proudly speaks of her Board membership years, said little, while Brandon Moore passionately addressed the issue along with his experience as an Apache Helicopter Commander. This family is supporting Brandon Moore. We need change and someone who is not afraid to disagree, especially about the rising costs of living in Newtown.

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Newtown Resident Presents Restaurant Week To Benefit Danbury Hospital Nurses

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