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Snapshot: Debi Modzelewski

Published: Jul 01, 2026 7:30 am

Who is in your family? My husband, John. We also have four adult children and six grandchildren: Johnny, his wife Kate, and son Cai; Jared, his wife Samantha, and children Maddox, Mason, & Mila; Allison, her husband Anthony, and children Adalyn and Ashton; and my son David, who lives in Massachusetts and is a YMCA director and a USA Paralympic coach. We are so incredibly proud of all of them.

Pets: We have two dogs — Lulubee, our boxer, and Lillibet, our Labradoodle. We couldn’t live without having them!

How did you meet your husband? John and I went to high school and then reconnected years later. We just celebrated our 43rd anniversary!

Work: I recently retired from the Board of Education, where I worked for 25 years! I started at Middle Gate and ended my career at NHS. What I miss the most is my conversations with the HS students. Whether we talked about school, sports, home, or even prom proposals, I always enjoyed their candor and humor.

Are you an active member of any clubs, organizations, and/or communities of faith? I am an avid tennis player and joined two clubs in Middlebury, playing at least 3-4 times a week. It’s a wonderful lifelong sport.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Spending time with family and friends takes up most of my time, and of course, my grandchildren always keep me busy.

How long have you lived in Newtown? John and I bought our first house in 1983. There is no place else I’d rather be. Two of our children live here, and to be able to walk to their homes and around town with them is amazing!

What is your favorite thing about Newtown? Definitely the people, former students, and the lifelong friends I have made.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? The last vacation that the entire family went on was to Sea Isle in New Jersey. We rented a house a block from the beach, walked to restaurants and local shops, and had the most amazing time.

Favorite music? I love all types of music! My father had an amusement company so my sisters and I grew up with jukeboxes in the house. He’d always bring home the latest Billboard Top Ten. My children as young as 3 years old would play songs on our own jukebox and memorize the lyrics and sing! I really think Billy Joel and the Beach Boys taught them how to talk!

What is your proudest accomplishment? My proudest accomplishment is definitely my children. I am so very blessed to be their mom. I also consider my daughters-in-law and son-in-law my children as well, I would do anything for them!

Do you have a personal credo? My mom always said that it doesn’t matter how much you have, or don’t have, because no one is better than you and you are not better than anyone else. Just be a good person.

This week's Snapshot features Debi Modzelewski. —Bee Photo, Hicks

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With the publication of installment No. 26, Trump’s Triumphs has now consumed enough broadsheet paper—approximately 3.6 miles—to stretch from the center of Newtown, past the dump, and nearly to Sand Hill Plaza. That is the amount of paper used to print these 26 installments alone. Do you think they will stop before we get to Monroe? If Trump becomes 48 in 28 then we would make the sound for sure!

Elections Have Consequences XXVI

Dave, you are right that only those in the Borough signed onto the law suits, as it was made clear during the Borough meetings that signers had to be residents of the Borough. However, as you know, there was a concerted effort by the Newtown Conservation Coalition to organize people (throughout town) and to orchestrate actions intended to foil the overall development. If one searches the Bee for “Newtown Conservation Coalition” one will find many articles and editorials that cite the coalition. More that 18 of those articles and editorials, from March 2024 through February 2025, are about the Castle Hill Development and include direct quotes from the NCC head/founder including, e.g.,: 1) Newtown Conservation Coalition founder Dave Ackert has sagely urged his fellow NCC members to “stick to the relevant regulations issues and concerns in your testimony,” as “general opinions and concerns will not be considered when making their decision." [https://www.newtownbee.com/08292024/borough-zoning-to-begin-20-60-castle-hill-public-hearing." [https://www.newtownbee.com/08292024/borough-zoning-to-begin-20-60-castle-hill-public-hearing] 2) “We’re being sold a lot of things,” said Ackert. “The developer said he is going above and beyond in preserving open space, but the only part [of the plan] that doesn’t have houses are the steep slopes. He’s not avoiding buildable land, he’s using every buildable inch.” [https://www.newtownbee.com/09272024/borough-zoning-hears-perspectives-on-castle-hill-development] In addition to the articles and editorials, you (Dave) also wrote over 8 letters related to the development, in essence speaking for the residents, e.g., saying “On behalf of hundreds of concerned residents living within 500 feet who signed protest petitions, and residents downstream who’s property and finances could also be negatively impacted, I ask the BOS to rescind the discontinuance decision now.” [https://www.newtownbee.com/07102025/discusses-rochambeau-trail-and-6-commerce-road] The main tools for the Newtown Conservation Coalition are FOI complaints and legal action. These actions have increased the amount both the Town and the Borough have had to pay for legal counsel over the last few years. The cost is shared by all households and businesses for Town actions. Unfortunately, it is shared by very few, relatively speaking, for Borough actions. This year’s Borough costs are $58,000 to date. There were FOIA/legal actions in 2024 and 2025 too. Eventually, we will all see if that was money well spent. My sense is that the answer is no.

What’s Going On In The Borough?

my concern is not limited to this single FOIA request or this one case. It is the broader pattern of obstructionism, fear-mongering, and personal nastiness reflected in your Facebook page and other public commentary. You routinely call people to action by presenting only one side of complicated issues, assigning the worst possible motives to those who disagree with you, and giving little consideration to the legitimate concerns or perspectives on the other side. That may generate outrage and attention, but it does not make you a constructive participant in Newtown’s civic affairs. You are entitled to question public officials and pursue whatever legal remedies are available to you. But you should not pretend that your own conduct, rhetoric, and repeated escalation of disputes have played no role in the hostility and expense surrounding these matters. Newtown would be a nicer and more productive community with less of this kind of divisive behavior.

My "actions" were a single request for audio recordings of public meetings. It would have cost the Borough ZERO dollars to turn those over, as required by law. Instead, the Chair of the Borough Zoning commission decided, unilaterally, without informing the rest of his commission, to fight that Freedom of Information request. Mr. Johnson attempt to deflect blame falls flat on its face here. Facts matter.

Can you name a single person involved in one of the lawsuits who does not reside in the Borough? I'll wait......

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Snapshot: Debi Modzelewski

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