Cultural Events

FONS Summer Soiree Reservations Deadline Approaching

Published: Aug 03, 2026 7:45 am

Friends of Newtown Seniors Inc (FONS) is a dynamic and inclusive nonprofit, all-volunteer entity that is focused on advocating for the growing senior population. The organization hosts several social events throughout the year to foster friendship and community. Every month, the group invites members of the public to join it at different restaurants for dinner and conversation.

The next FONS event will be the group's third annual Summer Soiree at Aquila’s Nest Vineyards, 56 Pole Bridge Road, on Tuesday, August 11, at 5 pm.

Tickets are $35 a person and include one beverage, charcuterie board, and entertainment by Solid Gold Times Two. Reservations are required by August 6.

There will also be a 50/50 raffle (cash only).

Attendees are welcome to bring their own appetizers, but readers are reminded that no outside beverages are allowed at Aquila’s Nest. The event is open to all area residents; it is not limited to Newtown seniors. Those under age 21 must be accompanied by an adult.

For reservations or for more information, visit fonsevent.org or call 203-430-0633.

Friends of Newtown Seniors board members — from left, Beverly Bennett Schaedler, Joan Alexander, and John and Vicki Boccuzzi — hope to see many familiar among new faces when FONS hosts its third annual Summer Soiree. The event will return to the beautiful setting that is Aquila’s Nest in Sandy Hook. —Bee Photo, Hicks

Friends of Newtown Seniors is a dynamic and inclusive nonprofit, all-volunteer entity that is focused on advocating for the growing senior population. The organization hosts several social events throughout the year to foster friendship and community.

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It's a bit ironic. On July 31, 2025, Bruce Walczak wrote that "evasive answers or silence are unacceptable in government." He also promised to respond to constituent inquiries and to "close the loop," even when there wasn't an immediate answer. Two weeks of silence in response to a legitimate question seems difficult to reconcile with that pledge. The standard wasn't set by his critics—it was set by Bruce himself. Just another politician ... say whatever is necessary to get the job. Original letter: https://www.newtownbee.com/07312025/a-commitment-to-responsiveness/

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Bruce, welcome to the conversation. Your recent statement after the storm — admitting that you should have communicated “faster, more completely, and more personally” — was fine as far as it went. But this is not just about one storm. It is about a pattern. You ran on openness, responsiveness, and transparency, even saying that “evasive answers or silence are unacceptable in government.” The problem is that Newtown residents have been dealing with exactly that silence from you since you were elected. Newtown’s Emergency Management page says the town, together with the Office of the First Selectman, provides “critical public information and warning” during emergencies. The town also rolled out CodeRED cellphone registration on March 24, 2022 so residents could receive emergency information directly. So where were you when police were searching for missing 23-year-old Kateri Doty in January? Where were you during the brush fires near the Newtown town line in April? Where were you on April 22, when state police and Newtown police were searching for two people who fled an I-84 crash and a canine search moved into the Church Hill Road area? Residents should not be hearing about a missing person, wildfire conditions, or police tracking dogs moving through backyards from Facebook, neighbors, or kids in town. They should be hearing from their town government. This is not really about whether you personally press the CodeRED button. Or how many task forces you have created. It is about leadership. You are the First Selectman. You are responsible for making sure the town communicates clearly, quickly, and visibly when public safety is involved. So yes, it is nice that you have finally acknowledged the problem. But the public did not need this storm to figure it out. We have been saying it for a long time. Bruce, you were missing when the town needed to hear from you. The question now is whether this storm finally woke you up, or whether this is just another late apology followed by more silence.

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Who would think that we would start losing count? Maybe not so much a typo as a copy-and-paste error, easy to understand after this much repetition.

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FONS Summer Soiree Reservations Deadline Approaching

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