Occupation: I am what you would call an "active retiree." I was a longtime crane operator in Connecticut and New York, and I work now for Quick Dick Crane Service in Shelton only when they need me. That means when the weather is right!

By DOROTHY EVANS

Published: Feb 27, 2004 12:00 am

Occupation: I am what you would call an âactive retiree.â I was a longtime crane operator in Connecticut and New York, and I work now for Quick Dick Crane Service in Shelton only when they need me. That means when the weather is right!

How Long In Newtown: My wife Lesley and I have lived here 33 years in the same house off a dead end street called Timber Lane.

I was born and raised in Bridgeport, then went into the service for three years between 1962 and 1965. We were stationed in Hawaii for 32 months for jungle training, but I was lucky not to have to go to Vietnam because my time was up just before we got in there. Some others in our group did go over, and they were not so lucky.

Then I got married and we came to Newtown. We raised our son here.

Biggest Change You Have Seen In Town: The traffic, and the new railroad bridge on Church Hill Road. That was a long time coming. Itâs a great improvement. The policemen used to have to watch the trucks try to go under the old bridge. When I was driving the mobile cranes, I knew all the railroad bridges around here and I knew which ones I couldnât go under. But sometimes I came close!

Family: Lesley and I have one son, Christopher, who lives in New Hampshire. He went to Newtown schools and to the University of Connecticut. He works for Cisco Industries and he was the one who got me into computers.

Hobbies: I like bowling. I belong to two leagues at Brookfield Lanes. Then I like photography, and I used to do weddings. I shoot pool on Tuesday nights with the guys I work with, but itâs OK. They take it easy on me.

Pets: We have two cats, Samantha, and Speedy. Speedy adopted us. The woman next door moved away to Bridgeport, and he just came in our cat door one day and walked down the hall and stayed.

Favorite TV Show: I like C.S.I. and mysteries. My wife used to work as a medical technician so we like to watch those kinds of shows together.

I love to watch UConn basketball ââ the women and the men.

Organizations: I belong to Triad, and I spend a lot of time at the Senior Center. I also belong to SALT (Seniors and Law Enforcement Working Together).

I help at the St Rose Carnival every year, setting up and taking down. While itâs going on, youâll find me at the fried dough, eating not serving.

Most Vivid Memory About Newtown: There are a lot of things. What sticks out most recently is the crash on Route 25 South, between the oil tanker truck and the SUV. We live just across from where that happened and we heard it. It sounded like two empty dumpsters being dropped from high up. Then we saw the flames.

Â I appreciate what the firemen and the police do in this town. They put their lives on the line all the time.

Favorite Vacation Spot: We like to go on cruises. Weâve been to the Virgin Islands and to Bermuda. And we visit my son in New Hampshire.

Personal Philosophy: People should take responsibility for what they do and not blame other people. About raising kids, youâve got to know who their friends are, and be involved in their lives. I know itâs not always easy when people have to work. You do your best.

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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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Occupation: I am what you would call an "active retiree." I was a longtime crane operator in Connecticut and New York, and I work now for Quick Dick Crane Service in Shelton only when they need me. That means when the weather is right!

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