Letters Of Endorsement

By CURT CLARK

Published: Oct 31, 2003 12:00 am

To the Editor:

Newtowners deserve to have the advantage of a first selectman with a track record that proves he understands the balance between growth and character, and a selectman who has the experience of having served on the Planning and Zoning Commission. We want that key commission and the government professionals who interact with developers, businesspeople, and homeowners, to deal with executives with experience.

Sometimes it sounds like we face a choice between two bad options: sacrifice our open spaces and the character of Newtown, or lose out on opportunities for economic development. Yet in the last six years, the commercial grand list has grown by 28 percent, and currently contributes $6.5 million in property taxes. Newtown has retained its charm.

Herb Rosenthal and Joe Bojnowski are the team with the credentials and experience we want and deserve, and they deserve our support.

Chuck Wrinn

32 Hundred Acres Road, NewtownÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â October 29, 2003

Celebrating America’s Semiquincentennial Locally: Brainstorming Underway By Newtown 250 Committee

Snapshot: Sam Grummons

Alexander CHAN Wai-Kei (1/1/1958-2/9/2026)

Reflecting On One Year Of Rock This Democracy

Sandy Hook School Gets Its Groove On With Soul Steps

Randi was my first crush. She was the first girl to kiss me. We lived in Ashbourne Hills in Claymont and Randi's home was about a block from me. We walked to Darley Road Elementary many days, and spent time after school together (I had 3 younger brothers but me being, I guess, 8-9, they weren't much fun). I don't remember getting a chance to say good-bye to her the summer she moved away. But not a week has gone by in the last 65 years that I don't think of her. I send my deepest respects to her family. Know that Randi will be a part of my heart as long as I breathe.

Randi (Decater) Beardsley

A birth certificate is a permanent document that doesn't change...your marriage license/certificate is proof of a name change and used to confirm changing your driver's license, SS card, Passport, etc.

Elections Have Consequences XXI

The “Newtown has no town green/town common” line is doing a lot of work. We literally have Ram Pasture — a huge public green space — right at Main Street and 302. And it’s not like it’s never been used for exactly this kind of thing. Ram Pasture was used for a candlelight vigil, and it was also used during the warehouse protest. So yes — there is a highly visible public space for gatherings that doesn’t require turning the busiest intersection in town into a choke point. If the goal is truly to be heard without disrupting day-to-day life, then use Ram Pasture, keep sidewalks passable, and don’t “accidentally” crowd the roads in front of Town Hall because it’s the most effective way to force attention. Free speech is a right — manufactured gridlock doesn’t have to be part of it. I have yet to hear a convincing argument as to why it needs to be on and IN the busiest road in town. The Bee's own photos show people standing in the road. Of course, local PD doesn't want to get involved because we all remember what the mob did when they suggested some common-sense suggestions to protect the crowds...

The proposed Director of Operations salary is roughly $125,000. With benefits, the cost jumps fast. Even conservatively, you’re looking at about $162k all-in ... and if we end up with two senior administrative roles, we’re easily at $325k+ annually. Apparently, the new strategy is: run for First Selectman, get the salary, then announce you’ll need an additional executive (or two) to do the actual job. Must be nice—most of us don’t get to accept a role and then immediately propose hiring extra people at six figures to make it workable. But sure, why stop there? The first Selectman needs a new driver and a private chef to handle those late 7:00 meetings. Quickly slip it in the budget and hope nobody notices. In classic Billy Mays fashion, but why stop there, let's add some admin staff, the First Selectman doesn't like to have to respond to his constituents directly, before he was elected, he did, but no longer, let's add a couple of staffers, how about a Deputy Director of Folllw up, Chief Email Forwarding Officers, Director of Accountability Avoidance. If the First Selectman role isn’t manageable, then maybe the answer is to elect someone who can manage it—not to keep adding expensive layers. At minimum: publish the duties, reporting structure, and measurable results that justify the cost.

Town Administrator, Town Manager, Director Of Operations?

I was talking about the state being forced to turn over our voter data files to the federal government. Last I checked States are in charge of elections. I show my license every time I vote. There is no evidence of wide scale nton-citizens voting in this country. The Heritage Foundation looked into this and could not find a problem. If the so-called Save Voting law were to be passed, I, as a woman who changed my name when I got married, would have to go through additional work to prove who I am because my name no longer matches what was on my birth certificate.

<< Feb 2026 >>
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28

Log In

Letters Of Endorsement

Leave a Reply Cancel reply