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Alumni Fund's Gift Will Go Into Parks & Rec Campership Fund

By Shannon Hicks

Published: December 15, 2014 12:00 am

NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect NAF’s current tax status. * * * * * Representatives of The Newtown Alumni Fund (NAF) visited the Newtown Parks & Recreation office on Friday, Decembe...

Peace Light To Be At Troop A Barracks Tuesday

Published: December 15, 2014 12:00 am

SOUTHBURY — The Catholic Committee on Scouting of The Diocese of Brooklyn and the Catholic Chaplain of JFK International Airport announce the 2014 arrival of the Peace Light from Bethlehem, Church of ...

Sunday Evening Interfaith Gathering Marked 12/14 With Many Blessings

By John Voket

Published: December 15, 2014 12:00 am

As a small choir of children sang to piano accompaniment, more than 150 visitors gathered in the warm and brightly lit Newtown Meeting House Sunday evening for an hour-long interfaith service recogniz...

Families Of 12/14 Victims File Wrongful Death Lawsuit

By Associated Press

Published: December 15, 2014 12:00 am

HARTFORD (AP) — A law firm representing the families of nine of the 26 people killed and a teacher injured at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012, says it has filed a lawsuit against the...

Alumni Fund's Gift Will Go Into Parks & Rec Campership Fund

By Shannon Hicks

Published: December 15, 2014 12:00 am

NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect NAF’s current tax status. * * * * * Representatives of The Newtown Alumni Fund (NAF) visited the Newtown Parks & Recreation office on Friday, Decembe...

Families Of 12/14 Victims File Wrongful Death Lawsuit

By Associated Press

Published: December 15, 2014 12:00 am

Sunday Evening Interfaith Gathering Marked 12/14 With Many Blessings

By John Voket

Published: December 15, 2014 12:00 am

Peace Light To Be At Troop A Barracks Tuesday

Published: December 15, 2014 12:00 am

Recovery And Resiliency Team Looks Back, Forward After Six Months

By John Voket

Published: December 13, 2014 12:00 am

After six months on the front lines, Newtown’s six-member Recovery and Resiliency Team (RRT) is taking stock of its progress while turning a wary eye toward the future. RRT Community Outreach Liaison ...

Recovery And Resiliency Team Looks Back, Forward After Six Months

By John Voket

Published: December 13, 2014 12:00 am

Snapshot: Debi Modzelewski

10U Baseball State Tourney Will Take Place At Glander Field Complex

Newtown Rail Trail Fundraising Goal Reached, Clearing Way For Construction

My Backyard Habitat: Pollen Distribution — How Plants Are Pollinated

FONS Holds Third Annual Membership Dinner

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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Alumni Fund's Gift Will Go Into Parks & Rec Campership Fund

Peace Light To Be At Troop A Barracks Tuesday

Sunday Evening Interfaith Gathering Marked 12/14 With Many Blessings

Families Of 12/14 Victims File Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Alumni Fund's Gift Will Go Into Parks & Rec Campership Fund

Families Of 12/14 Victims File Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Sunday Evening Interfaith Gathering Marked 12/14 With Many Blessings

Peace Light To Be At Troop A Barracks Tuesday

Recovery And Resiliency Team Looks Back, Forward After Six Months

Recovery And Resiliency Team Looks Back, Forward After Six Months