News

New Mini Mart Owner Requests Modest Tax Abatement

By John Voket

Published: September 06, 2014 12:00 am

From the barren, pocked lot where a boxy Shell station once stood greeting residents and visitors exiting Interstate 84 onto Church Hill Road, a new, more aesthetically pleasing Colonial-looking mini ...

SHS Staffers Aim To Inspire A Nation To Promote 'Common Sense' Gun Laws

By John Voket

Published: September 06, 2014 12:00 am

The small, occasionally boisterous but often hushed group of women gathered around a set of tables one recent afternoon at a Newtown restaurant could have been mistaken for any group of friends or co-...

Deadline Extended: Raffle Supporting Reach Newtown To Last All Month

By Kendra Bobowick

Published: September 06, 2014 12:00 am

While driving a larger-than-life bright orange chair through New York City recently, Newtown resident Douglas Calderone soon realized that its eye-catching qualities could do more than raise a smile. ...

Investigation Continues To Determine Start Of Fire That Heavily Damaged Sandy Hook Home

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: September 05, 2014 12:00 am

Fire officials this week were continuing their probe into the cause of a September 2 Alpine Circle house fire that heavily damaged a two-story Colonial-style home on that road in the Riverside section...

Proposed NHS Auditorium Add-Ons Revealed During BOF Capital Plan Review

By John Voket

Published: September 05, 2014 12:00 am

Following a discussion this week among leading town officials about the rollout of a townwide facilities review, the Board of Finance discussed with First Selectman Pat Llodra and school district offi...

Council Sets $1.25 Million Asset Cap For Tax Relief

By John Voket

Published: September 05, 2014 12:00 am

With more than a quarter-million dollars remaining unspent in a tax relief fund for qualifying town seniors and those with disabilities, the Legislative Council engaged in a spirited discussion Septem...

Finance Board Hosts Officials For Update On Enrollment, Facilities Analyses

By John Voket

Published: September 05, 2014 12:00 am

The Board of Finance was joined by members of the Boards of Selectmen and Education as well as members of the Legislative Council for the first part of a regular August 28 meeting, which provided an o...

Visiting Newtown, September 9: Injured Veterans To Cycle 355 Miles For Ride 2 Recovery Minuteman Challenge

By Shannon Hicks

Published: September 05, 2014 12:00 am

More than 150 cyclists including injured veterans — men and women from all branches of the Armed Forces — and their supporters will be participating in the Fifth Annual Ride 2 Recovery (R2R) Challenge...

School District Receiving Additional $3.1 Million SERV Grant

By John Voket

Published: September 04, 2014 12:00 am

Newtown School Superintendent Joseph V. Erardi, Jr, joined US Representative Elizabeth Esty, Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, and US Department of Education Office of Safe and Healthy Sch...

Police Reports | August 23-September 2, 2014

Published: September 04, 2014 12:00 am

Huntingtown Road Crash, Charges Police report that Loida Flores, 23, of 124 Huntingtown Road was driving a 2005 Toyota vehicle northward near 176 Huntingtown Road about 1:50 am on August 23, when...

It’s Not Too Late To Recognize The Importance Of 2026

Discusses Song And Our Country

Higher Property Taxes Are Not the Answer

A Community Thank You

Newtown Bridge Club Grateful For Success Of Event

This should have been printed as XXVII in case you would like to redo your calculations.

Elections Have Consequences XXVI

It is actually XXVII - 27. There was a misprint in the title.

Elections Have Consequences XXVI

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.

What’s Going On In The Borough?

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