News

FunSpace II Dedicated, But Still Closed

By Shannon Hicks

Published: July 29, 2014 12:00 am

While the formal dedication of FunSpace II, the new playground at Dickinson Park, was held over the weekend, Newtown Parks & Recreation is reminding residents that the playground is still closed. “We ...

Understanding A Threat To The Region's Ash Trees

By Kendra Bobowick

Published: July 28, 2014 12:00 am

Newtown is among a growing number of towns in recent years infested with the emerald ash borer, “a destructive insect responsible for the death and decline” of ash trees throughout the country, accord...

Permanent Memorial Commission Publishes First Q&A

By Nancy K. Crevier

Published: July 28, 2014 12:00 am

The Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial Commission has published a document in the form of questions and answers (Q&A) at the town website as an effort to guide people through the process, said commission c...

Sobriety Checkpoint Nets One DUI Arrest, Many Other Violations

Published: July 28, 2014 12:00 am

Police report that during a sobriety checkpoint that they held on the evening of Saturday, July 19, and early morning hours of Sunday, July 20, at the intersection of Wasserman Way and Trades Lane at ...

HealingNewtown Project To Phase Out, But NCAC Arts Programs To Continue

By Shannon Hicks

Published: July 26, 2014 12:00 am

The era of HealingNewtown programs is coming to an end. Launched in January 2013 by Newtown Cultural Arts Commission (NCAC), with the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut and the Connecticut Offic...

Summit At Newtown: South Main Street Mixed-Use Building Gains P&Z Approval

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: July 26, 2014 12:00 am

Following a July 17 public hearing, the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) approved the construction of an 18,750-square-foot mixed-use two-story building at a 2.35-acre site at 146 South Main Stree...

Sports Car Runs Off Hawleyville Road, Hits Tree

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: July 25, 2014 12:00 am

About 2:33 am on Sunday, July 20, police received a call reporting that a vehicle had driven off the road and gone down an embankment alongside Hawleyville Road (Route 25), near the Brookfield town li...

Two Sessions Slated On SHS Project

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: July 25, 2014 12:00 am

Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members are scheduled to conduct a public hearing on the zoning aspects of the proposed new Sandy Hook Elementary School at 7:30 pm on Thursday, July 31, at Newtow...

Airplane Crashes Into Swamp Near Danbury Airport; Pilot Uninjured

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: July 25, 2014 12:00 am

DANBURY – A single-engine 1984 Beechcraft Bonanza airplane crashed near Danbury Municipal Airport on the evening of Thursday, July 24. The airplane was approaching Runway 35 from the south for a landi...

DOT Describes Church Hill Road Improvement Project

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: July 25, 2014 12:00 am

State Department of Transportation (DOT) officials this week provided more details on their plans to improve a 1,100-foot-long section of Church Hill Road, including realigning the broadly offset inte...

The Way We Were

Top Of The Mountain

'Great Art-Doors' Opening Reception Sunday Afternoon

Community Invited To Public Reading Of Declaration Of Independence

Theater Review: A Top Notch ‘Auntie Mame’ On Brookfield’s Stage

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.

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!

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.

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FunSpace II Dedicated, But Still Closed

Understanding A Threat To The Region's Ash Trees

Permanent Memorial Commission Publishes First Q&A

Sobriety Checkpoint Nets One DUI Arrest, Many Other Violations

HealingNewtown Project To Phase Out, But NCAC Arts Programs To Continue

Summit At Newtown: South Main Street Mixed-Use Building Gains P&Z Approval

Sports Car Runs Off Hawleyville Road, Hits Tree

Two Sessions Slated On SHS Project

Airplane Crashes Into Swamp Near Danbury Airport; Pilot Uninjured

DOT Describes Church Hill Road Improvement Project