News

Regionalized Radio Dispatching Under Review By Fire Officials

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: May 01, 2014 12:00 am

Fire officials from the town’s five volunteer fire companies are reviewing a controversial proposal to move the town’s radio dispatching for 911, police, fire, and ambulance calls from the Newtown Eme...

Phone System Changeover At Town Hall South This Morning

By Shannon Hicks

Published: April 30, 2014 12:00 am

A changeover to a new phone system at Town Hall South will be taking place this morning around 9:30 am, according to Director of Emergency Communications Maureen Will. The system change will cover the...

Town Hall South Phone System Still Being Worked On

By Shannon Hicks

Published: April 30, 2014 12:00 am

A changeover for the phone system at Town Hall South is complete this evening, but there are still a few technical issues being worked on, according to Newtown Director of Emergency Communications Mau...

Library Director Search This Time Is Deliberate And Comprehensive

By Nancy K. Crevier

Published: April 29, 2014 12:00 am

Thoughtful, diligent, thorough, and complete are a few of the words Michael Talluto chose to describe the work being done by the New Director Search Committee of the Board of Trustees of C.H. Booth Li...

Informational Session Slated On Hawleyville Sewer System Expansion

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: April 29, 2014 12:00 am

An informational session to explain the construction aspects and cost implications of the planned expansion of the Hawleyville sanitary sewer system is scheduled for Thursday, May 8. The meeting, whic...

Public Comments Sought On Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan

Published: April 29, 2014 12:00 am

The Town of Newtown will host a public information meeting on Wednesday, April 30, at 7 pm, in the Newtown Municipal Center to discuss the preparation of a Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan for the town....

Dedication Of National Memorial To Fallen Educators Scheduled

Published: April 29, 2014 12:00 am

EMPORIA, KAN. — The National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF) will dedicate the Memorial to Fallen Educators on June 12, at 2 pm, on the Emporia State University campus. This memorial and dedication cerem...

Supermarket Seeks Approval For Grocery Pickup Service

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: April 28, 2014 12:00 am

The town will be reviewing a proposal from the Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, LLC, to allow the firm to position several storage lockers outdoors near the front entrance to its Botsford store as par...

Grant Will Cover Abatement Of Single-Family Homes In FFH

Published: April 28, 2014 12:00 am

Thanks to $200,000 in grant funds, hazardous materials abatement in the single-family houses at Fairfield Hills has begun, with abatement and demolition of Danbury Hall to follow. An additional $200,0...

Council Releases Draft Of Proposed Senior Tax Relief Changes; Hearing May 7

By John Voket

Published: April 26, 2014 12:00 am

Legislative Council Ordinance Committee Chair Ryan Knapp has released a draft of the revised senior tax relief proposals going to a planned public hearing May 7 before the regularly scheduled council ...

CVH Animal Sanctuary To Celebrate America250 With Red, White & Blueberry Community Harvest

Flagpole Photographers & Cultural Commission Join To Celebrate 1776

Newtown Celebrates USA 250th Anniversary

Town Historian To Present 'Newtown In The American Revolution'

Local Semiquincentennial Events Planned

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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Regionalized Radio Dispatching Under Review By Fire Officials

Phone System Changeover At Town Hall South This Morning

Town Hall South Phone System Still Being Worked On

Library Director Search This Time Is Deliberate And Comprehensive

Informational Session Slated On Hawleyville Sewer System Expansion

Public Comments Sought On Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan

Dedication Of National Memorial To Fallen Educators Scheduled

Supermarket Seeks Approval For Grocery Pickup Service

Grant Will Cover Abatement Of Single-Family Homes In FFH

Council Releases Draft Of Proposed Senior Tax Relief Changes; Hearing May 7