Spring and early summer 2020 have been a great challenge for everyone, Girl Scouts included, but local troops have found ways to adapt to the new reality of soc...
The Newtown Bee’s “Get To Know” series features a look at local buildings. Is there a building you would like to “get to know?” E-mail eliza@thebee.com with...
HARTFORD — The Connecticut Insurance Department seeks public comment at an informational public meeting on the rate proposals filed by Aetna, Anthem Health Plan...
William Craig Decker, 49, passed away unexpectedly at his home in Sandy Hook on Tuesday, August 25.
He was predeceased by his father, Donald W. Decker, and is s...
Some flowers are meant for picking and others are meant for picking a path for a stroll among them. Those would be sunflowers. Castle Hill Farm, 1 Sugar Lane, f...
What are newtownbee.com readers reading? Each week we compile a list of the most read posts published to our site. Here is a roundup of the week’s top five post...
With great sorrow we share that David Ferris, Sr, of Woodbury, passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, August 25, from complications of ALS. He was 71 ye...
To the Editor:
For over 30 years, the Newtown Lions have raffled off a vintage Mustang. The event has become a staple of our region. While many ticket buyers jo...
To the Editor:
CT newspapers have widely reported that Republican leadership were aware back in the April/May timeframe of video evidence of their candidate for...
To the Editor:
Eversource’s statement for August tells me my electric usage for this August was the same as August of last year and the bar chart shows it the s...
Bruce, not a single member of the BOE (including GOP members, who I sense you are focused on here) initiated the action to have these books reviewed. It was a parent in town. So to insinuate that a political party (GOP) was guiding the hand of the BOE just isn't based in facts. I would counter that such an assertion is indicative of someone who is being hyper-partisan themselves.
Not to be overlooked, not a single member of the BOE, from either party, motioned to have the books removed. In fact, it was the GOP members who made motions seeking compromise to address the concerns of parents both in favor and against the books (i.e., keep the books but allow parents to opt-out of having them checked out by their children). That sure doesn't sound like national partisanship to me.
Emotionally charged is a good way to describe it. And if you’re in a public facing role as a volunteer, you need to develop a thicker skin. The majority of people in attendance at this meeting were incensed at the fact that four members were completely ignoring expert opinion, students, and a large contingent of their community. Were some people a little over the top, I think yes — but a very small minority in attendance. You and I saw the same thing but take away different views. Fine. I’ll respect your view. But I’ll agree to disagree.
Respectfully, I am sorry to hear what your child and family had to go through. But that is in no way an excuse for adults to bully other adults. Where do our children learn a bulk of their behaviors from? Adults. If adults act like bullies don’t you think that will influence some children to act like bullies?
And I would love to focus more on bullying in our schools - and force the school system to do more - but my comment, this article, and this whole controversy are not about bullying in school. I am simply calling out poor public behavior I see from my fellow adult neighbors.
mkmurphyphd: Vile is an overstatement for May 16; though the behaviors were definitely disrespectful. If you want a true display of “vile” behavior I IMPLORE you to watch the recording at the June 1 meeting. Watch 33:20-43:20.
This doesn't pass the smell test. Let's assume that the 2 of them were really on this quest for the children. If they had the votes, which they would have if the 4 voted together, then it would have been a shame for them to leave the day before the vote essentially sabotaging their own chances after working so hard for a desired outcome. Would it have really made a difference for them to wait one more day, get the vote they want, then step down? And if there was a credible threat, the police would be involved.
The way it looked to me is that the 2 remaining GOP board members were enthusiastic to vote for the final motion--not resigned to do so, or disappointed, or reluctant. They could have abstained in protest. But they didn't. It tells me that Larkin & Kuzma knew the vote wasn't going to go their way (probably because they became a liability after all those screenshots of ethics violations) and thought it best to move on.
Nice try though. I would guess someone going by the name "qstorm" would know a thing or 2 about mobs.