Calendar

<< November 2026 >>
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS Early Voting for State Elections Early Voting for State Elections (final day) “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks”	2 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Cooking the Books (A Cookbook Club) Employee Medical Benefits Board meeting Houseplants 101 Newcomer Bridge Board of Selectmen hybrid meeting (agenda posted)	3 State Elections “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Mother Goose on the Loose Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Virtual Author Talk: “Reclaiming Your Inner Wisdom: Sacred Indigenous Teachings” Board of Education Policy Committee meeting Mahjong Open Play: Evening Edition Grateful Gatherings Police Commission public hearing Fairfield Hills Master Plan Review Committee meeting (agenda posted) Police Commission meeting (agenda posted) Board of Ethics meeting Lake Lillinonah Authority virtual meeting (agenda posted)	4 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Chat Bridge Mother Goose on the Loose 30 Minute Flex & Balance with Sean Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Aquarion Water Authority special hybrid meeting (Bridgeport, agenda posted) Making Art with Miss Nora CANCELED Zoning Board of Appeals meeting Board of Education hybrid meeting (agenda posted) Fairfield Hills Authority special meeting (agenda posted) Waste Management Ad Hoc Committee meeting (agenda posted) Legislative Council hybrid meeting (agenda posted)	5 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” American Mahjong Open Play Mother Goose II Nonfiction Book Club Six-Week Memoir Writing Class Series with Beth Young Book Explorers “A Purposeful Life: Finding Meaning And Direction At Every Age” 15 For Life NHS Football Game CANCELED C.H. Booth Library Buildings & Grounds Subcommittee meeting Board of Ethics meeting (agenda posted) Cultural Arts Commission meeting (agenda posted) Planning & Zoning Commission hybrid meeting (agenda posted)	6 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Artisan Market	7 Fall Fair Paper Shredding And Electronics Recycling Fundraiser (Monroe) “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” NHS Band and Guard Monthly Bottle and Can Drive Harvest Faire & Artisan Market “Voices From the One-Room Schoolhouse: A Community Storytelling Event” (new date) Newtown Chess Club Celebrate Diwali Jason Isbell: A Special Concert to Benefit Ben’s Lighthouse SOLD OUT
8 Inaugural NHS Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (Monroe) “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Newtown Historical Society Open House “Newtown & Beyond” opening reception Floating Sound Bath Meditation with Joy Hoffman Susan Lucci	9 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Music Monday with Principal Al Second Monday Book Club Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Holiday Plant Bingo C.H. Booth Library Finance Committee special meeting (agenda posted) Newcomer Bridge Board of Finance hybrid meeting (agenda posted)	10 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Mother Goose on the Loose Western Council of Governments Technical Advisory Group (TAG) meeting Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Legislative Council Transportation Committee meeting Northern Fairfield Professionals meeting C.H. Booth Library Development Committee meeting Parks & Recreation Commission meeting “So You Want to Write a Children’s Book: Things You Should Know to Write a Story" Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers meeting (agenda posted) CANCELED Conservation Commission meeting C.H. Booth Library Board of Trustees meeting Lake Zoar Authority meeting (agenda posted) Borough Board of Burgesses meeting (agenda posted) Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Board of Trustees meeting	11 VETERANS DAY “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” CLOSED TODAY Pre-K Sample Class CLOSED TODAY “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Chat Bridge 30 Minute Flex & Balance with Sean Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Virtual Author Talk: “How Money Became God — Rethinking Wealth and Greed in Modern Society" “Tracking Down Your European Ancestors” virtual lecture (Genealogy Club of Newtown) “Seasonal Garden Care: Time for a Fresh Approach” An Evening with Ethan Tapper Charter Revision Commission meeting (agenda posted)	12 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Mother Goose II Sanctuary Storytime: Winter Ready Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority meeting Walking with Wendy: Brisk/Sporty “Navigating Holiday Feasts with Chronic Conditions” Book Explorers Sell Unwanted Gold Virtual Author Talk: “Fire, Passion, and Heritage — Native American and Mexican Cooking” Italian Conversation Group NHS Fall Drama presents "Radium Girls" Water & Sewer Authority meeting Flagpole Photographers Camera Club meeting	13 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Music Dynamics Sell Unwanted Gold Owl Prowl Turkey Toss Free Throw Competition NHS Fall Drama presents "Radium Girls" Rat Pack featuring Marilyn Monroe	14 Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard Recruitment Information Presentation “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Lions Club Food Drive Sell Unwanted Gold Community Yoga for All Levels Elderberry Syrup Workshop “Honey: The Science Behind the Fruit” Newtown Chess Club Sanctuary Sound Bath Class Taylorville Qigong — Self-Acupressure Hiram Lodge No. 18 Second Annual Fall Concert NHS Fall Drama presents "Radium Girls" The Science of Stars: An Evening of Cosmic Curiosity with EverWonder
15 “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Screening of "Wicked: For Good" “Those Who Sided with the King: Loyalists of Newtown, Bethel and Redding During the American Revolution” NHS Fall Drama presents "Radium Girls" Floating Sound Bath Meditation with Joy Hoffman	16 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Lunch & Learn — “Is It Time to Downsize?” Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Harvest Hearth & Baking: Cozy Autumn Creations Commission on Aging meeting Fairfield Hills Master Plan Review Committee meeting Newcomer Bridge Board of Fire Commissioners meeting Board of Selectmen meeting	17 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Mother Goose on the Loose Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games The Price is Right CANCELED C.H. Booth Library Finance Committee meeting Drop-In Story Time and Craft Harvest Hearth & Baking: Cozy Autumn Creations Board of Education CFF/CIP Subcommittee meeting Visit with Therapy Dogs CANCELED Community Center Commission meeting Board of Education meeting Economic Development Commission meeting Public Building & Site Commission meeting	18 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” Pre-K Sample Class “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Chat Bridge Mother Goose on the Loose 30 Minute Flex & Balance with Sean Animal Care & Control Advisory Board meeting Lunch & Learn with Newtown Democratic Town Committee Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games SCAN Artist Demo: Robert Noreika Town Building & Infrastructure Committee meeting Bike & Trail Committee meeting Borough Zoning Commission meeting Inland Wetlands Commission meeting Legislative Council meeting	19 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Mother Goose II Western Council of Governments, Housatonic Valley and Southwestern Regional Planning Organizations meeting Spin Bingo Book Explorers Read with Thor Silent Book Club Borough Historic District meeting Planning & Zoning Commission meeting Sustainable Energy Commission meeting Virtual Author Talk: “Epic Worlds and Celestial Prophecies — Exploring the Between Earth and Sky Trilogy” Board of Finance meeting Pension Committee meeting	20 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Friendsgiving St Rose School Bingo Newtown Stage Company presents: "Oliver!"	21 “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Settle in the Sanctuary for Winter Newtown Chess Club Newtown Stage Company presents: "Oliver!" Author Talk with Ruchin Kansal Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary Annual Thanks-Living Vegan Dinner (South Britain) Newtown Stage Company presents: "Oliver!"
22 “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Newtown Stage Company presents: "Oliver!"	23 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Gingerbread House Craft Newcomer Bridge Board of Fire Commissioners meeting Fairfield Hills Authority meeting	24 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” Blood Drive “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Senior Center Movie Afternoon: "Martha" Legislative Council Transportation Committee meeting	25 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Chat Bridge 30 Minute Flex & Balance with Sean Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games CANCELED Borough Zoning Board of Appeals meeting	26 THANKSGIVING 17th Newtown Turkey Trot “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” CLOSED TODAY	27 “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” CLOSED TODAY	28 “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Newtown Chess Club
29 “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks”	30 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Lunch & Learn — “The Stock Market and Emotions” Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Nature’s Book Club Newcomer Bridge	1 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Nonfiction Book Club Public Safety Committee meeting Board of Education Policy Committee meeting Police Commission meeting Board of Education meeting C.H. Booth Library Governance Committee special meeting Lake Zoar Authority meeting Lake Lillinonah Authority meeting	2 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Chat Bridge 30 Minute Flex & Balance with Sean Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Zoning Board of Appeals meeting Legislative Council meeting	3 “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” C.H. Booth Library Buildings & Grounds Subcommittee meeting Cultural Arts Commission meeting Planning & Zoning Commission meeting	4 HANUKKAH BEGINS AT SUNDOWN “Newtown & Beyond: Flagpole Photographers Annual Exhibition” “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Cosmic Charlie Brown Christmas "All My Sons" opening night performance (Town Players of Newtown)	5 “Elements: An Exhibit of Fiber Art by FiberWorks” Friends of the C.H. Booth Library 21st Holiday Sale NHS Band and Guard Monthly Bottle and Can Drive Newtown Chess Club Performance of "All My Sons" (Town Players of Newtown) The ABBA Reunion Tribute Show

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Friday, April 20, 2198

Anne LaPorta

Fire Reports | October 29-November 2, 2026

Dining Guide: Sugo Gastrobar — The Ultimate Modern Italian Dining Experience

One Year In, Hundreds Of Pieces Of Medical Equipment: Newtown’s Wheel It Forward Branch Keeps Growing

First Selectman Seeking Residents To Fill Openings On Local Boards & Commissions

what is the purpose of a turf grass field if you only play on it when the weather is nice?

Football Game Moved To Thursday, Soccer State Playoff Matchups Announced

To the children and their parents: I have delayed this message for eight months because I was in a dark place following the last two of my nine surgeries, in December and February. I apologize for the lack of clarity that resulted. Now again in the light, I want to express my sincerest and deepest gratitude for the life you have given me. For the honor and privilege and indescribable responsibility you have bestowed upon me, as your children’s pediatrician. Twenty five years ago, I was brought to Sandy Hook to practice alongside a friend and colleague. We built something together. And then life, in its stark and brutal efficiency, took that away. A spinal cord injury following the first of those surgeries almost broke me. Just months after that, our community also fractured. The deaths at Sandy Hook Elementary School occurred soon after my paralysis. I learned to walk again—or rather, I had accepted that I would never walk normally, when the loss of life—the only lives I have ever lost in my career as a pediatrician—brought me to my knees. This is what I learned. Three decades of pediatrics have taught me to Live—Love—Learn—Laugh—Listen—Lead. Not in the order you may think or that we may have learned, but in the order we actually come to living a meaningful life. You cannot learn if you don’t listen. You cannot listen if you cannot laugh at yourself—as I have many times in an exam room acting and being ridiculous. You cannot laugh unless you feel free to love—and I truly loved your children, not as abstractions, but as the specific, irreplaceable persons they are. You cannot love without living fully in the present moment. And living fully allows you to lead. Leading requires understanding what you can control and accepting what you cannot. Everything else simply follows. To chase what you cannot control, to chase what follows, is to run behind, never catching what the moment brings. Babies still make me cry. After nearly thirty years, they still make me cry. Two cells become a living human with infinite potential. There is something inexplicable and unknowable in that transformation. I have never grown past that, never wanted to. It is the source of my own personal faith and spirituality. Physics teaches us that energy is never lost. I believe the energy instilled in a child—the force that makes them who they are—is forever. It never truly vanishes. It changes form. It is unique to each living creature. It moves through us, between us, around us. You can feel it in a newborn’s grip. You can see it in a child’s eyes when they recognize you and smile. You can sense it in a room when a family holds their baby for the first time, or says goodbye for the last time. Whatever that energy is— life, spirit, potential, love—it persists. Changed by time, expressed differently by each person, but it remains around us, if not part of us. Anyone who has loved and lost has felt it. Perhaps, unexplained, it is simply accepted as a feeling. I believe it is more complex and never knowable by us, at least not now, not here, as we know space-time. No pediatrician or parent in this community could ever fail to acknowledge how the school shooting tore our community apart. Forever grieving, I will not be defined by that darkness. Instead, I have chosen to be defined by my love of the color purple. I choose butterflies, horses, and whales. I choose kindness and neurodiversity. I choose the memory of our children as they lived and as they were, not by how they were taken. I remember them. I have spoken out and will continue to act. But I will not be imprisoned by that day. I choose laughter as it is the best and sometimes only medicine; and I choose to laugh and lose rather than win and want. We started out on Mount Pleasant Road with a vision. When my health and our community fractured, our practice fractured with it—we separated paths and I moved on. My respect for our shared practice of pediatrics could never be questioned, however; nor would I ever question it’s success. I never felt that I was on my own; many followed, many stayed. My appreciation never wavered. I owe a debt of gratitude to Peggy and Charlene. Together, we would not be diminished. We moved forward and we adapted. I learned that separation is not defeat; it brings clarity of vision and reveals your path and what you are meant to do. We rebuilt the practice on a different foundation but never weakened. We moved from Queen Street to the little blue house on Church Hill Road. Then when it made sense—when the weight of carrying on alone grew too heavy, we merged again. When Danbury Hospital’s pediatricians and nurse practitioners were left without positions, we opened our doors welcoming their practice and their families. We moved, yet again. Almost instantly, the pandemic came. We adapted. The practice grew, but it would never outgrow me. Because I also grew. I grew older because of it; but, as many already know, I will never grow up. Each separation, each merger, and every move reminded me that you do not stay by staying still. Kristen originally joined me as an LPN with a quiet competence. As an LPN, then obtaining her RN and BSN, then becoming an APRN. She became the soul of the practice to Peggy’s heart. Though I name only a few of those with whom I had the honor to work, to employ, and to work for, the unnamed are not—nor ever will be—forgotten. Each of you has left an indelible mark on my soul and every patient has filled a portion of my heart. The practice continued to grow because, together, we were able to move forward—not from weakness, but from a commitment to each other. Not from certainty, but from a willingness to listen and respond. Not from darkness, but to brightness. After two and a half decades, I entrusted the ship to Kristen—not because I relented or because I was weakened by my circumstances, but because the work was bigger and more important than I, as an individual, was; and the ocean was too vast that I could no longer navigate. While I stepped back from daily practice, I am not stepping away from pediatrics. I remain accessible to families who seek counsel. I will be writing a book, because parenting— like pediatrics—is not a destination but a practice; and every parent and every child deserves to know that they are not alone in their uncertainty. I will be teaching. I will be writing. I will be here, even if not physically. I will be listening. I have lived because I was able to listen to you. Laugh with you. Learn from you. Love your children—not perfectly, not without doubt or as you do, but genuinely. And you gave me the extraordinary privilege of helping to lead you and teach you, while being led and taught by you in return. I have held your fear. I have tried to remain steady during uncertainty. I ask you to remember that laughter and love are sometimes the only bridge across those unbearable moments. I learned this with you. I learned this from you. I came here the same way I leave here. I will continue to live, love, learn, listen, and lead—and most importantly I will definitely continue to laugh. To the families who trusted me: your children have forever changed who I am as a physician and as a person. The responsibility you gave me shaped not just my career, but my character. That is a debt that can never be paid; though it will forever be honored and cherished. Thank you. Babies still make me cry. I still hold them in awe, and I will always be inspired by the children and adults they have or will become. That will never change. Be kind. Be present. Be well. Forever grateful, Rick Auerbach

25 Years Of Pediatrics: Rick Auerbach May Have Retired, But He Isn’t Finished Teaching Parents And S

Thank you Sam Cross and The Bee for making this story possible.

For the record, my sons; Matthew and John, know how proud I am. While they were both once brilliantly moronic, they have developed into amazingly bright young men who have the capacity to change the world and mold future generations. I thank Sandy Hook Elementary for part of that, the rest of my appreciation goes to my wife, Julie Auerbach.

Even with a supermajority, Hartford can't seem to get it done. Apparently, perfection is just two more Democrats away.

Letter Of Endorsement

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