Calendar

<< July 2025 >>
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
29 Register to Ring: Salvation Army Christmas in July Newtown Historical Society Annual Tag Sale "Fairfield Hills: A History of Mental Health in Newtown” Newtown Art & Frame Staff Exhibit "A Complete Unknown" screening	30 Register to Ring: Salvation Army Christmas in July “The Work of Jodi Brown” "Fairfield Hills: A History of Mental Health in Newtown” Newtown Art & Frame Staff Exhibit (last day) “Two Ruins” Photographs by William Frucht Learn to Play the Ukulele for ages 4-9 Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Learn to Play the Ukulele Nature’s Book Club: "A Walk in the Park" by Kevin Fedarkos Board of Fire Commissioners special meeting (agenda posted)	1 Register to Ring: Salvation Army Christmas in July “Two Ruins” Photographs by William Frucht Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Computer Tutoring Newtown Farmers Market CANCELLED Police Commission meeting “The Chilling Chronicles of Ice Cream” CANCELLED C.H. Booth Library Governance Committee meeting Lake Lillinonah Authority meeting (agenda posted)	2 Register to Ring: Salvation Army Christmas in July “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” “Two Ruins” Photographs by William Frucht 30 Minute Flex & Balance with Sean Fitzpatrick Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corp Executive Board meeting (agenda posted) Recycling Ad Hoc Committee meeting (agenda posted) CANCELLED Zoning Board of Appeals meeting Legislative Council hybrid meeting (agenda posted)	3 Register to Ring: Salvation Army Christmas in July “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” “Two Ruins” Photographs by William Frucht American Mah Jong Open Play Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Free Write Weekly at the Library Summer Concert Series: Dirty Martinis CANCELLED Cultural Arts Commission meeting Planning & Zoning Commission hybrid meeting (agenda posted)	4 INDEPENDENCE DAY Register to Ring: Salvation Army Christmas in July CLOSED TODAY “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” CLOSED TODAY “Two Ruins” Photographs by William Frucht	5 Register to Ring: Salvation Army Christmas in July “Two Ruins” Photographs by William Frucht
6 Register to Ring: Salvation Army Christmas in July	7 Register to Ring: Salvation Army Christmas in July “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” “Two Ruins” Photographs by William Frucht Magic Monday Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Town Building & Infrastructure Committee hybrid meeting (agenda posted) Lake Zoar Authority meeting (agenda posted) Legislative Council Ordinance Committee special meeting (agenda posted) CANCELLED Board of Selectmen meeting	8 Register to Ring: Salvation Army Christmas in July “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” “Two Ruins” Photographs by William Frucht Tuesday Tunes at Dickinson Park: Steve Elci and Friends Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Computer Tutoring Newtown Farmers Market Meet Maggie Board of Education Policy Committee meeting (agenda posted) Northern Fairfield Professionals meeting C.H. Booth Library Development Committee meeting (agenda posted) Parks & Recreation Commission meeting (agenda posted) CANCELLED Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers meeting Board of Education hybrid meeting (agenda posted) C.H. Booth Library Board of Trustees meeting (agenda posted) Borough Board of Burgesses meeting (agenda posted) Newtown Volunteer Ambulance meeting (agenda posted)	9 Register to Ring: Salvation Army Christmas in July “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” “Two Ruins” Photographs by William Frucht 30 Minute Flex & Balance with Sean Fitzpatrick Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games CANCELLED Inland Wetlands Commission meeting	10 Register to Ring: Salvation Army Christmas in July “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” “Two Ruins” Photographs by William Frucht American Mah Jong Open Play Mother Goose on the Loose Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Free Write Weekly at the Library Summer Concert Series: The Barn Rats Hattertown Historic District Commission meeting Water & Sewer Authority meeting (agenda posted)	11 Register to Ring: Salvation Army Christmas in July “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” “Two Ruins” Photographs by William Frucht Mother Goose II "Moana 2" screening 49th Annual Friends of the C.H. Booth Library Book Sale Newtown Senior Center Open House "Moana 2" screening ETH: Drive-In: "Ghostbusters"	12 Community Yoga for All Levels with Alyssa Mancini “Two Ruins” Photographs by William Frucht 49th Annual Friends of the C.H. Booth Library Book Sale Cooking for Kids with Miss Sheila "Moana 2" screening "Moana 2" screening ETH: Drive-In: "Ghostbusters"
13 49th Annual Friends of the C.H. Booth Library Book Sale "Moana 2" screening “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” opening reception	14 “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” “Two Ruins” Photographs by William Frucht 49th Annual Friends of the C.H. Booth Library Book Sale Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games POSTPONED Shortt’s Night on the Farm Shortt’s Night on the Farm Board of Finance meeting	15 “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” “Two Ruins” Photographs by William Frucht 49th Annual Friends of the C.H. Booth Library Book Sale (last day) Tuesday Tunes at Dickinson Park: Joy Blooms Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Computer Tutoring Newtown Farmers Market C.H. Booth Library Finance Committee meeting CANCELLED Community Center Commission meeting CANCELLED Board of Education meeting C.H. Booth Library Buildings & Grounds Subcommittee special meeting (agenda posted) Economic Development Commission meeting (agenda posted)	16 “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” “Two Ruins” Photographs by William Frucht 30 Minute Flex & Balance with Sean Fitzpatrick Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Ageless Grace Brain Health Fitness Exploring Famous Artists with Miss Nora CANCELLED Recycling Ad Hoc Committee meeting (agenda posted) Hearts of Hope-Newtown Paint With A Purpose event CANCELLED Borough Zoning Commission meeting Bike & Trail Committee meeting (agenda posted) Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps quarterly meeting (agenda posted) Legislative Council hybrid meeting (agenda posted)	17 “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” “Two Ruins” Photographs by William Frucht American Mah Jong Open Play Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games “All About Us: Learn What WCAAA Can Do For You” Summer Time is Story Time with Miss Nora Virtual Author Talk: New York Times Bestselling Author Marie Lu Free Write Weekly at the Library Summer Luau “Ageism Unmasked” Book Discussion Series: Preface, Introduction & Chaptrer 1 — A Timeless Newtown event Summer Concert Series: The Saints Band Planning & Zoning Commission meeting (agenda posted) Sustainable Energy Commission meeting (agenda posted) Pension Committee meeting (agenda posted)	18 “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” “Two Ruins” Photographs by William Frucht "Seussical The Musical Jr"	19 Newtown VNA CPR Class Community Yoga for All Levels with Alyssa Mancini "Seussical The Musical Jr" "Seussical The Musical Jr"
20 Newtown Conservation Commission Work Day "Seussical The Musical Jr"	21 “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” Magic Monday: Steve Woyce Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Commission on Aging meeting (agenda posted) Shortt’s Night on the Farm Board of Selectmen meeting	22 “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” Tuesday Tunes at Dickinson Park: BenAnna Band Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Computer Tutoring Newtown Farmers Market Meet Maggie the Therapy Dog Board of Education CFF/CIP Subcommittee meeting “Ageism Unmasked” Book Discussion Series: “The Era of Technology and Medicine” — a "Timeless Newtown" event Community Center Commission special meeting (agenda posted) Conservation Commission meeting Democratic Caucus Public Building & Site Commission meeting	23 “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” Mother Goose on the Loose 30 Minute Flex & Balance with Sean Fitzpatrick Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Exploring Famous Artists with Miss Nora “Vacations Can Be Murder”: A True Crime Author Talk with Jodé Millman and Dawn M. Barclay Borough Zoning Board of Appeals meeting Inland Wetlands Commission meeting	24 “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” Blood Drive American Mah Jong Open Play Mother Goose II Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games “Caring Smarter: How AI Empowers Caregivers and Protects Our Seniors” Summer Time is Story Time with Miss Nora Free Write Weekly at the Library Maplewood Summer Concert Series: Jammin Steel Band Summer Concert Series: My Brother’s Band CANCELLED Borough Historic District meeting	25 “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" screening "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" screening ETH Drive-In: "Carrie"	26 Community Yoga for All Levels with Alyssa Mancini Cooking for Kids with Miss Sheila "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" screening Exploring Science with Charbel: Color Chromatography "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" screening ETH Drive-In: "Carrie"
27 "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" screening	28 “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” Summer Coding Club: Grades 4-6 Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games “The Defrauding of Medicare and How To Not Be A Victim” Nature’s Book Club hybrid meeting Board of Fire Commissioners meeting Board of Selectmen meeting	29 “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” Tuesday Tunes at Dickinson Park: Lynn Lewis and Friends Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Computer Tutoring Newtown Farmers Market	30 “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” Mother Goose on the Loose 30 Minute Flex & Balance with Sean Fitzpatrick Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Exploring Famous Artists with Miss Nora	31 “The World Through the Eyes of An Artist” (last day) American Mah Jong Open Play Mother Goose II Newtown Bridge Club Open & Limited Games Virtual Author Talk: “On the Strangeness and Wonder of Our Brains” with Pria Anand C.H. Booth Library Board of Trustees Executive Committee meeting Free Write Weekly at the Library Summer Concert Series: One Track Mind Board of Finance meeting	1 "Mean Girls: High School Edition"	2 Easy Teen Improv "Mean Girls: High School Edition" "Mean Girls: High School Edition"

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‘Timeless Newtown’ Series Updated With ‘Ageism Unmasked’ Book Talks

Longest Day Fundraiser Continues Raising Funds For Alzheimer’s Research

Borough Continued Traffic Safety Discussion, New Cultural District

‘The Isle of Skoo’ Premieres New Assembly Show

PD Open House Planned

Thank you for pointing out the trail access provisions included in the BOS motion—it’s an important clarification that deserves more attention in this conversation. If the development is, in fact, required to provide permanent free public access and commit to ongoing maintenance of this section of the Rochambeau Trail, that is a remarkably beneficial outcome for the town. oIt’s not every day that a private project shoulders the long-term burden of preserving and caring for a public historical corridor at no taxpayer cost—especially one that previously had no formal access, upkeep, or visibility. Let’s be honest: the idea that the only way to protect history is by preventing any development nearby is a rigid and unworkable standard. What’s being proposed here appears to strike a rare balance—historic preservation, public access, and smart development all rolled into one. That’s not a loss its a win. So rather than allowing a handful of voices to derail progress under the banner of “historic purity,” maybe it’s time to acknowledge the reality: this trail is better off with structured stewardship and visibility than remaining an overgrown ghost on old maps. Let’s move forward. Bring in the easement, bring in the public access—and yes, bring in the bulldozers!!! Progress and preservation can coexist. Let’s not let the NIMBY use fear or nostalgia keep us stuck in the past.

Discusses Rochambeau Trail And 6 Commerce Road

I've heard that several people are under the impression that the public might be banned from the Rochambeau Trail. Points 2 and 3 from the BOS motion (included in full below) make it clear that public access to the trail is part of the requirements for the developer. From what I understand, it requires free public access to the trail in perpetuity. Technically, this could be argued to be a "payment-in-kind," that attempts to balance public good with overall town growth. We can argue about weather that balance is acceptable and how the trail may be affected, but with the understanding that the trail is expected to be maintained as a publicly accessible trail regardless. July 15, 2024 Board of Selectmen approved motion: Discontinuance of Reservoir Road: Selectman Cruson moved the resolution: Resolved, that the Newtown Board of Selectmen, in accordance with Section 2-115(d)(8) of the Town Charter and Conn. Gen. Stat. §13a-49, and subject to the conditions set forth below, hereby discontinues an unimproved portion of Reservoir Road described as “Portion of Reservoir Road to be Discontinued “on that certain survey map which will be recorded on the Newtown Land Records titled “Map Showing Portion of Reservoir Road to be Discontinued” dated August, 2023 and revised September 15, 2023, and certified substantially correct by Gregory Szyszowski of SLR (the “Survey Map”), said discontinuance contingent and effective only upon the completion of the following: 1. The approval of an application for the development of land in the manner described in a letter from Attorney Thomas W. Beecher to First Selectman A. Jeffrey Capeci and Members of the Board of Selectmen dated May 30, 2024, pursuant to the “Residential Open Space Development” regulations of the Borough of Newtown by the Borough of Newtown Zoning Commission, and construction of that approval project within the timeframes required for special exception approval; 2. The inclusion of the discontinued portion of the road as part of the final Declaration of Conservation Restriction; 3. The conveyance of a mutually agreeable public easement to the Town of Newtown for pedestrian, bicycling, equestrian, and all other passive recreational uses (to exclude the use of motorized vehicles except as may be necessary by the Town or its designee to effectuate the purpose of the easement), and for municipal utility purposes; Be it further resolved, that Castle Hill Real Estate Holdings, LLC., its successors and assigns, shall not use any portion of the discontinued road as a vehicular road or access way to and from any developed portions of the property. Be it further finally resolved, that should any of the foregoing contingencies not occur, then the discontinuance contemplated herein shall not become effective and this resolution will become null and void. From: https://www.newtown-ct.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif12216/f/minutes/bos_7-15-24_min-_att_final.pdf

Is this paper road (roads that only exist on paper map but not in reality) even owned by the Town? Many roads that predate the Town's road standards are privately owned and were never accepted by the Town, such as many of the nonconforming roads around the lake communities where the property owners own right to the center line. That is something we had to deal with when working on the Roads Ordinance a few years back. We also had to deal with a private road to run the utilities to the new SHS.

For anyone who wants to know, I cant post a link here, but Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority has an entire website. Look up "HRRA whats in whats out"

I Get It!

It’s important to clarify that while public process matters, so does the right of a property owner to reasonably develop land they legally own—especially when they follow the rules and engage with the town in good faith. The Board of Selectmen (BOS), whether one agrees with their decision or not, did not “give away” anything. The land in question was part of a road that had been unused and undeveloped for generations. There was no public access, no signage, and no infrastructure—just an overgrown path most residents never knew existed. Mr. Ackert calls the discontinuance “illegal,” but state law grants municipalities the authority to discontinue roads, subject to procedural requirements. The fact that this matter is in litigation shows that questions of law are being properly addressed in court—not in letters to the editor. If the court finds procedural flaws, they’ll be corrected. That’s how the legal system works. Real solutions are found through public process and the courts, not through social media outrage. What’s missing from this conversation is a recognition that towns need to balance many interests: history, environment, public access, private property rights, and economic development. And while the newly championed Revolutionary War heritage is important, there are also pressing modern realities: towns need housing, economic vitality, and responsible development. These things don’t happen in a vacuum—they require compromise, planning, and often, yes, change. If residents truly wish to preserve this trail as public space, the appropriate path is through purchase, conservation easement, or formal designation—not by expecting private landowners to bear the burden of public sentiment. If the writer believes so strongly in its value, perhaps they might consider investing in its preservation themselves. We can honor our history without freezing our town in time. Development and preservation aren’t mutually exclusive—but vilifying one side of the conversation only deepens division. Let’s focus on solutions that balance respect for the past with the rights and needs of those who live here now.

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