News

Firm Appealing Marijuana Dispensary Decision

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: March 31, 2018 12:00 am

A firm that sought town zoning approval to potentially allow a medical marijuana dispensary to operate in an industrial building on Commerce Road on March 20 was denied permission for such a use. In r...

An Earlier Than Expected Move Into Permanent Home For FAITH Food Pantry

By Shannon Hicks

Published: March 31, 2018 12:00 am

[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-312010" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/SH_early-move-for-FAITH-Food-Pantry-front-entrance-WATERMARKED.jpg" alt="SH_early move for FA...

Aspiring Lawmaker Harriman-Stites Releases First Position Statement

By John Voket

Published: March 30, 2018 12:00 am

Aspiring 106th District candidate Rebekah Harriman-Stites has released a preview of her first position paper toÃÂ The Newtown BeeÃÂ offering perspectives drawn from her direct experience i...

Proposed Water Tank Prompts Queries

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: March 30, 2018 12:00 am

Sandy Hook residents living near the site proposed for a one-million-gallon water storage tank this week posed a range of questions to representatives of the Aquarion Water Company. The firm wants to ...

Esty Writes Mea Culpa To Colleagues As GOP Calls For Resignation

By Ana Radelat

Published: March 30, 2018 12:00 am

Editor's note: After reaching out to Sandy Hook Promise regarding Tony Baker, The Newtown Bee was told that "he does not work for" the local nonprofit. WASHINGTON, DC - Republicans on March 30 ca...

State Police Pursuit Snares New Britain Man

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: March 30, 2018 12:00 am

A state police pursuit of a New Britain man, which started on Interstate 84 in Newtown about 2 pm on Monday, March 26, ended in Southbury after the vehicle that the man was driving crashed and rolled ...

Assessment Appeals Board In Flux Under Crush Of Hearings

By John Voket

Published: March 30, 2018 12:00 am

The most recent townwide property revaluation has resulted in a crush of approximately 200 valuation appeals, including more than a dozen involving local commercial entities with property assessed at ...

Meetings Rescheduled On Hunters Ridge Multifamily Project

By John Voket

Published: March 30, 2018 12:00 am

Four public meetings on a scaled-down version of Hunters Ridge, a controversial mixed-use complex proposed for 79 Church Hill Road, have been rescheduled by the town. Developer 79 Church Hill Road, LL...

State Releases $235,000 Grant For Newtown Road Projects

By John Voket

Published: March 30, 2018 12:00 am

"Awesome," was First Selectman Dan Rosenthal's immediate reaction Friday after learning the Connecticut Office of Policy & Management (OPM) just released a $235,371 grant to Newtown to apply to road c...

Flags Ordered To Half Staff To Honor State Police Trooper

Published: March 29, 2018 12:00 am

HARTFORD- Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that he is directing U.S. and state flags in Connecticut to be lowered to half-staff beginning immediately in honor of Connecticut State Police Troo...

Winter Solstice Celebration Continued Despite The Cold Temps

St Rose Parish To Welcome Internationally Acclaimed Chris Stefanick For Special ‘Reboot’ Event

The Way We Were

Dining Guide: Papa Al’s — Pizza, Pasta, And Subs

Mildred Noble Burr

We love Papa Al’s both for take out and sit down. We’d highly recommend!

Dining Guide: Papa Al’s — Pizza, Pasta, And Subs

My darling, You were the best GRANDmother a child could ask for. You created so many great memories & traditions that I have passed down to your Great grandchildren. You brought joy into every room you stepped into. Your laughter, singing, whistling and the signature Rockettes high kicks, is something I will always hold in my heart. There was something about walking into your home and being greeted by your beautiful face. *kiss on each check* followed by HELLOOOOOO Darling! The classical music playing softly in the background and your love and comfort made your home, a safe space. Somewhere, where love knew no boundaries. It was so much more than a home. I aim for the same in my home, and play the classic music 24/7, but it will never be the same. I pray I can be 1/4 of GRAND, you put in GRANDmother. You were so resilient. You found the positive in every situation. I look up to you so much. I remember begging Mom and Dad for years to change my name to “Carmen”. They didn’t officially change my name, but eventually started calling me “Carmenita” as I am a little you. THE HONOR. You were there for me, no matter the day or hour. You were always the one who would talk me through whatever hard situation I was going through. When my baby passed away, I refused to talk to anyone for 3 weeks. Except for you. You said to me “Better days are coming, babes. There’s always a rainbow after the storm”. Of course, you were right, because you are GRAND. I picture you in heaven dancing and laughing with him. Uncle Jay playing the money game with him. To know you are with your children again & with mine does bring me some joy. Twas the night before Christmas & New Year’s Eve, will never be the same. Another tradition you created. A memory that will last forever. Not just with me, but for generations to come. It may not be the same, but we won’t let it die. It will live on, in your name. To be your first GRANDchild was a blessing. I could write an entire book about you & all the amazing things about you. Even though we were robbed of time together & it makes me angry, I know I will see you again. This isn’t a goodbye, but a “see you later”. Just like we ended every phone call. Ciao, darling. I love you. MWAH MWAH! Love your GRANDchild, Kimberly aka Carmenita

Carmen Accashian

Unfortunately, I think this is likely to get worse, not better... Based on both public comments and private conversations, I’m increasingly concerned that our newly elected First Selectman intends not just to install these cameras, but to expand their use for full-blown enforcement and fines. Try getting a straight answer out of him about the long-term plan and you quickly realize how vague the responses become. Tyler is absolutely right to raise the privacy issue. These systems don’t just “catch speeders” — they quietly build a database of where we drive, when we drive, and who is in our vehicles. Once that infrastructure is in place, it becomes very easy to justify expanding its scope: more cameras, more locations, more uses, and eventually more automated enforcement. If Newtown is going down this road, residents deserve clear, written answers to some basic questions before anything is expanded: What limits will be placed on how and where cameras are used? Will footage and plate data be used only for speed enforcement, or for other investigations too? How long will data be stored, and who can access it? What safeguards will prevent vendors and individuals from abusing this information? Without firm, enforceable rules in place, “just a few cameras to slow traffic” can turn into something very different over time. I support safe roads — but not at the cost of unchecked surveillance and vague promises from our leaders. You try getting straight answers out of our First Selectman, myself and others have not been able to...

Discusses Traffic Cameras

I had to hold back a laugh at the idea that 7:30 pm is apparently such a late-night hardship that we’re already talking about moving meetings earlier. For a lot of residents, 7:30 is the earliest they can realistically get to Town Hall after work, family obligations, and the rest of real life. Shifting BOS meetings to 7:00 might make the calendar look tidier for those in the building, but it makes participation harder for the people who pay for the building. If the new First Selectman’s week is already booked solid and evening meetings feel like a strain, that’s not a reason to move the goalposts on public access—it's a reminder that the job is supposed to be demanding. Public service means accommodating the public, even when it’s inconvenient.

Walczak Adjusts To New Role, First Board Meeting

Real people were just in a frightening car accident. To immediately frame their misfortune as rhetorical ammunition against new housing — affordable housing included — feels less like concern for “health and safety” and more like opportunistically using a scary moment to support a pre-existing position. If we’re going to debate this proposal, we should do it honestly: with data on traffic volume, accident history, engineering recommendations, and the town’s housing needs, not by seizing on a single crash as proof that 300 apartments are inherently unsafe. Newtown deserves a thoughtful, fact-based conversation about growth, safety, and affordability — one that doesn’t turn other people’s bad day into a political talking point.

How Many Accidents Will It Take?

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