Local registrars say closely mirrored the number of voters who turned out for the first failed referendum two weeks ago today.voting for the second round town and school budgets
Polling officials sa...
HARTFORD — Governor Dannel P. Malloy has directed the US and Connecticut flags to half-staff on Wednesday, May 15, 2013, in recognition of Peace Officers Memorial Day.
“National Peace Officers Memori...
A small banner packed with messages of hope and support signed by Newtown employees, first responders and even some of the families who lost loved ones on 12/14 elicited a heartfelt response from Bost...
Kitten Associates, a home foster-based cat rescue group located in Sandy Hook, announced this week that one of the kittens who helped heal residents following 12/14 through its established “Kitties Fo...
A small banner packed with messages of hope and support signed by Newtown employees, first responders and even some of the families who lost loved ones on 12/14 elicited a heartfelt response from Bost...
Kitten Associates, a home foster-based cat rescue group located in Sandy Hook, announced this week that one of the kittens who helped heal residents following 12/14 through its established “Kitties Fo...
The Senate voted along party lines Wednesday night to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November 2014 that could open the door to early voting in Connecticut in time for the 2016 presi...
The Sandy Hook Christmas tree will remain standing, following an eight-person unanimous vote by the executive board of The Newtown Forest Association (NFA) Thursday night.
The board of the NFA, which...
This story has been expanded and updated on May 14.
With united voices, 26 members of the Sandy Hook School Task Force voted on May 10 to recommend to the Board of Education that a new school be ...
This story has been expanded and updated on May 14.
With united voices, 26 members of the Sandy Hook School Task Force voted on May 10 to recommend to the Board of Education that a new school be ...
It's a bit ironic.
On July 31, 2025, Bruce Walczak wrote that "evasive answers or silence are unacceptable in government." He also promised to respond to constituent inquiries and to "close the loop," even when there wasn't an immediate answer.
Two weeks of silence in response to a legitimate question seems difficult to reconcile with that pledge.
The standard wasn't set by his critics—it was set by Bruce himself. Just another politician ... say whatever is necessary to get the job.
Original letter: https://www.newtownbee.com/07312025/a-commitment-to-responsiveness/
CT primaries are closed to voters not registered with the party's designation. Dems can't vote in Rep. primaries and, vice versa. Unaffiliated and Independent voters cannot vote in them. Keep primaries closed!
Bruce, welcome to the conversation.
Your recent statement after the storm — admitting that you should have communicated “faster, more completely, and more personally” — was fine as far as it went. But this is not just about one storm. It is about a pattern. You ran on openness, responsiveness, and transparency, even saying that “evasive answers or silence are unacceptable in government.”
The problem is that Newtown residents have been dealing with exactly that silence from you since you were elected.
Newtown’s Emergency Management page says the town, together with the Office of the First Selectman, provides “critical public information and warning” during emergencies. The town also rolled out CodeRED cellphone registration on March 24, 2022 so residents could receive emergency information directly.
So where were you when police were searching for missing 23-year-old Kateri Doty in January? Where were you during the brush fires near the Newtown town line in April? Where were you on April 22, when state police and Newtown police were searching for two people who fled an I-84 crash and a canine search moved into the Church Hill Road area?
Residents should not be hearing about a missing person, wildfire conditions, or police tracking dogs moving through backyards from Facebook, neighbors, or kids in town. They should be hearing from their town government.
This is not really about whether you personally press the CodeRED button. Or how many task forces you have created. It is about leadership. You are the First Selectman. You are responsible for making sure the town communicates clearly, quickly, and visibly when public safety is involved.
So yes, it is nice that you have finally acknowledged the problem. But the public did not need this storm to figure it out. We have been saying it for a long time.
Bruce, you were missing when the town needed to hear from you. The question now is whether this storm finally woke you up, or whether this is just another late apology followed by more silence.
The topic may be the same but the narratives every other week differ and I appreciate the installments. Rebuttals on factual content rather than focusing on form would improve the discourse.
