Features

Snapshot: Michelle Monette

Published: April 26, 2019 8:00 am

Occupation: I am currently an associate professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Western Connecticut State University. I’ve been there for six years, having started ...

Reed’s Upcoming Musical Is ‘Peachy’

By Eliza Hallabeck

Updated: April 26, 2019 9:43 am

Reed Intermediate School’s musical James and the Giant Peach Jr is set to be staged next weekend, May 3 and 4, at the school, 3 Trades Lane, and Director Twyla Hafermann says the students have been working hard.

Seniors Share Written Memoirs At Workshop Reading

By Alissa Silber

Published: April 26, 2019 7:15 am

Members of the Newtown Senior Center shared personal stories from their past at the Writing Workshop Reading on April 17. The official public ceremony came after a six-week writing course led by Newto...

Concert Preview: Playhouse Fans Counting The Days To Beth Hart's Return

By John Voket

Updated: April 26, 2019 10:54 am

To refer to singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Beth Hart’s fan base as rabidly enthusiastic would really be putting it mildly. Hart, the Grammy-nominated powerhouse will arrive for a raw and unplugged set at the Playhouse on May 1.

Top of the Mountain

Published: April 26, 2019 7:00 am

Newtown, from a cat's point of view.

Surprises In Store At Newtown Earth Day Festival

By Kendra Bobowick

Updated: April 26, 2019 9:56 am

Both a “silent” and a tasty surprise await Earth Day Festival guests this year. As the 12th annual celebration readies for Saturday, April 27, from 10 am to 4 pm, on the front lawn of Newtown Middle S...

Who's That Bee: Eliza Hallabeck

Published: April 24, 2019 7:55 am

Our new series introducing staff members of Bee Publishing Company continues this week with Education Reporter Eliza Hallabeck.

Newtown Girl Scout Creates Library ‘Abilities With Possibilities’ Group For Gold Award Project

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: April 22, 2019 7:00 am

A friendly environment for students “on the spectrum” has been created at C.H. Booth Library thanks to a Girl Scout Gold Award project by Newtown Girl Scout Troop 50617 member and Lauralton High School junior Maya Welber.

Nettleton Sees TLC On ‘Day Of Service’

By Kendra Bobowick

Published: April 22, 2019 7:00 am

Newtown Forest Association's Nettleton Preserve received some TLC thanks to volunteer efforts from Eversource and Lewis Tree Service.

Autism Awareness Month Offers FUN Festivities, More Blue

By John Voket

Published: April 22, 2019 6:00 am

Families United in Newtown (FUN) founder Linda Jones and her volunteer students from the Newtown High School National Honors Society have been promoting Autism Awareness Month in April.

Seeking Newtown’s First Baby Of 2026

Fire Companies Help Santa Deliver Gifts To Hundreds Of Homes

Hawleyville Restaurant Delivers On Promise Of Free Christmas Meals For Local Families

Happy (Early) Birthday America!

Year In Review: The Town That Never Sleeps

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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