The afternoon following his 90th birthday celebration, Newtown resident and the acknowledged “Father of Robotics” Joseph F. Engelberger relaxed in his Hattertown home while his daughter Gay tended to ...
Occupation: I’m an accountant. I work for New Castle Hotels in Shelton. We own, operate, and develop hotels in North America.
Family: My wife Barbara and I have been married 33 years, come Aug...
August 6, 1965
A 50-acre industrial park with a new shopping center on Church Hill Road is in prospect for Newtown. The property involved is bounded in general by the New Haven Railroad, I-...
The Newtown Yoga Festival returns Saturday, August 22, for a third year of sharing well-being and health through yoga and related positive energy practices.
The festival takes place at NYA Sports & Fi...
The sound of wind chimes will be heard at a bit more of a distance now than for the past year. Ben’s Bells’ last workshop at the 17 Church Hill Road studio was scheduled for this past Wednesday, July ...
Are you one of those lucky theater lovers who saw A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder during its premier at Hartford Stage before it went on to capture four 2014 Tony Awards on Broadway?
Well, you ...
Heads turned Monday, July 27, as a coach bus from New York City carrying young passengers arrived at Christ the King Lutheran Church on Mt Pleasant Road.
Soon spilling from the opening door were young...
A Newtown Dance Concert was held at Newtown High School on Friday, July 24, to benefit NewArts, a division of The 12.14 Foundation.
Kindness in Motion was presented by NewArts Newtown Musicals, which ...
Jeannette Maré’s visit to Newtown the week of July 20 was three-fold. Not only was the founder of Ben’s Bells Project in town to finalize plans for the move of the Newtown studio to a larger, Bethel s...
The Newtown Labor Day Parade always kicks off with the rat-a-tat-tat of the drums and the flash of brass instruments as the Newtown High School Marching Band comes down the street. Salsa dancers, pipe...
The idea that a freshman Democrat would be able to stand up to the special interests and prioritization of urban districts that are the base of that caucus to deliver results for Newtown is laughable - especially someone who could not even build the "relationships, coalitions, and the support necessary" to garner the endorsements of her fellow Democrat Council members ahead of Newtown's local caucus this spring.
More likely Newtown would see something akin to Leeper in Fairfield, performative actions after vote counting, while privately advancing their party's interests over their community's.
Dear Alyssa, Kelela, and Brandon,
We send our sincere sympathy to you and your family. We will also keep you in our prayers asking our Lord to grant you comfort and peace.
With love,
Vince and Sandy Venitelli
Bruce, your advice that voters should “read, listen, and engage” would be much more persuasive if you practiced it yourself.
You campaigned on openness and responsiveness. You declared that “evasive answers or silence are unacceptable in government” and promised to answer constituent inquiries within two days. Yet you never answered my straightforward public question about Main Street demonstrations, traffic disruption, pedestrian safety, and the effects on local businesses.
After taking office, meaningful public engagement has largely been replaced by “Brews with Bruce” at the Senior Center—requiring reservations and, for some residents, a day pass. That is not accessible, townwide engagement. Previous first selectmen held open coffee hours and walk-and-talk sessions that any resident could attend.
Then came the failed storm communications, your apology, and another promise to communicate better—followed shortly afterward by more silence while multiple police agencies conducted a significant search near Saw Mill Road.
You now tell voters to examine what candidates say and “how they say it.” I would suggest going one step further: compare what politicians promise while seeking office with what they actually do after winning.
Your record presents a stark contrast. You told voters exactly what they wanted to hear to get the job, then failed to live by those promises. Whether that is dishonesty or simply indifference, it is the same familiar, two-faced politics you once claimed you would replace.
Nothing says “I care about Newtown homeowners” quite like lining Main Street with plywood campaign billboards—apparently built just inches below the size at which officials say they can take action. At this rate, we’ll need property-tax relief just to offset the loss in curb appeal.
