Bruce Nicoll, 57, St Augustine, Fla., and formerly of Newtown, died May 29. He was born in Easton, Penn., March 28, 1956, to Manny and Barbara Nicoll.
His loving wife, Lisa, his nurturing and beautifu...
Ralph Kemp, 89, formerly of Bellows Falls, Vt., died May 27, at the Bridgeport Hospital in Connecticut. He was born in Blackstone, Mass., July 10, 1923, the son of Annie (O'Neill) and Ralph Kemp.
He ...
Bernard P. Karcheski, Jr, 60, of Torrington, died May 15, in Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, Torrington. He was born in Bridgeport, January 15, 1953, a son of Isabelle (Carneka) and Bernard P. Karchesk...
Thomas J. “Heff” Heffernan, 42, of New Fairfield, died May 26, at Danbury Hospital, after a courageous battle with cancer. Born in Yonkers, N.Y., he was the son of Patricia and John Heffernan of New F...
David Stanley Flood, 74, of Seymour, the beloved husband to Judith Delaney Flood, died May 26, at the Hospital of St Raphael, surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Derby, December 20, 1938, ...
A memorial service for Ruth Lynn (Callahan) Gustavson, who died November 13, 2012, at the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, of a brain hemorrhage, will be said at 11 am, Saturday, June 1, at the ...
James W. Thompson, 52, of Danbury, died May 24. He was born in Queens, N.Y., June 13, 1960, son of Jane E. (DuFlon) and William H. Thompson.
His brother and sister-in-law, Edward and Laura Thompson of...
Richard Joseph O’Keefe, 74, of Newtown died May 15. He was the husband of Marie (Heymans) O’Keefe. He was born January 15, 1939, in Hornchurch, England, to Hannah (Hinchin) and Richard O’Keefe.
He mov...
John Marshall Fraas, 79, of Bristol, formerly of Newtown, died peacefully at his home, May 27, with his wife Helen (Bowling) (Smith) Fraas, at his side. He was born in St Paul, Minn., July 1, 1933, a ...
Noie Louie Richards, 61, of Newtown, died unexpectedly, May 21, at Danbury Hospital. He was born in Danbury, September 6, 1951, a son of Wilma (Presnell) and Noie Richards, and was the husband of Irma...
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.
