Obituaries

Mary T. Vitarbo

Published: August 10, 2021 1:05 pm

Mary T. Vitarbo, 86, of Newtown, passed away on Tuesday, August 3, after a three-year battle with cancer.

Memorial Service: Joseph E. Borst, Sr.

Published: August 10, 2021 1:00 pm

Funeral services for former Newtown First Selectman Joseph E. Borst have been scheduled.

Memorial Service: Karen Gardner

Published: August 09, 2021 10:05 am

A memorial service for Karen Diane (Kunde) Gardner, of Oxford, formerly of Newtown, will be held at 11 am on Saturday, August 21, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 36 Main Street, Newtown. All are welcome ...

Charles C. Keller

Published: August 05, 2021 8:25 am

Charles C. Keller, 88, of Sandy Hook, passed away Wednesday, August 4, at his home.

Morris Irving Beers

Updated: August 03, 2021 12:38 pm

Dr Morris “Mo” Beers passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, at the age of 81, on February 10, 2021.

Paul L Hart

Updated: August 02, 2021 2:13 pm

Paul L. Hart, 81, of Newtown, passed on peacefully July 20, at Danbury Hospital.

Gaetan Lariviere

Updated: August 02, 2021 2:14 pm

Gaetan Lariviere, age 77, of Sandy Hook, passed peacefully on July 25, surrounded by his family, in a room filled with love.

Charles Arthur Willus

Published: July 28, 2021 4:15 pm

Charles Arthur Willus, Ph.D., 79, of Newtown, passed away peacefully the evening of Thursday, July 22, with the love of his family surrounding him.

In Memoriam: Richard J. Fehrs

Published: July 26, 2021 1:10 pm

Sandy Hook, Conn. He left us in 2006. Forever in our hearts. “Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure, you are loved beyond words, and missed beyond measure.”

Kenneth Blakeman Canfield

Published: July 26, 2021 9:00 am

Kenneth Blakeman Canfield, age 93, of Southbury, passed away at home on July 22. Born August 28, 1927, and raised in Monroe, Conn., he attended Monroe school and later went on to attend Bullard Havens...

Margaret 'Peggy' Tattar

Botsford Fire Rescue To Host Botsford Bash Fundraiser; 2025-26 Officers Elected

Fire Reports | June 11-17, 2025

Police Reports | June 2-June 16, 2025

Celebrating ‘What’s Possible When Neighbors Care For Neighbors’

To be clear, there are different types of open space designations in the State of CT. The "Open Space or Recreation" designation simply means that the open space is open to the public for passive recreational activities (e.g., Hiking, Fishing, Horseback Riding, etc.), as opposed to the types of open space that are closed to the public. I'm confident that our terrific Conservation Commission will fulfill their responsibilities associates with Open Space land, as outlined by the town Charter, including the recommendation of specific rules on what's allowed and what's not for the Board of Selectmen to approve. Also, make no mistake, the final language of the law is completely aligned with the resolution passed by a vote of 2-1 at the 10/7/24 BOS meeting. That resolution reads "....the Board of Selectmen will request that state legislators designate 6 Commerce Road as Town Open Space and request the economic development restriction be removed from the 6 Commerce Rd. deed....." Interestingly, on November 1st, the First Selectman wrote a letter to Mitch Bolinsky and Tony Hwang saying "....Following a resolution adopted by the Board of Selectmen on October 7th, and subsequently endorsed by the Legislative Countil on October 23rd, we seek to enact legislation that would remove the economic development stipulation from the deed of 6 Commerce Drive." Not only did he change the name from 6 Commerce Road to 6 Commerce Drive, but he also changed the request to suit his desire for the property instead of what was voted on, by omitting the part about designating it as open space! Thankfully, he attached the 10/7/24 BOS meeting minutes to his letter, where our state reps were able to reference the actual accurate resolution language, which again, matches the final language of Special Act 25-15. The only clarification needed, is why the First Selectman changed the wording of his Nov. 1st letter, from what the BOS approved on October 7th.

It’s Done: 6 Commerce Can Be Open Space

I am feeling like Mr. Ackert's quest/request for greater transparency of our town's governance is disingenuous. First off, I cannot imagine how a "town-wide policy to provide greater transparency" could possibly be worded, and I think that Mr. Capeci was just being polite in agreeing that we should have one. Secondly, Mr. Ackert is accusatory, as if he believes something nefarious is behind the lack of transparency, where it exists, while I do not believe this at all. Third: The time, effort, and upkeep to have absolutely every town meeting interactively live, recorded, and fully documented, would obviously NOT save the town money, and I doubt that other towns of our type "implemented these policies long ago." And lastly, after having witnessed the town meeting behaviors of the anti-development faction, I am certain that we should not facilitate their ability to sit at home and harangue the poor people who work so hard IN PERSON, to make our town a better place.

Calls For Policies To Create Greater Transparency

The devil is in the details, what constitutes recreation, a ice skating arena. A tennis club?

The language “any purpose other than open space or recreation, the parcel shall revert to the state of Connecticut” is a bit concerning and warrants clarification. Would the existing infrastructure be violative of this language?

It’s disappointing to see Newtown move forward with the so-called “Save-As-You-Throw” program—let’s be honest, it’s really Pay-As-You-Throw. Most families will end up paying more just to throw out their trash, despite the high taxes we already pay. While the swap shop and free bulky waste disposal are nice ideas, they don’t offset the added cost and inconvenience of having to buy special blue bags—up to $4.40 each. It’s especially frustrating to see threats of $500 fines and policeenforcement tied to something that used to be a basic service. This isn’t about sustainability—it’s about shifting more costs onto residents. I hope the town will reconsider and find a more reasonable and affordable approach. I have already heard discussions about purchasing backyard incinerators as a work around. What's next, is the town going to discontinue curb side recycling?

Save-As-You-Throw Program Coming To Transfer Station July 1

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