Politics should be not a game in one-upmanship or divisiveness, but one that strives to bring the best people to the best positions for the betterment of the citizens of every town, county, and state in the USA.
It is easy to be apathetic in a political environment that seethes with distrust and mind-numbing accusations. Politics at a more local level are far less inflammatory, though, and decisions made by the town and state officials are more directly felt.
A choice between modern technology or paying for childcare, the cost of job transportation vs food purchases, preventative medical care weighed against the cost of missing work: these are choices made...
There is a lot of building going on in Newtown. Some of it has raised eyebrows as trees are razed and beams are raised, and some has been applauded.
But there is another kind of building going on in t...
Goodbye, classic Newtown. Hello, bright new world.
With the approval of a drive-through window for the Starbucks Coffee shop in the new construction at exit 10 on Church Hill Road and ongoing consider...
Imagine a world where vignettes of life are captured in paint, in sound, in movement; carved from stone or rendered in fabric; where science explodes with vision. It is a world that exists: the world ...
It is a small victory in the news world, but one that may bring relief to some community newspapers that have been struggling under tariffs temporarily imposed this past year on Canadian imports of un...
The Planning & Zoning (P&Z) Commission would like to broaden zoning regulations, allowing drive-through window service at shopping centers. What a surprise.
Reworking zoning regulations has become a h...
Registered Democrat and Republican voters went to the polls Tuesday to elect who they felt would be the best candidate in the November elections.
The November elections may feel very far off, but thes...
They are just kids. They should be spending the summer lolling on beaches, dallying with summer romances, and catching up on leisure reading. They should be complaining to parents about curfews and pu...
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.
