To the Editor:
Without hesitation, I endorse Rebekah Harriman-Stites' run for the 106th State Legislative District seat for Newtown. She has demonstrated her dedication to public service and education...
To the Editor:
On April 28, a public forum was held at Newtown High School as part of the World Health Organization's Livable Community initiative. Newtown joined the network of Livable Communities in...
To the Editor:
I wanted to share this story with everyone in our community because without the help of two Sandy Hook residents and two Newtown Lions, the duck race [May 26] would have been a disaster...
To the Editor:
I am proud to join the Newtown Democrats in endorsing Rebekah Harriman-Stites as our candidate for the 106th Assembly District.
Rebekah is not only a brave and persistent advocate for w...
To the Editor:
[The Newtown Lions Club] wants to give a big shout-out to our [Duck Race] sponsor - Norcom Mortgage Force of Shelton. We also received a generous donation from American Wire, and we are...
To the Editor:
On Friday, June 1, two members of the Newtown Highway Department moved the finished mural for the new senior center to storage at the Municipal Center. I unfortunately did not get their...
To the Editor:
My dad served honorably in the US military and came back to a warm home and a loving family. All veterans have not been so lucky; far too many have ended up homeless.
Not in Connecticut...
To the Editor:
Newtown Social Services would like to extend our appreciation to Newtown Public Works and to everyone that helped make the Fill-A-Public Works Truck Food Drive a success during National...
To the Editor:
What's that you said
I've a tick on my head
That a squirrel shed
From a branch overhead?
Patricia Barkman
(Who wears a hat when outdoors under trees.)
49 Taunton Lake Road, NewtownÃ...
To the Editor:
I just wanted to give kudos to all the neighbors who got out there on Tuesday [May 15] after the storm and chainsawed a way through the downed trees.
A special shout out to the Hanover ...
An incredible event... again. Thanks so much to Leslie and the entire gang who make this gathering of friends, family and classmates happen every year! And thanks to Devery Stickles for his generous support. This event is truly the Heart & Spirit of Newtown!
Michelle Embree Ku raises valid concerns about local property taxes, but ignores a basic political reality: Representative Mitch Bolinsky serves in the minority in a legislature dominated by a single-party supermajority where minority-party proposals are routinely sidelined. Suggesting that a single minority representative could rewrite the state's ECS formula is politically unrealistic and disingenuous to Newtown voters.
Despite those odds, Mitch’s CGA track record speaks for itself. He led the charge to protect special education funding, preserve Drug-Free School Zones, safeguard school safety drills, advance science-based structured literacy, and defend homeschooling choices for families.
If Ms. Ku knows how to fix the ECS formula, what has she done to convince her own party—the same party that controls the House, Senate, and Governor’s office? If the supermajority has the votes to fix ECS today, why hasn’t it happened during the 13 years she cites?
Adding another seat to a supermajority that made Connecticut one of the highest-taxed states won't help Newtown taxpayers. If the current majority hasn't delivered relief with absolute power, expanding that majority won't change the outcome.
Newtown’s interests are best served by keeping Mitch in the House and increasing Republican margins to provide real checks and balances. When one party holds every lever of power, accountability disappears. Strengthening the minority ensures our town’s voice is heard, not drowned out.
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.
