Education

Design It, Build It, Launch It Camp Drops Eggs For Science

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Jul 21, 2017 12:00 AM

As Design It, Build It, Launch It campers made their way outside Reed Intermediate School on July 12, members of Newtown Hook & Ladder Company # 1 were waiting with an extended ladder truck for them. ...

Wireless Zone Backpack Event Sunday

By John Voket

Published: Jul 21, 2017 12:00 AM

[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-269593" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/JV_Wireless-Zone-Backpack-Event-Sunday-C-Faett-Dmitriy-Marchenko.jpg" alt="JV_Wireless Zone B...

Rodrigue Named Interim Superintendent Of Newtown School System

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Jul 19, 2017 12:00 AM

This story has been updated to reflect information provided by Legislative Council Chair Mary Ann Jacob.ÃÂ After officially accepting the resignation of Superintendent of Schools Joseph V....

Newtown High School Fourth Quarter Honor Roll

Published: Jul 15, 2017 12:00 AM

The following students made the High Honor Roll and Honor Roll for the fourth quarter marking period at Newtown High School for the 2016-17 school year. The honor roll listings were recently released ...

A SMART Summer Camp Begins; Second Session Will Be July 17-28

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Jul 14, 2017 12:00 AM

This summer marks the 26th year for Newtown Continuing Education's SMART (Summer Music and Art) Camp, and Newtown Continuing Education Director Elissa Gellis said it has returned to its original locat...

Summertime Challenge: Keeping A Student's Brain Engaged

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Jul 09, 2017 12:00 AM

At Fraser Woods Montessori School's Parent Association meeting in May, Head of School Chris Robertson addressed a question he said teachers are regularly asked near the end of the school year: What do...

Summer Begins For Parks And Recreation Day Camps

By Julia Preszler

Published: Jul 07, 2017 12:00 AM

Children played on the playgrounds, passed a ball around, or splashed down a water slide on June 30 as the first week of Newtown Parks and Recreation summer day camps this summer came to a close.newto...

Ricky Grasso Accepts Position Of Visual Caption Head For NHS Band Program

By Alissa Silber

Published: Jul 06, 2017 12:00 AM

For the past ten years, Sandy Hook resident Ricky Grasso has been dedicating his life to gaining as much experience as possible in the competitive world of drum corps. After traveling all over the cou...

David C. Shaw

Multiple Organizations Collaborating For Newtown's Semiquincentennial Celebration

Snapshot: Andrea Rios

Local Artists Responded To A Call To Present Their Work In ‘The Great Art-Doors’; Opening Reception Saturday Afternoon

Lisa Greto

Dave, you are right that only those in the Borough signed onto the law suits, as it was made clear during the Borough meetings that signers had to be residents of the Borough. However, as you know, there was a concerted effort by the Newtown Conservation Coalition to organize people (throughout town) and to orchestrate actions intended to foil the overall development. If one searches the Bee for “Newtown Conservation Coalition” one will find many articles and editorials that cite the coalition. More that 18 of those articles and editorials, from March 2024 through February 2025, are about the Castle Hill Development and include direct quotes from the NCC head/founder including, e.g.,: 1) Newtown Conservation Coalition founder Dave Ackert has sagely urged his fellow NCC members to “stick to the relevant regulations issues and concerns in your testimony,” as “general opinions and concerns will not be considered when making their decision." [https://www.newtownbee.com/08292024/borough-zoning-to-begin-20-60-castle-hill-public-hearing." [https://www.newtownbee.com/08292024/borough-zoning-to-begin-20-60-castle-hill-public-hearing] 2) “We’re being sold a lot of things,” said Ackert. “The developer said he is going above and beyond in preserving open space, but the only part [of the plan] that doesn’t have houses are the steep slopes. He’s not avoiding buildable land, he’s using every buildable inch.” [https://www.newtownbee.com/09272024/borough-zoning-hears-perspectives-on-castle-hill-development] In addition to the articles and editorials, you (Dave) also wrote over 8 letters related to the development, in essence speaking for the residents, e.g., saying “On behalf of hundreds of concerned residents living within 500 feet who signed protest petitions, and residents downstream who’s property and finances could also be negatively impacted, I ask the BOS to rescind the discontinuance decision now.” [https://www.newtownbee.com/07102025/discusses-rochambeau-trail-and-6-commerce-road] The main tools for the Newtown Conservation Coalition are FOI complaints and legal action. These actions have increased the amount both the Town and the Borough have had to pay for legal counsel over the last few years. The cost is shared by all households and businesses for Town actions. Unfortunately, it is shared by very few, relatively speaking, for Borough actions. This year’s Borough costs are $58,000 to date. There were FOIA/legal actions in 2024 and 2025 too. Eventually, we will all see if that was money well spent. My sense is that the answer is no.

What’s Going On In The Borough?

my concern is not limited to this single FOIA request or this one case. It is the broader pattern of obstructionism, fear-mongering, and personal nastiness reflected in your Facebook page and other public commentary. You routinely call people to action by presenting only one side of complicated issues, assigning the worst possible motives to those who disagree with you, and giving little consideration to the legitimate concerns or perspectives on the other side. That may generate outrage and attention, but it does not make you a constructive participant in Newtown’s civic affairs. You are entitled to question public officials and pursue whatever legal remedies are available to you. But you should not pretend that your own conduct, rhetoric, and repeated escalation of disputes have played no role in the hostility and expense surrounding these matters. Newtown would be a nicer and more productive community with less of this kind of divisive behavior.

My "actions" were a single request for audio recordings of public meetings. It would have cost the Borough ZERO dollars to turn those over, as required by law. Instead, the Chair of the Borough Zoning commission decided, unilaterally, without informing the rest of his commission, to fight that Freedom of Information request. Mr. Johnson attempt to deflect blame falls flat on its face here. Facts matter.

Can you name a single person involved in one of the lawsuits who does not reside in the Borough? I'll wait......

You do realize President Trump was born on June 14, the same date the US Army was founded. The parade was to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States Army. My uncle was a sergeant in the Army and was KIA 3 months before the war in Europe ended fighting the Germans. I'm happy there was an acknowledgement by the President for the brave men and women who are veterans of that branch. Too bad others don't honor them by insisting it was a "birthday parade". What an insult to our veterans! I'm not into cage fighting, but as far as being tacky or disgraceful, I would the UFC fight at the White House pales in comparison to Bill Clinton and an intern named Monica did during working hours.

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Design It, Build It, Launch It Camp Drops Eggs For Science

Wireless Zone Backpack Event Sunday

Rodrigue Named Interim Superintendent Of Newtown School System

Newtown High School Fourth Quarter Honor Roll

A SMART Summer Camp Begins; Second Session Will Be July 17-28

Summertime Challenge: Keeping A Student's Brain Engaged

Summer Begins For Parks And Recreation Day Camps

Ricky Grasso Accepts Position Of Visual Caption Head For NHS Band Program