Education

Scarecrow Contest Postponed To The Weekend Of November 5-6

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Oct 28, 2016 12:00 AM

The Newtown Middle School annual Scarecrow Contest display has been postponed to Saturday and Sunday, November 5-6, due to anticipated high winds ahead of last week's expected event.The Newtown Bee. T...

Annual Fraser Woods Montessori School Fall Family Festival Set For November 5

Published: Oct 27, 2016 12:00 AM

Fraser Woods Montessori School will hold its 4th Annual Fall Family Festival on Saturday, November 5, from 10 am to 2 pm, at the school, 173 South Main Street. The festival will include events and act...

Housatonic Valley Waldorf School Slates Fall Fair And Market

Published: Oct 27, 2016 12:00 AM

Housatonic Valley Waldorf School has scheduled its Waldorf Fall Fair & Market for Saturday, October 29, from 10 am to 3 pm, rain or shine, at its 1 Jacklin Road location. Hours for the market, which w...

Newtown Public Schools Hosting A Tech Conference For Teachers November 8

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Oct 27, 2016 12:00 AM

A "Taste of Tech" educational technology conference for teachers is set for Tuesday, November 8, from 7:45 am until noon, at Newtown Middle School.tasteoftech.npstech.org. The event is open to educato...

Local Students Learn About Fire Prevention

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Oct 24, 2016 12:00 AM

From learning what smoke detectors sound like to climbing through fire trucks, students learned safety lessons from local fire companies ahead of and during Fire Prevention Week, October 9 to 15 this ...

NMS Food Drive Begins; Public Invited To Join Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Effort

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Oct 24, 2016 12:00 AM

Newtown Middle School Student Council Members have begun their annual drive to collect donations for the Women Involved in Newtown (WIN) annual Thanksgiving Baskets effort. The Student Council collect...

St Rose of Lima School Hosts 5K Run And Walkathon

By Alissa Silber

Published: Oct 22, 2016 12:00 AM

The St Rose of Lima School had its 5K Run and Walkathon fundraiser at Fairfield Hills on Sunday, October 16, from 1 to 4 pm. The event was organized to build community with its members and raise funds...

Facilities And Enrollment Community Forum Scheduled

Published: Oct 21, 2016 12:00 AM

The second within a series of community forums will be held on Wednesday, October 26, starting at 7 pm, in the Lecture Hall at Newtown High School, 12 Berkshire Road. The Board of Education encourages...

Musicals At Richter To Kick Off 42nd Season Under The Stars With America’s Broadway Musical

‘Art Is Fun,’ Promises Carboni Ahead Of Planned Workshop

Three-Sport Competitors McLean And Gerace Are Newtown Bee NHS Athletes Of The Year

Lacrosse Champ Enjoys Triumph While Acclimating To Collegiate Game

The Way We Were

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.

Elections Have Consequences XXVI

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Scarecrow Contest Postponed To The Weekend Of November 5-6

Annual Fraser Woods Montessori School Fall Family Festival Set For November 5

Housatonic Valley Waldorf School Slates Fall Fair And Market

Newtown Public Schools Hosting A Tech Conference For Teachers November 8

Local Students Learn About Fire Prevention

NMS Food Drive Begins; Public Invited To Join Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Effort

St Rose of Lima School Hosts 5K Run And Walkathon

Facilities And Enrollment Community Forum Scheduled