Education

Bill Nye 'The Science Guy' Visits Sandy Hook School

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Jan 16, 2015 12:00 AM

Sandy Hook Elementary School Principal Kathy Gombos told her entire student body seated inside the school’s gymnasium on Tuesday, January 13, “We are all very excited…” A few moments later Sandy Hook ...

Head O' Meadow Winter Concert Assembly Held

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Jan 15, 2015 12:00 AM

Before Head O’ Meadow fourth grade chorus students performed their Winter Concert during the evening of January 7, the students also sang their prepared songs for their fellow students during as assem...

Two Hour Delay For Newtown Public Schools

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Jan 12, 2015 12:00 AM

Newtown Public Schools will run on a two hour delay Monday, January 12, due to the weather, according to the school district.

Update: Schools Closed For Friday, January 9

Published: Jan 09, 2015 12:00 AM

This story has been updated to reflect a later decision by the school district. All Newtown Public Schools will be closed Friday, January 9, due to deteriorating weather conditions. The decision ...

Newtown High School First Quarter Honor Roll

Published: Jan 08, 2015 12:00 AM

The following are the students who made the High Honor Roll and Honor Roll for the first quarter marking period at Newtown High School this school year. The honor roll listings were recently released ...

A Two Hour Delay For Newtown Public Schools

Published: Jan 08, 2015 12:00 AM

Newtown Public Schools will run on a two hour delay Thursday, January 8, due to the weather, as announced by the school district Thursday morning.

Ben's Lighthouse To Sponsor After-School Program At NMS

Published: Jan 06, 2015 12:00 AM

Ben’s Lighthouse will sponsor a free after-school program at Newtown Middle School for all local seventh and eighth grade students, on Mondays from 2:15 to 3 pm, from February 4 to March 16. The progr...

Middle Gate Conducts A Winter Sing-A-Long Assembly

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: Dec 31, 2014 12:00 AM

Middle Gate Elementary School music teacher Tina Jones was ready in the school’s gymnasium on Tuesday, December 23, when students walked in for an assembly. “This is our Middle Gate musical winter sin...

Poet Laureate Deserves Support

Fire Reports | June 17-24, 2026

Hawley, Middle Gate Go All Out For Field Day

Confession Curated Clothing Ready For Shoppers

Commission On Aging Offered Updates, Answered Housing Questions

With the publication of installment No. 26, Trump’s Triumphs has now consumed enough broadsheet paper—approximately 3.6 miles—to stretch from the center of Newtown, past the dump, and nearly to Sand Hill Plaza. That is the amount of paper used to print these 26 installments alone. Do you think they will stop before we get to Monroe? If Trump becomes 48 in 28 then we would make the sound for sure!

Elections Have Consequences XXVI

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......

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Bill Nye 'The Science Guy' Visits Sandy Hook School

Head O' Meadow Winter Concert Assembly Held

Two Hour Delay For Newtown Public Schools

Update: Schools Closed For Friday, January 9

Newtown High School First Quarter Honor Roll

A Two Hour Delay For Newtown Public Schools

Ben's Lighthouse To Sponsor After-School Program At NMS

Middle Gate Conducts A Winter Sing-A-Long Assembly