The Board of Education recognized retiring staff, CABE Student Leadership Award recipients, the top five percent of Newtown High School's 2026 graduating class, and more, at its recent meeting.
Board of Education members approved the 2026-27 education budget adjustments, along with a one-year renewal of Newtown Public Schools’ contract with Chartwells for food services.
A collision between two Yankee Trails Inc motor coaches on I-84 last Thursday morning did not cause serious injuries for either driver nor any passengers, but it created additional traffic on the already busy roadway.
Several students in Newtown Public Schools' Project Challenge program recently received a perfect score in the last of three meets in the 2025-26 WordMasters Challenge.
A a draft lease agreement between the Town of Newtown and Winn Development for the acquisition of Shelton House will go to the Legislative Council for approval following a 7 pm public hearing being planned for Wednesday, June 17.
State Representatives Mitch Bolinsky and Martin Foncello, in cooperation with Newtown BSA Troop 270 and VFW Post 308, invite readers to retire their worn American flags ahead of Flag Day.
Juneteenth will fall this year on Friday, June 19. The holiday will have an effect on some businesses, and will create early deadlines for our June 19, 2026 print edition.
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After taking office, meaningful public engagement has largely been replaced by “Brews with Bruce” at the Senior Center—requiring reservations and, for some residents, a day pass.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.
