As recently as this week, state DOT crews have closed Interstate 84 off- or on-ramps as road work is completed. But that work may not always involve the ramp, frustrating at least one
Members of the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial Commission (SHPMC) met via teleconference on September 10 to receive an update on the memorial project from First Selectman Dan Rosenthal and design firm SWA.
A 55-year-old man was rescued the morning of Saturday, September 19, from Upper Paugussett State Park after a hiking trip turned into a medical emergency.
A much-anticipated surplus transfer the Newtown Board of Education hoped to make into its non-lapsing account for specific educational needs was denied at the Board of Finance meeting after a motion to effect the $1.3 million action failed September 14 on a tied bipartisan vote.
Superintendent of Schools Dr Lorrie Rodrigue told the Board of Education at its September 15 meeting that with the 2020-21 school year underway, “for the most part, things are going fairly well.”
The Legislative Council passed two budget transfers and authorized the creation of explanatory ballot materials during its in-person meeting at the Municipal Center on September 16. Council members and the public were able to join the meeting remotely by calling in.
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.
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.
