After Jim and Sasha Allen stepped foot onto that iconic stage of "The Voice," they talked exclusively with The Newtown Bee about how their journey of preparation and dedication to their craft was years in the making.
This month, Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo welcomed more than 13,000 buzzing bees to its menagerie of wildlife onsite thanks to Newtown residents Zosia Teraszkiewicz, 15, and Thaddeus Teraszkiewicz, 17.
The C.H. Booth Library hosted the Newtown Nonprofit Council’s latest meeting through Zoom on September 20. On the agenda was the “News and Views” discussion as well as a look into the new volunteer website called Get Connected.
Decades after Henrik John Ibsen's Nora left audiences wondering what happened to the woman who left her husband and children to find herself, "A Doll's House, Part Two," now on stage at The Sherman Playhouse, offers some answers.
After former Commission on Aging (COA) Chair Anna Wiedemann announced in July that she would be moving out of Newtown and therefore stepping down from the board, the group appointed Anne Rothstein as its new chair.
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After taking office, meaningful public engagement has largely been replaced by “Brews with Bruce” at the Senior Center—requiring reservations and, for some residents, a day pass.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.
