Features

Library Exhibit To Change Perceptions On Shelter Pets

By Alissa Silber

Published: Oct 13, 2016 12:00 AM

Local animal photographer Sarah Matula has partnered with C.H. Booth Library to showcase her exhibit titled "Shelter Pets - Changing Perceptions."For more information on Sarah Matula Photography, visi...

'Hamilton' Cast Member Offers Local Dance Workshop

By Kendra Bobowick

Published: Oct 08, 2016 12:00 AM

"Dance with passion; dance with purpose," said Roddy Kennedy, a cast member of the popular Broadway play Hamilton. Mr Kennedy stood before students at Lisa Mennilli's Dance Academy in Newtown, for a b...

Repairing A Piece Of Newtown History

By Kendra Bobowick

Published: Oct 08, 2016 12:00 AM

A large hole in the roof of an old one-room schoolhouse on the corner of Gray's Plain Road and Berkshire Road has been letting in the rain, snow, and autumn leaves for many years. In early spring the ...

Snapshot: Anne Rothstein

Published: Oct 07, 2016 12:00 AM

Occupation: I am a professor in early childhood at Lehman College in the Bronx. For the last 35 years I have written most of the grants that get funded for the college. We do programs for kids in ...

Lisa Unleashed: Newtown Kennel Club's Community Roots â¨At K-9 Challenge, October 8

By Lisa Peterson

Published: Oct 07, 2016 12:00 AM

The genesis of this weekend's Western CT K-9 Challenge started three years ago when Newtown Police Officer Felicia Figol's new K-9 partner Saint Michael had just been donated to the department. Newtow...

The Top Of The Mountain

Published: Oct 07, 2016 12:00 AM

Congratulations to Newtown resident Tracy Van Buskirk, who completed the 30-mile Trailblaze Challenge this past Saturday. Along with 50 other participants, Tracy hiked the Mahican-Mohawk Trail in west...

Free Screenings Of 'Pete's Dragon,' All Weekend At Edmond Town Hall Theatre

By Shannon Hicks

Published: Oct 07, 2016 12:00 AM

Ingersoll Auto of Danbury will be sponsoring all tenÃÂ screenings of Pete's Dragon scheduled at Edmond Town Hall Theatre this weekend.Pete's Dragon is rated PG-13, and has a running time of 1 ho...

The Way We Were, for the week ending October 7, 2016

Published: Oct 07, 2016 12:00 AM

October 25, 1991 The coincidental events of election season and Halloween have always stimulated our imaginations. This strange October counterpoint of ghosts, goblins, incumbents, and political ...

Lisa Unleashed: Meet & Greet Cavalry Horses On October 8 - Living History Under Saddle

By Lisa Peterson

Published: Oct 06, 2016 12:00 AM

One bright sunny morning last month I had the pleasure of watching four troopers going through their paces during cavalry annual training at the Second Company Governor's Horse Guard (2GHG) here in Ne...

Theater Review: An Excellent Production Of 'Mousetrap' At The Little Theatre

By Elizabeth Young

Published: Oct 05, 2016 12:00 AM

The nursery rhyme "Three Blind Mice" plays eerily in the opening of a classic murder mystery, setting the tone for The Town Players production of the longest running show in theater history, The Mouse...

Cross Country Teams Race At Wolfe Park

Two For One: Girls' Swim And Dive Begins Season With Pair Of Wins

The Way We Were

First Week Of October Is Mental Illness Awareness Week

Newtown Historical Society Schoolhouse Storytelling Event Rescheduled

A quick fact check easily debunks the claims in this letter. Rep Bolinsky was instrumental in getting Exit 11 fixed which has greatly alleviated traffic at our most previously most dangerous intersection. He worked to get the light put on 34 at Bennetts Bridge which has prevented many accidents. He has pushed DOT for many of the bridge widening and onramp improvements we have seen on the highway, along with advancing legislation for 84 traffic studies, rear-seat seat belts laws, DUI legislation, wrong way signaling, distracted driving and more - working with Vision Zero, CTDOT, NTSB and AAA. He also opposed tolls on 84 which would have shifted even more congestion from the interstate onto local roads. He has been a champion of public transportation efforts for our seniors. Mitch was instrumental in passing the 2017 bipartisan budget with fiscal reforms that protected Newtown's funding, the loss of which would have been passed onto property tax payers. He has proudly never supported a tax increase and opposed and killed many "bad bills" that would have worsened the issues the author is focused on. We can and should hold our representatives to account, but lets be factual when making such claims.

Vote For Michelle Embree Ku

Another police search in a Newtown neighborhood. Did I miss the notification from the First Selectman’s office, or are we still using the “read about it afterward” emergency communication system? I raised this same concern after the April police search. How many times do residents have to ask for timely information? At this point, perhaps it’s the First Selectman’s office that needs a welfare check. Anybody home, Bruce? Thank you to Newtown Police for doing their job. Wake up, Bruce. Keeping residents informed is part of yours.

Driver Arrested After Fleeing Crash Scene

This strikes me as a pretty one-sided assessment. Let me add some context. You highlight that his opponent has lived in Newtown for only two and a half years, yet leave out that Rob Blanchard moved here in July—roughly two and a half months ago. If residency matters, apply the same standard to both candidates. Isn't there a name for someone who moves to a town to run for election? Something like a rug or carpet, something? I also question the mortgage-struggle framing in advertisements he approved and appears in. The public payroll figures put his household gross earnings at roughly $300,000—nearly twice Newtown’s median household income of $155,110. That doesn’t mean they have no financial pressures, but it is fair to question how closely that portrayal reflects the circumstances of a typical Newtown household. Both candidates deserve scrutiny. Highlighting one candidate’s short residency while overlooking the other’s much more recent arrival is a double standard.

Vote For Rob Blanchard For State Senate

An incredible event... again. Thanks so much to Leslie and the entire gang who make this gathering of friends, family and classmates happen every year! And thanks to Devery Stickles for his generous support. This event is truly the Heart & Spirit of Newtown!

Dozens Enjoy Annual Panacea Labor Day Weekend Concert

Michelle Embree Ku raises valid concerns about local property taxes, but ignores a basic political reality: Representative Mitch Bolinsky serves in the minority in a legislature dominated by a single-party supermajority where minority-party proposals are routinely sidelined. Suggesting that a single minority representative could rewrite the state's ECS formula is politically unrealistic and disingenuous to Newtown voters. Despite those odds, Mitch’s CGA track record speaks for itself. He led the charge to protect special education funding, preserve Drug-Free School Zones, safeguard school safety drills, advance science-based structured literacy, and defend homeschooling choices for families. If Ms. Ku knows how to fix the ECS formula, what has she done to convince her own party—the same party that controls the House, Senate, and Governor’s office? If the supermajority has the votes to fix ECS today, why hasn’t it happened during the 13 years she cites? Adding another seat to a supermajority that made Connecticut one of the highest-taxed states won't help Newtown taxpayers. If the current majority hasn't delivered relief with absolute power, expanding that majority won't change the outcome. Newtown’s interests are best served by keeping Mitch in the House and increasing Republican margins to provide real checks and balances. When one party holds every lever of power, accountability disappears. Strengthening the minority ensures our town’s voice is heard, not drowned out.

ECS Funding Debate Should Focus On Results

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