For the second time in as many years, the dam of Guskie Pond — just over the Newtown-Monroe border, very close to Sticks & Stones Farm — broke during a major rainstorm.
Take a Vet Fishing is a nonprofit organization based in Branford that hosts free and accessible on-shore and boat fishing events for veterans across the state. At least one Newtown veteran has been providing rides through the program for the past decade.
The Newtown Chapter of Hearts of Hope sponsored a “Paint with a Purpose” painting party, where people made dozens of hand-painted hearts to support Newtown Human Services
Newtown writer Kate Katcher is celebrating the release of her debut novel this month. Two public programs focusing on that novel, 36, and the play it was based on, are planned in August.
Volunteers for the local unit of the Salvation Army were out last Saturday, ringing hand bells around town to raise funds to help Newtown. Their efforts also celebrated the memory of two residents who dedicated decades of their lives to this organization and many others.
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After taking office, meaningful public engagement has largely been replaced by “Brews with Bruce” at the Senior Center—requiring reservations and, for some residents, a day pass.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.
