Harriet Lajoie Comboni, age 88, passed away Monday, January 27, 2020, at the Lutheran Home, Southbury. She was predeceased by her two beloved husbands, Fred Lajoie and Douglas Comboni. Harriet was a l...
Allison Koziol wished for everyone to know she finally bought the farm. Allison, age 56, of Sandy Hook, entered into rest on Monday, January 27, 2020, with her loving family by her side. She was the d...
Joseph V. Komornik, 88, of Newtown, passed away Saturday, January 25, in Danbury Hosptial. Joe was born in Bridgeport on July 28, 1931. He was the thirteenth child of the late Henry and Anna (Dest) Ko...
July 20, 1929 to January 25, 2020
Edmund Clifton Forbell, Jr, nicknamed “Stretch,” was born in Willimantic, Conn., the son of Charlotte Lanphear Forbell and Edmund Clifton Forbell, Sr. He was predecea...
Clifford Bradley Pomeroy, Jr, known as “Kippy,” passed away Wednesday, January 15, 2020, at Regional Hospice, after bravely fighting a long illness, surrounded by his loved ones.
He was born January 2...
Scott Jordan Rogers, 62, formerly of Newtown, died suddenly December 20, 2019. He was born April 21, 1957, and grew up in Newtown. He attended Newtown High School, graduating Class of 1975.
Mr Rogers ...
November 14, 1927 to January 21, 2012
My dear dad, on your eighth year in Heaven.
When someone you love becomes a memory, the memories become a treasure, and I’m so very lucky to have so many. I ...
Irving Edward Trager, age 61, of Sandy Hook, Conn., passed away on January 2, 2020, at Danbury Hospital. Irving was born in New York City and lived in Sandy Hook for over 20 years. He was the beloved ...
It’s important to clarify that while public process matters, so does the right of a property owner to reasonably develop land they legally own—especially when they follow the rules and engage with the town in good faith. The Board of Selectmen (BOS), whether one agrees with their decision or not, did not “give away” anything. The land in question was part of a road that had been unused and undeveloped for generations. There was no public access, no signage, and no infrastructure—just an overgrown path most residents never knew existed.
Mr. Ackert calls the discontinuance “illegal,” but state law grants municipalities the authority to discontinue roads, subject to procedural requirements. The fact that this matter is in litigation shows that questions of law are being properly addressed in court—not in letters to the editor. If the court finds procedural flaws, they’ll be corrected. That’s how the legal system works. Real solutions are found through public process and the courts, not through social media outrage.
What’s missing from this conversation is a recognition that towns need to balance many interests: history, environment, public access, private property rights, and economic development. And while the newly championed Revolutionary War heritage is important, there are also pressing modern realities: towns need housing, economic vitality, and responsible development. These things don’t happen in a vacuum—they require compromise, planning, and often, yes, change.
If residents truly wish to preserve this trail as public space, the appropriate path is through purchase, conservation easement, or formal designation—not by expecting private landowners to bear the burden of public sentiment. If the writer believes so strongly in its value, perhaps they might consider investing in its preservation themselves.
We can honor our history without freezing our town in time. Development and preservation aren’t mutually exclusive—but vilifying one side of the conversation only deepens division. Let’s focus on solutions that balance respect for the past with the rights and needs of those who live here now.
Dan was a real gentleman. I had the honor of knowing him for about 10 years from high school and into early adulthood. He was always upbeat and amiable. His love of golf was boundless. I remember him droning on about the type of wedge this or that professional golfer was playing at any given time. He loved to play also. Dan made the winning putt that clinched a championship for NHS men’s golf in 1984. It was a snaking, downhill putt that few people would have had the nerve or imagination to have holed at such a critical moment. It was magic!! You are a true gem, Dan. May your eternal reward be endless days of long, straight drives and the sound of difficult putts finding the bottom of the hole.
Congratulations John! This is quite a feat & shows a lot of perseverance, endurance, & commitment while becoming more healthy & having fun! The ultimate achievement! Wishing u a long healthy life!
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
The 1st Amendment does NOT say "except when there's a budget problem, or when some people wish things would quiet down." There is no way a proposed ordinance can be construed as other than singling out RockthisDemocracy, and also no way the town does not get expensively buried in court should it be foolish enough to go down this path.
