Michael Abric
Fifteenth Anniversary
September 30, 1980 to September 18, 2002
Those we hold dear never truly leave us,
they live on in our memories and
forever in our hearts. Forever missed
...
Josephine Festa Purcell, 90, of Westport died peacefully at her home September 9. She was born in Norwalk in 1927 and has been a Westport resident for 61 years.
Her four sons and their wives, Mark and...
John Robert "Bob" Smith, Jr, 66, of Harwich Port, Mass., died peacefully September 5, surrounded by his family. He was the loving husband of Georgia (McCrea) Smith.
The Smiths raised their family in N...
Beth Leslie Hill, 60, died August 8, after complications of recently found pancreatic cancer. She was a longtime resident of Sandy Hook and Southbury, and in recent years had retired to Telford, Tenn....
Roman John Rostafin, 71, died September 8 in West Haven, after a long illness. He was a Newtown resident for 25 years prior to residing in West Haven. Born to Anastasia Dwernicka Rostafin and Thadeus ...
Doris Ann Gallo, 90, of Stratford, wife of the late Patsy M. Gallo, died peacefully September 8, at her residence. Born in Westport, she was a longtime resident of Weston before moving to Stratford 13...
David R. "Turtle" Volturno, 61, of Newtown, died peacefully September 6, after a long, courageous battle with Alzheimer's. He was born in Bridgeport, on November 12, 1955, son of the late Marie and Fr...
Stephen V. Del Vento, Sr, 77, of Milford and formerly of Trumbull, died September 4 in his home, surrounded by his loving family. Born in Bridgeport on December 14, 1939, he was a son of the late Loui...
Robert Edward "Bob" Daley, 84, of Oxford and formerly of Newtown, died August 25 at his home, surrounded by loving family and caregivers. He was a son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great-gra...
Dr Robert P. "Bob" Ragusa, 88, former longtime resident of Stratford, died peacefully in his home on September 3. He was born on October 27, 1928, in Brooklyn, N.Y.
His children and their spouses, Kat...
To be clear, this letter was also from Jordana Bloom. The Bee did not want to put all three names on the letter for space reasons, but all three of us sent this letter as well as our thanks to the voters for trusting us to continue the work.
I’m honestly confused by the objection to “cut-throughs.” Newtown is full of them, and they’re used every day without issue. Some of the more well-known examples are Elm Drive, Oakview, School House Hill, Pearl Street, Head of Meadow, Country Club Road, Point of Rocks, Hall Lane, Tinkerfield - Old Taunton Press, and Samp Road. I’m sure I’m even missing a few.
Given that, it’s hard to understand why this particular development is being singled out. Cut-throughs are a normal and longstanding part of how traffic moves in town. If they’re acceptable everywhere else — including roads that are narrower, steeper, or more heavily used — it seems inconsistent to suddenly treat this one as a crisis.
I want to clarify that the attorney at last week’s Planning & Zoning meeting was not threatening the commission, but explaining how the law works. The reality is that if we do not reach a compromise, 100% there will be lawsuits — it’s not a matter of intimidation, it’s a matter of legal process.
We all want smart growth and a Newtown that welcomes families, but it’s important to approach these conversations with a clear understanding of the legal framework. Recognizing the inevitability of legal challenges when consensus isn’t reached doesn’t undermine local control — it helps ensure that planning decisions are made thoughtfully and proactively.
The recent infighting within the Democratic Party says it all — they can’t even hold their own coalition together. Their failure to get the ACA supplements passed and the embarrassing way they handled the shutdown prove that their so-called “unity” is just for show.
Republicans don’t need to reinvent the wheel here — we just have to stand firm and stay together. When we do, Democrats eventually cave, every time. They talk about democracy, but their party is eating itself from the inside out.
Last week’s elections (blue ripple) might have given them a short-term headline, but that doesn’t change the bigger picture: Americans are tired of chaos, hypocrisy, and performative outrage. Strength and stability win in the long run — and that’s exactly what we bring when we stand united.
