Donna Hartson Fox, 88, of North Branford, loving wife of Frederick W. Fox, died March 4 at Evergreen Woods Healthcare Center. She was born in Milwaukee, Wis., to the late Gladys (Gullikson) and Irving...
Jesse James Meadows, 80, of Newtown died surrounded by his family on March 4, at Griffin Hospital in Derby. He was born January 31, 1937, in Elgood, W.Va., the son of Gladys (Nelson) and Herbert Meado...
Richard Howell, 73, longtime resident of Sandy Hook and New Rochelle, N.Y, died peacefully March 7, after a long illness. He was born in New York on March 28, 1943, to the late Anna (Windrum) and Rich...
Julia Elisabeth Offer Reis, 59, died February 22, ending her valiant five-year battle with ALS. Born in Detroit, she grew up in Racine, Wis., and spent most of her adult life in Newtown, Ridgefield, a...
Daniel Edward Knopf, 77, of Addison (Rathbone), N.Y., died on February 16, surrounded by his loving family. Born in Bridgeport on February 5, 1940, he was the son of the late Edward and Dora Ward Knop...
Nancy A. O'Neil, 73, of Danbury died on March 4 at Danbury Hospital. She was born in Brooklyn on June 15, 1943, daughter of the late Roger and Mercedes Whiteway Peavy, and grew up in Manhasset, Long I...
John Francis McNulty, 87, of Newtown died peacefully at home on March 5, surrounded by his loving family. He was the beloved husband of Geraldine (Griffin) McNulty for 60 years. He was born in Brookly...
Betty Joan (Smith) Holey, 90, died February 9, in Black Mountain, N.C. Born in Toledo, Ohio, on October 17, 1926, she was the second oldest of five girls born to the late Eunice (Lauer) and Grant Haro...
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.
