Carol Ann Beers, 74, of St James, N.C., formerly of Newtown, died January 13 at Lower Cape Fear Hospice in Whiteville, N.C. She was born September 29, 1942, daughter of the late David and Adell Metres...
Norma H. Andrews, 94, of Nunnawauk Meadows in Newtown died on January 1 after a brief illness. She was born on February 14, 1922, on Main Street in Washingtonville, N.Y., to Clara (Felter) Hookey and ...
Evelyn C. Becker died on January 13, at Maefair Health Care Center in Trumbull. She was born in Bridgeport to Susan and Anthony Cuvitilo. She was the wife of the late W. Rex Becker, who predeceased he...
Jerome "Jerry" H. Shapiro, of Sandy Hook, died peacefully on January 11 while under hospice care at River Glen Health Care Center in Southbury. He was born in Port Chester, N.Y., on August 4, 1929, so...
George E. Mattegat, Sr, moved to Newtown from Monroe when he was 21 years old. He spent the next 66 years of his life here, before moving to The Villages in Florida in 2014. On January 6, at the age o...
Helen Vengren "Jackie" Reck, 80, of Easton died January 7 at St Vincent's Medical Center. She was the beloved wife of the late Walter M. Reck. Born in Dracut, Mass., on June 17, 1936, she was a daught...
Beverly M. Muehlenbein, 82, of New Milford died January 6, at Danbury Hospital after a brief illness. She was born April 27, 1934, in Neenah, Wis., a daughter of the late Ethel (Sutton) and Alvin Mant...
Nancy Butts Whittemore, 91, of Sandy Hook died January 6, following a brief illness. She was born on November 5, 1925, in Newton, Mass., to Louise (Mirick) and F. Marsena Butts. She was the beloved wi...
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.
