Farland “Ed” Fansher, 97, of Newtown died March 17. He was the beloved husband of Nancy Northridge Fansher. Born October 12, 1917, in Edmond, Okla., he was the son of Bernice (Brown) Fansher and Raymo...
Linda M. (Haitsch) Schwartz, 67, of Bethel died March 23 at the Saint John Paul II Center, Danbury, following a two-year battle with cancer. She was born January 7, 1948, in Evansville, Ind., and was ...
Marilyn E. (Lasky) Ball, 86, formerly of Danbury and Newtown, died at Danbury Health Care Center March 19. She was the daughter of the late Dorothy (Hills) Lasky and Frank Lasky. She grew up in Westpo...
William J. Wood, 86, of Newtown, died peacefully in his home March 22. He was born February 6, 1929, in Norwalk, and was the son of the late Hannah McGrath Wood and William Ambrose Wood.
He graduated ...
Jennifer Skemp O’Grady, 72, of Sandy Hook died March 22 surrounded by her family, after a long and well-fought battle with lung disease. She was born March 2, 1943, in Chicago to Mrs and Mr Robert Oli...
Cecile Thuotte Labrecque, 91, a resident at Pomperaug Woods in Southbury, and formerly of Venice, Fla., and Stratford, died peacefully March 18 with her son Ronald at her side, after a brief illness. ...
Lawrence “Larry” J. Penna, 61, of New Fairfield died unexpectedly March 18. He was the husband of 41 years to Erika (Shepherd) Penna. He was born in Danbury, July 13, 1953, to Lucille (Curti) and Anth...
Norann “Kookie” Feli, 66, of Newtown, beloved wife of the late George Feli, died at Waterbury Hospital March 15. She was born in Danbury, August 29, 1948, and was the daughter of the late Anna (Germin...
John J. Todd III, 66, of Newtown, a former 38-year resident of New Fairfield, died in his home March 17 with his beloved family by his side, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born in Glen ...
Marilyn Storm, 70, a resident of Connecticut for more than 60 years, died unexpectedly in her Bethel home March 11. Born January 11, 1945, in Abilene, Texas, she was the daughter of the late Mary (Fen...
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.
