What seemed a few months ago like a destined-to-be-completed ice rink project to be retrofitted into the existing NYA Sports & Fitness building within Fairfield Hills is no longer in the cards.
Newtown High School’s boys’ lacrosse team defeated host Pomperaug of Southbury 18-1 on April 18, and Tucker Garrity’s three assists (to go along with a trio of goals) made him the program’s all-time leader with 134 assists.
Ties in lacrosse are unusual enough — Newtown High School’s girls’ team hadn’t had one in more than a decade, if ever, before a 9-9 deadlock with visiting Pomperaug of Southbury on a damp April 11 night — but the way in which this game ended up a stalemate is all the more unusual.
The second annual Run4Hunger-Newtown, benefiting FAITH Food Pantry, will take place on Saturday, May 11, on the campus of Fairfield Hills. The race starts at 8:30 am.
Newtown High School’s softball team got back into the win column with an offensive outburst — two dozen runs to be exact — against visiting Kolbe Cathedral of Bridgeport on April 18. The Nighthawks swung heavy bats en route to a 24-2 triumph over the Cougars, putting the skids on a three-game losing streak.
It doesn’t seem to matter who Newtown High School’s volleyball team plays. The Nighthawks improved to 9-0 overall, posting their sixth and seventh 3-0 triumphs with wins over FCIAC teams, host Danbury on April 17 and visiting Trumbull the next day.
The way in which Newtown High School’s boys’ lacrosse team started each of its last two games certainly played a role in the victories, but it was strong second-half play that sparked wins at Stepinac of New York on April 13 and home against Weston on April 16.
Newtown High School's girls' and boys' tennis teams both earned 7-0 wins on the road on April 16. The girls were victorious at Masuk of Monroe and the boys won at Stratford High.
With the publication of installment No. 26, Trump’s Triumphs has now consumed enough broadsheet paper—approximately 3.6 miles—to stretch from the center of Newtown, past the dump, and nearly to Sand Hill Plaza. That is the amount of paper used to print these 26 installments alone. Do you think they will stop before we get to Monroe? If Trump becomes 48 in 28 then we would make the sound for sure!
Dave, you are right that only those in the Borough signed onto the law suits, as it was made clear during the Borough meetings that signers had to be residents of the Borough. However, as you know, there was a concerted effort by the Newtown Conservation Coalition to organize people (throughout town) and to orchestrate actions intended to foil the overall development.
If one searches the Bee for “Newtown Conservation Coalition” one will find many articles and editorials that cite the coalition. More that 18 of those articles and editorials, from March 2024 through February 2025, are about the Castle Hill Development and include direct quotes from the NCC head/founder including, e.g.,:
1) Newtown Conservation Coalition founder Dave Ackert has sagely urged his fellow NCC members to “stick to the relevant regulations issues and concerns in your testimony,” as “general opinions and concerns will not be considered when making their decision." [https://www.newtownbee.com/08292024/borough-zoning-to-begin-20-60-castle-hill-public-hearing." [https://www.newtownbee.com/08292024/borough-zoning-to-begin-20-60-castle-hill-public-hearing]
2) “We’re being sold a lot of things,” said Ackert. “The developer said he is going above and beyond in preserving open space, but the only part [of the plan] that doesn’t have houses are the steep slopes. He’s not avoiding buildable land, he’s using every buildable inch.” [https://www.newtownbee.com/09272024/borough-zoning-hears-perspectives-on-castle-hill-development]
In addition to the articles and editorials, you (Dave) also wrote over 8 letters related to the development, in essence speaking for the residents, e.g., saying “On behalf of hundreds of concerned residents living within 500 feet who signed protest petitions, and residents downstream who’s property and finances could also be negatively impacted, I ask the BOS to rescind the discontinuance decision now.” [https://www.newtownbee.com/07102025/discusses-rochambeau-trail-and-6-commerce-road]
The main tools for the Newtown Conservation Coalition are FOI complaints and legal action. These actions have increased the amount both the Town and the Borough have had to pay for legal counsel over the last few years. The cost is shared by all households and businesses for Town actions. Unfortunately, it is shared by very few, relatively speaking, for Borough actions. This year’s Borough costs are $58,000 to date. There were FOIA/legal actions in 2024 and 2025 too. Eventually, we will all see if that was money well spent. My sense is that the answer is no.
my concern is not limited to this single FOIA request or this one case. It is the broader pattern of obstructionism, fear-mongering, and personal nastiness reflected in your Facebook page and other public commentary.
You routinely call people to action by presenting only one side of complicated issues, assigning the worst possible motives to those who disagree with you, and giving little consideration to the legitimate concerns or perspectives on the other side. That may generate outrage and attention, but it does not make you a constructive participant in Newtown’s civic affairs.
You are entitled to question public officials and pursue whatever legal remedies are available to you. But you should not pretend that your own conduct, rhetoric, and repeated escalation of disputes have played no role in the hostility and expense surrounding these matters.
Newtown would be a nicer and more productive community with less of this kind of divisive behavior.
