So much for tough out-of-conference competition slowing down the South-West Conference high school football freight train known as the Newtown Nighthawks.
Host Norwich Free Academy kept things interes...
Two late-game free kicks led to both goals as Newtown High School’s girls’ soccer team came back from a 1-0 halftime deficit to defeat visiting Immaculate of Danbury 2-1 at Blue & Gold Stadium on Octo...
According to the schedule, Newtown High School’s boys’ soccer team had two of its tougher tests just after the calendar turned to October. Based on the results, a pair of 1-0 wins over tough South-Wes...
Newtown High School’s field hockey team bounced back from its first loss of the season with perhaps its biggest win of the campaign. It did so in convincing fashion, with a 3-0 triumph over visiting N...
Newtown High School's boys' soccer team upset visiting Joel Barlow of Redding 1-0, at Blue & Gold Stadium, on October 1. With the win, Newtown cut its losing streak off at just two games. The team los...
With some of the injured regulars back in the fold, and with help of the emergence of up-and-coming players, Newtown High School’s girls’ soccer team handed visiting Notre Dame-Fairfield its first los...
In a rematch of the last two South-West Conference championship clashes, visiting Joel Barlow of Redding erased a two games to none deficit to defeat Newtown High School’s girls’ volleyball team 3-2 (...
Newtown High School’s football team cruises into its bye week with a 4-0 record and nothing but dominant showings thus far.
The Nighthawks got a solid overall effort from its starters and reserves ali...
After mostly dominating the competition, outscoring its first four opponents a combined 19-3, Newtown High School’s field hockey team found itself in its closest contest of the season on September 24....
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.
