John J. Doherty, 87, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., died November 29. Mr Doherty was born in the Bronx January 24, 1931, to Beatrice (McDermott) and Patrick Doherty.
His wife of 38 years, Marlene; his childre...
Eleanor Harriet Ruot, 99, of Newtown, formerly of Fairfield, beloved wife of the late Edmond R. Ruot, died peacefully December 15. Born in Torrington, the daughter of the late Ernest and Gertrude Crut...
Rose Marie Baisden, 80, of Newtown, died December 16, after battling heart disease. She was born in New Britain April 26, 1938, and was a daughter of the late Ross and Freada (Rose) Baisden.
Before re...
Nelson Emmanuel Segla Tamakloe, 76, of Sandy Hook, died December 16, at home, after a long illness. He was born October 10, 1942, in Lagos, Nigeria, and was the son of Gilbert Demetrius Adaleteh Tamak...
Rose Ann (Mino) Rutkowski Cipolla, 83, a 40-year resident of Sandy Hook, died December 16. Born February 8, 1935, she was the daughter of John Mino and Ann Findorak.
Mrs Cipolla worked at Remington (S...
Kathy Hewitt, 63, of Sandy Hook, died December 17, of complications from surgery. One of six children born to Laura and the late John Hewitt, she grew up in Fairfield and lived there most of her life....
Robert J. “Bob” Qubick, 87, of Sandy Hook, died December 15. He was born in White Plains, N.Y., March 26, 1932, the son of John Qubick and Eleanor Knapp.
Mr Qubick was a proud, patriotic veteran of th...
Ann Troy, 91, a lifelong resident of Norwalk, died December 14. She was the daughter of the late Joseph and Ruth Bogdany and the loving wife of Joseph A Troy, Jr.
Her six children, Diane Merrifield, M...
Margurette Mohigel Khoury, of Bridgeport, loving wife of 68 years to George Mohajjal (Mohigel), died peacefully December 12. Born in Soudeie, Syria, she was the daughter of the late Moussa and Meryana...
Robert A. “Bob” Besse, 74, of Newtown, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, died December 9. Born in Easton, April 3, 1944, he grew up on a farm and enjoyed tending to and riding horses.
His wife...
If Bruce Walczak wasn’t considered qualified enough to serve on the Board of Education the last time he ran, how does that suddenly make him fit to lead the entire town as First Selectman? Newtown deserves proven competence, not political recycling.
We should expect more from our leaders than recycled campaigns and empty slogans about “listening.” The First Selectman’s job demands results, judgment, and the respect of those he hopes to lead — not another round of excuses. Do we really elect failure as a qualification now?
We don’t need more listeners — we need action. We need someone who will stand up for the town, not engage in a politically divisive, doublespeak campaign. We need honor in the position, not politics.
Leadership isn’t about echoing what’s convenient or popular — it’s about facing hard questions and making tough decisions for the good of the whole community. Newtown deserves a leader who answers with conviction, not calculation. Our town needs accountability, not applause.
Mr. Walczak’s reply is unfortunately emblematic of the political double-speak that frustrates so many residents. Rather than engaging on the substantive issues raised — namely, the balance between quality education and fiscal responsibility — he chose to deflect and assign partisan blame.
It’s easy to grandstand about “supporting education.” It’s harder to make responsible decisions that keep Newtown affordable for everyone — families, seniors, and small businesses alike. That’s the work real public servants are doing, even when it’s not politically convenient.
*Regardless, you should know that the Board of Education has the greatest influence on the education budgets that ultimately come before Board of Finance and LC.
Mr. Walczak, I read it multiple times before submitting my letter and again afterward. Nowhere in your letter do you mention Legislative Council. Regardless, you should know that the Board of Education has the greatest influence on budgets that ultimately come before Board of Finance and LC.
In addition, I noted that you didn't respond to the more substantive issue highlighted in my letter -- school funding and impact on our residents. Your initial letter seemed to indicate that "Republicans" were misguided in challenging budget requests. Regardless of whether you were talking about LC or BOE, is it your position that 64.8% of every tax dollar is not enough to adequately fund our schools? Are you advocating to spend more money? It feels like your Letter to the Editor is at odds with your campaign pitch of affordability.
