#MiddleburyCT #ZEO #ToiletPaper
Middlebury Zoning Enforcement Officer Curtis Bosco sits beside his roll of toilet paper with a piece of the front page of the Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer affixed to it. Bosco said he was off duty. (Marjorie Needham photo)
By MARJORIE NEEDHAM
Middlebury Zoning Enforcement Officer Curtis Bosco had no business on the agenda for the August 4, 2025, Board of Selectmen meeting, but he attended anyway. He brought with him a roll of toilet paper with a piece of the Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer’s front page taped to it as if it were part of the roll. He sat down across from this reporter and carefully positioned the roll so the piece of newspaper faced this reporter. It remained there throughout the meeting.
Those who would like to see the video recording of the meeting can visit tinyurl.com/4fa5778j. They will see the roll of toilet paper sat on the conference room table during the entire meeting. This reporter initiated a discussion about it, described below, that begins shortly after minute 26.
During public comments, this reporter rose and approached the conference room table. Gesturing toward the roll of toilet paper, she started speaking, “I’m observing on the conference room table what appears to be a roll of toilet paper with part of the Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer attached to it and I was wondering if anyone could tell me the significance of this roll of toilet paper,” she said as she lifted it off the table and held it in the air.
Bosco said, “Put that down. That’s mine!”
Needham said, “Would you mind telling me, Mr. Bosco, as the zoning enforcement officer, why you brought the roll of toilet paper to this meeting with that on it?”
First Selectman Edward B. St. John said, “I didn’t even notice it.”
Bosco responded to this reporter saying he wasn’t there as the zoning enforcement officer, that he was off duty, and went on to say, “Because that’s my feelings.”
“That’s your feelings?” she asked. “What, exactly is that representing? Would you care to verbalize your feelings, Mr. Bosco?”
Bosco responded, “Nope.”
Peter Trinchero said, “Time for him to resign, too.”
Needham turned to St. John saying, “That is not how you asked people to behave at town meetings.”
He said, “I didn’t even notice it until you pointed it out. I didn’t know it was there.”
She responded, “I’m not saying you knew about it. But you have nothing to say to him about him bringing an object like that and setting it on the conference room table in front of everyone in the room? That is totally inappropriate behavior on the part of a public official in the town of Middlebury.”
Bosco said he wasn’t there as a town official. “I’m here of my own volition.”
“You’re still our zoning enforcement officer, Mr. Bosco” Needham said.
Resident Peter Trinchero said, “I think this is wrong.”
Resident Debbie Marages said to St. John, “You know, you said you protect the people that work for the town.”
St. John said, “Yup.” Marages said, “”This is obscene to protect somebody who does something like that.”
St. John said, “I don’t know what it really all means, to be very honest with you.”
At that point, town attorney Robert W. Smith said “The people in this room that don’t believe in the first amendment, that surprises me.”
Needham said, “The first amendment allows you to bring a roll of toilet paper with the name of the ..” Smith interrupted her, saying, “Absolutely.”
Needham said, “And you consider that ethical? Well, I’m glad to know that you believe the local newspaper should be treated this way.”
Smith said, “I didn’t say that. I’m just supporting his first amendment rights to make, um, his expression in this meeting.”
Needham said, “Oh, and is that how we treat our residents civilly?”
Smith said, “Marj, I don’t make any value judgments on that. I support his first amendment rights, though, and I think this board has to, too, because they are a government agency and they can’t deprive him of his first amendment.”
St. John said, “Anything else?”
A resident who would not give his name said, “But they’re approving intimidation, though, right?”
Smith responded, “Don’t put words in my mouth.”
Bosco said, “Isn’t he supposed to identify himself at a public meeting”
The resident responded, “I’m none of your business, how’s that?”
The meeting then adjourned.
Editor’s notes: While it appears Bosco’s intention was to intimidate this reporter, it is true the first amendment gives him the right to do what he did. However, some would agree there is a difference between what we have the right to do and what is right to do.
An earlier version of this article was published on Bee-News.com on August 4, 2025.
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