Attack on newspaper continues

#MiddleburyCT #BoardOfSelectman #ToiletPaper #Bosco

Middlebury Zoning Enforcement Officer Curtis Bosco sits beside his roll of toilet paper with a piece 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 brought a roll of toilet paper to the Monday, August 4, Board of Selectmen meeting. It had a piece of the Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer’s front page taped to it as if it were part of the roll. Bosco 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.

UPDATED 08-05-2025 to add the following link to a video recording of the meeting. Click here to view the recording. The conversation described below 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 top of the 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,” but before she could go on, First Selectman Edward B. St. John interrupted her saying, “I didn’t even notice it,”

As she went to pick it up and hold it in the air. Bosco jumped up and said, “That’s mine. I brought it.”

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?”

Bosco said 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 to a meeting and setting it on the conference room table in front of everyone? 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.”

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 newspaper on it?”

Smith said, “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 at 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 rights.”

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, “None of your business, how’s that?”

The meeting then adjourned.

Please note that, other than saying the pledge of allegiance and sitting in front of his roll of toilet paper, Bosco did not participate in the meeting. Therefore, it appears his intention was to continue town officials’ attempts to intimidate this reporter. It also should be noted that none of the town officials present said anything critical of Bosco’s actions.