November 15, 1991

Tobacco use will cost the US economy $65 billion this year in health care and lost productivity, which is about 18 percent of the gross national product. It will also kill 434,000 people nationwide. If you do smoke and do not die this year, you are almost twice as likely as a nonsmoker to die by the age of 55 and nearly three times as likely to die by 65, according to the national cancer society. There is plenty of compelling evidence to show that smoking is a drag. Once again this year the American Cancer Society is giving smokers a chance to try, try again with the Great American Smokeout. On November 21, the AMC will encourage smokers to give up cigarettes for 24 hours, hoping it will ultimately lead to a smoke-free life.

***

The year is 1818. The place, a home in Sandy Hook. The woman: Julia Merrit, mother of Ezra Levan Johnson, the son who wrote Newtown's History 1705 to 1818. If you were to visit this young girl before she became a farmer's wife and bore Ezra and his brother, Levan, you might find her at a desk busily writing poems about nature, the Christian spirit, or an acquaintance's beauty. According to Dan Cruson, Julia grew up in Sandy Hook and attended the Sandy Hook one-room schoolhouse. Her adolescent poetry is a throwback to the 19th Century way of life.

***

Organizers of the Cyrenius H. Booth Library book sale are planning to form a Friends of The Library group so they can target book sale earnings for specific library needs. Joanne Zang and Diane Bowler are sale organizers who want to form the Friends group. The group's motivation is to target book sale funds for specific and often neglected library needs instead of just "paying the rent."

***

The November meeting of the Newtown Woman's Club GFWC will be held at Caper's on Federal Road, Brookfield, at noon. Newtown Police Chief Michael DeJoseph will speak on community crime and how it affects us as individuals and as a community and will answer questions after the talk.

November 4, 1966

The Newtown Couple's Club is having its first dinner meeting on Saturday, November 12, in the Congregational Church House. Dinner will be served at 7 pm followed by a fun-filled evening of military whist. You don't have to know how to play cards to attend, because this is different from any other card game you have ever played. Put on your walking shoes, because table-hopping is expected. Military whist is a great mixer.

***

The Newtown High School band took the field last Saturday at the home football game dressed in its new uniforms, part of which had only arrived in town the night before. The band marched from the high school to Taylor Field, played during the game, and also performed at half time. The fifty members were led by Randi Decater, dressed in her Indian garb, plus a color guard and marching unit. A total of 77 students took part in the entertainment.

***

With the assistance of Owen Gallagher, the Newtown Recreational Director, and Mrs Lindbom, UNICEF Representative Newtown Hook and Ladder's Halloween party for grade school children was a complete success.

***

A round and square dance will be held Saturday, November 5, at the Hawleyville Firehouse. All proceeds from this dance will be donated to the Viet Nam fund of the combined auxiliaries of Newtown. Oscar White's Western Band will provide the evening's music and a buffet will be served.

October 31, 1941

Paul E. Smith, editor of The Bee, had the pleasure of joining other editors at the Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport as guests of the Southern New England Telephone Company for a preview of the company's new moving picture, Connecticut Answers. This very important film tells the important part being played by Connecticut's manufacturing concerns in the nation's defense program. Needless to say, the phone company faces a gigantic task in providing proper communication facilities for the rapidly expanding plants.

***

It is not always the hunters who see the pheasants. One morning last week Mrs B.C. Hoppin halted her car for two hens which came out of the swamp near the "Mike" White property, and while she watched them cross the road, seven more rose from cover and flew in front of her - three of them were cocks. Evidently, they feel there is safety in numbers.

***

There is no particular pleasure in carrying on the front page of The Bee the picture of such a mangled mess as the car of the late William Rappaport of Bridgeport, which appears in this issue. We might have printed a picture showing the lifeless body of Mr Rappaport thrown half out of the right-hand door. The unfortunate accident occurred Sunday morning, when the victim fell asleep at the wheel of his fast-moving vehicle. We hope everyone will take a lingering look at this picture, and then resolve to drive a little slower.

***

Saturday night is the day and Hall's Toot and Come Inn at Lake Zoar, Southbury, is the place for a modern and old-fashioned masquerade dance. Music for dancing will be furnished by El Rancho Cowboys, well-known broadcasting orchestra, and prizes will be awarded for the best costumes. No admission charge.

November 3, 1916

Thomas Nolan of Bridgeport has taken a position with the Newtown Garage. Mr Nolan has had 12 years' experience in the general garage business, four years of which was with the Blue Ribbon Garage of Bridgeport. He comes highly recommended.

***

The young people of Taunton will give an evening of song and story on the life of Fanny Crosby on Friday evening, November 10. The program will include a recitation of song and story by the young people, and promises to be most entertaining.

***

The Hawleyville Whist Club were entertained Friday night by Miss Cora Barnum. H.M Tiemann Sr won the prize for gentleman, a pair of gloves, and Mrs W.S. Hawley won the prize for the ladies, a handkerchief. The gentlemen's consolation prize was awarded to Earnest M. Hawley and the ladies' consolation prize to Mrs Charles Jackson.

***

WANTED TO HIRE - a good ox teamster; also two or three woodchoppers to chop wood in Waterbury. Will pay $1.25 per cord. WANTED - a second hand stalk cutter; one that can be run by hand or power. Address "cutter" c/o Newtown Bee.

Please consider sharing your old photographs of people and places from Newtown or Sandy Hook with readers of The Newtown Bee. Images can be e-mailed to , or brought to the office at 5 Church Hill Road to be scanned. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date.kendra@thebee.com