***

Four out of five residents surveyed by The Bee last week said that the town should spend $100,000 in legal fees to fight construction of a jail in Newtown. A total of 39 Newtowners responded with fairly elaborate explanations for their answers, pro or con. Those opposed uniformly agreed the town should deal with a decision that cannot be revoked, and as Virginia Ballerini put it, use the money to better the town.

***

We had become so accustomed to sunny Labor Days that we had to check the calendar when we got up Monday morning; certainly there was some mistake — it was raining. But as we soon discovered, when Nature tries to throw cold water on Newtown’s Labor Day Parade, the event just get livelier. Marchers shook off the gloom and brightened up the morning with panoply of balloons, a streetful of marching music, plenty of spit and polish, and full measure of good humor.

***

 A student assistance team is the cornerstone on which a new program designed to prevent substance abuse in the schools was presented to the school board for study September 8 at its workshop. The student assistance team is a multi-disciplinary group of school personnel trained to investigate student situations, identify problems, recommend discipline, refer to in-school helping programs, and connect students to community service.

September 14, 1962

An oldtimer, the Great 1962 Danbury State Fair, is getting ready to unfurl its 93rd exhibition to an expected 150,000 or more enthusiastic visitors. Since 1869, the fair has drawn thousands of spectators from all parts of the country, and the 1962 version is virtually ready for another “onslaught.” General Manager John Leahy and Assistant General Manager C. Irving Jarvis have once again spared nothing to make it the best attraction ever.

***

As Newtown college students are starting their fall terms, The Third Annual Scholarship Ball committee is working towards the Ball, to be held on Saturday, October 13, at the Edmond Town Hall Gymnasium, from 9 pm to 1 am. The Scholarship Ball, initiated in 1960, has been a delightfully gay social event and has greatly increased the funds available for the Newtown Scholarship Association’s annual college scholarships.

***

At a tea to be held by the Democratic Women’s Club of Newtown at the Rock Ridge Country Club on Thursday, September 20, from 3 to 5 pm, the Honorable Ella Grasso, Secretary of State and candidate for reelection on the Democratic ticket will be the principal speaker.

***

Fishing for warm-water species remains fair to good. Lake Housatonic was good for white perch over the week, and Lake Zoar is providing fair catches of yellow perch, white perch, and calico bass.

September 10, 1937

Softball at the Newtown Country Club on Sunday afternoon was just one more weekend event that had to be called off because of the heavy storm. However, Labor Day found a game in progress during the afternoon, the combined efforts of Manager “Doc” Corrigan and Captain “Walt” Nichols producing a team that looked good on paper but failed to do much on the diamond. For Captain “Pete” Lawson and his sluggers won their 8th victory in nine games, with the uneven score of 11-2 and little to worry them by way of competition.

***

The opening of school in town on Wednesday morning found 270 students enrolled at Hawley school, including 94 in the first six grades and 176 in the Junior and Senior high school. It is expected by Principal Carl A. LeGrow that possibly six or eight more students will be enrolled within the next few days.

***

Charles Ferris and son, William Ferris, were first prize winners on their entry of a light draft team at the Goshen Fair on Monday. The team was first entered in the 2,800 pound class and later entered in the heavier class, winning in both entries. Charles Ferris, Jr also entered a pair of fancy steers, which took first prize.

When Mr and Mrs William M. Strong moved last week into their snug and newly built home on Carcass Lane, they really started a new chapter in the history of Newtown. For this is the first residence to be built on Carcass Lane, though a basement is now being dug for a second house on the Wallen property, near the Church Road end of the lane. It is now that the Strongs will enjoy quiet from the moving traffic of Newtown’s Main street, even though they are but a stone’s throw from it. The only point of doubt in this awakening of Carcass Lane is whether or not it will be allowed to become a respectable street with such a disrespectable name.

 

September 13, 1912

H.R. Pierce and George Right of Brooklyn spent the weekend at Wood Lawn farm. They were fortunate enough while fishing on Monday to catch a turtle, the largest that has been caught around here in some time. While trying to bring it to shore, the boat was capsized and Mr Right found himself in ten feet of water, but with Walter Hodges to the rescue, the boat was soon righted and Mr Right vowed he would never go turtle fishing again.

***

In the heavy electrical storm of Saturday night, the barn of E.S. Lovell was struck by lightning. The weather vane was demolished and a hole punctured the roof of the barn. Mr Lovell did not discover the damage until morning. Mr Lovell naturally feels pleased over his escape from a serious loss, as his barn was struck by lightning and burned six or seven years ago.

***

On Tuesday, September 3, the High School commenced its school year. There were 93 pupils in attendance: Seniors 12, Juniors 14, Sophomores 16, Freshmen 29, Sub-freshmen 22. The walls in the hallways of the building have been freshened with a fine coat of paint. The classes in agriculture are busily at work constructing a new concrete walk from the school building to the road. The beginning class in Agriculture includes girls as well as boys.

***

The business manager of The Bee was much indebted to W.T. Coleman for a basket of beautiful peaches, samples of his first crop of “Crawford Early” grown in his experimental orchard on Overlook Farm. Mr Cole thinks they show that the variety takes kindly in Newtown soil, and says “Triumph,” “Greensboro,” “Early Canada,” and “Admiral Dewey” ripening in early August, do equally well.