January 12, 2001

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER of Edgar Beers.

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Newtown’s first baby of the year did not quite make the New Years mark, but his laid-back personality probably would not have fit in with the hoopla of all festivities and celebrations. Brendan Campbell Moline entered the world at 7:42 pm on January 2 at Danbury Hospital weighing in at 8 pounds 9 ounces; he was 21.5 inches long. Brendan was the first Newtown baby born in 2001, making him the winner of The Newtown Bee’s annual first baby contest. LaNae and Gary Moline of Newtown are the proud parents of Brendan.

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Following lengthy discussion, Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members have modified the zoning regulations to allow the town to construct a school which is taller than had been permitted by applicable zoning regulations. The rule change approved by the P&Z January 4 allows the public school system to construct a Grade 5/6 school on a sloped site at Fairfield Hills in which the elevational difference between the highest point of the building and the lowest point of the building at ground level is 60 feet.

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Fire investigators this week continued probing for the cause of a major blaze which destroyed a large horse barn December 30 at Foxview Farm on Hundred Acres Road. Deputy Fire Marshal Bill Halstead said Thursday a fire investigator for the firm that insured the horse barn was working among the ruins of the structure, which was completely destroyed by the fire. As of Thursday morning, no cause for the fire had been established.

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There are few things that will bring a smile to coach Brian Reiff’s face like a win over Bunnell would. An animosity that has festered ever since the South-West Conference was formed has turned the Newtown and Bunnell swim programs into bitter rivals and a victory in the annual dual meet matchup is one prized above almost any other. And the Nighthawks claimed that prize last week with a 102-76 win over the Bulldogs at Flood Junior High School in Stratford.

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Head O’Meadow fourth graders in Linda Siladi’s class donated toys for Toys for Tots this holiday season instead of giving gifts to their teacher. Ms Siladi asked her students to give to the program that helps children in need instead of giving her a holiday gift this year. The fourth graders donated two large boxes of toys for the program at the end of December.

January 9, 1976

Families, supporters, onlookers and reporters crowded into Edmond Town Hall’s Alexandria Room on Sunday afternoon, January 4, at two o’clock, to witness the swearing-in ceremony for town officials scheduled to start their new terms the next day, January 5. The first order of business was for Judge of Probate Benjamin Blanchard to swear in reelected Town Clerk Mae Schmidle to her second term. Thereafter Mrs Schmidle … administered the oath of office first to reelected Selectman Thomas Goosman, then to members of various boards and commissions, to the new legislative council members, and finally to newly elected First Selectman Jack Rosenthal. Mrs Schmidle noted that she had the honor to swear in the first legislative council in the history of the town.

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Jack Rosenthal said he wants what other First Selectmen have been given in the area of hiring, firing and suspending town employees. But he felt the two Republican selectmen gave him something else Wednesday night. Selectman Frank DeLucia brought the matter up, saying he had asked Town Counsel Paul Pollock for an opinion on the Town Charter’s provision covering town employees before he left the office of First Selectman, which Mr Rosenthal won from him last November. But the First Selectman, arguing the matter wasn’t on the agenda, ruled the motion out of order and was overridden by Republicans DeLucia and Thomas Goosman.

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The winner of The Bee’s first baby contest is Liana Joy Denzel, the daughter of Mr and Mrs Frederick A. Denzel Jr of Rowledge Pond Road. Liana, the Denzels’ first child, was born in Bridgeport Hospital at 9 am on January 2 and weighed in at 5 pounds, 11 ounces. Dr Harry Inder was the attending physician, and as soon as Mrs Denzel could locate a phone on Friday morning after the baby was born, she called The Bee with the news.

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Nancy Miller, daughter of Mr and Mrs Montague C. Miller of Newtown, was a participant in an archaeological dig in Cranford, N.J. this fall under the auspices of the anthropology department of Drew University. A graduate of Newtown High School, she is a freshman at Drew. The dig, which ran throughout the fall and will resume in the spring, is part of a ten-year plan of the town fathers to develop a mile-long corridor bordering the Rahway River in Cranford as a living memorial to the town’s centennial and the U.S. Bicentennial.

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All of the six banks represented in Newtown have been providing a wider range of services to their customers recently than ever before. Direct deposit Social Security checks, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), credit cards, 24 hour deposit and withdrawal facilities are just some of the new features in today’s banks. However, as of December 31, 1975, two Newtown banks are authorized to compete with the other four in offering a familiar convenient service—personal checking accounts.

January 5, 1951

After completing their tour of the various roads to view the Christmas decorations, the judges acting for the Newtown Lions Club in the Christmas decorations contest came to the conclusion that all of Newtown had put on its best holiday dress. It was noted that nearly every house in Newtown displayed a wreath or some other form of decoration. In the opinion of judges the most outstanding decoration from both the standpoint of originality and artistic treatment was that of Commander and Mrs Warner W. Bayley on Mt Pleasant. … There were several interesting evening decorations, but the judges were particularly impressed by the 20-foot growing Christmas tree at the Heath residence on the Old Bethel Road. … Of the decorations by day, the judges concluded that the Edmund E. Neary residence on the Danbury-Newtown Road was the best.

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A large number of friends of Lee W. Glover, second assistant chief of the Newtown Volunteer Fire Company, gathered at the Hillandale Inn, Newtown-Danbury Road, to honor him at a farewell dinner. Mr Glover will enter the service January 22. Judge John F. Holian served as toastmaster, and a roast beef dinner was served. During the evening, James Crick, who, with John McCarthy, Jr., sponsored the party, on behalf of all present, presented him with a purse.

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A large group, 26 in all, gathered at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library on Wednesday evening, January 3, for the study of “The Communist Manifesto,” written by Karl Marx in 1848 and still the Bible of the Communist organizations all over the world. The leader was James B. Forbes and the historian and biographer, Miss Ann McCann, who sketched the background and conditions in Europe at the time the “Manifesto” was written.

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For the 53rd year, Thomas F. Brew of Dayton Street, Sandy Hook, erected prior to the Christmas season the stable and manger scene that is placed each year before the altar in St. Rose Church. The creche was built with large trees forming a bower, with domestic animals in the stable, a statue of the Infant Jesus in the crib, and statues of Mary and Joseph, the Magi and shepherds appropriately placed. The whole scene was suffused with a blue floodlight giving an effect that attracted more than the usual attention from worshippers in the church.

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Four graduates of Newtown High School now taking university courses held a reunion at the home of Don James in the Gray’s Plain District New Year’s Day afternoon. They were: Gordon T. Williams, Newtown High School class of 1947, now a junior at the University of Bridgeport, studying mechanical engineering; Jack Cochran, 1947, senior in political science, University of Bridgeport; Harry E. Lake, Jr., a junior in business administration at University of Connecticut; and Don James, 1947, a junior majoring in English at the Oklahoma A. and M. College.

January 8, 1926

Miss Margaret Laughlin is proudly displaying a solitaire on her left hand and while no announcement has been made, congratulations have been in order since Christmas. Miss Laughlin is one of our most popular young ladies.

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H.W. Barker, a five handicap golfer, is receiving congratulations on a recent business change. On January 1 he became vice-president of E.B. Merritt & Company Inc., investment brokers, of Bridgeport and New Haven. Mr Barker has, since 1921, represented Dillon, Read & Company in Connecticut.

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Mr and Mrs Frank H. Ives of Botsford are visiting at the home of Mrs Charles C. Smith in New Milford.

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Frank A. Blackman, popular local R.F.D. man, has been appointed a member of the executive Board of the Rural carriers of Fairfield County. The executive board consists of three members.

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Mr and Mrs F.C. Sanford, Mr and Mrs A.M. Boyson and son were guests, Sunday, of Mrs Wilson and daughters in Shelton.

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John Haugh is installing additional radiators in St Rose’s church, to make it more comfortable in severe weather.

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George O. Canfield is doing interior decorating at St Rose’s rectory.

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Misses Esther and Emma Moller of Bridgeport and Miss Lucetta Koster of New York were in town, Sunday, attending the morning service at the Congregational church.

January 11, 1901

Rev George T. Linsley, President of the John Beach Memorial library, Dear Sir: Realizing the importance of getting our young people interested in books and reading and knowing the many benefits and pleasures derived from such a habit, I have offered as an incentive along this line a free subscription for one year to the pupil attending North Center school writing the best composition about our library. I submit their work to you and request that you decide to whom the prize is due. It is to be regretted that the teachers of our town take so little interest in the library. Here we have through the generosity of Miss Beach a beautiful building whose shelves contain over 3000 carefully selected volumes the reading of which would result in much good to the youth of our town. Yours very truly,[­­—P.H. McCarthy, Newtown, Conn., January 7, 1901.

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James Lee, of the firm of Lee & Seabrooke, met with an accident on Saturday, which might have caused his death. While at work at the ice harvest at Roxbury Station, he was struck just over the eye by an iron gripper, which flew out from some cakes of ice being drawn up the track to the ice house. He bled profusely but some court-plaster was secured and the wound dressed. Mr Lee returned with his men by team to Hawleyville. The ice house at Roxbury Station was filled in just two and a half days, about 800 tons being harvested. On Monday he began filling the Hawleyville ice house and later will take the same forces to South Kent, North Kent and Falls Village. Mr Lee is a hustler and gets right down to business, whether harvesting ice or about any other matter of consequence.

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P.H. McCarthy was in Danbury on Saturday to attend the funeral of Mrs Young.

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The Hawleyville whist club were pleasantly entertained on Tuesday night by Mr and Mrs J.A. James.

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The household goods of William Gaffney of Hawleyville were moved to New Milford on Saturday by Patridge & Hoyt, the capable and expert furniture movers, of that enterprising town.

Do you have photographs of people or places in town from a bygone era? The Way We Were is the perfect landing spot so that your photographs can be enjoyed by readers of The Newtown Bee. Images can be emailed as attachments to shannon@thebee.com, subject line: Way We Were photo. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date. If you live locally and would like to loan a photo/photos, please give us a call (203-426-3141) to let us know when you will be visiting.