January 19, 2001

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER OF Hank Hjerpe.

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Collins Enterprises, LLC of Greenwich announced earlier this month that it no longer intended to proceed with its proposal to build a high-tech park on the 185-acre Fairfield Hills property. The state-owned land is up for sale, and while the town is the leading candidate to become the next owner, large development firms are expected to play a role as well.

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An accidental fire at Union Savings Bank at 20 Church Hill Road in the Borough caused an estimated $20,000 to $25,000 in damage at the branch office on the night of Thursday, January 11. Newtown Hook and Ladder and Sandy Hook firefighters were dispatched to the 8:39 pm fire, as was the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps. There were no injuries. Deputy Fire Marshal Bill Halstead said the fire apparently started after a nighttime cleaning person inadvertently or accidentally left on an electric heating element on a stove in a small kitchen in the bank. The hot element ignited an adjacent plastic dish rack, with the fire then spreading to a set of wall-hung cabinets and then spreading across the kitchen’s ceiling, Mr Halstead said.

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The town experienced a sharp increase in the number of burglaries in 2000, compared to 1999, with the incidence of that property crime increasing by more than 53 percent, from 43 burglaries in 1999 to 66 burglaries in 2000. Acting Police Chief Michael Kehoe said burglary is a highly cyclical crime, with its local incidence varying widely from year to year.

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First Selectman Herbert Rosenthal, representing the town’s five volunteer fire companies, received a check from Cindy Miller, president of the Newtown Bridle Lands Association, in support of the fire companies. The association, an equine group, is providing $100 donations to each of the five local fire companies. The donations reflect the work that the fire companies performed in fighting a fire that destroyed a horse barn December 30 at Foxview Farm on Hundred Acres Road.

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At a recent meeting of the Newtown Lions Club at the Inn in Newtown, A. Winthrop Ballard was given the club’s highest Lions’ award, the Melvin Jones Plaque. Mr Ballard earned this award for his outstanding work for the local Lions Club. Several times president, he has also been the club’s secretary, membership chairman, nominating committee chair, newsletter editor, as well as holding numerous other jobs. He was also a district officer in Lions region 23A. A member of the Lions Club since 1973, he has consistently been a highly valued member.

January 16, 1976

Newtown Housing for the Elderly Inc took a major step towards the beginning of construction of “Nunnawauk Meadows” Tuesday afternoon when contracts were signed with the construction firm whose bid was chosen for the work. Joseph Calafiore, president of Alco Construction Company Inc, of Hartford, was present with NHE Inc president Stan Main and project architect Richard Donohoe of Sherman for the signing ceremony, in the office of Attorney Sutherland Denlinger.

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The Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Company has been using its spacious, new fire station, located on Riverside Road, for about three weeks, and it’s a safe bet the members are glad to be out of the cramped old Glen Road facility. With the new structure, the company finally has a building which can hold its fire-fighting vehicles, provide adequate space for the volunteer members and offer a large social room for the members and the community.

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During the Tuesday evening meeting of the Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools Dr Albert Brinkman presented an enrollment projection report which may affect the new elementary school which is expected to be ready for occupancy early in 1977. The report outlined projected enrollment figures at all school levels and also noted that careful consideration has to be given to whether a K-5 or K-6 organization plan for the four elementary schools should be recommended along with a relocation of the 9th grade from the high school to the middle school.

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The Connecticut Department of Transportation has announced that it intends to abandon Glen Road, and Town of Newtown officials aren’t too thrilled about assuming maintenance of the thoroughfare, which extends from Riverside Road to the silver bridge over the Housatonic River. Deputy (now Acting) Transportation Commissioner James F. Shugrue informed the town in a December 29 letter that the state would abandon the approximately two-mile long road. According to state statute, the road would revert to the town within 60 days of the letter, at noon on February 26.

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Possibly one of the strangest calls the Newtown Police have ever had came in on the night of January 8 from a resident in Sandy Hook who had spotted a peculiar formation of unidentified lights hovering in the skies over his back yard. It was officer Michael Brokaw who answered the call from the residence on Great Ring Road. … It seems that that particular evening was the clearest one of the year, and what the residents on Great Ring Road and the police were seeing were the landing lights from planes which were in a holding position over LaGuardia airport waiting to land.

January 12, 1951

Miss Isabel Bartram and Mrs Faye Turpening were honored at a tea held at the Fairfield State Hospital on Wednesday afternoon. Both Miss Bartram and Mrs Turpening have completed 15 years of hospital service. There were presented with cash gifts from Miss Alice Cochran, chairman of the Board of Trustees.

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So much appreciation has been shown the Newtown Toy Clinic that it has decided to continue the work throughout the year. The children receiving Christmas toys expressed great happiness in them. Many of the children would have practically no toys were it not for the work of the clinic. Several letters were received expressing appreciation to the members of the clinic for the work they have done.

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Now established in her new offices in the recently completed addition to the Edmond Town Hall, the local Visiting Nurse, Miss Adelaide E. Barrett, R.N. … [was at an] open house held there Tuesday afternoon, after the annual meeting of the Newtown Visiting Nurse Association, at which time members and friends were given the opportunity of inspecting the new rooms.

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On Wednesday, January 3, at the Probate Office in the Edmond Town Hall, Judge Paul V. Cavanaugh was sworn into office by Judge John F. Holian. … On Wednesday of this week Judge Cavanaugh attended a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Connecticut Probate Assembly held at the Waterbury Club in Waterbury, where he assisted in preparing the agenda for the annual meeting of the Assembly to be held in the chambers of the Supreme Court in Hartford on January 17.

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Dr and Mrs Henry Roger returned to their home on Walnut Tree Hill on Monday, following a visit of five weeks in Florida. During part of their stay they were guests of Mr and Mrs Henry Dooley of Hendricks Isle, where they celebrated Christmas with the Dooleys and other guests, including Col and Mrs Henry Bankhead and Miss Isabel Dew of Atlanta, Ga., sister of Mrs Dooley. Col Bankhead is brother of the late William B. Bankhead, Speaker of the House. In Miami Dr Roger visited at the University of Miami as guest of Dr Corrington, chief microscopist, and Dr Murrey Sanders who is doing much research work on polio. The Rogers report a most enjoyable stay in Florida and look forward to entertaining the Dooleys on a return visit this summer.

January 15, 1926

With a heart full to overflaming with emotions that may have no place in a room filled with happy people and in the midst of a tremendous surprise, I feel that I did not adequately express my appreciation to the good people of St John’s and others both young and old who gathered at the parish house on the evening of January 6, bearing with them a most beautiful and generous gift and through our rector presenting it to me with a spirit of hearty goodwill in honor of years of faithful service. Mingled emotions arise and crowd each other in the struggle for full enjoyment of the present moment and regret to feel one’s self, slipping, surely slipping, past the bounds of usefulness. … God bless you all. May the choir under its present capable leadership press on to greater success than ever before and may this New Year bring to each and every one of you its full quota of health and prosperity.—Nellie J. Tucker

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The annual meeting of Trinity parish was held on Monday evening, January 11, in the Guild room, with a good attendance. The report of David C. Peck, treasurer, was a most satisfactory one, a good balance being left to begin the new year with. The officers elected were: Clerk, Frank Wright. Treasurer, David C. Peck. Wardens, Henry G. Curtis, David Peck. Vestrymen: Frank Wright, Charles F. Beardsley, William C. Johnson, Alfred Walker, John C. Beers, S. Curtis Glover, W.N. Mitchell, George M. Stuart, R.W. Tiemann, Charles B. Ferris. Delegates to diocesan convention, Frank Wright, George M. Stuart. Alternates, Charles F. Beardsley, John C. Beers.

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IMPORTANT REAL ESTATE TRANSFER: Miss Mary Hawley has bought the property of Mrs Julia Grinzi (the former Nash place) and the property of Mrs Mabel Jasinski adjoining the Nash place, and the real estate Mrs Jasinski owns on the opposite side of the road. This gives Miss Hawley all the real estate within the square surrounded by the highways.

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Another double victory was added to Newtown’s list of contests, last Friday night, when the Newtown boys’ and girls’ teams accompanied by their many friends, journeyed to Bethel. Our girls again demonstrated their skill in one of the fastest games of the season. The teams were evenly matched, first one side forging ahead and then the other. However our girls, refusing to entertain defeat and not once losing courage, played the game to their best ability and when the whistle blew, the score stood 13-8 in our favor.

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Cranberries, mixed nuts, horseradish. Saralea, Easton’s, vegonaise. Fowler’s pepper hash, vegetable relish. Armour’s mince meat in glass jars. Shefford’s Pimento cheese, imported Roquefort cheese, Swiss Gruyere cheese, Shefford’s cream and snappy cheese. Heinze’s relish, Blue Label Ketchup Norse soused mackerel. California sardines, canned crab meat, canned lobster and canned tuna fish.—Corbett & Crowe, Adv.

January 18, 1901

At the beginning of the 20th century, when one naturally reflects on the progress made by the world in the last hundred years, from a material standpoint, a look at the development of church tunes since 1801 might be interesting. A visit of H.E. Plumb of Monroe to our town a few days ago, bringing with him and leaving here a tune book 100 years old, formerly used in Trinity church, turns one’s thoughts to the important part played by music in divine worship, since the earliest times. This book contains about 50 tunes, composed by authors long since forgotten.

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Joseph Busser of Monroe was granted a divorce from his wife, Mary E. Busser, on Friday last in the Superior court at Bridgeport, by Judge Shumway, on the ground of desertion, she having left him on July 2, 1897, stating she should never return. Attorneys Beecher & Canfield appeared for Mr Busser.

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The Newtown Bee came out last week in a “new dress” of type and printed on a new Babcock press. We congratulate The Bee on its fine appearance and its well earned prosperity.—[Seymour Record

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The Christmas exercises and festival planned for the Taunton branch Sunday school of the Congregational church, which were postponed owing to the epidemic of measles and other sickness in that district, will be held on Saturday afternoon at the schoolhouse. Next Sunday the sessions of the Sunday school will be resumed at 3.15 p.m.

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A DEEP MYSTERY: It is a mystery why women endure backache, headache, nervousness, sleeplessness, melancholy, fainting and dizzy spells when thousands have proved that Electric Bitters will quickly cure such troubles. “I suffered for years with kidney trouble,” writes Mrs Phebe Cherley, of Peterson, Ia., “and a lame back pained me so I could not dress myself, but Electric Bitters wholly cured me, and, although 73 years old, I now am able to do all my housework.” It overcomes constipation, improves appetite, gives perfect health. Only 50c at R.H. Beers & Co., Newtown; William J. Beeler, Brookfield; A.B. Fancher, Hawleyville, drug store.

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.