* * *

A trial balloon has been floated by regional and local officials on a possible scheme to realign West Street and the intersection of Church Hill Road and Route 25 (Main Street) at the Newtown Flagpole to improve traffic flow at the intersection. The flagpole is considered the worst intersection in the ten-town Housatonic Valley region in terms of the type and number of accidents, according to figures from the state Department of Transportation.

* * *

Most Newtown Legislative Council members seemed to indicate they thought the 1983-86 contract between the Board of Education and the Newtown Federation of Teachers was too expensive to taxpayers, but by a 13-1 vote they ratified it anyway. Council members expressed their concern that the contract, which carries an 8.29 increase the first year, at a cost of $471,354 to the school budget, would end up even higher if they voted to reject it and it went on to binding arbitration.

* * *

For the present, water used for drinking and cooking at Sandy Hook School will be brought in from the outside. There seems to be marginally high levels of copper in the water. The problem apparently surfaced for the first time during Christmas vacation when the water at the school was tested. Whatever the cause, the State Department of Health will investigate the matter at Sandy Hook School on Tuesday, February 8.

* * *

“It’s a tremendous unit. We’ll offer it to anyone who’ll take it,” said Newtown Sgt Fekete of the police department’s new intoximeter 3000. The device, which should help officers with “drunk driving pinches,” was delivered to headquarters on January 11 by George Bieniaszek, Highway Safety Management Specialist with the state Department of Transportation.

* * *

The need to introduce “professional management” into Newtown’s government is one the Charter Revision Commission (CRC) has been hearing from various sources over the past few months. Previous commissions have addressed the problem by recommending that the present Board of Selectmen be replaced by a single chief executive. However, the current CRC has concentrated on defining the relationship between the three-man board, the town meeting and the 18-member Legislative Council.

* * *

Attorney Robert Hall, owner of the Newtown General Store Building, will be climbing several more stairs to get to his office once second-floor renovations are completed The area above the store has been stripped down to the beams for repair and renovation. The building houses the historic old “country store,” which has been a retail business under a succession of owners since 1868.

February 7, 1958

Governor Abraham Ribicoff will be an honored guest and featured speaker at the third annual dinner of the Newtown Chamber of Commerce to be held at 7 o’clock Tuesday evening at Hawley Manor Inn. The inn will be wired in order that the speakers may be heard in the “overflow” dining rooms.

* * *

The Student Council of Newtown High School has announced that it would like to sponsor a foreign student on a visit to Newtown. The student would live with a private family for approximately ten months and would attend the local high school. Arrangements for such a visit are made through the National American Field Service Committee with a local committee handling details in town. The committee will be responsible for raising $650, the participating contribution required by the National American Field Study for a student’s stay.

* * *

Figures prepared from vital statistics reported for 1957 by Herbert H. Cutler, Registrar of Vital Statistics, show 172 births for Newtown during the year as against 156 in 1956, and 73 deaths compared to 59 the year before and 79 marriages, three less than in 1956. The continuing expansion of the birth statistics reflects the continued growth of the town.

* * *

The Tuesday night meeting of the Newtown Parent-Teacher Association attracted the largest audience of the current season. Over 250 persons gathered to hear pupils and members of the staff explain and demonstrate the teaching of science in our schools.

* * *

Newest addition to The Bee’s mechanical department is an Intertype linecasting machine equipped to operate on Teletypesetter tape. The new machine brings The Bee’s composing room up to a total of five machines of this type and the second equipped for Teletypesetting. The addition of the machine, it is hoped, will increase the efficiency of the composing room.

* * *

A German shepherd dog owned by the Crosby family of Glen Road, Sandy Hook, fell through the ice at noon this Tuesday and struggled for at least half an hour, before being rescued by Bill Brown and Jack Watkins, who used ladders and a rope for the rescue. The dog, unharmed by his experience, is reported frisky as ever.

 

February 3, 1933

From The Bridgeport Post: The completion of the splendid group of buildings at Newtown which will form the third and newest unit among the state’s hospitals for the insane ought to give rise to some concern other than the question of whether inefficiency of possible graft entered into the construction of these buildings. The real significant fact for which these new buildings stand is the steady increase of insanity in our time. Some morbid statistician has estimated that at the present rate of increase it will only be a century or two before the whole population of the nation is insane, or nearly so.

* * *

An overheated oil stove in the residence of Mrs John R. Peck came near causing a serious fire Sunday morning. The stove set fire to the furniture in a bedroom and did a considerable damage, besides ruining considerable clothing that was in the room. By using chemicals and water, Mr Peck got the fire under control by the time the Newtown Hook and Ladder Company arrived with the pumper. With a limited supply of water, and a high wind sweeping from the north, the quick work of James Peck prevented a more disastrous blaze.

* * *

While assisting Cyril Shaw in taking down the Mitchell barn on Mile Hill, Tuesday, Constable Wesley J. Stanton was struck by a beam, knocked through the side of the barn, falling a distance of about 12 feet. He escaped with a badly sprained arm.

* * *

The educational entertainment to be given by Captain Noel at the Edmond Town hall, on the evening of February 9, at 8 pm is quite unique in its character and beauty. Captain Noel’s wonderful skill in photography and color work has gained for him the reputation of being one of the most artistic photographers today. It is true that Captain Noel leads us in his illustrated lecture through the gates of Cashmir and up into the icebound fastnesses of Everest herself. Everest and her sisters, now stand alone, unconquered through the ages.

* * *

Mrs A.H. Cohan of Long View Farm reports that a short time ago Paul Hackett and another boy found a ’possum hanging by its tail in one of the trees below her apple orchard. The boys managed to catch the animal and kept it captive at The Red Hen for three days. They then set it free, and it disappeared, doubtless to hang by its tail in some other person’s apple orchard.

* * *

Congress in March of last year laid 85,000,000 bushels of Farm Board wheat upon the doorstep of The American Red Cross. This organization completed the task of converting it into flour and placing it into the homes of 3,500,000 families. Newtown, thus far, has received two allotments and distributed over 400 bags of 24 pounds each.

February 7, 1908

A.T. Nettleton, who has been confined to his residence with an attack of the grip, is convalescing. This is the first time in nine years Mr Nettleton has been obliged to absent himself from the Savings bank on account of illness.

* * *

Under the direction of William H. Stevens, the capable manager of Borden’s creamery, 10 two horse teams are hauling the ice from W.C. Johnson’s pond to the creamery. Those furnishing teams are E.L. Lovell (2), Hermon H. Peck, William Ruffells, Alfred Ruffells, F. Woicehowski, James B. Nichols, Michael Kilbride, John J. Keane and Edgar F. Northrop.

* * *

Weather Statistics For 1907: The year was much colder than usual, the average being 46 degrees, or 1.5 degrees below the average for the ten years. The average precipitation was very unevenly distributed throughout the year. The snowfall for the year was 64 inches. The average amount of precipitation including melted snow for this vicinity is 54.37 inches. The coldest days were 10 degrees below zero on the 12th and 23rd of February. The warmest day of the year was 93 degrees, August 12.

* * *

The annual valentine sale and lunch, under the auspices of the YPSCE and the Ladies’ Aid society of the Congregational church, will take place on Saturday afternoon. There will be a fine assortment of valentines, such as delight the misses and masters. Cake and ice cream will be sold for 15 cents and coffee and rolls for 15 cents.

* * *

The house in Hattertown, formerly the James Summers place, had a narrow escape from being burned to the ground, last week Thursday. The chimney got on fire and would have burned the house but for the help of neighbors who lent a hand and soon put out the fire in the chimney with pails of water.