***

In the storm that hit on February 4, highway department employees returned to work at 5 pm, after leaving at 3:30, and worked through the next day, resulting in 373 hours of overtime for that storm. For that storm the department used 968 yards of sand and 116 tons of salt.

***

The Lions Club is once again sponsoring the Miss Newtown Scholarship Pageant, which this year will be on April 3. Contestants will be judged by a panel of five judges from outside Newtown. Judging will be based on talent, and on how a contestant is judged in bathing suit and evening gown competition.

***

Pat Walsh, Marge Piazza, David Lydem, Rev Alistair Sellars, Mae Schmidle, Lynne Bruton, Betty Parrella, Dr Henry Gellert, Barbara Burkert, Sam Eisenbach, Peg Forbell, Virginia Winans, and Donald H. Smith, Sr are the 13 “local heroes” nominated for the Town of Newtown. The nominations were part of a program sponsored by the state committee coordinating the celebration of Connecticut’s 350th birthday. Everyone nominated will receive a certificate signed by Governor William O’Neill, and at the same time will learn who recommended them.

February 10, 1961

Snow, all too familiar this year, fell in heavy amounts Friday and Saturday, and then was whipped by near gale winds into mountainous drifts that filled in roads almost as soon as the plows passed. The weight of last weekend’s snow, heavier in texture than the first two storms, slowed the clearing operations. Total accumulation of snow this season has amounted to nearly four feet.

***

Susan Abbott clears the confusion for anyone who is puzzled over the Christmas decorations and lights at the Abbott home on Currituck Road. Tony Abbott will arrive home next week from Great Lakes Naval Training Station after completing boot camp, and the Abbotts are ready to celebrate a second Christmas when he arrives Tuesday or Wednesday.

***

Quite early Monday morning, two small boys came to The Bee office with a news item that they thought important. So much so, that they offered to pay 8 cents to have it published. Brooks and Gordon Titcomb of Main Street reported a fight in the snow outside their house, involving their dog, Sassy, a Golden Retriever, against their cat, Midnight, and two more cats. It was a “no decision” fight, because the boys’ mother swung a poorly aimed broom into the melee, hitting the wrong cat. That broke up the fight.

***

A collection of documents and printed material, going back over 100 years, has recently been submitted to The Bee for examination through the courtesy of Frank Weippert of Danbury. A great many of them were apparently handed down by the late Elmer W. Fairchild, who, at the turn of the century, lived in the home formerly occupied by the late Mrs Margaret Gallagher Roane on Main Street, right opposite the monument.

 

February 7, 1936

It was with considerable interest that The Bee received the booklet entitled, “The Tercentenary of Connecticut,” published by The Tercentenary Commission of the State of Connecticut. The pamphlet contains highlights of the state celebration. Only 12 towns failed to hold celebrations, a total population of only 12,000 people. This brochure will serve to adequately recall to the citizens of Connecticut in future years the great Tercentenary Celebration held in 1935.

***

The members of the Newtown Orchestral Society enjoyed their experience of broadcasting over the radio from the Second Congregational church in Waterbury during their concert on Sunday evening. Mario Di Cecco conducted the concert.

***

On this Thursday evening at the Edmond Town Hall, Henriette Wakefield, Lucille Del Varo, Lawrence Power, and Greek Evans are giving a costume recital which will offer to the people of Newtown and surrounding towns a musical treat. The artists are widely known on the concert stage. Among the various light operas from which selections will be presented will be “Blossom Time,” “Naughty Marietta,” and “Firefly.”

***

John A. Carlson is having two of the large shade trees on the lawn in front of his home cut down by John Hampton, local tree surgeon. The trees are over a century old, and were magnificent specimens of the maple and elm variety. Decay, however, had weakened them.

 

February 10, 1911

W.H. More, manager of the Hughes and Chapman granite firm, has just completed in St Rose’s cemetery, a very handsome monument for Miss Margaret Carmody in memory of her late father and mother, Mr and Mrs John Carmody. It is one of the nicest, if not one of the handsomest executed memorials in the cemetery. It also shows in Mr More’s behalf the extreme pains that he takes with the people who deal with him, in giving the best at all times.

***

The annual valentine sale and supper of the Congregational church will be held in the Town hall, Saturday afternoon and evening, February 11. The sale of ice cream and cake, valentines, and home made candy will begin at 3 o’clock. Price of ice cream, 10 cents; ice cream with cake, 15 cents; supper including ice cream and cake, 35 cents. Besides the valentines and home made candy there will be homemade crullers and doughnuts for sale.

***

To the Editor: While walking down the highway, last Sunday, I was greatly surprised to see that, in spite of the broad roadbed, a large majority of the vehicles seem to have run in the same tracks. As most of our roads in this vicinity are very narrow, there is good excuse for traveling in the same tracks, but when we have induced the State to build a good, broad road, it does seem a pity that it should be soon spoiled by following the same old way. We are wasting our own money. We should want to see it kept in as good condition as possible. This result can be materially helped by NOT driving in exactly the same tracks…. I remain Yours truly, H.N. Tiemann.

***

General and sincere regret was expressed about town, when it was learned that E.L. Johnson, Newtown’s well-known historian had fallen at his home, Saturday morning, breaking a hip. As might be expected, Mr Johnson has suffered much pain, but is comfortable considering his serious injury. While passing through suffering, Mr Johnson says he has been touched and comforted by the anxiety and solicitude of his friends in his behalf.