February 9, 2001

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER OF Steve Belair.

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It’s not every day that Newtown gets 18 inches of snow, but the story behind this week’s snowstorm wasn’t so much the amount of snow. More than anything, it will be the timing of Monday’s storm that will be remembered most. For some people, the timing court not have been any worse. According to one report, there were 10,000 cars stuck in traffic on I-84 between Hartford and Waterbury Monday afternoon and night. … One Newtown resident left West Hartford at 2:30 pm Monday and after sitting in traffic for nearly 10 hours, finally arrived home at 3 o’clock Tuesday morning.

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The Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday night to send a $42.8 million budget to the Legislative Council for the 2001-2002 budget. The budget represents an 8.5 percent increase in spending. The vote came with the concern that the children of Newtown may be best served by the budget now on its way to the council. Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed unveiled a slightly higher, $43.2 million budget on January 23. The proposed budget was $800,000 over the 7.5 percent cap that the council’s finance committee recommended for this budget year.

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The Board of Selectmen Tuesday approved a $29.8 million budget for 2001-2002, which represents an 8.46 percent increase over the current budget. The selectmen trimmed the budget by more than a million dollars to get it to its current level. As the selectmen point out, their operating budget is only up 3.8 percent, which puts them well within the Legislative Council’s guideline of a 7.5 percent increase.

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The Winterset Ski Club held its 30th anniversary holiday party on December 13 at the Colonial Tavern in Oxford with 70 past and present members attending. Besides dinner and dancing, a slide show — created by Scott Brier — of ski trips and events was the highlight of the evening.

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The main floor of Newtown Meeting House has served as a place of worship, a setting for weddings and other formal ceremonies, a lecture location, and even home to annual events presented by a local garden club. On February 3, the main floor of the historic building at 31 Main Street held one of its largest crowds ever, as the pews of the former church building filled with traditional Irish music fans of all ages. Concertina and uilleann piper Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin (pronounced “O’Halloran”) and fiddler Patrick Ourceau, a celebrated traditional Irish music duo, presented a concert that lasted, with an extended intermission, nearly three hours Saturday night.

February 6, 1976

One thing you can say about Town Clerk Mae Schmidle’s office without fear of contradiction is that it’s not often dull. Mrs Schmidle announced last week that henceforth, the first Monday of each month throughout the remainder of the Bicentennial Year is “Bicentennial Day in the Town Clerk’s Office.” And it certainly was as the Town Clerk and her office-mates showed up on snowy Monday pluckily dressed in suitable garb. Mrs Schmidle bore a passing resemblance to Marie Antoinette in her red and gold brocade and John Beardsworth was certainly the most colorfully dressed of the men-folk around Town Hall that day.

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Tuesday evening the Board of Education began the first of a series of budget work sessions which will be conducted through the month of February in preparation for the board’s final approval of its proposed 1976-77 budget on March 2. Following that, the Legislative Council will have its go at the figures before they are finally presented to the town for approval in May at the annual budget meeting. The proposed figures, as presented by the Superintendent of Schools Dr Albert Brinkman to board members on Tuesday show a total of $7,658,144.

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First Selectman Jack Rosenthal has requested that the Board of Police Commissioners attempt getting traffic signals at three of the most dangerous intersections in town. Acting on requests he said he’s received from residents, the First Selectman asked for signals at the Currituck-Main Street intersection; the intersection at the flagpole of Main Street and Church Hill Road; and the intersection of The Boulevard and Church Hill.

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A follow-up communication has been set by the Department of Environmental Protection to the First Selectman as a result of the January 28 meeting at Town Hall concerning dumping of materials at the town landfill by the aluminum smelting firm of Charles Batchelder Company Inc. First Selectman Jack Rosenthal, Highway Superintendent Frank Kayfus, Batchelder and DEP representatives attended the session. The concern was about the dumping of dust recovered by Batchelder’s pollution control devices on its stacks.

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Quick response and attack time by firefighters saved the School House Hill Road barn owned by Edward and Frank McGlinchy on Saturday afternoon, January 21, according to Hook & Ladder Chief Kenneth Pelletier. Thirty men from Hook & Ladder, plus the ladder truck and engines 1, 11 and 15 responded, as well as Sandy Hook’s tanker 1 and engine 49, at 3:25 pm. The men extinguished the fire, which occurred in hay, before the flames had a chance to spread, said Chief Pelletier. Historically, he added, barns are usually difficult to save in fires. The chief said damage was negligible and firefighters left the scene by 4:30.

February 2, 1951

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — COME ANY TIME: An open house is a lot of fun. At least, that was the experience of the members of The Bee staff who welcomed friends on Saturday for an inspection of the new addition to The Bee office. The visitors seemed to enjoy the occasion too, admiring the building and finding much of interest in the actual mechanics of publishing a newspaper. … An open invitation is extended to the public to visit The Bee office any time — particularly those people who were prevented from coming on Saturday because of the weather. Display of the new addition will be a source of pride and pleasure long into the future. For that reason, and so that the public will know that they are always welcome at The Bee office, we stress the point that our latch string is ever out.

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Two large audiences witnessed the 7 and 9 o’clock showings last Thursday night of the motion picture, “Mister 880” shown in Edmond Town Hall and starring Edmund Gwen, Burt Lancaster and Dorothy McGuire. The showings were sponsored by the United Fire Company of Botsford and the proceeds will help in completion of the company’s fire house in Botsford. The foundation is already built and the super-structure will be rushed to completion in the spring.

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It seems probable that copies of The Saturday Evening Post for February 10, out this coming week, will be in short supply in the Newtown area, for advance word has it that this issue contains an item of local interest. It has to do with the Boys Social and Athletic Club of Sandy Hook and should be of interest not only to the SAC boys themselves but to their many friends in the area.

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The Newtown League of Women Voters held a membership orientation tea last Thursday at the home of Mrs Frederick M. Herring, Taunton Road, with Mrs F. Jacobson and Mrs H.W. Wilde assisting the hostess. Recent new members of the league present were Mrs David Harrower, Mrs C. Sidney Haight, Mrs Edna Patterson, Miss Gertrude Palmer and Mrs V.C. Kline. On Friday morning a coffee hour was also held at Mrs Herring’s for Mrs Paul V. Cavanaugh, Mrs Charles F. Cavanaugh, Mrs Edmund L. Neary, Mrs Frank McGlinchey, Mrs Dwight Norris and Mrs Martin Olson. Assisting the hostess were Mrs William H. Knox and Mrs Herman E. deVries.

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Alvin B. Coger of South Center District was elected president of the Candlewood Shrine Club and Harry B. MacClymon of Sandy Hook was elected one of its directors for three years at the recent annual meeting of the club held in Hotel Green, Danbury. Mr Coger succeeds Joseph Hall of Danbury as present of the club. ... An increase in membership during the past year was reported and also an increase in the Ladder of Smiles Fund for crippled children’s hospitals.

February 5, 1926

J.A. Turner of Hawleyville had a narrow escape with a snake on Wednesday. After a severe tussle he succeeded in killing the animal, which measured three feet from tip to tip. How is that for the 3rd of February!

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One of the largest meetings of the Girls’ Friendly Society was held on Tuesday evening. Between 35 and 40 members, candidates and associates were present. The girls, under direction of their president, Mrs Warner, now conduct the monthly business meeting. Miss Eunice Curtiss is president and Miss Julia Perry, secretary. Last night a number of committees were chosen on program, entertainment, etc.

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Newtown received a blow industrially, Saturday morning, when the Crowe-Keane Button factory at Botsford, on the State road, was destroyed by fire. The buildings were old, but the factory was equipped with modern machinery, and had been running steadily for years. The old factory in a few minutes was a roaring mass of flames and the only goods rescued from the building were a half barrel of kerosene, a drum of coloring material and a few bags of [illegible] waste.

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The Upham Food Products at Hawleyville is one of the busiest places in town just now. They are at the present time employing about 60 hands and have been unable to keep up with their orders. Mr Upham is having erected a very neat building next to the Hawleyville Fire Department headquarters which will be used as a dormitory. There are other plans in view extending the capacity of the plant. They have taken over the spice department of a big concern recently that will be a factor in making this thriving Hawleyville concern expand.

February 8, 1901

When Conductor Bristol reached Hawleyville, northward bound, Friday morning, he found orders awaiting him to haul a snow-plow, which was side-tracked there, to Litchfield, where it was to remain in case it was wanted. … All went well till the train began the ascent to the tunnel, north of Judd’s Bridge, when the plow left the track and ran about 100 feet on the ties. In rounding a corner the point of the plow struck a ledge of rocks, snapping the coupling pin in two. The train was running slowly and not even a tremor was felt in the passenger cars. In plowing along in the ditch the plow had picked up a big rock, weighing 400 pounds, as easily as if it had been a pebble.

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The old McArthur house in Hawleyville, above the Cox place, owned by Mrs John Donovan, was burned to the ground on Friday about 2 p.m. Thomas Bristol, coming down the road from Obtuse, saw the flames and hastened to the assistance of the family. Word was sent to William Hawley’s for assistance but the only one at home was Harry Hawley, who hastened at once to the scene of the fire. The blaze had gained such headway that but few articles of furniture were saved from the house.

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Rev Judson Bailey, the home missionary worker who spoke at the Congregational church on Sunday, was entertained by Rev and Mrs O.W. Barker while in town.

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Arthur Reynolds, the son of W.M. Reynolds, has been highly honored by receiving an appointment on the floor committee at the inaugural ball at Washington on the evening of March 4, when President McKinley and the many other notable guests will be present. Mr Reynolds is a junior at Princeton and a young man of great promise.

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Philo Nichols was in New Haven, last Thursday.

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Five car loads of feldspar taken from the quarry on the farm of F.A. Young of Taunton district has been shipped and word comes from the New Jersey experts who bought it that it is of a very superior quality. The mine is being operated by Williams of Danbury. The snow storms have shut the work down temporarily but later it is expected it will open with a rush.

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.