April 3, 1998

Tuesday night’s hearing on the town’s proposed budget for 1998-99 took about 20 minutes as only a handful of residents stood to be heard. “It was a record short meeting,” said Legislative Council chairman Pierre Rochman. The council chairman believes the small turnout indicates that residents do not have any major objections to the proposed $58.7 million budget, which increases taxes by 3.7 percent. Board of Education member Elaine McClure offered another interpretation: the low turnout may have been an indication that taxpayers had no choice but to “accept” the budget, $32 million of which will go to fund schools. “It’s hard to say the budget is acceptable when teachers are being cut,” she said.

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The Water Pollution Control Authority has been named the defendant in more than two dozen lawsuits that challenge the sewer assessments levied by the WPCA on 30 properties. In the appeals filed in Danbury Superior Court, the many plaintiffs allege the WPCA has levied sewer assessments on their properties that are too high. Through the lawsuits the plaintiffs seek to have a judge reduce the sewer assessments.

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MARCH GOES OUT LIKE AN OVEN: Record-breaking temperatures from March 27-31 had all the characteristics of mid-summer weather. “It can’t be declared a heat wave unless you have three straight days of 90-plus degree weather,” explained Chris Wasserback of the Western Connecticut State University weather center. We were close, however. On March 27, the thermometer rose to 82 degrees, a record high. Friday, it soared to 83 degrees, also a record. On Saturday, the mercury hit 81 degrees and Sunday’s temperatures rose to 86, both records. Things got downright blistering last Tuesday, when the temperatures actually hit 90 degrees. Mr Wasserback said the unseasonably hot weather was brought on by an early Bermuda High off the coast of the Carolinas, which sent tropical southwest winds this way. The warm weather finally broke on Wednesday, creating thunderstorms and cooler temperatures. It was time to break out the sweaters again. The shorts and T-shirts will have to wait.

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The Newtown Dog Pound has 20 cages, and 19 of them are empty. Animal Control Officer George Mattegat attributes the decrease of stray dogs ending up at the pound to both Connecticut’s Animal Population Control Program and the use of invisible fences. “We no longer see puppies dropped off on the side of the road,” said Mr Mattegat, who can remember finding a litter of puppies in a box on Route 25.

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For the second time in his illustrious career and the first time as a Newtown High School coach, NHS girls’ track and field skipper Rick Medve has been honored by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference for his lifetime achievements. Concurrently, NHS cross country coach Rich Pesce will be joining Medve at the CIAC Coach of the Year banquet on May 21 at the Aqua Turf in Southington.

March 30, 1973

The Board of Finance at their meeting Monday evening wrestled with the problem of avoiding the heavy cost of referendums over school appropriations, and concluded that if taxpayers preferred to spend their money on them instead of going to town meetings there wasn’t much the Board could do about it. At issue was a special appropriation of $27,500 for engineering and design fees in preparation for a $169,000 repair job on the high school ventilating system. The request for the $27,500 had been approved for town meeting action at the board’s meeting February 26, but board chairman W.W. Holcombe, who had not been present at that meeting, suggested that money might be saved in the 1973-74 budget instead of asking for a special appropriation.

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Challenger Maxine Ginn trounced GOP-endorsed candidate John D’Addario in Wednesday’s Republican primary for a spot on the ballot for Planning and Zoning Commissioner. In a light voter turnout, Mrs Ginn became the Republican candidate, piling up 599 votes to 342 for Mr D’Addario for a shot at a five-year term on P&Z. Mrs Ginn will also fill a one-year vacancy on the Commission, for which she also challenged Mr D’Addario. She won that contest by 585-337 votes.

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Frank J. Gaither of Newtown, vice president and general manager of Connor Engineering Corporation, Danbury, was elected secretary-treasurer of the Air Diffusion Council at the Association’s 11th annual meeting, which took place recently at Marco Island, Fla.

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PACK 170 SWIM: Saturday, March 24, 30 boys and their parents enjoyed an open swim at the high school pool. Relay races were held and two hours of fun was had by all. The Pack thanks Mr and Mrs Joel Zeisler for taking on the lifeguard duty for the evening.

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The March 21 meeting of the Newtown Sixty Plus Club was a most enjoyable one. John Morrison, son of members Mr and Mrs Kenneth D. Morrison, showed slides taken by him and his family on their cross-country tour of the United States by car and trailer. The pictures, mostly of the national parks, were excellent and were expertly narrated by Mr Morrison. The trip took forty-one days and covered 10,000 miles. All agreed Mr Morrison did an expert job both in photography and narration. The business meeting followed the showing of the pictures. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, April 4th, at 1 pm, in the undercroft of Trinity Church. A bingo party will follow the business meeting.

March 26, 1948

More than one hundred townspeople gathered last Friday evening at 6 o’clock in the Alexandria Room of the Edmond Town Hall to honor the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams of Hawley School for their most successful seasons. A delicious dinner was served by the Newtown Parent Teacher Association under the capable direction of Mr and Mrs William Hunter, who were ably assisted by many helpers, including PTA members and the Future Homemakers of Hawley School, who waited on tables under the supervision of their teacher, Mrs Joseph Wiser. After the dishes had been cleared away, Wendell Mansfield as master of ceremonies introduced “Lou” Pelletier, who recited the records of the Hawley School basketball teams in recent years, going back to the season of 1944-45 when Coaches Harold S. DeGroat and Miss Ann Anderson first came to Newtown.

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“Bill” Harris and Mrs Harris, so well known in Newtown when they ran The Maryland, have been spending some time in California. They are now back at Miami, Florida. Bill writes to the editor of The Bee: “We are back in Florida. Yes, the sand is in our shoes. Had a great time in Los Angeles reading The Bee. When we were traveling we missed it a great deal. Best regards to you all.”

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The Bee is pleased to report that two members of its staff who have been ill are now improving. John Broadbrook, who underwent a recent operation at the Bridgeport Hospital, is recuperating at his home on Toll Gate Hill, and J. William James is feeling better at the Danbury hospital, where he was taken last Thursday morning, suffering with a heart attack.

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“Chief” McKenzie on Wednesday suggested to the editor of The Bee that the name of Queen street, at least the lower end of it, be changed to Park avenue. The reason — so many cars parked along it, stuck in the mud. Incidentally, Chief himself got stuck on Lovell’s Lane, but Tuesday found four cars mired near the McKenzie home. As always, “Chief” can see the bright side of everything, even the spring mud, and that helps at this particular time of year.

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BOY SCOUT NEWS: A touch of spring was evident around the Scout cabins this week, and in spite of the rain, some of the boys were out in the woods looking over the new location. Plans were made for the next few meetings, which include building shacks and huts on the ten acres of woods which the Scouts now have. | The Board of Review brought out some of the Scouts heading for that coveted Eagle award. There are three or four Scouts trying to see who will get there first. | The Eagles plan a bike hike on Saturday. A new homemade bench brightened the Foxes’ den last week. Thanks to Ralph Berkemann. | Newtown will have two exhibits in the Bridgeport Armory on April 30.

March 23, 1923

P.F. McMahon has a new Ford Touring car purchased through Hurd & Lillis.

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Miss Margaret White has entered the employ of the Upham Food Products Co, of Hawleyville. Mrs Frank Ambler has accepted a position in the factory at Upham.

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Arthur Knapp has taken a position in the factory of the Premier Manufacturing Co.

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Charles W. Skiff has been seriously ill since February 10, with erysipelas and complications.

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Miss Marion W. Lynch of the Hawley High school was in New York City, Wednesday, to attend the funeral of the late John L. O’Neil.

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Miss May Houlihan of Bridgeport was the guest over Sunday of her mother, Mrs Anna Houlihan.

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The banns of marriage were called on Sunday at St Rose’s church for Anna Keane of Berkshire, and William Gannon the well-known conductor on the Berkshire. Also those of Miss Philomena Bale and William Jillson of Hawleyville. Both weddings will take place soon after Easter.

April 1, 1898

Marciano Flamigletti and Giovanni Genoa, the two Italians wanted for the murder of the Italians in Waterbury, were captured early Sunday morning by the Danbury police near Sandy Hook, not far from the New England railroad. At Southford, Saturday evening, the two men boarded the west-bound New England passenger train which left Waterbury shortly before 6 o’clock. W.A. Shepard, the telegraph operator at the station, suspected the men of being the murderers, notified Conductor McCabe and telegraphed Chief Egan at Waterbury. The chief then telephoned to Capt Ginty of the Danbury police to be on the lookout for the men and to capture them when the train arrived in Danbury. The suspected murderers, however, debarked at the Sandy Hook station … Upon learning of that fact, the police immediately boarded the eastbound passenger train and came to Sandy Hook. … Following investigative leads, within two miles of Sandy Hook station, the two men were spotted and, after questioning, handcuffed before being escorted to Hawleyville.

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S.F. Tilson had a runaway at Sandy Hook on Monday morning, which came near resulting seriously for him. He was driving a pair attached to his milk wagon, and when Mr Cavanaugh’s big horses took fright, twisted the pole off the wagon and ran toward the Rubber factory. Mr Tilson was standing on the ground when the horses started, talking to Mr Cavanaugh. He was thrown against the fence and sustained a bad wound to his head. William Mitchell happened along and carried him to his home. Dr Richardson was summoned and was obliged to take several stitches to close the wound.

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Asa Hawley of Hawleyville has a yoke of handsome oxen, bought in Merryall, New Milford.

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At the missionary meeting at the Congregational church on Sunday night interesting addresses on Hawaii were made by Sheriff and Mrs Rodgers and Rev O.W. Barker.

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 Newtown Bee readers. Images can be e-mailed 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.