April 6, 1990

Ashley Zenhye, age 4, did what many little girls did the morning of Friday, March 30; she put on a snowsuit and went outside to play. She was playing with Zephyr, the family dog. Every few minutes, Ashley’s mother, Ellen Zenhye, looked out into the yard of the family’s home to make sure her daughter was okay. At about 7:45 am, though, Mrs Zenhye looked out and didn’t see her daughter or the dog. Tracks led into woods behind her house, but the tracks seemed to disappear. At 8:11 am, Mr Zenhye called 911. Police requested Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Company assist. Chief William Halstead took charge of search efforts, which involved about 25 persons, including firefighters, Highway Department employees, and other volunteers. At about 9:20 am, firefighter Raymond Clark sighted Ashley, who was calmly walking through the woods — about a mile from her home. However, the girl started running away from the stranger. There was a barbed wire fence between Mr Clark and Ashley. Mr Clark cut a finger, but he ran after the girl, and got her. Except for being all wet, from being in the snowstorm all that time, Ashley was fine.

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Next month, anyone who wants to be fingerprinted for employment records, or for any other purpose, excluding those being processed after arrest, will be charged $10 for the service. Charging a fee to fingerprint people is not uncommon, according to Police Chief Michael DeJoseph. Currently, the town has been doing the service free of charge.

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A course in American Government is required study for Newtown High School students and early last month, 14 took advantage of an opportunity to make government seem more real. The students spent March 5 through 10 listening in at congressional hearings, as members of the public presented arguments on which elected officials make their decisions; attending seminars with representatives of the judicial and executive branches; saw a bill signed; and participate in workshop with Close Up program staff members.

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Vern Knapp, at age 77, was the oldest swimmer to participate in the Newtown Scholarship Association’s Aquathon on March 31 at the high school pool. Mrs Knapp made it look easy, swimming 40 laps. No one outdistanced Jane Vouros, who swam 200 lengths in the fund-raising event. Altogether, 77 swimmers took the plunge, raising $10,000 in pledges to the Newtown Scholarship Association.

April 9, 1965

The superintendent of schools has recommended that the Newtown junior-senior high school go on an eight-period day in 1965-66, as compared with the present six-period day. “The most critical reason under our present position,” Dr Willard A. Downie said, “is to put off for at least one year the need to go on double sessions due to overloading of special classrooms in the high school.”

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The students at Sandy Hook Elementary School had their turn last Saturday morning to demonstrate their talents in the last of a series of gym shows under the direction of the Newtown Athletic Department. The show was held at the high school gymnasium and the students literally cluttered the floor. At one point, with a ball in the hands of each participating student, the gym looked like a large bingo machine with objects flying in all directions. The show was well attended by parents and friends.

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Telling time can be a lot of fun for first graders, especially when they are members of the class of Mrs Marita Page, at Hawley School. The students have made a complete study of time from the beginning. A fitting climax to this study was a talk given by Newtown’s clock authority, Jerome Jackson, last Friday. Mr Jackson brought with him many clocks from his collection, with the hickory-dickory version and the dog with the wagging tongue and tail the favorites.

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The Newtown Parks and Recreation Commission this week reports that a total of $2,957 has been received in the appeal for funds to build the much-needed pavilion in the A. Fenn Dickinson Memorial Park. Several weeks ago, the commission announced its intention of trying to secure $15,000 to build a covered shelter in the Dickinson Park in a public appeal. With the summer recreation program for Newtown’s children now carried on exclusively in the park, the need for a building has been demonstrated.

 

April 5, 1940

Hendrik Willem van Loon, internationally known author, lecturer and former foreign correspondent, who appeared once before with the Newtown Orchestral Society, will again doff his many cares to take a place in the second fiddle section of this group at its April 18th concert. Also making her second appearance with the orchestra will be Grace Castagnetta, famous concert pianist, who will be present as soloist. Miss Castagnetta and Mr van Loon have collaborated recently in the writing of many children’s books on music, with Mr van Loon doing the illustrating.

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Enthusiastic Gathering On Tuesday Evening At Poultry Frolic — Instructive Talks and Moving Pictures Followed by Dancing; Music by Uncle Hi’s Hill Billies — Nearly 200 enthusiastic Fairfield County Poultrymen and their wives attended the third annual Farm Bureau Poultry Meeting and Party at the Edmond Town Hall on Tuesday evening. Ralph Sturtevant opened the meeting extending words of greeting. He introduced Homer I. Huntington, manager of the New England Fresh Egg Institute, who described a color movie entitled, “Your Chicken Dinner in the Making.” Mrs Daniel Doody of North Branford very efficiently substituted and spoke on the subject, “What Is Good Family Living?” Mr Sturtevant introduce Roy E. Jones, State Extension Service poultry specialist, who showed and described a beautiful colored film called “Turkey for All.”

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This coming week at the Edmond Town Hall, bowling alleys should prove to be one of real excitement as the four leading teams in the league clash to determine the second half champions. At present, “Al” Nichols and his Crows are setting the pace with twenty-six victories and thirteen defeats, while the Owls and Buzzards follow in close second and third position. The mighty Swans are in fourth place.

***

The meeting of the Newtown Chamber of Commerce, held last Thursday evening at the Parker House, devoted itself principally to a discussion of a paid constable for Newtown. A general discussion ensued, the consensus of opinion being that Newtown should provide police protection for itself, sufficient to meet the demands and yet on as economical a basis as possible. When put to a vote, the Chamber adopted unanimously the report of the special committee and the resolution. It was also voted that the Chamber’s committee place the matter before all other organizations in town for their action and, if favorable, their support in its adoption at a special town meeting. There is a statutory permission given in 1939 to a town to pay constables for their services; but not for their expenses. The General Statutes expressly preclude the idea that the town of Newtown may have paid police. Legally Newtown may not create a police force because it contains an incorporated borough. The Borough may set up its own police as it sees fit. A substitute for a police department may be had in the form of a paid constabulary.

 

April 9, 1915

Newtown once again sprang into unpleasant notoriety in the public prints, the morning papers of Wednesday bearing the news of the murderous and brutal assault upon Ezra J. Hall, for about 35 years engaged in the plumbing and stove business in Sandy Hook. Mr Hall closed his store Wednesday night and started toward his home, when he was accosted by two men, one of whom asked for a match. Mr Hall snapped the electric light he had in his hand and that minute was struck a cruel blow with a big club across the face. He fell in a crumpled heap and started to get up again when one of the men struck him a second blow. Finally he struggled to his feel, felt his may along the buildings… worked his way across the bridge and to the store of Corbett & Crowe. In an instant it was seen that it was Ezra J. Hall, bleeding from an awful beating. Dr Kiernan was the first to arrive. The sufferer was made as comfortable as possible. Dr Kiernan accompanied him to Bridgeport hospital where Dr Edwards M. Smith attended him. Dr Smith told The Bee that while Mr Hall’s injuries were serious, he believed he would recover. Pressed to learn who had struck him, Mr Hall said with great effort: “Two men. Go over Chicken Street way you’ll find ‘em. You’ll find ‘em over at Webber’s.” Sheriff Blakeman went to the residence of Joseph Webber on Mile Hill, where they took into custody John Thome and George Ballinger. Both were taken to Newtown and locked up. After a hearing, the court decided to release Thome, but Ballinger was held. Along about dusk, Wednesday, a tall man was seen hanging about the center of Sandy Hook. He carried a club and seemed to be acting suspiciously. He was seen to walk as far as the Sandy Hook hotel and then back again to the bridge and to Mr Hall’s store. If Mr Hall is able to identify Ballinger as his assailant, there is a brilliant prospect of Ballinger joining the colony at Wethersfield.

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W.H. Green, treasurer of the Newtown Inn, Inc, and James Gallagher, Charles Stevens and Dr Hawley of Danbury drove over to Newtown by auto, Saturday, and became storm bound in the furious blizzard of Saturday afternoon and evening. Late Sunday afternoon they started in their cars for Danbury. Mr Green’s car became stalled in snowbanks and at three different places he was obliged to call on farmers to help draw his car out.

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Some of the milkmen had considerable difficulty, Sunday morning, in delivering their milk to the various depots. Robert Fairchild found the road by Hobart Camp’s well blocked a part of the way. He had to shovel some, but his horses managed to force their way through with their load. Mrs William Woicehowski had her team stuck, Sunday morning, in the snow drifts.

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A chimney fire, Saturday night, in the midst of the howling blizzard in the residence of Mrs George Crane in Dodgingtown called out the Dodgingtown Fire Department, who responded and put out the fire without any serious damage. The house is what was formerly known as the “Aunt Lolly” Beardsley place.