May 8, 1992

Sixty people scrutinized Danbury businessman Gary Kurz's plans to build a new restaurant, banquet hall, and inn at the site of the old Yankee Drover on Main Street. Nineteen backers and detractors offered equally strong views at the May 5 public hearing. The Borough Zoning Board of Appeals is considering two modifications of a 1982 variance granted to previous developers, who abandoned plans to rebuild the former inn and restaurant. Mr Kurz proposed to amend the variance in two ways: to revise 1986 plans and build the project in three phases of one year each rather than all in one year. Some residents questioned revisions, claiming the new plan fails to correlate closely to the 1986 plans upon which the variance is based. According to Mr Kurz's attorney Francis Collins of Danbury, the project would reduce the variance's non-conformity. The project would be built in three phases: restaurant and tavern, banquet hall, and an eight-room carriage house or inn.

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After seven weeks on the force, Newtown's youngest patrolman, 24-year-old Clayton Brown, is fitting in with his peers. "The biggest thing now is getting to know the roads," said Officer Brown on Monday. "I love the town and I love working with the other officers." Although he has not had any noteworthy arrests, Officer Brown has encountered several rabid raccoons and investigated burglaries in the course of patrol with his field training officer Joe Joudy. During his free time Officer Brown said he enjoys baseball and skiing. Officer Brown was officially sworn in as a Newtown police office on November 4, 1991, after being chosen as the best candidate for the position.

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Eighty-seven of the 1,500 volunteers at Fairfield Hills Hospital received awards for their work, but none seemed as special as the award given to Helen and Sam Scott. In 32 years, the elderly couple has donated more than 40,000 hours of service to the hospital. Helen first opened a style shop in 1960 where patients could get free clothing. "We couldn't run the style shop without them," said Volunteer Program Manager Lois Pernice. "It's a very needed program for the patients. They really like them a lot. They're invaluable." Helen said, "We had clothing in boxes and bags. I started to organize a shop. I said, 'Lets get a room and hang them up.' It just kept growing." Sam joined her in 1975, and they've been running the style shop ever since. Volunteering is not without its rewards. Helen just supplied a patient with clothing and the woman told her, "You're a nice lady. Could I hug you?" "What else could you ask for?" Helen said. "Everybody needs a little help."

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If a child is lost or missing, information such as eye and hair color, as well as fingerprints are invaluable for searchers. To get this information on file for parents, a Fingerprinting Day is being sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department and the Teen Center this Saturday, May 9, at the Teen Center on Church Hill Road from 11 am to 2 pm. "The information goes to the parents only," said Lisa Amato, Parks and Recreation supervisor.

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"Spec" Shea will be signing autographs for fans this Saturday, May 9, between 2 and 4 pm at the Sandy Hook Firehouse. Shea, who won 14 games as a rookie in 1947 with the New York Yankees, led the American League with votes in the first Baseball Writers' Association of American rookie balloting. He had an ERA of 3.07 that year with 13 complete games.

May 12, 1967

The Bee staff regrets that the lack of available space has prevented publication of much news of surrounding towns and other material in this week's issue. This is becoming a weekly dilemma. Plans are being seriously considered to expand the printing equipment to provide more pages than are possible with the current press. Unfortunately, this cannot be accomplished overnight. In the meantime, indulgence is requested, and tightly written copy from all sources, until the situation is corrected. Not only early copy, but condensed copy will be a real help. Paul S. Smith, Editor

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Spring cleaning is a pretty prosaic topic. It is difficult to wax eloquent on the subject. Nevertheless, it is a part of the regular routine for most householders as soon as the weather permits. Granted, the weather has not been cooperative of late, there is a sound precedent over the years that warm weather will surely come - and when it does arrive there will be no doubt about it. We are not concerned with household housekeeping chores. That is their problem. We are concerned, however, with the need for housecleaning on a town-wide basis. The need is so obvious throughout the entire town that action seems necessary. One year ago we arrived home from vacation and approached Newtown along Route 25. The untidy, almost slovenly appearance along that entrance to town prompted an editorial in which we pointed to the merits of a town-wide clean-up movement. Our suggestions may have prompted individuals to clean up around their homes, but a town-wide project failed to develop. This year we drove into town coming east on I-84 to Church Hill Road. At that much-traveled junction and extending to the flagpole, the site of so much unattractiveness struck us forcefully. Indeed, all of Newtown has a real need for spring cleaning.

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The driver of a Monroe Concrete Company truck was seriously injured in a truck-train crash at a private railway crossway just west of the old Botsford Station near south center district. Ernest Bellavita, 35, was taken to Danbury Hospital shortly after the crash Wednesday morning, May 10. The train was headed to New Haven from Maybrook along the New Haven fright line with 150 cars and two engines. The first engine hit the truck on its side, tossing it 75 feet. Sgt James Costello is investigating.

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Early Wednesday morning, May 10, a window in the cafeteria manager's office at Newtown High School was broken and that office ransacked in an apparent search for money. Principal Alvah Cramer emphasized what has been said before: no money is ever left after hours in any Newtown school. Continuing the search, the would-be thieves entered the school secretarial office from a corridor through another broken window. They were apparently scared off shortly after. Head Custodian Harry Cole discovered the break when he arrived at 6 am.

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A flock of Baltimore orioles descended on a suet feeder at a Berkshire Road residence in Sandy Hook this Wednesday noon. The handsome black and orange males and their more demure mates spent over an hour next to the house.

May 8, 1942

The large bed of tulips on the lawn of Mr and Mrs Frank Strasburger, Glover Avenue, is now in full bloom. More than 2,000 choice bulbs of various color are in the bed and present a most attractive site. Mr and Mrs Strasburger invite Newtown people and their friends to visit the garden at any time and enjoy the flowers.

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Speakers describe jobs for women on home front. A meeting of the Home Front was held in the Alexandria Room on Friday, May 1. More than fifty women were present, with local Defense Council Women's Division Chairman Mrs H.N. Kirby, calling the meeting to order. She spoke briefly on the necessity of a more definite understanding of what women's jobs on the Home Front were to be. Mrs Bruce Miller of Redding then gave a brief address. She stated that some 180,000 more workers were needed in Connecticut factories. It would be more economical in every way to recruit this labor within the state itself. Sixty five percent of all munitions jobs are possible for women. Clerical workers are also urgently needed in Bridgeport and trade school classes in munitions are now open to anyone over 18, part time jobs also available. There is also equal pay for women, if they do equal work with the men.

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Did you ever think you would have something to say in the selection of books for the Cyrenius H. Booth Library? Are you stimulated by reading book reviews? Perhaps you don't often see them and would like a chance to do so. If that is the case, then the library will offer you the facilities and welcome your suggestions for the purchase of new books.

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A gay and gala evening was last Friday night, the first of May, for those of us who attended the Hawley School senior class play The Happy Days in the Alexandria Room. From the first moment when the curtain was drawn back, to the final bow of our talented players, everyone enjoyed themselves and the play. The play seemed a welcome change in that its modern time required no fancy dress costumes or old-fashioned sets, but only the gay atmosphere of a French home. Altogether The Happy Days was a great success and we hope for plays in the future to be as much enjoyed.

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Did you ever stop to think about what makes a good story? Some people can take an ordinary story and make it a good one. Other people can take a good story and make it ordinary. And sometimes a story is good one time or in one place, and not in another. The whole subject is an interesting one. A good storyteller has several little tricks which he employs, whether he knows them as tricks or not. He put a certain amount of excitement into the story. He really lives what he is telling. Otherwise he is dull. He is never hurried. Only occasionally is it possible for a good story teller to be rapid in his speech and then he gets around it by repeating himself in various ways. Listeners are slow to absorb the general idea of a story. There are new stories and old stories. The trouble with telling a new story is that somebody in the crowd has just heard it. A forest fire driven by a wind is nothing compared to the speed attained by a new joke somebody has just heard in New York. The best joke is often the old one. And how often that it happens that is still new to many listeners? Stories are the background of much of our human fellowship and we should all learn to tell them in an interesting way. Did you ever stop to think of that?

May 11, 1917

Mrs Ester Gordon of Hattertown was arrested Tuesday by Deputy Sheriff Beers on a grand juror's complaint charging abusive language. The case was continued to May 15 before Justice McCarthy.

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The Senior class are rehearsing their play, The Blossoming of Mary Ann. This comedy will be given in the town hall during the month of June and promises to be very good. The story is that of a little country girl, Mary Ann, who is deserted by her sweetheart after he goes to college. Here aunt brings her to her home in the city where she blooms into a beautiful girl and becomes the belle of the city and wins back the love of Bill.

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Don't forget the big meeting Tuesday night at the Town Hall, to consider the question of increasing the food production in the town. Everybody come!

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The State Committee of Food Supply and the Extension Service of Connecticut Agricultural College have sent requests to the ministers of the state to observe next Sunday as Food Conservation Sunday. The Connecticut Committee of Food Supply through its Publicity Committee desires to enlist the clergy and the churches in observation of Sunday, May 13, as Food Conservation Sunday.

Please consider sharing your old photographs of people and places from Newtown or Sandy Hook with readers. Images can be e-mailed to kendra@thebee.com, or brought to the office at 5 Church Hill Road to be scanned. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date.