May 11, 2001

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER of Ed Kelleher.

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Haynes Construction Company of Seymour this week became the leading candidate to build the proposed 5/6 school in Newtown after submitting the lowest bid among nine competing companies. Haynes has proposed to build the school for $22.1 million, nearly $4 million below projected costs. Construction bids for the 5/6 school were opened during a public meeting at the Board of Education offices Monday afternoon.

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The weather was perfect Saturday for spring cleaning projects, and over 100 volunteers took advantage of the day to help senior citizens throughout Newtown with their spring chores. “Many hands make light work” was the theme of this year’s Independent Living Day. The event is in its second year and is sponsored by Newtown Youth Services. The volunteers participated in the community service event that helped some 25 senior citizens on May 5, from 9 am to 3 pm.

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A 20 percent increase in population over the past ten years means Newtown may finally get its own state representative in Hartford, a politician Newtown can truly call its own. For more than 30 years, Newtown has had to share its legislators with other towns. Re-districting occurs every ten years following the release of the US Census results. Earlier this year, those results indicated Newtown’s population had risen to more than 25,000 residents, meaning Newtown is now eligible for one consolidated voice in Hartford.

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The arts festival that students of Newtown Middle School have traditionally presented for one spring evening has grown into a school-wide, multi-media event that NMS art teacher Claudia Mitchell has informally renamed “A Celebration of Arts … and Beyond!” On May 3, the entire student body was represented with at least one home economics project, poem, work of art, musical performance, dramatic performance, science project, or some other form of representation. … “A Celebration of the Arts” was set up in hallways, classrooms, the school cafeteria, Media Center, B-Wing gymnasium and even the lobby outside the school’s office.

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The United States Air Force Band of Liberty performed a free public concert on May 8 at Newtown High School. The performance was the kick-off show of a concert tour that will continue until May 13. … Before this week’s evening concert in Newtown, Captain Scott Guidry, the commander and conductor of Band of Liberty, spent Tuesday morning working with three groups of NHS Band students.

May 7, 1976

Mrs Beatrice Gilstad was pronounced dead at the scene by medical examiner Dr Philip Kotch on Monday night after a fire partially destroyed her home on Head-O-Meadow Road. The fire was reported into the Newtown Police Station at 7:30 pm by a neighbor, and fire volunteers from Newtown Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 and police responded immediately to the scene. … According to officials she died of third degree burns and smoke inhalation. The Fire Marshal has determined the blaze was caused by smoking in bed.

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The Town of Newtown has filed a prohibited practices charge with the Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations against the International Brotherhood of Police Officers Local 337. First Selectman Jack Rosenthal signed the papers April 30, and a preliminary hearing by a representative of the state board is expected to be held to attempt ironing out differences between the town and the local police union.

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The Board of Tax Review filed its revision to the Town of Newtown’s Grand List on April 30, as required. Following an appeals process in which over 350 appeals were heard, the board reduced the Grand List filed by the Assessor for October 1, 1975, by $1,120,903. The Assessor’s Grand List, resulting from the ten-year property revaluation, was $260,546,567 and the new Grand List stands at $259,425,664.

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By a 163-129 vote, the Town Meeting on May 4 defeated the proposed budget for 1976-77 recommended by the Legislative Council, sending it back to the council for reworking. The voters acted only on the $3,623,383.13 budget of the Board of Selectmen, up some 12 per cent over the $3.307 million 1975-76 budget. Town Counsel William Lavery, who served as moderator for the meeting, said that while the selectmen’s request and the $7,280,314 Board of Education budget could be voted on separately, both parts of the budget had to be approved for the town meeting to adopt a budget.

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Newtown Congregational Church members voted at a two o’clock meeting on Sunday, May 2, to establish a general policy goal by which the church buildings that are located now on Main Street would be situated in one complex. The church members also authorized the expenditure of $1,000 to retain an architect to prepare a feasibility study, including simple drawings and cost estimates, to locate a new sanctuary and parish house on the former Nettleton property, ten acres located at the junction of Castle Hill Road and West Street.

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The senior class at Newtown High School has won its battle to have Don Imus as the principal speaker at graduation this June. Even after Imus was written off at first as a possible candidate by the administration, the students not only fought for him as their speaker but also for their right to choose whom they pleased.

May 4, 1951

Mr and Mrs Henry Fairchild Moore happily observed their golden wedding anniversary on Monday at their home in the Taunton District, where they have been residents for the past 46 years. While Mr and Mrs Moore had planned a quiet celebration, many friends and neighbors called on both Sunday and Monday to offer their felicitations, and they were recipients of many congratulatory messages and anniversary gifts. The couple was married in Newark, N.J., April 30, 1901.

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Mr and Mrs Oswald Peck of Botsford announce the marriage of their daughter, Mabel F. Peck, in Washington, D.C., to James Emmet Mack, of Washington, on Thursday, April 26. Mrs Mack attended Hawley High School for three years and was graduated from the Stratford High School.

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Mr and Mrs W.G. Carlson of Harrington Park, N.J., are rejoicing over the birth of a daughter, Kristine, on April 24. Mr Carlson is the son of Mr and Mrs G.W. Carlson of Englewood, N.J., formerly residents of Newtown and valued members of the staff of The Bee.

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Newtown friends of Leon Deraps will be interested to know that he has accepted a position as Flight Dispatcher with the Ozark Air Lines, Inc. which is a newly formed mid-western scheduled air carrier, serving as a feeder air line that covers nine mid-west states. He was formerly located at Dallas, Texas, his present address being Care of Flight Control, Ozark Air Lines, Lambert Field, St. Louis, Mo.

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The Rev Paul A. Cullens took part in a Masonic ceremony that was unusual in its personnel, held by Corinthian Lodge 103, A.F. and A.M. in North Haven Wednesday night, when the Rev William D. Carroll of North Haven was raised to the Master Mason degree. All stations in the ceremony and all other parts were taken by ministers. Some 15 communities in Connecticut and New York state were represented.

May 7, 1926

John Leavy, one of the oldest and best known residents of Botsford Hill, who died, Sunday evening, was laid at rest, Wednesday, in the family plot in St Rose’s cemetery. Mr Leavy, who was in his 94th year, came to this country from Ireland in 1852 and settled in Newtown. He was an engineer for the New York Belting and Packing Co., at Sandy Hook until his retirement 30 years ago.

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The annual Borough election took place on Tuesday morning. Rev G.H. Ekins was moderator, W.O. Pardee ballot box tender and W.L. Glover and William Buxter counters. Twenty-five ballots were cast. At the Borough meeting a three mill tax was laid.

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HATTERTOWN PERSONAL CHAT: Mr and Mrs Eugene Northrop were guests of their son, E.W. Northrop, and family in Stamford, Sunday. | Julius Urbanovsky has recently purchased a new Flint touring car. | Miss Marion Summers of Bridgeport was the week end guest of relatives in this place. | Miss Harriet Case of Stamford has been spending a week with Mrs Edward Perkins. | Jesse Lewis is confined to the house with an attack of rheumatism.

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A very interesting program is being arranged for Friday evening, May 21, in the Hawley High school auditorium under the direction of Antoinette Daniels, supervisor of music. Each class is to present a musical novelty of some kind. Further notice will be given later. The proceeds will be used to buy a new victrola for the grades.

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Martin Crotty of Brooklyn, N.Y., Mrs Margaret MacGran of New Rochelle, N.Y., and Miss Anna Crotty of Bridgeport called on friends in Sandy Hook, Sunday.

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H.H. Taylor & Son have been making some repairs and building on an addition for a bath room in the resident of Hon A.T. Hadley in Gray’s Plain.

May 10, 1901

Hiram lodge, F. & A.M., worked the M.M. degree on one candidate, at a special communication, Tuesday night. At the regular communication, next Wednesday night, the E.A. degree will be exemplified.

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Mrs Julia Hawley, who has passed the winter in the Park City, has returned and opened up her pleasant residence in Berkshire.

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Selectman Levi C. Morris was in the Park City on Monday.

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Curtis P. Morris of New Hartford passed Sunday with his parents, Selectman and Mrs L.C. Morris.

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The Barnum Brothers and their sisters, the Misses Barnum, of Dodgingtown district, have all been prostrated with the measles.

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The problem of how to handle poultry in an economical and practical way has evidently been solved by William Thicket of Gray’s Plain. Mr Thicket has now a flock of some 200 hens. He has some cheap and inexpensive buildings a short distance in the rear of the house, which are fenced in by wire. The ground is rough but well adapted for the business. He has a pen of nice looking White Wyandottes, but his flock in the main is composed of mixed breeds.

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 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.