May 25, 1990

This week, an issue resurfaced that the town has grappled with for years — whether the town should have a single emergency dispatching center rather than the existing two centers. Presently, police dispatching is done from the police station in Town Hall South. Fire and ambulance dispatching is done from the dispatch center at Edmond Town Hall. All E-911 calls go to the police station, which transfers fire and ambulance calls. The town has been working toward establishing the Edmond Town Hall dispatch center as the town’s E-911 backup center. But First Selectman Zita McMahon said this week it would be more efficient to have all emergency dispatching handled from the police station, without having any dispatching services, or any E-911 backup center. Selectman decided to discuss the issue again at a special meeting on Tuesday, May 29, at 8:30 am, at Edmond Town Hall.

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People who don’t want Iroquois’ proposed natural gas pipeline burrowing through their backyards re-organized in February, paying close attention to a project sure to bring change to town. Newtown Opposition to Pipeline Encroachment will take its concerns to the Connecticut Siting Council on Thursday, June 7, offering positive suggestions and hoping for support. It would be support they feel they have not received at home. Before the latest route alignment was made public, Iroquois met privately with developers and owners of subdivisions and made adjustments. The company then mapped the route through existing residential areas, avoiding new, undeveloped neighborhoods, the co-chairmen said. Inattention by the town as a whole has meant more than 200 families in the pipeline’s path have largely had to fend for themselves in finding alternative routes that would keep their properties intact.

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The Board of Selectmen accepted a law firm’s recommendation Monday at the town become an intervenor to state agency proceedings next month on a proposed gas pipeline. As a party to the case, Newtown will be privy to all information received at public hearings conducted on the matter June 5-7 or submitted at other times. As an intervenor, town officials also may present evidence of environmental and other concerns about Iroquois’ proposed $583 million natural gas pipeline.

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Mike Waterbury singled home Mike Sigovich and Jerry Reidy with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning Wednesday, May 23, to lift the Newtown Indians baseball team to a dramatic 6-5 victory over New Fairfield in the first round of the Western Connecticut Conference playoffs. Though the game finished up favorably for Newtown, it started out all New Fairfield. The Rebels took advantage of an error, two singles, two walks, and a sac fly to score twice in the second, making it 2-0. New Fairfield made it 5-3 in the sixth inning, but Newtown got it right back in the same inning, setting the stage for the seventh inning heroics. Newtown and Masuk will meet for the WCC championship n Friday, May 25, at 3:30 pm, at Bethel High School.

May 28, 1965

Efforts to improve the quality of education in Newtown public schools received an additional impetus when the Board of Education approved requests of two teachers for reimbursement of tuition charges of courses about to be taken. Under a policy adopted by the board last Winter after discussions with the Newtown Teachers’ Association, the Board of Education pays tuition charges for courses which the board believes will directly improve the quality of instruction and the curriculum.

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Boy Scout Troop 70, sponsored by the Newtown Lions Club, was awarded a first prize at the spring camporee at Scoutland in South Britain last week-end. Judging was based on patrol methods of camping, camp skills, cleanliness, and safety. Over 500 Scouts attended from Treamone District, which includes Newtown, Trumbull, Easton, Monroe, and sections of Bridgeport.

 A 27-foot mural painting, commissioned last year by the Board of Trustees of the Newtown Savings Bank, will be on view for the first time to the public at a reception at the bank on Saturday afternoon, May 29, from 3 to 6 pm. The mural was executed by Mrs Elizabeth Hoeffner of Cedar Hill Road, Newtown, on pre-fitted Masonite panels, mounted on the west wall of the main bank lobby. The mural is a montage representation of Newtown Main Street landmarks as seen by the artist, intended to reflect a feeling of the historic character of the community.

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About 6:30 o’clock, this Wednesday evening, lightning struck the residence of Mrs Grace Chill on Sealand Drive, causing about $200 worth of damage. There was no interior damage. About 4 o’clock this Thursday morning, a fire burned a barn owned by Hawley Warner, on Berkshire Road, Sandy Hook. Sandy Hook firemen were able to save an adjoining garage, through good fire fighting tactics, aided by Newtown Hook & Ladder. Fire officials believe the barn was struck by lightning during the evening storm, causing a fire which smoldered through the night until it was noticed about 4 am, this Thursday.

May 24, 1940

Genial “Jim” Case, 4-H Club leader of the Fairfield County Farm Bureau, stopped at The Bee office Monday afternoon with a most interesting guest. He was Harold Tantaquidgeon, a full-blooded Mohegan Indian from Norwich, Conn., who is visiting schools and 4-H Clubs throughout the county this week. He planned to visit Hawley School but prevailing schedules could not be adjusted. However, he did speak at the Sandy Hook school on Monday, describing to the children many phases of Indian lore, particularly the Algonquin race.

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The Friedrich Sales Corporation of Stamford installed a handsome new electric refrigerator at the parker House, this week. The unit has three large compartments for storing meats and other foods. It is of white porcelain, with black trim, and has glass doors which permit view inside. Mrs Parker is to be complimented on this latest addition to the equipment at her popular hotel.

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Through the Newtown Orchestral Society and one of its generous sponsors, the Hawley school was given a musical treat last Thursday afternoon. Mario Di Cecco, conductor of the Newtown Symphony, brought a stringed quartet made up of members of the New Haven Symphony and played at the school. During the first hour, Mr Di Cecco explained the parts the different instruments play in the orchestra and then took the children in the lower grades on an imaginary musical trip to the various countries of the world, playing the national airs.

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The Spring Dance Recital given Monday evening at the Edmond Theater by the pupils for Miss Susan Cole proved a delightful affair. Not only did the pupils themselves seem to thoroughly enjoy the event, but so did the good-sized audience which applauded generously throughout the evening. The Baby class made fascinating bunnies, with their long ears, white suits and mittened hands, hopping about in quite realistic bunny-fashion. Joan Weeks of the Beginners made a fetching Norwegian Doll and Mary Star Smith a pretty Japanese maiden in her dance, “Saibara.” A Russian number by the Advanced class featured Eunice Rasmussen and the Beginners danced “La Petite Minuet,” one of the prettiest numbers on the program.

May 28, 1915

That esteemed citizen, Jerome Platt, of Dodgingtown, was gravely alarmed Wednesday afternoon, when he looked out in the orchard, where his horse was supposed to be picketed. Mr Platt ascertained that the horse was not in the orchard; he telephoned to everybody in this side of the town, but no one had seen the lost horse. Late in the afternoon, when Mr Platt was becoming seriously alarmed, Mr Waterbury, a neighbor, telephoned him saying a horse had come in to his place with a halter dragging on the ground. However, he could not catch him. Mr Platt sent a boy, who works for him, to the barn after a halter with instructions to go after the horse. The boy, when he went to the barn, found the horse securely tied in the stable. Mr Platt had forgotten to take him out of the barn on that day.

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The son of Edwin Rockwell of Plumtrees met with a serious accident, Wednesday afternoon, while baling hay. Something slipped and a lever flew back and struck the young man in the jaw, injuring him very seriously. He was taken at once to the office of a physician in Bethel to have his injuries treated.

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The Danbury Taxi-Cab Co began, Thursday, a jitney line between Danbury and Newtown, connecting with the E.C. Hatter’s Bridgeport bus in Newtown Street. This will enable the traveler to go by auto on regular scheduled time from Bridgeport to Danbury.

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Last Friday afternoon a canning demonstration, in connection with the agricultural club, was witnessed by the pupils of the High school. Miss Sarague of the Connecticut Agricultural college gave a very interesting talk in connection with her demonstration. Morris & Shepard very kindly loaned a fine three-burner Perfection oil stove, which was one of the necessary features in Miss Sprague’s exhibiting.