June 16, 1989

Many a passerby has looked at the small brick house on Main Street, the Stuart Insurance Agency building, and thought what an attractive home it would make. Apparently some tenants acted on that impulse and settled in the building two years ago. The cozy, rent-free arrangement ended abruptly for the uninvited guests — all 60,000 of them — when Dominic Gaeta, a beekeeper and bee supply dealer from Brookfield, evicted a large colony of bees from the building on June 13. He found the bees had created an extensive structure of comb in the narrow space between an unused second story door and a panel that covered the doorway from the inside. He collected many of the worker bees, with the help of a specially modified vacuum, for resettlement in Brookfield.

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The school board will receive for a first reading next month a policy that will abolish all smoking in the schools. If the policy is approved, no smoking will be allowed among students starting in September and no smoking among staff members, starting in January. Dr Reed said the school has provided smoking-ending programs on a co-pay basis for staff members. He said he will recommend a similar program be made available to students, with students bearing 100 percent of the cost.

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Ann Fitzgerald, associate director of the WestConn Weather Center in Danbury, reported that as of June 15, total spring rainfall was 23 inches, more than double the norm of 10.38 inches. Hardest hit right now are farmers who own strawberry U-Pick operations, according to Kenneth W. Veit, director of the marketing division with the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.

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Newtown’s traffic problem may be all but solved, but it may take some getting used to. After being up only two days, the new traffic signs on Queen Street have reportedly caused more unhappiness than the town has seen in quite awhile. Within 45 minutes, twenty-three motorists ran the stop signs, and there were four close calls. “It’s the worst thing I’ve seen,” said Office John Kotch.

June 19, 1964

Ninety-nine seniors will graduate from Newtown High School in commencement exercises on the school grounds Sunday afternoon at 4 o’clock. In the event of inclement weather, the exercises will be moved to the Edmond Town Hall at the same hour. The graduation speaker will be Dr Gertrude E. Noyes, dean of Connecticut College in New London. The salutatory will be given by Lee Nute, and following Dr Noyes’ address, Barbara Ellis will give the valedictory.

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Trees and limbs were felled on power lines by high winds Tuesday, with gusts up to 50 miles an hour. Electric service was knocked out temporarily to more than 500 utility customers. A spokesman for CL&P said the damage occurred in Newtown, Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, and Ridgefield with trees and limbs ripping down primary wires. In the Berkshire district of Newtown, a tall maple tree was blown down across Route 34, blocking traffic until a state highway department truck dragged it to one side.

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A tricky step was attempted by William Foote last weekend when he tried to kick a boulder out of Candlewood Lake while swimming. The results, a broken foot and a limping Foote.

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Newtown public schools close this Friday afternoon, the final day at the high school ending at 12:30 pm and at Hawley and Sandy Hook Elementary Schools at 1:15 pm. They will reopen in the fall on Wednesday, September 9.

June 16, 1939

Harold F. Lamb, well-known Hawleyville resident, remains in a critical condition at the Danbury hospital, the result of gun shot wounds received when he was shot by Harry Boughton of Danbury, shortly after 7 o’clock, Tuesday evening. Mr Lamb had Boughton arrested some time ago for stealing eggs from his farm, and when Boughton appeared on Tuesday night and requested a night’s lodging, Mr Lamb ordered him off the place, whereupon Boughton seized a shot gun he had previously hidden in the hay mow and fired point-blank at Mr Lamb. Boughton was found in the yards at Hopewell Junction by New York State Troopers. He was held under bail of $10,000 and charged with assault with intent to kill.

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The Newtown Country Club softball team opened its season on Sunday afternoon at the club grounds, when Captain “Phil” Strong and his Washington Firemen came to town to hand the locals their initial defeat by the score of 12-5. The club team included several old reliables. “Pete” Lawson scampered around left field until he nose-dived for a hard hit ball that rather deprived him of his wind — after which, he took the game a little easier. “Doc” Desmond also figured in a collision running to first base, and after that, relinquished the pitching honors to Carl Rasmussen.

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John Gaffney of Bethel, who has been engaged in masonry repair work at Edmond Town Hall for some little time, was pressed into service on Wednesday morning to install a new rope on the 50-foot flag pole in front of the hall. Climbing to the top of a 40-foot ladder, Mr Gaffney then shinnied himself the remaining ten feet and hung on by his toe nails while he worked the rope through the pulley. It was a bit of a difficult task, well done.

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A delegation of local members of the newly organized Charles Howard Peck Sr and Jr Post VFW is planning to attend the three-day State Encampment meeting opening on this Friday in Bridgeport. The annual dinner and frolic will be held on the evening of the first day, and on Saturday afternoon a parade will be held, in which 5,000 are expected to take part.

 

June 19, 1914

While on an auto ride to Litchfield last Thursday, Selectman Johnson and party saw a fine deer near the Sandy Hook Bridge. It ran ahead of the machine and disappeared in the brush. While driving down the State road, Friday morning, A.E. Brinton and men saw a fine deer near the residence of the late Henry McKeon. It leaped the fences and made fast time across country.

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Ground has been broken for the new residence of Town Treasurer, G.W. Carlson, on West Street, on the lot he has bought adjoining the Platt estate. William H. Thicket is the builder.

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The annual commencement exercises of the Newtown High School, Wednesday night, brought out an audience which crowded the Town hall to the doors, with every available standing place occupied, and scores who were unable to gain admission. Outside of the graduating exercises, the great event of the evening was the address of Connecticut’s beloved governor, Hon Simeon E. Baldwin.

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Newtown Curtis, Newtown’s peach king, tells a Bee reporter that the prospect for a peach crop is good. Back in February, he thought there would not be a peach, this season, but judging by the present outlook he will have a crop of at least 1,000 bushels. All of which is good news to the lovers of the luscious peach.