June 16, 2000

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER of Janelle Graham.

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Two years ago this month, the Hook & Ladder firehouse behind Edmond Town Hall was ruled structurally unsafe after town officials discovered weaknesses in the flooring. Trucks and other apparatus had to be moved outside the aging building until the floors could be shored up. That was supposed to be the temporary solution. Today, however, the aging building continues to house Hook & Ladder, but the town’s oldest fire company says it can wait no longer. It needs a new home. On Monday, Fire Chief Dave Ober will go before the Board of Selectmen to discuss a plan to build a new firehouse on town-owned property along Queen Street.

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A real estate development firm revived the somewhat dormant Fairfield Hills issue this week with a proposal that some felt sounded almost too good to be true. The firm, Arthur Collins Enterprises of Greenwich, proposed to the Fairfield Hills advisory committee the creation of a high-tech business park that would bring in municipal revenue should Newtown decide to buy the campus from the state.

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They entered the high school four years ago amid a clanging cacophony of construction. Last week, in the waning light of a humid day, they left to the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance.” In a ceremony rife with every emotion — anxiety, compassion, laughter, elation, sorrow — 255 Newtown High School seniors said goodbye, as they reconciled four years lived within the comforting fold of NHS with a future about to unfold.

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Currituck Road is expected to re-open in July, Public Works Director Fred Hurley announced this week. The road has been closed since late December as bridge repair work over Pond Brook at the north end of the road has run into one problem after another. However, just this week, Dayton Construction of Watertown managed to install the first of two box culverts. The second and final box culvert will be installed within the next two weeks. After that, 10 additional days worth of cleanup will be needed before the road can finally be reopened, Mr Hurley said.

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Newtown’s annual rabies clinic inoculated about 120 dogs and cats last Sunday, the smallest number since the service began 15 years ago. “It was the lowest amount we’ve ever had,” Town Clerk Cynthia Simon said. “I don’t know why. I don’t know if people are becoming complacent, or what is causing the numbers to drop.” The most dogs and cats inoculated at the clinic were 669 in 1991. Last year there were 125. Most of the animals receive three-year vaccinations.

June 13, 1975

A rash of phone calls reached The Bee on Wednesday morning informing us of a balloon flight over Sandy Hook. We first spotted the bright yellow object behind a home on Jeremiah Road, and then followed it to the Italian Community Center, where it touched down to earth again. According to the pilot of the craft, as he was making a rapid ascent from his ICC location, he was giving instructions to his companion and with that he was away and out of ear-shot. Although we do not know his name, we do know that he made a beautiful sight on a very clear morning for the hundreds of people who saw him.

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Sponsors of two teams in the Men’s Softball League brought complaints to the Park and Recreation Commission at its regular meeting June 10 but left expressing their intentions of helping the Commission make more ballfields available for play. The Commissioners heard Matthew Bryk’s complaint that his team had been “thrown off the field” at Dickinson Town Park on a Sunday because a church group also had a reservation for the field, and John Manley’s objection to the requirement for a park sticker for members of the softball teams assigned to use the park field.

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Elections for Officers of the Dodgingtown Volunteer Fire Company were held on June 3, with Robert Bossuet elected as president and John Tremblay, chief. Other balloting resulted in the following results: Recording secretary, William Schwaneman; corresponding secretary, Richard Healy; treasurer, John Cochran; assistant treasurer, Alan Engelman; fire commissioner, Nufer Bolmer; and board of directors, Eugene Rekos, until 1978; Henry Wachsmuth, until 1977; and Al Skvorz, until 1976. Also, 1st assistant chief, Kash White; 2nd assistant chief, Harold Dunleavy Jr; captain, Eugene Rekos; and lieutenants, John Dunleavy, Andrew Loya and Robert Richardson.

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Miss Karen Moran, daughter of Mr and Mrs Robert H. Moran of Sandy Hook, graduated in June from the Katharine Gibbs School in Norwalk, where she completed the One-Year Secretarial Program. Miss Moran is a graduate of Pelham Memorial High School and has attended Indiana University.

June 9, 1950

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — SANITATION ESSENTIAL: As the result of a recent survey made in Newtown and Sandy Hook by the Bureau of Sanitary Engineering of the State Department of Public Health, it comes to public attention that thirty cases of pollution and fifty-three nuisances exist at the present time in the town of Newtown — principally along the Main Street and in the center of Sandy Hook. Sanitary wastes in the pollution cases discharge into tributaries of the Housatonic River and so become problems of the State Water Commission. The nuisances, needing abatement, are matters for the local health officer to handle. But in all instances property owners are at fault, knowingly or otherwise, and so a large amount of cooperation is required to correct the situation. … It is the recommendation of the state authorities that the town of Newtown adopt a sanitary code, requiring approval of the sewage disposal system in all newly constructed buildings. Such a project has been a matter of much discussion within the Town Development Committee during recent weeks, and the present certainly seems an appropriate time for the town to take the recommended action. Beyond that, in this day and age, nothing should be left undone to make us a clean town in every possible way.

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The sustaining members of the Boys Social and Athletic Club, Inc., of Sandy Hook held their annual meeting at Sack Park on Friday evening, June 2, with an inspection of the field and field house starting at 7 o’clock. The field was recently seeded and is now showing a green cover of new grass. The field house, overlooking the field, is nearing completion as a result of much labor and a great deal of generous help on the part of club members, young and old, and friends of the club.

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Newtown’s Blue Birds and Camp Fire Girls held its seventh annual mother-daughter banquet Monday night, June 5, in the parish room of St. John’s Episcopal Church under the leadership of Miss Ruth Berglund, Blue Bird leader, and Mrs Austin E. Dinkler, guardian. Nearly 100 guests gathered at the huge table decorated by the girls to honor their mothers, sponsors and a delegation of leaders of the Mid-Fairfield Council of Camp Fire Girls. Colorful dolls, fashioned of craft paper, marked the place of each guest. This year the banquet came in the form of a council fire, and it is the belief that this is the first time a council fire has been performed in this manner.

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The last meeting of the Newtown Parent-Teachers Association for this year was held at Hawley School Tuesday evening. There was a business meeting with the annual reports of the officers and committee chairmen and the election of next year’s officers. This was followed by music by the Hawley Hayshakers and square dancing led by Jerry Conway.

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Newtown High School is justly proud of Albert Krawiecki, former athlete now running under the colors of New Haven Teachers College. Coach Jess Dowe sent the record of the season, listing “Al” as captain-elect for next year and showing him as a seventy-one point winner in their five meets of the year. Krawiecki took first place in every two-mile run; four firsts and a second in the mile, and several seconds and thirds in the pole vault and the running broad jump. His best time for the two-mile was eleven minutes, while his best mile was 4.29. His top vault was 11’4” and his longest jump was 19’7”.

June 12, 1925

Newtown lost one of its old and life long citizens in the death, Tuesday morning, about 4 o’clock, of William Hurd Prindle, who passed peacefully away as the morning light was breaking. Mr Prindle was 71 years old on Decoration day, the son of the late William Beers Prindle and Maria Shepard Prindle. Mr Prindle was born in the Mill house, lately known as the Wetmore place. … He worked for D.G. Beers in the latter’s canopy shop on Mile Hill, where he was employed for a number of years. He became associated with his father, also, in the undertaking business, and on the latter’s death, formed a partnership with Levi C. Morris in the undertaking line, the business relationship continuing for 25 years. Mr Prindle was a member of Hiram lodge, No. 18, F. & A.M., and was a regular attendant at its meetings as long as his health permitted.

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Mr and Mrs Rodney P. Shepard gave a very delightful party at the Newtown Country Club, last Friday evening, in honor of Miss Ruth Shea, who has resigned from the Hawley High school and will take up the duties as a teacher in the High school at Fulton, N.Y. Bridge was the pleasant event of the evening and Mrs George Stuart and Prof Frank H. Johnson were the fortunate winners of the prizes. Besides punch, Mr and Mrs Shepard entertained the party with delicious cakes and ice cream. Miss Shea will be sadly missed by our young people, but all wished for her the best of luck at Fulton.

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Interest in the affairs of the Hawleyville Volunteer Fire Co., continues at white heat. The recent dance netted $220. The officers of the Fire Co., have purchased an electrically operated siren of the Inter-State Machine Products Co., of Rochester, N.Y., which is to be placed on the Upham Food Products’ Co. building. Mr Upham has given the company his large Reo truck which is to be equipped with extension ladders, axes, two 20 gallon tanks, and electrically lighted lanterns.

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The High School pupils of the week day class in Religious Education met for the last session of the term on Monday. The pupils presented short essays on “St Paul as a hero.” The essays showed the good work and interest of the young people, on which they will receive certificates of credit. Plans were made for the organization of a Young People’s Fellowship, to be composed of the young folks from both Trinity and St John’s parishes. The organization is in line with those steadily growing in all parts of the Episcopal church and will function both for social and serviceable purposes.

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A Newtown boy, John Patrick Keating, had the pleasure of being warmly greeted by Albert C. Richie, Governor of Maryland, at the graduating exercises of the University of Maryland held at the Lyric Theatre on Saturday night light. And the town of Newtown and Nutmeg state should feel real proud of John Patrick Keating for he was an honor student and graduated with a degree of doctor of medicine. … He is the son of Lucy B. Keating and the late John F. Keating. … The young doctor received his early education while attending a public school in his home town. Later he entered St John’s Prep School in Brooklyn and after graduating took a premedical course of two years at St John’s College. … His marks were so good at examinations that he and three other students became interns at the Mercy Hospital of this city after several weeks before graduation. He will remain at Mery Hospital for a year and then take up surgery at a Brooklyn hospital.

June 15, 1900

A very pretty home wedding was solemnized at Monroe, Decoration day, at high noon, at the home of Mr and Mrs F.P. Curtiss. The contracting parties were there daughter, Mis Ada Sophie Curtiss, and Morris D. Beers of Newtown. The ceremony was performed by Rev Mr Rollins of the Stepney Methodist church. … The bridesmaid, Miss Mary Botsford, entered the room on the arm of the groom, who waited under an arch of evergreens to receive the bride, who entered leaning on the arm of the best man, Robert Curtiss, her brother.

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The Children’s day exercises at the Congregational church on Sunday morning brought out an audience which filled every seat in the church. There was probably the largest number of children present that have ever been gathered on any previous occasion. The church was prettily decorated with flowers. The service was a most inspiring one through out.

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Says the Milford Citizen: The attention of those who are always growling because they cannot pass the summer in Europe is respectfully called to the following illustration of the delights to be experienced right here in the Nutmeg State, which we take from the Long Hill correspondence in last week’s Newtown Bee: Saturday night N.H. Robb thought he would play boy and go fishing. He had the usual luck. He caught one little bullhead and one snake, which he thought was an eel.

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Newtown relatives of Miss Mabel Jencks of Colorado Springs, Col., received invitations to the graduating exercises of the Colorado Springs High school on June 7. Miss Jencks is the daughter of Mrs Sarah Smith Jencks, who is the daughter of the late Ren Henry B. Smith, once pastor of the Congregational church here.

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Miss Margaret Donahue of Bridgeport is spending a vacation of two weeks with her parents on Walnut Tree Hill.

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Bicycle riders are invited to keep off the sidewalks on the Street. If they don’t heed the request, other methods will be employed, and that soon. We give them all a fair warning.

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 Newtown Bee readers. 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.