July 7, 2000

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER of Gordon Shine

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EDITORIAL INK DROPS — Flirting With $2 A Gallon: When Connecticut State Comptroller Nancy Wyman closed out the books on the fiscal year last week, she announced that the state surplus had soared to $470.2 million, which was $56.8 million higher than her projection just a month ago. Over the course of the year, the state collected $275.4 million more than was anticipated, and the state sales tax exceeded projections by $61 million.

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Dr Morton Silberstein and his wife, Linda, walk expectantly through a maze of corridors strung with worklights as ranks of construction workers labor on their assigned tasks, laying cable, routing pipes, and installing windows.

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Since last week, Newtown police have been cruising about town in a different kind of police car, a 2000 Chevrolet Impala specially equipped for heavy-duty patrol use. At the request of a Chevrolet dealer in Purchase, N.Y., police are evaluating the performance of the General Motors product.

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In May of 1993, Bill and Antoinette Higgins discovered an abandoned three-month English cocker spaniel at the top of their driveway. Tired and hungry, the little dog had been dumped there by an abusive owner, who, by all accounts, had made the little dog’s short life a living hell.

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“I think artists are extremists,” says Joan Berquist. “If I wasn’t a writer, I think I’d be a landscaper or a chef.” Or maybe a potter, or a painter, or a photographer. Although Mrs Berquist speaks tongue-in-cheek about an obsession to “do it all,” her first-place awards in poetry and one-act plays and a blue ribbon in photography at the General Federation of Women’s Club’s recent state competition reflect a woman of many talents.

July 11, 1975

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — An Expensive Span: We are not on top of the prices in the world of construction these days, but 22.4 million seems like a lot of bread for any project. Evidently, however, it is all in the scheme of progress for the State of Connecticut and this sum of money is going to be spent to run another bridge across the Housatonic River, linking Newtown to Southbury.

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On Thursday evening, June 26, the voters in Newtown approved a bond issue of $3,250,00 for the construction, furnishing and equipping of a new elementary school in town. The approval of the bonding came nearly a decade after the new school was first proposed, and during the time period the main obstacle was the land on which to put the facility.

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Charged by a charter commission whose chairman energetically opposed its creation, endorsed by a substantial majority of Newtown’s voters in November, and attended by some controversy about the choice of a member, the Board of Ethics of the Town of Newtown organized in the early Spring to draft a Code of Ethics for Newtown officials, officers and employees.

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Members of the Garden Club of Newtown enjoyed their annual June picnic on June 24 and toured the beautiful gardens at the home of Mrs Robert Perry on Todd Hill Road. A slate of officers for the years 1975-77 was presented and voted upon.

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Mrs Jane Edwards Symes, 27, wife of Curtis Symes of Lake Road, Newtown, died Tuesday, July 1, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Born in White Plains N.Y., she had lived in Newtown for five years where she was vice president of the Newtown Junior Woman’s Club.

June 30, 1950

With four years of academic studies and associations ending, the 31 members of the Newtown High School class of 1950, 18 girls and 13 boys, marched slowly down the aisle at the Edmond Town Hall theater last Thursday night to receive their diplomas and bid farewell to their alma mater in the school’s annual commencement exercises.

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Announcement of the appointment of Carl A. LeGrow as superintendent of schools for Newtown was made by the local Board of Education after its special meeting on Monday night of this week when the decision was reached. The action followed several such meetings, necessitated by the dissolution of Regional High School District No. 3 under which Newtown schools have operated.

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The Sunday Schools of Trinity and St. John’s Episcopal Churches held their annual picnic at Lake Quassapaug this Tuesday with some 125 parents, teachers, Sunday School pupils and friends taking part. Mothers had prepared generous lunches and the delegation left in private cars from Newtown at 11 a.m. The children were given free rides and other entertainment at the recreation center, and practically all went swimming in the afternoon. There were many expressions of thanks for the cooperation of Lake Quassapaug management and the excellent work of the committee on arrangements from the two churches.

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Fire Chief John Qubick has issued a timely warning regarding the use of fireworks over the Fourth. Chief Qubick asks all children to use the utmost care at all times while setting off fireworks and, under no condition, should children be allowed the use of fireworks around any buildings or dry materials.

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Announcement is made by Postmaster Albert H. Nichols that the post office will be open between the hours of 8 and 10 a.m. only next Tuesday, July 4th. There will be no rural delivery on that day.

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Mrs Frances Ackerman of Miami, Fla., was the guest of Mr and Mrs Guy Richardson of the Boulevard over the weekend.

July 3, 1925

Mrs Frank E. Gilbert gave a variety shower, Saturday afternoon, for her niece, Mrs Madge Peck Brown, whose marriage to Elmer Hall of Stratfield will take place this summer. There were 18 ladies present. Mrs Brown received a variety of pretty and useful things. A delightful afternoon was passed, with games and social chat, after which delicious refreshments were served.

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Mrs William E. Gilbert is visiting her daughter, Mrs Frank Wooding, in North Haven.

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Mrs Harriet Fowler, Miss Ida Lamphear and Miss Ruth Brown of Williamstown. Mass., have been guests of Mr and Mrs E. M. Peck. Mrs Madge Brown returned with them to Williamstown for a week’s visit.

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Elliot Peck Brown, who has been at school in Williamstown, Mass., the past year, is spending his summer vacation with his grandparents, Mr and Mrs E. M. Peck, Sr.

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Master Kauffman, while engaging in a pre-Fourth of July celebration, shot himself through the finger. Dr W. H. Kiernan attended him. He is the son of Isaac Kauffman of Huntingtown.

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The townspeople will be glad to hear that the Sandy Hook Band is reorganizing in preparation for a series of summer concerts, the first of which will probably begin in about three weeks. H. G. Warner, the popular Sandy Hook merchant, has as usual been the leading factor in getting the local musicians together again.

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Senator Philo T. Platt of Newtown, who becomes state commissioner of agriculture on Wednesday, announced Friday, that he had appointed Leonard H. Healy of Woodstock, secretary of the present state board of agriculture, to be deputy commissioner.

July 6, 1900

Mr and Mrs A. J. Smith passed Sunday with Mr and Mrs F. B. Hubbell at Westport.

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Mr and Mrs John W. Webb and child of Bridgeport have been passing a few days with Mr and Mrs George Drew.

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Patrick F. Bradley of Jersey City is passing a week with his mother.

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Russell W. Stone, with J. L. Hughes, brought to this office, recently, three pieces of crockery that he confiscated from a planation 18 miles above New Orleans in 1863. This crockery is English iron ware and has been in use every day since it was captured. It is still in perfect condition and Mr Stone is quite proud of his possession.

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Lightning struck a tree in front of James Celes’, last week Thursday. It ran down the tree, turned the steps about and shattered some of the posts to the fence.

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The E. C. Platt Co. of Hawleyville have had a tremendous sale for the McCormick mower, having sold all but three machines in a consignment of six car loads.

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.