September 1, 2000

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER of Lorraine VanderWende

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EDITORIAL INK DROPS —THE LABOR DAY PARADE: If a town could have a stream of consciousness, Newtown’s would look a lot like the Labor Day Parade. If you are among the thousands who plan to watch or march in this year’s parade, you will have an opportunity to see first-hand just how conscious Newtown is as a town. The lineup of marchers will feature people committed to service of everything from the Ambulance Association to Lake Zoar, and every one of the scores of organizations from A to Z works throughout the year to make Newtown a more living and vital community. … As always, we urge everyone to attend. The march will get started at 10 am with a cannon blast in the Ram Pasture and a fly-over by Connecticut Air Adventures. Plan to be there for this annual townwide consciousness raising.

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EDITORIAL INK DROPS — PATIENCE AND COURTESY: Now that thousands of students have joined the morning commute in Newtown, we all get a chance to practice patience, especially those of us who happen to be travelling on Route 34 in the area of the high school at 7:45 am. Remember that young drivers, and even younger pedestrians on their way to and from bus stops, will be plying the roadways at high-traffic times. … If courtesy isn’t incentive enough for you, remember that there are two laws that help protect children. The first is the law that requires motorists come to a complete stop when school buses are loading and unloading along the roadside. The second requires a full stop for pedestrians in crosswalks. The police will be watching closely for violation of these laws throughout the school year. So show a little patience, show a little courtesy, and show in this small way, every day, that you support Newtown’s schoolchildren.

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On the morning of Wednesday, August 23, Newtown residents Ted and Sigrid Hewitt photographed what is believed to be a rather large bobcat in their backyard. The photo is the first hard evidence to indicate that the wild animal does exist in Newtown.

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Nearly 5,000 returned to Newtown’s public schools on Wednesday. Some came with smiles of excitement while others had no expression at all, looking like they had just rolled out of bed. Several students at the middle school said they were scared and nervous. A lot of elementary school students came to school excited and ready to go. Newtown Superintendent John R. Reed believed things went well on the first day of school.

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The Newtown Women’s Club’s 13th annual pewter Christmas ornament, showing a view from Castle Hill, will be introduced and sold at the Labor Day Parade. The view — a subject of many paintings and photographs — shows the flagpole, Trinity Church, the Meeting House on Main Street, as well as several houses and the steeple of the Congregational Church on West Street. The sale of the ornaments, $8 each, is the chief fundraiser of the club. All proceeds are donated to area charities or organizations.

August 29, 1975

Students returning to Sandy Hook Elementary School next Wednesday will find a new feature at the school’s playground, thanks to the efforts of the Sandy Hook PTA. Mrs Patricia Llodra, chairman of the PTA’s playground committee, says there have been several incidents when children ran out into the road which the school’s playground borders, chasing balls and playing. In the interest of the youngsters’ safety, the PTA has been working for the past year to install a fence.

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“I’m open for help,” said a resident of Berkshire Road, Sandy Hook, this week about a most unusual violation of the town’s zoning regulations. For the past few months, thousands and thousands of scrap tires have been piling up in the back yard of the residential home, spilling into the wooded area to the rear and side. There are over 10,000 now and it fairly boggles the mind to look at the tires, which range from go-cart to earth-moving equipment size. According to the woman who rents the property, the whole thing started with an idea her husband had, a rather odd get rich quick scheme.

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Sgt. Raymond Tompkins, president of the Brotherhood of International Police Officers local here in Newtown, on Friday, August 22, sent a complaint to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration citing unsafe conditions at police headquarters. According to Leo Alix, state OSHA director, his office has received the complaint and it will be followed up with an inspection of police headquarters, which are located in the basement of Edmond Town Hall.

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Friday, August 22, members of the Newtown American Field Service Chapter celebrated at The Newtown Inn the arrival of Dorota Szewczyk from Sweden. Dorota will be spending the next year in Newtown in the home of Mr and Mrs Lawrence Newquist on Phyllis Lane. Dorota’s host sister is Lynne Newquist.

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There has been a change in the Wheeler Shopping Center. Joe and Martha Spiriti, long-time owners of the Center Luncheonette, have sold their business to Vera Grieve of Riverside Road in Sandy Hook.

August 25, 1950

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — A SUITABLE SITE: The Building Site Committee, composed of members of the Newtown Board of Education, has come to a logical conclusion in recommending the purchase of property on Queen Street for a new local high school. The matter will come before next Thursday evening’s special town meeting when, in our opinion, there should be no hesitancy on the part of the townspeople in authorizing purchase of the recommended site.

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Highlighting the one annual benefit movie program of the Boys Social and Athletic Club of Sandy Hook, held Thursday night of last week in the Edmond Town Hall theater, was presentation of the S.E. Stern award to David Carmody, 11-year-old son of Postmaster and Mrs. Arthur W. Carmody of Sandy Hook, for the club member showing the most all-around improvement in all phases of club activities during the past year. David also took second prize in the members’ contest to sell the largest number of advance subscription tickets prior to the benefit show.

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All games in the Pomperaug Valley Baseball League were rained out on Sunday. The regular schedule will continue on Sunday, August 27, with the Newtown Bees playing at Bethany, Stepney at Woodbury, Roxbury at Southbury, Oxford at Seymour, and Shelton at Huntington.

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Mr and Mrs William Hunter of Main Street, who have been spending a two-weeks vacation on the Gaspe Peninsula, Gulf of St. Lawrence, are expected to return to their home this week-end.

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The Lions Club, through its president, Raymond J. Trimpert, has announced that the bleachers it purchased as part of its community service project, arrived in town last week and have been turned over to the Athletic Association of Hawley High School. The seats will accommodate about 270 persons and will be used by spectators at Taylor Field. At the close of the football season, the bleachers will be transferred to the gymnasium in Edmond Town Hall for use at basketball games there.

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Announcement has been made of the wedding of Frances (Crouch) Stevens Zanelli of Dayton Street, Sandy Hook, to Ralph Hopkins of Danbury. Rev Walter Pickering, retired Methodist minister, performed the ceremony in his home in Sandy Hook. The Hopkins reside on Cross Street, Danbury.

August 29, 1925

Camp Egan, summer camp of that favorite son of Newtown, William H. Egan, master of the great Pennsylvania terminal, was formally opened on Sunday, when Mr Egan had as his guests a party of New York and New Jersey ladies who are passing the week there.

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The town loses a substantial and valued citizen in the death in the early hours of Sunday of Martin Henry Lillis of Dayton street. Mr Lillis was taken ill on Friday but Saturday and Sunday seemed better. The deceased was a son of the late Mr and Mrs Griffin P. Lillis. He was 54 years old and is survived by his wife, Margaret T. Lillis, one sister, Mrs Margaret Costello, of Passaic, N.J., and three brothers, John Lillis of Burlington, N.J., James Lillis of Waterbury and Peter Lillis of Bridgeport.

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Local Grange members who went to Lake Quassapaug, Monday afternoon, to hear Worthy Master L. J. Taber of the National Grange speak at Excelsior Pomona Field Day meeting were, Mr and Mrs Wallace N. Mitchell, Mrs Herbert T. Coger, Miss Anna Murphy and W. John Murphy.

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The “White Elephant” sale at the Library, Saturday afternoon, August 29.

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Miss Esther Coger, a student nurse at the Bridgeport Hospital Training School, is spending her three weeks’ vacation at her home.

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H. G. Warner, Harry MacClyman, David MacClyman and Herbert Beers put in a day fishing, Tuesday, on Lake Waramaug. Warner says the thermometer stood at 140 and it was hotter than out on the Sahara desert. Two fool bass bit. You’ve got the answer. Don’t mention this fact to any of those sun-burned fishermen.

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Miss Eileen Finkle, visiting nurse, concluded her work, Tuesday, and left on Thursday, with her mother and party of friends for an auto trip through Maine.

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Mrs W. K. Driscoll, who was quite ill for a few days, is now convalescent.

August 31, 1900

EDITORIAL INK DROPS: It is a matter for general congratulation that the Academy is not to close but is to reopen in September under the able principalship of William W. Gardner of Massachusetts, who comes very highly recommended. This pleasing result would not have been attained had it not been for the disinterested action of President Linsley of the Academy Board of Trustees and a few others. What this town really needs is a revival of true public spirit. The narrow and selfish spirit shown by some of our people blessed with large means is both humiliating and disgusting.

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The School Board was in session at the North Center school building on Saturday. Miss Frances Case was given a certificate to teach at the Middle Gate school, Miss Julia Field for Gregory’s Orchard and Miss Katie Bradley for Half Way River. Miss B. C. Keane also tried the examination and passed successfully. Appropriations were granted for the schools in Gray’s Plain and Half Way River districts and these schools will accordingly be open.

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Miss Susie H. Smith of Plymouth, who has assisted most acceptably in the type setting in The Bee office for five weeks, returned to her home on Friday, stopping over night in Bridgeport with her grandmother, Mrs S. H. Smith. Her sister, Miss Sadie Smith, who has visited with Newtown relatives for a week or two, returned with her.

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Oscar Carlson of The Bee’s force took a well deserved outing in the Park City, Monday.

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Mr and Mrs Arthur J. Smith passed Tuesday at Fairfield Beach, where they were the guests of Rev C. H. Smith of Plymouth, who is taking an outing there.

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.