September 4, 1981

This week The Bee introduces a new addition to the paper. We call it, appropriately enough, “The Way We Were,” and the weekly column highlights some of the interesting news from 25 and 50 years ago as recorded in past issues.

* * *

Newtown Attorney William J. Lavery was appointed Wednesday to an eight-year term as a state Superior Court judge by Governor William A. O’Neill. Mr Lavery, who has been Newtown’s town attorney since 1976, will take his seat on the bench on September 10. The appointment is an interim one until it is confirmed by the state legislature next year.

* * *

When Jean Roy of the Newtown Water Company finished painting the fire hydrant at the corner of The Bee’s parking lot, he had only 24 more to go to finish the job in town. To date, and over the last two-week period, he has scraped and painted 62 of them about town and, in the process, located one that was not even on the map from which he was working.

* * *

Homeowners concerned about saving on energy costs are invited to a Home Energy Workshop sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Newtown on Saturday, September 12, from 9 am to 3 pm at the Newtown Middle School, Queen Street. The workshop will include how-to demonstrations and talks by energy experts, films and exhibits by energy-related businesses and nonprofit organizations.

* * *

With flames shooting nearly 50 feet in the air, firefighters battles this fiery blaze at the Newtown landfill on Saturday, August 29 at 8:59 pm. As a huge pile of truck and automobile tires burned it created an intensive heat, said Chief Steve Belair of the United Fire Company of Botsford. A fog pattern spray had to be used to cool the air in front of the firefighters in order to fight the fire.

* * *

The possible use of illegal players by one of the teams involved in the Newtown Slowpitch Softball League playoffs was investigated this week. After last Sunday’s C Division playoff game between Oldies but Goodies and the Pedagogues, it was alleged by Pedagogues team members that Oldies but Goodies was using players in violation of a league rule that states, “A player must either live or work full-time in Newtown in order to play in the Newtown Slowpitch Softball League.”

* * *

Crime not only pays, it pays more than it used to according to the annual report released recently by the Newtown Police Department. More burglaries were committed in Newtown during this past fiscal year than last year, while the number of actual thefts remained constant. Lt Michael DeJoseph said he was more concerned about the increase in value of the items stolen than he was about the number of incidences.

September 7, 1956

The first step in the preparation of an existing land use map of Newtown was taken Wednesday, August 29, when a group of enthusiastic volunteers met with the Planning Commission. The meeting was held to acquaint the group with the procedures to be followed in obtaining and recording on maps data pertaining to the present use of Newtown’s land.

* * *

The Newtown Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, September 19, at Edmond Town Hall, on the application of the Concrete Casting Company for a license for construction of a commercial structure for the manufacture of prestressed concrete structures and concrete products. The commercial structure is to be located between the New Haven Railroad and Little Brook Road, north of Button Shop Road.

* * *

A special town meeting has been called by the Board of Selectmen in Edmond Town Hall for Friday, September 7, to act on the acceptance of two roads. The two sections of road, each about one-half mile long, and 50 feet wide, are located in the Mt Pleasant development of Martin Sealander and in the Grays Plain-Walker Farms area.

* * *

This week the Fairfield Hills Hospital inaugurated an internship training program in psychology. The clinical director, Dr Jane E. Oltman, reports that this program will be conducted under the leadership of staff psychiatrists and Dr Abraham Zeichner, director of the psychology department. The psychology intern training involves three phases: 1) Psychological diagnosis 2) Training in research and 3) Instruction and training.

* * *

The PTA School Fair, originated by Vincent Gaffeney 12 years ago, will be held in the gym of Hawley School on Friday and Saturday, September 21 and 22, open to grades 1 through 12. All exhibits must be in place by 9:30 am Friday, with exception of the livestock, to be judged only on Saturday, and these must be in place by 10 am. All exhibits should be removed before 1 pm, but must be removed by 2 pm.

* * *

The ONE and ONLY thing NEW in TV! SPACE COMMAND tuning on the new, 1957 ZENITH. Tunes your TV from across the room. NO wires! NO cards! NO flashlights! Nothing Between You and Set But Space. Come in and see the sensational new Ashford table TV with SPACE COMMAND TUNING At Only $259.95. GAY’S RADIO & TV tel. NEWTOWN GA 6-2285

 

September 4, 1931

A benefit bridge will be held at the Beach Memorial Library, Friday, at 2:30 pm, September 4. A charge of 50 cents a person will be made and a prize will be given at each table. Make up a table and invite your friends to make up a table. To have the Library open for our use this winter “steps must be taken.”

* * *

Some crazy or vicious individual backed his auto across a section of the little triangle where the soldiers’ memorial is to be erected after Mr Steck had finished grading. Some boys have been tracking the plot up, and cows have been allowed to walk across the newly graded plot. The matter is to be place in the hands of state police. Mr Steck, and members of the monument committee, are naturally indignant and have a right to be.

* * *

The Jolly Junior Canning Club held a hot dog and marshmallow roast at the residence of I.W. Waterhouse last Thursday evening. A short business meeting was held following the good time.

* * *

The famous “racehorse farm” of Baron Long, capitalist, sportsman and one of the owners of the Caliente racetrack, appears in “Sporting Blood,” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s romance of horse racing, which will be shown at the Edmond Town hall theater on Friday and Saturday, September 4 and 5. The farm produces racehorses exclusively. The new story is based on the business of racing as an industry and shows the raising, training and racing of the racehorse.

* * *

Raymond Crouch, son of Constable F.J. Crouch, caught a bass in Taunton Lake, Wednesday morning, tipping the scales to three pounds and 14 ounces. Last Friday, the same young man caught a bass in Taunton Lake, weighing five pounds. He holds the record for the season. What has become of James Nichols and Frank Blackman, who used to carry off the honors in bass fishing?

* * *

The Lake Zoar Boat Club will hold their annual motorboat regatta on Sunday, September 6, at 2 pm sharp in Southbury on Lake Zoar. Paul J. Prokopy, veteran of the Albany to New York cup race, will attempt a new record at 3:30 pm.

 

September 7, 1906

Baseball Notes: Derby, this week. It has been the custom that Labor day ends the season here for baseball, but owing to the fact that no game was played Labor day, arrangements have been made to play the game this week, Saturday. Derby played one of the best games played here this season and Newtown had to play hard to win by the score of 3 to 2.

* * *

James B. Nichols had a singular and trying experience, Friday night. He drove one of his lively horses down Street, hitching it in front of the store of S.E. Sanford & Co. He then repaired to the barbershop and later made a call. When he came to go home the horse was missing. About 2 o’clock, Saturday morning, Mrs C.B. Taylor saw two or three men hitching the horse to a tree in front of the Taylor residence. It was found that the team had been driven around THE BEE office, nearly going off the stonewall, which marks the division line between THE BEE property and that of Patrick Gannon. It was probably the work of intoxicated men who ought to be arrested and punished.

* * *

The Private School: To Open Next Monday With Miss Helen Penders As Teacher. The Private School will open, next week Monday, with Miss Helen J. Penders of Ansonia as teacher. She is a graduate of the State Normal school, and is well qualified for her work. The school was brought to a high degree of efficiency by Mrs Jewell, and it is believed this will be maintained.

* * *

From Betts & Betts: Regal soap, 10 bars for 25 cents. Good line stationery. Sweet potatoes. Bananas. Newtown and Sandy Hook souvenir post cards; also a variety of comics — art and rotograph series. Drugs: Roach salt, 15 cents box. Bellcapsic plasters, 25 cents. Pure grape juice, 50 cents bottle. Hungarian malaria cure, $1.

* * *

The large and attractive advertisement of the Farmers’ Supply & Roofing Co of Bridgeport will be read with interest by readers of THE BEE. As will be noted by the illustrations, they are in a position to furnish anything in the agricultural tool line or machinery on the farm at low prices.