David, once a killer hurricane, may have diminished to a tropical storm by the time it hit Newtown, but it still packed a pretty good punch, as it struggled to stay alive on its way through New England. David’s winds and rains began being felt in the early hours of Thursday morning, and as The Bee went to press, Newtown was being pounded with high winds and rains. Just before 8 am, when The Bee checked with the police department and the town hall switchboard, things were not too bad. There were just scattered reports of downed branches here and there, but no traffic problems. Hawleyville Volunteer Fire Company personnel were standing by at a live downed wire on Old Hawleyville Road waiting for CL&P crews, alarms were being set off here and there by the storm, and the Sandy Hook area was without power. Schools were in session as usual. But just a half an hour later, all hell began breaking loose. Trees started to come down, blocking roads throughout town. An extra switchboard operator was called in to handle the heavy load of calls and alarms. All five of Newtown’s volunteer fire companies were pressed into duty, answering alarms and going to the scenes of downed live wires and where trees were reported to be on fire.

***

Kids all looked apprehensive — some downright scared — as they stepped off that big yellow school bus which brought them to Hawley School for the first time, some identified by name tags and all sporting new lunch boxes and new wardrobes. The kindergarteners were shy and not ready to give opinions about what may await them as they take this momentous step and venture into the first day of their school career. Boyd Samuel Saxton, however, was not shy about giving his name or showing off his brand new cowboy boots.

***

They’re the best in-house soccer team in the state in their age category, having compiled a record of 79 wins and only six losses in a year and a half of competition. Because of that the players on the Newtown Strikers will showcase their talents in the invitational Blitzkreig Tournament in Pleasanton, Calif., from November 17-25. The Strikers will play seven games in eight days in the tournament, and have a trip to Disneyland on the agenda as well.

***

Additional funding needed to construct a new town park on the former Stefanko property off Philo Curtis Road gained the last approval needed Wednesday night prior to going before Newtown voters at a town meeting. The Legislative Council by a 9-5 margin recommended a special appropriation of $118,365 from three different sources, to a town meeting. Grants Administrator Zita McMahon told The Bee she expected a town meeting will take place the last week in September to act on the appropriation. This will be after the town receives formal approval from the federal Heritage Conservation and Water Fund to reimburse the town half of the $118,365 cost.

***

Approximately 2,000 visitors from 30 states and three foreign countries took advantage of free coffee offered by the Newtown Jaycees over the Labor Day weekend.

***

“It is as though it is the middle of the year,” is the way Sandy Hook School Principal Ron Vitarelli described the first day of the school year at his school. “You can write this. I have been teaching here 31 years, and it is the first time not one of my first graders has been sick on opening day,” said teacher Charlotte Hamilton. And, so that is the way it was going September 5 at Sandy Hook, which has had to undergo some changes because of the reroofing job at the school. Opening day found two 5th grades in round portables, one in a rectangular portable, and one in the Sandy Hook firehouse hall along with two 4th grades.

***

Since the move of the Newtown recycling center on the town’s landfill to a more convenient location near the transfer station, business has been picking up, report First Selectman Jack Rosenthal and Highway Superintendent Robert L. Martin, Sr. The bins, which are for clear, green, and brown glass, and for aluminum and tin cans, are located just to the right of the drive approaching the transfer station.

SEPTEMBER 10, 1954

With a final enrollment of 1,138 pupils, the Newtown schools opened the 1954-55 school year Wednesday morning in an atmosphere of disciplined confusion which quickly disappeared as teachers took over their charges and began the year’s work. Four hundred and ten students were enrolled at Newtown High School in grades seven through 12 while 728 were enrolled in the kindergarten through sixth grade at Hawley and Sandy Hook schools. After a year of disuse, Sandy Hook School went back into service with a complement of 92 third graders, relieving some of the pressure which became a major problem at Hawley School last year.

***

An organization of residents of Lakeview Terrace section of  Zoar and Wapping District, Newtown, has been formed to act for the area on matters of interest to it and to the township as a whole. The group, which will be known as the Lakeview Terrace Neighborhood Association, was formed at a meeting last Sunday, September 5, at the home of E. Dietrichson in the Terrace.

***

 A new class of over 50 nurses began a ten-week period of training in psychiatric nursing techniques on Tuesday, September 7, at Fairfield State Hospital.

 Showing an offensive power that would not be denied, the midget baseball team of the Boys Social and Athletic Club of Sandy Hook put on a seven-run second inning last Saturday afternoon, September 4, at Taylor Field to defeat the Newtown Indians of the Berkshire Boys League. The game was a second post-season victory by the SAC in a home-and-home series. On Wednesday, September 1, the Sandy Hook boys beat the Newtowners 7-2. Kevin Kyle was the winning pitcher, holding his opponents to four hits while striking out nine.

***

C. George Werner, a retired Newark, N.J. newspaper man, moved only recently into his Mount Pleasant home but already is receiving more telephone calls than he finds to his liking. Assigned the former number of Newtown High School, he has received all kinds of queries regarding the education of the town’s children. Knowing well the power of the press, Mr Werner asked The Bee this week to remind townspeople that Newtown High School’s number is now Garden 6-4418.

***

Agreed on the principle that a single tax assessor should replace the present Board of Tax Assessors, but differing in the manner of selection, two town groups have drafted resolutions calling for a change in the present method of tax administration, to be offered as alternate plans at a town meeting in the near future. The Republican Town Committee, at a recent meeting, approved a resolution which calls for the appointment of Charles Goodsell, chairman of the present board, as the town’s sole assessor at a salary of $4,200 a year to serve from October 1, 1954 to March 1, 1956. Thereafter the assessor would be elected to the post for a four-year term. The first such election would be held at the annual town meeting on the first Monday of October, 1955 and every four years thereafter. The alternate resolution, drafted by town officials in the course of their regular monthly meetings, would make the office an appointive one with responsibility for selection placed upon the Board of Selectmen.

***

A plan to establish a national sports car center in Newtown was described this Thursday by the official of the Yankee Sports Car Club, following the purchase by an affiliated corporation of a 68-acre tract of land in Halfway River District North of Route 34. Salvatore Bochino of Trumbull, secretary of the Yankee Sports Car Club, told The Bee  of plans to construct a two-mile closed, black-top roadway on the tract, and to hold two or three meets a year there. Also planned are a grandstand, parking area, and club house. Clearing of the property is now in progress and it is expected that the race course and parking area will be ready for use by April 1955.

SEPTEMBER 6, 1929

  John F. Driscoll is releading and repairing the stained glass windows in St Rose’s Church. Mr Driscoll has a force of five men, who are stopping at the Sandy Hook Hotel. Mr Driscoll works on church windows exclusively, doing the work all over New England. Mr Driscoll installs new windows, as well as the repairing of old work.

***

 Mrs Lillie E. Bentley has bought a tract of six acres of land on Walnut Tree Hill of Birdsey Parsons.

***

Contractor T.F. Brew has made extensive repairs on the house at Hawleyville, formerly owned by William S. Hawley.

***

At Pine Grove Park, Labor Day, the Sandy Hook ball team, somewhat elated over the drubbing they gave Newtown, Sunday, went down to sad defeat at the hands of Woodbury by the score of 8 to 2. Coyne and Conger were the battery for Sandy Hook and Bellamy and MacMillon for Woodbury.

***

Mrs H.C. Georger of New York City has bought a 37-acre farm estate in the hills of Newtown, from Albert C. Alein, also of New York. The parcel fronts on Taunton Lake, the outlet of which flows through part of the farm. The house, of early American type, is to be improved by Mrs Georger for her country home.

***

Mr and Mrs George M. Stuart, Mrs Rose Sutphin, and Mr and Mrs Charles F. Cavanaugh returned to town on Sunday after a vacation passed at Camp Stuart at Day’s Farm, Lake Champlain, New York. While at camp Messrs Stuart and Cavanaugh were presented with a piece of  wood from “The Royal Savage,” the flagship of General Benedict Arnold by Ezra Day, the owner of the property on which the camp is located.

SEPTEMBER 9, 1904

At the Republican caucus last week, Thursday evening, at the Brick building, John B. Wheeler was chosen chairman and Allison P. Smith clerk. The delegates elected were: State, Arthur T. Nettleton, Eli B. Beers, Hobert H. Curtis, and Charles M. Parsons; Congressional, Wilson M. Reynolds, John B. Wheeler, Newton M. Curtis, and John L. Sanford.

***

Harry Coger returned to Newtown on Thursday evening, and has resumed his former position at the Grand Central Hotel.

***

Mrs D. Nicholson of Danbury is visiting Mrs G.R. Wilson.

***

L.C. Nicholson was in Bridgeport last week for a few days, the guest of Mr and Mrs Morris B. Nicholson.

***

The Consolidated Railroad has had a new signal placed on the north side of the tunnel on the Berkshire division for the safety of the engineers. The signal was put in place last Monday. M. F. Brennan was in charge of the work.

***

At the opening of the high school on Tuesday morning, there were 68 present, a most gratifying increase to all those interested in the school. Rev O.W. Barker and Attorney Northrop of the high school committee were present and each made appropriate remarks.

***

F.M. Patterson has moved his family back from Milford to Berkshire.

***

Sherman Crofut has secured the contract to lath the new Normal School in Danbury.