The Way We Were
August 30, 1996
Thursday morning saw approximately 4,500 students returning to Newtown public elementary, middle and high school classrooms for their first full day of instruction. Opening day also marked a new beginning for one new school principal and several veteran administrators who were assuming new jobs within the system as a result of recent shuffling of positions.
***
Investigators from the US Environmental Protection Agency visiting the 30-acre site of the bankrupt Charles Batchelder Company on Swamp Road Thursday morning to evaluate the extent of pollution that has kept the former aluminum smelting factory on federal/state hazardous waste site lists.
***
A late season storm swept through Newtown shortly after 9 am last Saturday, knocking trees and limbs onto wires and onto a house on Pine Street in Sandy Hook. No one was injured in the storm. The rain was at its heaviest during The Bee’s annual 10K Road Race.
***
R. Scudder Smith, publisher and editor of The Newtown Bee, has announced that Kaaren Valenta has been named associate editor of the newspaper as part of a shift of some assigned on The Bee’s editorial staff. She has been working for The Bee Publishing Company for 11 years. In her new assignment, Mrs Valenta will take on a broader range of writing assignments and will assist with editing and the coordination of news coverage under the direction of Managing Editor Curtiss Clark. Steve Bigham, who has been serving as education reporter for The Bee, will take on town government and political assignments. Dorothy Evans has been hired to do educational reporting.
***
Alexander “Sandy” Lerman, son of Laura and Kenneth Lerman of Main Street, has been awarded the rank of Shodan (first degree black belt) at Aiki Budokai, the oldest school of martial arts in Danbury. Fourth degree black belt Sensei Daniel Ustie of Aiki Budokai presented the belt. In achieving this rank, Mr Lerman joined his father, who received his black belt in March.
***
It was a cosmic free-for-all last Saturday in the 12th running of the Bee 10K, as rains — for the first time ever, it might be noted — drenched an already tough course, and soaked and slowed up considerably a sparse field of 168 runners. Sarah Zimmerman, the first finisher in the High School Female Division, called it “one of the most interesting races I’ve ever been in … I didn’t even see the hills coming because there was all this water.”
September 3, 1971
The members of Teen Action Newtown report that their last dance, Friday, August 27, was one of their most successful. It was the first at the Italian Community Center, now being used as a youth center. Panacea of Newtown provided the music.
***
On Wednesday, September 1, the Zoning Board of Appeals met at Edmond Town Hall for a hearing on the application of F.F. D’Addario and Campanella Corporation, who was appealing an alleged error on a cease and desist order from the Zoning Enforcement Officer. The hearing is now in abeyance until October 6 after an agreement was reached between Newtown’s Town Counsel and the attorney for Mr D’Addario and the Corporation.
***
The Rev Francis E. Virgulak, assistant at St Rose Parish, has been transferred to Holy Family Parish in Fairfield. The Rev Bernard Dolan, assistant at Holy Family, has become a full-time member of the faculty of Immaculate High School, Danbury, with residence at St. Rose.
***
A large group of friends and lovely table with a pink centerpiece and beautifully wrapped gifts greeted Mrs Orrin Burgess of Main Street as she stepped into Hawley Manor Inn on Saturday, August 28, to celebrate her 96th birthday with a gala party. Mrs Burgess looked as bright and pretty as the gift wrappings, and even tropical storm Dori payed [sic] her respects by leaving town before the party began.
August 30, 1946
Roland Wickson, of the Moo Juice Rascals 4-H Club, Stepney, captured the Grand and Reserve Championships with his breeding ewe in the Fitting and Showing Contest at the County 4-H Fair last Saturday in Newtown. His ram also took a Reserve Championship and the Blue Ribbon Award in its class.
***
The closing of the summer recreation program in Newtown was marked last week by a swimming exhibition at McLachlan’s pool on the Boulevard Thursday evening and by a final track meet at Taylor Field Friday afternoon. During the change-over to the Fall schedule, swimming races will take place at Grubb’s pool, Mt Pleasant, Labor Day afternoon at 2:30, and there will be another trip to the Yankee Stadium on Saturday, September 7.
***
At the Rotary Club meeting Monday evening, August 26th, at the Parker House, the speaker was Dr William F. Green, Superintendent of The Fairfield State Hospital and member of the Newtown Rotary Club. Dr Green spoke on the subject of prefrontal lobotomy, an operative procedure, which is new in state mental hospital work and which shows great promise for patients who might otherwise be chronic hospital cases.
***
Cpl Clifford Johnson, who is stationed at Fort Dix, N.J., spent the week-end with his parents, Mr and Mrs Fred Johnson.
September 2, 1921
With awakened vision we begin to realize what a wonderful thing is the interest recently manifested in our little “City of the Dead,” situated in the village of Sandy Hook. To our shame be it said no care has been given this spot for years. There is no association, depending entirely upon individual interest which certainly has not proved reliable. Now, however, we who have loved ones lying there are brought face to face with the fact that some one cares if we do not and with one accord extend to Miss Jennie Roberts, the instigator of the work, warmest praise and our heartfelt appreciation for all she has accomplished in the matter of cleaning up and putting into better condition this little plot of ground where our dear ones rest, and it has been no easy task to revive latent interest, to say nothing of the actual work done by her.
***
Mrs Beatson of Dodgingtown returned, this week, from the Bridgeport hospital.
***
W.A. Honan has leased the former hotel building of Mrs S.A. Blackman at Hawleyville. The partitions on the lower floor have been torn out and an addition is being built on to the east end of the former saloon. This will give Mr Honan a large and roomy store for his business, while the other part will be used for a grain room and storehouse.
***
Mrs and Mrs Eric Anderson of Southwick, Mass., were calls, Monday, on Mrs Martin A. Moller.
***
ARRIVALS AT THE PARKER HOUSE: H.L. Kneen, New Haven; Bernard Greenville, Meriden; Mr and Mrs Thomas Sheeken, Maryland; Mr and Mrs J.W. Graham, Miss M. Graham, Philadelphia, Pa.; Mrs Larrable, Mrs Wiving W. Davis, Sr., Miss E.P. Davis, Mrs Mary F. Davis, Mr and Mrs Irving Davis, Jr., New York; Mrs Belle B. Leonard, Brooklyn, N.Y.
September 4, 1896
An interesting local society event is the marriage of Miss Nellie Caroline Hubbell and Harvey Willcox Wheeler, to occur on Tuesday afternoon, September 15, at 3, at the Congregational church. Miss Hubbell is the daughter of Mr and Mrs W.H. Hubbell, while the groom-elect is the only son of Mr and Mrs John H. Wheeler. Both are among the most popular of our young people, and will have the sincere wishes of a wide circle of friends for a happy married life.
***
The open air service at the Marshal Sears place in Huntingtown district on Sunday afternoon was largely attended. Addresses were made by Rev O. W. Barker, M.C. Rodgers and Allison P. Smith. Frank Gilbert presided at the organ.
***
Emory Sanford of Redding was in town on Sunday, the guest of his brother, Assistant Postmaster Ernest Sanford.
***
Miss Hammond and Miss Sophia Hammond returned to Brooklyn, this week, for the winter. For the past week, with their father, D.S. Hammond, they have been the guests of Mrs Charles H. Northrop.
***
THE EDITOR’S FAMILIAR CHAT: The Newtown fair will be a success, if only the weather is good. There is no doubt about it. The exhibits will reach into the thousands. There is great interested in our fair, we find, in the adjacent towns.
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.