On Saturday, September 13, a few Borough residents and burgesses gathered in Ram Pasture for a ceremony to formally dedicate the footbridge that was built last year to honor R. the late Scudder Smith, previous publisher of The Newtown Bee.

Scudder was born in 1935 and passed away a little over three years ago in 2022. He was a board member of the Newtown Village Cemetery Association, a father, grandfather, and for a short time, a great grandfather. Many Newtowners knew him, and if they did not know him personally, they certainly knew of him.

Last year, Maureen Crick Owen and Greg Smith, two members of Newtown Village Cemetery Association, approached the Borough Board of Burgesses seeking American Relief Plan Act (ARPA) funds to build a footbridge over the stream that bisects Ram Pasture. The allocation for the bridge was first made in July 2023. Construction began in late October and wrapped up in mid-November last year.

Once the bridge was completed, she wanted to dedicate it to someone that meant a lot to her, the cemetery association, and the community; she thought no one was more deserving of that dedication than Scudder.

Crick Owen invited Helen Smith, Scudder’s wife, and their large family that encompasses Greg Smith’s wife and children and Sherri and Scott Bagget’s children and grandchildren. The Smith and Bagget crew made up most of the guests, but quite a few burgesses also participated in the celebration as well.

Crick Owen and Greg served Scudder’s favorite Rosé, a recommendation made by Managing Editor Shannon Hicks at The Newtown Bee, who worked with Scudder and still works with the Smith/Bagget family very closely. After everyone gathered, Crick Owen began to reminisce on the raucous and close relationship she had with Scudder.

“What a man he was,” Crick Owen began. “I was lucky to know him. I first got to know Scudder when my dad asked me to be on the cemetery board.” She explained that her mother grew up with Scudder and his siblings and would play on Main Street. She then read an email she received from Scudder during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“He always addressed the emails to me as, ‘Dear President of the Dead.’ So, he wrote in March of 2020, now he’s referring to my mom, ‘The next time you drive by Joan’s place, tell her once of your waves is from me, then tell her that when the quarantine is lifted, I will challenge her to hopscotch in front of the former Hawley Manor to celebrate the historic home that has been saved,’” she said. She noted that he always signed his emails with, “Your faithful board member, Scudder.”

Crick Owen said that her mother asked Scudder to be a pallbearer at her father’s funeral, and Scudder said he “was honored to be asked.” Crick Owen declared to the crowd that “from that point forward,” she would visit him at his home and at his office at 5 Church Hill Road.

Crick Owen talked about Scudder’s care for the look and feel of the town, suggesting the town tear down the old police station at 3 Main Street and build, instead, a park. It would fit in with The Pleasance and Ram Pasture, which, as he said in an email to Crick Owen, “would end up with a great look to that section of Main Street. And you can just look down Glover and see it all.” She said that he signed off on the email, “Love you, Your Faithful Follower, Grumpy.”

She mentioned story after story that detailed Scudder’s care and attention to detail, like the willow trees in Ram Pasture needing to be trimmed, or planting bright, yellow daffodils all up and down the wrought iron fence at Newtown Village Cemetery. Then she brought up the bridge.

Scudder always wanted a bridge built over the brook in Ram Pasture, but, Crick Owen said, “that’s a wish, not a need.” When COVID hit and ARPA funds were given to every municipality, including the Borough of Newtown, Crick Owen knew what she had to do. She and Greg began to put together a request for the R. Scudder Footbridge.

Not only did the bridge get built, but the Ram Pasture sign on the corner of South Main Street and Sugar Street was refurbished and restored, and a new, smaller sign that replicates the large one was installed on the corner of Elm Drive and Hawley Road. Crick Owen offered her thanks to the Borough for the funds and support, and then Greg shared a few words.

“Maureen probably knew Scudder longer than I [have been] alive,” Greg shared with a smile. He offered his thanks to the Borough as well for the funds for the bridge, saying that the burgesses “absolutely bettered our community.”

Greg pointed out that Scudder’s father, Paul Smith, also has an honorific plaque and birch tree in Ram Pasture for working to preserve the community and nature of Newtown.

“With today’s dedication, Scudder now joins his father in being honored here at the pasture for the same reason. And we’re honoring him because all around us here is land that Scudder really carved out. It was land he intimately knew. He was truly from this dirt,” Greg said.

“Scudder was, himself, an artist. His medium was gardening, and we are literally standing on his canvas.” Greg mentioned how Scudder “painted” all over the Borough and up and down Main Street with mulching and weeding. He painted at 1 Main Street with The Pleasance, at 20 Elm Drive at the cemetery, and of course, at his own home.

“You will see…all of the things that Scudder painted in this town, his ideas for what beauty meant, and…the kinds of things he wanted to preserve,” Greg added. He continued, saying that he hopes this bridge will allow the people of Newtown to enjoy Ram Pasture more and “form meaningful memories in the heart of town….just as this bridge now connects both sides of the pasture, we dedicate it to Scudder in recognition of his lifelong work, connecting the people of Newtown.”

Greg ended his short speech with, “Through his reporting, he made sure our town stories were told, and our history was recorded, and our connections were preserved…and in doing so, he built bridges between people, just as surely as this one does today. So, with that, raise a cheers to Scudder.”

Crick Owen then asked Helen if she would like to untie the ribbon, or if she would prefer her great grandchildren to do it.

Helen spoke up, “That would be wonderful! All six of them!” Five of the six great grand-children — Brooke Smith, Reed Smith, Sophia Baggett, Owen Baggett, and Knox Baggett — joined Helen and Greg Smith at the bridge. The sixth great-grandchild, Violet Baggett, opted to stay in the safety of her father’s arms and watch from a few yards away.

Together, they pulled the bow out of the red ribbon, and the bridge was officially dedicated to The Newtown Bee’s late publisher, R Scudder Smith.

=====

Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.