November 10, 1995

First Selectman Bob Cascella won reelection Tuesday with a decisive 3-1 victory over his challenger, Earl J. Smith, Jr, the Democratic Town Committee chairman... In a repeat of the 1993 elections, Republicans once again dominated the spots on the local ballot where there were actual contests.

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“Everyone lost their lights and we don’t know the cause,” was the apt report given out by the switchboard operator at Edmond Town Hall 30 years ago this week when the most extensive power failure in history left Newtown in the dark. The northeast section of the nation was plunged into darkness at 5:25 pm on Tuesday, November 9, 1965. The Great Blackout lasted from a few minutes in some areas to as long as 13 hours in others, affecting 80,000 square miles and 30 million people in New England and Canada. Since television sets and radios went out with the lights, information was sparse for some time, according to an article published in The Bee three days later. Owners of transistor radios passed along news reports.

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A referendum coming on the heels of the November 7 town election will decide the fate of the $4.1 million expansion and renovation of the Cyrenius H. Booth Library... the Board of Selectmen met last Friday to set the date for the special referendum after library opponents gathered more than the 573 names needed on petitions to force the vote. The referendum will supercede the approval given October 25 at a town meeting attended by 222 residents.

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Workmen this week did some construction at Newtown Car Wash, the town’s first car wash now being built on the dead end Simm Lane, off South Main Street. Applicant Brian Corson receive a special exception to the town zoning regulations from the Planning and Zoning Commission to build the year-round facility.

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NHS Gridders Blast New Fairfield, 56-22; Take A Step Closer to Class L Playoffs. If John Buonanno had a chance every time he slapped on his pads and helmet, to play football against New Fairfield he would be on a bullet train to the Hall of Fame. The Newtown High School Indians crushed the Rebels last Saturday, 56-22, and did so largely on the impetus provided by the tri-captain, who scored four touchdowns — two on the ground and two in the air.

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The school district has hired a consultant to conduct studies to help the district determine if a fifth elementary school is needed... The company plans to submit its report in late November or early December, said School Superintendent John Reed. He said the district needs to decide soon if it needs a fifth elementary school because, if it does, planning would have to begin promptly in order to get it built on time.

November 6, 1970

The Newtown High School Football Indians kept up the winning pace last Saturday with a homecoming victory over the visitors from New Milford. The team goes against Bethel this Saturday, away, and a victory will give the Indians their first undefeated season in football. They are now ranked number one in the league.

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State Goes GOP After 16 Years: Not one Democratic candidate got within hailing distance of his or her Republican opponent as Newtowners went to the polls on Election Day. Leading the local candidates was Newtown’s State Representative Sarah Frances Curtis who won her eighth term in Hartford... The election officials report a greater than usual interest in who the candidates were and in the four proposed amendments to the state Constitution. The consensus was that it was a busy and interesting Election Day.

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Rolab Studios of Walnut Tree Hill Road announces that the motion picture, “Seeds of Discovery,” produced by its affiliate, MRC Films, has received the top award in the category of “Exploration” at the International Film and TV Festival of New York, on October 30. Produced for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the film visualizes NASA’s plans for the unmanned exploration of the planets during the coming decade.

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As was noted in local newspapers the week of October 30, the Board of Finance refused to act upon a longstanding proposal for a traffic control light at the Dodgingtown Fire House and again tabled action for the light. The Board has decided to have a special meeting on Monday, November 8... the firemen of the Dodgingtown Volunteer Fire Company urge all citizens, especially those living in the Dodgingtown area, to attend the meeting and insist on prompt action by the Board.

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Paul Smith, editor of The Bee, was flabbergasted when he answered a trick-or-treat bell on Halloween night. Susan Tychanich, 12, of Taunton Lane, dressed as “The Newtown Bee,” was the caller. She won a prize as the most original costume for the girls’ class at St Rose 7th and 8th grades’ costume party last week out of approximately 100 contestants.

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The Board of Selectmen awarded the contract for the substructure of the bridge to the new landfill to Della Bitta Bessola at the meeting Wednesday evening, November 4, postponed from Election Day. The firm was the apparent low bidder. The amount is $71,778 and includes materials, labor, and construction of the bridge over the Penn-Central tracks to reach the new sanitary landfill off Route 25.

November 2, 1945

Mr and Mrs Walter K. Gutman of Hattertown District has as their guest Caesar Finn, internationally known pianist-composer. Playing before a group of some 35 invited guests at the Gutman home, Mr Finn, who has given many concerts in Europe and Canada, as well as the United States, gave the guests a delightful program.

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The Sandy Hook School is pleased to report that they started their hot lunches on October 29th and had an excellent attendance of 82 children the first day. They are most fortunate in having Mrs Heinemeyer who prepares the lunches. Children interested in buying lunch for next week may do so by bringing in 45 cents by Friday of this week.

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Friends are glad to see Pvt Robert Lockwood back home, having been discharged last week from Camp Devens, after four years of service, one and one half years of which were spent in England and various European countries. “Bob,” though he spent four months in a hospital in England, is looking and feeling well, having gained some twenty pounds.

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Twenty-seven thrilled and happy Camp Fire Girls traveled to Holland’s Skateland in Bridgeport, Thursday night, October 25th, and enjoyed an evening of clean, wholesome fun. It was an event long to be remembered by most of the girls, for many had never been on roller skates before, and those with experience had never had the good fortune to be on a good rink with a fine organ accompaniment.

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Miss Norma Conley, who has been assistant librarian at the Sandy Hook Free Public Library, has moved to Maine with her parents, Mr and Mrs Fred Conley. Mary Crouch is now assistant librarian at the Sandy Hook Library.

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Water service in town was interrupted Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday so that repairs could be made to the hydrant in front of the Edmond Town Hall and to cut into the main line on South Main Street to provide water for the new houses being built by Martin Sealander. Difficulties which developed in the work interrupted service much longer than had been expected.

October 22, 1920

Newtown was treated to another unpleasant sensation, in the early hours of Sunday morning, when two escaped prisoners from Sing Sing prison, traveling in a stolen Cadillac car, paid a visit to the gas station of Edward Smith on the State road, secured 15 gallons of gas and two quarts of oil and then poking a gun in Mr Smith’s face, took the money he had in his hand, about $10, and while holding the gun to Mr Smith backed off and got into the car. The fugitives from Sing Sing were George J. Silvers, the 20-year-old murderer of Bicycle Policeman Samuel T. Cunningham of the W. 177th St station, Brooklyn, and Martin Bassett.

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A study of the diphtheria situation in Connecticut indicates that a further reduction in cases an deaths, aside from quarantine and isolation measures, depends in a large measure on parents. Parents must call in physicians early in the course of the disease in order that proper preventive measures and treatment of the diphtheria case can be carried out by using diphtheria antitoxin early in the sickness.

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The mystery surrounding the murderous attack on Levi C. Morris on the night of October 9 was cleared up Monday night, when Francis Ray of Newtown, better known as Fritz Ray, and Maurice Curran of Bridgeport, were taken into custody by Deputy Sheriff Nichols and lodged in the county jail... From their confession it appears that Ray was the master mind in the devilish plot... A demurrer having been entered in their behalf, Justice McCarthy bound them over under $2,000 bonds and they were quickly hustled by Sheriff Beers back to the Bridgeport jail. Ray acted very fresh as he was leaving the Town hall, laughing and not appearing worried. Going back to Bridgeport he confided to the Sheriff that he expected his worthy father would go his bail and then he would disappear for parts unknown.

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About 60 voters, including several ladies, turned out at the Town hall, Wednesday morning to greet congressman Schuyler Merritt. W.M. Reynolds called the meeting to order and William C. Johnson was named as chairman. Congressman Merritt gave a stirring talk on the issue of the campaign.

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