December 8, 1995

Fairfield Hills Hospital, the state psychiatric institution which once housed about 3,000 patients, is set to close on December 15. Implementing Gov John Rowland’s decision to close the facility, the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) will transfer the fewer than 100 patients remaining at Fairfield Hills to community settings or to Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown.

***

Neighbors from the Apple Blossom Lane area gathered at Newtown High School auditorium the evening of December 5 to hear what local and state officials had to say about well water contamination, which, thus far, is believed to affect 30 to 40 residential properties. Some people expressed anger at how poorly they felt the problem had been handled since chemical tetrachloroethylene (PCE) was first identified in some wells three years ago... By the end, most people seemed to feel more confident that representatives of the Health district and state Department of Environmental Protection were making their best effort to identify affected properties and communicate relevant information.

***

Steve Murphy, chief of the Newtown Hook and Ladder Company, recently took the children of the Newtown Congregational Co-op Nursery on a tour of the Hook and Ladder firehouse. There was a lot of specialized equipment to look at, but as usual, the kids liked the fire engines the best.

***

A newly reorganized Historic District Study Committee is attempting to determine whether Main Street residents are interested in a scaled-down version of the historic district, which was narrowly defeated by property owners last year. But some owners, including Stan Verry, the former committee chairman, and Linda Shepard, the former committee secretary, have withdrawn their support for the proposed historic district. They say a district that does not include all the properties is not the same as the original concept for which they worked so hard.

***

Former Newtown High School football star Brian Gleason — who recently concluded an impressive five-year football career at the University of Connecticut — was the keynote speaker on Sunday night, December 3, as the NHS football team celebrated its 1995 season with a banquet at the Fireside Inn. Gleason lectured this year’s crop of Newtown Indians, who were Pop Warner players when he graced the NHS gridiron, on the importance of setting goals and maintaining self confidence.

***

Commuters driving through Newtown on Route 25 Friday evening were treated to a spectacular display of luminaria, which stretched from the top of Main Street to the Ram Pasture, and branched out along Glover Avenue and Elm Drive. The occasion was the tree lighting ceremony in Ram Pasture, sponsored annually by the Newtown Chamber of Commerce. Well over a thousand people gathered in the Ram Pasture for the 6:30 pm ceremony.

December 4, 1970

After considerable discussion Monday evening, November 30, the Board of Finance recommended for a town meeting vote for two appropriations requested by the Board of Education. The first asks $100,000 for the acquisition of some 29.9 acres of the Boyle property on Boggs Hill Road, by negotiated price or condemnation, as the site for a new elementary school; also $15,000 for the services of an architect to draw preliminary plans. The question of condemnation was a paramount issue during the discussion. (The possibility of condemnation had arisen when a group of unidentified neighbors signed a contract to buy the entire property while negotiations were still underway for purchase of the 29.9 acre section by the town.)

***

At 8 pm on Wednesday, December 9, townspeople will be asked to vote on acquisition of the Boyle property as the site for a new elementary school. This will be the first town meeting in the 1,200-seat auditorium of the new Newtown High School on Route 34 in Sandy Hook.

***

The first day of December was a happy one for the Newtown Historical Society when title to the Harrower house on Main Street was officially deeded over to the Society. The Harrower house, circa 1766, is a salt box and a landmark in the town history. On Monday, December 7, the Board of Directors of the Society will meet to make definitive plans for its future use.

***

The Newtown Rotary Club was host last Monday night to a member of the Women’s Liberation Movement and her two daughters, all from Stamford. Lura Grace Hirsch and her daughters Jeanne, 22, and Lura, 16, were introduced by Rotary Program chairman Edward Sullivan. Mrs Hirsch, along with her daughters, spoke on a variety of areas surrounding the Women’s Lib movement. While some of their comments were a bit startling, the Rotarians listened to their views with great interest.

***

Warrant Officer Gary Ballard is going to get his wish for Christmas. On several occasions since he arrived in Vietnam last June, his sister Leslie, a Newtown High School student, has baked cookies for him. His reply to the first package said that he and his fellow helicopter pilots shared the “goodies” and subsequent letters always included a request to “keep those cookies coming.” Coincidentally, a home economics class at Newtown High School taught by Miss Gail Seymour, had decided to make some baked goods to send to Vietnam, and hearing of Gary’s request, determined to fill it. As a result, they baked and mailed over 20 pounds of cookies.

***

The Newtown Rotary Club will sponsor its “Annual Pancake Day,” Saturday, December 5, from 11 am to 8 pm, in the Alexandria Room of the Edmond Town Hall. Tickets at $1.25 per person or $3.75 per family can be obtained from any club member. The Flagpole Four, a quartet of Rotarians, Jim Heth, Fred Parrella, and Al Reynolds, assisted by Dave Ginn will provide entertainment at intervals during the day.

November 30, 1945

It is announced by First Selectman Alvin B. Coger that the contract for the town garage, to be erected on ground recently purchased near the Newtown Station from the New Haven Railroad, has been awarded to W.J. Megin, Inc, of Naugatuck, the lowest bidder. The contract price is $6,950 and work is to be started in a few days. It will be a one-story structure, 30x80 feet, built of 12-inch cinder blocks, with five overhead doors... There will be a chimney for heat provided by a pot bellied stove, the $7,000 appropriation not allowing a more adequate heating system at the present time. The contractors state that the building will be completed three weeks after the start of actual construction.

***

The Town Players’ production, “The Man Who Came To Dinner,” to be presented on Thursday evening, December 6, at 8:30, in Edmond Town Hall Theater, has entered its last week of rehearsal. The schoolhouse in Taunton is busy each night as the cast rehearses and then rehearses some more to the whiffs of wood smoke from the pot bellied stove, or the odor of coffee simmering and ready to be imbibed as a bracer between acts.

***

A social event of much interest will be held at St John’s church, Sandy Hook, next Wednesday evening. The festivities will center around the fourteenth birthday of this attractive little church, and it is hoped there will be a large attendance of the members and their friends.

***

Little Miss Pauline Feli of Hawleyville has lost her pet dog, and would like very much to have it back. The dog is a black and white hound, and answers to the name of “Star.” He is quite old and suffers from rheumatism... Star has never been in the habit of staying away from home for and length of time, and his owners believe he must be tied fast by someone to prevent him from escaping... If anyone in Newtown or vicinity has seen him, won’t they please phone Newtown 47-4 with the information?

***

One of the most important real estate transactions in recent months was consummated when Dr and Mrs John L. Jenkins of Woodbury, purchased from Franklin E. Parker, administrator of the estate of the late Helen E. Woodworth, the property located on the east side of Main Street. Included in the transfer is one of the finest Colonial homes of Newtown’s Main Street. It consists of eight rooms, three baths, two car garage and plot of land.

***

Captain Paul A. Cullens who is now discharged from the Army has returned to his home and duties as pastor of the Newtown Congregational Church. Enlisting as a chaplain in March 1943, he has served since in hospitals in the European theater of war.

November 19, 1920

After nine months of inaction St John’s church, Sandy Hook, was reopened for service on Sunday, November 14, by Rev C.A. Tibbals, the last rector, now rector emeritus of the parish. Criticism, not altogether in our favor, yet largely undeserved, has followed us as month after month passe by and the inaction continued with no steps taken to break it, as viewed from the standpoint of those outside, but it may be that only those directly interested can fully realize the chain of distressing circumstances leading up to this condition...Let us prove therefore, of what stuff we are made... [A member of St John’s]

***

Mrs W.J. Driscoll has a new Caloric pipeless furnace installed in her home, which is giving excellent satisfaction. Meeker, the agent in Danbury, and for 25 miles in every direction, installed it for her. Mr Meeker says that they sold over 35 of the pipeless furnaces at the Danbury fair, and are now putting them in . They save about one half of the coal consumption and that is something to figure on in these days of high prices for fuel.

***

Mr and Mrs C.B. Glover of New Britain returned home, Friday, after a visit with Representative-Elect W.K. Stone of Kent. He carried home with him two partridges, a rabbit and several gray squirrels. Mr Glover invited the Editor over to a game dinner, which he feelingly was obliged to decline. Postmaster Reiner was out hunting Saturday, and bagged a partridge and a rabbit. Mr Reiner is booked for a game dinner in the near future to which the editor is to be invited.

***

The T.J. Purdy Construction Co are completing for S. Curtis & Son a model and up-to-date brick factory, 43x43, with a power house, 40x50. The new factory room is 43x96 with a storage building 32x17. The front of the factory is laid up in what is called Flemish band, white sand being used in the mortar and it presents a very handsome appearance. The factory will contain 7,500 square feet of floor space... S. Curtis & Son will use water power and electricity for power, the water being used to generate the electricity... S. Curtis & Son expect to be in full operation by January 1.

***

Contractor T.F. Brew has been putting in new sills, new floors in the old primary department room in the Sandy Hook school building. The room has not been used for 25 years.

***

Hattertown: D.B. Parmelee has rented his house to James Craig of Boston. Beginning the first of the month, Mr Parmelee will occupy the residence of Irving Goodsell, acting as caretaker while Mr and Mrs Goodsell are spending the winter months with their daughter, Mrs Fred Hubbell in Westport.

Your memories are the ones we want to share! 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 editor@thebee.com, subject line: Way We Were photo. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date.