The Way We Were

 

December 14, 1990

There has been some difficulty in enforcing a school board policy that prohibits smoking in the building during school hours, according to Bill Manfredonia, school principal. The board instituted the policy in August that disallows smoking in the building by teachers and students. Faculty may smoke outside during school hours and students are not prohibited from smoking on the grounds after school closes. There is a group of students who have been unable or unwilling to quit and have disregarded the policy. The most flagrant offenders, he said, are girls, who most often are smoking in the rest rooms. In a move designed to make apprehension of smokers in the rest rooms easier, he added, the outer doors to the restrooms have been removed, but with little success.

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Ten years from now, today’s Newtown High School seniors will open up their old yearbooks and reminisce about their high school days. They will look at the photos of old friends, teaches, dances, and sporting events, and the memories will come flooding back. Imagine, though, if instead of looking at a photo of the senior prom, they could slide in a video cassette and see themselves dancing to that year’s theme song… Thanks to the efforts of NHS faculty member Russ Weiss, this year’s Newtown High School seniors will have this opportunity. For the first time, the school — in conjunction with Readers’ Digest — will offer the 1990-91 “NHS Video Yearbook.” The finished product will be about 40 minutes long and will cover highlights of the entire school year.

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Christmas came early for the Newtown Police Department, although delivery of the three new cruisers will be “somewhat” delayed. The police department received two new radar units in November, much to the officers’ glee, for the department’s last operative radar had broken down for the last time a few weeks earlier.

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Teens can no longer hang out near their cars at the Teen Center. Barbara Kasbarian, head of the Parks and Recreation Department, told the recreation commission about the new rule at Tuesday night’s meeting. She said there have been complaints about litter and beer cans left in the parking lot by teenagers who congregate around their cars. The new rule requires teenagers to go into the building to sign in after parking their cars. After that, teens may congregate in front of the building, but not near their cars. Teens are allowed outside for several reasons. There is no smoking in the building, and because air-conditioning has not been installed yet, it gets very hot inside.

December 17, 1965

At its regular meeting Tuesday evening the Public Building Committee acted to have work started on the investigation of the proposed site for a new high school. The site to be studied is the so-called Stefanko property in Sandy Hook, adjacent to the elementary school. The special town meeting last week authorized the committee to engage an engineer to evaluate the suitability of the property for the proposed construction.

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Two men were arrested by State Troopers about 4 am Thursday morning, December 16, in the Glen Shell Station in Sandy Hook. Newtown Police Officer Lane and the station operator, Dick Dyke, were alerted by the Edmond Town Hall operator when the burglar alarm went off. Mr Dyke was struggling with one of the intruders and the second was reported about to attack when Officer Lane walked in. The arrival of the troopers settled the conflict. Also involved was a girl who has been turned over to juvenile authorities.

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“Cindy,” a boxer Seeing Eye dog, and the constant companion for the past nine years of Mrs Dorothy Campbell, died last week. Mrs Campbell operates the patients’ store on the grounds of Fairfield Hills Hospital under the supervision of the State Board of Education and Services For The Blind. Mrs Campbell and Cindy were a familiar sight around the hospital as they went about their work each day. The gentle and sweet-natured dog had endeared herself to hundreds of patients and staff members. Mrs Campbell consoles herself with the thought that Cindy has gone to a well-deserved rest.

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In Newtown’s Cub Pack 70’s annual paper and bottle drive, 24,130 pounds of paper were collected, and bottles worth $40. The annual drive is one of three ways in which money is raised to finance this Hawley PTA-sponsored organization. The other two are an annual benefit movie in the spring and weekly dues paid by the Cubs. The money is used to pay for Den Mothers’ supplies, monthly pack meetings, insurance, award books and badges, and to help defray the cost of field trips.

 

December 13, 1940

That the future of mass production in the aircraft industry may well depend on the development of the helicopter is the belief of Igor Sikorsky, inventor and designer for the Vought-Sikorsky Division of the United Aircraft corporation in Stratford. The helicopter is capable of rising straight up in the air with no run, is capable of flying forward, backward and sideways and can remain in one spot in the air for indefinite periods. Mr Sikorsky also prophesied the development of a 100-ton, 100-passenger trans-oceanic flying boat “in the immediate future” which would make 15- to 18-hour flights to Europe. — Connecticut Progress, November 1940

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Twenty-two members of the Newtown Volunteer Fire Company attended the regular monthly meeting. Several important matters were discussed. A committee was elected to contact the Board of Managers of the Town Hall in regard to the use of the fire house for meetings by other organizations, the feeling among the firemen being against its use by others. The fact that the billiard cues, which had only recently been repaired and put under lock and key, were broken into, has necessitated such action.

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Plans are going ahead smoothly for the construction of the skating rink by the Newtown Athletic Club on the practice fairway at the Country Club. The lumber has been ordered and is expected to be at the Club grounds not later than Saturday. On Sunday actual construction of the rink will commence and should be ready for its first flooding shortly thereafter. Further contributions are still being received and are important to the success of the rink.

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Members of the Newtown Fire Company battled a stubborn chimney fire in the home of Mrs John Bracken in Walnut Tree Hill section last Thursday evening. After the fire was extinguished, the firemen were generously served coffee and sandwiches by Mrs Acquino, neighbors of Mrs Bracken. Mr Acquino greatly aided the firemen in quelling the blaze.

 

December 17, 1915

The snowstorm on Monday morning which seemed mild in form, became a veritable blizzard by afternoon and at 6 o’clock practically every train on the Berkshire division was tied up hard and fast. On the train due at Hawleyville about 6.30 pm, included among the passengers were Myron Whitlock of New Milford, Editor A.P. Smith of The Bee, Charles A. Devoe, The Bee’s genial field agent, W.E. Duffy of Bridgeport, Miss Anna Callahan enroute from Pittsfield to Bridgeport, and one other lady. Three hours were consumed in getting the train from Brookfield Junction to Hawleyville, where one engine was off the iron and the two feet of solid snow held the train. The snow piled up so amazingly fast that it became apparent that not a wheel would be turned that night. There was much merriment and good cheer on the part of the passengers despite the fierce storm. People in the passenger coach managed to snatch a few winks of sleep. About 2 am, the editor made his way to the Station, where he spend at pleasant two hours with Mr James. Some delicious hot coffee and crackers were served by John J. Riley, the efficient chef attached to the wrecking car.

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The young blizzard of Monday night caught one of John J. Carmody’s jitneys in its firm grasp. The car was stranded near the residence of Mr and Mrs Charles Curtis below Toll Gate hill. In the jitney were Town Clerk Oscar Pitzschler, Constable Egbert Thrall, Jr, Mr Morgan, Miss Hazel H. Smith, and Ray Carroll, the driver. Mr and Mrs Curtis kindly took the party in and prepared a nice supper for them. Charles S. Cole of the Engineering & Storage Battery Co. left from Bridgeport Monday afternoon in his big car. He arrived near David C. Bacon’s residence about 3 pm when he was forced to abandon his auto. He started for the center of the Borough, where he stopped and rested. Assistant Town Clerk Edward S. Pitzschler found him sitting outside in the snow and urged him to come into the shop. Mr Cole declined and started on the hard climb to the hill-top residence of his father, Hon W.T. Cole. Mr Pitzschler telephoned W.T. Cole. When Charles reached the bottom of the hill, he fell, exhausted. But his father came down and assisted him the last steep climb. It was about 10:30 pm when the Messrs Cole reached the shelter of the Cole mansion.

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R.D. Smith and sons put in all day, Tuesday and Wednesday, digging snow from their home in Dodgingtown, going via the road through the woods and past Charles D. Ferris’ residence. Thursday they made a new attempt to reach the Street and arrived with the milk from their dairy, which they shipped via President Elliott’s railroad. The farmers of Zoar were the only ones in town that got their milk to market, Tuesday. Kean, Burr, Thrall, and O’Connell turned out with four pair of cattle and many shovelers and opened up the road toward Stevenson so that the Milk Contractor Lihan of Derby could get through. Borough Warden C.G. Peck and the street and sidewalk inspectors request the residents of the Street to clean their sidewalks at once to the regulation width. If not, men will be put on and the work done at the expense of the property owners.

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On account of the impassable condition of the highways, the High School committee decided to close the school for the week. School will reopen next Monday. If the sessions had been held only a few pupils would be able to attend and for this reason it was deemed best to close for the week.