December 28, 1990

After years of inaction, Newtown’s sewer project is mired in rejection. But there are those in the proposed sewer district who say sewers are needed. In November, voters defeated a proposal to fund $3 million to design sewers and the state is preparing to sue the town for failing to comply with its groundwater pollution abatement order.

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Depot Day for the Newtown Fund’s annual campaign to spread good cheer and gifts to Newtown’s neediest families took place December 22 at the Sandy Hook Firehouse. Sue Oppenheimer, who headed up the effort this year, reported that 99 families benefited from the drive this year.

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In an effort to serve the public better, the Newtown Department of Police Services (NDPS) will be conducting a residents’ evaluation project, a type of quality assurance survey designed to get feedback from the public on services the department provides. The survey will be sent to randomly selected residents who have come into contact with the police in one way or another.

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We are initiating a feature this week that we hope will be short-lived — students in Newtown’s school system have been corresponding with service men and women stationed in the Middle East as part of Operation Desert Shield, and their letters remind us that geopolitics have very human consequences. We intend to share these letters with our readers on a regular basis so that we may be ever-mindful those events that unfold on the other side of the world affect us as individuals.

December 31, 1965

The Board of Education has unanimously decided that Newtown’s new high school will be a four-year school accommodating grades nine through twelve, and that the existing high school will become a “middle school” housing intermediate grades. These decisions were made Monday night in a special meeting.

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Either the birds or the calendar are in a very mixed up state this holiday season. Harrie and Marni Wood looked out their back window the Sunday after Christmas to find three unmistakable robins picking the last of the berries off the Glastonbury thorn. Mr Wood chopped up some beef liver, and mixed it with suet. Soon, one robin returned, and after a number of experimental approaches, dined heartily. Besides the out-of-season robins, visitors at the Wood’s bird feeders include some albino chickadees. Some of these are almost pure white, others are more like their regular brethren, with pale gray caps and wings.

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The Newtown Planning and Zoning Commission has been summoned to appear in the Court of Common Pleas, February 4, to answer a complaint by Western Connecticut Development Corporation concerning road requirements set by the commission for Newtown Industrial Park, planned for development by the corporation on property off Church Hill Road. The corporation is appealing the commission’s decision that a road through the park, to be known as Commerce Road, be constructed to conform to specifications set by the selectmen rather than to existing subdivision and street regulations.

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Once again, the question comes up. “Who took pot shots at the weathercock on the Congregational Church steeple?” The legend of the unanswered puzzle was written some time ago as one of the “Chronicles” sent out to customers each month by Connecticut Light & Power Co. And now, it is incorporated in a new CL&P booklet compiling all these interesting vignettes of Connecticut. This and other tales are included in this attractively illustrated booklet, obtainable at any CL&P office.

 

December 27, 1940

ATTRACTIONS AT THE EDMOND TOWN HALL, NEWTOWN, CONN. — Friday and Saturday, December 27 and 28, 7:00 and 9:00 pm — Matinee Saturday at 2:15                 BETTE DAVIS in “THE LETTER.” Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec 31 — January 1, 7 and 8:30 pm, Matinee New Year’s Day, 2:30 pm, “A NIGHT AT EARLE CARROLL’S” with Ken Murray — Rose Hobart; Friday and Saturday, January 3 and 4, “TIN PAN ALLEY,” with Alice Faye — Jack Oakie

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The Christmas Concert presented on Sunday evening at the Congregational church by the Newtown Orchestral Society was much enjoyed by a good-sized audience. This event is presented each year by the orchestra as a gesture of good will for the generous use of the lecture room of the church as a place for rehearsals, the offering being for the church.

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“Chief” McKenzie was the first in town to report at The Bee office the slight earthquake felt on Tuesday morning at 8:45 o’clock. Queen street’s usually energetic resident rather let himself in for a bit of goshing when he said that he felt his bed rock and the windows shook, as he lay there and wondered what it was all about. On our part, we wondered at the fact that “Chief” was still in bed — for he is about as lively as they come, always busy at some worthwhile undertaking.

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The heaviest Christmas mails in history have been reported by postmasters throughout this nation. At the Newtown office, P. H. McCarthy reported a record mail, which far exceeded the previous high of last year. George Erb and John F. Holian were added to the regular staff to aid in handling the deluge of letters and packages. The unprecedented volume of greeting cards resulted in the sale of 22,000 one and one-half cent stamps. Monday, the peak day, brought in eight pouches of first class mail and 80 parcel post pouches. Postmaster McCarthy, his assistants, and Herbert Beers, genial rural carrier, worked throughout most of the night to ensure prompt deliveries.

 

December 31, 1915

Another fresh example of the wicked mischief of careless reporting was given by the Farmer correspondent of Queen street, when he announced that rabies had appeared in the herd of cows of Lucien Pierron, the Sandy Hook milk dealer. People in Sandy Hook were actually up in arms and orders to stop his milk came. As a matter of fact, nothing of the kind had occurred. Mr Pierron had a cow which was troubled with some temporary stoppage of the throat. Mr Pierron paid a prompt visit to the domicile of the correspondent, where he expressed himself in language to fit the occasion. The publication office of the Farmer was also notified that a suit would be instituted if a proper retraction was not made.

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On Monday night, about 8 o’clock, one of Capt Hawley’s big sleighs drew up at Troy’s hotel, having a load of the Schenectady boys, just returning to Sandy Hook after the Holidays. In some way, “Mat” Rhomoser gave the wrong signals, and as a result, the entire sleigh load of Schenectady boys rolled out in the snow, traveling bags, robes and legs all in a heap. H.G. Smith, a small and handsome man, was at the bottom and sitting on top of him was George Cowlan, who weighs about 200. Fortunately the sleigh was not injured, and after hearty laughter, the boys adjourned inside to shake off the snow.

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W.F. Stiles of the State Police was in town, Wednesday, to examine the Town hall for moving picture shows. All motion picture theaters in the state must be inspected once a year by the state police. Except for a few minor suggestions, he considered the stairways and exits in the hall to be up to standard, and issued a certificate of approval.

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An ox belonging to Mrs Henry S. Gibson showed marked signs of hydrophobia, Sunday. Dr Knapp, the veterinarian, was called, Monday, and pronounced it a case of rabies. On Tuesday, the animal was shot by Frederick Lockwood. A yearling heifer owned by a farmer in the eastern part of town also showed signs of hydrophobia and was shot by an employee. A few weeks ago, this farmer shot a dog which was snapping at the cattle and it is suspected the same dog bit the ox owned by Mrs Gibson.