December 27, 1996

As the Newtown High School Marching Band and Color Guard prepared for their excursion to Orlando to participate in the Citrus Bowl Parade, Band Director Jack Zamary answered a very important question for The Newtown Bee. When asked how one moves 196 NHS Band & Color Guard members, plus all of their uniforms, instruments, drums, batons, and flags from Newtown to central Florida, Zamary said simply: “Very carefully.”

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State police report a 1986 Nissan sedan being driven by a 34-year-old Danbury woman westbound on I-84 West, east of Exit 9, around 2:45 pm Christmas Day, left the highway and went into the median. The vehicle then veered back to the right and struck a tree along the right-hand shoulder, trapping the driver. Hawleyville and Hook & Ladder firefighters and Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps also responded to the scene. The woman was extricated, and then taken to the hospital. She was later charged with operating without a driver’s license and failure to drive to the right.

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Newtowners came together December 21 in a spirit of sharing at The Newtown Fund’s annual Depot Day. About 75 volunteers gathered at the Sandy Hook Elementary School cafeteria which was the collection point for Christmas gifts and food items destined for local families in need. Volunteers included individuals, families, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, senior citizens, and members of civic organizations. Sue Oppenheimer and Lee Paulsen, who co-chaired the event, said about 160 people made donations to fill the 85 requests from individuals, couples, and families.

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Following a lengthy and complex discussion at a December 19 Planning & Zoning Commission public hearing, the applicants for Avalon, a proposed 16-lot residential development on 54 acres off High Bridge Road, have withdrawn their application. A resubmission of the plan in revised form is expected.

December 31, 1971

More than 100 persons attended the installation of officers for 1972 of Hiram Lodge No 18, AF&AM, in Sandy Hook on Wednesday evening. Robert J. Campbell of Grand Place was installed as Worship Master. Other officers installed were Donald J. Miller, senior warden; Robert W. Miller, junior warden; Frederick L. Harris, treasurer; Nicholas K. Peterson, secretary; George E. Wilson, senior deacon; Richard K. Way, junior deacon; John M. Clark, senior steward; Ronald H. Mandeville, junior steward; Alfred W. Nelson, chaplain; Walter J. Wekler, marshal; Robert E. Wheeler, tiler; and Edwin B. Storrs, historian.

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One Newtown man was killed and another critically injured in an automobile accident which occurred on December 24 on I-84 in New York State a half mile from the Connecticut line. Paul G. Kershaw, 22, died. Stephen Munger, 28, is in the intensive care unit of Danbury Hospital with a broken neck and other injuries but has been showing some improvement, according to his family. Mr Kershaw had returned to Newtown three months ago after military service with the Army in Vietnam. A memorial fund has been established in his name for the assistance of Vietnam orphans.

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Dan W. Lufkin, commission of the Department of Environmental Protection, has announced strong regulations for controlling the use of pesticides applied from the air in Connecticut. The new regulations prohibit the use of broad spectrum pesticides applied from the air for non-agricultural purposes and requires custom applications, city, town or borough officials, or their agents, to obtain permits from the DEP before they are permitted to use pesticides from the air.

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All four of Newtown’s postmasters report a Christmas season of increased business and extraordinarily smooth operation. The weatherman was on the side of the postmen, holding up that “White Christmas” until this week. Postmaster Albert Nichols said the Newtown Post Office sold about 34,000 more eight-cent stamps this holiday season than in 1970 when the postage was six cents. Mr Nichols attributes much of this increase to the growth of the town. Similar reports were made by the other postmasters — Robert Shannon of Sandy Hook, Anna Maye of Botsford, and May Miller of Hawleyville.

December 27, 1946

EDITORIAL INK DROPS: Action is needed in 1947 on two projects: a revaluation of real property so taxes will be laid equitably on all taxpayers, and an addition to Hawley School to provide adequate space for the town’s elementary school students.

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Negotiations have been completed by the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Company for the purchase from the Warner estate of the two-story frame building on Glen Road now being used by the firemen as a meeting place. The property consists of a large two-story frame building with one large room upstairs and one down. The firemen plan to alter and improve the structure, using it to house the fire apparatus and as a community center for Sandy Hook. The Sandy Hook firemen are already sponsoring and providing meeting quarters for the Sandy Hook Boys Social & Athletic Club and the Fife, Drum & Bugle Corps, and are providing instruction for the 77 corps members, and a boxing instructor for the boys.

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Mr and Mrs William C. Baxter of Mt Pleasant announce the engagement of their daughter, Barbara Jane Baxter, to William Coburn Dunn, son of Mr and Mrs William H. Dunn of Hartford. Miss Baxter graduated from Hawley High School and is a junior of the University of Connecticut. Mr Dunn is a graduate of UConn and is in the tobacco business with his father in Manchester. Also this week an unusually pretty wedding was held at the Newtown Congregational Church when Frances Hopkins Smith, the daughter of Mr and Mrs Horace A. Smith of the Dodgingtown district, wed Hiram Mather Perry, son of the late Mr and Mrs William Perry of Botsford Hill Road.

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The Christmas spirit radiated from Edmond Town Hall Tuesday after Arthur J. Smith collected recordings of Christmas carols and other holiday music and broadcast them through the amplifier to the town. At the same time, town officials and others employed in the building gathered for their annual Christmas party in the kitchen, with singing, other Christmas music, and refreshments.

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Hawley alumni will take the court this Friday evening to try to best the girls and boys basketeers. Barbara Leonard and Jeanne Smith have rounded up the alumnae to meet the girls at 7:30 pm on the Edmond Town Hall court. Mike Kearns is leading the alumni, who will play the nightcap against the high school boys. The alumni are strong and in top shape from playing on the DiSesa Green Acres team but the Hawley lads are expected to be able to hold their own.

December 30, 1921

The children’s Christmas tree party at the Congregational church social room, Wednesday night, was a huge success, judging by the hearty enjoyment of the children. The room was filled with the children and their friends. The program opened with the singing of hymns and prayer by the pastor. Then came a Christmas story by Mrs Ruth Nichols and some amusing picture slides, the stories being told by Rev E.O. Grisbrook. F.H. Duncombe delighted the children with feats of magic. During the evening wireless messages were received from Santa Claus, who arrived in due time. His majesty was impersonated by L.B. Badger. Then followed the distribution of gifts, candy, and oranges.

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The Hawleyville Union Sunday school held interesting Christmas exercises on Saturday night, with a Christmas tree and presents for all. There were very interesting exercises.

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NOTE: According to the testimony of a Bee subscriber, there has been a man in town within a week selling this same stuff from house to house. He carried a black bag and made some sales. Two of the bottles have been left at The Bee office, if anyone wishes to examine them. Local people would do well to beware of buying liquid concoctions that do not represent responsible houses.

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C.L. Hunt, building superintendent for the Hewlett Construction Co., builders of the new Hawley school, was confined to his home several days, last week, with an attack of bronchitis.

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Rev and Mrs Otis W. Barker and Miss Adeline Barker of Hartford have been guests for a few days of Misses S.J. and M.E. Scudder.

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Miss Ebba Moller has accepted a position in the public school of Easton and will teach in the Sport Hill school. She will begin her work in January.

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Paul S. Smith is on a visit to Utica, N.Y., where he is the guest of his classmate, Earle Widtman.

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Mr and Mrs John Gilbert gave a game dinner last week Tuesday night, which was greatly enjoyed by those so fortunate to be present. The menu was as follows: Oyster cocktail, Fried scallions with French friend Potatoes … Duck … Mashed Potatoes … Salad … Pickles, Celery, Toasted crackers and cheese, Ice cream, coffee. Among those present were Frank H. Ives, Albert Boyson, Eugene Peck, Herbert Coger, Tracey Peck, Dr Wales, Milon Hawley, Clayton Hawley, John Shepard, William Gilbert, Frank Gilbert, John Gilbert.

January 1, 1897

The Christmas eve service at St John’s church with Christmas tree was well attended notwithstanding the severe weather and snow; and a large number of gifts was distributed. “Miss Numm’s Christmas Gift” was the title of the story read by the rector. The decorations consisted of a screen of three gothic arches covered with branches of laurel, hemlock, Norway spruce and small cedars and hemlock trees, and were confined to the chancel end of the church.

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V.W. Benedict of Hawleyville passed Sunday with relatives at South Norwalk.

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John J. Lyons of family of Jersey City, N.J., passed a Merry Christmas at Mrs [sic] Lyon’s father’s, Patrick McCarthy’s.

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John F. Keane, now of Albany, N.Y., but formerly at the Grand Central hotel, has been passing a few days in town, the past week, enjoying the Christmas season with old friends, who were pleased to see him back, even for a short visit.

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There have been 19 weddings in St Rose’s parish, this year, an unusually large number. Seven or eight has been the average.

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HATTERTOWN PERSONAL CHAT: Mr and Mrs J.W. Penny have visited with relatives in Ridgefield. Mr and Mrs G.W. Turney spent Christmas with Danbury friends. D.B. Parmelee took a trip to Lanesville the fore part of the week. Miss Katie B. Gent spent the Christmas holidays at her home in New York. Mr and Mrs Charles Schaffer and son, Clarence, of Danbury, have been the guests of Eugene Northrop. John Stillson, who was badly injured by a fall, is improving. Mr and Mrs G.B. Parmelee enjoyed their Christmas dinner with Mr and Mrs John Farnam at Stepney Depot. Mrs Sarah Crane of Bridgeport has spent several days with the family of William Fischer.

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 shannon@thebee.com, subject line: Way We Were photo. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date. If you live locally and would like to loan a photo/photos, please give us a call (203-426-3141) to let us know when you will be visiting.