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For more than 30 years, Helen Terrill and Frank Dailey kept the Village Grocery Store open, seven days a week, including holidays, from morning until night. Business slipped in recent years, however. So when the 71-year-old Miss Terrill, already crippled by arthritis, recently entered Danbury Hospital with pneumonia, her family decided it was finally time to close the store. On January 23, Helen’s, as the store was commonly called, closed for good.

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 Well-known children’s author-illustrator Steven Kellogg will help celebrate the opening of the children’s room at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library by presenting two special programs during the open house on Sunday, February 12. The open house will mark the completion of two projects being done simultaneously at the 52-year-old building on Main Street. Renovations to bring the library into state fire code compliance, begun last May, have been completed and at the same time, the second floor rooms have been converted into three major areas to house the children’s library.

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Newtown police are searching for two unidentified white men who allegedly stole approximately $300 from the Hawleyville Deli, Route 25, on Tuesday, January 31, at 6:00 pm. Two men wearing tan sunglasses entered the deli brandishing a handgun. They ordered the clerks behind the counter to empty the cash register. One of the gunmen fired a shot, but no one was injured.

 

February 6, 1959

The gay, pre-Lenten spirit of New Orleans will invade Newtown on Friday night, February 6, when hundreds of townspeople don greasepaint and strange and fanciful costumes for the Mardi Gras dance, sponsored by the St Rose Parents’ Guild, at St Rose Parish Hall. Keen competition is expected for the valuable prizes that will be offered for costumes in various categories.

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The Newtown Planning and Zoning Commission held the first of a series of three informal hearings in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall last Friday evening, to discuss zoning of the minimum density areas of population in town. These hearings are intended to give owners of property in each section of town an opportunity to express their opinions and preferences in zoning, particularly as to minimum size of the building lots.

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Charles Peck Sr and Jr Post 308, Veterans of Foreign Wars, will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a dinner and dance to be held at the Yankee Drover Inn, on Saturday, March 14, at 7 pm. The idea of having a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Newtown began to take shape in the minds of several World War I veterans back in the early part of 1938. The charter was officially issued on March 19, 1939, at the Edmond Town Hall with Edward Rieley of Bridgeport giving the oath of obligation to the members and officers.

According to the Connecticut Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation, Newtown’s record of outstanding accomplishment in its school’s physical education program may not be upheld in 1959-60. Growth of school enrollment has gradually reduced the effectiveness of the present instructors. The association suggests as a solution to the problem, doubling the instructor staff and adding sports coaches.

February 2, 1934

Being unable to put any more men on the CWA payroll, as the quota is already filled, the selectmen by permission of the CWA State authorities, are transferring men from the road job to school repair jobs, painters and carpenters, which work starts on Friday, on the several buildings about town.

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William H. Egan, the veteran and popular station master of Manhattan’s Pennsylvania Station, ill at home with pneumonia, received a large box containing four dozen roses, picked out with occasional carnations, all cut from the White House conservatory and sent with a message from the President and Mrs Roosevelt. Stationmaster Egan planned to have the parcel’s wrapper bearing 48 cents in stamps, framed.

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Skating has been very popular the past few days in Palestine district, with several skating parties being held by the young people on the pond of Louis A. Unger. During a recent hockey game, Julian Hillhouse unfortunately received a laceration over the eye necessitating the attention of Dr E.L. Kingman.

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Earl Collins, who was formerly associated with John Pitzschler’s Barber Shop, has reopened the former Gallagher Shop, near Sandy Hook Station. Mr Collins has completely renovated the place and installed new fixtures and is now prepared to do all kinds of work in the tonsorial line. The place which Mr Collins opened was formerly run by the late William T. Gallagher, who was widely known as a barber and numbered among his customers men from all sections of Newtown and Southbury.

February 5, 1909

Wales Warner of Wakeley’s hill, who has but one arm, has made 140 ax helves, this winter, every one of which are extra fine in workmanship. Mr Warner cuts the timber in the woods and is an exceedingly clever workman. He was a caller at The Bee office, Wednesday, leaving one of his ax helves.

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Charles E. Beers of Palestine, while at work in his ice house, last week, sustained a fall, striking on his back. He has been confined to the house for several days. Mr Beers chanced to be without a man at the time of his accident, but several of his neighbors kindly rallied to his aid in caring for his stock.

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On account of the severe weather and snow drifts, last Monday, there was no session of the High school. Miss E. Madge Peck, teacher in Half Way River district, returned to her school duties Monday evening, opening her school one day later in the week, owing to the severe weather.

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There a quite a number of cases of measles in the Glen and in the vicinity of Botsford. M.J. Bradley is prostrated with illness and under the care of Dr Kiernan. Francis F. Cavanaugh is laid up with a grip cold under Dr Kiernan’s care. Patrick Haugh is sick with the grip. Dr Kiernan attends him.