Full Text:

gennews

with photo

Armed Robbery At Sand Hill Plaza

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

Newtown police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred mid-afternoon

Monday, December 28, at the General Nutrition Center health products store at

Sand Hill Plaza, 228 South Main Street.

"A white male entered the store and displayed a handgun to the (female) clerk

and a note describing that he wanted the cash register monies put in a bag.

The suspect verbally directed the clerk to the back room," police said. The

clerk fled the store from a back door. Police learned of the robbery at 2:05

pm.

Police described the assailant as slender and between ages 25 and 35.

It is unclear where the man went after leaving the store that he had robbed of

approximately $250. The unidentified clerk was unharmed in the incident,

police said.

Newtown police called in Monroe police who brought a tracking dog to the store

to search for the man.

"It's an unusual time (of day) for an armed robbery," noted Detective Robert

Tvardzik. The detective division is investigating the robbery.

After police learned of the incident, several officers went to the scene.

Police questioned the victim about the robbery to develop investigatory leads.

Police ask anyone with information about the crime to contact them at the

police station at 426-5841.

The last robbery in Newtown occurred September 18 when three teenage girls

brandishing baseballs bats entered Hawleyville Deli at closing time and robbed

three store employees.

gennews

Cellular Callers Report False Alarms

B Y S TEVE B IGHAM

Newtown's fire companies were dispatched to three separate brush fires earlier

this week. All of them were false alarms.

Brush fires during the winter (with snow on the ground) are almost impossible.

That is why the health department issues burning permits to residents this

time of year. All three of the false alarms were at homes where permits had

been issued.

"These people with cell phones see these things and they call them in. They

don't give the exact location, so the dispatcher has no choice but to sent out

the fire companies," explained fire marshal George Lockwood.

On Monday, firefighters were called to a brush fire on Appleblossom Lane. When

they approached the scene, however, they realized the flames were actually

coming from the back yard of John Mead's house on South Main Street.

Firefighters were also called to a reported brush fire on Huntingtown Road

Sunday night and to the Andrews residence on the Boulevard Extension on

Monday.

Mr Lockwood said he wants to put an end to the permits.

"I'd like to see no burning in the town of Newtown. With these new cell

phones, it's a problem. A big waste of time," he said.

The town's health department issues the permits. Of course, there must be snow

on the ground before they can be issued. With the snow almost completely

melted, the department stopped issuing the permits as of Tuesday morning.

GENNEWS

Woman's Club Marches

With photo -

Newtown Woman's Club Walks For Arthritis

The Newtown Woman's Club raised over $900 for the Arthritis Foundation by

participating in the 1998 Jingle Bell Walk for Arthritis on December 5 at the

Danbury Fair Mall. The Newtown Team turned in the highest pledge amount

according to the Arthritis Foundation. In the picture are, front row, Marcia

Cavanaugh, Norma Gray, Mary Antey and Marion Thompson; back row, Joan Tynan,

Mary Ruffles, Nancy Larin, Peg Forbell and Florence Storch. Also joining the

group of walkers was Allen Storch.