August 18, 2000

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER of Debbie Coyle

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The town offices that currently share Canaan House will have a new neighbor starting August 30, as the Newtown school district plans to open what officials call “an alternative high school” in the western wing of the building. As many as 15 students are scheduled to start their school year there, in a scholastic setting geared to more personal, intimate, supportive teaching and learning. The program, modeled after those of neighboring school districts like Danbury and Ridgefield, will attempt to reach students who, for a variety of reasons, are not finding success at Newtown High School.

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This summer’s excessive rain has done more than just ruin your beach plans. It may have also kept your road from being re-paved. According to Public Works Director Fred Hurley, the summer’s especially wet weather has thrown the town’s road improvement schedule completely out the window.

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Police patrol Officer Robert Koetsch has been named the police department’s second school resource officer and will handle law enforcement-related duties at Newtown High School, Acting Police Chief Michael Kehoe said this week. Officer Koetsch, 34, has been a Newtown patrol officer since 1993. He starts as the high school resource officer Monday, August 21.

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Sporting red, black, and gold markings, with chrome trim, the Hawleyville Volunteer Fire Company’s new Engine 331 has rolled into service, taking its place as the company’s primary fire truck. The new town-owned fire pumper is housed in the Hawleyville Firehouse, which firefighters expanded last year to make room for the new vehicle. The $238,000 vehicle, which went into service late last month, will be the fire company’s basic fire fighting vehicle, responding to most calls to which Hawleyville firefighters are summoned.

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The Fairfield County Fish and Game Protective Association, located off Hammertown Road in Newtown, played host to its first follow-on shooting clinic for women last Saturday. The event was a continuation of Women’s Sports Day, which was held June 10 and served to introduce many women to sport shooting.

August 15, 1975

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — KEEP THE DRINKS: The Newtown Summer Festival Auction, scheduled for August 30 in the cafeteria of the high school, has had its plans altered slightly as the result of a vote by the Board of Education on Monday evening. Now, instead of wine and cheese, a punch of sorts will be served. This ruling was handed down to the group by the Board following its application to use the school and serve an alcoholic beverage. … The Board of Education is presently considering a policy change which would completely eliminate the serving of any alcoholic beverage on school property … For our part, we believe that the Board of Education would be making a grave mistake in passing on a policy change. … Unfortunately, there are a lot more serious conditions in our school system than the serving of alcoholic drinks at a social gathering.

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Because of what he considers distorted and inaccurate and false newspaper reporting in one of the local daily newspapers regarding the shootings in Sandy Hook on July 31, Chief Louis Marchese has refused to issue any more statements concerning the incident. All information, the Chief says, will have to come from the State’s Attorney General’s office.

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Because of a decision by the Board of Education on Tuesday night, the art auction and wine and cheese party at the High School on August 30 will now become an art auction with a punch and cheese party. On Tuesday evening the Board of Education’s tie vote of two for and two against allowing alcoholic beverages to be served in the school for this function was an automatic defeat for the application by the Summer Festival Committee.

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Carloads of excited youngsters waited with their mothers in the Edmond Town Hall parking lot last week to welcome a new group of city children sent to visit Newtown families for two weeks by the Fresh Air Fund.

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Philip Mazzucco was sworn in as a new police officer by Town Clerk Mae Schmidle on Tuesday morning, August 12, as Chief of Police Louis Marchese looked on. Officer Mazzucco is a native of Bridgeport, where he still lives and is a graduate of Notre Dame High School there and the University of Dayton with a BS degree in criminal justice. The 23-year-old officer replaces George Stowe.

August 11, 1950

In step with measures for civilian defense which are being taken in other towns in the state, Newtown’s Coordinator, W. W. Bayley, who was appointed to office by W. W. Holcombe during his term as first selectman, has been busy in recent days working on a local civil defense program. A meeting was held Friday night ...

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Mr and Mrs Carl B. Rasmussen of Denver, Colo. announce the birth of their third child, a son, born Sunday, August 6, in Denver. The infant is a grandson of Mrs George T. Rasmussen and the late Mr Rasmussen of Botsford.

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Mr and Mrs Chandler A. Mackey and daughter, Ann, of Mile Hill Road, have recently returned from a two months trip to Brazil, stopping en route at Havana and Lima, Peru. From Havana they went by the Braniff line, flying over the Andes to Rio from Lima. From Rio they took the Moore-McCormack line to Santos, and from there Mr Mackey took various trips through the interior, visiting the coffee fazendas.

They returned to New York, stopping for a day at Trinidad and expect to spend some time in Newtown.

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The operetta, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” was presented last Saturday night by girls from New York City who were enjoying a vacation here at Fredericka House on Sandy Hook Hill. The players were part of a group, some 50 strong, which returned to the metropolis this Tuesday after a three-weeks stay at the spacious home in Sandy Hook. Townspeople attended the play with the non-participating members of the group and the staff.

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Friends of Miss Susan J. Scudder will be pleased to know that she is recuperating nicely at the Danbury Hospital from an operation performed there last Friday.

August 14, 1925

William O. Shepard of Naugatuck was the guest, Tuesday and Wednesday, of his brother, Rodney P. Shepard.

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Mr and Mrs Frank Johnston have returned from a tour through Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York states. While in Vermont they had the pleasure of visiting the quaint New England village, Plymouth, the birthplace of President Coolidge. Mr Johnston, always an ardent student of pedagogy, took great delight in inspecting the one-room school house where Calvin began his learning. Later in his trip, Supervisor of Schools Johnston visited Williams College, Williamstown, Mass.

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To Miss Adeline Hurd the Editor is indebted for the gift of a magnificent bouquet of gladioli.

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Miss Helen Campbell of St Vincent’s hospital passed last Friday with Mr and Mrs James Campbell.

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Mr and Mrs Joseph Keane of New York, on their return trip from Canada, passed Friday night with Mr and Mrs Thomas C. Keane of Dayton street.

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Albert Kercella of Bridgeport was a week end guest of Mr and Mrs Arthur Beard.

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Walter L. Glover has just been granted a franchise as an authorized Freshman radio dealer in Newtown, and vicinity, by the Charles Freshman Co., Inc., of New York, manufacturers of the well-known line of Freshman Masterpiece Receivers. Mr Glover has a complete display of the entire line, ranging from the $39.50 five tube model in a massive cabinet with sloping panel, up. Mr Glover is ready to give any demonstration desired and will be glad to answer any and all questions.

August 17, 1900

Rev O. W. Barker was taken quite seriously ill on Saturday, requiring the attention of Dr Sunderland. He rallied and was able to preach on Sunday morning at the Congregational church as usual. He was unable, however, to preach at the Sandy Hook Methodist church in the evening, and Allison P. Smith supplied in his absence.

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Miss Susie H. Smith passed Sunday in Dodgingtown, the guest of Mr and Mrs Robert D. Smith.

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The baseball game advertised to take place at the Ronalds Park, last Sunday, was not played because the Derby team did not show up in time. After the crowd waited for an hour and a half they left, and the Sandy Hook team went home. At about 4:45 the Derbys arrived but found the gates locked and no one to receive them. The intense heat had caused the drivers to come slow, hence they were late.

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A horse belonging to E. C. Platt of Hawleyville was kicked by another horse, one day last week, resulting in a bad abscess forming on the shoulder near the injury. Dr Todd of New Milford was called and performed an operation, bringing relief to the suffering animal.

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Amos Camp passed Sunday in New Haven.

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Misses Eva and Nellie Elsonboss of Brookfield are passing a few days with the Misses Wilson in Taunton district.

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Don’t forget I carry the best school shoe in town for the money.—[W.C. Corbett, Sandy Hook Shoe Store.

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