October 13, 2000

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER of George Lockwood.

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — CLEANING UP THE HOUSATONIC: “There’s no tonic like the Housatonic.” —Oliver Wendell Holmes. Before the information highway, before the interstate highway, or any of the other highways we have traveled in our lives, there was the original highway that brought civilization to western Connecticut: the Housatonic River. When the Mohican family of the Algonkin Indians ventured east over the Taconic Mountains 10,000 years ago into what was to become Massachusetts, it was the “usi-a-di-en-uk,” or the river “beyond the mountain place,” that pulled them south toward the sound. Six main tribes settled along the 149 mile length of the river: the Weataugs in Salisbury, the Weatinocks in New Milford, the Paugassets in Derby, the Potatucks in Shelton, the Pequannocks in Bridgeport, and the Wepawaugs in Milford. When the English showed up in Stratford many millennia later in 1639, they reversed the direction of settlement, working their way up the river.

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Newtown’s high school class of 1935 celebrated its 65th reunion recently at the Stony Hill Inn in Bethel. It was the seventh consecutive gathering organized by Grace Murphy Rooke, who was joined by classmates from the classes of 1933, 1935 and 1936.

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After making a design change, the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) has approved Butternut Ridge, a 12-lot subdivision on 56 acres off Butterfield Road. Since it was first proposed in May 1999, the project has attracted criticism from nearby residents who have charged that building the development in an area with extensive wetlands would have environmental consequences. The development site lies across Butterfield Road from the Autumn Ridge subdivision. The Algonquin and Iroquois natural gas transmission pipelines run through the development site. Raymond-Anderson Properties, LLC, is the applicant. P&Z members approved the development October 5 in a 4-to-1 vote.

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She is described as humble, dedicated, exemplary, focused, and a lifelong learner, but Kathy Swift would rather be in the classroom teaching her students about English than standing around receiving accolades. Nonetheless, Ms Swift has received the Outstanding Teacher Award from the Connecticut Council for Teachers of English.

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Members of Boy Scout Troop 70 staffed the coffee stop at Exit 10 during the Columbus Day weekend. The scouts took four-hour shifts over the weekend as weary travelers stopped to enjoy the free drink and donuts.

October 10, 1975

The Board of Selectmen and the Public Building Committee have begun active consideration of a new parcel of land for location of a town garage-maintenance facility, and the idea of locating a new police station on the same site has been revived. The property, 9.103 acres, is the Estate of Chandler A. Mackey and forms the corner of the northerly intersection of Route 25 and Peck’s Lane, adjacent to the building where the Country Camera Shop is located. According to First Selectman Frank DeLucia, price for the parcel could range between $100,000 and $150,000. He said the “asking price” is $150,000 — though he added this is not the negotiated price and no discussions have been held in this area.

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First Selectman Frank DeLucia met this week with mothers concerned about busing their children to and from school over the damaged Hanover Road bridge at Pond Brook, and announced he is hoping to have three bridges in town replaced by winter. During the heavy rains of two weeks ago the Hanover bridge was temporarily closed due to fears that it would be further undermined, and later was reopened. Last Friday the town hired a scuba diver with engineering experience to check the bridge’s condition. According to the First Selectman the undermining had become more serious.

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Arguing that noise levels from traffic along state highways make the land unsuitable for its present designation in a residential zone, applicants sought a zone change Friday, October 3, to Retail Business B-1 for 10.658 acres of land located on the easterly side of Route 34, across from the Newtown High School. Atty Thomas L. Cheney advanced the request on the application of Myertin Associates. Other properties involved in the Myertin request are owned by the Estate of Alfred H. Jurgens Sr. and Cornelia Jurgens; and by Alfred H. Jurgens Jr and Helen Jurgens. The property includes the “Basket Barn” and is bordered by the foreign car repair service on the south, Route 34 on the west, and I-84 on the north and east.

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The president of the United Way of Northern Fairfield County has lauded the many Newtowners who are working as volunteers in this month’s fund-raising drive. John Lucchesi singled out for particular mention Hans Kretsch, who is serving as chairman of the Campaign Committee; Stephen Cerri, who is on the Campaign Advisory Committee; William A. Prokop, general chairman of the Major Firms Division; Joseph T. Chase, who serves with the United Way’s Financial and Commercial Division; and Eugene Hayes, chairman for the Major Firms Division in Newtown. Other Newtowners assisting the Financial and Commercial Division of the United Way in its fund-raising effort are: Roy Byrne, Orro Morin, Stanley Main, and Hilde Arcuia.

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Hard at work recently to prepare handicrafts for the Newtown Congregational Church’s Golden Cock Fair, which will be October 18, were members of Circle 6 of the Women’s Fellowship of the church. Such items as dried flower arrangements, memory boxes, Christmas balls and other decorations were prepared.

October 6, 1950

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — BOOMERANGS: Of all things in this world, it appears that a New England town meeting is one of the most unpredictable. That fact was amply demonstrated on Monday night when all business to come before Newtown’s annual town meeting was transacted without query or hesitation. We are not of the opinion that town meetings best serve their purpose when matters are so speedily handled. Free and open discussion serves, among other things, to inform the general public, and a thorough understanding of the workings of local government is greatly to be desired.

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The response made to the Newtown Toy Clinic has been very encouraging this week. Mrs Milton Hull has offered to dress dolls and Mrs Shellion Honan will take over the secretarial work. Anybody with toys, dolls and children’s books to donate will please contact [a member of the committee]. There are so many things the clinic needs and can made use of: leftover paints and glue, usable parts of trucks, wagons and toys, to repair and refinish. With Christmas not too far away there is a great need for toys, dolls and books to send to hospitalized children, the committee points out.

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Edward R. Olmstead of Taunton District, who suffered a back injury on September 20th in a 13-foot fall from the roof of a building on his place, is recuperating in Danbury Hospital. The fall caused a fractured vertebra and he is wearing a pliable back brace.

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Frank H. Leaver, formerly of Newtown and a graduate of Hawley High, class of ‘46, has been admitted to the freshman class at Pennsylvania State College, State College, Pa. He is attending the Harrisburg Center extension in the curriculum of arts and letters.

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Mrs Walter C. Scott, mother of Mrs Fred Buermeyer, and her cousin, Alvah Verity, who have been making their home with Mr and Mrs Buermeyer on Sugar Street for the past year, moved on Wednesday of this week to an apartment in the property on Church Hill Road owned by Frederic Duncombe.

October 9, 1925

The 23d annual meeting of the Savings Banks’ Association of Connecticut was held at Race Brook Country Club, in the town of Orange, on Wednesday, October 7, 1925. The officers elected included President, Arthur T. Nettleton, Treasurer of Newtown Savings Bank. … A.T. Nettleton was the first secretary of the Savings Banks’ Association of Connecticut, elected in 1902 and holding this office until 1916.

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Mr and Mrs R.D. Fairchild recently spent the day with Mrs Fairchild’s parents at Mt Vernon, N.Y., and also paid a call on Mrs Fairchild’s sister at White Plains, N.Y.

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Mr and Mrs Hayden Pritchard and son, James, of Bangor, Me., were the guests over the weekend of Mr and Mrs Rodney P. Shepard. On Tuesday Mr and Mrs Shepard left with Mr and Mrs Pritchard for a trip to Bangor, Pa.

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At the regular monthly meeting of the Hawleyville Volunteer Fire Company held on October 5, it was voted to hold monthly dances at the new Fire house during the fall and winter. It was decided to hold a Hallowe’en dance on Friday night, October 30, in the Fire Company’s building. The treasurer’s report showed that on their first annual Carnival held last month, the net profits were $1,035.35 which is truly a wonderful showing for the Hawleyville Fire fighters, as this was the first carnival they have ever given. An unanimous vote was taken to hold another carnival next year which will be bigger and greater in every way. A vote of thanks is hereby extended to all of those who helped make this carnival a success, especially the Ladies’ Auxiliary who contributed so much and worked early and late for the carnival.

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Mrs W.H. Wakeley and Mrs R.C. Mitchell attended the D.A.R. meeting in Waterbury, Monday.

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E.W. Troy and Miss Anna E. Troy attended the performance of “Mercenary Mary” at the Empress theater on Thursday night.

October 12, 1900

At the next meeting of the Grange, Tuesday evening, October 16, the class will be given the third and fourth degrees, and a collation will be served. The committee appointed at the last meeting, Mrs Lauren Skidmore, Mrs F.A. Young and Mrs J.L. Sanford, will have charge of the arrangements. The next meeting of Fairfield County Pomona Grange will be held in Shelton on Wednesday, October 24, as guests of Farmill River Grange. The fifth degree will be conferred at the morning session and an open meeting and a lecture by Dr G.A. Shelton in the afternoon.

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JELL-O, THE NEW DESSERT, Pleases all the family. Four flavors:—Lemon, Orange, Raspberry and Strawberry. At your grocers. 10cts. Try it to-day.

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Rev William Lusk of North Haven officiated at Trinity church, last Sunday, and was the guest of E.L. Johnson.

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Patrick Lacey and William White have gone to Waterbury to take positions in the clock shop there.

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Martin Purtill has taken a position in a lithographic establishment in New Haven.

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John McCarthy has taken a position in Bridgeport.

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Mrs Frank Mitchell was in the Park City on Monday.

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 readers of The Newtown Bee. Images can be emailed 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.