Newtown news of 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125 years ago, from the archives of The Newtown Bee.

September 14, 2001

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — SETTING THE WORLD RIGHT AGAIN: What does one do? When planes and buildings fall out of the sky, killing those in them who trusted their solidity, their stability, their absolute functionality, what does one do? Learning that it was not a breach of the laws of physics and nature that brought everything crashing down, but fanaticism and hatred, what does one do? How does one set the world right again? … We heard many stories of the plight of individuals on Tuesday and in the hours and days that followed, and almost all of them were sad, poignant, and disturbing. But the ones that stood out for us above all others were the stories about the voices that called out from the very center of the calamity. People on cell phones — in hijacked planes, in rubble, in the thickening smoke of their own demise — who called loved ones with this single most urgent message: I love you.

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HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER of Will Rodgers.

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Newtown Police Patrol Officer Chris Vadas, 35, is watching and waiting and hope that somehow he will find his brother, Bradley, 37, who is missing in the collapse of the second World Trade Center tower which was struck by a commercial airliner in a terrorist attack Tuesday. Bradley Vadas, who is a vice president with the brokerage firm Keefe Bruett and Woods, was on the 89th floor of the tower when the jet hit the building on Tuesday morning, Chris Vadas said. Bradley Vadas lives in Westport. “We’re just holding out hope and prayer,” Chris said on behalf of his family.

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Newtown was shocked along with the rest of the civilized world Tuesday morning, when terrorist attacks leveled the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York and severely damaged the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. … Many local businesses closed Tuesday morning and meetings were cancelled as news of the disasters spread. Many local clubs and civic groups also curtailed their meetings. … Local churches opened their doors to the public for prayer and meditation and scheduled more formal services in the evenings. Newtown students were shocked and upset at the news of the terrorist attacks. Newtown Superintendent of Schools Dr John R. Reed said school would go on to help preserve a sense of stability for students, teachers and staff.

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David Deutermann lives close enough to the Pentagon Building to have heard the explosion around 10 am Tuesday morning, and then watched in horror as billows of smoke started filling the sky. Mr Deutermann, a former Newtown resident, lives less than two miles away from the building that was struck by the third plane involved in a terrorist attack against the United States on September 11. He knew immediately that something was very wrong. … Mr Deutermann served in the US Navy for four years, most recently within the Office of Naval Intelligence. Last Saturday he became a Naval Reserve Officer with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He will return to ONI next Monday as a federal civil service employee, which is why he was home at the time of the attacks.

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On September 9, a fundraiser was held at Dickinson Park for John McCourt, a friend of many and a former employee of Georgia-Pacific who is fighting liver cancer. Local musician Manny Pavone came up with the idea of putting together an event to help raise money for Mr McCourt’s medical bills. The fundraiser was presented in the form of a concert picnic.

September 17, 1976

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — HOW STANDS ZONING: It was a fight to get zoning adopted in Newtown originally, but as time passes we believe that most people can see the value in the rules and regulations which were designed to both protect the community and control its development. Over the years there have been attempts to “get around” zoning and many projects have been scrapped due to an unfavorable decision by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

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Senior citizens in the Alexandria noon program at Edmond Town Hall got a chance to ask questions about the new housing for the elderly project going up off Nunnawauk Meadows. The prime concern of the seniors was costs, and specifically heating costs. The 3 one-bedroom and six efficiency apartments are designed for electric heat. Newtown Housing for the Elderly president Stanley Main led off the September 14 presentation. He termed the project 65 per cent complete, and anticipated occupancy by December 1.

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The continuing arguments over whether the men on the police force who are out sick or injured should be required to submit doctors’ reports to the Board of Police Commissioners rose to a pitch on Monday evening as commissioners and Sgt Ray Tompkins, president of the department’s local union, exchanged angry words. At one point, Commission chairman Harvey Wachsman went so far as to make a motion that Sgt Tompkins be suspended from the force if he continued to debate the issue that evening with the commissioners.

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Kevin Goachee was delighted with the prizes he received from Recreation Director Lee Davenson Tuesday as winner of the Balloons To The Moon Contest. Balloons with cards attached were launched from the town park July 4, and Kevin’s was the one returned from the farthest geographic point, by Joseph F. Doherty, Jr of Lafayette Hill, Pa. Prizes for the contest were donated by Time Out For Sports.

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Miss Lee Rhinehart, a senior at Newtown High School, was the recipient September 8 of the George W. Trull Award given by the Newtown Lions Club each year in honor of its first president. Joining Miss Rhinehart for the presentation of the award were her father, Dr John W. Rhinehart, Lions Club President Robert Tynan, and NHS Principal Alvah Cramer.

September 14, 1951

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — ARE WE AWAKE? The Newtown Board of Finance, individually and collectively, registered its disappointment on Tuesday evening at the lack of interest in town finances which prompted only a handful of citizens to attend the public hearing held by the board on the requested appropriations for our town government for the coming fiscal year. And the Board of Finance was entirely justified in its position — there should have been present a large and representative group of townspeople.

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On Tuesday, September 11, The Boys Social and Athletic Club of Sandy Hook cinched the Rogers Park Senior League championship by defeating the Danbury Dodgers baseball team by a score of 18 to 2. In the first inning of the twilight game each team scored two runs but neither could score in the second frame. Then in the top of the third the SACs began to pound Whitlock, the Dodgers pitcher, and collected eight runs on five hits, one of them a home run by Bob McMahon with the bases loaded.

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A regularly constituted garden club for Newtown became a reality on Tuesday of this week when 12 charter members met for an organizational meeting at the home of Mrs Jacob L. Steisel of Old Mill Road, Berkshire District. Members brought box lunches and beverage and dessert were provided by the hostess. After a reading of the constitution and by-laws, which were approved by those present, an election of officers took place, naming those who will serve for the coming two years.

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The Visiting Nurse Association of Newtown held its first meeting of the 1951-52 season at the visiting nurse rooms in the Edmond Town Hall on Tuesday afternoon with Mrs Paul S. Smith, president, presiding. Mrs Frederick Herring, co-chairman of the current annual drive, reported that $1,338.50 has already been collected and that approximately half of the canvassers have completed their work.

September 17, 1926

The members of St Rose’s parish are planning to attend the mission which is to open in St Rose’s church, Sunday, October 3. The mission is to be preached by the La Salette Fathers of Hartford. This is the same religious order which attracted such crowds at the last mission held about three years ago. The preachers however are to be different.

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The last of the school dental clinics was held in the Hawleyville school-house, Tuesday afternoon. Each district in town has been visited during the summer vacation and the opportunity given to all the parents to make use of it. Dr Kenneth L. Bishop of Bridgeport has been to very real inconvenience in coming here and working with the meager equipment which could be provided in the rural school houses. Many times during the dark, stormy afternoons he would work with the aid of a flash light and several times came an extra day so that all the work asked for could be done. A brief survey will be published later.

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Mrs Charles A. Peale and Miss Stowe are members of the Board of Directors of the Sandy Hook Library. Mrs Peale is also a member of the entertainment committee. These names were omitted from a previous announcement.

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William H. Egan, the popular master of the Pennsylvania Station in New York City, had an enjoyable party at his camp on Walnut Tree Hill over the week end. Mr Egan’s chef, Arthur H. Knight, formerly chef at the Waldorf Astoria, served a wonderful dinner at 1.30 o’clock, Sunday. … The dinner was served in Mr Egan’s main tent, so the guests had a magnificent view of the valley and hills beyond. … Mrs Watts, who has traveled extensively in Europe, says she saw nothing in Europe in real beauty to exceed the views in Newtown, the gateway to the Berkshires.

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The body of Mrs George Lewis, 26 years old, 284 South avenue, Bridgeport, was recovered from Lake Zoar, near the Sandy Hook bridge about noon on Monday. Mrs Lewis, who had been spending the summer in her bungalow on the river shore, a short distance from the scene of the fatality, is believed to have fallen from her boat while fishing Sunday. She had been missing since Sunday evening, when her boat, partly filled with water, as though it had overturned and righted again, was found floating upon the river.

September 20, 1901

A service most impressive and heart-touching was held at the Congregational church on Sunday morning, which really took the form of a service in memory of the beloved President McKinley. The choir effectively sang an appropriate selection, “Hold Thou My Hand,” by Cleland McAfee, and during the service the hymns, “My Jesus, as Thou Wilt,” “Nearer, My God to Thee” and “My Country! ‘Tis of Thee,” were sung.

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Rev and Mrs James Taylor are passing their vacation at Tinkerfield. Sunday, Mr Taylor preached in the Methodist church at Sandy Hook, of which he is a former pastor. He was warmly welcomed by his friends there.

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Mr and Mrs Charles E. Beers of Palestine district attended the Orange fair, last Thursday.

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Business continues good at H.A. Pratt’s shop in Hattertown. If you need anything in the line of wagon repairing or making do not fail to get Mr Pratt’s prices, as he will save you money.

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School opened, last week, in Gray’s Plain district, with a Miss Martin from Massachusetts as teacher. Miss Martin is boarding with Mrs Ferris.

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Mrs Caroline Wolcott, who has been quite poorly for a few days, is convalescent. Dr Paul Sunderland of Danbury attended her.

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 e-mailed as attachments to shannon@thebee.com, subject line: Way We Were photo. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people and details 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.