September 28, 2001

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER of Chris Vadas.

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Many feel compelled to doing something to help volunteers who are helping with the rescue efforts in New York City as well as the families who have lost someone — children included. Newtown students Jennifer Smith, and Maggie and Katherine Donohue decided to sell candy to raise money to help those directly affected by the September 11 tragedy. The girls raised $450, but will be donating $900 thanks to an IBM Matching Grant program. Jennifer’s father works for IBM.

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The Board of Selectmen is seeking proposals from consultants to assist in the preparation of a master plan for the reuse of the Fairfield Hills property. The announcement came in the form of a press release issued by the first selectman’s office this week. It is the first news relating to the town’s plans for Fairfield Hills since residents voted to buy the campus from the state at a town meeting in June.

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The proposed charter for Newtown appears this week in the legal notices in Section C of The Bee, and town officials are hoping residents will study the document to determine if the changes proposed by the Charter Revision Commission are good for this growing community. Two weeks ago, a version of the charter was printed in The Bee. That document was considered incomplete, however, because it did not contain many of the key changes being proposed.

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A Newtown father and son traveled to Sherwood Island in Westport September 9 to do a good deed — ride 62.5 miles, or 100 kilometers, in a benefit bicycle ride for multiple sclerosis, while enjoying the scenery of the Connecticut coast. Sean P. and Sean W. O’Connell collected $700 for the MS ride, but they also were able to spend time together during the six-hours ride.

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A group of local builders put down their tools and cleared their schedules earlier this month to join thousands of other volunteers working in the rubble of the World Trade Center. Steve and Neal Berko, Ray Ormsbee, and Tony Pietrini said they felt compelled to help out in the wake of the September 11 tragedy, so they loaded up a caravan of trucks and delivered much-needed supplies. The Newtown men actually made several trips down to “ground zero.” “We took stuff right to the front lines,” Steve Berko said this week. “Let me tell you, it was like holy hell down there. It’s not like what you see on TV — the smells, the sights, the sounds. It was snowing dust when we got there.”

October 1, 1976

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — TRIBUTE TO BRUCE JENNER: A weekend that was billed A Tribute to Bruce Jenner turned out to be just that, and more, as Newtown showed its best to honor the winner of the Decathlon at the 1976 Olympics. Activities began with a full-house dinner on Friday evening and ended with a packed stadium on Saturday for both the dedication ceremonies and the football game. Bruce Jenner, a graduate of Newtown High School, had every young person completely in his camp and won over the adults as well with his easy-going manner. He is an interesting speaker, has a good sense of humor, and must also be admired for the great part of his time spent signing autographs. It was an honor for Newtown to have him return and certainly the stadium, now the Bruce Jenner Stadium, is very well named.

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Men and equipment from two fire companies were called out on two consecutive days to put out fires at a gravel crushing tower on the former Cappy’s Sand & Gravel property on South Main Street. According to Chief Roland Pratt Jr of the United Fire Company of Botsford, the tower was being dismantled but oil-treated and highly flammable wood planking was not removed prior to use of torches to dismantle the steel frame of the structure. On Thursday, September 23, 19 Botsford firemen responded, and the next day 12 were on the site to extinguish the fire, with men and equipment from Hook & Ladder also present. … It took about two hours each day for the fire fighting units to douse the flames.

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The Connecticut Commission on Hospitals and Health Care has prepared the way for a unique facility for Connecticut and New England by its action on Wednesday, September 29, in Hartford in approving the capital expenditure for the construction of a new 56-bed alcoholism treatment facility in Newtown. The state commission voted unanimously to supply a certificate of need for Eagle Hill, planned for 22.6 acres located off Albert’s Hill Road in Sandy Hook. The commission acted to approve the recommendation of a two-member panel which held a hearing on Eagle Hill earlier in the year.

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A low-keyed, well-attended special town meeting on Wednesday evening in the Edmond Town Hall overwhelmingly gave its approval to that political hot potato which has been in the news so much over the past month — the exchange of 4.05 acres of town landfill property for two parcels on Turkey Hill Road owned by Howard Mattioli of Trumbull, owner of Loma Sand & Gravel.

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The colors of red, green, black, yellow, and blue throughout the high school cafeteria and foyer on Friday evening set the tone for what was a truly Olympic night, when Newtown paid tribute to one of its former residents, 1976 Olympic gold medal decathlete Bruce Jenner. And as it turned out, the evening became one of double honors because of the presence of another champion, Californian Bob Mathias, the youngest man ever to win the decathlon gold medal and the only one to ever gain it twice. It was hero honoring hero and a gathering of respectfully admiring people honoring both.

September 28, 1951

The tenth annual meeting of the Newtown Ambulance Association was held on Tuesday night, September 18, in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall in an atmosphere of satisfaction over the accomplishments of the past year. A new garage situated on the Edmond Town Hall property had been completed and a new Superior Cadillac ambulance, purchased at the cost of $6,800, had been procured. A total of 138 calls for the sick and injured had been completed, and there was a tidy sum left for operating expenses and reserve for the purchase, when needed at some future date, of another new ambulance.

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The Raymond L. Pease Post, American Legion Auxiliary, met in the anteroom of the Alexandria Room in the Edmond Town Hall on Tuesday evening, with Mrs Elsie Harris, president, presiding. Plans were discussed for future activities of the auxiliary.

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Cpl and Mrs William E. Lovell recently returned to Fort Bragg, N.C., after spending some time at their home on Queen Street.

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A program to establish school safety patrols on the elementary and junior high school levels was launched in Hawley School Thursday of last week with two assemblies for the various grades being addressed by Henry R. Murphy, traffic safety director of the Connecticut Motor Club, American Automobile Association. Announcement of the new project was made by Superintendent Carl A. LeGrow, who said that the movement for a school safety patrol has his complete endorsement and the enthusiastic support of all faculty members concerned.

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The Board of Education would like to explain to the citizens of Newtown its position in regard to the proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 1951. In spite of a rise in prices, the board is attempting to operate most items at about the same amount as the past year. The principal increases have been in connection with salary items and transportation.

October 1, 1926

THE FLORIDA CATASTROPHE-GIVE AND GIVE QUICKLY: Estimates of the loss in life and property place the number of dead at approximately 365, the number of injured at 1,100, and the property loss at $165,000,000. Some 50,000 persons are reported to have been made homeless. In response to the urgent appeal made by the Red Cross for the Florida sufferers the Newtown Savings Bank has collected and forwarded to the Red Cross $69.50. It is hoped additional amounts will be promptly given to help the homeless and afflicted ones.

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F.J. Crouch is putting on a new roof of Bird’s Asphalt shingles on The Bee office, supplied by E.C. Platt, the well known Hawleyville lumber dealer.

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Beginning October 1, 1926, the Newtown Postoffice will be open from 8 a.m., to 5.30 p.m.—H.W. Wheeler, Postmaster.

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If your husband is fussy buy your bread and biscuits at the Grange Food Sale, Saturday afternoon.

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The Jolly Sewers and Canners held their last meeting on September 15. Preparations are being concluded for the Achievement Night exercises to be held in October, and practice started. The demonstration team in canning, Ernestine Visny and Mildred Perun, was first, and Ernestine Visny, second, and Mildred Perun, third, in the judging of canned products.

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Benny Steinfeld was a week end guest of Mrs Cecelia Epstein of Newtown.

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An excellent piece of road work has just been completed on the lower Glen road. The work has been carried on under the supervision of Connor Haugh and men of Walnut Tree Hill.

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Skilton’s green twisted snell hooks, bamboo poles, fishing tackle of all kinds, at H.G. Warner’s.—Adv.

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We have been appointed distributors for the Exide Battery for Newtown and vicinity. Liberty Garage, Newtown.—Adv.

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Bushel and half bushel baskets, bush scythes and snaths, potato hooks, tobacco twine.—Corbett & Crowe. Adv.

October 4, 1901

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — OUR PLAIN DUTY: The voters of the town of Newtown are now approaching the parting of the ways, namely, the annual October election, when they must decide by their ballots, who they will have to rule over them, and to endorse or condemn the honest, fearless and business-like administration of Selectman Morris. … And so, voters of Newtown, The Bee appeals to you all to arise to the heights of true citizenship and on the 7th of October next rally to the polls and cast your ballot for a man who will be free from obligations to party, and who will administer his office in a fearless and independent manner.

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The Newtown fair was once again favored with ideal weather for Thursday’s program. At a meeting of the directors, held Thursday morning, it was decided to finish up the speed program of Wednesday on Thursday afternoon and carry Thursday’s program, with the exception of the local race, forward to Friday. The performance in front of the grand stand by actors furnished by the Trans-Atlantic Amusement Co. was first class and pleased the crowd on the grand stand.

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Dr and Mrs E.M. Smith, of Bridgeport, were at the fair Thursday.

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Hubbell Brothers of New Haven, who succeed genial W.C. Johnson at the Deep Brook creamery at South Center, impress patrons favorably with their business management. They have made no new departure except that they receive the milk of patrons Saturday evening and ship it on the 6.30 train, thereby giving the milk producers a much needed extra nap on Sunday morning.

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Mrs S.C. Glover and Mrs Charles F. Blakeslee went to New York on a shopping expedition, Monday.

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W.A. Gordon, representing the Connecticut Temperance Union, was in town, Monday, soliciting for the Connecticut Temperance Union.

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William Bennett of Little York has recently purchased a horse from his father, Edson Bennett.

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.