October 12, 2001

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER OF Mike Carrigg.

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Hawley Pond, a picturesque duck pond located near the southern end of the Ram Pasture, normally shimmers in the sun, as mallards and Canada geese swim lazily on its surface. For the past few days, however, the compact pond has looked less like the prototypical duck pond and more like a vast expanse of chocolate pudding riddled with tiny braided rivulets of trickling water. … Since last week, the town has been “dewatering” Hawley Pond.

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Monday night’s heavy frost has eliminated the threat of West Nile Virus in Newtown — at least until next spring, according to Mark Cooper, director of the Newtown Health District. “Our mosquito season is over,” Mr Cooper said. “I called [public works director] Fred Hurley to congratulate him. Our efforts to combat the threat of West Nile by applying larvicide throughout the year has been effective.”

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Work crews plan to return to Sandy Hook Center early next month to continue construction on extending a public water supply to the area with the goal of providing new water service to Sandy Hook by the end of the year. The $675,000 project will extend a public water line down Church Hill Road into Sandy Hook Center to provide public water to Sandy Hook School on Dickinson Drive, Sandy Hook Firehouse on Riverside Road, and the town’s Multi-purpose Center on Riverside Road.

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For the second time in his life, the artist Michael Morshuk has been inspired by something that is affecting so many people he felt compelled to paint something as a result. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, the Newtown resident needed to put something onto canvas that summed up what he and thousands of others continue to feel. The result is “Hope Survives,” a fantastic 20- by 23-inch painting Mr Morshuk completed last week, representing nine days’ work. The painting shows Newtown’s flagpole with its flag at half-staff. In the lower left foreground of the work the cupola, steeple, and historic rooster weathervane of Newtown Meeting House can be seen above a ridge of trees, and a collection of clouds float by in the background.

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Practically running in the dark late Tuesday afternoon, the Newtown High girls’ cross-country team dominated the competition on its way to three easy wins at Roosevelt Park in Stratford. The Nighthawks took the first eight spots overall as they ran away from Weston (15-50), Stratford (15-50) and Jonathan Law (15-50). The three wins raised Newtown’s record to 10-2 heading into the final week of the regular season.

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Members of Boy Scout Troop 70 manned the coffee break station set up beneath tents at the intersection of Church Hill Road and Edmond Road over the Columbus Day weekend. The scouts served free coffee to motorists to keep the drivers alert on their holiday travels. The coffee break station was advertised along nearby Interstate 84.

October 15, 1976

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — A STRONGER CHAMBER: Over the years few organizations have shown both their strength and total weakness in town as has the Chamber of Commerce. There have been times when the Chamber has had long enduring effectiveness, working for more industry, planting trees along Main Street, sponsoring annual clean-up for the community and bringing Santa to town for his annual lollipop give-away at the Town Hall. … Some will maintain that the Chamber in Newtown has been in a slump for a time and needs a good pulling up. Others will, of course, stick up for it regardless of condition. From where we sit, a definite upswing seems to be taking place.

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Talk about that fly in your soup. How about a horse in your swimming pool? The idea might not sound too bad were the weather a bit warmer and the pool still uncovered. However, this was not the case. It all happened Tuesday morning when Farny Eilers looked out of the window from his Currituck Road home and saw a horse in his pool. How long it had been there was not certain but one thing was. He merely fell into the shallow end and did not enter from the diving board. … The horse allowed a rope to be put about its head, but was reluctant to get out of the pool. After some coaxing, and with a pail of bird seed on the way as bait, the horse ended his dip by climbing up the steps onto the frosted lawn, which, by the way, he immediately began eating.

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“The Big Issue,” as defined by Riverside on Lake Zoar Association president June Peck about the private neighborhood’s efforts to obtain increased town funding for road improvements, is that “if we don’t get some town assistance we won’t be able to do anything.” Actually, Mrs Peck and Marge Piazza, who spoke at length to The Bee Tuesday, want more than “some assistance”: they’d really like to see the Town of Newtown bear most or all of the costs for maintaining and reconstructing the roads in Riverside.

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First Selectman Jack Rosenthal has sent a letter to the other two selectmen, informing them that at their meeting on Tuesday, October 19, he intends to ask the Board of Selectmen “to establish a committee to study the problems of private roads and the integration of said roads into the town road system.” This results from the selectmen’s October 5 meeting, when a group of private neighborhood residents, primarily from Riverside on Lake Zoar, aired their problems.

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One of Main Street’s landmarks, the General Store, is getting a face lifting with the application of a coat of red paint. The building is owned by the Congregational Church, and as far as one source close to the store can determine, this is the first time the old building has received a beauty treatment in at least 20 years. The painter contracted to do the work is Eugene Klase of Sandy Hook.

October 12, 1951

The chance that comes once in a lifetime was snapped up by 17-year-old Andra McLaughlin September 24, when the talented figure skater signed a five-year contract with the Wirtz-Norris organization to replace the greatest ice performer of all time, Sonja Henie. According to the Denver Post, Miss McLaughlin, the daughter of Mr and Mrs Charles H. McLaughlin who own a home here in Newtown, signed the contract in Arthur Wirtz’s Chicago office while her father looked on. … The big break, of course, for Andra was the spat reported between Wirtz and his former star attraction, Sonja Henie, which resulted in the latter breaking off connections with Wirtz’s show “Hollywood On Ice.” The producer, however, signed Olympic figure skating champion, Barbara Ann Scott. Miss McLaughlin’s fans then barraged Wirtz with telegrams asking him to give Andra a chance.

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Ann Shaw, 14-year-old daughter of Mr and Mrs Irving F. Shaw of Glen Road, Sandy Hook, won the Junior female Northeastern Championship bugler title at Newburgh, N.Y. last Saturday, October 6, in which contestants from the New England states, New York and New Jersey were entered. This distinction comes to the local girl and the Sandy Hook Fife, Drum and Bugle Corps of which she is a member, having won on August 4 the Junior State Championship in New Haven, thus making her eligible to compete in the Northeastern competition on Saturday.

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Two brothers, Sgt Stephen P. Kovacs and Sgt. Julius R. Kovacs, sons of Mrs Vera Kovacs and brothers of Miss Velma Kovacs, of the Newtown-Danbury Road, are now in active service with the U.S. Army and located on opposite sides of the Eurasian continent, one with the occupation forces in Germany and one in Korea. All three children, now separated by continents, attended Hawley High School. Both boys write cheerfully of their possible returns for Thanksgiving.

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Past presidents night was combined with a ladies night on Tuesday when the Newtown Rotary Club held a dinner meeting at the Hillandale Inn with a large gathering of members and Rotaryanns [sic]. Rotarian Rev Hugh Shields of Ridgefield, minister-humorist, was the guest speaker and included in his address recitation of a number of James Whitcomb Riley’s poems. Miles Harris presided at the meeting, and prior to the address, recognition was given to past presidents of the club.

October 15, 1926

A pretty wedding took place at St Rose’s church on Tuesday morning at 9 o’clock, when Miss Margaret A. Crowe, daughter of Mrs Mary Crowe of Newtown, became the bride of First Selectman Thomas F. Brew. Rev William H. Kennedy, pastor of St Rose’s, officiated and also celebrated the nuptial High Mass. The bride was attended by her sister, Miss Nona A. Crowe, while the groom’s attendant was Harry F. Bradley of Newtown. The bride was charmingly attired in a gown of blue velvet trimmed with silver cloth and wore a hat to match.

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Paul S. Stevens, the hero of Ben Sherman hill, ran away with the honors in the Danbury Fair auto races on Saturday. The “booby” race, in which amateur drivers took part, furnished the sport of the afternoon, also the surprise. A fliver, rusty and decrepit-appearing, proved very deceptive. It took the trial heat with no difficulty and the way it whizzed around the track caused many to believe there was something in it other than a Ford engine. Paul Stevens was the driver of the car and apparently enjoyed the ride as much as the spectators enjoyed his exhibition.

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Mr and Mrs M.A. Corbett and Mrs M.F. Houlihan passed last Thursday at the Danbury fair.

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Mr and Mrs Arthur J. Smith and Mr and Mrs Frank Johnston motored to Amherst, Mass., Saturday, returning Sunday afternoon.

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Miss Helen Houlihan of Sandy Hook has been elected a teacher of French at the Warren Harding High school at Bridgeport at a salary of $1800, effective September 8.

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Neighbors’ Night at Pootatuck Grange on Tuesday evening proved to be the banner meeting of 1926. Seven Granges in Fairfield County were represented. Visiting Masters present were, Brother Gillette, Master of Fairfield County Pomona; Sister Gillette, Master of Easton Grange; Sister Curtis, Master of Harmony Grange and Brother Dorwin, Master of Bridgewater Grange.

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William H. Sanford, a former prominent resident of the town, died in Woodmont on Wednesday. He was a son of the late Sheriff Aaron Sanford, and had served one term in the Legislature from Newtown. A sister, Mrs H.T. Procter, died a few years ago. Mr Sanford was a man of gentlemanly qualities and the news of his death is received with regret. The funeral will take place on Saturday at 2 p.m., at the Newtown cemetery.

October 18, 1901

The sociable of Court Sandy Hook, No. 54, F. of A., on Friday evening, October 18, at St Mary’s hall, Sandy Hook, promises to be an interesting and enjoyable affair. Good music will be furnished and a good time is guaranteed. The committee of arrangements consists of William Peck, Paul Morrow, William Egan and Elmer Spencer.

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Friend E. Brooks of New Haven has a new advertisement in this week. Look it up.

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Miss Florella Northrop changes her place of residence on Saturday, moving from George A. Northrop’s place to rooms in Mrs Hamburger’s rent in the Beers house on West street.

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J.L. Mitchell of South Britain has been on the sick list, requiring the attention of Dr J.W. Gordon of Sandy Hook.

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Brank T. Botsford, who is now at Montclair, Cal., in renewing his subscription to The Bee, writes: “I could not get along without it. It’s like a letter from home every week.”

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