October 26, 2001

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — KIDS IN THE SEASON OF DARKNESS: Each year, a few days after standard time returns and the dark cloak of winter gets cinched up around the shoulders of the day, we have some fun with the new dinnertime darkness for the sake of kids. We call it Halloween. This year, the world seems plenty dark even without the time change, given the foreign war and domestic worries. There has not been much light in our collective emotional response to events, and the sensitivity of small children to the moods of their parents may have drawn an overdose of gloom and anxiety into what should be a happy and carefree childhood. … If we are serious about preserving our American culture, we must be serious about preserving the hope and happiness of our children — even in the darkness. … It is the perfect time of year to draw our children near, to share their excitement, to delight in their anticipation, and to reinforce the family fortress of love and security. As their guardians, we must always scan the horizon for threats to the health and safety of children, but it wouldn’t hurt us to tell the kids we are just admiring the sunset.

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HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER of Phil Kotch.

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First Selectman candidates Herb Rosenthal and Owen Carney came face-to-face for the first time in a public forum Monday night at the annual Pizza & Politics event at the Fireside Inn. Both men are hoping to win voter support on Election Day, November 6. For many of the more than 200 in attendance it was the first time they had heard from Mr Carney, the Republican challenger. The former Newtown police captain has run a quiet campaign thus far, preferring to avoid confrontation and shrugging off the conventional political wisdom that the challenger must go on the attack in order to beat the incumbent.

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Sand Hill Plaza has changed hands once again. This week, DD Partners, Ltd, of Delaware sold the Newtown shopping center to Sand Hill (E&A), LLC, of South Carolina for $20.7 million. Sand Hill Plaza opened in 1990 under the ownership of local developers Tom Maguire, Brian Corson, and Peter Concillio of Sand Hill Limited Partnership. It was sold to DD Newtown Partners in 1995. Other details were not available at press time this week.

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The Housatonic Railroad has stockpiled several thousand railroad ties alongside its tracks, just north of the former railroad station on Church Hill Road. The railroad will be re-laying sections of track in connection with the planned construction of a new rail bridge over Church Hill Road. The new bridge will provide a higher clearance for traffic passing underneath it. The existing bridge has been struck many times by tall trucks.

October 29, 1976

The Charter Revision Commission on October 18 found three members of the Board of Education unenthusiastic about charter changes the Legislative Council had asked the commission to consider. Board of Education Chairman Lester Burroughs, board secretary Dr Ruby Johnson, and board member Michael Mazaika were unanimous in their opposition to having a town public works department take over the maintenance of school buildings, with a line item included in the selectmen’s budget for this function.

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The annual meeting of the Board of Fire Commissioners took place on Monday, October 25, at the Hitching Post Inn. Millard Goodsell was elected chairman, replacing John Gill. Mr Gill and commissioner Nufer Bolmer leave the board after many years of service. Mr Gill represented Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Company and Mr Bolmer, Dodgingtown Volunteer Fire Company. William Watts will replace Mr Bolmer on the commission and Fred Jackson will be the new commissioner from Sandy Hook.

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Daniel B. Fant, whose parents are Mr and Mrs Horatio A. Fant, Newtown, has received a three-year U.S. Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps (AFROTC) college scholarship. Cadet Fant, who qualified for the scholarship after enrolling in the AFROTC program at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, will receive full tuition, textbooks and a monthly subsistence allowance. The cadet is a member of the class of 1979. Upon graduation and completion of the AFROTC program, Cadet Fant will be commissioned an Air Force second lieutenant.

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The International Affairs Committee of the Newtown Junior Woman’s Club recently held a cocktail party at the home of chairman Margarita Ross. In conjunction with United Nations Day, 40 people from France, Mexico, Costa Rica, South Africa, Cuba, India, Philippines, Korea, Germany and Ceylon met to plan for an international club in Newtown.

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Mary Kearns is selling Hoagies on Bennetts Bridge Road and Osborne Hill.

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Tuesday night the members of the Board of Education were happy to accept an especially nice gift to the Newtown school system, a mural done by Sandy Hook artist and illustrator Steven Kellogg. Mr Kellogg’s mural, one which depicts the United States from coast-to-coast as it must have looked when the pilgrims first landed here, is presently housed in the Newtown Historical Society’s Matthew Curtiss House. It was painted especially for the Labor Day “Red, White and Blue plus Eagles” exhibit which was sponsored by the Society and The Bee, it being Mr Kellogg’s special donation to the exhibit.

October 26, 1951

On Tuesday evening at the Avalon Inn, Stony Hill District, the employees who have been connected with the Fabric Fire Hose Company for over 25 years were honored with a dinner, given by the management of the Fabric Fire Hose Company to celebrate the newly formed Twenty-Five Year Service Club. Following a steak dinner, Robert Ehrhardt, treasurer of the company, acted as a toastmaster and called upon Walter McCarthy, factory manager, who, in fitting words welcomed the gathering.

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A Newtown resident, Dwight W. Norris of the Hopewell District, has been appointed director of development for Newsweek Magazine, T.F. Mueller, publisher, announced this week. In Mr Norris’ new capacity, he will be responsible for the direction of all Newsweek public relations activities and the development of further Newsweek contacts among business, cultural and social groups, editors, professional people and among schools and colleges.

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The Newtown Parent Teachers Association held two successful events during the past week, the first of which was the rummage sale which took place in the Edmond Town Hall gymnasium last Saturday. A large quantity of worth-while merchandise had been assembled by Mrs. William H. Knox and her committee and buyers found bargains galore. A total of $357 was realized from the sale and there was still merchandise left at the close of business Saturday afternoon. This material was all turned over to the Thrift Shop operated by the Newtown Visiting Nurse Association in the Atchinson Block.

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A record of some significance was set recently when Captain Charles R. Spaulding of South Main Street, one of Newtown’s airline pilots, made the 13,000th radar controlled landing of a trans-Atlantic transport plane at Gander Airport, Newfoundland, it was announced this week. Captain Spaulding, who has been flying Pan American World Airways Clippers since 1941, landed the plane for a routine stop on the flight between New York and Europe. The landing, controlled by radar from the ground at the frequently fog-bound field, was smooth and uneventful.

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The sixth anniversary of the formation of the United Nations was observed in Newtown on Wednesday with appropriate exercises at Edmond Town Hall and an assembly in the Hawley School auditorium, attended by all students of the school. In spite of forbidding weather, a group of Intermediate Girl Scouts, with Mrs Morton Baker, leader, raised the UN flag over Edmond Town Hall at 8 a.m. and at 8:50 under sponsorship of the League of Women Voters, five students of Hawley School, under leadership of Caroline Hill, conducted a forum on various phases of United Nations activities.

October 29, 1926

A proven case of rabies has appeared in this neighborhood. Recently a lean stray dog, obviously ill, was killed in the lower part of town. The head was examined by the State Department of Health at Hartford, and showed unmistakable signs of this disease. … Mr Ganong, deputy commissioner in Commissioner Whittlesey’s department, was in town, Monday, and went over the situation with Dr Kingman, the health officer, and P.H. Gannon, the local dog warden.

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Tuesday night was “Fibbers’ Night” at Pootatuck Grange. After a snappy business session the meeting was turned over to the Worthy Lecturer. The program opened with a song, “Stars of the Summer Night,” by the Grange. Brother Hall then called on each one to tell a story. It was certainly an interesting lot of yarns that were presented.

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There was a party, Saturday evening, October 23, at the home of Mr and Mrs William Karcheski of Mile Hill. An enjoyable evening was spent playing games and dancing. Refreshments were served at midnight.

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Mrs Lucinda Cook, who died in Waterbury, was brought to Newtown for burial on Tuesday. She was a sister of the late L.B. Booth and is survived by a daughter, Mrs Amos Mitchell and a son, Harry Cook. She was the widow of Henry Cook and was 84 years old. Rev Dr Lewis of Waterbury officiated at the committal at the Newtown cemetery.

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Marion Lent, five year old daughter of Dr Lent of Peekskill, N.Y., granddaughter of Frank Hopkins, was severely injured, Wednesday afternoon. She wandered into the barn and got caught in the shaft, which propels the pump. She was whirled around and received some very bad bruises. Dr Kingman was called and sent the little miss to Danbury hospital. No bones were broken, fortunately and it is believed the little girl will recover.

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R.J. Gallagher, the Bethel contractor, has installed an American septic sewerage disposal plant on the place of Mr Hillhouse of Palestine.

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“Pat” Sweeney is out with an Essex coach, bought of F.E. Knox, of the Woodbury & Essex Sales Co.

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Charles F. Beardsley has attended this week a convention of the real estate dealers of Connecticut at Hartford. The sessions were concluded with a banquet at the Hotel Bond.

November 1, 1901

The energetic Carlson brothers have embarked in the poultry business. They have bought a good sized poultry house of George A. Northrop and have bought quite a number of fowls to start in business of Mrs Sarah Curtis Judson. If the boys don’t make Neighbor Duncombe, Friend Elmer Fairchild and Frank Wright down on the Boulevard hustle for the premiums at the fair, next fall, then we shall lose our guess.

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The interesting address of the House of Bishops was read in Trinity church on Sunday morning by the Rev George T. Linsley. The address condemns the selfish indifference of citizens, who, though governed by disgust, are content to do nothing to better civic administration, and invokes the Church to stir up the slumbering manhood and sense of civic duty which should take any city from the hands of those who “are largely employed in trading in the bodies and souls of the innocent and defenseless.”

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At the annual meeting of the Newtown Savings, held on Saturday last, the following trustees were elected for the ensuing year: Cyrus B. Sherman, Aaron Sanford, Daniel G. Beers, David C. Peck, Philo Nichols, Hosea B. Northrop, John B. Wheeler, Theron E. Platt, Cornelius B. Taylor, Henry G. Curtis, Hobart H. Curtis. Frank Wright, Arthur T. Nettleton, Edward S. Lovell, Robert C. Mitchell, William J. Beecher. … A very favorable report was presented by the treasurer and from the net earnings of the year $1000 was added to the bank’s surplus.

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W.C. Russell and family, who have passed the summer pleasantly at their cottage south of the Inn, returned to Bridgeport on Saturday. Dr H.S. Nichols and family will occupy Mr Russell’s residence for the winter months.

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Elbert B. Wilson of Taunton district has moved his family to the Castle, where he is to be in charge during the winter. Mr Wilson has been in Mr Ronald’s employ as coachman for a number of months. Mr Wilson will without doubt make a faithful and painstaking man for Mr Ronalds.

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 schedule an appointment.