July 23, 1982

The first heat wave of the Summer of ’82 hit last week, culminating with a hammering 95 degrees on Sunday. So far July’s weather has made up for the cool, rainy June that made you wonder if summer would ever come. The soaring temps drove crowds to the Dickinson Park pool. High humidity and the fact that we were experiencing temperatures five to six degrees below normal until two weeks ago made the heat feel more oppressive.

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After searching a pond in a gravel pit in Botsford for more than two hours Monday morning, State Police divers recovered the body of a 26-year-old man who had drowned the night before. The victim, George Barna of Dodgingtown Road, had been swimming with his wife and several friends in the pond at D’Addario Sand and Stone Co Inc on Button Shop Road. The swimming hole is apparently a popular spot for young people on hot days, although police say they have received few complaints.

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The brand new radio and dispatching console of the Edmond Town Hall communications center were knocked out by a direct lightning hit during Tuesday morning’s thunderstorms, leaving no direct radio communication to fire and ambulance units for 1½ hours. The bolt struck the power line to the town hall shortly after 9 am, knocking out the main base station in town hall, the backup station in the firehouse behind town hall.

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It’s gone on too long, say supporters of the proposed town budget for 1982–83, while the Newtown Concerned Taxpayers say the currently proposed budget of $16,762,893 with its 2.29-mills tax increase is still too high. Voters will be asked to decide, once more, the budget’s fate in an all-day referendum Wednesday, July 28, from 6 am to 8 pm, at the Middle School on Queen Street.

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In a “Balloons To The Moon” contest sponsored by the Newtown Summer Festival at the July 4th picnic, Bryson Filbert III tagged a balloon with his name and address just as many other kids did that day. Well, Bryson’s balloon didn’t make it to the moon, but it did reach Mrs John Talmage in Riverhead, N.Y., who lives about one mile from Long Island Sound. The Bryson-Talmage communication is the only one reported so far.

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The red-brick former Fabric Fire Hose Company building on the banks of the Pootatuck River in the Rocky Glen section of Sandy Hook will emerge from five years of vacancy, under a proposal filed with the Planning & Zoning Commission this week. The property’s owners, Newtown Mill Associates Ltd of Greenwich, submitted documents asking for a special exemption permit to convert the 60,000 square foot Victorian mill into an office condominium.

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It’s barely noticeable, but the Newtown United Methodist Church on Church Hill Road has a new face. Recently, the church decided to cover the clapboard of the 1850 structure with aluminum and vinyl siding rather than paint. The building, originally located across the street, was moved to its present site in 1973. The current location was once the home of Frederick House, a Presbyterian Camp for inner-city children.

 

 

July 26, 1957

Sudden gale force winds shortly before 4 pm Monday caused widespread damage to trees and power lines in Newtown and about 90 percent of the town was without power for some time while wires were being cleared and restrung. Trees and large limbs were down on Boggs Hill Road, Church Hill Road, Riverside Road, Queen Street, Route 6 near Liberty Chevrolet and Bennetts Bridge Road.

Prolonged dry weather and the scarcity of hay has increased dairy farmers’ production costs. To partly offset the rising costs State Milk Administrator Donald O. Hammerberg has ordered a one-cent a quart increase in the price paid to Connecticut farmers for milk. The increase will be passed along to consumers with a one-cent a quart price rise.

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Dr J. Benton Egee, town health officer and a member of the Dickinson Memorial Park Commission, has announced that the park pool will be closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays to compensate for the lack of proper rainfall. Dr Egee emphasizes that nothing is wrong with the water. He explained brooks are very low and that throughout the week water is being pumped into the pool from the park well, but he said that in his opinion, there isn’t enough water flowing in to provide for the peak load of swimmers for seven days a week.

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The Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the second annual Greater Newtown Sales Days, as it did last year. The event will be held this year on Friday and Saturday, August 23 and 24. The Chamber is expecting that this year’s Greater Newtown Sales Days will enlist the support of all of its members and will prove even more successful than last year’s sales event.

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A familiar Main Street hostelry, the Hawley Manor Inn, has taken on a new appearance and acquired new facilities with the completion this month of a dining wing on the south side of the sprawling structure. While the new wing is traditional in its outside appearance, it embodies the many up-to-date features beginning with the basic construction. The key to the decoration of the 30-by-40-foot dining room is given by redwood wall paneling and a huge 10-foot fireplace made of red brick with a raised hearth.

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The Newtown Ambulance Association, Inc, has launched an appeal for funds this Thursday with the mailing of letters seeking support. The association finds its operating fund is practically depleted and has made the financial request to build up this fund. The ambulance is called out on an average of once every two days.

 

 

July 22, 1932

Although Newtown has felt the wave of depression which has swept the entire country the community has been most fortunate in holding and even increasing realty values and population. It is that the town’s location and natural advantages are such as to attract a portion of the human overflow from the large metropolitan areas but credit is also due local and neighboring merchants whose efforts have been largely responsible for Newtown’s ever-increasing growth.

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An amusing incident occurred at Sandy Hook, Thursday morning, which might have been tragic in its effect. John Stefanko drove his car in by the side of the Keating block and stepped into the building. While he was inside, the car started to move backward slowly down the incline, crossed the state road, and butted up against one of the posts supporting the veranda of Sandy Hook hotel, knocking it over on to the cement platform. This road where the driverless car crossed over is generally filled with autos traveling at a rapid pace as they come down the hill.

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It seems Courtland Blakeman was working in a field, the other day, and noticed two crows fighting over something on the ground. Reaching for his trusty gun, Cort took a head on the two crows. Just as he fired, a third crow flew in line with the shot. When the smoke cleared, there were three crows lying dead.

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There was a small fire, Wednesday, on the Fairfield State Hospital grounds, which destroyed the carpenter and tin shop belonging to the H. Wales Lines Co of Meriden. The loss was about $2,500. The local fire company responded and prevented the fire from spreading to other buildings.

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William Lackaye, Jr, well-known actor and playwright, has now added to his various activities, that of Professional Auctioneer. On Wednesday, July 27, Mr Lackaye will open the “Newtown Auction Barn” as a medium of exchange between the people who wish to dispose of household articles and those who wish to pick up odd and interesting pieces. The Auction Barn, located on route six between Danbury and Newtown on Mt Pleasant should prove a great convenience for the may people who would like to sell certain old pieces of furniture but would not like the trouble pr expense of holding an auction.

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The State Board of Education of the Blind has completed arrangements for a sale of articles made by blind people in their homes which is to be held at the Beach Memorial Library, Newtown, from 11 am to 6 pm, Tuesday, August 2. Miss Susan Todd, who is managing the sale for the State Board, has arranged with representative people to cooperate with her in this sale.

 

 

July 26, 1907

Minott Augur, who for 39 years has been in the market and provision business at Sandy Hook, has disposed of his market business to Levi C. Gilbert. Mr Augur began business in Sandy Hook, September 1, 1867, being associated with Philo Nichols for a year or more. Since then he has conducted the business alone. It will be pleasing news to Mr Augur’s many friends that he has decided to remain in town. L.C. Gilbert & Sons can be depended on to maintain the high standard of the well-known market.

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The genial druggist clerk at Sandy Hook had an exciting experience, Sunday. He went up North and met his lady friend, who was at that place for a temporary sojourn. The hustling farmer where Mr Crowe stopped awaken the druggist at about 3:30 am to go after the cows. He enjoyed the tramp of a mile or more exceedingly. (?)

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The musical and literary entertainment to be given by a few of the pupils of Mrs James W. Gordon, assisted by other outside talent, on Friday evening, August 2. One of the numbers on the program will be a comic character sketch by two of Newtown’s bright college girls. The charts for reserved seats will be open at R.H. Beers & Co’s store on Monday, July 29.

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The twelve months just gone will be memorable in local annals because of the passing on of three citizens the town could ill afford to lose, Dr Ralph N. Betts, William B. Sniffen, and Charles H. Gay. Men in whose lives honor and integrity were stamped in every act; men entirely dissimilar in their personal traits; but alike in that their influence and lives counted for righteousness.

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A chapel organ has been placed in the Methodist church at Sandy Hook through the act of Rev Mr Patchin. The organ was sent by C.E. Osborne of Stepney and after being cared for was taken to the church.