A float honoring Newtown volunteers took its place in the line of march in the gala parade on Saturday, April 19, in New Haven, which marked the conclusion of Connecticut’s year-long series of 350th birthday events. Also participating was the Newtown High School Band, Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Department, and the Newtown Middle School Band.

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Construction will begin soon on a new entrance way to the Orchard Hill nature preserve off Huntingtown and Orchard Hill Roads. The entrance, which will consist of two granite posts and a heavy black chain, will also serve as a memorial to Al Knapp. The construction of the entrance is expected to be complete by the end of May with a dedication ceremony to be scheduled in June.

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In response to complaints from police officers about the cleanliness at police headquarters, First Selectman Jack Rosenthal has hired a new cleaning service for regular maintenance of the building, after a school custodian spent hours scrubbing away old dirt in preparation for the new maintenance. “The conditions down there were deplorable,” Michael Pastina, Hawley School Head Custodian said. Mr Rosenthal said significant additional funds to maintain the building properly were added to the 1986-87 budget for Town Hall South.

April 28, 1961

There has been a great deal of construction activity at the Queen Street Shopping Center in recent weeks, with promise of more to come. George F. Wheeler, owner of the shopping center reports to The Bee that he is planning to erect five more stores, starting about May 15. One of the stores will be occupied by the A&P, which will operate a supermarket there.

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Nick Francolette of Woodside Avenue, Monroe, will open a television and radio repair business, to be known as Newtown TV and Radio, on May 1, in Sandy Hook, on Church Hill Road. Newtown TV and Radio will have a rental TV service, and sales and service on all makes of TVs and radios.

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Julie Woods, daughter of Representative John Woods of Currituck Road, won the Sub-Junior Rifle Championship of Southern New England on April 9, and Joseph P. Hoffmann, son of Mr and Mrs Joseph A. Hoffman of Hawleyville, became the second ranking Junior Rifleman in the State of Connecticut on the same day. The Triangle Junior Rifle Club of Newtown was formed in the winter of 1957, when Mr Woods wanted to teach Julie how to shoot. Since the forming of the club, some 60 neighboring children have been exposed to the instructor’s safety and shooting procedure lectures, and after going through this opening phase, have remained for varying lengths of time.

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On Saturday, May 13, the Newtown High School Association will present a spring dance in the High School cafeteria, from 9 pm to 1 am, with Roland Young and his five-piece orchestra. The spring dance will serve to help bring a closer relationship between parents and teachers on a social level, and help the association financially. The donation is $2 per couple.

April 24, 1936

The Federal Transient Camp, located at sunrise Farm on Botsford Hill for the past two years, will close on May 3rd, owing to the fact that the lease cannot be renewed. The 87 men now at Camp will be transferred on or before May 3rd to Camp Groton. During the past year the Camp has raised 90 tons of ensilage, all vegetables, pork, milk and chickens used on the farm, besides supplying other camps in this section. As many as 30 men have been working on the town roads under First Selectman Blackman.

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Contractor Arthur McCollam has just completed the work of alterations on the old Colonial home of Mr and Mrs Jennings Rice, in the Hanover district. Mr and Mrs Rice recently bought the property from the McNamara estate.

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Miss Anita Coy was the victim of an unusual accident on Saturday night, while returning from Bridgeport in a car owned by Frederick Luf, Jr, of Taunton district. In reaching for the handle to open the window, Miss Coy by mistake unlatched the door, which suddenly opened and she was thrown from the car. Her bracelet caught in the door handle and she was dragged several yards before the car could be stopped. She received painful bruises. Miss Coy is now resting comfortably at home.

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Mr and Mrs A.F. Decker and Mrs Decker’s sister of New York, have been very busy superintending the setting in of trees on their beautiful location on Pelham road, Taunton district. Mr and Mrs Decker also located a fine spring, of which they were very proud, as they plan to lay out the grounds in an artistic design.

 

April 28, 1911

On Wednesday the editor paid a visit to Castle Ronald, and was escorted by Mr Herman Schwickart. Mr Schwikart will nearly make good his promise to have the building ready for the new lessee, Dr George J. Gladman, of New York City. Castle Ronald promised to be the most attractive sanitarium in New England. From the New York Medical Journal, “Dieticians Attention. Castle Ronald at Newtown, Conn., enlarged, refitted, and equipped, will be opened to receive patients suffering from Obesity and all its complications upon May 1, next…We aim merely to supply advantages and equipment that practitioners, as a rule, do not have.”

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William Shepherd is erecting a fine ornamental stone wall in front of the property of Henry S. Gibson at Sandy Hook. William Shepherd and men have been putting in new chimneys and walls in the residence of John J. Keaner of Gas street. Charles Beeman and son are doing the carpenter work.

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Work is now underway on the cement piers at the underground passage way at the Newtown railroad station. The noisy-running cement mixer, the steam from the engine and the big derrick are all interesting objects for timid horses.

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Walter Ruffells of Palestine, is setting out, this week, between 500 and 600 plants of the Cumberland raspberry and between 2000 and 3000 strawberry plants of the Brudwin, Corsican and Senator Daley varieties. He is also setting out 250 peach trees.