The Newtown Bee

By Shannon Hicks

Published: February 20, 2026 4:00 pm

The Way We Were

The Way We WereNewtown news of 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125 years ago, from the archives of The Newtown Bee.February 23, 2001HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER of Mary Ann Murtha.* * * * *EDITORIAL INK DROPS — COMMON SENSE ABOUT DRIVING AND CELL PHONES: There is a bill currently before the legislature that would make it illegal to use hand-held cell phones while driving in Connecticut. The measure, which has never gotten far in previous attempts at passage, may have picked up the momentum it needs to pass this year when the union representing Connecticut’s state troopers endorsed it last week, calling it “a common sense type of bill.” … Under the proposed legislation, drivers need not be deprived of important phone conversations while on the road. There are inexpensive hands-free phone accessories available in almost every electronics store. This small investment would yield big returns in safety for themselves, their families, and for others on the highway. We hope this is the year that this important piece of highway safety legislation passes. We think the state troopers have it right. It’s simply a matter of common sense.* * * * *A shortage of available building lots is being attributed to the slowing of the town’s building boom over the past year. This phenomenon has also resulted in a drop in the town’s grand list increase. According to Tax Assessor Denise Hames, the shortage of prime land has resulted in a significant decrease in the number of new homes being built. In turn, that has had a direct impact on the town’s grand list. The growth in the grand list dropped from 4.94 percent in 1999 to 3.97 percent (or $68.5 million) in 2000.* * * * *The reedy drone of bagpipes punctuated by thunderously beaten drums greeted the Connecticut Firefighters Pipes and Drums’ receipt of the Connecticut Treasures award from Lieutenant Governor Jodi Rell on Tuesday evening in the Newtown Hook and Ladder Firehouse. As the unit performed at ear-splitting levels in the cavernous firehouse, Pipe Major John MacNicholl and Drum Major Francis McDonald ensured that the group kept to the melody and beat of its performance. … Lt Gov Rell started the Connecticut Treasures award program. The bagpipe group was founded in November 1992, following a Waterbury firefighting accident in which two firemen were killed.* * * * *When she was 12 years old, Alice Cornell joined the just-formed Girl Scout troop in her home town of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Alice and her younger sister, Louise, were excited to be joining the group, which met once a week for two hours in the hall of St John the Baptist, a Roman Catholic Church. … Alice and her husband Robert have been living in Newtown for over three decades now, and next week Alice, who celebrated her 76th birthday in January, will be honored as Newtown’s Oldest Girl Scout. … Newtown’s Scouts of all ages will join with their sisters and friends around the world when they observe Girl Scout Week 2001, March 11 to 17.February 20, 1976EDITORIAL INK DROPS — MORE BICENTENNIAL DRAWING: Last week a drawing of Lincoln appeared on the front page of The Bee, and this week we are giving Washington his equal time. The works are the two first place winners in the Bicentennial Drawing Contest, which was open to all elementary school children in town, and sponsored by this newspaper. Our congratulations, and a $25 savings bond, go out to the two top artists and our thanks to all of the students who took part in this contest. … we are off and running on a second contest, this one to be open to all high school students within The Bee’s readership. A $50 cash award will be made to the winner, with two $10 honorable mentions.* * * * *A rendering of the likeness of George Washington has been chosen the winner in the Washington part of the Bee’s Bicentennial drawing contest for elementary school children in grades 1-5. It was done by Alexandra Miller, a grade 4 student at Middle Gate School.* * * * *Chairman James Severnak’s quiet tone pervaded the Wednesday night council meeting. Nevertheless, heated discussions took place after the meeting as members reviewed a controversial decision of the evening: the vote to turn down a new charter revision commission.* * * * *Twenty students from the Newtown High music department were selected to participate in the Southwestern Connecticut Music Festival recently at the University of Bridgeport. Students were selected on the basis of all-state auditions and recommendations of the high school directors. The concert by the Southwestern Connecticut Band, Chorus and Orchestra was performed to a standing-room-only audience.* * * * *The First Selectman Jack Rosenthal and Joseph Bogdan, the town’s labor negotiator, will meet with representative from the highway department at 2 pm on Friday, February 20, to begin negotiations on the 1976-77 contract for the highway crew. At 3:30 pm that day, negotiations for a contract with the town’s newest union, the one which includes the five civilian dispatchers for the police department and the dog warden, will continue. This is the first year in which the town is involved in negotiations under the new binding arbitration law.* * * * *John and Marion Mead of South Main Street became the parents of a son, Wayne, born in Danbury Hospital on February 14. The baby was welcomed home by his two older brothers.February 16, 1951National Heart Week, February 11-18, sponsored by the American Heart Association, opened last Sunday and is continuing throughout the week with the press, radio and motion picture houses cooperating. Talks are given before civic and service clubs and the mails are carrying into millions of homes information about the nation’s No. 1 killer and methods for combatting it through research, education and care of affected cases. The arrival of Heart Week found the local committee well prepared. On its central date, St. Valentine’s Day, letters with informative pamphlets and return envelopes for donations were mailed to some 1350 local residents. Col C. Sidney Haight, Newtown campaign chairman, addressed the meeting of Pohtatuck Grange held in the Grange Hall Tuesday night on the subject and the campaign has been noted at the meetings of other organizations.* * * * *BOOTH LIBRARY NOTES — LIST OF NEW BOOKS EVERYBODY’S READING: The Loved and Envied by Enid Bagnold. Foxfire by Anya Seton, a novel of contemporary Arizona. The Faith of Mrs Kelleen by Katherine Flannigan, a novel based on real life. Nuts In May by Cornelia Otis Skinner. Nightrunners of Bengal by John Masters, a story of adventure. Out of This World by Lowell Tomas Jr., a fascinating book about Tibet. Portrait of a Turkish Family by Irfan Orga, author’s story of his life in Turkey. Policy For The West by Barbara Ward. Life’s Picture History of World War II.* * * * *January was a busy and successful month for the Visiting Nurse Association of Newtown. A total of 135 visits was made by the nurse, and the first Well Child Conference of the current year was held at the new V.N.A. rooms in Edmond Town Hall. In preparation for the Well Child Conference, extensive work was done by the joint committee of the PTA and the VNA in contacting all parents of pre-school children not previously contacted for the October conference, and in organizing and holding the conference.* * * * *Those who attended the public observance of the World Day of Prayer in Trinity Episcopal Church last Friday afternoon … [found a service] conducted with dignity and sympathy by the Rev. Dr. Gordon D. Pierce, assisted by Rev. Paul A. Cullens and Dr. C.A. Whitemarsh. Mr. Donald Griscom, organist of Trinity Church, and Mrs Floyd Nash, soloist of the Congregational Church, led the congregation in hymns and responses. The offering period was impressively presented by Mrs. Richard Hibbard, assisted by four high school girls representing the cooperating churches, who also served as ushers.* * * * *Your Representative attended 13 sessions during the month and by doing so kept his record of perfect attendance in the House of Representatives since his first session in 1941. Little was done by the Assembly during the month, most of the time being consumed in organization, seating, committee assignments, and introduction of bills. … My committee assignments are as follows: Chairman of the House Committee on Insurance, the Committee on Education and the Committee on Public Utilities. I am clerk of the latter committee. … During the session I will hold myself in readiness to discuss matters of legislation with any citizens of Newtown who would like to do so and I will be glad to confer with any at my office on Friday evenings by appointment. —Respectfully submitted, George M. Stuart* * * * *REFUSE COLLECTION General Trucking — NEWTOWN TRUCKING CO., Robert Hayes, Call Enterprise 9005.February 19, 1926While in Hawleyville on Monday last The Bee Scribe was informed that a close watch must be kept on the news in that locality as our friend wished to have it known that Ben Maynard’s “Circus Automobile” and Joe Turner’s rattlesnake have nothing on Lew Durgy and Bill Collins. It seems while Bill was taking morning’s constitutional through the Whisconier Hills he discovered a mammoth jack rabbit. After carefully watching the rabbit for two hours he managed to attract the attention of his neighbor, Lew Durgy. Lew arrived on the scene almost immediately with his shot gun. Careful aim was taken at Mr Rabbit and then there was a roar that could be heard all over town as both barrels were let loose. Carefully advancing, the brave hunters discovered they had shot at one beautiful life size rock instead of the much prized jack rabbit.* * * * *E.W. Troy has completed very extensive improvements at the Sandy Hook hotel. The office has been modernized, the old hallway partition torn out and new French doors placed at the entrance of the parlor. The stairway leading to the second floor has been modernized and changed. Mr Troy and sister, Miss Anna Troy, have been highly complimented on the changes made.* * * * *A Lenten card has been issued on which are printed on one side the services in Trinity and on the other those in St John’s. The principal services during the week at St John’s are held on Thursday evenings at 7.30. Those at Trinity, except that conducted on next Tuesday evening when Rev Dr Hadley will preach and that on Wednesday, when Dr Reily will preach, are on Friday evenings.* * * * *The Men’s Club members enjoyed one of the red letter occasions of the year, Tuesday night, when the February meeting was held with Dr W.H. Kiernan as the popular host. After attention had been paid to a splendid turkey dinner, Dr Millard Knowlton, director of the Bureau of Preventable Diseases of the State Board of Health, was introduced and gave a most instructive and interesting address.* * * * *BUSINESS NOTICES: Ladies misses and children’s four buckle arctics, men’s four buckle arctics ... and a full line of the Ball Band Rubber overs for men, ladies’ boys’ and misses.—Corbett & Crowe. Adv. | Ideal Farms and country homes. See D.B. Ambler, Real Estate, Woodbury, Ct. | Rubber boots, felt boots, men’s, women’s and children’s arctics and rubbers.—H.G. Warner. Adv. | Grape fruit, oranges, iceberg lettuce, cranberries, California Tuna fish, red salmon, crab meat, lobster, Norwegian sardines at Davey Brothers.—Adv. | Order your meat for Sunday from the Sandy Hook market. Prompt delivery in Sandy Hook or Newtown.February 22, 1901The Bee of February 8 contained the story of the lively doings of a snow plow on the Shepaug road, which jumped the track and finally landed in the ditch on Friday, February 1. The plow was later taken to the hospital at New Haven and after being thoroughly repaired was brought to Hawleyville again. On Tuesday of last week, February 12, Conductor Bristol received orders to haul the plow to Litchfield. This time he hitched the plow on the rear of the train. All went sweetly till Judd’s bridge was passed and in climbing the hill, the plow jumped the track at a point not a car length distant from where it went off the rails on February 1. ... The “pesky plow” ultimately jumped the track two additional times. Notwithstanding the delays, Mr Bristol reached Litchfield only a half hour behind time. It demonstrated anew his ability to get out of a tight place without making a big fuss about it.* * * * *Minott Augur, the esteemed Sandy Hook market man, and the supporter of every worthy local enterprise, passed Sunday in Woodbridge where his wife has been for a few days assisting in the care of her mother and sister.* * * * *S.F.H. Hewit has taken the agency for the Practical typewriter, a $5 machine and is having good success in introducing it. The Practical is easy to operate and not liable to get out of order. It writes on full size letter paper and is so simple that the novice can operate it. For the ordinary business man it ought to prove a very valuable helper. The price is so reasonable that almost anyone can afford to own one. Mr Hewit will be glad to call upon you if you are interested.* * * * *Lyman P. Newberry of East Haddam is among the force of men employed by E.E. Nettleton on his Sandy Hook wood jobs. He is making his home in Sandy Hook with his son-in-law, Mr Storrs, who resides in one of Mrs Callahan’s cottages. Mr Storrs is also employed by Mr Nettleton.* * * * *Newtown people are gratified to learn that H.W. Plumb is to summer in Newtown with his family in 1901. He has rented the cottage of Mrs Marcus Hawley north of the latter’s residence. Mr Plumb is at the head of the well known Plumb Hardware Co. of Bridgeport. He is a son-in-law of Hon A.B. Mygatt of New Milford. Our citizens will be glad to welcome a dozen more like him. The ozone on the Newtown hills cannot be excelled in Connecticut and Mr Plumb recognizes this fact.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 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.

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If “Elections Have Consequences XXI” really is installment #21 in this series, I’m impressed by the persistence — but at some point it starts to feel like we’re just re-printing the same national rant on a weekly schedule rather than contributing anything new or local. For anyone wondering “how much paper” this series has taken up, at 21 installments, that is on the order of 23,500 printed newspaper pages devoted to the series — roughly an acre of paper surface once you multiply it out. I support freedom of speech, but considering this diatribe likely costs our local bee $200 - $300 to print at the very least lets hope Kathy is a subscriber. If we’re going to spend that much ink, I’d love to see more local facts, specifics, and actionable points — not just another round of national venting.

Elections Have Consequences XXI

You keep ignoring the point I am trying to make and that is the fact that the state is being sued for not turning over our voter data base - this has nothing to do with voter ID. Why does the Trump administration think they have a right to this information which includes SSNs and driver license information. States run their own elections and count their own votes. Some republican controlled states have already turned over their data and others plan to.

Randi was my first crush. She was the first girl to kiss me. We lived in Ashbourne Hills in Claymont and Randi's home was about a block from me. We walked to Darley Road Elementary many days, and spent time after school together (I had 3 younger brothers but me being, I guess, 8-9, they weren't much fun). I don't remember getting a chance to say good-bye to her the summer she moved away. But not a week has gone by in the last 65 years that I don't think of her. I send my deepest respects to her family. Know that Randi will be a part of my heart as long as I breathe.

Randi (Decater) Beardsley

A birth certificate is a permanent document that doesn't change...your marriage license/certificate is proof of a name change and used to confirm changing your driver's license, SS card, Passport, etc.

The “Newtown has no town green/town common” line is doing a lot of work. We literally have Ram Pasture — a huge public green space — right at Main Street and 302. And it’s not like it’s never been used for exactly this kind of thing. Ram Pasture was used for a candlelight vigil, and it was also used during the warehouse protest. So yes — there is a highly visible public space for gatherings that doesn’t require turning the busiest intersection in town into a choke point. If the goal is truly to be heard without disrupting day-to-day life, then use Ram Pasture, keep sidewalks passable, and don’t “accidentally” crowd the roads in front of Town Hall because it’s the most effective way to force attention. Free speech is a right — manufactured gridlock doesn’t have to be part of it. I have yet to hear a convincing argument as to why it needs to be on and IN the busiest road in town. The Bee's own photos show people standing in the road. Of course, local PD doesn't want to get involved because we all remember what the mob did when they suggested some common-sense suggestions to protect the crowds...

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