August 4, 1989

If a new pool is built at Treadwell Park, residents will have to pay higher fees for public swimming. At a special meeting Tuesday evening, the Parks and Recreation Commission set proposed fees for use of town park pools, if the Treadwell Park pool is built. The recreation commission set the new family fee at $75 and the new daily user’s fee at $5. The current fees, which were raised last spring, are $30 for a family and $2 for a daily user. Revenues from fees would help offset operating costs of a new pool at Treadwell Park and the pool at Dickinson. Newtown’s new fees place it among towns charging the most for public swimming.

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The Board of Education has adopted a no smoking policy for Newtown school buildings. The decision, made at the board’s August 1 meeting, was made after several months deliberation. The entire text of the policy is: “Students shall not be permitted to smoke inside school buildings or on school grounds during the regular school day. Effective January 2, 1990, no one may smoke in school buildings.”

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Although police are cracking down on the number of speeders zipping along Main Street in Newtown, there is not much they can do about the ever increasing flow of traffic. The occurrence of accidents on Main Street, and traffic problems involving the main thoroughfare, have become increasingly worse over the years, peaking during the summer months.

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In a freak accident Monday, July 31, construction workers broke a water main sending gallons of water gushing out of the ground. The incident occurred at approximately 10:45 am when workers were moving gravel and dirt about the commercial building site on Mile Hill Road South and ruptured a water main. As water gushed from the break and out onto Mile Hill Road South, workers immediately took to shoveling gravel, building a temporary wall to keep the water from flowing onto the roadway.

August 7, 1964

Newtown school enrollment continues to rise. When the state projections were prepared last fall, 2,174 children were enrolled. When the school year ended, 2,223 were attending the Newtown public schools. Forty-nine additional children had moved into the Newtown school system during the year. The Newtown school administration is anticipating an enrollment this fall which may reach as high as 2,500 students.

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The first one hundred years of St John’s Episcopal Church parish will be shown via a small pageant of four episodes on the grounds of Woods Park (formerly the Fredericka House) on Church Hill Road, Sandy Hook, during the centennial celebration, rain or shine. Any members of the other church choirs in Newtown who would like to sing with the St John’s choir are more than welcome to do so and may just come forward Saturday afternoon and join in on the most familiar hymns.

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Radio listeners in the Newtown area had a real treat Monday evening if they were tuned in to WLAD in Danbury. Jack Lawson, a Newtown resident and MC of a weekly show, played many selections from the Newtown High School Chorus Spring Concert album, recorded on June 3, 1964, at the Town Hall. Also heard were the Starlettes and the Huff ‘n’ Puffs, a folk-singing group from the High School.

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Selectmen have agreed upon a 1964-65 budget of $665, 437.40 to be presented to the Board of Finance for consideration. This is for nine months. Last year’s 12-month budget was $688,262.58. The selectmen approved the figure of $15,000 for the town’s pension plan subject to consideration and approval by townspeople. Also appearing in the budget will be an item of $43,400 for replacing equipment.

 

August 4, 1939

Mrs Stockton Mulford of Great Ring road, Sandy Hook, who paints the beautiful scenes in and around Newtown under the signature M. Ivanek, is showing four examples of her work in the Putnam Art Association exhibition at Memorial Hall, Carmel, N.Y. The exhibition is open every afternoon for three weeks, beginning Saturday, August 5.

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The foundation for the new home of Mr and Mrs Joseph H. Ringers on Sunset Hill, was competed this week and contractor Vincent T. Sullivan has started work on the frame of the house.

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The local Board of Education is having extensive work done on the interior of the Hawley High school. The auditorium and teachers’ room are being redecorated. Also the large upper class room and all the floors. This work is being done by Contractor George G. Canfield and A.B. Nichols of this town. The exterior work of pointing up the brick walls and other outside repairs is being done by John Gaffney of Bethel.

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An unfortunate automobile accident occurred on the Berkshire road, last Friday afternoon, when in an attempt to avoid hitting a light grocery truck driven by William Hayes of Sandy Hook, a heavy truck filled with three tons of ice, owned by N.L. Richards and operated by Albert Boyson, Jr, left the road in front of the residence of Homer Conger and hit a telephone pole. Mr Hayes was not injured. Mr Boyson who was throw out through the door of the truck injured his left knee cap and suffered other bruises. The entire load of ice moved forward with the sudden stopping of the truck, completely demolishing the cab and front of the machine.

 

August 7, 1914

On Friday evening, July 10, the guests at Knot-a-Care farm had a most enjoyable hay ride to Newtown. Refreshments were served. Saturday, July 11, the baseball team of Knot-a-Care farm played the Sandy Hook nine at the Knoll. The Knot-a-Care team won a decidedly interesting and well-played game. The Knot-a-Care nine gave the Sandy Hook team a return game on Saturday, July 18. Sandy Hook won a hard hitting game.

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American citizens generally are distressed at the terrible war spectacle now presented in Europe. One of the most illuminating articles we have read on the present situation appeared in the form of an interview in the Hartford Courant with Dr Julius Hupert of New Britain. He said that the war which is now on is one of conquest. The assassination of the Austrian grand duke is merely a pretext. The trouble has been brewing since he was a boy. Dr Hupert holds Germany mainly responsible for the war. He says that Germany wants to rule the Slavonic races.

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Misses S.J. and M.E. Scudder and the Misses Skinner, who went abroad the latter part of June, expecting to remain until the middle of September, are now in London. A cablegram was received from Miss Scudder, Monday, saying, “Safe in London.” Mrs Walter Ruffles and Miss Anna Ruffles of Palestine are with Mrs Ruffles brother at Rathfriland, Ireland. Just how soon these people will be able to secure passage for the United States, The Bee was unable to state at this writing.

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A big sign has been placed on the Niantic mill property, “For Sale, Rent, or Exchange. Enquire (sic) of owners, Gledhill & Co, Bridgeport.” It is quite evident that W.S. Mershon has relinquished whatever claim he had on the property. The old printing presses installed in the building by Mr Mershon were broken up and shipped away.