August 13, 1999

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER OF Edward Dick.

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As Newtown’s population continues to grow, the Parks & Recreation Commission is coming to the realization that a third town park may someday be needed. … With the town’s future in mind, P&R Commission members now have their eyes on a 150-acre piece of land off Route 34. The land, located along Route 34 and Old Mill Road, is owned by well-known Hollywood film director Elia Kazan, who has placed tight restrictions on the property. Further expansion or development of the property would not be possible.

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Dana Schubert’s task at hand is simply stated, but its implications are manifold. As the police department’s new youth officer, Officer Schubert explains he will work to maintain and improve the quality of life of the children and families of Newtown. A major component of his work as youth officer will involve teaching the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program to fifth-grade students at Hawley School, Sandy Hook School, Head O’Meadow School, Middle Gate School and St Rose School.

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John Grimardi of Newtown celebrated his 90th birthday on August 7 with family and friends at a party given by his daughter, Marianne Muskus, and son, Joseph Grimardi, at Ashlar of Newtown. Born in Chicago, Ill., Mr Grimardi was a professional musician with a Latin-American big band in the 1940s. He has been a resident of Ashlar for three years. He has four children, nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

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If you go to see the new Muppets in Space movie this summer, be sure to look for an old Newtown High School varsity jacket stuck in one of the scenes. It’s in there along with big screen legends Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and the rest of the Muppet cast. You know the jacket – blue with mustard colored sleeves. The jacket once belonged to 1971 NHS graduate Courtney Hough, an all-state football player considered one of the greatest football players to wear the NHS colors. Former Newtown resident Harriet Judkins, Courtney’s mother, told The Bee this week the varsity jacket eventually fell into the hands of Carl Espy, Courtney’s cousin, who has become involved in the motion picture industry. When the call went out for an old high school jacket, Carl managed for the “good old blue and gold to get the audition,” according to Mrs Judkins.

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Johnathan Gouveia of Newtown captured a gold medal, three silver medals and three bronze medals in gymnastics at the Nutmeg Games July 15 in Brookfield. He competed in the floor exercises, vault, parallel bars, high bar, rings, and pommel horse, and finished second in the all-around. Johnathan has been on the boys’ team at Olympia for four months and is trained by Ken Nolan.

August 9, 1974

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — CONTRACT DISPUTE: Picket lines are not a familiar sight in Newtown, in fact they are very seldom seen. Tuesday afternoon was an exception to the rule as one appeared in front of the Edmond Town Hall, lasting for about an hour. Those taking up signs were members of the Public Works Department, showing dissatisfaction over lagging negotiations for a contract. According to members of the road crew, and in particular the union officers, the wage scale is unfair, time on the job is not considered and advancement through merit does not exist. If the other side of the coin, management, does not have a sound rebuttal, then there is considerable reason for alarm by the workers and an immediate need for a contract to set the rules and regulations straight. For the men of the road crew have voted and joined a union, thus expecting a contract with the town. … The Public Works Department, both the workers and the management, have an obligation to the Town of Newtown which could very easily become lost in a contract struggle. We hope this will not happen, and that differences will soon be settled. … Another side of the story is bound to be heard, possibly reinforcing the complaints of the road crew, and then again maybe expressing the complete opposite. As they say, time will tell, but any remark will only underscore the need for a contract and a bit of order for the benefit of all concerned with this vital part of the operation of Newtown.

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First Selectman Frank DeLucia and Road Superintendent Edward Napier are on vacation this week, but when they return to their desks they’re going to find a heap of complaints waiting for them from the employees of the town’s public works department. Some 15 employees of the highway department and landfill workers picked up signs reading “Town of Newtown Unfair” and picketed in front of Edmond Town Hall for over an hour Tuesday afternoon. The men are all members of the union chapter formed four months ago, local R217 of the National Association of Government Employees.

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The appointment of Elsie Ryan as Postmaster of Hawleyville has been announced by Northeast Regional Postmaster General William F. Bolger. The official appointment became effective July 20, 1974. Mrs Ryan, who was Officer-in-Charge of the Hawleyville office, began her career in the US Postal Service in Hawleyville in 1955. … Mrs Ryan was nominated for the postmastership by the Northeast Regional Management Selection Board and appointed by Postmaster General E.T. Klassen. The appointment is not subject to Senate confirmation. Mrs Ryan is the wife of Robert E. Ryan, Newtown’s Assessor. Mr and Mrs Ryan have lived in the Hawleyville section for the past 28 years. Since the reorganization of the US Postal Service in 1971, approximately 500 postmasters have been appointed in the Northeast Region; of this total, some 33 per cent are women.

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The new traffic lights at the intersection of Route 302, 25 and Glover Avenue are now off blinking and fully operative. Future plans for the intersection are to provide a sign instructing trucks traveling north on 25 not to make a right hand turn onto Glover and use it as a thruway. Also lane lines will be painted at the intersection.

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An architect has been chosen to design the 40 unit elderly housing project proposed for Nunnawauk Road by Newtown Housing for the Elderly Inc. Richard P. Donahoe of Sherman was picked out of the seven candidates from all over the state to design a low-rent apartment complex for elderly citizens on 20 acres of land promised by Fairfield Hills Hospital. Architects fees will come out of the $750,000 Federal Farmers Home Administration loan, which has been allocated for the project. Mr Donahoe is also the architect of the elderly housing project in Kent.

August 5, 1949

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — FARM AND HOME WEEK: There is little need to call attention to Farm and Home Week and the benefits which its varied program has to offer. August 8, 9 and 10 will be busy and beneficial days, and evenings, for all who attend this annual event at the University of Connecticut. Satisfaction abounds in this particular area over the honorary recognition which will be given at Tuesday night’s dinner to George E. Wells of New Milford who has made an outstanding contribution to the rural life of the state. A similar homemaker’s award will be made to Mrs Harold L. Strickland of Middlefield. … Exhibits, demonstrations, talks and panel discussions will make of the Farm and Home Week a most informative source of help for the state’s rural citizens. The intellectual side of the “Week” will be topped off on Wednesday evening with the seventh annual Square Dance Festival. At that time some 1200 dancers are expected to respond to the calls of five popular prompters—a fitting climax of fun to a well-planned three-day program of more serious pursuits. “Swing your partners—all.”

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Playing to a packed house made up of Newtown’s young, the not-so-young and those in between, Town Players presented its most ambitious production in the Edmond Town Hall theatre Wednesday night with the Eva LeGallienne version of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice In Wonderland.” Ambitious is the world, for with a cast of fifty, a half-acre stage would have served the purpose admirably. Confined to an area considerably smaller, Marni Wood, the director, nevertheless succeeded in getting her characters about with a minimum of confusion and delay.

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As a result of the decision of the Connecticut Supreme Court on Monday of this week, validating the judgeship appointments made by Governor Chester Bowles at the end of June, Attorney John F. Holian, Democratic town chairman, entered upon his duties as judge of the Newtown town court at the session held Monday evening in Edmond Town Hall. The Newtown town court was one of 66 throughout the state that were affected by the decision.

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The foundation work for the Newtown Veterans Memorial building, located in South Center district, opposite the Newtown Country Club, has been completed and the process of laying the first floor begun. According to the building committee, the volunteers who have been working evenings at the site also expected to start the center blocks some time this week. A generous contribution has been received from the V.F.W. Auxiliary, Charles Howard Peck Post, 308. Anyone wishing to give donations or to offer assistance in building is asked to call Edmond Pelletier, chairman of that committee, Newtown 712-J2.

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Mrs George May, president of the Raymond L. Pease Post 163, American Legion Auxiliary, attended the Auxiliary convention held at the Hotel Garden, New Haven, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of last week.

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Mrs Vance Kirby and children, Kate and Johnnie, of Washington, D.C., are spending a month with Mr and Mrs H.N. Kirby and Miss Katherine Kirby at their home in Taunton district. Vance Kirby will be with his family over week-ends.

August 1, 1924

ARTHUR J. SMITH AND PARTY IN PARIS: Dear Editor and Rest of the Bee Force: … We are now in Paris seeing the sights. The Louvre is a great place for old paintings and statuary. … The Eiffel tower is in the midst of the Tuilleries gardens, over to one side. The tower is 1000 feet tall and a wonderful sight of the city can be had from the top of it. We have been to the Olympic games. Saw the Yale crew come out victorious over all other crews of the nations by about three boat lengths, and there was much clapping and rejoicing by the Americans. We are all well and enjoying ourselves immensely. Love to you and all the rest of the Bee Force. Arthur J. Smith, July 17, 1924.

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The Sandy Hook band never gave a better concert or played to better advantage than on Sunday night at their concert in front of the Parker house, which was enjoyed by several hundred people. Autos lined both sides of the Street. Leader Warner is to be congratulated on the excellence of the concert. The band makes another public appearance on Saturday night, when they play at the meeting of the Forestry Association on Saturday evening on Dr C.H. Peck’s Mt Pleasant estate.

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Last Saturday afternoon, golfers from Ridgewood Country Club of Danbury, Kishawana Country Club of Brewster, Wacabue Country Club of Lake Wacabue, N.Y., and Newtown Country Club played a four cornered match at the Ridgewood Country Club. This was the second tournament of the summer series. Danbury won the tournament with a score of 420, while Newtown, showing considerable improvement since the last tournament, won second with a score of 439. Kishawana turned in a score of 444, while Lake Wacabue was last with 486.

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A number of Newtown young ladies gave a picnic at South Center, last Monday afternoon. Among those present were: Margaret McCarthy, Luella Sperry, Catherine Crow, Alice Meeker, Geraldine Cutler, Barbara Cutler, Muriel Kiernan, Mary Frisbie, Alice Carmody and Julia Wetmore. Games were played and refreshments served. All report a very good time.

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Axel Paulson, the hustling farmer, harvested the hay crop of A.P. Smith, this week.

August 11, 1899

The hearing on the application of Michael F. Shannon for a license to sell beer at Carroll’s building, below the station, which has been pending some time, was held at the Town hall on Friday, August 4, before County Commissioners J.F. Miller and Charles Lee. Some of the demonstrants, the clergy of the town, appeared and testified. Michael F. Shannon testified in his own behalf and said that he was 23 years old, that he thought he was a suitable person to sell beer and that he thought the place he wanted a license for was a suitable place. … Rev O.O. Wright said that there was no remonstrance against Mr Shannon personally but the objection was made on the ground that the welfare of the community didn’t seem to require more than six saloons on the Sandy Hook side of town, the population in that section being estimated at 1900 and the population in the immediate neighborhood of the six saloons being probably not more than 1000. … Rev F.H. Sawyer said he objected to the establishment of any more saloons on the ground that six to a population of 1900 was enough to satisfy all demands of the public. … Rev Mr Linsley said he based his objections on the ground that there were so many now. … Rev Father Fox was called out on a sick call and Rev O.W. Barker was out of town so the taking of the testimony of Mr Linsley finished the hearing, as neither side cared to make arguments. Attorney Beecher appeared for Mr Shannon. The commissioners reserved their decision.

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Mr and Mrs Charles E. Beers, Mr and Mrs A.W. Fairfield, Mr and Mrs J.B. Fairchild and Frederick Andrews were among the Newtown people who attended the Sunday school rally at Roxbury Falls, last week Thursday.

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M.A. Todd dug a hill of potatoes of the White Star variety in his garden, last week, which tipped the scales to the tune of five pounds.

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E.R. Silliman, The Bee’s esteemed Stratford correspondent, left on Wednesday with Mrs Silliman for a two weeks’ trip in New York state, taking in Niagara Falls. Mr Silliman is in the employ of Charles J. Hughes, the proprietor of the reliable Stratford Granite Works of Bridgeport.

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 Newtown Bee readers. 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.