January 21, 2000

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — LIFE AND WRONGFUL DEATH: The shooting death of Mark Rebong of Newtown as he drove along an exit ramp from I-84 in Danbury … was shocking and traumatic to his friends and family and deeply unsettling to the rest of us. How does it happen that someone so young, talented, and intelligent can be driving to work one minute and be dying with a gunshot wound to the head the next? He was not involved in risky behavior. He was not associating with dangerous people. He was just going about his business, just like the rest of us. His tragic end reminds us how seemingly random violence spares no one. When anger lurks at the end of a weapon, everyone close by is at risk. … As always, the antidote for wrongful death is compassion for life. Unfortunately, we cannot enforce such compassion in others, especially when they are bitter, confused, and deranged. But we can foster it in ourselves. … Then we can expand that circle of compassion to include those we love in our own lives … Perhaps we can enlarge it still further to include all the people we meet in our daily lives who we don’t know, who are just like ourselves, in need of attention and care. And then comes the big challenge: to replace our own anger with compassion for those people we do not like. It is only the rare person who can do this, and we must admit that we have yet to master this for ourselves. But think how much safer we would feel if more such people were close by.

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State police are continuing their investigation into the mysterious shooting death of a Newtown man who was gunned down late Monday night on Interstate 84 West Exit 2 off-ramp on the drive to work at the Danbury Hilton. Mark F. Rebong, 28, of Newtown, died late Tuesday as a result of a gunshot wound he suffered around 11 pm Monday, according to state police spokesman Sergeant J. Paul Vance. … Mr Rebong received emergency medical care at the scene and was quickly transported to Danbury Hospital emergency room where he was listed in extremely critical condition, Sgt Vance said. Mr Rebong died Tuesday night shortly after 11 pm at the hospital, a hospital spokesman said.

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HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER OF Steve Gordon.

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A phenomenon that has been banned from store shelves in Britain and has caused fist fights, the most recent between two mothers at a Honesdale, Pennsylvania, bus stop, came to Newtown this week with not much ado, except perhaps long lines of broad, gap-toothed grins at Edmond Town Hall. ETH Theater Manager Tom Mahoney likes to bring children’s movies to the $2 movie house on weeks when students have holidays from school. This week’s Martin Luther King Jr holiday provided an extra opportunity for Newtown’s youth to crowd matinees of Pokémon, the First Movie.

January 17, 1975

Wednesday, January 15, was the day of a busy meeting for Newtown’s Board of Finance, but it had to be one of satisfaction for the Public Building Committee members as they gained the Board’s approval for a $300,000 special appropriation to fund construction of a new town garage. It was the second time around for the building committee, as last month the BofF turned down its request for $418,000. A few weeks of deliberation about what could be cut, plus consultations with some construction firms, and the members were ready again.

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The settlement the Town of Newtown must pay as a result of the condemnation by Town Meeting in June, 1970, of the community’s 35-acre landfill moved to a town meeting as a result of action taken by the Board of Finance Wednesday night. Town Counsel Robert Hall, who has been handling the legal case for the Town since the former owners, Hain Brothers of Norwalk, brought settlement of the price to a state referee four and a half years ago, termed the $192,100 price tag “fair.” The finance panel unanimously approved a special appropriation, and a town meeting is expected to be scheduled within the next two weeks. If the town meeting approves, financing will be provided by obtaining short term notes in the interim before a 20-year loan at five per cent interest is obtained from the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA).

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A devoted employee of Sandy Hook Post Office recently retired after 42 years of service with the “neither hail nor sleet nor snow” corps, a memorial event certainly, and one which was duly honored last Saturday evening. Mrs Catherine Conger was feted that night at the Stony Hill Inn at a dinner given by her friends. Among the approximately 50 people in attendance were retired Sandy Hook Postmaster Arthur Carmody and his wife, and retired Hawleyville Postmaster May Miller. Also, Sandy Hook Postmaster Robert Shannon, Newtown Postmaster Albert Nichols, Botsford Postmaster Mrs Anne Maye, Hawleyville Postmaster Mrs Robert Ryan and South Britain Postmaster John Condon were there to honor Mrs Conger.

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With the forecasts of a possible blizzard, all the regularly scheduled Monday evening meetings in Newtown were called off with the exception of one, the special meeting called by the Board of Police Commissioners to air the four grievances which had been filed by two members of the force, George T. Stowe and Officer Frederick Kasbarian, in regard to the circumstances surrounding the suspension, arrest and reinstatement of Officer Stowe which occurred between December 11 and January 6.

January 13, 1950

On Tuesday, January 10, the annual meeting of the Visiting Nurse Association, Inc was held at the Edmond Town Hall. Mrs Ellis presided over the meeting and reports were heard from the secretary and Miss Martha N. Kline, RN, indicating another successful year of preventive work and improved community health program.

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The 1949 American Heart Association drive is now paying off for those who were donors to it in Newtown. With the funds collected here and in other towns in the Danbury area, a free clinic for examination and consultation for heart patients has been opened in the Danbury hospital. Under the direction of Doctor Louis Rogol and four other local physicians, with Doctor J.M. Marvin of New Haven as consultant, the clinic offers to patients referred by their local physicians, a complete fluoroscopic, cardiographic and laboratory analysis of their treatment. Whereas such an examination would ordinarily cost a patient a considerable and probably prohibitive sum, this may now be obtained absolutely free of charge and should prove most helpful to all heart sufferers.

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Boy Scouts of Troop 70 had an unusual treat at their meeting on Tuesday evening of last week when Ralph W. Dobbs, brother of Assistant Scoutmaster Sydney R. Dobbs, was guest speaker and told the Scouts about his experiences in the West and in the wide-open spaces of Alaskan territory both on the mainland and among the islands. Mr Dobbs is now stationed at the US District Engineers office in Anchorage, Alaska, engaged in surveying operations conducted from the US District Engineers office in Anchorage. Away on a six-weeks combined vacation and business trip, he spent much of his time with his brother Sydney in Newtown and left at the end of last week to enjoy skiing in Sun Valley, Idaho, on his way back to his far north base.

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The wedding of Mrs Janet Kinley Gregg of Cannondale and New York City, widow of John R. Gregg and daughter of the late Mr and Mrs David Kinley, to Alfred Corey Howell of Stony Hill, Bethel, took place last Saturday afternoon in the parsonage of the Congregational church, Newtown, with Rev Paul A. Cullens, pastor of the church, officiating. … Mr Howell … is active in the affairs of the Newtown Congregational church and is a member of its Ecclesiastical Society committee. Following the wedding, a reception was held for a small party of friends in Hawley Manor, and the couple left immediately afterward for New York City.

January 9, 1925

Eli B. Beers, a valued and substantial resident of the Borough, died on Sunday about 3.30 a.m. Mr Beers was stricken with apoplexy a few months ago and had steadily failed in health. The deceased was 81 years old, the son of the late Mr and Mrs Lemuel Beers of Palestine district, prominent residents of town in their day. In May, 1837, Mr Beers married Mrs Saphronia Warner Sherman, who died some years ago. Surviving him are four children, a sister, a step-daughter, and a grandson. … Mr Beers had served as one of the burgesses of the Borough. When Pootatuck Grange was organized some 32 years ago, he became an active member and continued his interest in the order until advancing years caused him to take a demit. Mr Beers was a man of happy and genial temperament. He took a keen interest in all the affairs of the town, and was willing to help in every worthy enterprise. He was a trustee of the Newtown Savings bank, having first been elected in 1903 to that office. The funeral was largely attended on Tuesday afternoon from his home, Rev Dr R.H. Gesner officiating. There was a profusion of beautiful floral tributes.

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The New Year’s Eve entertainment in Trinity Guild rooms was one of the most sociable and well attended functions held there for a long time. Not only young people but parents and friends from both Trinity and St John’s and many from the community swelled the happy family gathering. At 9 o’clock the program began with solos by Mrs Murphy, Mr Nelson, Mrs Gregory and a duet by Miss Dorothy Dinkler and Miss Viola Maguire. … Dr Gesner said the creed and several appropriate prayers and then Mrs Gregory sang “Ring Out With Bells.” As she closed, the bell of the Trinity rang in glad peals the birth of A.D. 1925 and the rector pronounced the benediction.

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The annual meeting of the First Ecclesiastical Society was held on Monday night. A.T. Nettleton was made chairman. The officers elected were: Clerk, J.J. Northrop. Society’s Committee: C.B. Taylor, A.T. Nettleton, A.W. Reynolds. Treasurer, L.C. Morris. Auditor, A.J. Smith. The financial condition of the society was shown to be in an excellent condition. It was voted to re-engage Rev G.H. Ekins for another year.

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A fund has been placed in the Sandy Hook Free Public Library in memory of Mrs Susan Sniffen, who did so much to place the library in its present good condition. The fund is now nearing the $100 mark and still growing. Anyone wishing to add to the fund can do so by sending their check to John O. Pitzschler, Chairman, Sandy Hook, Conn.

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Arthur Beard has the contract for laying the brick on Lovell’s new garage.

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The marriage engagement is made public of Adelene Day Barker of Hartford and Eugene Templeton Smith. Miss Barker is the daughter of Rev and Miss O.W. Barker.

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Surveyors representing the Bridgeport Hydraulic Co, have been surveying the last 10 days about the property of the Niantic mills and the Campbell grist mill at Sandy Hook.

January 19, 1900

The good work being done in the North Center school, under the supervision of the efficient teacher, P.H. McCarthy, is shown in the increased attendance, the average attendance being about 20, while for the few years previous it had scarcely averaged eight.

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Carl Kelly, a popular employee of the Grand Central hotel, has been quite seriously ill for 10 days.

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Judge John F. Gilbert of Ridgefield, who presided over the famous democratic county convention in Newtown in which Patrick Coughlin was nominated for sheriff over James Lee, was stricken with apoplexy, last week Tuesday. It is thought he will recover.

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Misses Margaret Egan and Anna Leavey of Seabright, N.J., and Joseph Hanrahan of New York were guests of Edward Egan during the holidays.

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The splendid condition of the Newtown Savings bank is in line with the general improvement in the condition of these sound institutions throughout the state. Since October, not long past, there has been a gain in accounts of 45. The total deposits now are about $636,000, the highest figure ever reached. This certainly speaks volumes for the business like administration of Treasurer Arthur T. Nettleton and the board of directors. This is an institution of which we are all proud and in which a majority of our citizens have a vital interest.

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Mr and Mrs John T. Sheehan of West street are the happy parents of a new daughter which took up its abode with them on Saturday of last week.

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.