January 28, 2000

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER of Don Elmer.

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Commencing what he has called “a moment of truth for the town,” Superintendent John Reed went before the Newtown Board of Education last Friday night with his highest budget update request to date, up 17.5 percent from last year. Much of the district’s proposed $41 million spending plan hinges on addressing space needs, rebuilding an ailing health insurance plan, and replenishing an all but depleted technology account.

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It is Monday afternoon and Sandy Hook School Registered Nurse Sally Cox says her office was surprisingly quiet for much of the day. The office, adjacent to the school’s main office, is usually teeming with students — as many as 70 in a given day. As the last bus pulls away for the day and sloshes out to Riverside Road, she muses about only having seen 32 children today. … Mrs Cox is charged with caring for a school population of 700 students. “You get attached to them,” she said. “You really get to know their emotions and needs.”

January 24, 1975

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — THE BUDGETS ARE COMING: Consumer prices on the rise, gas rationing, tax cuts, rebates — all of these terms are routing language in the daily press, and a generous portion of everyday talk is devoted to the general ills of the economy. On a local level, looking outside of our own household expenses, we are going to be faced with a town budget which is certain to be in for some very hard times. A word of caution, we feel, is needed at this time when residents might be sharpening their pencils and preparing to follow the example of other towns in turning down any budget which reflects an increase over last year. The town is not exempt from the highest costs we are all feeling and probably the only way the budget will not reflect an increase is to show a definite decrease in services.

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A group of Pootatuck Park residents attended the Newtown Planning & Zoning Commission meeting last Friday and received that panel’s assurance that action would be taken to help them solve neighborhood ills. The residents were instrumental in helping form the Pootatuck Park Association last summer, which was set up to solve problems with the conditions of roads in the private neighborhoods and also, as was reported in The Bee at the time, to give the residents an organization which they could act through when problems occur.

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The Rev Paul K. Koepchen, pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church, Verona, New Jersey, for the past 16 years, has accepted the call to Christ the King Lutheran Church, Newtown. His installation is scheduled for Sunday, February 2, at 4 pm. … Five and a half years ago, the congregation also extended a call to Pastor Koepchen, which he subsequently returned in favor of remaining in Verona. In the interim the congregation has had two pastors and is now looking for direction for a very active lay leadership.

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An appeal against a Planning & Zoning Commission rejection of a shopping mall plan in September, 1973 has been dismissed by a Fairfield County Court of Common Pleas judge. The Town received word Tuesday of the decision of Judge Luke F. Martin regarding the fate of the proposed Fairfield County Shopping Mall, which was planned as a 400,000 square foot enclosed mall to be located on 32 acres of land in the vicinity of Church Hill Road and Edmond Road. Atty Robert Hall handled the case for the Planning & Zoning Commission, which unanimously turned down the proposal following a well-attended public hearing in August, 1973. Those at the hearing had expressed opposition to the plan, and one key reason for the Commission’s rejection was the effect of traffic which the facility would have generated.

January 20, 1950

All week long operations have been in progress at the site of the town’s famous flagpole, removing the old two-section, wooden pole and making preparations for setting the new steel single shaft to take its place. Superintendent Robert Callahan states that, good drying weather prevailing on Thursday, the new landmark may be lowered into position on Friday of this week. … Many spectators were on the scene on Monday when Leake and Nelson’s giant crane lifted aloft iron worker Peter Nelson, who attached a cable near the top of the pole’s upper section and was then lowered to the half-way mark where he detached the steel bands holding the two sections together. Jack Lewis operated the crane. The wooden pole will be installed in Sack Park, Sandy Hook. … The new pole, 16 inches in diameter at its base, Superintendent Callahan states, tapers to about six inches at its tip, rising 100 feet above the pavement. State Police Officer George Bunnell has been in charge of traffic throughout the week and reports full cooperation of drivers in routing traffic around the apparatus in use.

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Two of the remaining charter members of the Newtown Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 highlighted the social program held in honor of all charter members in the Newtown firehouse last Saturday night. They were Martin Keniry and Thomas Carlson, who were the only charter members present. John B. Hubbell of South Main street, the oldest known living charter member, who was to celebrate his 93rd birthday on Tuesday of this week, declined with regret the invitation for an evening engagement.

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The 12-member committee of the Thrift Shop located in the basement of the Atchison block at the flagpole has just completed a review of their 1949 year, which has proved one of the most successful in the organization’s history. Operating as an auxiliary of the Visiting Nurse Association, the Thrift Shop is a clearing house of unneeded personal apparel and household articles of every description and its purpose is to further the work of the Visiting Nurse Association.

January 16, 1925

The annual meeting of Trinity parish was held on Friday evening, January 9. The ladies of the Guild served a delicious supper at 6.30, after which the large number of interested parishioners gathered to hear the report of the year’s work. The report of the treasurer, David C. Peck, a very detailed document, showed the parish to be in prosperous condition financially, and the meeting gave Mr Peck a hearty vote of thanks for his careful and painstaking work.

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A chimney fire in the house of Allison P. Smith created a little excitement, Thursday morning. The fire was blazing in good shape when C.F. Cavanaugh, Wilbur F. Pulver and E.J. Morgan got in their effective work with a line of hose and soon had it subdued. Members of the fire department, with Chief Gannon, also arrived with the extinguishers. John A. Carlson kindly remained for a few hours to watch the fire, lest it should blaze forth again. The thanks of Mr and Mrs Smith are extended to each one who helped, Thursday morning.

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Last Friday night the Bethel teams went home sadly disappointed for the Hawley school teams had proven to be too strong for them. The Hawley lassies, after a snappy game, won by a score of 25-11. The Hawley boys played their snappiest game so far of the season and the game was close and exciting. Several times the score was a tie. The final score was 26-21 in favor of our boys.

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Mr and Mrs E.M. Peck entertained the bi-monthly Euchre Club at their home, Saturday evening.

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Mr and Mrs A.W. Minor of Bridgeport and Mr and Mrs Henry W. Blackman of New Britain were guests of Mr and Mrs Stanley Blackman, Sunday.

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Henry B. Hawley, the real estate and insurance man of 46 White street, Danbury, has just sent to this office a desk calendar for the new year. The general insurance business will be under the name of Hawley & Bristol, Henry B. Bristol being taken into the firm. Any kind of insurance will be attended to promptly.

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Master Earle Meyers, son of Mrs Grace Meyers, of the Glen, was given a birthday party on Sunday in honor of his 12th birthday. A birthday cake bearing 12 candles and 12 lollypops was the center of attraction.

January 26, 1900

The January meeting of the Men’s club at the home of Rev G.T. Linsley, Tuesday night, proved one of the most enjoyable gatherings the club has had since its organization. Rev Otis W. Barker was the essayist, giving an able and clear presentation of the English-Boer war. At the close of the evening’s exercises, the members had the pleasure of looking over the plans of the proposed library building.

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The appeal of Robert Beers of Waterbury from the decision of Judge Bradley in removing him as administrator on the estate of W.H. Beers has been withdrawn and John J. Northrop, who was appointed to succeed Beers, has qualified.

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DODGINGTOWN AND VICINITY: Mrs Elizabeth Barnum has been visiting friends in Bethel. | Mr and Mrs P.C. Durant and daughter, Miss Hazel, of Danbury, passed Sunday the guests of Mr and Mrs Lorenzo Durant. | Mrs John Wood of Bethel has been the guest of her parents, Mr and Mrs Lorenzo Durant. | Mr and Mrs A.E. Bevans of Bethel have been the recent guests of Mr Bevans’ parents. | Miss Minnie Reed of Bridgeport is visiting her grandmother, Mrs Mansfield, at Andrew James’. | Mrs Daniel Davis and daughter, Miss Bertha, of Easton have been the recent guests of Mrs E.E. Ferry.

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“Steeple Jack,” C.T. Berry, Jr, of Millerton, N.Y., the famous painter of lofty church spires and roofs, is in town, this week, treating shingle roofs to asphalt coating. He is stopping at the Grand Central hotel and has already covered the roofs of the Grand Central hotel, the buildings of John H. Blackman and Selectman Glover. Many people have read of Steeple Jack’s exploits, but few about here have seen him or his men work. Mr Berry has been in the business for 18 years. At the age of 12 years, Berry ran away from home and became apprenticed at the slating trade. One day, he climbed an iron smoke stack and the feat attracted the attention of people who wished work done at high points on stacks, etc. This caused him to go quite extensively into the dangerous work, and after a time he took contracts requiring the services of several men.

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One night last week Joe Buzzer’s clothes on the line were not quite dry enough to bring in and they were left out. In the morning the clothes were found missing, having all been taken in the night.

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.