February 4, 2000

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER of Gail Matthews.

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EDITORIAL INK DROPS — NO TIME FOR HIBERNATION: This stretch of mid-winter is usually the time when people start grasping for diversions to quell their cabin fever. The desperation led us once again to gather around groundhogs this week to see if they cast shadows, heralding six more weeks of winter. In Newtown, however, there are far more interesting things to focus on. The budget-making season is formally under way. Instead of the usual shuffling of papers and spreadsheets between department heads and administrators as a prelude to a vote on a make-do, marginally-more-expensive town budget in May, this year there are big changes afoot. If the town budget were our personal budget, this might be the year that the family buys a new house and a new car, while increasing the kids’ allowances (or is it now the limit on their credit cards?). Newtown has a lot to think about this winter.

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Tina Griesse, the mother of two Head O’Meadow students, came to Newtown from a Californian school district, and knows how bad things can get. The school system did not have a physical education teacher; classroom teachers moonlighted as art and PE instructors, and there was one music teacher who traveled between schools. She understands the sense of urgency in recent weeks that many Newtown parents have shown through outspoken support for the 5/6 school and addressing the district’s space needs. “You cannot let this get to the point where you wake up one morning and ask ‘how did we get here,’” she said recently. Indeed, there is a growing feeling in many Newtown parents that it is time to take the school system’s concerns about space constraints and expenditures seriously and channel some money into the district.

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State police have been interviewing the friends and associates of the late Mark F. Rebong in seeking to learn who might have shot the 28-year-old Newtown man in Danbury while he was on his way to work January 17. State police detective Sergeant Warren Hyatt said this week the interviewers seek to establish facts that will lead investigators to learn why Mr Rebong was shot and how the incident occurred. Investigators have interviewed about 200 people overall, including about 125 motorists on Interstate-84, in seeking to learn the circumstances of Mr Rebong’s death.

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In New Haven on Wednesday, the Police Commissioners Association of Connecticut presented Castle Meadow Road resident Don Butler with its Meritorious Service Award. Mr Butler pulled neighbor Jerry Iodice from the wreckage after Mr Iodice flipped his jeep on Castle Meadow Road last July. Seconds after Mr Iodice was pulled from the jeep, it burst into flames. The crash occurred practically at the end of Mr Butler’s driveway, and thankfully he was on his porch, eating lunch, and was able to react as quickly as he did.

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In her four year indoor track career, Janelle Tracy has rarely lost in the dash … which would explain why she was a picture of calmness just moments before winning her fourth consecutive South-West Conference 50-meter dash championship last Saturday at Staples High School in Westport. … Tracy won the 50-meter dash title with a time of 6.7 seconds (a new meet record) — about a half second ahead of [a New Milford runner] — and made it a clean sweep with individual titles as a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior.

January 31, 1975

“Forum on 25” concluded when Environmental Study and Protection Inc President Seth O.L. Brody stated that, on the basis of the information presented, ESP was firmly against a new Route 25 in Newtown. He urged the people filling the Alexandria Room in Edmond Town Hall for the January 26 meeting to “weight the costs, make a decision and make it known.” ESP vice-president Kurt Schneider wrapped up the findings of the afternoon with a rhetorical presentation of the pros and cons of the proposed route. The “pros” Mr Schneider named included the seven minutes travel time commuters would save, the benefits the trucking companies would enjoy and the large profits that land owners and speculators would reap.

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The Newtown Assessor’s office has released figures for the 1974 Grand List, which reflect a three per cent increase over last year’s total taxable net assessments. Assessments on taxable real estate, motor vehicles and personal property came to $172,228,072, up from a total of $167,195,129 on the 1973 Grand List. Taxable net figures for real estate and motor vehicles increased slightly: real estate from $136,324,872 to $141,581,826; and motor vehicles from $13,518,668 to $15,484,910. The taxable net figure for personal property, however, showed a decrease from $17,357,589 on the 1973 Grand List to $15,161,336 on the 1974 Grand List.

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David Larson and Judith Furlotte were cited as the Outstanding Young Man and Woman in Newtown last Saturday evening at the annual dinner sponsored by the Jaycees. The awards were presented by First Selectman Frank DeLucia before an audience of about 125 people at the banquet room of the Holiday Inn, Danbury. … In addition to this award on Saturday evening, Mr and Mrs Larson became the parents of a baby boy 24 hours earlier thus making it quite a week-end for the Larson family.

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It’s June in January for 36 Newtown High School students. They graduated on January 24, one semester earlier than the traditional commencement. They represent about 12 per cent of the Senior Class and most want to get a taste of the working world before continuing their formal education. “I need a break” or “I can save some money before going to college in the fall” are the most common reasons for leaving school in the middle of a New England winter. Since their prospective jobs will be temporary, few college-bound students seem worried about finding employment; anything that pays will do, no matter how dreary. Working in itself will be a refreshing change from the routine of study, and most early graduates recognize that they will welcome and appreciate school again in the fall.

January 27, 1950

Confronted with the problem of providing additional space for the town offices to meet the expansion which is inevitable with the continued growth of Newtown, the Board of Managers has employed Jerome P. Jackson, architect, of Sandy Hook to draw plans for a two and one-half story addition in the southern corner of Edmond Town Hall just back of the room now used by the Selectmen and the Town Court. The money to pay for this addition is now available from the receipts of the motion picture theater which is operated under the direction of the Board of Managers.

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The annual meeting of The Women’s Federation of the Newtown Congregational church was held in the Church House, Tuesday, January 19th. The president, Mrs James Forbes, presided. After a brief message, followed by prayer, the minutes of the previous meeting were called for, and were approved as read. Annual reports of treasurer and committee chairman were read and accepted. A rising vote of thanks was given the equipment committee, Mrs Julia Aiken, Mrs Paul Cullens, Mrs Ranwick Brown, Mrs William Hunter and Mrs Sarah B. Mitchell, for their excellent work. By a unanimous vote they were elected to serve another year.

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In planning for the 1950 season, Town Players has departed from its usual custom of play selection. Several weeks ago, a poll among the associate members was conducted, and the resulting opinion now served as a guide to the new season. Confronted with the tremendous task of thoroughly studying all the plays suggested, the play reading committee finally selected 71, and this number was finally reduced to 16 considered suitable. … The five most popular plays, according to the survey, were: Stage Door, by Ferber and Kaufman; The Admirable Crichton, by J.M. Barrie; Craig’s Wife, by George Kelly; An Inspector Calls, by J.B. Priestly; and The Letter, by Somerset Maugham. The opening production will be The Admirable Crichton, to be presented in Edmond Town Hall auditorium on March 29th and 30th.

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At the regular monthly meeting on January 20 the Newtown Board of Education appointed a committee made up of Raymond Hall, Fred Carmody and Mrs Kenneth B. Smith to meet with the Visiting Nurse Association and discuss the need for a full-time school nurse. The Board approved PTA-sponsored dance classes to be conducted in the Hawley school auditorium. These classes will be conducted by Mr Newman of Danbury, who gave dancing lessons in the school last year.

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Mr and Mrs Albert S. Knapp spent Sunday in Flushing, LI, visiting her grandfather, who was celebrating his 85th birthday.

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Mr and Mrs George Knapp of Queen street are the parents of a daughter, born on Saturday at the Danbury hospital.

January 23, 1925

EDITORIAL INK DROPS: The sad fatality of Sunday night, which resulted in the snuffing out of the life of one of our promising young folks, suggests the lack of this community in properly supplying a place for those of the young generation in which to play. C.B. Taylor, in giving Taylor field, provided for a place for outdoor sports in the summer. But what Newtown also needs is an ample community house for winter dances and social functions, under capable supervision, and a field on one of our numerous hillsides near the center of the town, where the young people might coast with pleasure and safety. The state roads, now constantly filled with autos in the winter season, make coasting on the highways perilous and so the young people are forced onto sidewalks and any place they can find. Rev G.H. Ekins has spoken out on this subject again and again. There is money enough in our community and town to erect a community house and to lease a side hill for winter coasting for youths. It is a question in which we are all interested whether or not we are blessed with children of our own. Let us unite and provide a place for our boys and girls to play in the winter time, and thus help to prevent a repetition of Sunday night’s fatality, which has cast a shadow over the hearts of us all.

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No fatality in recent years has so genuinely and deeply plunged the local community into mourning and sympathy for the afflicted family as the coasting accident on Sunday night, which took the life of one of Newtown’s brightest and most popular High school girls, Dorothy Cole, the daughter of Mr and Mrs Charles S. Cole, and granddaughter of Hon and Mrs William T. Cole, of the Borough. It appears that Dorothy had been spending part of the evening with her chum and schoolmate, Muriel Kiernan, and some time after 8 o’clock they went out to try the sliding, using Muriel Kiernan’s sled. They started in at a point near Dr Kiernan’s residence, then turned in front of the Methodist church onto the sidewalk and passed on in front of the Campbell and Betts residences, turning out in the highway near the Sandy Hook hotel, at a point where there was a rather open and unprotected sluice of the state highway. … The girls were later joined by three other high school students. Dorothy and a boy were on the sled, evidently going at a rapid clip over the ice, and when near the sluice Dorothy either miscalculated or lost control and the sled made for the sluice. Dorothy struck the top of the sluice box, a large stone, with her chest … As it was dark [the others] did not know who was injured, but as Dorothy did not arise, they ran up and discovered their friend apparently in an unconscious condition. … The group carried her into the Sandy Hook hotel. ... word was telephoned at once to Dr E.L. Kingman and Charles S. Cole, the father, who arrived at the hotel about the same time. Dr Kingman administered to the needs of the unconscious girl and she was conveyed at once to the residence of her father a quarter of a mile up the road. Dorothy lived about an hour. She regained consciousness and spoke to her mother and father before passing on to the Great Beyond. … Dorothy was 16 years old, a member of the senior class at the Hawley school, captain of the successful Girls’ Basketball team and easily one of the most popular girls in the school. … Dorothy is survived by her parents, a brother, William, and two sisters, Susie and Catherine. The funeral took place from St John’s church, Sandy Hook, on Wednesday at 1.30 p.m., Rev Dr R.H. Gesner, officiating. … The church was crowded, every seat being occupied and about 100 people standing in the side aisles and in the rear.

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Bethel High school came over to Newtown expecting to take back games as a trophy for their defeat the week before from the Hawley High school. In this they were disappointed, for the girls of the school cannot be beaten in their own class and the boys gave Bethel such a run that only the referee could stem the tide. The score in the girls game was 46 to 7, in favor of Newtown, and in the boys game, 20 to 19, in favor of Bethel.

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At a dinner at the home of Mr and Mrs J. Block of Botsford, on Sunday, they announced the engagement of their daughter, Beatrice, to Irving Fein of Long Island. Many out of town guests were there and all enjoyed a very pleasant evening.

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George L. Clark, a genial clerk at the Brick store, made his rounds through Hanover, Wednesday morning, with the faithful Ford. On the hills he had some trouble bucking the snow banks but finally covered his entire route without disaster.

February 2, 1900

Hon P.L. Ronalds has presented the Newtown Library Association with $50 for the fund for the library site. This handsome gift of Mr Ronalds is greatly appreciated. Mr Ronalds is now at Monte Carlo. He expects to return to Newtown in March, or June at the latest.

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Mrs John Farrell returned, last Friday, from Danbury, where she went to attend the funeral of her brother, Patrick S. Brennan, who died January 18. Mr Brennan was 43 years old and leaves a wife, one brother, Daniel Reardon of Danbury, and three sisters, Mrs John Farrell of Hawleyville, Miss Bridget Brennan of Peekskill, N.Y., and Mrs William Simpson of New York. He also has a father still living, Stephen Brennan of Ireland. Mr Brennan was a loving husband, a kind brother, and was respected by all who knew him.

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The Methodist people had a pleasant 10c supper and sociable, Tuesday night, at Ezra J. Hall’s. Games added to the interest of the evening.

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Mr and Mrs Aubrey and daughter of Derby have been passing a few days at Taylor’s hotel.

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They tell of a party of Sandy Hook fishermen who went fishing over South Britain way and came back with a cross-cut saw.

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Dr C.D. Hurlburt of Springfield, Mass., paid a call at The Bee office, Tuesday. Dr Hurlburt is a deacon in the Memorial church at Springfield, a prominent leading dentist of that city, and a former neighbor and friend of Editor A.P. Smith.

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Taylor, Curtis & Co, are offering a big drive in all-linen towels, two for 25c.

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It is reported the New England Dairy Co of New Haven has notified their patrons shipping milk from Hawleyville that they will not take their milk after February 1. Newtown shippers to this company fear the same treatment. It is suspected they are getting a supply nearer home. When their representative first came around after the milk he held out very tempting inducements, but they haven’t panned out quite up to expectations.

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.