February 17, 1995

The Junior Woman’s Club Science Discover Workshop on Saturday, February 11, attracted about 275 children eager to examine bugs, dissect owl pellets and make homemade rockets. More students showed up for the workshop this year than last year, which pleased the organizers because they were originally scheduled for Saturday, February 4, and canceled due to a snowstorm. Rescheduling had caused some families to cancel, but other families called hoping spaces would be open. The workshop, free to Newtown children, has become an annual event organized and paid for by the club. Duracell of Bethel this year gave a $500 grant to help pay expenses. The morning ended with all the student gathering together to watch Wester Connecticut State University chemistry professor Randy Kasack conduct a few experiments. He showed them alcohol-powered vehicles and blew up bottles and engineered a few other exciting mini-explosions.

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A wine and food tasting sponsored by Steve’s Liquor Store and Basil’s Restaurant will be held Sunday, February 19 at Basil’s, 91 South Main Street, at 2 pm. The tasting will match Robert Mondavi wines to the cuisine of Basil’s chef, Louis. Coastal Chardonnay and Cabernet as well as the highly acclaimed 1991 Robert Mondavi Reserved Cabernet will be featured. The tasting will include five courses and six wines. $50 per person including tax and gratuity. Reservations can be made at Basil’s at 270-9293.

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COLLISION AT THE FLAGPOLE: Police report an accident involving three vehicles at about 8 am on February 13 at the flagpole on Main Street. Police said a 1992 Chevrolet van driven by Gerald Benway, 29, of Hamden was southbound on Main Street. At the time, a 1989 Dodge Shadow driven by Annie Weiss, 59, of Poplar Drive, Sandy Hook, was attempting to make a left turn onto Main Street from Church Hill Road. A motorist in a non-contact vehicle which was southbound at the flagpole on Main Street signaled the Dodge to take the left turn. At that time, the van passed the non-contact vehicle on the right and the van and the Dodge collided. Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps transported Ms Weiss to Danbury Hospital after she reported leg pain. Police did not disclose the third driver’s identity. Police issued Mr Benway an infraction ticket for passing on the right and violating his driver’s license classification.

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It happens nearly every year. A homeowner cleans out the fireplace or woodstove, leaves the ashes in a container in the garage or on a porch, and a fire starts. Newtown Hook & Ladder Chief Steve Murphy reminds residents that ashes should never be left near the house, garage, or other structures. “We had an incident this week in which the homeowner left ashes in a bucket in the garage. A plastic shovel on top caught fire and melted,” he said. “The homeowner was lucky this time. Last year a garage burned down when ashes caught fire. There is never a good reason to leave ashes near a structure. Spread them outside in a garden or other area where they won’t do any harm.”

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Ten free white flowering dogwood trees will be given to each person who joins the National Arbor Day Foundation during February 1995. The free trees are part of the organization’s Trees for America campaign. To become a member and receive free trees, send a $10 contribution to “Ten Free Dogwoods,” the National Arbor Day Foundation, 100 Arbor Avenue, Nebraska City, NE 68410.

February 13, 1970

OPEN HOUSE: Town Players will have an evening of play reading and improvisations at their Little Theater on Orchard Hill Road this Saturday, February 14, at 8 pm. Refreshments will be served. Town Players will try a new one-act play by an area playwright and a short pantomime as part of the planned activities. General play readings will give everyone a chance to participate. All are cordially invited. David Brown would like to remind one and all that subscription tickets for the coming season are available. One ticket good for three performances is only $5.

The February seminar at Southbury Training School will be at Crawford Hall on Thursday, February 19, at 7:30 pm, featuring a panel discussion on “The Disadvantaged Child” moderated by Father Allen Norrell, St Rose curator. Friends and employees are cordially invited to attend and join in the social hour which will follow.

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Announcement was made to the members of the Newtown Historical Society at its Monday evening meeting that the Society has received a gift of the Blackman Homestead on Mount Pleasant. The gift was made by the late Mrs Henry W. Blackman, who made provisions in her will that after her death, that the house, barns, and two acres of land go to the Society. The Society will take possession on March 2, giving it for the first time a home of its own to be used for display of antiques or other purposes. The property is located at the corner of Blackman Road and Tunnel Road. The Blackman Homestead was built during the American Revolution, or thereabouts. For many years it was the home of Mr and Mrs Stanley Blackman who ran a successful farm there. Mr Blackman served with distinction as Newtown’s First Selectman, his terms running from 1932 to 1944. He is still well remembered by older citizens. Mrs Blackman, who was a generous and public-minded spirit, was born in Scotland, Conn., in 1888. In making the gift to the Society, Mrs Blackman expressed the wish that the property be instrumental in perpetuating the name and memory of the Blackman families. Before her death on October 12, 1969, Mrs Blackman made two gifts to the Newtown Forest Association: 3.7 acres of land in front of the house between Blackman Road and Route 6, and an isolated acre of land on Tunnel Road. This acre was cut off from the rest of the property when I-84 was built. Access is by a ramp off Tunnel Road.

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Plans for the Hook and Ladder Company’s dinner-dance Saturday night, February 21, at Hawley Manor Inn, have been completed. Committee members Stewart LaGrange, Lew Lewis, Chief Lee Glover and Lou Pelletier are confident that this will be an evening of fun. Although most members have sent in reservations, there are about 10 open at the present time. Cards should be set in no later than Monday, February 16.

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Mrs Clinton Hanover, an English teacher at the Booth Free School in Roxbury was suspended Monday morning February 10 at 8:50 am prior to the opening of the school day. Superintendent Dr Charles Northrup gave the reason as insubordination and said the suspension was pending termination of Mrs Hanover’s contract. Mrs Hanover has been refusing to say the salute to the Flag and is quoted as objecting to the phrase “liberty and justice for all,” contained in the pledge. The issue first came up on December 18, when Superintendent Northrup directed her to lead the pledge. At that time, acting on the advice of her lawyer, she wrote a letter to the Board of Education requesting a hearing. She received a verbal “no” to the request. Mrs Hanover has stated that she likes her children and in no way has she stopped her students from saying the pledge. At a recent school board meeting, there were questions from the audience indicating some awareness of the business concerning Mrs Hanover. Dr Robert McDonald, chairman, read the board’s policy on the Pledge of Allegiance. The policy reads that the pledge be included each school day. Dr Northrup will recommend to the school board not to renew Mrs Hanover’s contract. Mrs Hanover is quoted as saying, “I know the law is on my side. I plan to take it to court.”

February 9, 1945

In a letter to the editor of The Bee, Gustave W. Carlson of Englewood, N.J. reports having had a visit from one of the Benner boys who had a farm on the Housatonic River below the Robert Mitchell property. The farm was sold by the Benners just before the dam was built at Stevenson. Gus writes: “He has many pleasant memories of his time in that section. So have I.”

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A group of young people from Newtown Congregational Church, accompanied by Rev. Paul R. Lynn, will attend the eighth annual Young People’s Mid-Winter Conference to be held this weekend at United Church, Bridgeport. The program starts Friday afternoon, continues through Saturday and Sunday, and closes Sunday evening with the Candlelight Communion service.

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A Corsair 122, Marine Corps fighter-bomber, and only airplane to receive an official citation in the Pacific Theater, was welcomed home to the Chancer-Vought Aircraft factory in Stratford, with impressive exercises on Sunday afternoon. A throng of more than 20,000 attended. Major William E. Clasen, commanding officer of the “Devildog” squadron, flew the plane in, giving one of the most spectacular flight shows ever seen at the airport. Mr and Mrs Richard Hibbard, Paul S. Smith, Mary Starr and Scudder Smith attended, the plane being of particular interest to Mr Hibbard as it was the first plane upon which he worked when he started employment at the Chance-Vought factory. The plane has made 100 missions without once faltering or giving any mechanical trouble.

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Mr and Mrs Alfred Penovi of Sandy Hook have received word that their son, Alfred Penovi, Jr., T-5, is now in France, having recently been doing reconstruction work in England.

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Through the columns of The Bee, I wish to extend sincere thanks to the Sandy Hook and Newtown Fire Departments and neighbors and friends and all who assisted in any way at the fire that destroyed my home on Saturday morning. Also for the many expressions of sympathy. —STEPHEN J. KEANE

February 6, 1920

NEWS TERSELY TOLD: Archie Wallace of New York City visited his mother, Mrs Isabella Wallace, this past week. Master Ralph Wooster is on the sick list at this writing. Mrs G. M. Nevius attended an installation of the Fairfield county and Ridgefield grange officers, held in Ridgefield last Friday.

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Treat ‘Em Rough of Newtown will travel to Watertown Thursday night to play the fast five of Watertown. The Treat ‘Em Rough have not lost a game this season. There are a few fans going over with the boys, including Rodney Shepard, Frank Corbett, John Kelly, “Connie” Houlihan and Jack Lillis. The line-up for Newtown will be as follows: George Conger, “Duck” Lillis, Charles Platt, Fritz Ray, Joe Bantle, Elliott Platt. Treat ‘Em Rough played in New Milford two weeks ago and beat them, 18-20.

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Mrs Lillian Troy, principal of the Easton Academy, passed Sunday in her home in Botsford.

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Fred Mayer, who has been in Danbury Hospital for two weeks, expects to return to his home in Sandy Hook the last of the week.

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A. B. Klein is remodeling a barn on his recently purchased place on Gas Street.

Please consider sharing your old photographs of people and places from Newtown or Sandy Hook with The Newtown Bee readers. Images can be e-mailed to kendra@thebee.com, or brought to the office at 5 Church Hill Road to be scanned. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date.