March 5, 1993

Linda West tied her pet llama, Baby, to the railing outside Dunkin Donuts so she could go in for a cup of coffee on Monday, March 1. She said the walk to Queen Street from her Riverside home was the farthest the llama had ventured since arriving in Newtown several weeks ago. Ms West plans to take Baby on many walks around town so she can get used to people and commotion, which should help her in competitions at agricultural shows.

***

Newtown resident Chuck Fulkerson will discuss the many ways to be a writer at the C.H. Booth Library on Saturday, March 20, at 2 pm. The 30-minute program will be for children ages 6-12. Mr Fulkerson began his writing career as a journalist and has worked as a corporate publications editor, postal First Day Cover monograph writer, and advertising and sweepstakes copywriter. He has also illustrated articles and First Day covers. He is currently a copywriter at Reader's Digest. His first book, The Shawnee, a children's book on native Americans, was published last fall by Rourke Publications.

***

Newtown Historical Society will host a presentation by landscape designer Susan M. Resnick on Monday, March 8, at 8 pm. An Easton resident, Ms Renick will speak about the creation of a Victorian American Garden, illustrating her talk with slides. The program will provide insights into architectural features, plant materials, and the nuances of the 19th Century garden. The public is invited to attend this preview to spring.

***

Maria Gabriella Valle is visiting the United States for nine months as part of the International Ambassadorial Scholarship Program provided by the Rotary International Foundation. Last Monday she spoke to the Newtown Rotary Club about her background and how she came to participate in the exchange program. Dr Valle finished her 13 years of education in Pavia, Italy, before entering the University of Pavia for a six-year curriculum to become a medical doctor. Once graduated she started her training in ophthalmology. She knew of the reputation and progressive work being done at the Yale Eye Clinic, so she applied for a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship to the New Haven institution.

***

To the Editor: I am writing in regards to the Donkey Basketball game that is being held at the High School March 10. I support efforts to raise money for needy students, but what I question is the event being used to do it. In preparing our children for the future we must instill in them a responsibility for their own welfare but also the welfare of others, including animals. Raising money for their future with an event that jeopardizes their safety and promotes the degradation and humiliation of animals is not the right message. In the age of heightened awareness for the environment and the world we live in, I would think there are more responsible ways to raise money. Show the school administration and students that you care and are willing to help in a responsible manner by boycotting the game, and instead make a donation. Sandy Scheibel, Norwalk.

March 8, 1968

HELP TO 97: No, that 97 is not a date. It's the number of military Newtown families helped by the Red Cross in the months of 1967. Add to that the 217 pints of blood donated here during the year. There you have the two major reasons your contributions to the Red Cross should be bigger than usual this year. Make checks payable to the American Red Cross and mail them to Frank Scinto, Chairman, PO Box 68 Newtown, 06470.

***

The bad weather last Thursday postponed the presentation of a special award to Miss Virginia Houlihan which was to take place during the Democratic caucus in the Edmond Town Hall Alexandria Room. Announcement was made of the plaque at this time, however, with the award being made on Monday afternoon by Rosenthal Democratic Town Committee Chairman Jack Rosenthal. The plaque read, "Presented to Virginia Houlihan in recognition of her many years of outstanding service to the Town of Newtown and the Democratic Party. Democratic Committee, February 29, 1968." Miss Houlihan has served for the past eight years on the town committee and for ten years as a registrar of voters.

***

Many calls of concern have reached The Bee lately regarding the site preparation at the location of the new high school, and removal of gravel from the area. To date the entire operation is legal and supervised by architects and engineers and members of the town's permanent building committee. The area being cleared is still one foot higher than specifications to allow room for the work of the crew who will put in the footings. Site preparation is being done by D'Addario Construction Services, low bidder of seven on the job. The contract, which commits $239,000, was put out to bid in order for the town to be eligible for one-half payment from the state, thus sidelining any plans the building committee had for selling the gravel while negotiating the site preparation.

***

Town Players of Newtown's annual dinner dance brought 80 Players and friends to the Alexandria Room on Saturday evening, March 2. Eight long tables awaited the guests, each with a welcoming committee of March's symbols, the lion and the lamb, at its center. Mary Bohn, Player and artist, created cut paper beasties with the help of others on the dinner committee. Simba himself, not quite as large as life, guarded the stage. It was a fine evening, from the first bite of Marni Wood's delectable food to the last note of music from the Ed Simaldi Quartet. New Players and longtime regulars had on their dancing shoes and "a good time was had by all."

***

The Hawley School PTA meeting on February 28, was Mother-Child Fun Night. Mrs J.L. Blomquist, president, opened the evening for grades 3 and 4 in the auditorium. Announcements were made for the narcotics program at the end of March, sponsored by the Newtown PTA Council at the high school cafeteria. The next meeting will be March 19, in the auditorium. The program will be presented by Miss Marjorie Hobbs, school psychologist.

March 12, 1943

The Bee is in receipt of a religious "Verse Card" designed and executed by Henry Piering of High Watch Farm in Cornwall Bridge. Mr Piering is well known in the art field, having designed wallpaper for such nationally known manufacturers as York Card & Paper Company, William Campbell Company, and also painted parchment for Will and Baumer Company, and many others. Mr Piering has received a great deal of comment on his novel ideas. The "verse card" as well as the branch of a birch tree in the form of a V kindly sent to the editor by GR O'Neill of High Watch Farm, now adorn the Editor's office. The Bee is indeed, grateful to Mr O'Neill and Mr Piering for their thoughtfulness. We are happy to be so favored.

***

A card received at The Bee office from Mrs Walter Hickman of North Amityville, L.I. reports: "Everything going along very nicely here." Mrs Hickman states that she is working ten hours a day as an engineer's aide at the Grumman Aircraft factory on the planes which are being produced for our fighting forces.

***

March 4, four degrees below zero. A continuous blanket of snow. Fifty robins swooped down on us. They picked clean the barberry bushes and thanked us for peanuts, sunflower seed and cracked corn spread for the other birds but were barely polite in their rejection of the rye, millet and other bird seed bought from an enterprising salesman. -A Subscriber.

***

The committee in charge of the local thrift shop announces the shop's reopening on Saturday, April 3, the shop having been closed during the months of February and March, due to gas shortage. The committee would like very much to replenish the stock, and therefore would appreciate clothing donations, china, jewelry, furniture, and shoes. Anyone having any of the above-mentioned articles to give, may leave them at the Hawley Manor any day of the week.

March 8, 1918

Homer Roberts was arraigned before justice P.H. McCarthy Saturday for failure to pay his personal tax. Roberts told a hard luck story of not having enough food for his family, stock, etc. Justice McCarthy continued the case and referred it to Selectman Brisco for investigation. On Wednesday Henry B. Tucker and William H. Tucker of Danbury were brought before Justice McCarthy for failure to pay their personal tax. They claimed to have receipts at home. Their cases were continued for a week to give them time to produce them. The arrests were made by Deputy Sheriff M.D. Beers.

***

Clyde Fowler in France. February 6, 1918. Dear Uncle Ed: I have just received your letter of December 23 and was very glad to hear from you. Don't kick if you don't have sugar for your coffee. You shouldn't mind a little thing like that; our coffee sometimes has neither milk or sugar and I have learned to like it better that way. I am mighty glad you sent a box and I am watching for it every day. I received the paper you sent me and was certainly glad to see an American paper again. My pal whose home is in Bridgeport, enjoys them as much as I do so we go 50-50. Send all the papers you can and write as often as you can. Your loving nephew, Clyde Fowler.

***

That popular and valued citizen L.C. Morris, has been confined to the house for a few days with a sharp attack of the grip. Dr F.J. Gale has attended him.

***

A bunch of Newtown young men chartered Frank Banks's new Studebaker car, Thursday night, and motored to Bridgeport to witness the basketball game between Norwalk and the Blue Ribbons, the score being 37 to 19 in favor of the Blue Ribbons. Included in the party were Frank Corbett, John Leavy, William Hayes, Josiah Tilson, Postmaster Robert Bradley, Harry and Edward Bradley.

***

There will be another of those old-fashioned dances at the Dodgingtown fire house on March 15, with music by Bevans three-piece orchestra. Tickets gentlemen, 50c. No refreshments.

***

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.

[naviga:img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-307620" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/way-we-were-March-2-20182.jpg" alt="way we were - March 2, 2018 -- Shpunt & Mead 1982 WATERMARKED" width="800" height="730" /]

Jack Shpunt and Marion Mead hold their OCN plaques engraved with the Newtown rooster. The writing says, "Outstanding Citizen of Newtown." No date is provided, but just above Mr Shpunt's thumb is what appears to be 1982.

-Bee file photo