March 15, 1991

The Newtown Shopping Center on Queen Street is cleaning up the north border of its property in hopes of luring a seven-screen cinema that could be built in a meadow behind the vacant A&P. Owner and developer Joseph Kasper is cutting trees and about to plant shrubbery at the far end of the center, which border the Wiehl family's vacant White Birch Inn. Richard Wiehl of Danbury says he has no plans to improve his site at this time. Cinema chains from Vermont and Ohio have contacted Mr Kasper about setting up a six-or seven-screen movie theater on three acres in the rear of the vacant A&P. He expects an offer to come within the next ten days, he said.

***

The state is suing Newtown for failing to comply with water pollution laws, after years of prolonged study on whether the town needs sewers and four state orders dating back to 1985. The suit asks the court to impose fines of up to $25,000 a day for up to five separate violations and compel the town to take the necessary steps to build sewers, from financing to full operation.

***

"Thanks A Million" will be the theme for the Persian Gulf victory party that will be held at the Flagpole intersection on Sunday, March 17, at 1 pm. The event is being organized by the support group for relatives of serviceperson in the Gulf. Plans for the event were announced this week by group spokesman Mae Schmidle. Special guests will include three servicepersons from the Gulf, and another veteran who is a winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

***

The Hawleyville and Newtown Hook & Ladder volunteer companies were called out at 10:01 am on March 8, to extinguish a fire that involved logs at the side of the road, on Mt Pleasant, across from Hilario's. Hawleyville Chief Edgar Beers said a state Department of Transportation crew had used chainsaws to cut trees, and then put them in a dump truck. After the crew noticed smoke and couldn't extinguish the fire it dumped the logs and the firefighters were called.

March 18, 1966

The entire proceeds of what promises to be an unusual and colorful evening's entertainment by the "United Nations Singers" will accrue to the newly created "Open Space Fund." This well-known group of folk singers will appear in their native costumes and offer folk songs from their homelands on March 19 in Edmond Town Hall, at 8:30 pm. Saturday evening's performance will mark the start of a concerted effort to make the open space program a reality in Newtown, as it is becoming in neighboring towns.

***

At its meeting on Tuesday evening, March 15, the Board of Education completed its review of the budget proposed by Superintendent John Sommi and voted to request $1,874,637 for its expenses in operating Newtown schools for the coming school year. This represents an increase of $302,862 over the current budget. Enrollment in October of 1966 is expected to reach 3,006. In October 1965, enrollment was 2,726.

***

The post offices in Newtown may have a rival operation in full swing at the Middle Gate School. Under the direction of Mrs Clark Page, her first graders have learned and set up a postal system which functions to the smallest detail. A letter drop is in the hall just outside the door, and an office is in the classroom to handle the flow of mail. A trip to the Newtown Post Office was one of the first steps in this project.

***

Once again this year, like many years, Hawley School will be holding its annual Science Fair. This fair is scheduled for April 13 and 14 in the Hawley gym. This special event, for the first time, is open to the entire school and a great number of students are expected to participate.

March 14, 1941

A delegation of Newtown people attended the meeting held on Thursday of last week in Hartford at the joint hearing of the Senate and House Committee on State Parks and Forests in an effort to have the State buy the 90-acre tract of land located in the Glen district and owned by Thomas F. Brew, for the purpose of developing the property as a State Park.

***

William Ryan, who is stationed at Fort Terry, Plum Island, passed the week-end at his home in Hanover district. The "genial" Bill is thoroughly enjoying Army life and wants his Newtown friends to know that when their turn comes to go in the draft, they need have no fear of Army life being a hard one. Bill says that every Friday is red letter day for him as his weekly copy of The Bee arrives on that day for him to read.

***

The Morris and Shepard bowling team meted out a neat drubbing to the Newtown Bees last Thursday evening at the local alleys. It was sweet revenge for the grocery store boys, who lost a hairline decision to the scribes earlier in the season. The third and deciding match will be bowled off in the near future - for which there is much training!

***

Farmers in the Newtown area are asked to come to the court room at the Edmond Town Hall on Saturday, March 15, for the purpose of filing orders for lime and super-phosphate. All farmers are urged to be on hand sometime during the day, so that their orders may be filed promptly with the Agricultural Conservation Committee.

March 18, 1916

Fire broke out around 2:40 am last Friday, completely destroying the wagon repair and blacksmith shop of C. Howard Bassett. Patrick Gannon, foreman of the fire department, hustled to the hose house, and started with the hose cart for the scene of the fire. The fire was under such headway it was impossible to save the building. A blizzard raging at the time of the fire made conditions intolerable. The building destroyed is somewhat of a landmark. For nearly 40 years the late Charles H. Gay carried on a wagon repair shop there. The front part of the building was originally the Methodist church and stood in Newtown Street on the present property of Mrs M.C. Hawley. Two automobiles were destroyed. A.P. Smith had a top carriage destroyed, which had been overhauled and repainted. Fortunately the adjoining property, the High school, the residence occupied by F.A. Harris and the St Rose's church property were not in much danger as the wind carried the sparks toward the creamery building.

***

Dr Kersey, the able dentist in the office of Dr McLaughlin, is meeting the wants of local people in the dentistry line and is being highly commended. It is some years since Newtown has had a resident dentist, and Dr McLaughlin has equipped an office second to none in the state.

***

The members of the Board of School Visitors were given a surprise when the word was received by Town Treasurer Wright that the state was holding back the state appropriation due the town for the support of the public schools. A representative of the State Board of Education made a visit to the district schools some time in January and met the members of the Board of School Visitors in conference, and made his report, which was not a flattering one, on the conditions of our schools. To cut off the town's appropriation without first giving the local board an opportunity to act on the recommendations, is not a policy which the writer believes will be commended by men of reason and sound common sense.

***

HATTERTOWN: What might have been a serious fire but for the timely arrival of neighbors occurred Friday afternoon at the home of Julius Urbanovsky when his smoke house, filled with meat undergoing the smoking process, caught fire and when discovered was burning furiously. Other buildings near caught fire but plenty of water and snow extinguished flames before any serious damage was done. The meat was badly burned and about spoiled.