March 29, 1996

A small army of bright yellow earthmoving machines is clambering across a verdant hillside on the Fairfield Hills grounds, near the Pootatuck River. These powerful machines will be used by workmen building the central component of the town’s sewer system — a wastewater treatment plant... The million gallon per day sewage treatment plant will be used by both the town and by state facilities located at Fairfield Hills.

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Only a handful of people turned out Tuesday evening for the first public hearing on the proposed $50.3 million municipal/school budget for 1996/97. Most urged that cuts be made in spending but none mentioned the largest budget increase — $3.5 million in debt service, mostly for proposed school projects. Instead, most of the speakers targeted the $40,000 expenditure for the hiring of a town personnel director. And they urged that overall spending be reduced.

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To address the issues posed by continuing construction of new houses in Newtown, the town will hold a “Community Forum on Residential Development in Newtown” in May. The forum will bring together a range of town officials, as well as a realtor and a developer to publicly discuss the issues posed by the residential construction boom.

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Legendary North Carolina State University basketball coach Jim Valvano’s “Never Give Up” message set the tone on Sunday night, March 25, as the Newtown High School boys’ basketball program assembled to celebrate the winningest season in school history. The night’s guest speaker was Newtown resident and St Rose basketball coach John Quinn, who played for Valvano at Iona College and later coached alongside of him... “I learned a lot from Jim, not only about basketball, but about life,” [he said.]

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There were plenty of “oohs” and “aahs” to be heard last Saturday morning at Newtown High School for the Newtown Junior Women’s Club’s annual Discovery Science Fair. Newtown elementary school student’s filled the school’s cafeteria with their various science contraptions and experiments, demonstrating and explaining them to interested parents, teachers, and friends... Each student who participated in the non-competitive science fair received a ribbon of recognition.

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Richard and Jaclyn Krekorian found buried treasure under layers of paint and small patches of wallpaper in the dining room of their 1890s Dodgingtown home. Their discovery? Wall murals. The mural in the best shape, a landscape, will be restored with the help of fine arts painting conservator Christiana Cunningham-Adams of Newtown... The mural was painted directly on plaster wall and appears to be oil, rather than tempera... because of the types of cracks exhibited.

March 26, 1971

The second phase of the widening of Route I-84 will be discussed at a public hearing on Tuesday, March 30, while plans are still in the “design” stage. The section of road to be discussed starts about 1,500 feet northeast of Philo Curtis Road in Newtown and extends northeasterly to Ichabut Road in Southbury, a distance of about 2.5 miles in all. This will complete the widening of the road and eliminate the accident-prone section which provides only a single lane each way.

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POW Letter Writing Rally At High School, March 28; Jaycees Get Overwhelming Response Asking Humane Treatment of Prisoners: The Newtown Jaycees report they have been overwhelmed by the response of Newtown residents and citizens of other neighboring communities as they collected over 500 individual letters in a five-hour period on Friday and Saturday of last week. In addition, several hundred petition signatures were being recorded at the same time in other locations. The Jaycees indicate that Newtowners are not just mechanically signing the letters and giving the 25 cents for postage, but are indicating that “we’ll see you at the rally.”

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The brush dump on Philo Curtis Road is closed temporarily, First Selectman Timothy Treadwell has announced. Newtown residents may take their brush, stumps, rubble, and such demolition materials to an area on Route 202 near the Bethel line.

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Earth Action Week will be observed in Newtown with a program of discussion and exhibits by the many organizations in town concerned with improving the environment. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters, it will be Wednesday, April 21, at 7:30 pm, in Trinity Church Undercroft.

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The Conservation Commission, meeting Monday night at the Congregational Church House, came out strongly against aerial all-town spraying of gypsy or linden moths. It not only could be harmful, but it gives the property owner no choice... They suggested selective spraying where it is deemed necessary and advisable... On the bright side, the Commissioners reported, the moths, even in such quantities as experienced last year, do not necessarily kill the trees.

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The public is reminded of a tag sale, which the Newtown Historical Society is holding on Saturday (10am-4 pm) at the Belden House on Main Street, opposite the Newtown Savings Bank... The Society also invites the public to an open house on Sunday afternoon (1 to 4 o’clock) at the Belden House. Ed Storrs and Joe Wupperfeld will have on display interesting exhibits on the war maneuvers held in Newtown in 1912.

March 22, 1946

Those who in past years have seen the Sacred Lily of India, which blooms every spring at the home of Mr and Mrs William M. McKenzie of Queen Street, will be interested to know that it is about ready to bloom again. The bulb is now eight years old and this will be the fifth time it has blossomed. This year it was slow in starting, but grew about 19 inches from Saturday morning to Wednesday morning.

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A special meeting of the Sandy Hook Free Public Library Association will be held at the home of Miss Anna May Betts, on Friday, March 29, at 8 pm, to elect directors caused by vacancies, and to talk over the general condition of the library and the meeting of various committees.

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George Jackson returned home last week from a motor trip which took him through the South and out to the West Coast, where he reports finding conditions “crowded.”

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The editor of The Bee was flattered with a phone call from a friend on Wednesday, who had just received a letter from a relative visiting Orlando, Florida, where he had met a number of Connecticut people — all of whom, he said, seemed to know and read The Newtown Bee. With 6,000 subscribers, The Bee’s friends, we conclude, are not only numerous but widely scattered — especially in Florida during this part of the year.

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Warning is given that permits are now required before fires can be started in the open. This applies throughout the town of Newtown, except within the Borough limits. This is the season for grass fires, most of which are the direct cause of someone’s carelessness. Smokers particularly, are reminded not to throw matches or cigarettes away, without extinguishing them first.

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Ralph Johnston of South Center District was taken to the Danbury hospital in the Bethel ambulance Tuesday morning, where he was treated for severe lacerations about the face and head when the car in which he was riding crashed into a pole and hit six fence posts on Route 202... Two other passengers in the car received slight leg injuries. The car itself was badly damaged. The front right wheel, mud guard, hood and right door were knocked off.

March 11, 1921

On Saturday evening, March 12, the Newtown All Stars will play the White Rose team of Bridgeport. Dancing will follow this game. Refreshments will also be served. Those who were present at the last All Star game will probably remember the good time they had and be present at the one on Saturday evening. Admission 20 cents.

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Representative Newton M. Curtis returned on February 28 from a few weeks stay in Florida. He was showered with congratulations on his return to Sandy Hook over the report that he was married. The popular bachelor denied the soft impeachment.

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The Hawleyville railroad station is now resplendent in a new dress of paint. For several years the buildings at this important junction station have looked frightfully dingy and dirty. Now in their new dress the buildings look as fresh and sweet as a June bride. But the public can always put up with a lot when they have an agent as polite and obliging as Jesse A. James.

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On Saturday evening NCS crossed nets with the fast Derby five in what proved to be one of the best games of the season. The visitors had some heavy fellows, together with plenty of snappy pass work and good shooting, but even so, our boys proved too much for them... The most exciting period was about five minutes after the game started, when Derby led by three points, but thanks to our speedy forwards, we were not held in suspense very long, for NCS soon took the lead and held it during the remainder of the game.

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The Crowe-Keane Button Company have been busy in the last three months, making extensive repairs on their factory, introducing new machinery and making changes. They started up, Wednesday, with a good sized force. They are now to manufacture buttons of a type used on overcoats and cloaks.

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Hattertown: Edwin Morgan is driving a new horse, which he purchased in Bridgeport. John McCormick and family of Bridgeport have moved into the Crofut place.

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