March 19, 1993

It wasn't a record storm in terms of snowfall - only 14 inches in this area - but Mel Goldstein of the Weather Center at Western Connecticut State University was still calling it the storm of the century. "We haven't had a storm of this magnitude in a long time, in terms of intensity, lost lives, and area covered," he said. More than 200 persons lost their lives because of the storm, he said. The lowest pressures ever were recorded from New York to Florida with barometer readings in North Carolina lower than during Hurricane Hugo. "Connecticut has had storms of higher winds, more flooding, and more snow, and storms that were of greater inconvenience. But the coverage of this one - when you look at that - Connecticut got off very easy." So far this month 28 inches of snow has fallen. The record snowfall for March was in 1956 at 43 inches. Dr Mel said he did not think we would break that record this year.

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So, what does Marie Sturdevant think of all the time she and her husband, Dick, have devoted to Newtown over the past 22 years? "You know," said Marie. "You don't think about it. If you did, you'd get tired. I think we just did it." Dick said it was very easy to get involved in this town, which has "and awful lot of community spirit. A lot of work gets done because it's fun." In relating the many community duties this energetic couple has done over the years, where does one start? A few years after moving to town in 1970, they both got involved with the Young Republicans. They later joined the Republican Town Committee. Dick served on Planning and Zoning, was an unsuccessful candidate for the Board of Selectmen, and now serves on the Police Commission. Marie is cochairman of the Newtown Scholarship Association, the Newtown Service Unit of the Salvation Army, and the Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers, and is cochairman of the mural fund for Edmond Town Hall. Summing up their involvement in Newtown, Marie said, "It's wonderful. We have a lot of wonderful friends here."

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The Danbury Area Computer Fair, Flea Market & Swap Meet scheduled for last Sunday, March 14, at Edmond Town Hall, was canceled due to the snowstorm. A new date has not been set yet, but organizers hope to reschedule in a few weeks. "We're shooting for April," said Neil Friend. "A lot depends on how booked up the town hall is."

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Police and fire officials are investigating a fire which they believed was deliberately set in a house under construction at 175 Walnut Tree Hill Road early Saturday morning, March 13. The fire, which caused damage estimated at approximately $1,000, was quickly extinguished by members of the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Company after it was reported at 4:54 am. "It was arson," said Police Chief Michael DeJoseph. "We have some leads we are following up." Sergeant Henry Stormer, also deputy fire marshal, said the incident is not believed to be related to a string of fires which occurred last year. The house on Walnut Tree Hill Road was being constructed by RJS Builders of Southbury. The fire burned a section of first-floor flooring and some framing.

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On Monday night, March 8, Newtown High School girls' basketball team members Sarah Wasko, Micaela Hurley, and Katie Lyddy were voted, by Western Connecticut Council coaches, to the conference's Al-Briggs Division team. Newtown senior Kate McCarthy received All-WCC honorable mention for the second straight season.

March 22, 1968

The state's decision to discontinue farming operations on the 683-acre tract surrounding Fairfield Hills Hospital earlier this year is well known to Newtown residents. Announcement of this decision was greeted by considerable apprehension, as it was feared the land would be sold or developed by the state. Following a meeting on March 18, the Board of Trustees at Fairfield Hills Hospital released, through the Conservation Commission, a resolution regarding preservation of the hospital's farmland as open space. The commission stands 100 percent behind the trustees in their resolve to preserve the integrity of this beautiful land. The Board of Trustees unanimously recommends that the integrity of the farmland be preserved. It also recommends that the land be declared open space and be preserved for the therapeutic uses of our patients or be made available for the development of programs for the youth of our state.

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The Garden Club of Newtown will have its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 26, at 1:15 pm at the library. The meeting is on plant propagation, "New Plants for Old," and will be conducted by the Horticulture Committee, under the chairmanship of Mrs Benjamin Cutler. Various committee members will participate in the panel and there will be open discussion and exchange of ideas. This type of meeting, now held annually, has become interesting and informative and members are looking forward to another satisfying session. A special exhibit of house plants will be held, as a practical presentation of the results of plant propagation.

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Records prior to 1961 and dating as far back as 1910 were uprooted from file drawers, pulled from shelves and retrieved from closets at Edmond Town Hall last Saturday as an all-out effort to clean house got under way. The project was born of desperation, said Barbara Parker, town clerk, as town offices were out of space for record storage.

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This coming Sunday is the fourth Sunday in Lent and is the half-way point in the Lenten Season. For the English people it is a day when they remember their parents and Sunday is in fact called Mothering Sunday. The traditions of this day started in medieval England and were centered around the Epistle for this Sunday. The Epistle is from the letter written by St Paul to the Galatians in which he refers to Jerusalem which is above as "the mother of us all." From that reference grew the custom of English people on the fourth Sunday in Lent making a pilgrimage to the Cathedral or Mother Church of the diocese.

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MIDDLE SCHOOL MUMBLINGS: Hello! Some people in Miss Paquin's math classes are studying codes and how to break them according to mathematics. In the 2C Wing display cases, there are items from Far East countries, including Japanese stuffed dolls, Japanese dishes, an incense box, a toy snake from China that was made in Japan, a puppet from Taiwan, and ceramic dolls. On Monday, Salom Rizk spoke to the Middle School. Mr Rizk wrote Syrian Yankee, his autobiography, which tells of his Americanization. He is an orphan from Syria. His book first appeared in "Reader's Digest."

March 26, 1943

The Newtown Bee The Bee's expanding list of subscribers, who now total more than 4,000.has the distinction of being the first paper in the state to publish the Washington Farm Reporter column, which has been appearing on the back page for the last several weeks, attracting wide attention from

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A Sacred Lily of India is now in bloom at the home of Mr and Mrs W.M. McKenzie on Queen Street. The flower itself is over two feet long. This is the second year which the lily has blossomed. The bulb is now six years old, four years being required before blossoming. The McKenzies very generously invite anyone interested to call at their home to see this rare and beautiful flower.

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Mr and Mrs Fred Cole of Pine Street have received word from their son, Private Fred C. Cole, that he has been promoted to Private First Class. Private Cole enlisted last December in the radio division of the Army Air Corps and is now stationed at Scott Field, Illinois.

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At the Monday evening meeting of the Rotary Club, George Wiemann of Taunton district was guest speaker. Mr Wiemann, who for many years was connected with the coffee industry, gave an interesting talk on coffee and explained to the gathering ways of preparing this popular beverage.

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At a recent meeting of the officers of Newtown's Home Task Force Committee, it was decided to hold a public mass meeting devoted to the subject of Victory Gardens and dehydrating of fruits and vegetables. Moving pictures will be shown giving helpful instruction for those who consider themselves novices in gardening work. The films are being obtained from the Museum of Modern Art Film Library in New York City and are entitled, How To Dig" Sewing and Planting, and Hedging and Ditching.

March 22, 1918

Mrs G.W. Carlson opened her pleasant home Wednesday for a little gathering in honor of Miss Hazel H. Smith, who is expecting to enter the training school of nurses at the Danbury Hospital. Games and music were enjoyed and light refreshments served.

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Ex-Senator S.P. Glover was out walking, Wednesday, in Sandy Hook, and was cordially greeted by his many friends.

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A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN: MISS KELLY TELLS HOW LYDIA E. PINKHAM'S VEGETABLE COMPOUND RESTORED HER HEALTH: "For about three years I suffered from nervous breakdowns and got so weak I could hardly stand, and had headaches every day. I tried everything and was seeing a physician for two years. A friend had used Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound and told me about it. From the first day I took it I began to feel better and now I am very well. I have been recommending the compound ever since and give you my permission to publish this letter. -Miss Flo Kelly, Newark, N.J.

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Sergeant Johnson, who recently returned from the trenches in France, will address the Republican club on Friday night at the Newtown Inn. Mr Walker of Bridgeport will sing. A full attendance of members is desired.

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F.A. Hull & Son of Danbury seems to be growing in size and scope constantly, and the latest indication of this is the addition to their hardware and plumbing business of a "key, cone and repair" department which will make a specialty of the manufacture and repair of hatters' copper cones, and mechanical repairs of all kinds. George E.T. Travis has joined the Hull organization, as manager of the new department, and a new and up-to-date set of machinery and other equipment is being installed. The Hull firm expects that its new department will do a big business.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 wp-image-309970" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/way-we-were-March-16-2018-Whalon-Polgar-1984.jpg" alt="way we were - March 16, 2018 -- Whalon & Polgar 1984" width="600" height="865" /]Paul Whalon, left, and Sue Polgar are trying on hats at a 1984 Democratic Town Committee fundraiser, according to information on the back of this Bee file photo.