April 5, 1996

Last Saturday morning’s public hearing on the town’s proposed $50.3 million budget brought out more residents than in recent years, but most people in the audience directed their comments at a larger issue than next year’s spending: the boom in residential development and its demands on public services.

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The State Department of Transportation (DOT) has scheduled the start of construction on the oft-delayed Fairfield Hills bypass for the spring of 1997. But that goal will only be met if all the pieces of the road planning process fall properly into place, according to DOT road engineers... The planned road is seen as a way to improve traffic flow between Route 25, Interstate 84, and Route 34, thus relieving heavy truck traffic through the center of town.

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Police patrolman Gary Wheeler, 44, was driving police patrol car No. 10 northbound on Hattertown Road just north of Hundred Acres Road at about 2:30 pm, Wednesday, when the cruiser drifted to the right, went off the northbound road shoulder, hit three guard posts, rolled down an embankment, hit a stone wall and then came to a rest at the bottom of a gully with a stream running through it...The accident is under investigation.

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Town Clerk Cindy Curtis does not want the Charter Revision Commission to change her job from an elected to an appointed position... Responding to suggestions made by several town officials at recent Charter Revision Commission meetings that the town clerk be appointed, Ms Curtis said she is concerned that the position should remain bipartisan. If it becomes an appointed position, it could become very political, she said.

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Baseball at NHS will enter into a new era this spring as it begins play in the South-West Conference under the tutelage of two fine baseball men, Dan Winsett and Al Borchetta. The duo is succeeding 13-year skipper Tony Urban, who resigned after the conclusion of last season’s 12-10 campaign, in which the Newtown nine advanced to the WCC semifinals before losing to eventual champion, Immaculate.

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When it came to high school golf in the now defunct Western Connecticut Conference, the decade of the nineties was nearly owned by coach Jim Casagrande and the Newtown High lads who captured conference championships in three out of five years and finished a close second in the other two. This spring will mark the advent of the new South-West Conference, but it looks like not much else will be new. Last year’s Indians played to a record of 14-3 and were winners at the WCC Tournament but placed second in the conference to Weston. This year, returning its three best players, Newtown looks to regain its throne.

April 2, 1971

Newtown police, under the direction of Resident State Trooper James Costello, and members of the Narcotics Squad of the Criminal Intelligence Unit of the Connecticut State Police arrested eight persons in a drug raid in a home on Aunt Park Lane... Confiscated in the raid were approximately $15,000 worth of marijuana and controlled drugs and smoking pipes found in various parts of the house. Sgt Costello said the raid was the result of “information and surveillance.”

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It was billed as a hearing and one can only hope that those who have the power to moderate the plans for the reconstruction of I-84 really did hear. Almost forgotten, but only temporarily, in the urgency of the danger to 80 homes, was one of the main reasons for the relocation, the need to eliminate the accident-prone stretch of I-84. Many came early to the 8 pm hearing to talk individually with state highway representatives, some to learn for the first time from the big map on the lobby wall that their homes were to be taken with the highway widening. By far, the most difficult problem is the so-called Diamond Interchange between I-84 and local roads... First Selectman Timothy Treadwell, speaking for his board, asked the Bureau of Highways to “investigate the feasibility of moving the proposed diamond connector somewhat to the west...”

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The League of Women Voters’ environmental control project has arranged to have a trailer parked at the sanitary landfill on Route 34, Mondays through Fridays, 8 am to 4:30 pm, and Saturdays, 8 am to 4 pm. It’s for a trial period only. The purpose is to have a place where bundled or tied newspapers can be brought by townspeople interested in doing something about their environment.

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A fire of unknown origin in the auditorium of the Newtown Middle School is being investigated by Deputy Fire Marshals Joseph Cavanaugh and George Lockwood, school authorities, and Newtown police. The fire, which was reported at 3:35 pm, Tuesday, March 20, was in the stage area of the auditorium and involved an American flag, an electrical control booth that was enclosed in a wooden area, stage framing, and part of the stage curtain... Firemen report that it appeared the flames reached the ceiling... Chief Lee Glover credits the fact that the fire was reported immediately and also the work of school custodians and faculty members in containing the blaze with hand fire extinguishers before the firemen arrived as being two of the major factors in keeping the fire damage down.

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On March 26 the children in the ungraded primary classes and grade 4 at St Rose School gave programs for their parents that showed what the students had been learning in their winter gym program. Mrs Linda Dirga was their instructor, and during the cold months she taught the children square, round, and folk dancing, exercise drills, and gymnastics stunts including work on the balance beam, horse, and mini trampoline.

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Wildlife protection became a community project when Conservation Officer James Jones enlisted the aid of a local merchant, students, and a faculty member at the high school to make nesting boxes for wood ducks. The program was started when it was discovered that the wood duck population was diminishing because the duck was being killed off either by predators or commercial hunters. Also the ducks’ natural nesting places are in hollow trees and in some areas where they are not abundant, nesting areas that are safe have to be supplemented.

March 29, 1946

After the forced cessation of the war years, an effort is now being made by its officers to revive the Newtown Orchestral Society, which for ten years was an active and potent force in fostering good music throughout this part of the state. It is hoped and expected that friends of the orchestra will rally to its support in sufficient numbers to permit Mario Di Cecco, the conductor, to launch plans now for three concerts to take place in June, August, and September.

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Newtown will be provided with piped city gas on or before December 1 of this year, according to an announcement just made by James L. Stone, president of the Danbury and Bethel Gas and Electric Light Company... In Newtown the gas line will follow Main Street from below the Newtown Country Club to Route 6 leading to Danbury. Work is expected to begin very soon laying the pipe line.

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A meeting of the sheep growers of Fairfield County is being arranged for Friday evening, April 5, at Pohtatuck Grange Hall at 5 o’clock. This is the first such county meeting to be held in Newtown, and all interested in the subject of sheep are invited to attend... John Bergh of Great Ring Farm in Sandy Hook is president of the Connecticut Sheep Breeders Association, and knowing the value of the program to be presented, he urges all present and prospective sheep growers to attend next Friday night’s meeting.

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Recreation Director H.S. DeGroat is calling a meeting of both hardball and softball enthusiasts for next Monday evening at 8 o’clock in the Hawley School auditorium to take up the matter of a town hardball team, and also to see if there are enough players interested in a softball league.

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To acquaint Newtown taxpayers and other interested residents with the progress of plans for the enlargement and improvement of Hawley School, the building committee appointed by the Board of Education has asked for a public meeting which will be held in the Alexandria Room of the Edmond Town Hall on Friday evening, April 5th, at 8 o’clock. The plan under consideration... would provide six additional classrooms in a two-story structure, together with kindergarten, gymnasium, and accessory rooms, lockers, showers, etc. While the high school grades remain at Hawley School, however, classes will be crowded. When high school grades are moved to the Regional School, there will be one spare room under present conditions, with provision for two future classrooms when needed.

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Newtown’s Observation Post was dismantled and carted away Sunday from its lofty post on the Mayer property on Mt Pleasant Road. The building, sold some time ago to the late George Mayer, Sr, was bought from his estate by Louis Charbonneau, who will use the lumber to construct a garage. Another item in Newtown’s home defense, the large railroad tie suspended at the Hawleyville school, has been sold to M.J. Stevola Company of Danbury, bringing the munificent sum of $3.04 for the scrap iron. No outlet has yet been found for the town’s $600 collection of unused exhaust whistles. The large map at the Report Center will be used to advantage by the Fire Department.

March 18, 1921

At last, after many delays, disappointments and discouragements, “Newtown 1705-1918” the book, so eagerly looked for, is finished and it is expected that within a few days an installment by express will be received and distributions to subscribers commenced. When the work was begun, it was supposed that it would contain not more than 250 pages and could be sold for $3.00. It has grown to about 500 pages with 30 illustrations, and the price now asked it $5 with postage.

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An important real estate transaction took place this week, when Arthur M. Morse purchased the Beers place just south of the Newtown Savings Bank block. This is one of the oldest residence properties in the street. For years it was the home of David Beers, known to the boys as “Daddy Beers” and a famous lawyer in his day. The ell of the Beers house was formerly a store and stood between the Rectory and the Beers house. The store was conducted by Edward Starr and the writer as a boy often bought candy there.

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Last week, several of the boys of Sandy Hook met at “Mapleton” with Augustus Betts and the County Secretary and perfected the organization of a YMCA group. Arthur Knapp was elected president, Louis Jeckle was elected secretary and Edward Knapp, treasurer.

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All members wishing to try out for the baseball team of the Sandy Hook club are requested to report at Pine Grove park, Sunday afternoon. The ball field is in excellent condition, and if properly taken care of, will be equal to any field in this section.

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The cases of Michael Slonski and George S. Shea against James Corbett, manager of the Newtown Inn, are being bitterly fought in the Common Pleas court, Bridgeport, before Judge John R. Booth and a jury. Counsel for both sides were entering strenuous objections of much of the testimony. Slonski is asking personal damages of $2,000 and Shea asks $500 for damage to his car, which Slonski was driving. The defense is also trying to show that Slonski was not qualified by license to be operating a car in Connecticut at the time.

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Paul Stevens, who has been ill with pneumonia, had his side tapped and a gathering of pus removed, Wednesday. William Stevens, his father, is convalescing from pneumonia. One of the nurses left, Wednesday.

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