April 7, 1998

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER OF Joseph Chase.

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First Selectman Herb Rosenthal and a handful of town officials gathered outside the Gordon Fraser building Wednesday afternoon. They were not there to buy greeting cards or gift items, however. The store has been closed for four months. The men were there to get a better look at the building itself. The former Gordon Fraser, Inc, property at 173 South Main Street is on the market for $2.4 million and some town officials believe it might just be the answer to all Newtown’s municipal office space woes.

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The Legislative Council put its final stamp of approval on a proposed $59.3 million budget for 1998-99. Just one member of the council voted against the motion to approve the package. The funding request now heads to a referendum. The overall budget includes a $32 million Board of Education package and a $27.3 million package from the Board of Selectmen.

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Newtown resident Howard Lasher recently took some time off from his busy Wall Street schedule to pay a visit to some old friends at an inner city junior high school. Mr Lasher, a trader on the floor of the American Stock Exchange, dropped by New York City’s St Jude School two years ago to contribute funds after the school was robbed of money students had raised for an after school basketball program. Last month, he stopped in again, this time to put on a program entitled “Wall Street Comes To Washington Heights.”

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Two youths were arrested by police after allegedly setting a brush fire that burned about two acres off Kent Road Tuesday afternoon. According to police, the two 12-year-olds accidentally set the fire while playing with matches, got scared, then ran from the scene. Neither was referred to juvenile court, according to Phil Hynes, the department’s school resource officer. Firefighters from Hawleyville, Hook & Ladder, Botsford and Sandy Hook responded to the scene and managed to put out the fire within 15 minutes.

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Scores of children and their parents turned out at Dickinson Park last Saturday morning for the Newtown Fish and Game Club’s Annual Children’s Fishing Derby. The weather cooperated perfectly and so — rumor has it — did the fish.

April 13, 1973

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — MUCH APPRECIATION: Over the passage of time, significant milestones occur in businesses and in the lives of individuals. Such a milestone has just taken place at The Bee with the retirement of Mrs Anna Connors Winkle, who is leaving the staff after an exceptionally long period of employment dating back to the early 1920s. We cannot let this milestone pass without a sincere word of appreciation to “Annie,” who has contributed so much to this newspaper for so many years. Without betraying her age or our own, we recall school days in Newtown when we both graduated from high school in the same class. Shortly thereafter “Annie” joined The Bee staff, and since that date of so many years ago has taken an important part in the publication of each weekly issue of this paper. In a sense she has been a jack-of-all-trades, working as bookkeeper for a long period and then as linotype operator, proofreader, and at those myriad chores which fall to the staff members of a weekly newspaper. Through it all, “Annie’s” cheerful spirit, ready smile and unfailing optimism have been her constant stock-in-trade.

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A vicious fire destroyed a barn on the corner of Huntington and Meadowbrook Roads on what is still known as “the old H and F farm” on Sunday. The barn was owned by Mr and Mrs Arron Bernstein of Pine Tree Hill Road. Firemen were at the scene the entire night, back on Monday and Tuesday to check the ruins, and called out on Wednesday to put out the flames which had started up again. The cause of the fire is undetermined and under investigation by Fire Marshals.

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Mrs Marianne Corbo woke up Wednesday morning to see something bright and colorful in the woods behind her house, and on investigation found nine balloons tied together, five of them burst and the other four shrunken but still containing a little helium. Attached to each balloon was a tag reading “Please return to St John’s Lane Elementary School, Endicott City, Md., 21043. Reward for tag returned from the farthest distance.” There was no further explanation, but Mrs Corbo promises to let us know if she wins the reward.

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A New York-based corporation will seek to put a shopping center off Church Hill Road, the Planning and Zoning Commission learned at its meeting on Friday night, April 6. Representatives of Fairfield County Mall Corporation came to the meeting with some questions regarding road frontage and parking for the proposed 300,000 square-foot facility. The shopping center would, it was learned, contain a two-story department store — something along the lines of a J.C. Penney store — with retail stores in a one-story section of the same air-conditioned building.

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Members and friends of the Newtown Historical Society saw the fashioning of two pieces of silver, a coffee pot of the 1765 period and a small mug, using ancient tools and methods centuries old, through a colored sound film at the Society’s monthly meeting on Monday, April 9, and the Cyrenius H. Booth Library. The film, secured through the efforts of Frank Bawden from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, showed the step-by-step methods used by early silversmiths.

April 9, 1948

Announcement has been made by William Leaver, Sandy Hook, that his daughter, Miss Beatrice Leaver, will marry Zaner Faust of Newtown this summer. Miss Leaver and Mr Faust are both staff members of The Newtown Bee, one in the advertising-business end of the paper, the other in the editorial department. Except for a season of summer theater work at Blauvelt, N.Y., last year, Miss Leaver has been on the staff of The Bee since her graduation from the local high school. Mr Faust joined the staff one year ago, having previously been a free lance writer and served overseas with the Air Forces for three years during the World War. Friends will join their fellow workers at The Bee office in extending congratulations and best wishes to these two popular members of the staff.

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The annual campaign in Newtown for funds for the Junior Republic at Litchfield is now in progress, under the sponsorship of Paul S. Smith. So far, the returns have been most gratifying, reaching $156. It is hoped that all friends of the school will make their donations as promptly as possible, so that an appreciable amount can be raised for this splendid school.

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As the 14th annual Easter Seal drive comes to a close, the Newtown committee wishes to thank all those who contributed. These gifts will enable the Connecticut Society for Crippled Children and Adults to continue their work in care, education, training, recreation and placement of the physically handicapped. If you have not yet sent in your contribution for the Easter Seals sent you, it is still not too late to do so. Remember that every person who contributes to the Easter Seal drive will be providing services for the crippled in his own community. —Mrs George M. Stuart, Chairman

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In a ceremony at the Grange hall on Tuesday evening, Commander Emil Kinkel of the Third District, American Legion, and his staff, presented Commander Sylvester Burns of the Raymond L. Pease Post, American Legion, with its permanent charter. The American Legion Auxiliary of the Post also met that same evening, with Mrs Florence May, president, presiding. A vote of appreciation was extended to Charles Craig, adjutant, who for reasons of health has been forced to resign.

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At the Newtown Mothers Club college whist on Tuesday night in the social rooms of Trinity church, there was a large turn-out of members and guests, so large that the play comprised 19 tables, or 76 persons. Prizes were given and refreshments served at the close of the evening.

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Mr and Mrs Jean Christaud are the parents of a daughter, Irene Louise, born at the Danbury Hospital on Tuesday, April 6.

April 6, 1923

On this page of The Bee will be found the 135th semi-annual statement of the Newtown Savings Bank, April 2, 1923. It shows deposits of $1,800,507.90, a gain for the past six months of $70,052.92. Total assets, $2,005,134.65. This is a handsome showing and will be highly gratifying to the many friends of this excellent bank. The bank is steadily forging ahead, and Messrs Nettleton and Peck, and their associates, are to be congratulated. The Newtown Savings bank, for the past two years and a half, has been paying interest at the rate of four and one-half per cent.

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A wedding of more than usual interest was solemnized at St Rose’s church, Monday morning, at 9.30 o’clock, the happy couple being Miss Anna L. Keane of Newtown and William H. Gannon, a popular passenger conductor on the Berkshire division. Rev Michael J. Regan, pastor of St Rose’s officiated, celebrating the nuptial Mass. The bride is a daughter of Mrs John T. Keane of Gray’s Plain district. For some time she has taught in the Franklin school in Stratford. The bride wore a becoming gown of limoge crepe, hand embroidered with silver beads and with hat to match. She carried a shower bouquet of bride roses and lilies of the valley.

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Few people stop to think of the work involved in running a telephone central, especially when the exchange moves along so smoothly and nicely as the Newtown Central. In the Newtown Central of the SNET Co, there are 170 lines. The local work alone averages about 2000 calls a day and the combined calls, with the toll service about 2500 calls. Miss Clara Sheehan is the efficient and popular chief operator and the two local operators are Miss Florence M. Sheehan and Miss Helen Roach. The night operator is Miss Margaret A. Crowe. Arthur Johnson is the outside repair man. Of course there are people who kick on the service, but generally speaking the genuine complaints are few and far between.

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Mrs John F. Keane, Miss Margaret E. Keane and Mr and Mrs Stephen Keane attended the funeral of John McCabe in Bridgeport, Tuesday.

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Miss Etta Martin of New York and Mrs James F. Brennan of New Haven were the recent guests of Mr and Mrs John Keane of Zoar.

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Earl Troy of Botsford is spending his Easter vacation as the guest of his sister, Mrs D.C. Honan of Bridgeport.

April 15, 1898

Marcus C. Hawley has been at Honolulu, and writes a Newtown friend in the following interesting strain: “I have just come in from morning service, and I thought I would give you a slight impression of what it was to attend service 5000 miles from home and that too on these distant islands. I am pleased to say that the service was held in a beautiful stone edifice that cost $125,000, all out of debt, with a very large organ and as they with full voice sang “How firm a foundation,” my thoughts reverted to our little church among the hills of old Connecticut. … I enclose you the weekly circular of the church we attended this morning. This is a beautiful place with a very even temperature the whole year round, no summer nor winter.”

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Postmaster and Mrs George F. Duncombe were pleasantly surprised by a few of their neighbors and friends, Monday night, the occasion being the 20th anniversary of their marriage. The evening was passed in sociability and games. Refreshments were served, and the occasion was in every way most enjoyable.

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Rev E.L. Whitcombe of Brookfield delivered an inspiring sermon at the Hawleyville chapel on Sunday afternoon. The choir from St Paul’s led the singing to the enjoyment of all present.

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Thomas Costigan of Washington, who has bought a place in Taunton district, moved his household goods, this week.

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DODGINGTOWN AND VICINITY: E.C. Bevans drives a pair of fine horses purchased of Danbury parties. | Mr and Mrs Andrew James have been visiting relatives in Redding. | Mr and Mrs A.E. Bevans passed Sunday the guests of their parents. | Misses Emma and Jennie Ferry have been visiting friends in Hopewell.

Do you have photographs of people or places in town from a bygone era? The Way We Were is the perfect landing spot so that your photographs can be enjoyed by Newtown Bee readers. Images can be e-mailed as attachments to shannon@thebee.com, subject line: Way We Were photo. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date. If you live locally and would like to loan a photo/photos, please give us a call (203-426-3141) to let us know when you will be visiting.