May 3, 1996

The process of replacing the Newtown High School Indian mascot continues. The school’s mascot committee recently narrowed its mascot choices down to 20 and a student body vote is scheduled. The top 20 mascot choices include the Newtown High School: Blue Genies; Blue Knights; Blue Lightning; Centaurs; Dragons; Eagles; Hornets; Killer Bees; Legends; Lightning; Night Hawks; Rams; Road Runners; Sting; Storm; Thunder; Untouchables; Vulcans; Yaks; Yellow Jackets.

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A major rift has emerged among members of the Newtown High School Band Parents’ Association that many feel could eventually destroy the organization if not remedied soon. Personality conflicts and philosophical differences are cited by those involved as being the main causes for the split, which began two years ago. The organization has been responsible for raising nearly $50,000 a year.

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Police report they learned Wednesday night that sometime during the day, someone shot a dairy cow in the head, killing it while it was grazing in a field at Cherry Grove Farm. Police said it isn’t clear if the cow was shot on purpose or whether it was the victim of a stray shot by hunters.

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The Borough of Newtown’s proposed $153,511 budget for 1996-97 was approved at a public meeting Tuesday evening in Town Hall South. Spending will increase by $26,385, mostly due to an appropriation of $18,950 required for the Newtown Health District. The largest items in the proposed budget are $56,100 for the rental of fire hydrants in the borough and $27,000 for street lighting, an increase of $1,000.

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Under the ownership of the Nimer family of Brookfield, the Newtown General Store opened its doors Thursday morning, after being closed for nearly four months. The local Main Street landmark has modernized the inside of the store, while managing to keep its historical flavor intact.

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The undefeated Newtown High girls’ track and field team captured its 17th consecutive victory last week as it traveled to Foran of Milford and defeated both Foran and Weston, running its season’s ledger to 5-0.

April 30, 1971

Of the 80 houses in danger of being taken by the widening of I-84, the new revised plans show 39 of them “saved,” 17 to be taken in spite of the change and three more added. The three that have been added to the list are on Riverside Road along with those houses that have appeared on all plans as being in the path of the highway.

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Band will be given as a credit course as part of the school program at Newtown High School next year. This was adopted at the Board of Education meeting Tuesday night. [Music director Joseph] Grasso had proposed the course when the new curriculum was approved in March. However, the board did not accept it at the time because some members were concerned that students who wanted to take band might not be able to do so because of schedule conflicts... [Mr Grasso] assured them that if students cannot take band during school hours arrangements would be made for them to participate in band after school... Mr Grasso expressed the necessity of having the performing arts as part of the school curriculum.

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John D. Buttrick, Jr, associate minister at Newtown Congregational Church, was ordained to the Christian ministry last Saturday in a service of worship and communion. The Rev Mr Buttrick was called to the Newtown Congregational Church last July.

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The five-year growth figures of industrial/commercial property in the town have been announced by First Selectman Timothy Treadwell. The assessed valuation of industrial and commercial property in 1965 was $10,800,000 or 9.6 percent of the total Grand List as against $15,100,000 or 10.6 percent in 1970.

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The Board of Trustees of the Newtown Savings Bank announces that John F. Holian has been named vice president to fill the unexpired term of Walter A. Reynolds. Mr Holian became a corporator in 1962 and a trustee in 1967.

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Newtowners will vote Monday, May 3, on town officials and also on changes to the Town Charter. The polls will be open from 6 am to 8 pm. Voters who live in the First District will go to the rear of Edmond Town Hall and enter the gymnasium by the doors off of the parking lot. Voters who live in the Second District will go to Sandy Hook School. Classes there will continue during voting hours.

April 26, 1946

Home canning, perennially praised as a substantial form of Yankee thrift, has in 1946 a deeper significance in view of food conditions in countries but recently devastated by war... As pointed out by indisputable authorities, the impact of famines threatens to wipe out multitudes in such numbers as to dwarf the combatant and noncombatant losses of World War II. Added to the urgent need for canned foods that can be shipped is a shortage, due to the stoppage of the steel mills, of 300,000 tons of tin plate... every tin container saved, like every slice of bread, aggregates a total that can only have an immediate effect in saving lives abroad.

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The large 12-room house of Mr and Mrs Bayard C. Hoppins in the Currituck district was seriously damaged and many valuable antiques were destroyed early Tuesday morning by a fire of undetermined origin, which started at the rear of the building... Four fire companies responded from Newtown, Sandy Hook, Dodgingtown, and Hawleyville. To reach the only adequate water supply, they chopped their way and built a road to a swimming pool some 400 feet distant from the house.

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Eight of Newtown’s Youth Clubs have active parts in the second Jamboree of the season, to be held next Friday evening, May 3, at 8 o’clock, in the Edmond Town Hall gymnasium. It is sponsored by the Newtown Rotary Club to bring together young people and adults of the town for an evening of entertainment. The eight clubs taking part are the ROMP, Camp Fire Girls and Bluebirds, Boy Scouts, Senior Girl Scouts, Future Home Makers and Future Farmers of America, and the 4-H Clubs.

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The C.H. Booth Library will be open to the public every Sunday from 3 to 5 pm, beginning May 5th, for reading only. The first Sunday will feature an exhibit of oil paintings by Dorothy Lynn Groves of Southbury.

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The planting season is now underway. Nursery grown stock is extremely scarce and is likely to be so during several years. Many native plants of charm and landscape value can be secured in or about the borders of woodlands without detriment to the growing stand.

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At two o’clock this Sunday morning, the official time in this and many other states will be advanced one hour. Church services and all other activities scheduled for the day will follow the new time, which will remain in effect until 2 am, Sunday, September 29. There are many questions, some of them facetious, as the effect of the new time. These need not disturb one’s Saturday night sleep.

April 15, 1921

By Mrs E.L. Johnson: When the statement which appeared in The Newtown Bee of March 18, concerning Newtown’s Historical Book, 1705-1918, was made, it was with the belief that the cost would be about $3,000, the price talked about by the publisher. On that basis five dollars a copy, with the payment for the illustrations and the sums already contributed would meet the expense. When the bill was present with the books first delivered, it amounted to the staggering sum of $5,326.36, not including the binding of the last 200 copies. After much conference it has been decided to place the price at $10 to the general public.

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Frank Stillson, while at Wetmore’s mill, last Friday, had a leg broken by a heavy log rolling on to it. Dr E.L. Kingman attended him and he was later taken to the Danbury hospital.

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NOTICE! PUBLIC AUCTION The selectmen of the Town of Newtown will sell at public auction, Saturday, April 23, 1921, at 2 p.m., to the highest responsible bidder, the real estate with building and attachment thereon, known as the Newtown High school, located on state road, and near NY, NH, & HRR Station. Terms: Ten per cent at time of sale; balance in 30 days on delivery of deed. W.B. Glover, C.T. Page, J.J. Northrop, Selectmen, C.F Beardsley, auctioneer.

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At the meeting of the Pootatuck Grange, Tuesday night, the first degree was conferred upon a class of three. At the lecturer’s hour the main attraction was an exceedingly interesting talk on the dairy business by Robert C. Mitchell, president of the Connecticut Milk Producer’s Association. Milk is the essential element in the diet of civilized peoples. There is no substitute for milk. The average daily consumption of milk in America is below the minimum considered necessary to maintain health.

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Arthur M. Morse announces the opening, early in June, of Brother Cushman’s House, one of the best known properties on Newtown Street, situated next to the bank, and famous for the wonderful woodbine which covers the entire front of the house during the summer.

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Hattertown: Edgar Northrop, the contractor, was unfortunate, Monday morning. The thumb on his left hand got too near a rapidly revolving buzz saw, which very neatly and quickly left a part of the thumb on the saw table. George Summers took Mr Northrop to Danbury and Dr Sunderland dressed the injured member.

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