May 10, 1996

Twenty-nine years after resident Ben Blanchard went to a borough meeting and suggested that a historic district be formed on Main Street, the concept became a reality last week. On the sixth try, residents voted 29.5 [sic] to 1 to form the historic district. This time, however, only those property owners who had expressed interest in being part of the district were polled. There were 80 properties in the original proposal, 52 in the scaled-down version.

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The Police Commission has received 118 letters of interest from people who want to become the town’s new police chief, replacing Michael DeJoseph, who retired from that post in March. The commission has stopped accepting applications for the position, according to Carol Mattegat, commission chairman.

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“Affordable Housing” is a relative term. What is “affordable” in one town is not necessarily affordable in another. But to people living south of here in lower Fairfield County, where new home development is even more expensive and the crowding pressures are more pronounced, building a new home in Newtown can seem like a bargain... One strategy the town is exploring to rein in rapid residential growth is “upzoning” in which the minimum building lot sizes for home construction in various residential zones would be increased. But there must be valid reasons for increasing the minimum sizes of various residential lots... It is unclear whether a type of cluster housing built in some sections of lower Fairfield County would be applicable to Newtown’s landscape.

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Police responded to the Main Street flagpole after 1 pm Tuesday. A middle-aged man who had been driving a camper parked it in the middle of the heavily traveled intersection and walked away, causing a traffic disruption. The man, whom police did not identify, began acting erratically after leaving the camper. Newtown Ambulance Corps later transported him to Danbury Hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

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What’s the big deal about the Internet and the World Wide Web? And why should you care anyway? Enter Bob Brand, a computer savvy Newtown resident who loves to cut through the hype and give people explanations of terms, pertinent information on what works, and how they can get started at the least cost. He’ll be writing a weekly column for The Bee that untangles the Web and guides the reader step by step through deciding what equipment to buy, to the pros and cons of a personalized “home page”... all in plain language with a twist of humor.

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If you followed the huge green footprints down Dickinson Drive last Saturday morning, you would have found yourself at Sandy Hook School’s “Jolly Green Giant Fair.” The annual PTA fundraiser attracted hundreds of youngsters and their families to the festivities in search of tasty treats like cotton candy and snow cones and a smear of green paint on their noses.

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Voters at a special town meeting in the high school auditorium Wednesday evening approved the revised $49.6 million municipal/school budget for 1996-97 by a vote of 398 to 152... The budget, with the additional debt service, is up 10 percent over the current year.

May 7, 1971

The annual meeting brought out the largest crowd in Newtown history, Monday night, as nearly 800 persons tried to jam into the Edmond Town Hall gymnasium to vote on the Selectman’s budget and the Board of Education budget. As a result of overcrowding, the meeting had to be moved to the auditorium of the high school. It ended about four and a half hours later... about half past midnight. The inclination to cut the budget was definitely in the air. The only cut approved was the deletion from the Selectman’s budget of just under $4,000 for additional part-time help for enforcement of zoning and sanitary regulations.

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Republican First Selectman Timothy Treadwell was reelected for a second term by a narrow margin of 364 votes over his Democratic opponent, Sidney Seligmann. Mr Seligmann tallied enough votes to unseat incumbent Democratic Third Selectman Kenneth Casey. Incumbent Republican Thomas Goosman won his bid for reelection, as did all other incumbent Republicans.

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First Selectman Timothy B. Treadwell has announced formal notification from the Commissioner of Transportation A. Earl Wood, of the state’s intent to abandon the proposed Rest Area project in the vicinity of Currituck Road... It is felt that the eastbound site in the area is not needed with adequate service provided by the Danbury and Southington rest areas. However, the Department will be considering alternative locations for a westbound site.

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In order to fulfill the needs for molded plastic parts required by the rapidly growing Danbury-Newtown industrial area, Paul E. Allen and Robert P. Hayward have begun operation of an injection molding plant on Glen Road. These two men combine experience in plastics in the fields of design, engineering, mold making and molding, and their equipment is capable of molding any of the engineering and general purpose plastics.

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A ten-team slo-pitch softball league has formed this year as part of the Newtown Parks & Recreation program. Two five-team divisions will play a 13-game schedule, a post-season tournament, and an All Star game.

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Several Girl Scout councils have planned some exciting conferences during March, April, and May of which Seniors and Cadettes of the Southwestern Connecticut Council of which Newtown is a part, have gone or will attend. Joyce Mack, a member of Newtown’s Cadette Troop 599 recently attended one of those events... at Mary Immaculate School in Ossining, N.Y... The theme of the conference was “Potpourri,” and topics ranged from art and modern dance to women’s liberation and the population explosion.

May 3, 1946

On May 31st and June 1st, the Newtown Congregational Sunday School will present a magnificent Mardi Gras and spectacle, an array of talent and beauty far surpassing anything of the sort seen in Newtown in years. The streets of New Orleans will appear as if by magic [with] the aid of various carpenters, electricians, and gifted sign painters in the Edmond Town Hall gymnasium.

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An unscheduled change of model in egg production made its appearance in the hennery of Mrs Jacob Nezvesky of the Huntingtown district, last Thursday. It is not known whether the Rhode Island Red hen had heard of the coming egg shortage, but she did her best not to lay ‘em short. She was the proud possessor of an egg nearly four inches long — measuring ten inches around the ends. The oddity is two-and-one-half inches in diameter and the shorter circumference measures eight inches. The weight is seven ounces, which, if continued, will stack up to an 84-ounce dozen on which there is no OPA ceiling price.

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Deeds were passed this last week, whereby Mrs Maev R. Siler conveyed to House B. and Edith T. Jameson her homestead on Main street, Newtown. This house stands between the Newtown Savings Bank and the Trinity church rectory. Records show this house was built in 1785 and twice has been the home of practicing physicians... Some of the town’s oldest inhabitants may remember that the rear extension at one time stood on Main street and was operated as a store — the large double doors being so built to accommodate the rolling in of hogsheads of molasses. This is now attached to the house as a games room. There are many interesting stories connected with this house.

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At last Thursday evening’s meeting of the Newtown Chamber of Commerce, held at the Parker House, with Raymond T. Connor, president, presiding, the formation of a Town Planning Committee was discussed and the advantages of such a group outlined. It was felt that with such a committee organized at a town meeting, to include town officials and representative citizens, the town’s growth and welfare could be better arranged than leaving such matters as a financial program for the town, zoning regulations, etc to be handled as chance may have.

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In the current campaign to secure sponsors for the Newtown Orchestral Society almost half the required number have responded, but before permanent arrangements for the summer season of concerts can be made, it is necessary that 125 sponsorships be received. A sponsorship is $15 and entitles the holder to ten $1.50 seats to be used over the three concerts.

April 22, 1921

A number of the Sandy Hook young men have been seen of late making record-breaking time to reach Bethel, Sunday evening. Wedding bells will ring out, if all goes well, so the knowing ones say.

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The Building Committee of the New Hawley school met on Tuesday and selected as the architects for the new building, Sunderland & Watson of Danbury. The design presented by this firm seemed best fitted for the Newtown school situation. Those who have seen the plans speak highly in praise of the skill of the architects in working out the details.

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Studebaker BIG-SIX: You must actually see and ride in this seven-passenger car to really appreciate its many splendid qualities. Its light weight and scientific balance induce unusually low fuel consumption and high tire mileage. Its responsive, 60-horsepower motor with hot-spot intake manifold, gets maximum power from even low grades of fuel, driving the car with efficiency that will surprise you. $2,150. The new Studebaker Light Six was designed and is produced to meet the world-wide demand for an efficient, durable and economical light weight car. It is a real achievement in advanced automobile engineering. Weight 2,400 lbs. C.S. Blackman, Ring 189, Newtown Garage

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“There is every evidence now that there will be an abundant peach crop.” So said Representative Newton M. Curtis, the local peach king, to a Bee reporter, Monday night. Of course he does not know what effect another cold snap might have, but the present prospect for a bumper crop of peaches is good, very good.

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The Sandy Hook baseball team will journey to Oxford, Sunday afternoon, to cross bats with the Diamond Match team of that place.

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Sheriff M.D. Beers, conservator for Birdsey Parsons, has sold a piece of land on Walnut Tree Hill to Adam Chervansky.

Your memories are the ones we want to share! 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 editor@thebee.com, subject line: Way We Were photo. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date.