June 23, 1988

“It not only feels like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Pentecost all rolled into one, but it looks like it,” said Alastair Sellars on June 19. He was surveying the crowded old sanctuary of the Newtown Congregational Church, prior to the move to new quarters on Castle Hill Road. Mr Sellars, pastor emeritus, joined Senior Interim Pastor Bonnie Bardot and Richard Fitch, associate pastor, in the celebration shared by over 400 members and friends of the church. But there was a recognition of the heavy-heartedness that some parishioners felt as they left the place where they’d worshipped for a good portion of their lives.

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The Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Company will complete its 50th anniversary celebration with a two-day Lobster Fest on Friday, June 24, and Saturday, June 25, and its Gala Anniversary Parade on Sunday, June 26. The firemen’s parade — involving 52 fire companies and 19 ladies’ auxiliaries — will start at 1 pm from Newtown High School. It will continue down Route 34 to Sandy Hook Center, and up Riverside Road, past the firehouse, ending at SAC Park.

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A People’s Bank branch planned for the Newtown Shopping Center will be open sometimes in the late summer, Barbara Phillips, the bank’s northwest region marketing officer and a Newtown resident, said this week. Ms Phillips said that all of the required approvals have been obtained and that the only thing left to do is to complete renovations of the building that will house the bank. The bank will be located where the Jay Mar Dress Shoppe, Healy’s Sweet Shoppe, and Newtown Travel Center were formerly located.

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The fire that destroyed a building behind a Hall Lane house on the early morning of June 18 is being investigated as a case of arson. Fire Marshal William Halstead who, along with Police Officer Henry Stormer is investigating the fire, said the fire must have been set because there was no other way it could have started. Mr Halstead said there was no electricity, power equipment, or flammable materials being kept in the one-level structure.

June 28, 1963

At impressive, moving ceremonies in the theatre at Edmond Town Hall, last Thursday evening, Newtown High School’s largest graduating class, 81 in number, received diplomas from H. Hastings Blake, chairman of the Board of Education, and heard an inspiring incisive talk by the Rev Dr Randolph Crump Miller, professor of Christian Education at the Yale Divinity School.

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Living in a world of numbers, townspeople in Newtown should not be surprised or disappointed to learn that beginning next week, the US Post Office Department is adding numbers to postal addresses to increase the speed and efficiency of its work. The four Post Offices in town have been issued numbers in the Post Office Department’s new ZIP Code operation as follows: Botsford, 06404; Hawleyville, 06440; Newtown, 06470; and Sandy Hook, 06482.

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The selectmen in a spirited meeting Tuesday night refused to recommend to the Board of Finance that salaries of elected officials in the town be increased in the fiscal year 1963-64. Following the lead of First Selectman Charles W. Terrell, the Board of Selectmen unanimously voted that no raises be recommended.

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Newtown’s Hawley School playground opened Wednesday, with 80 children coming in by bus or private cars. Over 235 greater Newtown youngsters appeared for swimming lessons at Fenn Dickinson Memorial Park on the first day of the new summer program.

June 23, 1938

Frederick Taylor recently traveled through a number of European countries. The Bee is indebted for the following account of his impressions of conditions there, particularly pertaining to war. “No topic is more discussed throughout the four corners of the world than is the topic of war. As each day passes, so do the lives of thousands and thousands of individuals who are involved in the present wars in Spain and China. But these are like ripples on a lake as compared with the mighty avalanche which would envelop the entire world, should war break out in Europe. Every single country must be involved — a veritable Armageddon!”

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On Wednesday morning, June 29, Wilton Lackaye begins his eighth season specializing in the auctioning of American Antiques at his “Auction Barn” in Sandy Hook. The large consignments contracted to be sold this summer are especially noteworthy, owing to the large number of homes which have changed hands during the past few months.

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Morris & Shepard have installed one of the new type Russ Electric Boxes for the use of frozen foods, and announce that their service in this line will open on Saturday morning. The buying of frozen foods by the public has increased yearly, until now it has become a necessity for every up to date store to carry frosted foods.

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The Newtown Country Club Softball team suffered its third defeat in as many games, on Sunday, when they tangles with the Sandy Hook Pros for fifteen innings before the Pros pushed over the winning runs to win by the score of 19 to 13. For the first four innings, the game took on the appearance of begin a bit one-sided, with the club team scoring seven runs. However, the Sandy Hook team found their battling eye in the fifth and continued to hit consistently from then on.

June 27, 1913

Miss L.B. Bigelow’s favorite driving horse was taken sick with colic, Sunday night. Dr Knapp of Bridgeport was hastily summoned, remedies applied and the horse is now all right. Harlow Benedict of Palestine found a valuable colt dead in a pasture lot, one day last week. The colt had a wound in the heart as if it had been ripped open by a bull or some other animal.

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The society’s committee of the Congregational church have given an order for a new organ to be placed in the church, to the Hall Organ Co. of New Haven. The new instrument will have tubular pneumatic action. It will be thoroughly modern, equipped with tilting tablets in place of the old-fashioned stops. The committee plan to go back to the old Colonial idea, placing the organ in the rear gallery of the church.

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C.F. Beardsley makes the sensible request that the public do not destroy the roses on the wall along the Church street road. They were placed there for the public to enjoy and it is too bad that vandals and thoughtless persons persist in destroying the vines.

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A pleasant event was the reception tendered to T.J. Corbett, principal of the Sandy Hook school, by the pupils of the school and the alumni on Monday evening. The school grounds were decorated with Chinese lanterns and bunting, and presented an inviting appearance. The Sandy Hook band were present and added to the pleasure of the occasion. The event was in honor of Mr Corbett’s 25th anniversary as principal of the Sandy Hook school.