June 27, 1997

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — CELEBRATING HISTORY: The reason this issue of The Bee seems a little thicker than usual is that two special sections are included. One celebrates our own history as a newspaper, and the other celebrates the history that is all around us in the architecture of old and distinctive homes. We are marking the 120th anniversary of The Newtown Bee this week. In a time when media ventures seem to fade in and fade out like midsummer dreams, we are happy to have the chance to salute the remarkable durability of The Bee, which for the people of Newtown has proven to be a newspaper for all seasons. We have spent the past few months going through old scrapbooks and old issues, taking pictures of ourselves, and generally looking around our rather idiosyncratic offices in search of material that would help us tell our own story … We hope you find the time to learn through this special anniversary section to see what we’re all about, and how we came to be The Bee.

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Firefighters from four volunteer fire companies responded to Newtown High School midday Wednesday to extinguish a roof fire. Sandy Hook, Newtown Hook and Ladder, Botsford and Southbury firefighters went to the scene of the high school expansion and renovation project to put out the blaze. About a 1,000-square-foot section of a new roof being placed on the original high school was charred by fire. Fire Marshal George Lockwood said fumes emanating from an open five-gallon can of industrial roofing glue had spread across the roof. A workman using a steel saw to cut steel beams atop the school. Sparks emitted by the rapidly rotating circular saw blade ignited the volatile flue fumes, causing the roofing material beneath the fumes to catch fire, Mr Lockwood said. No one was injured in the fire, the latest in a series of mishaps that have occurred during the high school expansion and renovation project.

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The Greenways Committee had a tough situation on its hands earlier this spring while trying to determine a winner for its emblem contest. The group was seeking a marker that captured the essence of Newtown to use along the trail system of open spaces. It ended up receiving more than 30 entries, and, after making some cuts, whittled the number of choices down to two: Mary Ann Meyer and Elaine Rentz. Rather than pick one over the other, the Greenways Committee opted to combine the artistic talents of both women through computer imagery.

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Newtown Hook and Ladder’s 21-year-old aerial ladder truck has received some ladder damage due to wear and tear. The vehicle has been taken out of service, according to Kevin Cragin, chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners. The commissioners are expected to discuss what should be done to rectify the problem, he said.

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Nearly 250 residents, representatives of local businesses and other gathered at The Fireside Inn for breakfast on Tuesday to support the activities of the Regional Hospice of Western Connecticut. The event has raised more than $70,000 since it was first held in 1989. Hosts pay $60 for a table and serve as waiters. Their guests, who eat free, tip their waiters generously and all tips are donated for Hospice’s support of terminally ill and their families. Marilyn Alexander and B.J. Geerer were co-chairpersons of this year’s event.

June 30, 1972

Rains postponed graduation exercises for Newtown High School seniors, and also caused the ceremonies to be moved inside to the auditorium on Friday evening, June 23, but in spite of all the delays, the class of 1972 received diplomas. Speakers included Salutatorian Garry Ober, Valedictorian Paul Shierloh, Senior Class President Ruth Lawrence; the Reverend Vern Spencer of The Bible Baptist Church, who gave the invocation; and Dan W. Lukfin, Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection.

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Newtown voters went to the polls on Wednesday, June 28, and elected Frank R. DeLucia as their First Selectman. The vote tally, including absentee ballots for the First and Second Districts was 2,641 for Mr DeLucia and 1,984 for his Democratic opponent, James M. Costello, a two-to-three margin of victory. The special election on Wednesday has been petitioned for by the Democratic party following Mr DeLucia’s appointment as interim Selectman after the death of First Selectman Timothy B. Treadwell in February.

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Newtown police have reported a break-in at the office of Dr Donald Evans on Main Street. The break occurred sometime after 9 pm on Saturday, June 24, and thieves took over $2,000 in cash and checks from a safe-type cash drawer which they pried open. Nothing else was reported stolen. The case is being investigated by members of the department’s detective bureau.

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After an evening of study and discussion, the Board of Burgesses of the Borough of Newtown set a mill rate of 0.89 for fiscal 1972-73, lower than last year’s 0.9. The Board met in a special session in the Borough Room of Edmond Town Hall on June 26. A Borough meeting to vote on the new rate is set for July 24.

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A lot of the young people in Newtown are recognizing a familiar face again since Officer Robert Taylor of the police department has returned from serving another master — Uncle Sam. Officer Taylor, who heads the department’s youth bureau, has been away on a leave of absence from the force since February when he began basic Army training at Ft. Knox, Ky. He graduated from basic in May and then went on to advanced training in transportation at Ft. Eustis, Va. Now that he is back on duty he has started his youth work again and will be working with some of the younger residents of Newtown this summer. He is also advisor to Explorer Post 559 and has started meeting with that group again.

June 27, 1947

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — AS THE BEE STARTS ITS 71ST YEAR: The years have a way of swiftly passing and anniversaries mount faster than we sometimes realize. So it is with The Bee, which on June 28th will reach the 70th anniversary of the publication of its first issue. Perhaps a celebration should have been arranged. Not every venture in the publishing field has been of such long duration, not can boast of so much cause for festivity. However, the party has been deferred to an all-out observance on the 75th anniversary in 1952. Meanwhile, the paper’s present editor and staff pause to pay homage to those tried and true toilers of the past who brought The Bee through its early and formative years to the creditable position which is not holds through the entire western part of Connecticut. We recall with deep respect and profound gratitude the capable and inspired leadership of Reuben H. Smith, Allison P. Smith and Arthur J. Smith … and Frank Wright and many others, both living and dead, who have had an important part in the making of The Bee.

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Sunny Russett of Quiet Valley Farm, Dodgingtown district, Newtown, one of the most valuable members of the Quiet Valley herd, has distinguished herself with a record production of 15,452 pounds of milk and 625 pounds of butterfat which tested 4.04 per cent during the year of 1946. This record is the top for the two-year-old division of the Ayrshire breed in the United States, and second high for all time. The cow is owned by Mrs Edward Churchill; the farm is managed by Leonard Stottlemeyer.

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Contractor Martin Sealander and men have been revamping the second floor of The Bee office, to provide additional office space at the front of the building for the paper’s increasing staff. The work is progressing so that the new room will soon be put to full use, and thus relieve some of the congestion which has hampered the staff of late and also made The Bee office seem to visitors like a busy hour at the Grand Central Terminal.

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Friends of “Dick” Brophy regret that he has been confined to his bed for the past three weeks with heart trouble and hope that he will soon be around again. He is much missed at his accustomed place of business in the center of Sandy Hook where he has been a familiar figure for well over thirty years.

June 23, 1922

The funeral services for Rev John Conway, the beloved pastor of St Rose’s church, took place on Friday morning, the church being crowded to overflowing by a truly sorrowful company of parishioners. There were present also Bishop John J. Nilan, and more than 150 priests from this diocese. Members of the Children of Mary, Holy Name society, a delegation from Russell council, K. of C., from New Haven, and Virgilius council, K. of C., sat in a body at the church, the latter acting as ushers. The burial was in the Priests’ circle in St Rose’s cemetery, where the burial services were read by Rev John McCabe, assisted by Luke Fitzsimmons, Rev Thomas Mulcahy and many other priests. While robust in appearance, Father Conway had not enjoyed good health for some time, and his death came as a great shock to his parishioners and many friends.

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Rev Michael Regan, assistant at St Francis church in Naugatuck, has been appointed by Bishop Nilan as pastor at St Rose’s, to succeed the late Rev John Conway. He had his college course at St Thomas Seminary in Hartford and his theological course at Eigstadt in Bavaria, Germany, where he was ordained to the priesthood. He has also served as assistant at the Sacred heart church in New Haven and at Wallingford. Father Regan is an eloquent and forceful preacher and will receive a cordial welcome as he takes up his work in St Rose’s parish. He will arrive in town, next Wednesday, and officiate at Mass at St Rose’s the first time a week from Sunday.

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At a convocation of Hiram Chapter, No. 1, R.A.M., Wednesday night the Royal Arch degree was conferred.

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Mrs E.M. Smith of Bridgeport has been the guest of Mrs and Mrs L.C. Morris.

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Mrs Sarah J. Olmstead and Master A. Allen Olmstead of Bridgeport are spending a month with Edward Olmstead of Taunton.

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Miss Alice Olmstead is visiting Mr and Mrs Wilbur Olmstead in Bridgeport.

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Miss Hale of Hawleyville is confined to the bed with a severe attack of sciatic rheumatism.

July 2, 1897

The annual meeting of the Middle school district was held, last week Thursday evening, and was largely attended. Marcus C. Hawley was chosen chairman and the officers elected were: Committee, Patrick Gannon. Clerk, Oscar Pitzschler. Collector and treasurer, W.H. Hubbell. It was voted to instruct the committee to hire a teacher, in case an appropriation is made.

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Patrick Ready has set out about 18,000 tobacco plants, this year, and his field looks very even. Up through Obtuse district they are going into tobacco quite extensively. H.D. Lake is raising two acres, Thomas Bristol two and one-half, Mr Gilbert three acres and Will and Charles Beers, Charles Stuart about an acre each. Fred Beers has let out a piece, and there are others who are raising in the district.

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E.C. Platt of Hawleyville and Ryan Brothers of Bethel, the hustling agents for the McCormick machinery, want it understood that there will be no difficulty in getting parts, as they will have them in stock. Furthermore with their machine, they claim, parts are not needed, as it is “built to stay.”

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D.C. Peck will leave, next week, for Lake Placid, N.Y., for the summer. His wife and daughter are already there.

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W.A. Canfield has taken the grass on D.C. Peck’s place to harvest on shares.

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E.L. Butler and family of New York are now settled comfortably in the residence of D.C. Peck for the summer. Mr Peck’s pace looks very attractive in its new dress of paint.

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.