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July 27, 1984

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July 27, 1984

A dozen Danbury Hospital luminaries, including President John C. Creasy and Board of Trustees Chairman Karl Epple, converged at Bertram and Margaret Stroock’s Flat Swamp Road home, July 23, to celebrate Mr Stoock’s 93rd birthday and to give him a gift he will never forget. The officials have told the Stroocks, who have raised millions of dollars for the hospital over the last 26 years, that the new hospital building, now under construction, will be called Stroock Tower when it opens later this year.

* * *

Aboard Chanticleer, his hot air balloon decorated with an illustration of a rooster, patterned after Newtown’s official emblem, Harvey Hubbell IV recently flew in a Polish air show, becoming the first American to fly a hot air balloon in that country. Mr Hubbell said it was a great thrill for him to fly in Poland, with an American flag draped over his basket.

* * *

Andy and Bonnie DeLorenzo had a “topping off” party July 20 to celebrate the fact that builders reached the highest point of construction on their Birch Hill Road house. A branch was placed atop the garage and Mr DeLorenzo and his wife toasted the workers. Everyone involved with the house was invited. Having such a party is an old tradition which was more commonly observed in the past than it has been in recent years.

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Accidents and drunk driving arrests are on the rise, according to Lieutenant Michael Fekete of the Newtown Police Department. Accidents have risen 38 percent, while drunk driving arrests have increased 63 percent. “We know 16, 17, 18, and 19-year olds are drinking due to our investigations,” he said. “But we have trouble finding out where they’re getting it.” This past weekend, four Newtown youths were injured in accidents.

 

 

July 31, 1959

Jerome P. Jackson of Zoar District is fitting together a puzzle from time. From nearly 30 years of avid collecting and keen interest in early American clocks and watches, Mr Jackson has gathered the shards of a by-gone era to put together a picture of colonial Newtown as a center of clock making. Ebenezer Smith, as were all Newtown’s clockmakers, was a gold and silversmith. Mr Smith plied his trade on Whisconier Hill in the years between 1760 and 1830. The other clockmakers of the day included Jared Brace who had his shop directly across from the present home of The Bee. John Blackman who worked on Whisconier Hill; Ziba Blakeslee, whose shop was at the intersection of Currituck Road and Route 6; and Mr Blakeslee’s son, William, who worked in the home now occupied by the Herman Parker family on Main Street.

 

* * *

Dr J. Bento Egee, Newtown Health Director, has announced that the State Department of Health now recommends a fourth polio immunization shot for those who completed the basic series of three more than one year ago. All persons under 45, rather than 40, should complete the basic series of injections.

The Friday special town meeting took exception to the proposed road ordinance on the grounds there was insufficient opportunity to study its provisions, but declined to table the question for further study and went ahead to defeat the ordinance in a show of hands.

* * *

Newtown citizens will vote in a referendum this Saturday, the second time within the year, on the question of the repeal of planning and zoning. The move to repeal and rescind planning and zoning is the result of a petition prepared and circulated by a group calling itself the Landowners Committee for One-Acre Maximum Zoning.

July 27, 1934

The deplorable overcrowding which exists in Connecticut’s state hospitals for mental disease were vividly described by Dr R.L. Leak, Superintendent of Connecticut State Hospital at Middletown, in a talk given in New Haven on April 26. Fairfield State Hospital at Newtown is complete as far as its central services (power house, laundry, etc) are concerned. When completed the hospital will house 2,000 more patients, and will relieve the overcrowding at Middletown and at Norwich.

* * *

Leroy Hyatt, the popular and efficient RFD carrier from the Newtown office, met with an unfortunate experience, Saturday morning, when his Willys-Knight sedan caught on fire when near the summer home of Miss Mary Alden Hopkins, and despite Mr Hyatt’s vigorous efforts, was practically destroyed. Mr Hyatt saved his entire load of mail.

* * *

At a meeting of the State Board of Education it was voted that the Hawley High School be approved for tuition and accreditment purposes for two years ending August 31, 1936. At a meeting of the School Board last week, it was decided to close the Taunton district school and transport the children to the Hawley School.

* * *

The heavy traffic of the past week end when hundreds of cars passed through Newtown, brought extra business to many of the local business men. The Maryland, under the management of Mr and Mrs W.B. Harris, enjoyed the busiest week end since its opening several years ago.

 

July 30, 1909

The Oddity Club of Dodgingtown expects soon to erect club rooms north of Barnum Brothers’ store in Dodgingtown. The building will be fitted up with a stage and scenery and the club will use it also for social gathering and for giving entertainment. E.C. Bevans of Dodgingtown has donated the land for the building and will also give the club the frame for the building.

* * *

Leon Ratchford and William Rubenwolf were arrested on Saturday by Deputy Sheriff Johnson and Detective Abern of the New Haven Railroad, charged with throwing stones at a railroad train. The case was adjourned until Saturday at 11 am, as the fireman, who was struck by the flying stones, was in the hospital and unable to appear.

* * *

The boys in Sandy Hook turned out in large numbers to serenade Mr and Mrs Birdsey Parsons, Monday night, but did not receive the enthusiastic reception they had expected. The boys promised their friend, Birdsey, another call the following night, but for reasons of their own did not make the second call. Some of the boys, they say, haven’t got through running yet.

* * *

Howard Bassett has opened a garage in connection with his carriage shop and already has a lot of work. He has associated with Mr Hawley and they have the agency for the Mitchell and Inter State cars. The building east of the blacksmith shop will be used for storing cars, while the north wing of the main factory makes an ideal repair shop.

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