* * *

Water, water might be everywhere, but you have to be resourceful to get a drop to drink at Dickinson Memorial Park. Before the season opened, vandals had destroyed all three fountains. One mother was appalled to find that her son, who was attending summer camp, had to pay five cents at the concession stand for a cup of water. Boyd Saxton, concession stand manager, said he was not charging for water, but for the cups. Parks and Recreation superintendent Hank Kniese said the new fountains would be installed so that they could be taken off and kept in the shed in the winter.

* * *

The rains held off and Newtown’s Summer Festival Block Party went on in the Wheeler Shopping Center at 6 pm, Saturday, August 6. The event had something for everyone. Early activities focused on the children. The sun went down, the kids went home and the stars came on. The Del-Vikings, a famous fifties group, presented a slick, professional show that even had the obligatory reference to Brooklyn. A dance contest took place during the band break. The music and dancing continued until midnight, and for many the Summer Festival Block Party of 1983 ended all too soon.

* * *

The Newtown Board of Education has authorized the architectural firm of Carlin, Pozzi and Chin to develop drawings and specifications for certain repairs in the Newtown schools which are directly fire-code related. This is to be bid at the earliest possible date. Cost for Phase II work in the fire code violations is $563,810.Related work would cost $205,200 and architects’ fees for such plans are not to exceed $19,110.

* * *

A parade to commemorate the 100th year of Newtown Hook and Ladder as a chartered department will be held this Sunday, August 14, at 1 pm. This promises to be a spectacular parade, with 28 fire companies participating and competing for seven different trophies. A reviewing stand set up in front of Edmond Town Hall will seat, among other notables, First Selectman Jack Rosenthal and State Representative Mae Schmidle. Judging the ranks will be adjudicators from the Connecticut State Parade Marshals Association.

* * *

A daughter followed in her mother’s footsteps Tuesday afternoon when Heidi Poklemba of Tunnel Road was installed as Newtown’s new canine control officer. Mrs Poklemba, 28, who has served as kennel keeper for the past two years, was all smiles as she officially took over the position vacated by her mother, Helen Reid, who resigned last week.

August 15, 1958

A broken water main interrupted water service to customers of the Newtown Water Company on Tuesday morning, but repairs were made and water service was resumed early in the afternoon. Locations at higher elevations experienced a longer period of interrupted service as they were the first to feel the reduction in pressure and last to receive the restored pressure.

* * *

Thursday, August 21, is now definitely set as the date for a town meeting on the revised high school building proposal. The Board of Finance has given its approval of this plan which seems to meet the classroom needs of the town at a minimum of cost for the value received.

* * *

The Patients’ store at the Fairfield State Hospital was recently moved to a new location in the basement of the hospital’s new Rehabilitation Center, Plymouth Hall. The quarters are modern and attractive, including recorded music, which is played from the main office of the building.

* * *

Town Players’ “The Yellow Jacket,” the most elaborate production for size of cast, costumes, and general décor since Town Players are in their own theatre, is in the dress rehearsal stage, readying for next Wednesday night’s opening of the Little Theatre on Orchard Hill Road, Newtown. Typified by a window display at Lu Wayne’s in the shopping center of genuine Chinese antiques, and with colorful posters as far as the eye can see, the costumes and properties loaned from private collections rival the art objects used in the plays’ other productions since its 1912 premiere.

* * *

A citizens group with Mrs Karl G. Pittelkow as chairman, and Mrs Frederick Herring as co-chairman, met this week to make plans to present the pertinent facts about the proposed new school to taxpayers. Residents are asked to watch this and the next two issues of The Bee for information that will assist them to carefully weigh their opinions before they vote for the revised school building proposal.

Newtown voters will go to the polls this Saturday, August 16, to decide in referendum whether the town of Newtown may provide transportation services for private school children when such schools are not conducted for a profit. Absentee voting will not be permitted.

 

August 11, 1933

With 2,300 young men, 18 to 25 years old, assigned to 12 forest camps, Connecticut’s Civilian Conservation Corps is hard at work improving the State’s beautiful timber lands and making them more accessible for public recreation. So far as President Roosevelt’s reforestation plan is concerned, Connecticut was up to the minute in having its Quota of young men in the field by July 1.

* * *

A meeting of the milk producers of Fairfield County, called by the Farmers’ National Association, at The Edmond Town hall on Tuesday night, was attended by 300 farmers and was a heated session throughout. On the resolution asking for the Governor to remove the present milk control commission the vote stood 40 in favor and 33 opposed. The resolution asking for the removal of the milk control commission was as follows: The Milk Control Board has failed to bring relief to the farmer milk producers. Milk producers today receive far less than when they first appealed to the General Assembly in March. Prices have been raised to the consumers, but the prices paid the farmers have not been raised. We respectfully ask you to discharge the present members of the board.

* * *

Although there is yet no indication of an actual shortage, water supply reservoirs throughout Connecticut are suffering rapid shrinkage following three months of subnormal rainfall. Water supply conditions have already varied from extreme to extreme this year, due to the vagaries of the weather. No water supply utilities have as yet expressed the opinion that there is any danger of water shortage.

* * *

W.D. Parker, the genial proprietor of the Parker House, caught a bass at Taunton Lake, a few days before he was taken ill, tipping the scales at five pounds and two ounces. It was a beauty and no mistake.

* * *

Announcement was made, yesterday, of the engagement of Miss Mirian Wales, daughter of Dr and Mrs Frank J. Wales of Monroe, to Dr Waldo F. Desmond, son of Mr and Mrs Ralph O. Desmond of North Haven. Dr Desmond graduated from the Yale Medical School with honors in ’25. After post-graduate hospital work, Dr Desmond opened an office in Sandy Hook, where he has had an extensive practice in and about Newtown for over six years.

* * *

The Harry Maring Company of Bridgeport finished work, the past week, on the repairs on the reservoir used for drinking water at the Fairfield State hospital. After the reservoir was completed and filled, a serious leak was discovered in the bottom of the reservoir. Engineer Jensen pumped a million gallons, Saturday, after which the reservoir was allowed to drain out again, so that it could be thoroughly cleaned. Sunday morning, Mr Jensen had pumps going again and filled the reservoir.

 

August 14, 1908

Thomas Casey, an employee of the New Haven road at Sandy Hook, was struck and instantly killed by an eastbound passenger train, Friday evening, which train left the Danbury station en route for Boston at 6:15 o’clock. Mr Casey, who was a sort of caretaker and attended the switch light, was returning from the rock cut at the west for the station, after lighting a switch lamp at that point, when the accident occurred.

* * *

Miss Florence Ashcraft of Codersport, Penn., has been engaged to teach the private school at the High school building: Miss Ashcraft comes well recommended and has had experience as a public school teacher. Besides some younger pupils the school will have a good-sized preparatory class for the High school. Any parents who wish to send pupils should communicate at once with Curtis E. Cook or Hobart H. Curtis.

* * *

Trinity Parish — While the threatening weather, Tuesday night, kept away a large audience, those who were present enjoyed the program rendered. Cecil Wright was heard in several organ selections and Prof C.S. Platt played an Obligato in B flat by Edwin Lott. Mrs Daniels of Danbury, soprano soloist, was heard with great pleasure in the vocal solo, “With Verdure Clad,” from the Creation.

* * *

Crowe’s Button factory closes down, Thursday night, for two weeks to permit the installation of a new boiler. It will be a large boiler and will do the work of two boilers now in use.

* * *

James T. Trainor, the well-known dealer in marble and granite monuments of Bridgeport, has just completed the erecting of a Barre granite monument in the Newtown village cemetery for the estate of Isaac B. Harris. The monument, which weighs about 11 tons, is one of the finest in the cemetery. The design is very pleasing and is a decided addition to the memorials recently placed in this God’s Acre.