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WAY WE WERE FOR AUGUST 16, 1996

Eighty four years ago this week, the famous Battle of Newtown was fought as

part of part of the War Maneuvers of 1912. The war maneuvers attracted more

than 5,000 spectators and a corps of reporters from 11 newspapers, including

several from New York and Boston, and one newsreel camera crew. About 20,000

soldiers - several units of the Army and the National Guard from six

northeastern states - participated in the exercises which culminated with a

two-day battle between the Blue and the Red armies on what is now known as

Castle Hill in Newtown. The hill is actually a ridge which extends from the

former site of Roland's Castle (which was built in 1888 and demolished in

1947) at the southern edge north to Mt Pleasant Road and commands a

magnificent view of the surrounding town. This photo is one of many which were

made into post cards that commemorate the event.

AUGUST 20, 1971

Last Friday all of the officers and sergeants of the Newtown police force

joined the International Brotherhood of Police Officers and signed a temporary

charter for membership in the union. Officer Frederick Kasbarian is president

of the local chapter and Officer Richard Stook is vice president. The

department's new chief, Louis D. Marchese, was informed of the action on

Monday, his first day of work, and was told that joining the union was in no

way of reflection on him. The police officers said they felt union membership

was needed to deal with issues such as job security, negotiations, insurance,

legal assistance, and contract writing and interpretation.

Two Newtowners will be part of the action when the East and the West squads

clash in the 14th annual Nutmeg Bowl football game at Kennedy Stadium in

Bridgeport this weekend. Pete Kohut, Newtown's head football coach, will be an

assistant coach for the West team on which Jason Stevens, an All-Stater, will

be one of the two quarterbacks. This is the first time a Newtown player has

ever been in this annual classic. Both teams have big, solid lines. The East

has dominated the all-star classic, winning it seven times. Four games have

ended in a tie, and the West won the other two games.

Ray Fulton and Tom Kennedy, co-chairman of the Labor Day Parade, say that more

units already have signed up than last year and plans are proceeding well for

the holiday weekend. The Rotary will sponsor a cookout which will include hot

roast beef sandwiches, hamburgers and hot dogs. A public event, the cookout

will begin at 11 am right after the parade and will continue until 5 pm at the

town park. The VFW will hold a buffer dinner Saturday night with Oscar White's

group providing the music. This event also is open to the public. There will

be an all-star softball game on Sunday at the park as well as the tennis

tournament finals.

The four eastbound and westbound entrance and exit ramps connecting Route 34

to I-84 have been closed. The original intention of the state was to make the

closings permanent. But, in answer to many requests, consideration is being

given to eventually reopening the exit ramp from westbound I-84 to Route 34.

Access from Route 34 onto I-84 is not at this time believed feasible.

A paper recycling program is being started in Newtown. In a pilot program, Dan

Lee will be collecting newspaper from about 400 residents. The papers will be

baled at the Curtis Box Company in Sandy Hook. The program is being conducted

by the Fairfield County Conservation District with the cooperation of the

town.

AUGUST 16, 1946

During the heavy electrical rainstorm on Tuesday morning, the large dairy barn

at Atlasta Farm in Hopewell district was destroyed by fire after having been

struck by lightning at approximately 11:45 am. About 60 firefighters from the

Newtown, Sandy Hook, Hawleyville and Dodgingtown fire companies battled the

blaze for a better part of the day. All of the livestock in the building were

led to safety but about 75 tons of this season's crop of hay were lot as well

as 40 tons of grain and a considerable amount of farm marchery. Several pine

trees in the yard caught fire but firefighters were able to save the main

house and another new dairy barn. The farm is owned by Harold E. and Samuel L.

Bickford, who also own the Bickford Restaurant chain in New York City. Morris

Beers is general manager of the farm, which has a herd of 40 registered

Holsteins and Jerseys.

The annual Walnut Tree Hill Men's Doubles Tennis Tournament was held on

Saturday and Sunday. This was the 10th meeting of contestants for the coveted

Honegger Cup in the tournament on Honegger Farms. In the finals, William Ives

of Brewster, NY, and Harold Farrington of Danbury topped Dr William Bunker of

New Milford and Earle Robison of New Milford, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.

Schools in the newly formed Regional School District No. 3, which includes

Newtown, Woodbury, Southbury and Bethlehem, will open right after Labor Day.

Regional Superintendent Carroll F. Johnson announced this week that fourth

grade students in Newtown will be taught in the St Rose Hall. Grades 2 and 3

will be at Both the Sandy Hook and Haley Schools. Grade 5 will be taught at

Sandy Hook and at Land's End School in Hawleyville. Grade 6 will be at Flat

Swamp School in Dodgingtown and at Huntingtown School. Grades 7-12 will be at

Hawley School.

The Rev Lawrence S. Brock, SJ, new administrator of Fairfield College

Preparatory School, will be the main speaker at the communion breakfast which

marks the 50th anniversary of the Virgilius Council of the Knights of

Columbus. Six surviving charter members are expected to be among those who

attend the breakfast in the St Rose Parish Hall on Sunday morning. Father

Brock, who was a major in the US Army during World War II, met Rev John F.

Culliton of St Rose Parish on Guadacanal during the war while Father Culliton

was a chaplain with the 43rd Division. Father Brock was a chaplain with the

26th Division and spent more than two years in the jungles of Bougainville,

Guadacanal, New Caledonia and New Hebrides.