***

More than 1,450 residents oppose the jail in a town survey conducted by Rep Mae Schmidle. A new report estimates the state will spend $33.4 million to construct the jail. An anti-jail rally at Fairfield Hills Hospital and march in Hartford are scheduled for October.

***

Crawford Benedict of Currituck Road dropped by The Newtown Bee on August 19 to show off the raccoon that he caught on his property the night before, using a Havahart trap. Although Mr Benedict suspected the raccoon as the killer of several of his chickens, he did not seek vengeance, but released the animal in the Upper Paugussett State Forest.

***

The best that Matt Margules and his father, Richard, were hoping for at the 50th All-American Soap Box Derby was to win at least two races, which would guarantee Matt a trophy. That would be satisfaction enough for having made the trip to Akron, Ohio. Matt won easily his first time down the hill. Then Matt won his second race. It turned out that Matt kept winning. He became the 1987 All-American Soap Box Derby World Champion in the Junior Division. Matt earned the right to go to Akron back in June when he captured the Junior Division title at the Greater Danbury Soap Box Derby.

August 24, 1962

Townspeople have probably noticed this past week the reconstruction taking place in front of Trinity Church on Main Street. The entire flagstone sidewalk in front of the church is being reset to grade, and the two short steps from the lawn onto Main Street are being removed. In their place a short sloped ramp with roughened surface is being constructed.

***

Thirty-seven large aerial maps of Newtown were opened at the Planning Commission’s public hearing Wednesday night for the public’s viewing. The maps were made on April 25 of this year, and are scaled to one inch equals 400 feet. They show in detail all the land in the town, and will be a help to the board and townspeople in plotting further road layouts.

***

The number of students who registered in the Newtown public schools last Friday came to 70, being students who had not previously registered for the coming academic year. As of August 17, 1962, including the 70 listed above, there are 751 registered in the High School, 742 in the Hawley School, and 460 in Sandy Hook.

***

Newtown tied for second place in the final standings in the Pomperaug League, Sunday, by defeating Roxbury, 4-3. Marv Shreders, Newtown’s power hitter, was selected the league’s most valuable player at a meeting of the league managers Wednesday night. He finished the regular season with a .500 average.

 

August 20, 1937

Tax Collector Robert N. Camp has been confined to his home for several days suffering with an attack of skin poisoning. He is under the care of Dr John J. George. Master George Davis, son of Mr and Mrs Edward Davis of the Borough, underwent an operation for the removal of his tonsils at the Danbury hospital on Monday. He returned to his home on Tuesday.

***

During the electrical storm Wednesday morning, lightning struck the transformer near the home of Mr and Mrs Newton M. Curtis, Sandy Hook, and residents in that section were without electric service for several hours.

***

Wilton Lackaye will close his sixth successful season of auctioning antiques at his Auction Barn in Sandy Hook, with a two-day sale on Tuesday, August 24 and Wednesday, August 25. As there are about two thousand choice items, which must be auctioned off in the final two days, the selling will proceed at top speed from 10:30 Tuesday morning, until about 5 o’clock Wednesday evening, when Mr Lackaye will be able to rest his tonsils, which we imagine will be crying for a hard-earned rest.

***

The New Haven Railroad has established a large camp at the Botsford Railroad station, housing about 75 men, who are engaged in the work of applying crushed stone ballast to the road bed, between Shelton and Danbury.

 

August 23, 1912

Your correspondent had the pleasure when in Derby, last Friday, of being shown about the factory for the Graham Manufacturing Co. by George S. Northrop, who is a Newtown boy and is one of the foremen in the factory. This company manufacture keys of all kinds and descriptions, also locks and brass tags, and it was a marvel to your correspondent to see how many keys and locks the concern makes every day. While at the factory, your correspondent also had the pleasure of meeting Edward French, who is a Zoar Bridge boy.

***

W.A. Upham of New York City, who purchased Vincent Denaro’s place just north of Mulligan’s crossing in Hanover, is now having a fine rustic stone bungalow built just north of where the house on the place formerly stood. The SNET Co. had their line extended last week from Kirtz Wilson’s place in Hanover to the new bungalow, and will soon install a telephone there.

***

The battle of Newtown was the most impressive military spectacle that has been presented to American eyes on American soil since the bloody encounters of the Civil War itself, and as it rolled and thundered back and forth on the green hills above this quiet town, it was hard to believe that it was not in fact a scene of carnage and slaughter. The number of visitors who witnessed the battle from Cole’s Hill and along the Ridge was estimated at about 3,000. Then place the total number of visitors at 5,000, with the 20,000 troops engaged and the regular population of 3,000, puts Newtown’s population for Saturday at 28,000. Mr Cole says he had a fine time and he told the provost marshal when asked for his bill of damages, “I have no bill and I will give you $100 to come here again.”

***

A.P. Smith had an exciting experience, Saturday night. He drove to the station to meet the 7:25 train north, and went into the station for a couple of minutes. When he returned the horse had disappeared. Four or five soldiers had seized it and started on a “joy ride” to Newtown street. An officer of the regular army, suspecting something was wrong, stopped the team and held it until Mr Smith arrived to claim his property.