August 28, 1998

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER of Betty Williams.

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Thirty six years ago, during the month of May, a small group of residents gathered at Dickinson Park to discuss ways to revive Newtown’s community spirit. They considered putting on some sort of event for the Fourth of July, but quickly scratched that idea once they realized they did not have enough time to put it all together. What about Labor Day, suggested one resident. We could have a Labor Day Parade with a block party and other events the same weekend, he said. With four months to prepare, the group went to work and on that sunny day in early September 1962, Newtown put on its first-ever Labor Day Parade. A Bee editorial said Labor Day in Newtown in 1962 would go down as a real “red letter day” and would be a harbinger of many similar Labor Day weekends. “And here we are 36 years later,” noted Kym Stendahl, who is busy organizing her seventh straight Labor Day Parade.

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Striking Southern New England Telecommunications employees have been standing in front of the SNET building the past five days, frustrated over low wages. Only in Arkansas do telephone workers earn less. Connecticut’s main telephone company and its union employees waited this week for a federal mediator to begin the ticklish process of bringing the two sides back to the bargaining table.

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Vincent Saviano has been selected to replace Democrat Peggy Ulrich-Nims on the Newtown Board of Education. As director of engineering for Sorvall Products in Newtown, he brings extensive experience in engineering, budget management and product development to his position on the Board of Education. Mr Saviano joins two other Democrats on the school board, Amy Dent and Margaret Hull. The three Republican members of the board are Susan Hills, Elaine McClure, and Charles Nanavaty. Mrs Ulrich-Nims left her position on the Board of Education to relocate to Massachusetts with her family.

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A 37-year-old male driver from Highland Heights, Ky., who was driving a moving truck eastbound on Church Hill Road about 10 am August 21 reportedly told police he saw but disregarded “low clearance” warning signs for the Housatonic Railroad’s overpass, drove under the overpass and became stuck under it. A wrecker was able to release the wedged truck. Police issued the driver an infraction ticket on a charge of failure to obey state traffic commission signs and markings.

August 24, 1973

After more than two and a half years of frustrations, delays, and frequent disasters for motorists traveling through Newtown on I-84, the Great Bottleneck was finally broken at 11:30 am August 21 when the symbolic ribbon was cut by Rep Sarah Frances Curtis of Sandy Hook, while state and local dignitaries and the president of the construction company looked on. Traffic flowed from the old two-lane pattern until the vehicles of the official party were moved out of the eastbound lanes. At 11:55 am traffic began to flow on both roadways across all four lanes, two in each direction.

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The members of Hiram Lodge AM & FM, families and friends, gathered for the Lodge’s annual picnic on Sunday, August 19, at Gray’s Plain Road, Sandy Hook.

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Donald G. Launder of Pocono Road, Newtown, has been appointed manager of accounting operations of the optical technology division of Perkin-Elmer Corporation, Norwalk.

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The Borough of Newtown also was the recipient of some Revenue Sharing money this year, and on Monday evening, August 20, the Board of Burgesses called a special meeting for the purpose of deciding what to do with the funds. Helping them make the decision were a few Borough residents. The total amount of money received for the 1972 entitlement period was $5,628, and it will be spent as follows: $2,000 for maintenance and repairs of the Edmond Town Hall grounds and building; the same amount of money towards repairs and maintenance of the Cyrenius H. Booth Library; $500 for building maintenance at the Newtown Hook & Ladder Fire Company No. 1; and $1,128 for spraying to kill poison ivy on Borough streets.

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As of October 1 Newtown will join the growing number of towns in Connecticut that have set up formal organizations to deal with the problems of the elderly, and help them to take advantage of the various benefits provided by state and federal laws. The Ordinance establishing Newtown’s Committee on Aging was adopted by the Board of Selectmen August 21 after a public hearing the previous evening, at which almost every speaker strongly supported the proposal. A few questions were asked at the hearing, but no opposition was expressed. First Selectman Frank DeLucia said appointments to the committee will be made on the basis of interest and qualifications rather than political affiliation, and he hoped to secure a broad section of young and middle-aged as well as elderly members, including members with practical experience and professional skills that will be useful to the committee. Since the committee is to be non-political, the Town Committees of the Republican and Democratic parties will not be asked for recommendations.

August 20, 1948

“Charlie” Cavanaugh is on vacation this week from his duties on The Bee staff, spending the first part of the week with Mrs Cavanaugh and Judge and Mrs Walter Reynolds visiting Mr and Mrs Richard Smith in Darien.

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Dr and Mrs Waldo F. Desmond left on Wednesday for a vacation trip in Maine and New Hampshire. They will visit their son, Danny, at Camp Kawanhee, Weld, Maine, and attend the closing exercises there. After that they will visit their daughter, Susan, at Camp Kuwiyan on Lake Winnepesaukee at Meredith, N.H. They will return to Newtown in time for Dr Desmond to resume his practice on September 1st, bringing the young campers home with him.

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Kenneth Peck of Palestine celebrated his birthday on Sunday afternoon with a family party, and a good time was enjoyed by all.

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The Rosary Society of St Rose church held a food sale on the church lawn Saturday, August 14th. The food, which was sold from 11 am to 2 pm, consisted of various kinds of cake, salads and several varieties of pie and homemade bread and rolls. Mrs Helen Casey, chairman of the committee, wishes to take this opportunity to thank everyone who donated food to the sale and who helped to make the sale a success. The following assisted Mrs Casey: Mrs Anna McMahon, Mrs Annabelle Walker, Mrs Madeline McQuillan, Mrs Sarah Mannix, Mrs Anna Maye, Mrs Connie Herring, Mrs Anne Seman and Miss Jane Honan.

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The Newtown Combined Fire Companies held their annual clambake and outing at the Hawleyville firehouse starting at 10 o’clock last Sunday morning. More than 100 participated in the all-day event, with the membership of all four companies being well represented. An afternoon of sports included a softball game in which the married men played the single men, ending in a 7-7 tie. Horseshoe pitching was also included in the activities. The clambake was prepared and served under the direction of George Brodie of Bethel, and later Walter Nichols and Harry Weller of Danbury entertained the men with violin and piano duets, while Henry J. Stahl of Shelton provided a recorded musical program. The committee in charge of the annual affair consisted of Chief Harold Dunleavy of the Dodgingtown Company, chairman, assisted by Robert Popovitch of the same company, Chief Peter Feli and Edward Vreeland, president of the Hawleyville company, and Tony Digilio of the Sandy Hook volunteers.

August 17, 1923

Abraham Klein has sold his property at Sandy Hook to Charles Johnson of Easton. The sale was made through the agency of Stanley Botsford of Stepney.

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CARD OF THANKS: To the friends, who so kindly assisted us during the illness and death of our beloved daughter Claribelle, we return sincere thanks. Mr and Mrs Martin Troy, Newtown, August 15, 1923.

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MARY HAWLEY’S GENEROUS OFFER: The following explanatory letter announcing the gift of a receiving vault and gateways to the Newtown Village Cemetery Association by Miss Mary Hawley, will be read with thankfulness by all interested in this beautifully located God’s Acre. It is a most generous and thoughtful offer. And following her recent gift of the Hawley school to the town, once more places us under a sense of obligation and thankfulness for her generosity:

Newtown, Conn. August 11, 1923. Mr Arthur T. Nettleton, Secretary, Newtown Village Cemetery Association, Newtown, Conn. Dear Mr Nettleton: Realizing the need of a Receiving Vault in our Village Cemetery I take pleasure in offering to build one for your Association. Herewith are submitted plans for this proposed Receiving Vault, and also Gateways, for consideration, it being understood, of course, that I am to bear all expenses. Trusting my offer and plans will meet with the approval of the Association, I am, Sincerely yours, Mary E. Hawley.

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The three day festival for the benefit of St Rose’s church was a pronounced success. Very fine vaudeville programs were enjoyed under the direction of Frank Dobson, the professional artist. Louis Bogash gave an exhibition of boxing that interested and pleased the audience. Among the fortunate people were Frank Wright, who was awarded a ton of coal, Mrs Winslow, a set of dishes, Miss Catherine Ward, barrel of flour, Miss Florence Anderson, $5 gold piece and Louis Bogash, $2.50 gold piece.

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A large number of Sandy Hook people attended the performance of Neil O’Brien’s minstrels at the Empress theatre in Danbury, Tuesday night.

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The Dodgingtown Firemen’s Fair and Carnival proved to be the biggest and best ever held by that prosperous little Company. It was estimated that over 5,000 people were in attendance and helped Manager Bevens to make this the best ever. A.T. Joy and John W. Behn had sale of the tickets and they proved to be good salesmen, for the crowd readily bought tickets and soon were back after more. But the other firemen who had charges of the booths were right on their job and you could hear Jim Christopher all over the grounds, “Get a Ham while I spin the wheel!” while right beside him was Foreman Wheeler with his dolls and aluminum ware. James Moroney amused the grown ups as well as the kids by the fish pond, and John Visney had the finest display of Beacon blankets ever seen at a carnival as the blanket wheel. There was also a Spark Plug wheel, knife board, clock wheel, shooting gallery, food and drink, and a dance floor with William Gower and Chester Whitehead in charge, with dancing until 11 pm.

August 28, 1898

During the heavy thunder storm of Thursday night the lightning killed three steers for Hiram Barlow. They were very fine Devons and Mr Barlow had taken much pains in breaking and training them.

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Miss Ellie P. Botsford will teach in Hattertown the coming year, opening September 6. Miss Botsford gave excellent satisfaction last year, and this announcement of her return will be read with pleasure by the parents of the children.

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A.G. Baker, the Hawleyville furniture man, and his son, George Baker, were in New York to witness the naval pageant of the victorious battleships on Saturday.

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“Home, home, sweet home, be it ever so homely, there’s no place like home!” Oh, you immortal poet, that’s so! Shakespeare says so, all animal and vegetable creation says so. The chicken seeks its roots, and man his own bed. How to make these homes, that’s the question. In order to have “a local habitation and a name,” marriage must prevail, and although the “Traveler’s home” may be inviting to the forlorn ones seeking home, yet it is only hash, be warned over part of the first sweet morsel of existence!—[G.W.B.]

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.