August 23, 1991

Browse and buy at the library book sale and craft fair. From Stephen King to Shakespeare, from art to artful books on any subject, it's all at the 16th Annual Labor Day Book Sale & Craft Fair next weekend. "It's going to be a fun weekend for everybody," said Dianne Bowler. She and Karen Schultz have co-chaired this year's book buyer's bonanza at the C.H. Booth Library. From Saturday through Monday, August 31 and September 1-2, the sale will be accompanied by a craft fair on Sunday and Monday, September 1-2.

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Newtown resident Polly Brody will present a lecture program on aspects of animal behavior to the Western Connecticut Bird Club on September 12 at the Rochambeau School in Southbury. Ms Brody, who holds a master's degree in vertebrate biology, has been a lecturer on animal behavior and ornithology for the past 25 years, and engaged by clubs and schools throughout New England and metropolitan areas.

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Few people realize that the asparagus is a member of the lily family. If allowed to grow, the asparagus tips would throw out tall stalks and crown them with six-petaled flowers, the trademark of the lily.

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Every day, from the Fourth of July through Halloween, you can usually find a Ford flatbed parked off Rt 34 near the I-84 overpass near Exit 11. It's the vegetable truck selling vegetables grown at Mitchell Farm in Southbury. The stand has been there for the past three years. Through its season in Newtown, the truck usually offers corn, tomatoes, and cucumbers. It's still offering zucchini, squash, bell peppers, eggplant, green beans, potatoes and cabbage. Other items were on sale earlier in the season. All vegetables are grown at the farm. From time to time the stand also offers fruit, which is grown elsewhere.

August 19, 1966

Miss Kay Dolan was badly hurt when she was thrown from her bicycle last Wednesday, August 10. She had gone for a ride and when she did not come up the road where her sister and nephew were waiting, they went to see what had happened. They found her lying on the roadside with a severe gash in her head and lacerations. They took her to the hospital in Fitchburg, Mass. She has a broken shoulder, two sprained wrists and multiple road burns. She was on vacation after attending a seminar in Vermont.

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Any mention of angels, of course, brings SAC and boys to mind. The benefit performance on Thursday, August 25, at the Town Hall of "The Trouble With Angels" is the only time this year that the SAC is asking for support. Two performances are at 7 and 9 pm and tickets are 75 cents. Any member of SAC, the boys Social and Athletic Club of Sandy Hook, will sell you a ticket or they can be purchased at the box office.

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When Bob Hayes, owner of Hayes Department Store of Sandy Hook, starts talking about free prizes, he's not talking about peanuts. He's talking about a Mustang hardtop V-8 and 10 Suzuki motorbikes and the other 1,100 prizes that include Polaroid Land Cameras, Westinghouse radios, men's Wrangler cologne. Mr Hayes, who features Mr Wrangler sportswear for men and boys is sponsoring the national, Mr Wrangler "Catch a Mustang Sweepstakes" in Newtown. He says any car bug is eligible to pick up a free entry form without having to buy a thing for the privilege.

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Toddy Hill Road residents were mildly astonished this weekend to see a cottage rolling slowly past. It seems that Mr and Mrs Harry Gould of Gould Realty, owners of the former Stepney Camp property, gave eight of the eleven cottages to the Jewish Community Center Camp on Route 25 in Stepney. The remaining three have been offered to the Bridgeport Kennedy Center for Retarded Children. Gould Realty is clearing the Toddy Hill site in preparation for building a convalescent home.

August 15, 1941

Believing that there is a real need for an ambulance in Newtown, and that the townspeople will support a campaign for one, the Newtown Rotary Club has undertaken the project under the chairmanship of Joseph H. Ringers. It is planned to raise $3,000 for the ambulance and $500 for maintenance funds. Contributions have already reached $425. Need for an ambulance in town was expressed by Dr Desmond, Dr Egee, and Dr Moore, who pointed to the usefulness of an ambulance, not only in auto accidents cases, but in transporting patients to hospitals or from one home to another.

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A recent visitor in Newtown was Arthur W. Vining, Jr, formerly of Sandy Hook and now with the Army Air Corps. Mr Vining completed his course last week, receiving his commission and his "wings" as a Second Lieutenant. Following his leave of a few days, he returned to base camp to await further orders. It is expected that he will make his place among the officers who train the men just now coming into the corps for training.

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The Newtown A.C. will have another week of rest, as Naugatuck and Bethany will play this Sunday for fourth place in the league, the first four teams being eligible for the playoffs. Oakville defeated Middlebury on Sunday, thus putting them in first place and out of reach of the Newtown A.C. They will play the third place New Preston Hillies Sunday in the first game of the series. Newtown will play the winner of the Naugatuck-Bethany game. The winners of this game will and winners of the Oakville New Preston game will play a two out of three series for the championship.

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The golf championship, which has been underway at the Newtown Country Club for the past few weeks, came to its conclusion on Saturday when Irwin Baker and Art Carmody, finalists, met in the 36-hole playoffs, with Baker the victor by a five and six score. Both are receiving the congratulations of their club members on their fine play throughout the tournament.

August 18, 1916

Sandy Hook has a well developed case of infantile paralysis. The victim is Amelia Pierron, 14, and daughter of Lucien Pierron, the Sandy Hook milkman. Dr Brown confirmed the diagnosis of health officer Dr W.H. Kiernan, by a lumbar puncture. The place has been thoroughly quarantined, and Mr Pierron has stopped distributing milk. He is at a loss to know where the infection came from. Dr Kiernan is very hopeful there will be no other cases, as the victim did not come in contact with the milk in any way.

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A large delegation from Newtown attended the lawn party of St Thomas' church in Oxford in the woods at the property of Michael Cassidy. The grounds were prettily decorated with Chinese lanterns.

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What might have proved serious occurred during a recent thunder shower when a large tree was struck by lightning, just in front of the automobile of Rev Henry S. Habersham, occupied by himself and family, who were returning from Bridgeport.

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News Tersely Told: Dorothy and Walter Wedge are victims of the whooping cough. Mabel Coles has returned from a visit to Fairfield Beach. Helen Hurd is visiting her cousin Nellie Northrop. Edith Jennings, chief operator at the telephone office, is taking a two-week vacation.

Please consider sharing your old photographs of people and places from Newtown or Sandy Hook with The Newtown Bee readers. Images can be e-mailed to kendra@thebee.com, or brought to the office at 5 Church Hill Road to be scanned. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date.