September 3, 1993

A Garner Correctional Institution prisoner serving a 28-year sentence on charges of attempted murder of a police officer remained at large on the morning of September 2 after a daring jailbreak on August 30 in which he and another inmate fled the high-security prison. Police continued their search for George Galberth, 35, of New Haven who, with Stanwyck Peppers, 23, of Auburn, Georgia, escaped from the prison by climbing through a gap they made in a chain-link fence that caps a prison exercise courtyard. Using a tracking dog, state police found Peppers hiding in the woods about a half mile from the prison about two hours after his escape. Peppers was arrested without incident, charged with first-degree escape, and returned to prison. State police suspect that Mr Galberth made his way on foot some two miles away to Church Hill Road near Main Street flagpole around 11 pm and stole a white, two-door Ford Escort. The car had its keys inside when stolen, police said. The dual escapes are the first from the high-security prison, which opened last November.

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“Newtown, Young And Old, Growing Together” is the theme of the town’s annual Labor Day Parade, scheduled to start at 10 am on Monday, September 6. Units are asked to report to their assembly points at 9 am. The parade will follow its usual route, from the ambulance garage on Main Street, to Glover Avenue, and Queen Street, ending at Church Hill Road. The parade committee suggests that anyone needing to pick up youths or other people after the parade do so at Hawley School. Any child or adult wanting to enter the parade as a clown may enter it by going to Division 3 on Main Street, where the clowns will be the seventh unit in that division.

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The decision by the Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers to seek federal funding for a pedestrian-controlled traffic signal in front of the building has sparked a storm of controversy. At the Board of Selectmen’s meeting Tuesday night, Main Street residents, Borough Board of Burgesses representatives, officials and residents voiced strong objections to what they viewed as an attempt by the Board of Managers to make a decision on the light without consulting them. “The Board of Burgesses has been totally concerned over this are for a year and a half,” said Borough Warden Joan Crick. “I thought we would get together again and discuss the situation, then we got your letter that you had applied for funds.” The board of managers had not meant to step on toes, said chairman Betty Lou Osborne. They had been facing a deadline to apply for funds. Mrs Crick said burgesses are concerned with “gray areas” in the State Department of Transportation’s plans. “We don’t have anything in writing,” she said.

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When Newtown’s schools opened Wednesday, they opened with an unofficial total enrollment of 3,751. This was 116 more students than the school system projected when it prepared its budget for this school year. The new enrollment reflects an increase of 214 students above enrollment for the 1992-92 school year. These and other figures were made public Thursday by Assistant Superintendent Kenneth Freeston. Dr Freeston emphasized the official enrollment won’t be known until October 1.

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An estimated $20,000 in damage was caused at Hawley School and adjacent buildings due to a lightning strike on Saturday, August 28, according to Dominick Posca, supervisor of buildings and grounds. Because the hit caused trouble with the fire alarm system, Mr Posca said that he and Johnny Johnson went to the school and figured the lightning hit the annex, but they didn’t notice any other problems. But on Monday, August 30, it was discovered the lightning had travelled through underground wires to the school, knocking out the school’s public address system, eliminating the ability to make phone calls out of the buildings — although calls could be received — and damaged components of the alarm system. To get everything back to normal, Mr Posca said he and Charlie Allen worked to midnight on Monday and Richie Belvel worked midnight to 7 am.

September 6, 1968

Starting this week, Newtown’s teens can dance to top bands on Saturdays at Edmond Town Hall. This Saturday, September 7, The Underground Express will start its run in the gym. The Boss Blues, one of the area’s top favorites, will set the beat. Tickets are open to Newtown resident of high school or first year of college. The new Underground Express has no connection with the past series of dances at the gym. The new series is sponsored by TAN — Teen Action Newtown.

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The sun — and a good-sized crowd — smiled on Newtown’s Progress Days Festival Parade Monday, September 2. Balloons bobbed, popped, soared into the blue. Youngsters licked lollipops and mothers groaned as they tried to mop away the sticky mess. Somehow it seemed delightfully appropriate that the assembly point for the first division was Johnny Cake Lane. The music of the Newtown Striders was heard as dignitaries drove up to the reviewing stand: Col Gilbert Teal, parade marshal; Selectmen Timothy Treadwell, Fredric Rees and Kenneth Casey; Rep Sarah Frances Curtis, and GOP candidate for US Senate Ed May.

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The announcement by First Selectman Timothy Treadwell of Charles Batchelder Company’s welcome air pollution control project was made at the regular Board of Selectman’s meeting on September 3. In a letter to the selectmen, the aluminum alloy company said that the anti-air pollution program, at a cost of $180,000, would be complete within six months. Already a special $50,000 furnace has been installed and a $30,000 air scrubbing divide is in the process of installation, to be followed by two more special $50,000 furnaces. When this tremendous undertaking is complete, much of Newtown’s air pollution problem will be solved.

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It’s good news indeed that Frederick Parr, Middle Gate School principal, is expected home this weekend after a siege in the hospital at Potsdam, N.Y. He suffered a heart attack while vacationing nearby. The town’s welcome will be warm, but please let it be by notes and cards until Mrs Parr gives the word that visitors are welcome.

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PLEASE: The Bee is happy to print the pictures sent in by contributors. Many of these are greatly valued by the senders and The Bee makes every effort to return them when this is asked. However, with 25 towns to cover, this can become quite a job. Therefore, we ask that, whenever possible, pictures be picked up at The Bee office promptly after publication. If this is inconvenient, a self-addressed return envelope would be much appreciated, along with some identification written lightly on the back of the photo.

September 10, 1943

RUTS ARE NOT HEALTHY PLACES: Bee readers will find an unusual type of advertisement in this week’s issue, inviting the public to attend the Democratic caucus on Monday evening. A party platform is in the making, and the selection of qualified candidates, possibly independent of the local Democratic party. Such a move is timely and should prove constructive for the best interests of town. We look with interest to the results of the meeting. The Bee has frequently pointed to civic improvements which should be made, and many people have agreed. We favor definite party platforms, both Democratic and Republican, as well as some good old-fashioned rivalry.

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September 9 marks the start of the Third War Loan Drive, in which Connecticut has undertaken the specific task of providing funds to buy Yankee subs to replace those already lost in the war. It is a splendid goal, and there is no doubt that every city and town will do its part to beat the quota of $453 million. Especially so when we realize that every dollar in bonds and stamps goes back to back up our boys who are now making such glorious progress in defeating the Axis powers.

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The Victory Garden in Newtown, which has been raised this summer by 4-H members and other school children, will be judged on Monday, September 13, by H.H. Burtch of Sandy Hook and Mrs Marjorie Clement of the Farm Bureau office in Danbury. There are some 15 gardens which will be inspected, the judging to be based on the best looking and most properly planted pots. This annual contest has received the interest all summer of Mrs Earnest Angell of Palestine district, as well as Vincent Gaffney, Vo-Ag teacher at Hawley school and the agricultural chairman of Newtown. The prize winners will be announced in next week’s Bee.

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Mr and Mrs Hillis Idleman and sons, Peter and Donald, were the weekend guests of Evelyn Shepard of Main Street. Mr Idleman is the principal of East Hartford High School.

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Newtown friends of Superintendent of Fairfield State Hospital Dr Clifford D. Moore will be pleased to know that he has been granted a military leave from his duty at the hospital and expects to enter service about October 1.

September 6, 1918

Miss Clarissa Leonard received a party Tuesday night at the Newtown Inn, entertaining about 40 friends. Pleasing refreshments were served, and dancing enjoyed.

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Miss Edith McGrath, who has been in the employ of S. Curtis & Son for some time, has resigned her position and returned to Bridgeport.

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The Newtown Country Club had a busy time on Labor Day. The chicken dinner served by Sophie at noon, of which about 50 partook, was called fine. The golf handicap was won by George Taylor and John Beers, with a score of 36 each. The second place men were Frank J. Gale and Charles A. Peale, with scores of 37 each. There were many guests and all had a good time playing golf and tennis.

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Within the past week inquiries have been received at the state headquarters for the Connecticut Women’s Suffrage Association concerning the authenticity of the statement that in eight of the United States aliens have the right to vote on their first papers. That this is unquestionably true is evidenced by the statistics published in the 1918 World Almanac and by the highest press authority in the country. The New York Tribune recently published an article entitled “The Kaiser’s Hand in the American Ballot Box,” in which it was pointed out that by the “Delbrueck Law,” smugglers twice perjured subjects into the citizenry of the United States to work for secret ends.

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E.J. Miller will go to Hartford where he will take a position with the Ellison Construction Co. Mrs Miller and children will follow in a few weeks.

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.