October 5, 1984

The Legislative Council on October 3 balked at allowing the Board of Selectmen to make specific budget transfers, totaling $13,351, to give 13 town employees raises. Council members said the individuals deserve more money, but said they were inadequately informed about the selectmen’s overall strategy for dealing with the pay levels of the town’s 40 nonunion employees.

* * *

On Sunday afternoon, September 30, corn was being unloaded at the Castle Hill Farm on Sugar Lane, owned by Steve Paproski, when a gasoline leakage from the tractor caused the gas tank to catch on fire. According to Mr Paproski, the tractor, parked close to the barn, was pushed into a nearby field to avoid a possible structure fire. Firemen from Hook and Ladder, Dodgingtown, and men with Sandy Hook’s Tanker 9 responded to the call.

* * *

DATHAR , Inc opened its newest group home for mentally and physically disabled people in Newtown on Monday, October 1. The Newtown facility, located on Old Hawleyville Road, is the ninth residential home opened by DATAHR, and will house up to six mentally handicapped people. A new aspect of the Newtown home is that several of its residents will be involved in an exchange with the state-supervised Danbury Regional Center for day classes.

* * *

Newtown High senior Cathy Carney, who passed up swimming with her school team the last two years in order to train for national competition, has found out how much fun interscholastic swimming can be. She has already broken six Newtown High swimming records and has her eye set on more, but being part of her school team for the first time in four years is just as important.

 

October 9, 1959

Republicans scored a clean sweep in Monday’s biennial town election, third in a row for the Newtown GOP. Charles Terrell, Jr was elected first selectman to succeed Edward J. Coleman. Mr Terrell’s running mate, Alfred J. Karcheski, polled 1,508 votes to gain office as second selectman, and Miles L. Harris garnered 1,289 votes to take office as third selectman.

* * *

The investment of years of research on the habits of mosquitoes and birds pays a dividend today as Connecticut residents ask: “What can I do to protect my family from sleeping sickness?” Dr Robert C. Wallis, medical entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, notes that the mosquitoes suspected of carrying the disease bite more frequently in the late afternoon and early evening. “Spray or paint screen doors and doorways with a 5 to 10 percent solution of DDT. Spray or paint around porch and entry lights. Keep screen doors tightly closed. Shake curtains and drapes before bedtime — swat any mosquitoes you find.”

* * *

The Greater Danbury State Fair, which opened for a nine-day run last Saturday, October 3, and which will continue through this Sunday, October 11, started with an all-time opening day record of 25,339 admissions and continued full swing last Sunday, bringing the weekend total to 72,120.

* * *

The chairman of the St John’s Church annual Christmas Bazaar, Mrs Edwin F. Willmore and Mrs Rose McClanahan, have named some of their booth chairmen. In addition to the booths, there will be a chewing gum wishing well and a table where orders will be taken for Christmas pies. The pies, apple, mince, and pumpkin, will be baked by the ladies of the church and delivered for the holidays.

October 5, 1934

The new statement of the Newtown Savings Bank, will be read with real interest by the many friends of this splendid institution. The deposits now total $3,307,966.86. Conservative and careful management has placed the Newtown bank in an unusually strong and favorable position.

* * *

In one of the liveliest and most exciting town elections in the history of the town, Monday, the administration of Selectman Blackman and his associates was given a great endorsement, and the entire Republican ticket swept into power by record-breaking majorities. There were 1,394 votes cast, 17 thrown out, and one voted blank. There were 569 straight Republican tickets voted and 430 straight Democratic. There were 374 split ballots.

* * *

Mrs William H. Hunter gave a tea, Monday afternoon, in opening her new gift shop at Hawley Manor. Mrs Hunter will specialize in goods made in Connecticut, which will be a unique feature. The gift shop will give local people an opportunity to select birthday and Christmas gifts right at home and promises to be well patronized.

* * *

The Sandy Hook “Irish” have issued a manifesto challenging the Newtown “Colonials” to a mixed battle at the local ball field on the Sabbath, where most of our social evils, capitalistic domination and other ascendencies that come from living in those higher attitudes of existence will be fought out for the benefit and pleasure of those humble enough to be present.

 

October 8, 1909

W.L. Gehn, who has been at work for C.S. Smalley in Stepney for a few months, has left his position there and has opened his blacksmith shop again near his father’s home in Dodgingtown, where he will be pleased to see all his old customers and any who need horse shoeing or any kind of blacksmithing done and he guarantees satisfaction in all work.

* * *

Thomas O. Murphy went to his chicken yard one morning last week and found a thief had visited him over night killing two of his hens. The next night he set a trap and in the morning had the thief in the shape of a fat 20-pound coon. The next day he killed a large chicken hawk which measured three feet, that had been visiting his poultry yard occasionally.

* * *

The Newtown Automobile club is preparing for the benefit of its members a course of lectures to be delivered at the club rooms on Friday evening during the coming winter. These lectures are primarily intended to place before the members fundamental knowledge concerning the construction and operation of automobiles, which will enable every owner to avoid, if not prevent, those many petty annoyances which are the price of ignorance concerning the details of the modern automobile.

* * *

Danbury Fair — That staid and genial citizen, Hermon H. Peck, had a thrilling experience at the fair, Tuesday. While inspecting the fine line of gasoline engines exhibited by T.E. Platt & Son, he failed to see a large barrel buried in the earth and full of water, and he stepped in and went nearly out of sight. Philo T. Platt was near at hand and amiably helped pick Mr Peck out of the water. “That’s pretty rough,” said Mr Peck with a laugh. “Got put under politically on Monday, and then get immersed in water on Tuesday.”