October 4, 1996

Samples of dust particles taken last week inside the Cyrenius Booth Library have been found to contain levels of asbestos that exceed federal EPA standards and actions levels established by governmental health agencies, according to First Selectman Bob Cascella. “We are awaiting the final report [from the state].” Mr Cascella said Thursday morning. “All we know is that quantities of asbestos were found that exceed the legal limits. It’s throughout the library, but not in every room. The amount is unknown yet but we will have to do abatement.”

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SNAPSHOT: RICH RAUNER, postal clerk in Newtown “for something like 300 years.” Most unusual package mailed? We’ve received bees, little baby chicks, pigeons. You can get just about anything in the mail. People have shipped bones. Somebody addressed a banana and mailed it. It’s amazing. When I first started working for the post office, I was a letter carrier and ... I brought a package to Honan Funeral Home that had to be signed for. Mrs Honan came to the door and said, “Oh, yes. That’s Mr Jones.” I had no idea it was the remains of someone. They shipped it Parcel Post; I guess that were no hurry.

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The footprint of the addition on the northeast side of the Newtown high School is taking shape as crews work on the foundation for the new construction. Educators and students continue to accommodate the work as they do their best to establish a school routine despite the noise, dust, and distractions of construction.

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During the summer of 1995, much of Newtown was abuzz over visit from a movie studio for the filming of scenes in the feature film Sleepers. At the time, it seemed it would be forever before Newtown resident would see its rolling hills on the big screen, to be able to point out friends and members of the community who had been hired for small “stand-in” parts in the early minutes of the film. The film is now about to be released, with a pre-release screening planned for October 15 in Stamford. Sleepers will open nationwide October 18.

October 8, 1971

George Mayer and Vincent Gaffney of Newtown have taken first honors for effect and arrangement as well as for centerpiece with their elaborate produce display at the Danbury State Fair. David Ferris of Sandy Hook took first prize in the under 2,800-lb oxen drawing competition.

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Marking the 10th anniversary of the first US combat death in Vietnam, the Vietnam Veterans Against the War held a “war information program” on Thursday with speakers, films and poetry reading. The Alexandria Room in Edmond Town Hall had a near-capacity crowd in attendance. Seventy residents signed an anti-war resolution, which then was presented to the Board of Selectmen at the board’s meeting Tuesday evening. The selectmen decided to ask the town counsel’s opinion before calling a town meeting to vote on endorsing the resolution.

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First Selectman Timothy Treadwell said the Public Utilities Commission has written to the town explaining that the first and last buses each day between Newtown and New Haven were eliminated because the fares collected for these runs averaged $7 while the costs of each run was $29.70. The PUC has no authority to require the bus company to maintain a service which is not meeting out-of-pocket expenses, the PUC letter said.

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The Conservation District announced this week that its pilot program to collect paper for recycling will cease because of insufficient paper collection. The district had hired Dan Lee to collect paper in the Newtown area.

October 4, 1946

Funeral services were held Wednesday for Lt Howard H.J. Burr, who was killed in an automobile accident while serving in Germany. Lt Burr, 22, was the son of Grace Eleanor and George U. Burr of the Gray’s Plain District of Newtown. Lt Burr graduated from Hawley School, Class of 1941, and attended the University of Connecticut until spring vacation of the year 1942-43, where he played end on both the junior varsity and senior varsity football teams. He also assisted his father in the operation of the family’s farm and grain business. Lt Burr’s most recent assignment after the war ended was that of special service officer with the First Constabulary Brigade, whose football team he had begun to coach. The team was on it way to football practice when the auto accident occurred.

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Sixty-seven children, ages 6 to 16, came to a meeting this week to enroll in the new fife, drum and bugle corps being sponsored by the Sandy Hook Fire Department. The instructors for the corps will be Bert Sheldon, director and Irving Shaw and George Clark of the fire company. The committee for the corps consists of John McMahon, Louise Carbonneau and Thomas Cunningham.

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The first home football game for the Hawley six-man team takes place on Taylor Field this Friday at 3:30 pm, when the Washington High School team, coached by Eric DeGroat, meets the locals who are tutored by Eric’s dad, Newtown’s own “coach” DeGroat.

October 7, 1921

The whist at the Newtown Country club held last Monday evening was a very pleasant affair. There were seven tables at whist. Mrs Forsythe of New Haven was first lady and Mrs Evelyn Shepard second, and L.C. Morris first and Raymond L. Hall second for the gentlemen. It was prize night and Mrs Evelyn Shepard secured first prize and Miss Linda Williams second for the ladies, and for the gentlemen Raymond L. Hall first and L.C. Morris second. There will be another whist at the club rooms, next Monday night, October 10, to compete for the October prizes.

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HAWLEYVILLE CHAPEL SERVICES SUNDAY NIGHT: Services in the chapel at Hawleyville, Sunday, at 7:30. The rector of Trinity church, Newtown, will be the preacher.

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The village of Sandy Hook had a narrow escape from a general and serious conflagration, early Wednesday morning, when the barn and garage of Mrs Howard Bassett was burned to the ground. The fire was discovered about 3 o’clock, and the telephone control to Newtown gave the general alarm. The fire siren in the Borough was touched off, and the operator notified scores of people on the telephone. A large number from the Street and other parts of the town went at once to the scene of the fire, and as a result of the fine work of a bucket brigade the house and blacksmith shop of Mrs Bassett was saved from burning. The west side of the house was badly blistered by the intense heat from the burning buildings.

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James Egan, a highly respected citizen and resident of South Center district, died on Thursday a few minutes before 12 o’clock. He was 55 years old. Surviving him are his wife, a daughter, Miss Helen, and four brothers, Dr Andrew Egan of New York, John Peter Egan of Danbury, William Egan and Richard Egan of Newtown.

October 9, 1896

Newtown, the Gibraltar of democracy, met its Waterloo on Monday, when the citizens party, assisted by the few republicans in town, outvoted the regular democratic ticket with the exception of the town treasurer and tax collectors, and in the coming year there will be a change in the management of the affairs of the town. The democrats have no one to blame but themselves for this turnaround. The memory of Gray’s Plain and other abuses, claimed, of public trust has put the people of the town on edge, and when people think their trusts are abused they strike back, sooner or later.

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THE EDITOR’S FAMILIAR CHAT: The spirit of co-operation which was manifested by all the citizens of the town in reference to their fair, was highly commendable, and in this lay the secret of its success. Almost every person in town took a personal interest in the fair, and as long as this spirit prevails the Newtown fair will go on from glory to glory.

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Papers were passed Friday last by which the residence of Col J.W. Knowlton, at the head of the Street, became the property of W.L. Allen. Mr Allen has for five years been a summer visitor here, occupying the old Belden house. While Newtown people will regret the departure of Col and Mrs Knowlton, who return to Bridgeport, the are pleased that Mr Allen is to become a permanent resident.

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The Congregational pulpit was occupied on Sunday by Rev Joseph H. James of Rockville, secretary of the Connecticut Temperance Union, who gave a stirring temperance sermon based on the parable of the Good Samaritan. In the course of his sermon he stated that he believed $3,000 a year was spent in Newtown on the cursed liquor traffic. The preacher stated that all the deaths on this country in a year for which rum is responsible would make a line of graves which would reach from Newtown to New Haven. This is a year of hard times, said the speaker, but where you will find the most abject poverty and distress is in the homes where the demon drink has entered. Rev James was entertained at Mrs Wolcott’s while in town.

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.