October 14, 1988

It seemed an unusual time for a power outage. There were no storms or accidents. But at 3:30 pm, on Tuesday, October 31, a tree limb fell on a wire on Church Hill Road, shutting down power in the center of Newtown. Major streets affected included not only Church Hill Road in the center of town, but also Queen Street, Commerce Road, The Boulevard, and Wire Road, as well as other residential streets. Power was not restored until 4:12 pm.

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The Board of Education will study the need and feasibility of installing safety belts in the town’s school buses, and will make the results of the study available before a public hearing scheduled on the matter in January. According to a letter from Susan Hills, president of the PTA council, many parents have expressed concern regarding the lack of seat belts on Newtown school buses.

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As autumn eases into winter, five new buildings or additions for offices and shopping centers are dominating construction activity in the borough and on Route 25. Grand Union and the Queen’s Row office complex, both on Queen Street, and the proposed Sandhill Plaza on Route 25 have construction and site crews working. A small four-tenant office building also is being built across the street from Queen’s Row. Taunton Press is ahead of the pack, where an addition and some renovations to existing buildings are mostly completed.

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State Rep Mae Schmidle (R-106) said this week that introducing and sponsoring tougher drunk driving laws would be one of her top priorities in the next legislative session. She pointed out that 40 percent of road and highway fatalities are linked to alcohol. The Governor’s Task Force on Driving While Intoxicated recommended a ‘per se’ law. The law would allow for immediate suspension of the licenses of drivers failing sobriety tests, drivers found to be drunk or impaired, and drivers accused of second-degree motor vehicular homicide or assault.

October 18, 1963

Owners of old homes and apartment-dwellers alike will find much to interest them in Saturday’s tour of old Newtown homes. This is the first to be sponsored by the Newtown Historical Society and includes 11 homes in Newtown and Sandy Hook, dating from 1691 to 1835. Many of the furnishings to be seen are true “museum pieces;” a number of outstanding collections, from clocks to whiskey flasks, will be on view.

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C. David Hull, representative for the Rival Dog Food Company, has announced the winners of last week’s “Win A Pup” Contest, at the Grand Union Store in Newtown. The proud new owners of handsome six and a half week old pups were 13-year-old Raymond Sears of Southford and 12-year-old David Neufield of Botsford Hill Road in Newtown. The dogs were donated by Daniel Randall of Sandy Hook.

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L. Taigen, vice president and general manager of the California Oil Co was on hand last Thursday to congratulate Harold Dunleavy, dealer, at the grand opening of the new Dodgingtown Garage with Chevron gasolines. Mr Dunleavy, a veteran auto service specialist, is now welcoming all of his old and new customers at his fully-equipped, three-bay Colonial station.

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The extremely dry weather continues as The Bee goes to press, resulting in brush fires proving difficult to extinguish. Townspeople should not burn “until the extreme danger of fires has passed,” Fire Marshal Millard S. Goodsell states. “In such a dry period, grass fires burn underground. This may travel unnoticed for a distance of over 200 feet. When it nears the surface and comes in contact with air, flames again appear, and we have a new outbreak of fire to contend with.”

October 14, 1938

On Tuesday evening, October 18, the Sandy Hook firemen will hold a public meeting at St Rose hall for residents of Sandy Hook and others interested in the newly formed company. Joseph H. Ringers of the Fabric Fire Hose Company is arranging for a guest speaker who will discuss methods of forming a fire company and the best types of equipment. The meeting is called for 8 o’ clock.

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Newtown lost, in the death of Frank Wright last Thursday evening, a man of long public service, whose passing is mourned throughout the entire township. To Mr Wright, who was a staunch Democrat, goes the distinction of having held most acceptably the office of town treasurer for thirty years. Other offices Mr Wright also held with distinction, among them long years of service to Trinity Episcopal. He was Junior Warden for a long period. Mr Wright had been trustee of the Newtown Savings Bank since 1898. He was a director of the Newtown Water Company and was also a trustee of the Cyrenius H. Booth Library, and served as committee chairman of the building committee for the Soldiers’ Monument. Another office which Mr Wright had held since his appointment in 1935 was that of trustee of the Fairfield State Hospital. At the time of the founding of the Newtown Hook and Ladder Company, Mr Wright became a charter member. He was also a charter member of the Men’s Literature and Social Club and the Hillside Club, and was an active member of the Chamber of Commerce. His fraternal affiliation was with the Masonic order.

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A public address system has been installed at the Hawleyville Dance Hall, located on the Newtown-Danbury road and will feature every Saturday night at their dances Ray Westover, singer of cowboy songs.

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The Hutchinson Estate in Taunton district won a considerable number of prizes at this year’s Danbury Fair. Mr and Mrs Roy Everett, who are in charge of the estate, are naturally quite pleased. Chief winner was the estate’s German Shepherd dog, Crumstone Viking, who was judged runner up in his class to the champion. Mr Everett showed his White Leghorns, winning third, fourth, and fifth places. Mrs Everett, in exhibiting her canning activities, repeated in no uncertain terms her excellent showing a year ago. Thirty jars were placed before the judges, with first prizes awarded for her carrots, beets, mixed sweet pickles, onions, pepper hash and grape ketchup. Mr Hutchinson, owner of the prize-winning farm, is on one of his many extended trips in the interests of Twentieth Century-Fox Film, Corp.

October 17, 1913

Frederick Andrews of Taunton takes the premium for big potatoes. One weighted two pounds and an ounce and measured 11 x 18 inches. The other big tuber weighed a pound and 13 ounces and measured 12 x 15 inches.

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Miss Elizabeth C. Anderson, who is planning to form a dancing class for the winter, wishes to state that she will form an advance class to be held in the Town hall, beginning on Thursday evening, November 6. Pupils must be over 15 years of age and must be proficient in waltz and two-step. The New Caprice, Spanish waltz, Hitchy Koo, and modified Tango will be taught.

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The house of F.G. Carrie in Hanover was burned to the ground, Wednesday, about 3 pm. The house evidently took fire from a spark from the kitchen chimney. Mrs Carrie and a maid were in the house at the time of the fire, but were helpless before the mad rush of the flames. Word was telephoned to Newtown, and several automobile loads of people went up to the scene of the fire, but were unable to render any assistance, as the house was practically in ruins before they arrived. Mrs Carrie saved but little of her clothing and lost all her jewelry and about $60 in cash. Some for the furniture on the first floor was saved.

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The Borden’s Condensed Milk Co have laid off several hands from their Newtown creamery. They have stopped bottling at the local plant and are now shipping the milk away in 40-quart cans.