November 3, 1995

This fall’s political campaign has been so quiet that it came as almost no surprise when the candidates running for the Board of Selectmen agreed this week on one topic: the board should be abolished. “I haven’t even been elected yet and you’re already talking about eliminating my job,” Republican selectman candidate Jim Mooney complained good-naturedly at the candidates’ debate sponsored by the Newtown Rotary at the Fireside Inn, Monday night. “But I completely agree the board should be abolished. We hold the accountability, but the Legislative Council holds the power.

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In spite of library trustees and Friends of the Library sticking close by his side, Edwin Baumer managed to acquire 778 signatures on petitions for a referendum to decide whether or not the town should spend $4.1 million for a 22,000 square foot addition to the Cyrenius Booth Library. If 573 signatures of registered voters are verified by Town Clerk Cynthia Curtis, the issue will go to the voting booth on November 15, according to Bob Cascella.

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In rounds of job cuts the past week, the state has issued layoff notices to about 430 workers at Fairfield Hills Hospital, the state psychiatric hospital which is scheduled to close by January 1. Some of the workers are expected to get other state jobs, but it remains unclear how many employees will be able to do so... The layoffs come in anticipation of the merger of the three state mental hospitals at Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown.

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With the imminent closing of Fairfield Hills Hospital, Ashlar of Newtown has become the new source of meals for Newtown Meals On Wheels. The switch was made on Tuesday, November 1, after an extensive search by the nonprofit local agency to find the best supplier... Currently, 24 Newtown residents are served a noontime meal by 110 Meals on Wheels volunteers. Each driver volunteers once a month to deliver the meals on a route that includes eight stops during the noon hour.

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It seems as if the echoes still reverberate around the pool deck, the cheers and the shouts, and the screams still swirl through the chlorinated vapors of the Otto Heise pool, but even if that stuff eventually dissipates the memories will remain for a long time. The Newtown High School swim team finished off an often remarkable 1995 regular season with an emotional 102-84 win over former Western Connecticut Conference and now South-West Conference arch rival, Weston.

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The Borough Zoning Commission has approved a request from St Rose Church to build an addition to St Rose School on Church Hill Road... St Rose Church plans to build a 2,750-square-foot addition to the east side of the parochial school... In the future, the church is expected to seek approval to build a 2,500-square-foot addition to the west side of the school for two classrooms.

October 30, 1970

With little regard to height, workmen continue the job of taking down part of the tower of Trinity Church in the center of town. The bell was removed this week and a basket has been made for the descent of the four spires, which is next on the program.

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Action was postponed by the Board of Finance on a request for $2,600 needed for a pre-empt signal at Dodgingtown Fire House. The request was not denied. In fact, the Board wants to provide more than was requested, but costs of a full-fledged traffic signal as well as the pre-empt must be determined and brought to another special meeting on November 9.

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Plans for the 1970 Holiday Gift Project for the patients of Fairfield Hills Hospital got underway at a recent meeting this week at the hospital... Dr Robert B. Miller, superintendent, has named Mrs Elizabeth Farley, director of rehabilitation, as general chairman... The Fairfield Hills Project is part of the state-wide appeal sponsored each year by the Connecticut State Department of Mental Health to provide holiday gifts for the patients in the state’s mental hospitals.

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Besides a perfect season, a lot more is at stake this Saturday when Newtown plays New Milford. A homecoming victory is important, and so are League standings, but behind it all is the coveted trophy, “The Bronze Boot,” which is awarded to the winner of the Annual Newtown-New Milford game. Conceived in 1969 by the New Milford High School’s Ben’s Booter Club, the trophy has a large walnut base with a bronzed football shoe on the top... After each game the winner of the game and the score is engraved next to the date, and the trophy is given to the winning team for a year’s rest until the next game... this Saturday Newtown is looking to defend its trophy and extend its winning season to 7-0.

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The Newtown Educational Secretaries Association will present a fashion show called “Frosty Fashions,” on Wednesday, November 4, at 8 pm, in the cafeteria of the new high school in Sandy Hook. Styles will be by Read’s and hairstyles will be by Louis Salon of Beauty.

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Members of the Newtown Planning and Zoning and Conservation Commission met on Friday, October 23, with representative of the State Department of Transportation to discuss an alternate route for new Route 25. The consensus seemed to be that the Boards represented would hope that the upper end of the proposed route could be tied in with the lower end of another, the aim being to preserve the Pine Swamp area and the headwaters of the Halfway River, one of the few remaining unpolluted streams in the state.

October 26, 1945

With memories of the good times at Hallowe’en at Edmond Town Hall gym last year, plans are afoot for the youngster’s celebration in the same place next Wednesday evening. With the ending of many war restrictions, the event will be even more carefree and jovial, with plenty of cider, doughnuts, and other refreshments, prizes for winners in the many events of the evening.

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A new “late” for sweet corn is claimed by Judge Paul V. Cavanaugh who displayed two ears of Country Gentleman, picked on Wednesday from his garden. Although “late” they looked though with a little roasting, butter and salt they would taste as good as the “early” corn when it just reaches the dinner table.

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With Newtown and Southbury definitely committed to the formation of a regional high school district by enthusiastic voters at their town meetings, the cause of better education received an emphatic boost locally over the weekend. Woodbury is in the van of the movement having voted its approval at a town meeting held September 28th. At a recent meeting held in Brookfield, representatives presented the case to citizens of the town... Monroe named its Committee of Fifteen... and a report will soon be made to another town meeting.

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The burglary of some $20,000 mostly in furs, clothing and other personal effects from the Far Away Meadows estate of Grace Moore and her husband Valetin Parera in the Stevenson district last Thursday night, and its subsequent recovery in Worcestser, Mass., gave some busy days to members of the western state police district and anxious hours to the well known opera star and her husband. Henry Barnes, a former handyman on the estate, is in custody having been arrested in Worscester. He is said by police to have confessed the crime. He made his escape with the loot in a station wagon, also stolen from the property.

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The Bee regrets that the clock on the front of the building has necessarily been taken down to have its “works” rejuvenated. There is hope that it will be back in its accustomed place early next week. Meanwhile, we are learning how many people rely upon this time piece, which has been ticking off the minutes for a long while — ever since presented to The Bee by the late “Big Bill” Egan.

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As The Bee goes to press this week, the War Fund Campaign in Newtown is still not doing so well. $1,200 has been contributed toward a quota of $6,000. At the peak of the war, Newtown had sent over some 400 men and women into service. There are now about 350 still serving the country and us back here home in Newtown. Have the citizens of Newtown forgotten them now that the war is over?

October 15, 1920

The Borough residents were aroused to a high pitch of indignation Saturday night, when it became known that a most brutal and wicked assault had been made upon the person of its best known and most popular citizen, Levi C. Morris. Mr Morris left the store of Morris & Shepard about 10 minutes to 9 o’clock, entered his auto and drove to his residence opposite the South Middle schoolhouse. He drove the car into the garage, switched off the lights, came out of the garage, snapped the padlock and turned to go to the house when he heard a step or slight noise behind him. Turning as quick as a flash he received a powerful blow on the forehead from a man he could not clearly see. The unexpected assault felled him to the ground, but in the twinkling of an eye, although seriously wounded, he struggled to his feet and screamed loudly. The inhuman wretch again welted Mr Morris over the head and felled him a second time, but Mr Morris’ screams were heard by Mrs Morris in the house and she at once switched on the outside electric lights. This action, coupled with Mr Morris’ screaming, probably caused the brute to take to his heels.

***

A motor truck rolled into the yard of the Newtown Inn near midnight, Saturday night, and the driver immediately began to make inquiries for a mechanic to repair some trouble that had developed. It proved to be a costly error on the part of the driver as one of the federal enforcement men located in the section was at the Inn and examining the contents of the truck he found over 200 cases of whiskey... The federal officer left a man in charge of the truck and contents, first counting up the number of cases. Sunday forenoon, the federal man counted up the cases and found 11 missing. The night watchman was questioned and threatened with arrest if he did not disclose how it was that the whiskey was missing. He denied all knowledge of any theft being committed and said that he saw no one about the truck. A search of the immediate vicinity resulted in finding most of the missing cases behind the barn of Miss Hawley, and the barns in the rear of Mr Brinton’s residence... The truck was not repaired, Sunday, and a truck was sent over from Danbury to transport the liquor there, making two trips before all the liquor was stored in the cellar of the post office. The men driving the truck enjoyed a stay, Saturday night, in Newtown’s palatial lockup.

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To Ephraim Brisco the editor is indebted for a box of raspberries, freshly picked in his garden. And they were delicious, too. This is a rather remarkable record for October 11, and we are indebted to Judge Brisco for his thoughtfulness.

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One sometimes hears of a boarding housekeeper shaking or getting rid of an unpopular boarder, but never before has it been recorded when a gentleman taking a side with a friend shakes his passenger right in the middle of the journey... A few Wednesday nights ago, the editor was in Sandy Hook and having finished his work dropped into Dr Crowe’s private office. “Won’t you have a ride up to the depot?” said the editor to Dr Crowe in his sweetest tone of voice. “I certainly will,” said Dr Crowe, “for I am exceedingly weary tonight...” Dr Crowe soon emerged from the drug store all “dolled up” and stepped up into the carriage. “Some horse you got here,” said Dr Crowe, as the fast steed of the editor flew over the ground. When nearing Richards’ store, it was seen that a serious automobile accident had taken place and the scribe modestly asked Dr Crowe of he would like the privilege of holding the horse while he ran over to the scene of the wreck and obtained the facts. The editor was gone so long that Dr Crowe thought he would take a little trip over to the wreck and find his friend, the editor. But while Dr Crowe was examining the damaged car, the editor slipped into his carriage and started at a rapid rate toward the depot... Puffing and blowing Dr Crowe started to finish his journey on foot. The Board of Strategy held a meeting in Dr Crowe’s office on Wednesday to consider the case. It was decided as a penalty of forgetting his friend, Mr Smith should set up Dr Crowe to a clam chowder dinner at Chef Allgier’s Palace restaurant in Sandy Hook.

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