November 26, 1999

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — THANKSGIVING: Thanksgiving is the one Thursday in every year when our presses lie quiet. Our normal Thursday morning rush to deadline is moved up to Wednesday, and we take a day off in the middle of the week. Most of us, however, would need more than one day off to count all our blessings. … These days, this harvest holiday is truly about bounty. But it wasn’t always that way. What has become to be referred to as the first Thanksgiving was beset by unimaginable hardship. Having stepped into the New World at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620, the original Pilgrims were almost wiped out by the harsh New England winter. In their first year, 46 of the 102 who made the crossing from England on the Mayflower died. With the help of the natives, however, the first harvest of the settlers was successful. Facing a second winter and the uncertainty of their own survival, the Pilgrims resolved to have a feast to share what they had with each other and with their Native American benefactors. It was a feast of thanksgiving — not for the bounty of their lives since their lot was meager, but for life itself. … the bounty for which we give thanks often dulls our capacity to experience profound gratitude for our human life, for the love of our family, for a secure home, and for the ever-changing world in which we life. Without forsaking all that we have, however, we can renew our sense of thanksgiving by taking our lead from the Pilgrims themselves. They understood, given their harsh experience, that regardless of your estate in life, high or low, time should be set aside for celebrating life itself. And they knew the best way to celebrate is to share.

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HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER of Darlene Jackson.

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The pending sale of the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company has some area town leaders, including First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, concerned about the future of the company’s 20,000 acres of land in Connecticut. A total of 684 of those acres lie in Newtown, and Mr Rosenthal says there is always the chance that some of that land could be sold to a developer.

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Artist Kira Van Deusen has been stepping up her creativity these days, as can be seen in her latest project on the front steps of the home at 1 Schoolhouse Hill Road. On her hands and knees, Mrs Van Deusen is painting scenes of Newtown to the delight of passers-by. Her finished project is expected to be complete in time for the December 5 Christmas Festival. The home will be open to the public during the house tour portion of the festival.

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Henry Hawley Warner, 84, retired owner and proprietor of the “Brick Store” in Sandy Hook, died November 21 at his home. He was the husband of Margaret (Camp) Warner of Sandy Hook. He was born in Sandy Hook December 7, 1914, son of Hobart G. and Mary (Hawley) Warner. He was a lifelong resident of Sandy Hook, a graduate of Wooster School in Danbury, and a charter member of Sandy Hook Fire Department. During World War II he served in the 87th Mountain Infantry, 10th Mountain Division, US Army, serving in the Aleutian Islands as a corporal. … William Glover constructed The Brick Store in 1857. It replaced an earlier wood structure built in 1835 that was moved across the street. Hobart Warner, a partner of Glover’s, bought out the business in 1929 and the store became the property of the Warner family from that time on. Hawley Warner bought the building itself in the 1940s.

November 22, 1974

Two Sandy Hook boys, Charles Eldridge and Jack Leake, lost their lives Saturday, November 16, when they were buried beneath several feet of sand. The boys had been playing in a sand bank on town property connecting with the play field at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The area had been mined off and on for several years. The sand and gravel found in the area were reportedly of very high grade and necessary for the maintenance of town roads. The resulting hills were a favorite playing spot, both in summer and winter, for youngsters attending Sandy Hook School and also those living in the neighborhood. The last of it was leveled by bulldozers on Tuesday, November 19, the day the funeral services were conducted for the boys.

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A skeet shooting club which uses land on Currituck Road was the subject of discussion between a group of area residents and the Planning & Zoning Commission on Friday night, November 15. The club has been using the approximately 32 acres of land of Timothy Reardon Jr for its activities, and the residents brought to the Commission complaints of the noise and nuisance factors involved. The discussion has been pending since the summer months, but P&Z’s heavy agenda has put off the matter.

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The damage caused by the fire in a closet in the auditorium section at the Middle School on October 13 is estimated at between $10,000 and $20,000, according to school officials. The blaze which started in the closet was confined to a very small area, but smoke and water damage to the auditorium was extensive, and it is figured that the facility will not be ready for public use for at least another two weeks. Right now clearing up operations are going on. The ceiling tiles have had to be removed and will be replaced with new ones. The walls will have to be repainted, and a new curtain ordered for the stage. The start of the fire is still being investigated by the Fire Marshal and the Newtown Police, but the police have been hampered somewhat in their efforts because at least two members of the faculty at the Middle School were concerned over the Constitutional rights of students.

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The fourth annual Society of Creative Arts of Newtown Inc art show of November 16 and 17 in Edmond Town Hall was a big success. The attendance at the preview party on Friday night was very large and many people visited the show while it was open on Saturday and Sunday. The Best in Show prize went to Eberhard Von Jarochowski for his oil, “Studio 2.”

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When the Newtown Lions set foot in the Cary, North Carolina, Classic Bowl, it spelled bad news for the home team. On Saturday, November 16, the Lions racked up a hefty 46 points over the Cary team’s 0. A look at the events of the game show that Newtown was in control throughout.

November 18, 1949

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — AN APPROPRIATE OBSERVANCE: A word of appreciation is due all who took part in, and helped to arrange, the Armistice Day parade and exercises in Newtown. The parade was not large and the program was not pretentious; yet both seemed most appropriate to the occasion and in keeping with the sentiment of the townspeople. We hope such an observance of Armistice Day will become an annual affair in Newtown, with the same sort of modest but reverential tribute to those whose lives have been given in war for the sake of peace. Somehow it prods us to do more toward peace than we sometimes feel inclined, when we realize, at least once a year, how much many others have already done for us.

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Favored by sunny skies and a moderate temperature, large numbers turned out on Armistice Day to witness the parade up and down Main street and down Church Hill road, and the memorial service at the Soldiers and Sailors monument at the head of Main Street. First Selectman A. Fenn Dickinson was grand marshal of the parade and was escorted by Commander George L. May of the American Legion Raymond L. Pease Post, sponsoring organization. Judge Edward S. Pitzschler served as master of ceremonies at the monument.

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With an investiture service for 14 new girls, the Newtown Girl Scouts of Troop 37 increased their membership to 33, the largest number in five years. Held in the Girl Scout cabin on Monday, Mrs Morton Baker, leader of the troop, was in charge of the ceremony. In the presence of several mothers, the investiture service was opened by E. John McLennan, who gave a reading on Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts.

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Though there are still a few canvassers to be heard from, the PTA membership drive has come to a close. A total of $118.50 has been taken in, which means that there are 237 members in the organization. Mrs Vincent Gaffney, chairman of the membership committee, asks that anyone who wishes to join and has not yet done so get in touch with her, and that the canvassers who have not finished make a special effort to complete the job by December 6.

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At the last meeting of the Lions Club of Newtown, held at Hawley Manor on Wednesday evening of last week, Donald F. Stickles was presented the Key award by president, Ray Trimpert. He thus became the first member to be so recognized for bringing new members into the club.

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Some time ago in reporting an event at the library, The Bee permitted a most delinquent piece of syntax to creep into print, a boner caught by neither the writer of the piece nor the editor. Typesetters and proofreaders passed it by. In due time The New Yorker picked it up, published it, together with a sly comment, and it appeared in the November 5th issue of that periodical. Caught with our grammar showing, we have no excuse to offer. The most we can do is give credit where credit is due, and acknowledge our shortcomings by putting The New Yorker on page one of our own publication. The Bee didn’t quite make page one of The New Yorker, to be sure, but we always believe in returning compliments with good measure.

November 14, 1924

Mr and Mrs John McGinley and son, Edward, motored to New Haven, Sunday, and visited friends there.

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The residence of Miss Frisbie at the head of Newtown Street is being newly shingled, George A. Northrop is doing the work.

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A most delightful tea was held by the Parent Teacher Association at the Hawley school on Wednesday, November 12. About 50 parents were present. Mrs Hayes’ room received the prize for the most parents present. The parents visited in the school rooms during the afternoon and found it both profitable and enjoyable. We hope there will be more such visiting days in the future.

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“You had a very interesting edition of The Bee, last week, and it certainly represented a lot of work. I want to commend you for it.” Thus writes a valued subscriber. Kind words never die, and even an editor who puts his heart into his work, is human, and appreciates a word like this.

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Nina Lane, who recently bought the Ferry homestead in Dodgingtown, is making improvements on the interior of the house, and is opening an antique store and gift shop. Miss Lane is the daughter of the late United States Senator Harry Lane of Oregon and granddaughter of Gen Joseph Lane, first territorial governor of Oregon and first United States Senator after Oregon was admitted to the Union as a state. Miss Lane says she loves New England. It seems an Oregon in miniature with its hills, valleys and mountain.

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A commendable piece of road work has just been completed on the Hanover Springs, Bridgewater road, under the direction of Michael Cavanaugh of Hanover, and assistants. Rocks have been taken from the roadway, ditches have been opened, iron culverts have been placed and the road now is in first class condition

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First class shoe repairing done while you wait. All work guaranteed. S. Longo, Newtown.—[Adv.

November 24, 1899

(This issue is missing from the Library of Congress archives, which we use for Way We Were segments of 125 years ago.)

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.