December 1, 1989

W. Ogden Booker will direct the Newtown Choral Society in a performance of Handel’s Jubilee and Bach’s Magnificat at the Newtown Congregational Church, 4 pm, on Sunday, December 10. This will be the first public performance of the church’s newly refurbished organ.

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A 37-year-old former Newtown man was convicted of sexually abusing young boys in Connecticut and Colorado, and sentenced to serve 20 years in prison by a Danbury Superior Court Judge Monday, November 27. Stephen Erway, 37, the former Trinity Episcopal Church choirmaster, was sentenced for second degree sexual assault and first degree risk of injury to a minor, a 12-year-old Newtown boy, by Danbury Superior Court Judge Edward Stodolink, after entering a plea of guilty.

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Parks and Recreation is again sponsoring “Santa Call,” which will be put on with the help of the Newtown Rotary Club and the Lions Club. If you would like your son or daughter to receive a personal phone call from Saint Nick himself, between the hours of 6 and 9 pm, on the night of Friday, December 15, all you have to do is fill out a form and drop it off at Parks and Rec in Town Hall South, by December 14.

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Bill Denlinger, who has been chairman for the past seven years, will be leaving the Board of Education after a decade of service. His legacy includes a streamlined board meeting, a schedule of maintaining facilities, and a process that allows for teachers, administration and townspeople to work together cohesively toward a strong educational product.

December 4, 1964

About 50 interested people heard an excellent LWV-sponsored program Monday evening in Edmond Town Hall, in which Martin Callaban, chairman, and Mrs Seth O.L. Brody, secretary, presented in some detail the Newtown Conservation Commission’s open space plan to the public in the league’s second informational forum of the year. The commission, which was formed in October of last year, prepared an open space plan and submitted it to the Newtown Planning and Zoning Commission in July of this year. The plan will be filed in Hartford in the near future. The preparation, adoption, and filing of an open space plan is a necessary prerequisite to applying for and obtaining federal and state monies, which can be used to purchase such land as may be available and suitable.

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Newtown is now operating under a nine-month budget adopted at the Annual Town Meeting last October 5. It covers an interim fiscal period from October 1, 1964 through June 30, 1965, when Newtown begins its first “Uniform Fiscal Year.” The bills for this interim period will be mailed out by Tax Collector George Jackson on December 28 — after Christmas, by request of the Newtown Postmaster.

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The Newtown Congregational Church family will meet on Saturday, December 5, from 3 to 5 pm, at the church house to pay homage to its retired leader, the Rev Paul A. Cullens, who has unstintingly served his church members and his community for the past 37 years. After the reception, the out of town friends and the committee members will meet with the Rev and Mrs Cullens for a Dutch Treat dinner at the Hawley Manor Inn.

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As part of Newtown’s program to provide the best education for its children, a series of five lectures on the physical and emotional and personal development of adolescents will be offered to all Newtown High School seniors. Entitled “Youth and Maturity,” the series will provide lectures during school time by professional men who have volunteered their time under the leadership of Dr J. Benton Egee, school health officer.

December 1, 1939

The Robins, captained by “Art” Carmody, continued to hold a slight lead in the Bowling League as they were successful in downing the once-powerful Ducks on Thursday last, two out of three games. However, the Buzzards and Swans tied for second honors, trail the Robins by but one game, with MacClymon’s Hawks standing a good chance of taking the cherished position in next week’s play. The highlight of the week was the fine bowling of Clarence Magnuson of the Swans on Monday evening. Rolling a new high, he enjoyed a perfect score through the first eight boxes and came within three pins of a perfect score for the game.

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A dental hygiene program to be inaugurated soon by the Newtown Branch of the Red Cross, is announced by Mrs Nelson Curtis, chairman. This is the third time that such a program has been carried out. One of the important features of the program is the cleaning of each child’s teeth and the charting of the corrective work needed for the convenience of the family dentist.

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The revamped Newtown Athletic Club sponsored its first recreational activity last week when the basketball team, under the direction of “Bob” Gannon, held two successful practice sessions. A good turnout of prospective players were on hand to take part in the first workout of the season and showed up remarkably well. As yet, Coach Gannon has not determined his first string line-up.

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The firemen were called to the residence of Miss Helen Payne of Botsford district on Sunday afternoon to extinguish a grass fire, which burned over about 10 acres before being brought under control. On Tuesday afternoon, the firemen were called to the Riverside section to extinguish another grass fire. The fire chief and the district fire wardens wish to call to the attention of property owners that extreme care should be taken with fires at this time.

December 4, 1914

William C. Johnson was so unfortunate as to lose a valuable horse, Wednesday afternoon, the animal suddenly being taken ill, and living but a short time.

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The local Exchange Manager of the Southern New England Telephone Company announced today that, beginning on Tuesday, December 1, the company’s operators would be compelled to collect the Federal War Tax from all persons passing telephone calls or sending telegrams from pubic Pay Stations where the charge exceeded 15 cents. This is in accordance with the law called the emergency revenue law, passed by Congress and signed by the President of the United States, on October 22, 1914. The law requires that the company collect a tax of one cent, in addition to the regular charge for the message.

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Miss Ella Lillis, the efficient teacher at the Zoar school, has been laid up with a sprained limb, and the Zoar school has been closed for a week.

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Some one in the eastern part of the town, it is reported, has shot three different dogs, one of which is dead. Interesting developments are expected.