December 13, 1985

The Borough Zoning Commission has vote unanimously to reject the proposed moratorium to halt construction of new buildings or additions in order to study traffic, water supply, and septic system problems in the Queen Street and Church Hill Road area. Theodore Whippie, chairman of the Planning Zoning Commission, was the only person in favor of the moratorium, and spoke about Newtown’s need to heed the warning signs of growth and expansion.

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Bob McLaughlin was a substitute bus driver and when he made a stop to pick up children on Great Ring Road on the morning of December 9, he was told by a schoolgirl that a dog was trapped in ice on a nearby pond. After parking the school bus and shutting off the engine, Mr Mclaughlin walked over to the pond. He saw the dog, vainly trying to get out of the ice. The bus driver did not walk on the ice, but he kept clapping and calling to the dog. The dog then concentrated on moving in this direction, and finally managed to get out and scamper to land.

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At the Board of Education meeting on December 3, Cindy Abate, Newtown Middle School teacher, made a presentation on the past, present, and future of computers in the school system. After explaining the existing system to the Board, Mrs Abate described her vision of the future. Included were new electives, electronic bulletin boards, student leadership training, accessing databases for research, and the teaching of computer ethics and the law.

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Christa McAuliffe, a National Education Association member from Concord, New Hampshire, will teach live from space, when the shuttle reaches orbit after launch on January 22. In what the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is calling “The Ultimate Field Trip,” McAuliffe will transmit experiments into the Nation’s classrooms via the Public Broadcasting Service.

 

December 16, 1960

Whipping winds and sub-zero temperatures that accompanied the two-foot snowfall Sunday and Monday severely hampered mopping up operations in Newtown, as a pre-winter blizzard exhausted both the road crew and the school system allowance for bad weather. Every piece of town equipment was out on the roads. Some roads had to be plowed four and five times. As a result of the storm, schools were closed Monday and Tuesday. Any more school interruptions are apt to result in the extension of the school year.

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The Senior Choir of the Newtown Congregational Church and the Handbell Choir of that church will give a Christmas Concert at the church, on Sunday, December 18, at 8 pm. The Handbell Choir is one of the few such choirs on this side of the Atlantic.

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As Christmas approaches, the Post Offices in the town have set up new and special schedules to care for the avalanche of Christmas mail, including packages, which has already begun in earnest and which will continue right up to Christmas Eve. All four post offices are agreed that they will be closed all day Monday, December 26, which is a legal holiday.

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The Zoning Commission of the Borough of Newtown voted unanimously to deny the application of John and Martin Sealander for an amendment to the Zoning regulations to permit the construction of apartments in the Borough.

December 13, 1935

A 10-ton coal truck belonging to the T.A.D. Jones Coal company of New Haven backed off an embankment last Thursday evening while unloading coal at the Plastic Moulding company plant in Sandy Hook. Men from New Haven worked all night in an effort to pull the truck back onto the road, but it was not until Saturday that special wrecking machinery finally got the truck from over the embankment. The driver suffered a fractured arm and bruises.

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The first batch of chicks hatched by the Big Smith Incubator recently installed by the New England Hatchery were hatched on Sunday, and were delivered on Monday. 78 percent of the chicks hatched were in perfect condition to send to customers.

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It was a distinct pleasure for The Bee Scribe to be entertained on Saturday afternoon at Minkdale Farms. A.F.A. Konig, the genial proprietor, has just added two thoroughbred Toggenberg goats to his herd which arrived in Newtown none the worse for their long journey from Canyon Ranch, California. To those who have any aversion to drinking goat’s milk we might say that we thoroughly enjoyed a glass and doubt if the average person would recognize any difference from cow’s milk.

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The condition of Mrs Edward S. Pitzschler of Taylor avenue, who was struck by a car on Sunday evening, is reported as being favorable at the Danbury hospital. Mrs Pitzschler was crossing the Bethel road to her car which was parked on Glover avenue. It seems that Mrs Pitzschler became confused and stepped into the path of a car driven by John Mento of Bridgeport. The accident is a most regrettable one.

December 16, 1910

Santa Claus’ hamper of presents is nearly empty when he reaches Newtown and he brings his little helpers to gather what gifts they can for the poor little children of the Jacob Riis settlement in New York. Santa has sent word to The Newtown Bee to ask any or all who would like to give anything, toys, clothing, food, books, or money, to bring it to the Congregational church, Friday evening, December 23, and Santa Claus will pack them in a barrel.

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The contractors, F.T. Ley & Co, tried to move the new bridge near the Sandy Hook station on the Highland division, on railroad rails from a position at one side of the bridge to the correct position on the abutments. The tackling broke and they were unable to move it on the rails. They now propose to prop it up by hydraulic jacks and roll it into position on small rollers.

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A pair of horses attached to a hack ran away at Hawleyville, Monday. The horses ran down the Shepaug Track and on to the trestle. One of the horses broke a leg and the hack was wrecked.

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Saturday morning the thermometer registered 10 degrees below zero at John H. Blackman’s market and 15 below at the residence of Edward Taylor.