* * *

Take it from a man who knows, Gene Capozziello who’s the third generation of his family’s Bridgeport-based business, Connecticut Building Wrecking, Inc. A crew from the wrecking company made short work Wednesday morning of a Church Hill Road fixture for the past 101 years, the old convent building of St Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church. The parish council decided to remove the old structure because of insurance liability and cost reasons.

* * *

A fourth suit generated by the fatal accident in which four Newtown teenagers died following a high-speed chase has been filed — this time against both the Towns of Newtown and Bethel. Although three other intents to sue have been filed against Bethel in connection with the September 10 crash, this is the first one which also names Newtown Chief of Police Louis D. Marchese and Patrolmen Henry Stormer and Frederick Kasbarian as defendants.

* * *

After last year’s torturous Newtown budget process, and with 1983 a local election year, First Selectman Jack Rosenthal has put municipal department heads on notice that except for salaries, he wants them to propose no more than a two-percent increase in their overall budget proposals for the 1983-84 fiscal year.

* * *

The Family Life Center of Newtown expects to begin operation in mid-January, according to Robert C. Walker of Fox Run Lane South, who was instrumental in the formation of the Center. The Family Life Center, founded by Trinity Church’s Outreach Commission, is dedicated to helping Newtown’s troubled families and uplifting and nurturing family life in general.

* * *

Power was shut off in the Route 34 and Toddy Hill area throughout the night after a motorist knocked down a telephone pole Monday, December 13. Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Department stood by for washdown and assisted with traffic at the scene for approximately two hours.

* * *

A plan to bring Newtown’s Cyrenius H. Booth Library into compliance with state fire safety codes, that would also provide access to the upper level of the town’s library, got the go-ahead December 8 from the Board of Selectmen. The trustees at the recommendation of the Public Building Committee, have two packages: Plan A, at $160,472, would include the mandated fire code compliance work; Plan B includes an additional $146,888 which would allow for the addition of an elevator, bathrooms and some storage space.

 

December 20, 1957

Holiday activity is reaching a high pitch in Newtown with any number of parties scheduled, Santa is busy making the rounds and householders are putting the finishing touches on decorations for the annual contest. There will be many parties this Friday in classrooms of the schools, but the big party will be Saturday when the Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers will present a “Tom and Jerry Cartoon Festival” at 2 pm in the theater.

* * *

Newtown Postmaster Albert A. Nichols reports that a record amount of mail was sent out of Newtown on Tuesday and that as of Wednesday night his office was 5,000 cancellations ahead of the best previous year. From Monday through Wednesday a total of 150 sacks of parcel post were sent from the Newtown office.

* * *

Mrs Jean Lewis, Newtown dental hygiene teacher, offers the following suggestions for Santa: A gay new toothbrush tied with a Christmas ribbon and a can of tooth powder, a tube of toothpaste or a roll of dental floss make good stocking fillers for Christmas. Attach a note to remind children that brushing the teeth right after eating will help fight tooth decay.

* * *

Sold at public auction in a receivership sale Monday afternoon was the property in Hanover District owned by the Hanover Hills Corporation and once the location of a dude ranch known first as the Ten C Ranch, more recently as the Flying W Ranch. The property was bought Monday by A.O. Samuels of Bridgeport for $29,000, according to the town clerk’s office.

* * *

Twenty-six children of Miss Marietta Paquin’s fifth grade class at the Sandy Hook School, accompanied by Miss Paquin and other adult chaperones, journeyed to New York City on Saturday to see a performance of “The Nutcracker” by the New York City Ballet Company at City Center. First on the day’s agenda was a tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Other places visited were St Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Center where the children admired the lighted Christmas tree and watched the skaters. From Rockefeller Center the group went to the City Center for the ballet performance. Dinner at Horn and Hardart Automat rounded out the day’s excursion.

* * *

The High School girls have been trying their ability to execute sit-ups each day in their gym classes. Miss Anderson started off setting a low minimum of eight and has now raised it to fifteen. Twenty-five each day would probably be sufficient, says Miss “A.” This Exercise will affect both posture and healthy organic results.

 

December 16, 1932

Monday morning, the highways were covered with snow and ice and were in a slippery condition. The garages were crowded with cars seeking chains and getting assistance. A large number of cars were stranded in the ditch on Mt Pleasant hill. A car got into the ditch on the hill near Trinity church, about 8 am, and remained there until help arrived from Lovell’s Garage. The morning was a harvest to the garage men, who had strings of cars waiting for attention.

* * *

The Cyrenius H. Booth Library will be opened to the public for the first time, Saturday, December 17th, 1932. The building is another example of the generosity of the late Mary E. Hawley, Newtown’s great benefactor. Miss Hawley in her will designated that $200,000, be given to the town of Newtown for the construction of a building to be named the Cyrenius H. Booth Library as a memorial to her grandfather. This now has been accomplished to the satisfaction of all and the town of Newtown may rightfully claim to have the finest library of its size in Connecticut.

* * *

Library Rules: BORROWERS: Any person living in Newtown may borrow books upon filing an application. NUMBER OF BOOKS: Adults may borrow five books at a time, two of which may be fiction. Children may borrow two books, one of which may be fiction. TIME KEPT: Books may be kept for two weeks and renewed for two weeks unless otherwise restricted. OVERDUE BOOKS: For books kept overtime there will be for each book a fine of two cents a day, including Sunday and holidays, plus the cost of all notices.

* * *

Newtown telephone subscribers have been asked by Mrs Clara S. Bradley, Chief Operator, to cooperate with the telephone operators in expediting the response of the fire department to alarms in this community. Mrs Bradley points out that the telephone is the only means of directing the volunteer firemen to the blaze and that if a large number of curiosity calls are received at the central office switchboard there is bound to be a delay in dispatching the volunteers.

* * *

The annual meeting of the Beach Memorial Library Association was held on Tuesday evening at 7:30 o’clock, with President P.H. McCarthy presiding. It was voted to keep the library open on the usual days until January 1, 1933. So many request have been made that the library remain open that the above schedule will be maintained until further notice.

* * *

A reorganization meeting was held at the Dodgingtown Firehouse by the members of the local company on Wednesday evening. An unusually large crowd was on hand and plans were made to entirely reorganize and put the company on a sound business basis. The company is fortunate in having a Reo truck, owned by the State Forestry Association, which has a mile of hose and a 60-foot line for the suction pump.

 

December 20, 1907

C.H. Finch, the Sandy Hook merchant, and Mrs Finch, passed Wednesday in New York. The pocket book of C.H. Finch containing $28, which he lost, as noted in last week’s Bee, was returned to him with just 13 cents in it.

* * *

A goodly company of the Congregational church people met, Monday night, and tied the wreaths for the adornment of the church interior, under the leadership of Levi C. Morris.

* * *

The good work of the ladies of the Library Committee has been so fine hitherto, that this new idea of forming a fund, for some permanent support and background is sure to be recognized on a similar basis. Newtown has been doing itself proud of late in the celebration of the 175th anniversary of the founding of Trinity church, and the name and honor of its founder, that stout old Tory, the Rev John Beach: The Library is an every day memorial to him, and that alone calls the attention to a much wider circle than that within diocesean limits.

* * *

The old buildings which formerly belonged to the Tweedy Manufacturing Co. and was used for factories in Taunton, have been sold to Sidney True of Bethel, who is taking them down and will move them to his place in Plumtrees, Bethel.

* * *

Last Friday morning as L.C. Nicholson was driving from his home to Newtown Street his horses became unmanageable and ran, throwing him out near Miss Julia Prindle’s and ran on as far as Thomas Carey’s where they were stopped. Mr Nicholson fortunately escaped with a few bruises. His wagon was upset and a little broken. The horses were not injured.