January 13, 1995

The Spay and Neuter Association of Newtown will meet Wednesday, January 18, at 10 am, in the courtroom at Edmond Town Hall. Financial business will head the agenda, and proposed programs for 1995 meetings will be discussed. SNAN extends its thanks to the Newtown Bee for its recent donation. Anyone wishing to join SNAN or learn more is welcome.

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The Southbury Training School is looking for donations for its shop and garage. The Thrift Shop hours are Monday through Friday from 10 am to 3:30 pm and Saturday from 9 to noon. Donations will be accepted at that time. Tax receipts will be given upon request. The Thrift Shop is on Route 172 south of the training school.

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This week, school principals are keeping records of how many and how often students are late to class and school. Superintendent John Reed said that he and the principals are concerned that too many students are late too often. He has asked principals to track this problem because he wants more concrete information. Dr Reed said he will share the information with the Board of Education in February after he discusses the results with staff and parents.

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The Welcome Wagon Club of Newtown invites all members and prospective members — new residents — to its January coffee on Thursday, January 19 from 9:30 am to 11:30 am at a member’s home. Learn more about the club and meet others with similar interests.

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A committee looking for properties for a possible fifth elementary school has continually said it needs another Mary Hawley to donate land to the town. The committee may have found its philanthropist. A property owner in Sandy Hook might be willing to donate 10 to 12 acres for an elementary school, according to members of the Elementary School Site Selection Committee. Members are still waiting to tour the property, said Superintendent John Reed. He and committee members declined to name the person, and do not yet know much about the property. Dr Reed had said that an elementary school generally needs about 15 acres. While still unsure if a school is needed, the site selection members said if a property can be acquired for little or no cost to the town, it should because open space is being developed quickly.

January 9, 1970

STORY HOUR: Town Players will resume their monthly story hour after the Christmas and New Year’s holidays this Saturday, January 10, at 11 am at the Cyrenius Booth Library. Parents are asked to bring their children to the side entrance on the lower level. Mrs David Paynter will read and sing and play guitar. Children 4–8 are cordially invited.

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CARDS FOR JAMIE: Jamie Pimpinello would like to hear from her friends who may write or send cards to her at the New Haven Hospital, New Haven.

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The annual Ladies Night dinner dance for the Hook and Ladder company will be on Saturday, February 21, at the Hawley Manor Inn. Registration forms for members and guests will be in the mail soon with more details.

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FIRE NOT A FIRE: A fire at the home of Nelson Beers at Pine Tree Hill Road was reported at 5:57 am on Thursday, January 8; some 20 men of Botsford Fire Company responded with Chief John Trowbridge in charge. Chief Trowbridge found that the “fire” was not actually a fire — a defective switch caused a yellow night light to flash, resulting in the alarm. The house was thoroughly checked out. Lew Rowe drove Engine One and Richard Liska had the aerial truck which is dispatched to all fires.

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The open house held each season by the Editor and Mrs Paul Smith for “The Bee Family” took place last Sunday at the Smith home on Currituck Road. Postponed one week because of the weather, many staff members and correspondents were able to attend, including husbands and wives.

January 5, 1945

Residents of Newtown were given a graphic illustration on Monday of their dependence on electricity. Shortly after 4 o’clock one of the halyards on the flagpole broke, causing the rain-soaked flag to fall across the wire carrying the lighting current, short-circuiting and breaking it, the broken ends falling to the ground and endangering traffic. Newtown receives its electricity from two feeder circuits in Danbury. Feeder two comes up Main Street near Lovell’s Garage. So it happened that Feeder Two was broken so that, aside from troublesome static on their radios, many people in the village did not realize anything was wrong until about 7:30 pm when it became necessary to shut off the current to Feeder 1 to avoid injury to repairmen. To add to the confusion, a limb broken from a tree had fallen on a wire in front of residences on Church Hill Road. Fortunately, the weather was not severe, and the break was quickly repaired, but it is not pleasant to contemplate what might happen in zero, or sub-zero weather with a shut-down of service.

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Seaman Albert Kuhne, Jr, and Mrs Kuhne spent the New Year’s week-end with his parents, Mr and Mrs Kuhne Sr.

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The Fairfield State Hospital has been closed to visitors since January 1 because of the development of a few cases of scarlet fever. There have been no new cases in the last 24 hours. The State Board of Health has been assisting the hospital in controlling the spread of the disease and in the treatment.

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The storm of New Year’s Day cancelled all thought of the skating races which Physical Director Harold DeGroat had planned to hold at Hawley Pond. It is hoped he will hold them as soon as there is good ice.

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Julian Drew, formerly manager of The First National Store in Sandy Hook, has accepted a position at the store of Knapp and Trull.

January 2, 1920

The editor acknowledges Christmas greetings from A. Sterling Mackay of Summerside, Prince Edward Island and from Oscar Carlson, of Frederick, Colorado. The latter is a former member of The Bee staff and is now a prominent citizen in that bustling town.

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W.W. Latham is working in Winsted.

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Francis Carmody of Bridgeport passed the week-end with his parents, Mr and Mrs M.F. Carmody of Sandy Hook.

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Miss Helen Keane of New Britain and Miss Mary Keane of Watertown are passing the holidays with their parents Mr and Mrs Thomas Keane.

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Martin Keniry has had a telephone installed at his residence. The number is 76-2.

Please consider sharing your old photographs of people and places from Newtown or Sandy Hook with The Newtown Bee readers. Images can be e-mailed to kendra@thebee.com, or brought to the office at 5 Church Hill Road to be scanned. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date.