* * *

A bright red bow will be affixed to the flagpole Saturday morning at 10 am by none other than State Rep Mae Schmidle, who introduced a bill last year mandating the town’s most prominent monument not be removed from the center of Main Street. Mrs Schmidle will be lifted to the top of the 100-foot pole by the Hook & Ladder aerial to attach the weatherproof bow — which she made in her favorite color, of course.

* * *

Lake Wipiwaug off Taunton Lake Road will be the scene of recreational activities this summer for Newtown’s youth. Cullens Memorial Inc announced a major fund drive to complete renovation of the 20-acre Lake Wipiwaug tract, and to acquire an adjoining ten-acre site.

* * *

Hunting in the woodlands off of Albert’s Hill Road in Sandy Hook, early last Saturday morning, hunters Ed Britton of Torrington and George Lockwood came across three coyotes, with Ed managing to bag one of the animals. A state furbearer biologist says the predator is making a comeback in the eastern part of the country and what the hunters saw was probably a family group.

* * *

Newtown residents and businesses are playing a major role in the United Way campaign for northern Fairfield County as it strives to raise a record $900,000 this year. Funds raised from the campaign will be used to help support 17 local human service agencies who last year served 3,920 Newtown residents.

* * *

Citizens living in the Botsford area of Newtown will receive a long-awaited opportunity to have their questions answered about the Charles Batchelder Company at a Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) hearing Wednesday, December 8, at 8 pm in the Town Hall South conference room. The hearing was formally requested in August by the Newtown Health Department after area residents expressed concern about smoke emission from the stacks and sides of the Swamp Road plant, particularly at night.

* * *

At The Bee we still have one or two of the old ways left, systems which have worked for many years. One is our manner of selling papers at the office — a tin box on the front counter and the honor system. Last Friday our “old-fashioned way” was challenged for the first time ever when someone stole both the box and its contents from the front counter. We do not bemoan the loss of the contents, for the amount was slight. We do miss the box which was used for many long years by former editor Paul S. Smith as a stamp container and for the past ten years as our change receptacle.

 

December 6, 1957

Newtown fared pretty well as the season’s first snowstorm struck the northeast Tuesday night, abated during Wednesday morning and picked up again in the afternoon. School sessions were held Wednesday while schools in Brookfield, Danbury, Georgetown, New Fairfield, Weston, and Wilton were closed. A few of the buses were from 15 to 20 minutes late, but equipped with chains, they managed very well in the wet snow.

Charles Rudolph of Taunton District has been engaged by the Board of Selectmen as a second constable for Newtown. He started on Monday, doing duty during the daytime hours at first, while he is becoming familiar with the work. Mr Rudolph has been employed for some time as shop foreman at Liberty Garage and is well-known throughout the town.

* * *

Parents, teachers, and young people not assigned to a regular musical unit enjoyed a splendid demonstration of instrumental talent at Tuesday night’s regular Parent-Teacher Association meeting. The schools’ string orchestra and the high school band under the direction of William G. Jones, supervisor of music, played a wide variety of Christmas music to a packed group in the high school gymnasium.

* * *

It is a source of regret to the Board of Selectmen that many wild rumors have circulated about town in recent days regarding Howard A. Beardsley, road supervisor of the town of Newtown. On October 28, Mr Beardsley used a town truck, which was going to Danbury for a load of cement blocks, to transport a load of scrap metal to a scrap dealer in that city. Part of the scrap metal had been collected in a scrap drive for a local organization and part belonged to the town. Mr Beardsley did take all the scrap metal and transport it without proper permission from the Board of Selectmen. The check for the load of scrap metal amounted to $41.96 and was inadvertently drawn by the scrap dealer to Mr Beardsley’s order. The check was turned over by Mr Beardsley to the organization for which it was intended. He has also drawn a check from his own funds to the town of Newtown for the same amount. By unanimous vote, a ten-cent an hour increase of salary which had recently been granted to Mr Beardsley was revoked for a period of three months.

* * *

Newtown postmaster Albert H. Nichols has offered a few tips on holiday mailing in order to speed up the heavy flow of Christmas mail. “Postage rates are: two cents for unsealed cards, but only a signature is permissible and two cent cards cannot be forwarded; three cents for sealed cards, and these cards may carry a personal message and will be forwarded or returned if a return address is provided. The three cent or first rate is recommended.”

* * *

The dissident local Great Books Group continued its study of Moorish culture at its session on Monday evening at the C.H. Booth Library. The evening was spent pleasantly viewing a film on Arabia. It was something of a disappointment in that Moorish culture and customs were not depicted, but emphasis was on present-day Arabian life, either to attract tourists or propagandize the audience.

 

December 2, 1932

W.A. Upham, proprietor of Upham’s Tea Gardens at Hawleyville, one of the best known tea houses in this locality, said that an announcement made that the tea gardens had been taken over by Francis McNamara to be conducted as a dance hall was incorrect and the result of misinformation. The property that has been rented as a dancing place is the neighboring building in Hawleyville, formerly occupied as an indoor golf course.

* * *

The Newtown Fire Department was called, Tuesday, about 5 o’clock to the Stanton gas station where one of the trucks belonging to Sharp Moosup, working at the state hospital, took fire. The driver stopped to get gas, when the truck backfired and started to burn. The truck was pushed away from the gas station into the road and the blaze was extinguished upon the arrival of the firemen before any damage was done. Another truck saved the gas station by pushing the blazing car away from the building. There was some excitement while it lasted.

* * *

Quinn Brothers, local ice men, are just finishing the roofing of their mammoth ice house. They recently drained and cleaned the foundry pond and it is now in a most sanitary condition and they are ready to start their ice harvest as soon as the ice is of sufficient thickness.

E.B. Moss, vice-president of the H. Wales-Lines Co, contractors for the second unit at the Fairfield State hospital, was at the hospital grounds, Tuesday, looking over the work. In the boiler house at the Fairfield State hospital two Pierce, Butler & Pierce Uniflow engines manufactured at Oswego, N.Y. are being installed. They are equipped with Westinghouse generators.

* * *

Frozen tomato juice cocktail is the latest novelty that absolutely must be a part of any Christmas dinner which aims to be the “best ever.” It is the newest achievement of the specialists who study to produce unique dishes from the modern automatic refrigerator. To 2 cups of tomato juice add 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, ¾ teaspoon white pepper, 2 teaspoons onion juice, and a dash of celery salt. Soak 2 teaspoons of gelatin in a small amount of cold tomato juice and dissolve over hot water before adding. Let the mixture stand 20 minutes or so to let the flavors mellow. Then pour into a refrigerator tray and freeze quickly. When the tomato juice has frozen about an inch from the edges of the pan, remove to a bowl and beat until smooth. Return to the tray and freeze more slowly.

* * *

There is quite an amount of sewing to be done by Red Cross workers in Newtown, in order to finish up the allotment sent from the Bridgeport chapter. The appeal for clothes is great. The Red Cross supply the cloth and it is up to every Chapter Branch and individual to do their bit in order that the garments can be finished as soon as possible.

 

December 6, 1907

The trustees of Newtown Savings bank have decided, as will be seen by their announcement in another column, to pay four per cent interest on all deposits without discrimination. This bank, founded in 1855, has steadily grown in the confidence of the public, and has very largely increased its deposits and surplus under the present administration.

* * *

The private school at the High school building will open its winter term on next Monday with Mrs C.H. Northrop as teacher. Ross Jewell, who has had many years’ experience in teaching and knows all about the needs of such a school, has kindly consented to act as supervisor and visitor, and under such auspices it is expected that the school will do good work.

* * *

William H. Prindle, a popular and genial resident of South Center district, had an interesting and exciting experience, Saturday morning. On going to his barn about 5 am, to feed his horse before starting on a drive to Woodbury, he found the barn door open and the horse gone. After tramping as far west as Northrop’s corner, and north to Selectman Peck’s he went south and found his horse peacefully eating by the roadside in Tinkerfield. The horse had unlocked the latch which held the door and walked out.

* * *

Judge W.J. Beecher, the town attorney, has received from C.E. Hough, cashier of the City National bank, the amounts of interest money paid Charles H. Northrop, the ex-treasurer, on the town funds deposited in the City National bank. The amounts for the last three years have been properly credited to the town. It required the services of six clerks and the examination of a ton of books to get at these figures.

* * *

A handsome little booklet entitled “The First Five Years of the Newtown High School” has been printed under the direction of Ross Jewell and a copy of the same should be in the possession of every family in Newtown. It contains 15 excellent half tone plates. The pamphlet cost $65 to print. It will be sold for 25 cents a copy.