August 24, 1990

As workmen were taking down siding on the front of the Newtown Meeting House, August 17, an artifact of unknown origin was discovered. The wooden piece is formed of three boards held together by two braces and appears to be a template. Research has not shown what the artifact might be or why it was placed there. Several theories have surfaced: 1) the congregation at one point considered placing a stained glass window below the base of the steeple and a replica was put there 2) it just happened to be a handy piece of board and was used for repair 3) it was part of the original meeting house that was removed from the site to make room for the current facility and placed there as a talisman.

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It took Larry Arthur two years to design his dream roadster, to purchase the parts, and to put it together in his family room. It took a third year to take it apart, to have each piece painted, and to reassemble it in his garage. But after spending an estimated 5,000 hours of his time and $35,000 of his money, Larry recently finished his beautiful and powerful creation, a marvelous modification of a 1932 Ford roadster. For his one-of-a-kind car, Mr Arthur has been winning all sorts of awards at car shows.

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Newtown residents are being urged to let their fellow Americans in the Middle East know we are thinking about them by tying one on — a ribbon, that is. Rose Knapp of Sandy Hook is asking patriotic businesses and home owners to tie a red, white, and blue ribbon on a post or tree on their property as a symbolic gesture of hope for the safety of Americans in the Middle East. The ribbon, Mrs Knapp said, is as “a prayer” for the quick return of soldiers and hostages from the Middle East, and for a peaceful solution to the current crisis.

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Anyone who has ever asserted there are skunks in control at Town Hall would have been delighted to know that the are right. At least they were right on the morning of August 23 when a skunk crouched in one of the gymnasium window wells and captured the attention of everyone in the finance and social services office. Early that morning, Patty Ashley, custodian for the town hall, discovered the skunk. Mark McCready, head of maintenance, and Miss Ashley lowered a ladder into the well and the town crew agreed to come over with a plant to lay over the ladder. They were trying to make an exit route. At press time, the skunk was still cowering in the corner.

August 27, 1965

Welcome To Middle Gate School More than 500 youngsters will start at the new school on Wednesday, September 8. The latest registration figures are 577, as of Wednesday morning. The site of the school is on Cold Spring Road. Although Middle Gate School is brand-new, it has one thing in common with Newtown’s older Hawley and Sandy Hook Schools and Newtown High School: from the day it opens, every single room will be in use.

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A bee was blamed for the accident involving a trailer truck on I-84 on Tuesday afternoon. The rig was westbound, close to the Route 34 intersection, when the bee entered the cab and according to state police “went for” the driver, George W. Tausek. Mr Tausek lost control of the truck, which left the road and stopped against the road posts. He has been charged with failure to drive in an established lane.

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Two 12-year-olds collaborated in capturing a 12-pound snapping turtle, Tuesday of this week. Charles Joyce and Tom LaRoss found him in the pond behind the Joyce home on Birch Hill Road, and managed between them, not only to pull him in, but also to weigh him. No bites reported. The boys intend to keep him for a bit and then give him back his freedom. Charles reports that he had previously captured an even larger turtle in Bethel.

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A. Winthrop Ballard of Clinton has been appointed administrative assistant to the superintendent of schools. He was one of two candidates recommended to the Board of Education by Superintendent John Sommi. Mr Ballard was principal of Morgan High School in Clinton and more recently, director of the new Westbrook School for Exceptional Children. Before going to Clinton, he was a high school administrator in Bloomfield for seven years.

 

August 23, 1940

The Newtown Committee for Child Refugees wishes once more to assure the people of Newtown that the food and garments are shipped directly to England for the use of refugees of all nationalities who have sought shelter there. All money received by the committee for refugees is now in the Newtown Savings Bank awaiting the decision for its use in caring for refugee children.

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Governor Raymond E. Baldwin and Mayor Jasper McLevy head the list of prominent state and municipal officials who have been invited to attend the final campfire of the 1940 season at Camp Pomperaug, the Boy Scout camp on Lake Zoar, on Monday evening, August 26, at 8:15 o’clock. An attendance of nearly 2,500 Scouts, Scoutmasters, parents and friends of Scouting is expected for the closing event. By tradition, the closing campfire is always the outstanding feature of any camping season at Camp Pomperaug and Camp Director Thomas L. Cullen has promised that the 18th annual closing campfire will be no exception.

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As guests of Dr Clifford Moore, superintendent of the Fairfield State Hospital, several members of the Newtown Rotary Club were given a pre-showing on Tuesday evening, of the five newly constructed units at the Institution before their formal opening which will take place on September 9. The first building to be inspected was one of the new Disturbed Patient units. This building which is fitted with all the latest equipment, is a most interesting place. At one end of the basement is a series of bath tubs. These tubs are so constructed that overactive persons may be place in them in sort of a canvas cradle so that water at body temperature is constantly passing over them. These baths, together with ice packs which are placed about the head, act as a sedative. On the second and third floors are located the wards, of which there are two on a floor holding 37 patients each. A special alarm system has been arranged for the safety of the nurses and doctors when they enter the single rooms. The next building the group was taken to was the laboratory, said to be one of the finest of its kind in the state. After an inspection of the kitchen, the group was taken to one of the two Continued Treatment buildings. These two buildings are said to be the two largest in the state, their only close contender being the Aetna building in Hartford. The hospital at the present time is caring for 956 patients and when the new buildings are filled, the total inmate population of the institution will be 2,056.

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In a loosely played softball game the Newtown Country Clubbers slugged out a 20-14 victory over the Connecticut Athletic Club at Westport on Sunday afternoon. A lightning fast triple play in the ninth, Warner to Botsford to Smith, featured the tussle. It was the second win of the season for the locals over the Westport ten and marked the third straight victory in their current streak.

 

August 27, 1915

Sign boards have been placed on the flag pole through the instrumentality of Borough Warden Peck, showing the autoists the direction they should take. The boards were generously lettered by W.A. Canfield without charge and were put in position by Sanford Beers.

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John W. Ray, a popular local sportsman, went fishing in Taunton Lake, with Hon Clarence Fillis of New York, last Friday. Mr Fillis caught four beautiful bass, but John had fisherman’s luck, and caught nothing. Better luck next time, John! The boys say that John forgot the password.

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The prospect now is that there will be no service in the Methodist church next Sunday. Rev Mr Peck has a Sunday off and there are so many ministers away on their vacations, that the local supply is hardly sufficient for the demand. Should there be any change from the present outlook, notice will be given by telephone.

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A week ago Wednesday morning, Alfred Osborne arose early, took the lantern and left the house and has not been seen since. Mrs Osborne has had men out searching for him, but no trace has been discovered. Mr Osborne has peddled fish for many years, and his friends hope nothing has befallen him Mr Osborne is 63 years old. He had not been feeling well of late and had worried over the accident to Mrs Osborne’s eyes.