May 12, 1995

In light of a dwindling accident rate at the Main Street flagpole during recent years, the Police Commission has dropped its plans for a May 22 public hearing on the concept of installing traffic signals at the hazardous intersection of Main Street, Church Hill Road, and West Street... In a May 3 letter to First Selectman Robert Cascella, Police Commission Chairman Richard Sturdevant writes, “Recent accident information does not support the need for signalization at this time.”

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The town’s health director is urging anyone who sees suspicious activity involving the possible dumping of hazardous wastes to contact the police on the matter... On Tuesday, firefighters, the police, the health director, the town road crew and the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) responded to Great Hill Road, where police had spotted an unmarked 55-gallon steel drum left alongside the road. It’s suspected that various industrial solvents are in the barrel which the town moved to the public works garage for safekeeping... The town will have the chemicals found in the barrel off Great Hill Road analyzed to try to learn who may be dumping the hazardous materials along the roadsides.

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Planning & Zoning Commission members (P&Z) have approved a ten-lot residential subdivision on Currituck Road. P&Z members May 4 approved the application of M&E Landgroup for a subdivision known as Stonehedge on 31 acres at 83-91 Currituck Road.

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Newtown’s volunteer fire companies sent 30 firefighters and seven pieces of apparatus to help Redding firefighters battle a brush fire which burned more than 100 acres off Poverty Hollow Road on Sunday, May 7. All five of Newtown’s companies were called upon for assistance when embers, uncovered by high winds at the Redding landfill, sparked fires in four widespread locations which threatened to spread to nearby houses.

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Illegal drug use isn’t only an activity that happens out of town, according to Detective Richard Stook. “Yes, there are drugs in Newtown. We do get our fair share of narcotics,” Det Stook told residents attending the eighth session of Citizens Police Academy, a program intended to familiarize residents with various aspects of law enforcement... Newtown is a relatively small town and people tend to be close-mouthed about illegal drug usage, but there are a lot of drugs in use here, he told his attentive audience.

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After three long years of studying and planning, the Newtown Parks and Recreation Department has finally begun work on the creation of the Orchard Hills Nature Center. And the residents in that area are angry. Construction on a small, ten car parking lot, with enough room for a school bus to pull in and turn around, recently began, but has sparked the ire of abutting property owners who feel they were left out of the plans... Commission members agreed that the input of local residents would be welcome in fine tuning the various site improvements expected in and around the nature center. A meeting between the commission and three members of the concerned residents’ group has been scheduled for May 23.

May 8, 1970

The Reverend Stephen H. Gushee was installed as the 22nd rector of Trinity Episcopal Church last Sunday by the Rt Rev John Esquirol, Bishop of Connecticut. A reception for the new rector followed the service in the Undercroft of the church.

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At a special meeting on Thursday, April 30, the Planning and Zoning Commission approved with stipulations the town’s request for a special exception to zoning regulations. This opens the way to use of interior land behind the railroad tracks paralleling Route 25, which is owned by the Hain brothers and others, for a new sanitary landfill.

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About 35 people attended an informal meeting of those opposed to the state’s projected rest area on I-84 on Monday evening, May 4, in the lower floor meeting room of Edmond Town Hall. A number of letters have been sent to state and national officials and to organizations interested in conservation, asking their support, since the proposed rest area paralleling Currituck Road just below Tunnel Road would seriously affect, if not destroy, the daily farm operation of Andrew Sedor, one of the few remaining working farms in the area.

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Newtown teachers rejected the contract with the Board of Education in a written ballot on Wednesday, May 6, the day after the town had approved the budgets. Harry McCaffrey, chairman of EAN, says the reasons for rejection are hard to pinpoint until more study can be made of the ballots, which provided space for the voters’ reasons. The next step, he says, is to call a membership meeting and name a new negotiating team.

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Mr and Mrs Robert Ventrillo recently toured Europe on their honeymoon. While in Italy, they received the privilege of a private audience with Pope Paul. Mrs Franco Ventrillo guided the couple around Italy and accompanied them to the Vatican. Mrs Robert Ventrillo is the former Marie Motta, daughter of Mr and Mrs Sabatino Motta of Main Street, Newtown.

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In a letter dated May 4 to Harry Greenman, chairman of the Public Building Committee, the Planning and Zoning Commission again rejected the Luf property off the upper end of Head O’ Meadow Road as the site for a new elementary school... The Commission is of the opinion that area roads must be substantially improved to serve the school safely.

May 4, 1945

On Tuesday morning, Mr and Mrs Ben D. Smith of Dodgingtown received the sad news that their youngest son, Pvt Robert Way Smith, was killed in action in Germany on April 11. A previous telegram arrived Sunday morning, bearing the message that he was reported missing in action. Pvt Smith, who was a member of the Connecticut State Guard, entered the US Army in January 1944... and was sent overseas last February with an infantry replacement unit. He had been in action at the front for only a month, acting as a scout.

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The public meeting called by the Newtown Board of Education, for Thursday evening, May 10, at 8 o’clock in the theater of Edmond Town Hall to discuss the recent state survey of local school facilities, should prove an interesting and constructive opportunity for the people of this and nearby towns to enlarge their knowledge of our school problems and resolve any questions concerning them. The Board has been fortunate in securing Dr Joseph A. Baer and one of his associates from the Division of Research and Planning of the State Board of Education, to speak and to lead an open discussion of the report.

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The May meeting of the Newtown Parent and Teacher Association will be held at the Hawley School, Tuesday, May 8, at 8 pm. The meeting will feature spelling and mathematics contests, and an old-fashioned spelling match. The teachers and students of Hawley School have accepted the challenge of the PTA officers, and are reported more than confident of a victory.

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Miss Helen Clark of the University of Connecticut Extension Service announces an important new project shortly to be initiated in Newtown. To reach every one of the 800 families here with the Home Economics program of the Extension Service and to explain to them the help available in the many different aspects of the work is the goal that has been set.

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Arrangements are underway for a big time toy sailboat racing contest to be held on Hawley Pond in Newtown, Sunday afternoon, May 13, at 2:30 o’clock. Children from Monroe, Southbury, and Bethel have been invited to bring their sailboats. The Girl Scouts, the Campfire Girls, and the Boy Scouts have been invited to help run the event... Prize ribbons will be given to the various winners. The event will be under the auspices of the Newtown Recreation committee and directed by Coach Harold DeGroat.

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On last Thursday evening, a farm machinery meeting was held at Lovell’s Garage under the auspices of the Lovell’s Farm Equipment. It was largely attended by local and out of town farmers in Fairfield and surrounding counties.

April 30, 1920

The microfilm containing 1920 Newtown Bee editions is kept at the C.H. Booth Library, which is temporarily closed due to coronavirus health precautions.

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