June 9, 1995

The state legislator has voted to reorganize the state Department of Mental Health (DMH) including the closure of Fairfield Hills Hospital. The legislation calls for state mental health operations at Fairfield Hills to be combined with those of Norwich Hospital and be relocated at the Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown. Fairfield Hills Hospital is expected to close by June 1996... The planned closure of the two mental institutions comes in light of dwindling patient populations at both hospitals, as the DMH pursues its policy of “deinstitutionalization.”

***

It was a simple play — an attackman passing from behind the net to a player cutting in front of the cage for a quick shot — and it was a play the Newtown High School lacrosse team used to destroy Windsor, 10-0, in the quarter finals of the CIAC Division II state tournament... That game was over two months ago, but it put an indelible image on the minds of the Newtown High players... And the Indians took the first step toward a state championship.

***

A request for six special constables for the Newtown Fish & Game Club has prompted town officials to question the liability of appointing untrained, unbonded persons to such positions. Town Counsel David Grogins told the Board of Selectmen Monday night that there is potential liability when the town appoints constables. Regular constables are bonded by the town and are used for such duties as traffic control for special events. Special constables are a separate category... Mr Grogins said the town should check with its insurance carrier to see what its requirements are for liability coverage.

***

Thomas R. Fitzsimmons, 32, was sworn in Tuesday as the newest member of Newtown’s police force. A graduate of Shelton High School, Mr Fitzsimmons graduated from the Connecticut Police Academy in November 1994 and since then has been a part-time police officer in Shelton.

***

Sandy Hook firefighters are relieved that one of their prime firetrucks can now climb the hills of Sandy Hook more swiftly following its refurbishment with new mechanical equipment, according to Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Chief William Halstead. The fire department recently took delivery of the rehabilitated supply pumper truck known as Engine 441... Before it was rebuilt, the firetruck held three firefighters. It now has two rows of seats in its cab, so it holds six firefighters. Five of the six seats in the cab are equipped with firefighters’ airpacks. The truck typically goes out to calls on I-84.

***

Motorists on Church Hill Road slowed their cars and pulled over to the side. A Sikorsky Blackhawk U860 helicopter had just landed in a swirl of new-mown grass in the field behind Trinity Church. Two emergency trucks from the Sikorsky Aircraft Fire Department stood by. So did about 90 kids from the Trinity Day School. But there was no emergency. Walter Sherman, whose son Conor attends the school, had arranged for the visit by the helicopter and emergency vehicles. Mr Sherman is a firefighter for Sikorsky at its airport in Stratford... After several long minutes of waiting for the engines to quit and the rotors to stop moving, teachers led groups of children to the aircraft, where they lined up for a photo, and then got the chance to climb aboard and look around.

June 5, 1970

Some Favor & Some Oppose Luf Site: Monday night’s town meeting drew so large a group, more than 300, to the gymnasium of Edmond Town Hall that a recess was taken to bring more chairs from the lower floor meeting room. Petitions with more than 600 signatures had been presented, assuring that the vote on buying the Luf property as the site for a new school would be taken by referendum.

***

Luf Site Acreage Comes Under Fire: ... a statement from Arthur Spector, chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission: ...In order to have access and egress from Great Hill Road it was necessary to purchase additional land in order that a road could be built to serve the proposed school site... We have heard this is a good deal at $2,000 per acre. We would agree if there were 47 usable acres... discounting the 22 unusable acres, we would be paying a little over $4,000 per acre for the 25-acre parcel in order to build a school. This is not a good deal. If the town is to buy property for a new school site, let us make sure we know what we are buying. A middle school will be needed in the not too distant future. The plan of development says the Taunton area is the most logical area for this to be built. Let us buy a piece of land we know will support and accommodate an elementary and a middle school.

***

Group To Urge OK Of Luf Property: As a result of Monday night’s meeting a group of citizens who are concerned about future housing for elementary school children of Newtown have begun to organize for a “yes” vote for the referendum on Tuesday, June 9, from 6 am to 8 pm... The group recognizes that continued increasing enrollments are causing overcrowded conditions at the elementary level, and wish to avoid double sessions in two years by having a new elementary school operating in 1972.

***

Dr James B. Boyd has accepted the position of Superintendent of Schools for Newtown, it is announced by Dr Russell Strasburger, Chairman of the Board of Education. He will assume his duties on August 1. Dr Boyd is at present executive vice president and educational consultant for Engelhardt and Engelhardt, Inc, in Purdy Station, N.Y.

***

S. Curtis and Son Celebrates 125 Years of Business: The original Berkshire company founded by Samuel Curtis produced ladies’ fancy combs and buttons from cattle horn and hoof. New raw materials, processes and fashions have dictated a complete change since then. From 1921 the company produced packaging with folding paper boxes and expanding to plastics packaging in 1960... Continuous succession in one business, by one family for one hundred and twenty five years may not be unique, but it is certainly rare.

***

From kittens to kitchen dishes, one and all were speedily and joyfully sold and purchased at the tag sale on the high school lawn by members of Cadette Troop 599 this past weekend. The hard-working young ladies of the troop were able to raise over $165 in this single event to be used to finance their summer campout at Nantucket.

June 1, 1945

A broken New York City home, where their presence was not always welcome and where there was but intermittent parental guidance and little sympathy, according to State Police records, resulted in frustrated attempts at independence by two youngsters, eight and twelve years of age, from the metropolitan district, last week. The boys, familiar with Newtown through a visit here a year ago, dreamed of supporting themselves with their newly bought equipment — a bow and one arrow, a bowie knife for dressing big game, and a 40-cent investment in garden seeds... The would-be Daniel Boones, arriving in town last Wednesday by bus, were prompted by the homing instinct to establish camp near the Castle, but they later went to Taunton Lake and built a fire near the ice house. On Thursday, they built a fire inside the ice house and though they covered it with dirt on leaving, they returned at 4 pm to find the structure burnt down... in the shoe of one of the wanderers was found a letter addressed to “Dear Ma and Pa.” It was a piteous appeal for human sympathy, understanding, and guidance. The well-meaning pioneers... were taken care of at Ridgefield barracks... Connecticut’s responsibility for these boys... was completed with their return to their home locations.

***

Mrs Maurice de Harne arrived in Newtown on Tuesday evening after a 4-1/2 day trip from Waialua, near Honolulu, Hawaii. She came by Clipper plane in 15 hours from Honolulu to San Francisco, and then across country by train. Mrs de Harne will spend three months here, visiting her parents, Mr and Mrs James B. Nichols, on Mt Pleasant Road. Mrs de Harne describes the Hawaiian Islands as busy night and day in the war effort.

***

Newtown Summer Playgrounds will open Monday, June 25, under the direction of H.S. DeGroat. Miss Elizabeth Mulvaney is to act as assistant. The playgrounds will be located on Taylor Field behind Hawley School. The seventh grade room in the annex will be available for crafts and wet weather programs.

***

A registered Guernsey cow, Paula of GMLF, owned by Juanita A. Smith of Newtown, has completed a creditable Herd Improvement record of 11,517.8 lbs of milk and 573.9 pounds of butterfat on twice daily milking for ten months. Paula is the first daughter of the registered Guernsey sire, Levity’s Golden Majesty. This record was supervised by the University of Connecticut and reported to the American Guernsey Cattle Club at Peterborough, N.H. for approval and publication.

***

The A&P store at the Flagpole, Newtown, was broken into at an undetermined hour last Sunday night and some $40 cash pilfered, according to information from the State Police Department. The forcible entry was discovered by Michael Rubino, A&P driver, who arrived at 1:45 am, Monday, to make his usual delivery. He backed his truck into position, started to unload, then noticed two loaf cakes lying near the store and a broken window above them... the intruder had apparently escaped through a small rear window.

***

A patriotic note keyed the meeting of the Newtown Chamber of Commerce held Thursday evening, May 24, at the Parker House. Neglect of the War Memorial Monument came in for unfavorable comment and it was pointed out that while funds are available for care of this costly Memorial given to the Town by Mary Elizabeth Hawley in honor of those who fought in the First World War, neglect of the landscaping was painfully evident. A letter of protest on the subject was authorized to be sent to the first selectman.

May 28, 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.

Your memories are the ones we want to share! Do you have photographs of people or places in town from a bygone era? The Way We Were is the perfect landing spot so that your photographs can be enjoyed by Newtown Bee readers. Images can be e-mailed as attachments to editor@thebee.com, subject line: Way We Were photo. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date.