June 30, 1995

This spring, on three occasions, students in the elementary schools were subjected to racial slurs by fellow students. School Superintendent John Reed said one child was not only called names, but was pushed down and spat upon. Racial harassment at school prompted an African-American family to call in the Danbury chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and investigate how Newtown is dealing with such situations... Dr Reed has convened a large committee, headed by Pupil Personnel Services Director Robert Chiappetta, to define student-to-student harassment and set up procedures for handling the situations.

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Newtown’s new American Legion Post was formally dedicated June 24 as the George A. Powell, Sr American Legion Post #202. The ceremonies took place at the VFW hall on Tinkerfield Road, which the VFW is now sharing with the Legion. Tim Powell, the newly elected commander of the Legion post, is the son of the late George A. Powell.

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The Special Olympics torch (one of five making its way through the state that day) came to Newtown on Tuesday. Adi Rieter, Austrian marathon runner and police officer, carried the torch to town and stopped at the flagpole for a brief welcoming ceremony. Mr Rieter passed the torch to Special Olympian Michael Hetzl, who held it high with great pride.

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The PTA Council supports changing Newtown High School’s mascot, contending the current one is disrespectful to Native Americans. At the council’s May meeting, council member Bonnie Kraft-Gallagher recommended the council back the students who are seeking to change the school’s symbol... The students researched the mascot issue for an independent study with social studies teacher Jan Brookes... Newtown High School Principal William Manfredonia has said he plans to address the issue next year.

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Get A Grip, Coach: The other night I watched a forty-something-year-old man verbally assault a 14-year-old boy. The boy didn’t leave his bike out in the rain; didn’t track mud on the new mauve carpeting; and didn’t flunk a spelling test. In fact, it wasn’t even the man’s own kid. What this teenager had the nerve to do was call “strike three” at a Little League baseball game. He was the umpire. And faced with the cold reality that his team of nine- and ten-year-olds had just lost a baseball game, this coach had no other choice but to charge down the third base line and berate a boy who was supposed to have been more immature than he — over a game that was supposed to be fun ... On the other side of the diamond that night, I heard a coach telling the boys on his team that he loved them. Something tells me that this coach would have been saying the same thing: win or lose.

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Now You Can Find The Bee On The Internet! Look for us on the World Wide Web at http://www.connix.com/thebee/. Our Email address is thebee@connix.com. Now the information Superhighway has an interchange in Newtown. On The Newtown Bee’s World Wide Web Pages, you will find local news highlights, our calendar of community events and meetings, and you can even get all the talk about town from the Top of the Mountain column. Readers can also renew their subscriptions and write letters to the editor online. You can also see what is going on in our sister publication, Antiques and the Arts Weekly and HORSES Monthly. We’ve even provided an “Inbox” where you can drop us a newstip, press releases, or even a complaint.

June 26, 1970

Newtown will get the big July 4 weekend off to a booming start with a fireworks display at Dickinson Memorial Park on Friday evening, July 3. The first skyrocket is scheduled to take off at 9:15 under the supervision of Chief Lee Glover of Hook & Ladder. Members of the company’s fire-police will be on hand. There will be no admission charge but cars entering must display a current park sticker.

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The last graduation ceremonies to be conducted at the high school on Queen Street began as members of the 1970 graduating class filed out of the school during the procession. Fern girls from the junior class led the processional to the tune of “Pomp and Circumstance” as the members of the 1970 graduating class of Newtown High School dressed in their blue robes and motor [sic] boards marched to their seats at the beginning of commencement exercises. The skies were threatening but the Gods were good and allowed the ceremonies to proceed almost to the end before they willed the rains to fall... a slightly wet but proud graduating class of 1970 went inside the school to be congratulated by parents and friends.

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Sunday morning marked an important milestone for Congregation Adath Israel, when members and friends gathered at the Synagogue on Huntingtown Road at 1:30 o’clock to take part in its 50th anniversary celebration. It was a most impressive and enjoyable occasion... Three of the founders were present — Jacob Nezvesky, Abraham Nezvesky, and Isaac Busker, on whose lapels gardenias were pinned as tokens of the honor and respect paid to them.

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Several fires were reported in Newtown on June 24, none of which caused serious damage. There was a car fire in front of Town Hall, which was extinguished by a passing truck driver who used a dry powder extinguisher. Newtown Hook & Ladder Chief Lee Glover and assistant engineer Richard Liska responded with hand extinguishers from the fire house, but the fire was already out... a brush fire on Cedar Hill Road was reported... which started when brush was being burned by a building contractor spread out of control... Dodgingtown Volunteer Fire Company responded to an alarm on Dodgingtown Road. The building was being re-painted and an acetylene torch used to remove paint started a blaze on the side of the building.

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A group of Newtown students concerned about the drug problem have formed a new organization called HEAD, Helpful Education About Drugs. Most of them are aware of the use of drugs by other teen-agers and are shocked with the attitude of some of the people of Newtown. They are willing to give their time and effort to help other people learn about the effects of drugs before they use them.

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Discussion was postponed at the June 19 meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission of requests which would permit multiple housing in Newtown. The requests... involve about 33 acres of unimproved land off Philo Curtis Road near I-84 in Sandy Hook, now zoned as residential... The request involves establishment of a new zone, R-MF, which would be restricted to multiple housing of the condominium type.

June 22, 1945

It is more than heartwarming news to learn that two local servicemen, Pfc William Shepard and Pvt Richard W. Andrews, have returned home from German prison camps. “Bill,” who was reported missing in action on November 13, 1944, and since then a prisoner of war in Germany, returned home early Saturday morning, June 16. He is enjoying a 60-day furlough. Pvt Richard Andrews, who has been a prisoner of war since last December, also arrived home on Saturday. He is home for a 68-day furlough.

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Newtown stood first in the state among towns with a population between 4,000 and 5,000 in the Easter seal sale for the Connecticut Society for Crippled Children and adults, according to a statement from the society’s headquarters. Mrs George M. Stuart was the local chairman. For the entire state, a total of $117,633 was reported received by the society in comparison with a goal of $100,000.

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Beginning Thursday, July 5th, the bookmobile service of the Cyrenius H. Booth Library will be resumed for the summer months. As in previous years, there will be two routes, each route being covered every other week... If you would like the bookmobile to visit you or if there is any particular book you wish to borrow, call the staff at the library, Newtown 131.

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Are you being patriotic and staying home this summer? Are you free on Friday nights? If so, come and join the rest of us at the Teen-Age Canteen, originated and directed by the Newtown Young People’s Group. The first canteen will be held this Friday evening, June 22, at eight o’clock in the basement of Trinity Church and will last until about 11 pm. Admission will be 20 cents.

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Sunday afternoon’s sizzling sun failed to wilt the spirit of “Joe” Cavanaugh’s Alumni baseball team, which found itself on the long end of the 5-3 score, after seven innings against Coach Harold De Groat’s Hawley School nine. The spectators who braved the summer heat called it a good game, and so did the “old timers,” although some of the high school boys were taken aback that old age could give such a creditable account of itself against their youthful agility.

June 18, 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.