September 1, 1995

The official fire danger index rose to “extreme” this week as the state endured one of the driest Augusts in decades. Sandy Hook fire fighters battled two brush fires on Monday which officials said were deliberately set... It has been more than three weeks since Newtown has had any significant rainfall.

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The call to the firehouse and ambulance could not have come at a worse time: the noon whistle was in progress at Edmond Town Hall, Main Street was jammed with wanna-be movie stars, the matinee was soon to begin, and local business people were trying to find a way to avoid the snarled traffic and get some lunch. At that moment, more than 1,000 people were in a line completely encircling town hall, hoping to be chosen as an extra for Sleepers, a feature film with Hollywood superstars Brad Pitt and Robert DeNiro. Seventy-five lucky males were chosen that day for the first scene at Fairfield Hills Hospital, to be shot September 5.

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Fourteen Garner Correctional Institution inmates dressed in black caps and gowns marched in the prison’s visitors’ center to strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” as the high-security prison conducted its second high school equivalency diploma commencement ceremonies on August 25. Warden Charles H. Stewart, Jr, head of the Federal Correction Institution in Danbury, was the special guest speaker.

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A ten-kilometer foot race along roads like Point O’ Rocks and Brushy Hill is more often a test of endurance, a battle between the runner and his own inner will, but last Saturday’s Newtown Bee 10K was a true battle between competitors. Arid Haillen of Moscow, Russia, and Peter Simon of Tanzania fought shoulder to shoulder and elbow to elbow all along the 6.22 mile track... Haillen and Simon separated themselves from the pack, but not from each other until the turn from Platt Mill onto Brushy Hill, where Haillen took the first lead... then raced along to the finish line in record time.

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Archaeologists doing excavation work at the site planned for construction of the municipal sewage treatment plant believe the area was used as a seasonal campground by nomadic Native Americans of the Late Archaic period, some 4,000 years ago... intensive studies which involved almost 9,500 man-hours of excavation during the past seven months indicate that prehistoric Native Americans took advantage of the natural resources in the area.

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Everyone likes to make a good first impression, and apparently so did Patrick, a nine-year-old, 17-hand Anglo-Trakhener, who made his debut in dressage at the USDF Region 8 Championships at Ox Ridge Hunt Club, August 26-27. Patrick pleased his owners, Kit and Ron Prestera, by winning the Training Level Test 1 and Test 3. The Presteras live on Poverty Hollow Road, across the street from Norfield Farm where Patrick is in training with Frederika Leet.

August 28, 1970

Beneath a sweltering sun raising the temperature to nearly [100] degrees, 1,326 dogs paraded before the judges at the 20th annual dog show and obedience trial sponsored by the Newtown Kennel Club, Inc, Saturday, August 22, from 9 am to 6:30 pm. The show, which is one of the outstanding ones in the east, was attended by thousands of dog breeders, handlers, and just plain “mutt” lovers. Champion De-Go Hubert, West Highland white terrier, was best in show.

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The second hole-in-one in a week was made at the Newtown Country Club, Wednesday, August 19. Michael Kearns used a six iron on the par three, 160-yard first hole. Mike is a long-time member of Newtown Country Club and lives on Osborne Hill Road.

Property owners within the proposed Hattertown Historic District have voted ten to one in favor of establishing the District. The proposed district centers on the Hattertown Green, includes the old schoolhouse, the oldest home in the area, built in 1750 and now owned by Carlton Hubbell; also one of the old carriage factories which flourished in the mid-19th Century, as well as a number of homes.

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Everybody loves a parade, and the big one in Newtown will step off at 10 am, Monday, September 7. Its all part of the Progress Festival Labor Day festivities and Parade Marshal Al Nichols has announced that between 35 and 40 units will march... The decorated bicycle contest is also a popular highlight in the parade, and what was thought to be a typographical error in the release to the press was not, and any one up to the age of 120 may enter.

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The ball, which was knocked from the top of the flag pole by an auto some time ago, is now back in the round and ready to take its place in the center of town. The ball was put back into shape by Siegfried Mentzel of Bridgewater. Gold leaf was applied to the ball after it was rounded out and four set screws will hold it in place on top of the pole. Now to get someone to get it up there. Cost to the town was $100.

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At about 1 pm, Sunday, August 23, Joseph Chase, Realtor and owner of the Chase Building on Main Street, and his wife returned to his office to find the entire office area flooded... he ran upstairs to find halls and floors of the upper offices under at least two inches of water. Water was pouring down the stairs, under the door, and into the street... Mr Chase immediately called the Police and Fire Departments who answered the call with their usual efficiency... the upstairs rest room sink had been closed, the overflow drain had been stuffed with a bar of soap, and the water faucet on full force. It was therefore alleged the cause of the flooding was vandalism.

August 24, 1945

The special town meeting called for this Friday evening at eight o’clock in the Alexandria Room of the Edmond Town Hall, is to consider the advisability of improving the community’s educational facilities by cooperating in formation of a Regional School District. Indirectly, it is also concerned with the whole future development of Newtown’s educational program.

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A minute of silence was observed at the Edmond Town Hall theater on Wednesday evening, in respect to the late Mary Elizabeth Hawley who, in her very generous gifts, did so much for Newtown. Wednesday marked the anniversary of her birth, August 22, 1857. Her gifts to the town, as everyone so well knows, included the Edmond Town Hall, Cyrenius H. Booth Library, Hawley School, the War Memorial Monument, and the receiving vault and other improvements at the Newtown Village Cemetery. It was just fifteen years ago when the first public showing of talking pictures took place at Edmond Town Hall.

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Members of the Bee staff, with their wives, thoroughly enjoyed a roast duck dinner given by the Bee Publishing Company at the Parker House on Saturday evening. The event was held in honor of Miss Anna L. Connors, who had been a member of the Bee family for the past twenty-one years and who has resigned her position to become the bride of Matthew Winkle in a ceremony at St Rose church on Saturday morning, August 25. Following Mrs Parker’s delicious repast, a program of impromptu speeches and entertainment took place with Editor Paul Smith as toastmaster.

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It was a real pleasure to receive a visit at The Bee office on Monday morning from Rev. A.C. Fuller of Brattleboro, Vt., who spent the weekend in town and on Sunday morning attended service at the Methodist Church in Sandy Hook where he served as pastor for a number of years until his retirement in 1939... Mr Fuller did much in the work of painting and repairing the Methodist Church while he was pastor here, and the effects of his good work are still evident.

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The Park Diner, DELICIOUS FOOD, ALL HOME-COOKED. At Newtown on Danbury Road, US Route 6. Open Daily 8 am to 8 pm. CLOSED ON SUNDAY DUE TO MEAT SHORTAGE. Mr and Mrs Lewis Colepaugh

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Vacation time ends and the serious business of mental and physical training begins abruptly for a large segment of Newtown’s population when the town’s five schools open Wednesday, September 6. Three changes have occurred in the teaching staff, some changes have been made in the locations of grades and a new four term school calendar is being tried in an effort to make the duration of all terms more nearly alike.

August 13, 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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