December 1, 1995

Big Y Foods, Inc plans to open a new Big Y World Class Market at Newtown Shopping Center on Queen Street, a company spokesman confirmed Thursday. Claire D’Amour, Big Y’s vice president for corporate affairs, said the Springfield, Mass.-based supermarket chain recently signed a lease with the owners of the Newtown Shopping Center.

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Newtown faces a full weekend of holiday activities that begin with the lighting of the town’s Christmas tree in Ram Pasture on Friday evening and runs through 5 pm on Sunday, when the 10th Annual Holiday Festival of the Family-Life Center ends.

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Dozens of yellow, pink, and blue plastic ducks floated down the Pootatuck River Saturday as the Sandy Hook Organization for Prosperity (SHOP), the local merchants organization, held what was billed as its first annual duck race... Merchants sold the ducks, each of which had a number on the bottom, for $5 each and provided 20 prizes for the winners. At noon a handful of people gathered on the bridge to watch as the plastic ducks were dumped from a carton into the river... to move downstream toward the Dayton Street bridge where a boom had been stretched across the river to catch the ducks as they crossed the finish line.

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Directors of the Newtown Friends of Music, which offers the not-for-profit Sunday concert series, learned this week that the first two concerts of the 18th season have broken previous attendance records for its regularly scheduled events. More than 300 concert-goers were present for both the St Luke’s Chamber Ensemble on October 22 and the Parisii String Quartet on November 28.

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For more than a year, while the construction and renovation are in progress at the Booth Library, Newtown residents will be going to a new location to check out books and use other library services. The library’s Board of Trustees decided Tuesday night to move out for the entire construction period if a suitable location can be found to set up a temporary library.

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The Newtown High School swim team had a lot to celebrate after this past fall season and they did just that at their banquet Monday night at the Fireside Inn. The Lady Indians finished 8-4 during the regular season, the first winning record in 11 years, with a third place finish in the first South-West Conference championship meet.

November 27, 1970

Newtown recently added two more distinguished residents to its already bulging list of famous names when Billy Fellows and Ralph Young purchased an old dairy farm in the southwest part of town. Mr Young is the Young of the internationally famous duo of Tony Sandler and Ralph Young. Mr Fellows, a long time favorite in night club circles, superb pantomimist, singer, composer, and publisher has known the duo for many years... Together with their wives and families, they brought along Miss Lise Mayberry, director of the Sandler and Young Art and Music Scholarship Fund... an attempt was made to give a concert by Sandler and Young along with Billy Fellows and his supporting group “Straight Lace.” They required a hall that would seat at least 1,000... The performers have found a home for December 13 at the American Shakespeare Festival Theatre in Stratford. Newtown will still benefit from the scholarship funds... split with Stratford, Bridgeport, and Stamford.

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Three new policemen have joined the Newtown force, bringing the roster to 17. They are Ray Thompson of Melody Lane; Francis E. Bresson of Bennett’s Bridge Road; and Klaus Ertl of Bridgeport, formerly of Newtown. The young men all passed their recent tests with very high ratings.

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The Board of Education moved toward sites for schools in two different sections of town Monday evening, through the Board of Finance. One appropriation of $100,000 would be for acquisition of the 29.9-acre section of the Boyle property on Boggs Hill Road for an elementary school site. The second, of $20,000, would before investigation and possible option of a site in the eastern section of town for an elementary school and possibly for another middle school, grades 5-8. The eastern section, Toddy Hill Road-Berkshire District, is the next in which the school board believes a grade school will be needed after the Taunton-Dodgingtown area.

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All members of the Board of Education voted unanimously to name the pool at the new high school the Otto Heise Pool and erect a plaque at the pool with Mr Heise’s name on it. Mr Heise gave $25,000 toward the cost of the pool, which is now being used to full capacity by the school and people of the town.

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The Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the ceremony of lighting the Christmas tree in front of Edmond Town Hall at 7 pm on Tuesday, December 15. The Middle School choir will lead carol singing and Mrs Susan A. Rakulinocz will coordinate the program. All townspeople are cordially invited to join in this festive ceremony and sing lustily.

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Last Saturday evening was a glittering night at the premier performance of the first Newtown Arts Festival. Literally everyone was there, except the late famed Mrs George Washington Kavanaugh and her cigar... Seth Brody, president of the Arts Festival, and Louis Untermeyer, honorary chairman, spoke briefly before the performance thanking the many Festival workers... Mr Brody summed it up properly when he expressed his thanks to the many “woman hours” spent in bringing about the event.

November 23, 1945

Last Thursday evening, the Alexandria Room of the Edmond Town Hall was the scene of one of the most enjoyable events to take place in Newtown in several years, when one hundred seventy five friends and fellow townsmen of Arthur Treat Nettleton gathered to do him honor... Robert J. Clark, as a most able toastmaster, introduced a list of local speakers, all of whom in their own way, spoke in highest regard of Mr Nettleton, voicing not only the sentiments of all in attendance, but of the entire town in which Mr Nettleton for so many years has been not only a prominent banker, but a leading citizen and highly respected man.

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To give more prompt and reliable service to residents, the Ambulance Association is making a direct appeal by mail and otherwise to all who are able to contribute toward a sum of $1,000 to be used immediately to improve the housing of the ambulance. The work is already underway. It is necessary and must be paid for. The association has been given the opportunity to obtain a permanent home for the ambulance in the barn of Trinity rectory, where it has been temporarily housed for the past two years. The location is excellent. Difficulties have arisen in past winters... All of this needs to be overcome. Overhead garage doors are being installed. The barn is to be insulated, an oil burner and running water are to be installed. Arrangements have been made for snow removal. These improvements serve both patrons and the drivers...

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Mr and Mrs Jack Strasburger , who have resided on lower Main Street for the past several years, have opened a restaurant at 2640 Main Street in Bridgeport, to be known as the “Dobbs House.” The place is modern in every respect and an appetizing menu is offered every day. Mr and Mrs Strasburger have the best wishes of their many Newtown friends for success in their new adventure.

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A 4-H Club has been started in Sandy Hook, with John Hamilton as local leader. Mr Hamilton has much experience with farming and also worked with Boy Scouts... About 12 or 15 boys and girls will be members of the club, the 4 Leaf Clover Field.

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Hawley School Wins Soccer Game: Newtown 2- Forman Club Team 0. Monday afternoon the Hawley School soccer squad entertained the Forman School Club from Litchfield on Taylor Field. The locals did not hesitate to indicate they meant business, because Silwyn Lane booted in a goal within two minutes of play. He made good measure by adding the second goal about the same distance from the final whistle.

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“China Today And Tomorrow” will be the subject of an address at Edmond Town Hall, Monday night, December 3rd, by James L. McConoughy, LLD, president emeritus of Wesleyan College, former Connecticut lieutenant governor, now director of United China Relief, Inc, and an outstanding public speaker. Dr McConoughy, recently returned from China, is well qualified to tell his audience about the people and problems of one of the great countries of the world.

November 12, 1920

One of the most terrible murders in the history of the town was perpetrated in the early hours of Sunday morning, when Arthur Vincent Donahue, of the staff of the New York American, was shot as he was returning from the barber shop in the Street with his brother-in-law Edward S. Pitzschler. [They] left the barber shop to go to the Pitzschler home on Queen Street about Midnight, Mr Pitzschler having had an exceptionally busy evening in his shop... they saw a Ford car standing on the right side of the road without lights. Thinking it a danger to public travel... Mr Donahue suggested driving the car down to the Smith-Moller corner near the electric light. Mr Pitzschler advised against moving the car, but Mr Donahue finally started it up and drove it south to the corner... In a very short time two men appeared from the north and demanded... the reason for moving their car. One of the men flourished a short rifle... “His actions were uncanny,” said Pitzschler. “He never uttered a word, nor would he listen... that we were not trying to take his automobile... he crouched down over his shot gun and swung the muzzle of the gun first on me and then on Arthur... after firing one shot, which missed us, he swung the butt of the gun at Arthur. Arthur broke away and ran by me and then he fired again. The bullet struck Arthur in the back... Mr Pitzschler... ran to Mr Smith’s residence shouting for help... to the rear of the Moller’s residence where he awakened Mr Moller, who came down, ran out to his auto, picked up the wounded man and conveyed him... to the office of Dr Kingman... Mr Donahue died a short time after... Donahue was 26 years old... The State policemen on Tuesday arrested Max E. Kranz, aged 30, of No 514 John street, Bridgeport, and Joseph Roach, aged 23, of Danbury, in connection with the murder of Donahue... Roach had been conducting a garage in Danbury. He owned a Ford touring car... similar to the one described as being at the scene of the murder, and in which Donahue’s slayers are said to have fled. The car used by the alleged murderers, Saturday night, was a Ford touring model, and the .32 calibre rifle alleged to have been used in the murder are now in Sergeant Virelli’s possession. He... located the rifle and car in Bridgeport, Tuesday night, after a lengthy questioning of the two men held in the county jail.

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Harold R. Johnson, the railroad conductor who was struck over the head with a shovel at Hawleyville, Saturday night, October 30, and received a fracture of the skull, has so far recovered from the injury that he was able to leave the hospital, last week... Andrew Jackson, the railroad fireman who assaulted Johnson, was given a hearing in Newtown, Saturday, before Justice P.H. McCarthy. He was bound over to the December term of the Criminal Superior court, under bonds of $1,500.

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Albert Toffey, an engineer on the New York & New Haven railroad, has moved into the hotel building at Hawleyville owned by Mrs S. A. Blackman.

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So many people have not cashed their Liberty Bond coupons due on October 15, those of the Fourth loan, that the Savings division of the First Federal Reserve district has seen fit to remind them of the fact that not only is the coupon overdue but it is the last coupon on these bonds.

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The members of the Dodgingtown Volunteer Fire Company, No 1, announce one of their popular dances for next Thursday evening, November 18.

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