October 11, 1996

After considering for a second time whether it should enact a moratorium on accepting resident subdivision plans for review, the Planning and Zoning Commission decided once again to reject the idea. On October 3, P&Z Chairman John DeFilippe and members Thomas Paisley, Heidi Winslow and Stephen Koch discussed the request for a moratorium submitted the by Newtown Neighborhoods Coalition, a citizens group about 125 members strong that wants the P&Z to enact the six-month hiatus so the P&Z can revamp its regulations to make it more difficult to build homes.

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Police late this week were still trying to piece together the sequence of events that led to Monday’s explosive wreck along Route 302, which cost the life of a truck driver and sent restaurant patrons running into the night. At about 8:10 pm, police said David P. Wagenblas, 28, of Stratford, was killed after losing control of his westbound tanker truck as it rounded a sharp turn on Route 302, near the Hattertown Road intersection. The truck, loaded with gasoline, reportedly rolled onto its side, struck two utility poles, then plunged into the George’s Restaurant parking lot in a ball of fire. The crash set off an inferno that blew up six cars, set the southeast side of George’s Restaurant on fire and sent everyone inside the restaurant running.

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Raymond A. Jandreau, 87, of Springfield, Mass., died on October 3 in Mercy Hospital. He moved to Newtown with his wife, the former Rooas M. Benoit, in 1928 and started work with The Newtown Bee. He joined a staff of about eight employees and became the chief linotype operator, holding together the entire mechanical operation of the newspaper. He was known as “Mr Fix-It” and not only kept the machinery of The Bee running smoothly but also repaired bikes, radios, car and all manner of things for fellow employees and friends.

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Ursula Goebel’s love of hiking and climbing inspired her to found the Newtown Hikers Club 15 years ago. Her passion for the outdoor has apparently rubbed off on her son, Peter, a doctor, who is currently leading an expedition to Nepal to tackle one of the tallest peaks in the Himalayas.

October 15, 1971

Town Counsel Robert Hall has given a written opinion to First Selectman Timothy Treadwell that a resolution on ending the Vietnam War is not a proper subject for action by a town meeting in Newtown. Copies of the opinion were given out at the joint meeting of the selectmen and the Police Commission in the Mary Hawley Room at Edmond Town Hall. Since town officials hadn’t had an opportunity to discuss the opinion, they deferred action on it until the next selectman’s meeting. Thirty or more people had come to attend the meeting, expecting to join in the discussion of the Vietnam resolution.

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At their joint meeting of October 8, the Board of Selectmen and the Planning and Zoning Commission discussed proposals for pollution abatement in light of the fact that sewers are still several years away for Newtown. The Selectmen also received a preliminary recommendation from P&Z for a corridor for the proposed Sandy Hook bypass road, subject to negotiations with the property owners. The two boards reached agreement on a revised road ordinance, which will permit certain old private roads to become town highways under the state statues.

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Melanie Kellogg, a Newtown High School senior, and Tom Carey, a junior, sat in on the October 12 meeting of the Board of Education. There were elected by their fellow students as representatives of the Board and sat it in on all open sessions. Although they may not officially vote, their opinions and suggestions will be welcomed by the board members.

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Two teachers’ unions, the Newtown Federation of Teachers and the Education Association of Newtown, will have a teacher representation election to determine which group will officially represent the Newtown teachers. The Board of Education, according to state statues, will have to pay the entire cost of the election. The election is to be conducted by secret ballot. It will be conducted by the American Arbitration Association, an impartial agency.

October 11, 1946

Republicans won the town election this week with only 1,584 ballots cast, compared to 1,743 in last year’s town election. All Republicans were elected to office, John Carlson receiving the highest count of 911 for the Board of Tax Review against his Democratic opponent, Walter Gutman, who poled 607. Stanley J. Blackman, running behind the rest of the Republican ticket, was elected First Selectman with 813 votes against 713 for A. Fenn Dickinson, Democratic candidate, who automatically becomes third selectman. William Seman topped John J. Keane in the balloting for second selectman.

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The regional Board of Education plans to employ an architect in the near future, a first step in planning a new high school which will serve Newtown, Southbury, Woodbury and Bethlehem. The architect will assist in the selection of a site for the new school. A series of interviews with architects is scheduled. According to the agreement of the first meeting of the regional board of November 28, 1945, the site of the new school will be within one mile or two of Sand Corner in Southbury, which was determined to be the geographic center of the district before Bethlehem asked to be included in the district.

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The third and deciding game in the series between the Sandy Hook and Bethlehem baseball teams was played Sunday afternoon at Taylor Field with Sandy Hook winning the title on the long end of a 15-5 score. Carlson pitched for Sandy Hook and held the Bethlehem players will in check with Duda working behind the plate. Pete Syulick collected two triples to pace Sandy Hook’s 12-hit attack.

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The balmy weather that Newtown has been experiencing in recent weeks apparently has fooled Mother Nature. Apple trees in the orchard of Herbert Bodine on Sugar Street have begun to put out blooms.

October 14, 1921

EDITORIAL INK DROPS: “There will be no real enforcement of the 18th amendment until the judges of our courts meet out to the violators of this law, the rum runners and the booze sellers, some stiff sentences of $5,000 fines and five or six years in the State’s prison.” So spoke a worthy citizen in the Bee office, Tuesday, in discussing the prohibition enforcement question, and we believe he hit the nail on the head. Fines of $20 or $30 such as are handed out by many of our judges in the city and police courts, must make the men under trial laugh inwardly. It doesn’t discommode them apparently.

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Mr and Mrs George E. Wilson and children of Hamden motored to Newtown, last week Wednesday, and taking in Mrs Wilson’s parents, Mr and Mrs George R. Wilson, went on to the Danbury fair.

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CARD OF THANKS: To the friends who so kindly remembered us with their sympathetic and helpful attentions at the time of the death of our husband and father, we wish to return sincere and heartfelt thanks. —Mrs James Egan, Miss Helen Egan

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A very pretty wedding was solemnized in St Rose’s church, Wednesday morning, when two popular young people were wedded, Thomas J. Maloney, a member of the firm of the Newtown Coal & Grain Co., and Miss B. Frances Honan, daughter of Mr and Mrs Michael Honan of Taunton district. A nuptial Mass was celebrated, Rev Father Conway officiating. The bride was becomingly gowned in a dark blue velour suit and wore a blue and gray duveytine hat. She also wore a corsage bouquet of bride roses and white snapdragons. The bridesmaid was Miss Mary Honan, who wore a blue suit of tricotine, with hat to match. She carried pink roses with pink snapdragons. The best man was Henry L. Nolan, a cousin of the groom. A wedding breakfast followed at the home of the brides’s parents in Taunton. Mr and Mrs John P. Honan of Waterbury and Mr and Mrs Michael Honan of Naugatuck were present at the wedding. The bride and groom left in the afternoon for an automobile tour to Washington, D.C. They will be home after November 1. There was a nice array of beautiful wedding gifts.

October 16, 1896

THE EDITOR’S FAMILIAR CHAT: There are said to be five aspirants for the Newtown post office in case of republican success. We will not wager our favorite round and juice apple as to who will carry off the prize. It is a little early yet to prognosticate.

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The marriage of V.E. Mitchell, formerly of this place, and Miss Alice M. Babcock, took place at the home of the bride in Worcester, Mass., (illegible). The bride was given into marriage by her father, Edmound B. Babcock. Miss Pauline F. Blackman, the groom’s niece, was the maid of honor. Walter Babcock and Charles H Gordon, both of Worcester, acted as ushers. The brides [sic] gown was of white satin trimmed with lace. She wore a veil. They left amid a shower of rice for their wedding journey.

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Prof Harris, the ventriloquist, who advertised to give an entertainment at the Town hall, Saturday evening, did not put in an appearance. He concluded it would not be a financial success and so canceled the date.

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Mr and Mrs Wesley F. Hayes, closed their Newtown residence Hayeselhurst, this week, and returned to Bridgeport for the winter. Their departure is always regretted by their neighbors and the townspeople.

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The children at the Congregational Sunday school, who have raised potatoes, are requested to bring them this week, to the store of L.C. Morris, that they may be weighted, and proper credit given.

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 shannon@thebee.com, subject line: Way We Were photo. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date. If you live locally and would like to loan a photo/photos, please give us a call (203-426-3141) to let us know when you will be visiting.