July 18, 1997

A short-lived but intense summer storm swept through Newtown Tuesday evening, bringing fierce bursts of lightning that struck several houses, injured a workman, sparked brush fires, knocked down trees and wires, and “electrified” the high school. Jim Crouch, chief of the 911 dispatch center in Edmond Town Hall, said that in terms of emergency incidents, the center was the busiest it has been at any time in the past 10 years.

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Jack Rosenthal has been involved in Newtown politics since 1955. He figures enough is enough. The former 12-year first selectman recently announced that he would not seek re-election to the Legislative Council in November. He has been a member of the council since 1991.

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The Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) has approved hiring Trumbull Construction of Trumbull to extend sewer lines from Sandy Hook Center to Newtown High School and Oakview Road. WPCA members have endorsed spending $735,000 for the sewer extension project.

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Volunteers are accepting and sorting donations for the annual Labor Day Book Sale, which will be held this year at Bridgeport Hall on the Fairfield Hills Campus (immediately behind the Booth Library’s temporary home in Shelton House). Donations may be brought directly to Bridgeport Hall on Mondays and Thursdays from 10 am to noon. Donations also will be accepted at Shelton House during normal library hours until the August 16 cutoff.

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Huskies Pet Supplies and Aquarium of Madison recently visited Ashlar of Newtown’s Summer Friends program to give campers a look at some exotic animals. Following owner Jerry D’Lillo’s presentation, the young campers and the residents of Ashlar of Newtown had the opportunity to hold and feed some of the rare pets. Summer Friends provides children ages 8-12 with the opportunity to share their time, friendship and energy with senior citizens, while learning to appreciate what it means to grow old.

July 21, 1972

Raymond B. Fosdick, the League of Nation’s first Under Secretary and the president of the Rockefeller Foundation for 13 years, died at his home on Boggs Hill Road, on Tuesday, July 18. He was 89 years old. Mr Fosdick had been a weekend resident of Newtown for 40 years, spending the major part of his time here after retirement in 1948 and becoming a permanent resident in 1966. A lawyer by training, Mr Fosdick became deeply involved in government and in international affairs. He was a great admirer of Woodrow Wilson and transferred from Colgate to Princeton while Mr Wilson headed that University. The two men later became lifelong friends.

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The Newtown Ambulance Association Inc has sent out fund appeal letters to all residents of Newtown asking for their support of this volunteer service which serves them. The Association and its Drivers Corps is a purely volunteer organization and it is strictly run on the contributions of Newtown residents. The first six months of 1972 recorded a 73-call increase over the same period in 1971. The present ambulance will soon be four years old and so far has traveled 45,000 miles, so a replacement for it will have to be considered in the near future.

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Newtown is one of five Connecticut towns split into pieces by the new redistricting ordered by a three-judge federal panel. Not only is Newtown split once, but the split-line divides both Newtown and Sandy Hook, requiring two voting places in each of the voting districts. The basic split-line starts at the bridge over the Housatonic, follows I-84 to Washington Avenue, turns left up Church Hill Road to Queen Street, left again on Glover Avenue, crosses Main Street, following Sugar Street (Route 302) to West Street, turns right and follows West Street to the flagpole, then left to Currituck Road which it follows to the Brookfield Line. This is a “tentative” plan, Registrar of Voters Jeanne Hubbell emphasizes, but it’s all we have at present.

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At a meeting of the officers and directors of the Newtown Historical Society held last Thursday evening at the home of Mr and Mrs Paul S. Smith, definite arrangements were made to engage Robert I. Carter of Essex as architect for completion of the restoration work on the Belden House. Mr Carter specializes in restoration work. He has had much to do with the Amos Bull House which has been restored in Hartford … A church in Wethersfield and numerous old houses have had the benefit of his architectural skill and experience with old structures. Mr Carter has been through the Belden House on several occasions and was here on Monday afternoon to take measurements for the sketches which he will draw to illustrate details of the restoration work which he will recommend. He considers the Belden House a fine example of New England architecture of the early Eighteenth Century and looks forward to working with the Historical Society in completing its authentic restoration.

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Newtown Housing for the Elderly has elected Stanley Main as its new president. Mr Main’s election to office came following the resignation of William Julien as president, who will be leaving Newtown in the near future. Mr Main, who is administrator of Buckingham Gardens on Toddy Hill Road, is a resident of Newtown and has been working with Housing for the Elderly for the past several months. … He has also just been appointed by First Selectman Frank DeLucia to be the representative from Newtown to the State Department for the Aging, the purpose of which is to provide information and resources for the elderly in each community.

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Patricia Hinckley, social worker for Edon House, part of Fairfield Hills Hospital, was one of the panelists discussing “Programs with Psychological-Psychiatric and Social Care” during the seventh annual Alcohol and Drug Workshop at the University of Bridgeport on July 12.

July 18, 1947

At the June meeting of the Newtown Mother’s Club, officers for the year were elected as follows: President, Mrs Herman Parker; vice-president, Mrs Thomas Conway; treasurer, Mrs Russell Strasburger; secretary, Mrs Henry Taylor; recording secretary, Mrs Edmund Neary. On June 27th an executive board meeting was held at the home of the new president, Mrs Parker. The following committee chairmen were appointed: Ways and means committee, Mrs Walter Glover; program committee, Mrs George Trull; refreshments, Mrs James Yates.

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George Hanlon, son of Mr and Mrs Hiram Hanlon, and Robert Knapp, son of Mr and Mrs Edward Knapp, are expected home this Saturday after enjoying two weeks at Camp Mohawk, Litchfield.

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In recognition of their accomplishments, Anthony Cararra of Danbury, veteran of 45 years in drum corps work, presented the Sandy Hook Fife, Drum and Bugle Corps with an American flag during appropriate ceremonies at fire headquarters in Glover Hall Tuesday evening of last week. The flag was presented in the presence of the assembled corps, their officers, directors and instructors, officers and members of the sponsoring Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Company and of the Community Auxiliary, and a large number of parents and other friends of the corps.

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The committee members who had charge of the Grange supper last Saturday evening wish to thank all those who assisted in making it such an outstanding success. More than 100 people appeared at suppertime at the Grand Hall, and a tidy sum was raised for Pohtatuck Grange. The committee in charge of the supper included Mr and Mrs James Yates, Mr and Mrs Robert K. Mitchell, Mr and Mrs Vincent P. Gaffney, Mrs John Berg and Mrs Julian Drew.

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Edward David of Berkshire district, who recently underwent an operation at the Memorial Hospital in New York City, returned to his home on Saturday, where he is recovering satisfactorily.

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Friends are glad to see Abraham Nezvesky of Huntingtown district back in town, having returned home on Sunday from a recent operation performed at Memorial Hospital in New York City.

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One hundred undernourished children in far-off India were each given a glass of milk recently and 800 of them received a dish of cereal as the result of a $15 gift raised through the efforts of fifth grade pupils in Land’s End school just before school closing. … The children earned the $15 by giving a play in the Hawleyville fire house. In casting about for a good way to use it, Sally Jones, daughter of Mr and Mrs Allen Northey Jones, and Caroline Nash, daughter of Mr and Mrs F.A. Nash of Queen street, who had read of the work of the American Friends Service Committee, presented the idea to their fellow pupils. Both they and the teacher, Mrs Clara B. Jillson, responded enthusiastically.

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Reginald Watkins, Willis Tomlinson and Paul V. Cavanaugh attended the Scooter Convention in Bennington, Vt., on Wednesday.

July 14, 1922

Mrs Laine, wife of the late Rev T.N. Laine of Sandy Hook, died on Friday last at the home of Miss Frazier in the Glen. Mrs Laine was 63 years old, a woman of great loveliness of character. The funeral took place on Sunday afternoon, Rev Mr Studwell of Gaylordsville officiating. The remains were taken to Meriden for burial.

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Arthur Peterson has taken a position with the Premier Manufacturing Co.

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The marriage banns were called at St Rose’s, Sunday, for William Hayes, a genial clerk at the Brick store, and Miss Mary Kelly.

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S.D. Green of New Milford was in town on Wednesday in the interest of the Duke of Manchester cigar which is selling in large quantities.

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A.T. Nettleton is enjoying a sojourn at Westport, N.Y.

July 23, 1897

Mrs Michael Haugh of Walnut Tree Hill, who had been ill only about a week, died last Friday, about 1 o’clock. She was 52 years old, and was highly esteemed in the neighborhood where she resided. She is survived by eight children: James Haugh, Mary, wife of Thomas McGuire of Derby, Martin Haugh, Connor Haugh of Bridgeport, Josephine, wife of James Kilbride, Patrick Haugh, Michael Haugh, and Miss Bridget Haugh. She is also survived by two brothers, Thomas Troy of Brookfield and Michael Troy of Botsford. The funeral was largely attended on Sunday afternoon from St Rose’s. Father Fox officiated.

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Mrs William Driscoll and child of Philadelphia will pass the summer at Edward Egan’s on Walnut Tree Hill. Mr and Mrs William Egan of New York are also guests there. Mr Egan returns to his work in the city, but Mrs Egan will remain for a month.

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One of the happiest boys in town on Tuesday morning was Charles Oscar Carlson, popularly known as “Buff.” Arrayed in his Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes, and with a pair of shiny patent leathers on his feet, he trudged away to the Depot, each arm tugging one of his young and lusty brothers. He was bound for Pleasure Beach and Bridgeport and, that the young man had his money’s worth, there is no doubt. It was a well earned vacation, for Master Carlson is one of the most energetic boys in the town. In addition to acting as assistant to Foreman Shepard of The Bee’s press room, he runs a large garden on shares, cares for six or seven lawns, and is a handy man generally. It is generally conceded that there is not a lazy bone in his body, and if these excellent qualities stick to him he will undoubtedly make his mark on the world.

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.