August 1, 1997

They may be out of sight, but they aren’t out of Fire Marshal George Lockwood’s mind. This week, he watched as two more leaking oil tanks came out of the ground in Newtown. Mr Lockwood has always believed that the town needs a law mandating residents to remove underground tanks over 20 years old. This week, he found that an ordinance regulating tanks was in fact in the works, but to his surprise, the proposed statute says nothing about removing tanks.” This ordinance doesn’t amount to a hill of beans,” he said Wednesday.

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Longtime Newtown school bus driver Charles G. Rudolph, Sr, 70, died July 30. For the past 20 years, Mr Rudolph, known as “Uncle Charlie,” had worked for the Newtown school system as an owner-operator of School Bus No 16. Prior to that he had been a member of the Newtown Police Department, and he served as Newtown’s first constable. The husband of Joan Kocian Rudolph, Mr Rudolph has been a Newtown resident for nearly 50 years.

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Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members approved creating another 29 lots in the sprawling Rollingwood residential subdivision near High Bridge Road in Botsford. In approving the 29 lots, the P&Z on July 24 actually approved two separate resubdivisions of land in the 215-acre Rollingwood property. Section 5 of the development is 24 lots; Section 4 is five lots. When completed, the overall Rollingwood project is expected to contain about 90 lots.

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An out-of-state truck driver westbound on Church Hill Road about 1 pm Wednesday attempted to drive his tractor-trailer under the railroad overpass near Wire Road. But the truck was about a foot taller than the bridge clearance, causing the trailer to burst apart as it traveled below the span. The trailer’s roof was ripped off and fell onto the road. The trailer broke in half, its sides buckled, and its cargo doors fell off. The truck was carrying scrap metal. The driver was reportedly uninjured. The crash caused extensive tie-ups on the heavily traveled road with police having to reduce traffic flow to one lane beneath the overpass for several hours. Traffic was still snarled at 6:30 pm. Hilario’s sent a heavy duty wrecker to the scene to clean up the debris.

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The offices of The Newtown Bee had an unusual visitor last week, when Igor Tolstykh came in for a tour of an American newspaper office. Mr Tolstykh is visiting the United States for two months with a youth program from Lipetsk, Russia. The children are spending two months in the country. Each child will stay at Camp Workcoeman in Winsted for one month, and then stay with individual families across the state during the second half of their visit. Mr Tolstykh, who is a vice principal of a small school for students between the ages of 7-16 in his homeland, was spending a few days with the Kaza family in Newtown when he visited the newspaper offices for a few hours. He went home with copies of the Bee’s various newspapers, a Bee 120th anniversary T-shirt, and an Official Guide to Newtown. He said when he returns to his home in the fall, he plans to set up a display at his school so all the children can see the items he has collected during his visit to America.

August 4, 1972

Officer Robert Taylor of the detective division of the Newtown Police Department arrested a 48-year-old resident of the Sandy Hook Hotel on August 1 for assault in the second degree. According to the police report, the man was arrested as the result of an investigation in regard to a felonious assault in Sandy Hook Center in June. At the time, the man allegedly struck a person, whose name was not given by the police, with a baseball bat and inflicted serious injury. The incident was the result of a fight between the arrested party and the injured person. The arrested male was freed after posting a $1,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Third Circuit Court on August 8. The arrest and investigation were part of a continuing crackdown by the Newtown police relating to criminal offenses in the Sandy Hook Center area.

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On the week-end of July 7-9, members of Boy Scout Troop 770 from Sandy Hook made a hiking and camping trip into the White Mountains in New Hampshire. The first day they climbed Mt Chocorua, a 3,500 foot peak in the southern White Mountains area. The following day the Troop hiked 14 miles over the Presidential range, which includes Mt Washington and Mt Adams, the highest peaks in the northern United States. This was the second trip to the White Mountains for the Troop and climaxed their activities for 1971-72, which have included trips to the Green Mountains in Maine, the Delaware River Area and the Monadnock Region, New Hampshire. The Scout Master of Troop 770 is Harry G. Williford.

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The second in a series of meetings aimed to hasten construction of Route 25 took place in Newtown Thursday afternoon, July 27. Called by the Bridgeport Area Chambers of Commerce, it drew some 35 interested people to Edmond Town Hall’s air-conditioned theatre. John B. Zellers, president of the Bridgeport Area CofC, quickly turned the meeting over to Francis V. Stosse, chairman of the Area Chamber’s Committee on Roads and Traffic. Mr Stosse, with the help of Robert Ledoux of the Area Chamber, presented films and commentary to document the need for new Route 25 now, not in the distant future. The slogan of the 50s was “25 by ‘65.”

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Mr and Mrs Ernest Blackman were honored at a 50th anniversary reception given by their son-in-law and daughter, Mr and Mrs Donald Moody of Newtown at the George Hegyi Training Center in Derby. There were 225 guests in attendance, including Mrs Martha French Springer of Easton, widow of the Rev William Springer, who had been a bridesmaid at their wedding, and Mrs Mary Molloy Millea who had been flower girl. William Molloy of Wethersfield was master of ceremonies for the reception. The Rev Adolph Johnson, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Orange, gave the invocation. Each guest received a memento of the occasion: a piece of a three-tier anniversary cake baked by Mrs Charles Glazier of Derby. Mr and Mrs Blackman were married June 24, 1922, in the Church of the Good Shepherd, Shelton. The Rev Frank Morehouse, rector, performed the ceremony.

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Hiroyasu Kobayashi, Newtown’s AFS student for the 1972-73 year, has arrived from his home in Tokyo to his home in Newtown. His host family is the George Gollenbergs, and all of the members of the family — Mr and Mrs Gary Gollenberg, and their children Glenn, Gale and Gary — are showing Hiroyasu around and introducing him to the United States.

August 1, 1947

Mrs Gladys Dexter, librarian at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library, left on Friday for a month’s vacation which she will spend with relatives in Worcester, Mass.

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Miss Rosie Hoitko, daughter of Mr and Mrs Joseph Hoitko of Hattertown district, arrived home last week from a tonsil operation performed at the Bridgeport Hospital.

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Mr and Mrs Israel B. Snow of Bridgeport announce the engagement of their daughter, Florence, to Samuel Nezvesky, son of Mr and Mrs Abraham Nezvesky of Newtown. Miss Snow is a graduate of Central High School and the Bridgeport Comptometer School, and is now employed by the Leavitt Co, of Bridgeport, in the credit office. Mr Nezvesky attended Hawley High School and spent three and one-half years in the Army, three years of which were spent in the European theater.

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Edward C. Krawiecki, son of Mr and Mrs Felix Krawiecki of Hawleyville, was admitted to the Connecticut Bar Association on July 29 at the Superior Court in New Haven, Judge James E. Murphy presiding. A graduate of Hawley High School where he was salutatorian of the class of 1937, Mr Krawiecki completed his undergraduate work at Syracuse University where he majored in political science. He graduated magna cum laude in 1941 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and was elected in his junior year to Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi. From February 1942 until December 1945 he served with the Army Air Forces in the Middle East, Africa, Italy, France and the United States. At present Mr Krawiecki is a member of the legal staff of the General Electric Company at the home office in Schenectady, N.Y.

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Two centuries of Newtown history and a half century of happy married life were marked on Thursday of last week when, in the midst of the calls of an active real estate business, Mr and Mrs Howard R. Briscoe paused to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Both principals trace their forebears back to settlers in Newtown in the early 1700s. Mrs Briscoe’s maiden name was Emma Sherman and the Briscoe family, it is understood, were the donors of the gilded rooster weathervane which cockily pivots to all winds on the steeple of the Newtown Congregational church. Both family names appear in the tables of the Newtown proprietors, 1708 and 1717, in John N. Boyle’s new book of Historical Notes of Newtown.

July 28, 1922

The charming home of Dr and Mrs Charles H. Peck was the scene of a large gathering on Thursday last from 4 to 7 o’clock, at a benefit “tea” given to start the “Chair fund” for Trinity Guild. The generous host and hostess supplied all the delicious iced drinks, sandwiches, cake and ice cream, and only asked the patronage of the friends of Trinity; they warmly responded and the result was over $100. It almost seemed as if the famous “White Turkey” tea house had a formidable rival, so artistically were the flowers arranged and the gay colors of Winton ware, “Coalport” and others, rare china lent such charm to the tables set in the various rooms to set 40 persons at one time.

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The supper in the grove near C.J. Jackson’s place at Hawleyville, last week Wednesday evening, for the benefit of the chapel repair fund, netted about $130 and was a very pleasant affair. Two long tables were provided, so that 38 people could be accommodated at one time. The menu was highly praised, and it is hoped the Hawleyville ladies will repeat the event.

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Mr and Mrs Clarke Walker returned on Saturday from their wedding trip, passed in the White Mountains and parts of New York state, and have begun housekeeping at their home in the Borough.

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Charles L. Jackson has purchased a Ford automobile. Bert Dean is driving a Ford touring car purchased of George G. Canfield. Rev Father Regan is driving a new Studebaker coupe, bought of C.S. Blackman.

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The concert given by the Sandy Hook band, last Friday night, was enjoyed by a big crowd, and was one of the best the local band has given. The band was assisted by J.G. Baril of Waterbury, who rendered a pleasing cornet solo. The popular leader, H.G. Warner, is to be commended for the success attained.

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C.F. Beardsley and Amos T. Camp of Hawleyville attended the Paul Farrand auction in Washington on Tuesday.

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Mr and Mrs Frank Blackman, son and daughter, have been spending his vacation with his mother, Mrs S.A. Blackman, at Hawleyville.

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Mrs Seaman Mead passed last week at the Connecticut College at Storrs. Her son, Seaman Mead Jr, is at the college taking one of the short summer courses.

August 6, 1897

TOWN TOPICS: At the annual meeting of the Sandy Hook district the following “Motion” was adopted: “That the Committee be instructed to hire T.J. Corbett as principal and Elia Lillis as assistant teacher of our school for the appropriation from the town, if it can be done; if not, that the committee be instructed to apply to the board of appropriation for a sum sufficient to carry the foregoing into effect and maintain the school at its present standard of excellence for the ensuing year.”

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Misses Eleanora Halstead and Ruth Egoff, who have been passing a few weeks with Rev and Mrs O.W. Barker, returned to Brooklyn on Monday.

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There was a good game of ball on Saturday at Sandy Hook, the Sandy Hook Juniors and nine from the Rubber contesting for the honors. It was an 11-inning game, the Rubber boys being victorious.

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A large number were present at the service at Middle Gate district on Sunday. Vocal solos were given by Nathaniel Worthen and Arthur Reynolds and addresses made by Rev O.W. Barker and A.P. Smith.

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Two tramps were arrested by Deputy Sheriff Judd, at Hawleyville. The men had been begging in Plumtrees during the afternoon, and had caused so much trouble in that district that word was sent here for Deputy Sheriff Judd to come out and arrest them. When Mr Judd reached there the men had disappeared, but he tracked them to Hawleyville, where he placed them under arrest. The men were brought to Bethel and put in the lock-up, where they remained over night. There were still in the lock-up this morning, awaiting their trial.

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The funeral of Dea Henry Fairfield was held from the Congregational church, last Thursday afternoon. The church was filled with a company gathered to pay their last respects to his memory. It was indeed a sorrowing congregation, although beneath the grief was the inspiring thought the deceased was at rest, and in communion with his God. The choir rendered three well known hymns, “The sands of time are sinking,” “Light after darkness” and “My Faith Looks Up To Thee.” The address of Rev Mr Barker, the pastor of the church, was from the heart, and touched everyone present. It was a graceful and eloquent tribute to the memory of the deceased.

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Unclaimed letters remain in the Hawleyville postoffice addressed to J.W. Hodge and Louis Ide.

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At the recent annual commencement of Trinity college, the degree of MA was conferred upon Rev Frederick F. Johnson of the class of ‘94, formerly of Newtown and now of Glenwood Springs, Col.

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The interest earnings of the Newtown Savings bank for the four months ending August 1, 1897, show an increase of over $1300 as compared with the same four months in 1896.—[C.H. Northrop, treasurer.

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.