May 15, 1998

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER of Jim & Betty Lou Osborne.

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EDITORIAL INK DROPS — THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF KIDS: The parents and teachers we most admire believe in a common principle for inspiring children: it is better to give kids problems to solve than answers to remember. This year, we have seen that principle at work in Newtown in several instances, and not just in school work or in the other challenging learning and athletic tasks set before children as a matter of course. An increasing number of kids are going beyond solving their own problems and applying their thoughts and talents to solving the problems of others.

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Do you use the colored coins that Big Y gives you with your groceries? If not, Crystal Wilder, 9, and Nancy Wilder, 7, have a suggestion: They would like you to consider dropping the coins in a box that they have put up at the Big Y. What they collect, they donate to local food pantries. First they donated their own coins to the food pantry, then they thought other people might be willing to do the same. With the cooperation of Big Y, the girls set up a donation jar. In two days they had collected 50 coins. After a week and a half they had 203.

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Heading into the South-West Conference championship meet, the Newtown High School girls’ track and field team put together a huge week to close out the regular season with a near perfect 14-1 record. On May 7, in the makeup of a rained out meet, Newtown swept Brookfield, Notre Dame and New Fairfield. The girls then got a school-record shattering performance from Janelle Tracy at the prestigious Hartford Public meet on Saturday, before finishing up the season with a sweep of Masuk, Jonathan Law and Foran on Tuesday in Monroe.

May 11, 1973

The closest race for first selectman in Newtown history came to a conclusion Wednesday night at 9:55 pm when, following the state required recount of the votes, Democratic candidate Gerald Frawley conceded the election to incumbent Republican Frank DeLucia by seven votes. Mr DeLucia, who was appointed first selectman last year after the death of Timothy Treadwell and won a special election in June, has retained his side and gained his first full term in the town’s top job. The absentee ballots made the difference in the election. Mr Frawley led by 11 votes after the machines were counted, but Mr DeLucia received 80 of the absentee votes while Mr Frawley got 61.

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The five proposed charter revision questions on the ballot in Monday’s election were approved by the voters. The closest was for the third question, which asked whether a charter clause prohibiting political activity by town employees should be repealed. In a 1,355 to 1,064 tally, voters said it should be repealed, so town employees will now be able to seek political office. Town Clerk-elect Mae Schmidle and Tax Collector-elect Elizabeth Smith, campaigning under the old charter clause, had to resign positions with the town to see office. Voters also approved the moving of town elections to November to coincide with state and national elections; cut the number of registrars of voters from four to two; added a conflict of interest clause to the charter; and required the Board of Selectmen to submit five-year capital expenditure plans as part of the annual budget process.

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Newtown resident William A. Swanberg has won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Biography for his book Luce and his Empire. When Mr Swanberg’s book on Hearst came up for the awards, the judges presented no award for biography that year. But this time Bill Swanberg and his wife heard the news on the radio that he had won before the confirming telegraph arrived.

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A new hurdle for the town to overcome in its efforts to acquire a clear title to the Boyle property on Boggs Hill Road was created this week when the attorney for the plaintiffs filed a motion for Superior Court review of Judge George Saden’s denial of their previous motion for a new trial. The land is sought by the town as the site for a new elementary school.

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A large crowd was on hand last Sunday for the dedication of the old Middle Gate Schoolhouse that was recently restored by the Newtown Historical Society and now rests on the grounds of the new Middle Gate Elementary School. The program was under the direction of Ray Doyle, society president. School Principal Fred Parr raised a flag which will fly in front of the schoolhouse every time a class is held in the old building.

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Postmaster Al Nichols presented an award to James Crick Jr on May 4 at the Newtown Post Office. Jim was honored for his 25 years of service with the post office. He also has the distinction of having more unused sick leave to his credit than any other employee. He helped inaugurate the city delivery service in town when the post office was located in the town hall. He is now the senior regular clerk.

May 7, 1948

EDITORIAL INK DROPS — OUR MOTHERS: Special weeks and particular days, designated for observance of everything from Foot Health to the U.S. Navy, become rather irksome to a lot of people. Most of us value sound feet and we all know the service which our seagoing battle wagons have rendered on more than one occasion in the defense of the Stars and Stripes. There is one special day, however, which strikes a responsive [sic] cord in the hearts of everyone. It is Mother’s Day, which falls this year on May 9th. Aside from the commercialism which has crept into its observance, we do adore our mothers — those wonderful persons who quietly and yet tirelessly perform the myriad tasks which are so necessary to family health and happiness. A mother’s love knows no bounds, and so it is no more than right that one day should be set aside to try to express our appreciation for all that she is and does.

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There was a most interesting meeting of the Newtown P.T.A. at Hawley School on Tuesday evening, May 4th, with Mrs Russell Strasburger, president, presiding. After a short business meeting, William Daniells, a member of the board of Regional School District No 3, made a report to the P.T.A. on the situation as it stands at this time. Mr Daniells said that it is not up to the Supreme Court of Errors of Connecticut to decide whether or not the Regional District can or cannot be dissolved. The decision has been promised for some time this month, and once this decision has been reached, there can be no appeal to any court. Since the decision of the voters of Newtown, by a very small majority, to withdraw from the school district was made, the Regional Board has not obligated itself beyond the contracts made before the withdrawal was voted on.

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The annual Borough election was held on Tuesday at the Edmond Town Hall, with the polls open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fifty-seven votes were cast, which is small in comparison to the number of eligible voters, but is larger than the number of votes cast in the last few years. Henry L. McCarthy was elected warden, succeeding Arthur J. Smith Jr, who declined renomination as candidate for the office, having served for 14 years. Other officers elected were as follows: Miss May E. Sullivan, clerk; William Hunter, burgess, to fill the vacancy created by Mr McCarthy’s election as warden; Walter L. Glover, Burgess; Judge Walter A. Reynolds, treasurer; Charles F. Cavanaugh, tax collector; Gilbert Aiken and Raymond T. Connor, assessors; F.H. Duncombe and Joseph Hellauer, board of tax review; William Hunter, registrar of voters; John Carlson, pound keeper; John Carlson, Judge Walter A. Reynolds and John Paul V. Cavanaugh, fire inspectors.

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Approximately 50 persons turned out last Friday evening to hear Miss Caroline Hinman, traveler and authority on Guatemala, talk on that Central American country in the lecture room of the Cyrenius H. Booth Library. Miss Hinman came to Newtown at the invitation of Mrs Berry Hiss, whose collection of Guatemalan textiles, procured on a recent trip there, was on exhibit at the library during April.

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Miss Mary Cullens spent the week-end at the home of her parents, Rev and Mrs Paul A. Cullens, from her studies at Dana Hall, Wellesley, Mass. She was recently elected president of her class for next year.

May 4, 1923

EDITORIAL INK DROPS: The task of installing the new Goss Comet press in The Bee plant has been underway all the week, and with machinery piled high throughout the office it has been some job to keep the linotypes moving, correct the galleys and make up the forms. Monday morning Business Manager A.J. Smith had all hands from the editor down, carrying cement, lugging stones, shoveling dirt, at work on the new foundations, under Arthur Stowe, head mason. Even John Ray, with his catechism, was on hand and worked like a trooper. Work continued Tuesday and Wednesday … it now looks (Friday) as if The Bee might begin to fly about Saturday afternoon. … we thank the public for their patience in waiting a couple of days for this week’s edition. But installing a press is some job! And so we say: Long live The Bee! May it continue to serve the public in a faithful and conscientious way.

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Gov Templeton has made excellent appointments in naming Hon. L.J. Nickerson and Senator Ells as the two new Superior court judges. Mr Nickerson is well known in Newtown, having given his lecture on the Passion Play at the Congregational church here. He also attended the exercises of the dedication of the Masonic Temple at Sandy Hook. Speaker Nickerson has spent his entire life in Connecticut, being a practicing lawyer in Cornwall, the town in which he was born.

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Thomas Carey, of Queen street, who has been ill since January, is rapidly improving and is now able to ride out on pleasant days.

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An exceedingly clumsy attempt at burglary was made some time, Sunday night, on the store of the Atchinson Co. They were evidently amateurs. They worked around the lock of the main door with a chisel and finally broke the glass in the door but not gain admission to the store. A cold chisel and a glove were left on the store stoop. They also forced an entrance to the barber shop of Edward S. Pitzschler, entering his place through a window. They broke open a drawer, which was locked, where Mr Pitzschler kept some private papers. The only thing they took out of his place was a box of candy he had lately purchased.

May 13, 1898

After a week of almost incessant storms it seemed as though the clouds parted and allowed the bright and warm sunshine to break through as a special act of Providence, last Friday afternoon, for the flag raising at Palestine school. Special arrangements had been made in anticipation of a large gathering and those in charge were not disappointed at the number present. Schools closed in Gregory’s Orchard, Huntingtown and South Center for the afternoon, and almost the entire number of scholars in those schools attended. About 250 gathered, coming from Hattertown, Huntingtown, Middle Gate, South Center, and even as far away as Easton. … The presentation of the flag with a short address by Secretary J.J. Northrop and the raising of the flag created much enthusiasm. Among other things Secretary Northrop said: “These little celebrations have awakened an enthusiasm and interest in our public schools that has lain dormant, but by no means forgotten.”

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The momentous case of Henry Job Crofutt against the town has been settled for $27.31. It will be remembered he sued for about double this amount.

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On exhibition in one of the store windows of E.F. Hawley is a small house, “A Klondike Castle,” made out of cigar boxes entirely. It is the work of Bardo Sastram, and certainly shows great ingenuity in construction.

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Rev O.O. Wright returned, last week, from Swansea, Mass., where he went to attend the funeral of a friend. He officiated at St John’s on Sunday as usual, a goodly number being present despite the storm.

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The following incident occurred in the home of one of our citizens. The mother remarked that the fertility of a certain field was owing to its having the wash of the barnyard. Little three-year-old sitting in the corner turned to his little sister and said “Great Scott, baby, mamma says, wash the barnyard.”

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.