December 25, 1998

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER OF Lynn Johnson.

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Pets and their owners had their photographs taken with Santa Claus and helped less fortunate animals at the same time during an event December 20 at Mt Pleasant Hospital for Animals on Route 6. Even Mrs Claus and Santa had their photographs taken with three of their pets, Gwenna the goat, Timber and Mugwump. The event benefited Danbury Animal Welfare and the Spay & Neuter Association of Newtown. In addition to photographs with Santa, the hospital offered refreshments for owners and pets, tours of the facility, and gifts for the pets.

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The Newtown Woman’s Club held its December meeting on December 17 at the Mary Hawley Inn in Newtown. The guest speaker for the occasion was Ms Elissa Beckett of the Craft Basket in Brookfield. Ms Beckett demonstrated bow making as well as gift wrapping. Santa was also in attendance handing out grab bag gifts to the membership. The meeting concluded with a Christmas carol sing-a-long.

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Sandy Hook, Newtown Hook and Ladder, and Hawleyville firefighters responded to a house fire Sunday afternoon at 25 Washington Avenue in Sandy Hook caused when a piece of furniture next to a propane-fired gas heater ignited. The four residents of the Potter home were away at the time of the 3:30 pm fire. There were no injuries. A call placed by cellular telephone alerted firefighters to the blaze.

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The Newtown Fund received plenty of help from volunteers with its annual Holiday Basket Program December 19 at Sandy Hook School. The Depot Day project provides not just a holiday meal but staples, gifts of clothing, toys, and other useful items for approximately 80 local families in need. Volunteers “adopted” needy families, providing a complete holiday meal plus gifts for each member of the family. Financial donations helped purchase necessities to complete the “baskets.” Donations of food, new clothing, blankets, new toys, and other items were collected for families who were not adopted. Newtown residents including members of the Newtown Junior Woman’s Club, Boys U-13 Strikers soccer team, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts all volunteered to wrap gifts, check to make sure every family was accounted for, and load the gifts and food into vehicles for delivery by other volunteers to the homes of families.

December 21, 1973

It’s no news to anyone who has been in Newtown since Sunday, but Old Man Winter snuck a knock-out punch to the area just a few days short of the official opening of winter. A combination of snow, freezing rain and sleet coupled with frigid temperatures caused chaos in the streets, loss of heat in homes, closing down of schools and businesses, and lots of emergency work from early Monday to Wednesday. The most pressing problem for townspeople was the thick coating of ice which was laid down over the entire area.

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Newtown’s newest bank, the Connecticut Bank and Trust, opened on Thursday, December 20. The scene on opening day was of purposeful disorder. Boxes of papers sat on counters ready to be put away. Workmen were still installing equipment, and Mosler security specialists were explaining the alarm systems. “We are just settling in,” said Manager Ched Markovich of New Fairfield, “but a person could walk in right now and get a check cashed.”

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Following the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday evening, Lyman D. Rogers, a member of the Boggs Hill Group, announced the group holding the option on the Allen property would continue to hold the option for at least 30 more days. The topic of the Allen property came up at the Board’s meeting when First Selectman Frank DeLucia said the Selectmen had met earlier in the evening and voted to ask the Board of Education to consider taking up the option so the property could be used as a school site.

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Miss Patricia Ann Belanger and James Richard Dudley were married on December 15 in St Rose of Lima Church, by the Rev R. Stephenson. The bride is the daughter of Mr and Mrs Joseph Belanger of Sandy Hook. The groom is the son of Mr and Mrs Raymond Dudley of Newtown. The bride was attended by Miss Barbara Dusley. Robert Belanger of Beacon Falls was the best man. A reception followed at Kally’s Oak Tree Inn in Southbury. Mrs Dusley, a graduate of Newtown High School, is working as an electronic assembler at Dual Lite Co in Newtown. Mr Dudley is a receiving clerk at DuPont Sorvall in Newtown. After a wedding trip around the New England states, the couple will live in Bethel.

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Miss Traci Lee Quintin, daughter of Mr and Mrs R. Quintin, was one of 45 senior nursing students of the Norwalk Hospital School of Nursing who received diplomas during commencement exercises at Norwalk High School on December 9. Miss Quintin is a graduate of Newtown High School. She served on the yearbook staff of the Class of 1973 of the School of Nursing and was secretary of the Student Government. Families and friends of the graduates, who filled the auditorium of the Norwalk High School to capacity, were guests of the students at a reception at the Bedford Residence of the School of Nursing following commencement exercises.

December 17, 1948

The Newtown Ambulance Association, Inc, can be justly proud of its organization, which maintains and operates a community ambulance at any hour of the day or night in fair weather or foul. The men who bring this service to your door when the emergency arises include A. Fenn Dickinson, president of the association; John McMahon, chief driver; John P. Keane, Jack Maye, Michael Lucas, Howe Smith, Tom Cunningham, William Honan Jr, Dwight Carlson, Leo Halstead, Gilbert Aiken, Ken Shaw, Harold Bassett, Bud Dayton, Warren Casey, Tony Digilio, and Bob Reiner.

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The recessed session of the annual town meeting of October 4 was held in the theater of the Edmond Town Hall on Thursday evening, December 9, at 8 o’clock. The Bee scribe had little difficulty in making actual count of those present, who totaled 22, including the chairman, Judge Paul V. Cavanaugh, and secretary, Town Clerk May E. Sullivan. The chief item of business was acceptance of the annual reports of the various town offices as filed in complete form in the town clerk’s office and published in condensed form in the Annual Town Report, copies of which have been circulated in town.

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On Tuesday evening of this week, the Masonic Choir of Waterbury presented a concert in the Edmond town hall under the sponsorship of Mirah chapter, O.E.S. To a small but appreciative audience, the choir furnished a program of Christmas music, spirituals and classical favorites. Featured during the evening was Joseph Coppola, violin soloist. The choir presented a varied program consisting of the works of Brahms, Scott, Baldwin, Bullard and Davidson. One of their most outstanding pieces was the Christmas Hymn by Jungst due to a fine bit of sotto voce singing by a male quartet. … The proceeds were added to the George Haines Memorial fund at the Masonic Home in Wallingford.

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Miss Mary Cullens, daughter of Rev and Mrs Paul A. Cullens, arrived home on Monday for her Christmas vacation from Dana Hall, Wellesley, Mass.

December 14, 1923

Francis T. Bailey, a son of Mr and Mrs T.F. Bailey of Gray’s Plain district, died on Sunday morning at St Raphael’s hospital in New Haven. He had been in the employ of the Blakeslee Construction Co. at Guilford and was taken ill on Monday, the 3d, and on Tuesday was operated on for appendicitis at St Raphael’s hospital. The deceased was a very likeable young man, full of energy and good spirits, and his death came as a shock to his family and immediate friends. He is survived by his parents, two brothers, Clarence and Joseph Bailey, and one sister, Miss Agnes Bailey.

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The Executive Committee of the C.M.P.A. and the Conference Committee of the Connecticut Milk Dealers’ Association met on November 23 and it was agreed that the price of milk for December should be nine and one-half cents per quart delivered at market center. This price is to cover all Grade B milk sold on the one-price contracts and all milk produced by members of our Association, with the following exceptions: All milk in excess of signed amounts plus the 10 per cent allowed on the one price contracts. This excess is to be sold at a discount of 2 cents per quart.

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State Road Supervisor W.C. Johnson, who has been laid up for two weeks with a severe bronchial cold, was able to be out on the job, Monday. His many friends are pleased to see him about again.

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All the teachers of the public schools of Newtown, the high school and the rural schools, put in a day visiting the public schools of Harwinton, Tuesday. They were accompanied by Regional Supervisor Ireland and Supervisor Sylvester. The high school teachers went to Thomaston and the rural school teachers to Harwinton. Some of the teachers got on a back road in going from Torrington to Harwinton and had rather of a hard trip.

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Mr and Mrs George L. Clark and children were guests, Sunday, of Mr and Mrs H.G. Clark in Gray’s Plain.

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Walter L. Glover has installed a Fada Neutrodyne Radio for F.A. Blackman which is giving the best of satisfaction.

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The Ladies Bridge Club of Newtown Street have given the library $67.20, one half to be used for general expenses and the other half for books. The library thanks Mrs Marshall, the president, and the ladies for their contribution as it came in very handy as the library needs the funds.

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Mr and Mrs E. Sperry and daughter of Newark. N.J., have moved into the residence of Mrs J.P. Corbett of Queen Street.

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Mrs Horace A. Smith, who has been seriously ill for some weeks, is slowly convalescing. Horace A. Smith Jr, also ill, is improving. Frances Smith, the oldest daughter of Mr and Mrs Horace A. Smith, is now ill with the influenza. Horace A. Smith Sr is better and is now about and able to attend to his work. Dr [illegible] Kingsman is in attendance.

December 23, 1898

At the annual convocation of Hiram chapter, No 1, held Wednesday evening, December 14, the following officers were elected for the ensuing year: H.P., James Blackman; K, Sommers D. Crofutt; S., Philo Nichols; C.H., John L. Sanford; P.S., Willis A. Shepard; R.A.C., Ammon Taylor; Treasurer and secretary, Reuben B. Terrill; M. 3d V., John Wain; M. 2d V., Levi Curtis; M. 1st V., Arthur D. Warner; Trustees, A.F. Clarke, James Coles, Samuel Barnum.

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A debating society was organized at the Academy, last week Wednesday night, with Arthur Platt as president, Harry Mason as vice-president, and Reuben Lane secretary and treasurer. Rev G.T. Linkey, Principal McFarland and the board of trustees of the Academy will act as an advisory committee.

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Mr and Mrs Homer G. Clark were in New Britain, last Thursday, to attend the funeral of Mrs Clark’s aunt, Mrs Henry Wheeler, who for many months has been a sufferer from consumption. She died on Tuesday, December 13. Before her marriage she was Miss Mary Roule and lived on Sherman street in Zoar and was well known thereabouts. She leaves a husband, two sons and a daughter.

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Mrs E. Beardsley, formerly Miss Josie Hutchinson, died, last week, of consumption. She was buried on Saturday in the Berkshire cemetery.

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Homer G. Clark began filling his ice house, last Monday. The ice was 11 inches thick.

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Mr and Mrs Albert McGregor and son attended the funeral of Mr McGregor’s grandfather, John McGregor, in Bethel, on Monday.

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Mrs A.W. Fairchild is in New Haven with her daughter, Mrs Ernest Wilson.

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Rev O.W. Barker officiated at the Hawleyville chapel on Sunday afternoon, giving a forcible and excellent discourse, which was enjoyed by a large audience.

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.