June 4, 1999

HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER of Michael Lucas.

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The Rev Monsignor George D. Birge, pastor of St Rose of Lima parish in Newtown since 1986, has been appointed pastor of Holy Trinity parish in Sherman effective July 1. Msgr Birge, 72, will succeed the Rev David J. Riley, founding pastor of Holy Trinity, who has been appointed pastor of Saint Cecelia Parish in Stamford.

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Police charged a Riverside youth with manufacture of bombs and illegal possession of explosives after finding two homemade bombs at his residence early on the morning of May 29. [A 16-year-old Waterview Drive resident] was released after processing and was scheduled for a June 3 appearance in Danbury Superior Court to answer to the charges. Police said they believe the … case is related to a recent firebombing incident in Botsford. Early on the morning of May 26 someone firebombed a small office building at the D’Addario Sand and Stone Company gravel mine on Button Shop Road in Botsford. Police said the … case also may be related to a recent Sandy Hook firebombing.

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First Selectman Herb Rosenthal believes it would be easy to gain support for the town’s purchase of Fairfield Hills. The hard part, he said, is finding a consensus on what to do with it. There are a multitude of possible uses for the land. Some residents want to see the 186-acre core campus used for open space, while others would rather see it used for recreational purposes, especially ball fields. Some have suggested re-selling the property to a developer — on terms favorable to the town. And there are still others who would like to see some of the on-site buildings used for municipal space, such as town hall and emergency services.

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Fifth grade students from Hawley School and Principal Jo Ann Peters brought flowers to the grave of Mary Elizabeth Hawley in the Village Cemetery last week. Mary Elizabeth Hawley paid for the construction of Hawley School in 1921, as well as the cemetery’s memorial gates, the Cyrenius H. Booth Library, the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, and Edmond Town Hall. After paying their respects at the grave, the students, their principal and Gail Honeychurch, lead teacher, visited Edmond Town Hall, then stopped for ice cream.

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Kathryn Balakier was all smiles Tuesday when she accepted a new wheelchair accessible van on behalf of her daughter, Whitney, 4. The door to the 1999 white Grand Caravan slid open, the chassis automatically lowered and a power-lift ramp unfolded to accommodate Whitney’s wheelchair. … Purchase of the specially converted van was made possible through fund raising done during the past year on behalf of the Balakier family of Sandy Hook. The contributions were channeled through The Newtown Fund.

May 31, 1974

A fire late on the night of May 28 completely destroyed the club house at the Newtown Country Club and kept volunteer firemen from Newtown Hook & Ladder Company No 1 and the United Fire Company of Botsford at the scene for over three hours. The call to the fire came in at 11:46 pm, and when firemen reached the scene the building was totally involved in flames with fire breaking through the roof. Upon arrival a ladder pipe using the aerial truck was set up, which resulted in the fire being suppressed within ten minutes and under control within 25.

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A three-well water system that has served dwellings in the Riverside section of Sandy Hook for decades became the focus of controversy when summer residents discovered its owner, Angus Jones, had not begun service to their property early in May as he had in previous years. The Olmstead Water Supply Company, with about 60 paying customers, has continued service to year-round residents of Riverside but has sent neither bills nor water to seasonal users since Mr Jones applied to the Public Utilities Commission in Hartford last February for a considerable rise in rates.

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Fifteen Pootatuck Park residents and town officials got together in Town Hall on Tuesday night to plant a seed which is hoped to solve many of the ills of the private residential section — an organization of the area’s people. Mrs Socha Larsen, Chipmunk Trail, agreed to serve as head of Pootatuck’s incipient organization. Her next step, she said, will be to get a working committee together and to seek advice of the presidents of associations in other private developments in town on how to proceed. Also, the organization will begin enlisting support from other Pootatuck Park residents and property owners. First Selectman Frank DeLucia promised the Town would work along with the residents in the efforts.

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Concrete plans for the long-proposed parallel bridge to the Rochambeau Bridge carrying I-84 over Lake Zoar to Southbury are now being made. Sixteen properties involving 26 structures on both sides of the river have now been purchased and an additional 12 are under negotiation. Three demolition contracts in the Riverside area have already been awarded. The bridge is 70 per cent designed, said William Keish, director of communication of the Department of Transportation, and tentatively, the project will be advertised for construction bids in the spring of 1975. A two year construction period is foreseen and an approximately $5.5 million dollar cost for the bridge alone.

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An agenda item planned for closed session was moved into the open one by the Board of Education on Tuesday evening, May 28. The item was discussion of budget cuts, and since there were only four members present — vice chairman Lester Burroughs, Mrs W. Nelson Roberts, Stephen Cerri and Edward Schwerdtle — there was no vote taken on any matters mentioned, and presented were suggestions for Board members to consider from the Superintendent of Schools and the central office.

May 27, 1949

At a Court of Honor last Friday evening, May 20th, three Senior Scouts of Troop 70, Newtown, received top recognition for their work in Scouting by being awarded Eagle Scout badges. Formal presentation was made during a 20th anniversary celebration of the Troop held in the Scout cabin, Church Hill road, and was attended by Scout leaders in the area, representatives from Pomperaug Council and interested townspeople. Walter Trumbull, Currituck road, former sports editor on the New York Sun, made the presentations. Dominic Digilio was in charge of the Court of Honor. Scoutmaster Paul A. Cullens celebrated Dwight Johnson, Richard MacTaggart and Robert Richmond, the three new Eagle Scouts.

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Among this week’s many visitors at The Bee office, there arrived one cute little number, in the person of a six week old fox, complete with collar and leash. This particular fox is one of several such pets in town, this one being the property of “Bob” Lockwood, who is very proud of his young bodyguard. Aside from the animal’s appetite for steak and roast beef, Bob’s chief concern for the moment is whether or not he should attempt to enter it in the Children’s Pet Show on Sunday, June 5.

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Dr J. Benton Egee and Donald Stickles accompanied by John and Devis Egee and Stephen Smith, left Newtown late last Saturday night, driving to the Bear River near Digby, Nova Scotia, for a week of trout fishing. They are expected to return next Tuesday, May 31, following Memorial Day.

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As its second major production of the season, Town Players presented two one-act plays in the Edmond Town Hall theatre last Thursday evening. These were entries in the recent Connecticut State Drama Tournament performed in Naugatuck and sponsored by the Junior Chambers of Commerce. The first, put on by The Footlighters of Waterbury and directed by Charles Goodsell, was Noel Coward’s “Fumed Oak”; the second, the local Town Players’ “A Well-Remembered Voice,” written by James M. Barrie and directed by Harold F. Smith.

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At a meeting held last Wednesday, May 18th, in the teachers’ room of Hawley school, the Newtown Scholarship Association elected the following officers for the coming year: president, George W. Trull; vice president, Mrs Felix E. Baridon; secretary and treasurer, Mrs Alice Carroll; chairman of the nominating committee, John Holian. The governors for terms extending from one to three years were: Mrs E. Paul Kovacs, John Holian, Paul A. Cullens, Carl A. LeGrow, Mrs Felix Baridon, Katherine Kirby, George W. Trull and Mrs Alice Carroll. The Association is currently conducting a drive for new members in order to carry on and extend its objective, namely, the payment of an annual award or awards to one or more graduates of Hawley High school, a student who combines need of assistance with promise of achievement in higher educational work.

May 23, 1924

The Hawley school baseball team journeyed to New Milford on Wednesday afternoon. The weather conditions were unfavorable, and the Hawley school was defeated by a score of 12-5. The Hawley school baseball team’s next game will be with Washington at Washington on Friday afternoon, May 23, at 4 o’clock, standard time. The Hawley school girls’ baseball team will play Litchfield at Litchfield on Saturday afternoon, May 24, at 4 o’clock standard time. Come one! Come all! For a good time is anticipated!

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The May meeting of the Men’s club was held at the Parker house, Tuesday night, with H.G. Warner as host. After a very fine dinner served by Mine Host Parker, Lester Coleman of Bridgeport gave an interesting address on the work of the great commercial rating agencies of the country.

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Lawn mowers, spray pumps, tomato plants, pepper plants, lettuce plants, verbenias, pansies and petunias.—[Corbett & Crowe. Adv.

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Lowell fertilizer, timothy, red top, clover seed, garden seed in packages and bulk, poultry netting, barbed wire, rubber roofing.—[Corbett & Crowe.Adv.

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Mr and Mrs W.H. Wakelee returned, last week, from a trip to Virginia. Mrs Wakelee is now quite ill.

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At the meeting of the Girls’ Friendly Society at St John’s rectory, Tuesday night, Mrs Louise T. Briscoe was re-elected president for the ensuing year.

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John Gilmartin of Bethel was a visitor in town on Sunday.

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The Sunrise Hotel on Botsford Hill, which is under the capable management of Paul Tversky, will open for the season on Decoration day. Mr Tversky has had the hotel removed throughout. Mr Tversky numbers among his guests the family of the late David Kesler, one of the best known actors in his day in New York City.

June 2, 1899

LOCAL AFFAIRS — PLEASING SCHOOL ENTERTAINMENT: There was a pleasant entertainment at the Land’s End schoolhouse, last week, Thursday evening, under the direction of the capable teacher, Miss Caroline Morehouse. The schoolhouse was crowded, and the program greatly enjoyed. The school room was decorated with flowers and flags.

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Deputy Internal Revenue Collector Emil C. Margruff, of Waterbury, seized more bogus cigars at Newtown and Sandy Hook, Wednesday, says the Waterbury American. In one of the outlying stores he found a matronly woman in charge of the business, and informed her very politely that he was a revenue officer and had come for the purpose of looking over the stock of cigars. “We have enough,” she said, “we don’t care to buy any more at present. There is such a hue and cry about counterfeit cigar stamps that my husband has decided not to buy any at present on that account.” She was told that the revenue officer neither cared to sell or buy any, but simply to look over the stock to see if they had any with counterfeit stamps. “Oh,” said she, “well here they are, but it is all a waste of time for you to look; we looked them all over and we are sure we have no counterfeit stamps.” The deputy began his examination and the second box he picked up was counterfeit.

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Mr P. Ketcham of Pike City, Cal., says: “During my brother’s late sickness from sciatic rheumatism, Chamberlain’s Pain Balm was the only remedy that gave him any relief.” Many others have testified to the prompt relief from pain which this liniment affords. For sale by R.H. Beers & Co., Newtown; Taylor, Curtis & Co., Sandy Hook; A.B. Blakeman, Botsford; W.H. Hurd, Long Hill; A.B. Fancher, Hawleyville.

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Barney Kilbride has had his buildings all repainted. George R. Wilson did the work. Mr Kilbride is much pleased with the job.

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.