April 19, 1991

Neighborhood concerns for emergency access won out over some residents' fears about increased traffic when selectmen decided to use $750,000 in state funds to replace a bridge at Button Shop Road. "Wonderful," said Kay Fus of Toddy Hill Road Wednesday after selectmen let stand an agreement for bridge replacement. Another Toddy Hill resident, Kurt Schneide, disagreed and wanted the bridge closed. "I wish they would be a little bolder instead of going along with the ordinary [approach]," he said.

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The Newtown Board of Realtors Beautification Committee deemed Nunnawauk Meadows "Property of the Week," this week. Nunnawauk Meadows is a 15-year-old development located behind the Fairfield Hills Hospital. The 96-unit residential development with 27 buildings sprawls across 20 acres of green yard. Careful landscaping and maintenance keep the vegetable garden, lawn, and assorted plants and trees in the best of shape.

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 Brooke Lehman of Mt Pleasant Road has qualified to ride in Indiana University's fourth annual women's Little 500 bicycle race on April 19. Brooke will ride for the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. The men's race, which attained fame in the Oscar-winning movie Breaking Away, will be held the following day.

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 The girls in Head O' Meadow School's Brownie Troop 138 visited the Discovery Museum in Bridgeport for a Puppet Making program. They made sock and stocking puppets working toward their "Puppets, Dolls, and Plays" patch.

April 22, 1966

Doris D. Dickinson, Town Clerk, was on hand to greet well wishers at the Democratic Headquarters on Saturday afternoon, April 16, in the Country Corner building over Archie's Barber Shop. In a short talk, Mrs Dickinson said, "I am delighted to find all the voters I have contacted to date feel that Republican efforts to unseat me will be unsuccessful." Most electors that she spoke with felt that her appointment by the Board of Selectmen should have remained unchallenged and that the special election was resented as an unnecessary expense to the town.

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 American Red Cross Newtown Branch Board members entertained a long-time friend and coworker on Monday at the Hawley Manor Inn. Coach Harold S. DeGroat, honored guest, sat at the head of the table.

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 Over 70 people crowded into the lower meeting rooms at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library Monday evening to watch a house being built before their eyes. The builder, but not architect, was Lowell Hess of Southport, well-known authority on early American house construction. What he built was a typical 17th century, central chimney, Connecticut home using "prefab" hand carved beams, girts and boards on table-top size and explaining the early building methods as he went along.

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 The Committee of the Cancer Crusade has sent over 3,000 letters to date to residents of Newtown. Newtown High School student council members have volunteered their services for this enormous task. It is hoped that residents will give to the Cancer Crusade as the goal set for Newtown is greater than in years past.

April 18, 1941

 The Powerful Crows, led by captain "Andy" Wheeler, have finally captured the second half honors in the Newtown Bowling League. With only one more week of competition remaining, the team can lose all of its remaining games and still finish on top. Although the winner has been determined, there still remains a sensational fight for the second position, with four teams in a dead-lock.

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 "Scuddy" Smith, son of Mr and Mrs Paul S. Smith, celebrated his sixth birthday last Saturday by entertaining some of his young friends. Supper was served at an attractively decorated table. His guests included Elaine Egee, Sally Jones, Danny Desmond, Wells Tilson, Billy Moore, and Teddy Smith.

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 A Children's Musical is being planned for Friday afternoon, April 25, in the Congregational Church social rooms. The church's junior choir, boys and girls taking piano and violin lessons, and voice students will make up the musical program for the afternoon. Proceeds from the affair will be the children's contribution toward new gowns worn by the junior choir. There will be a twenty-five cent admission for parents and friends. It is hoped there will be a good-sized audience to enjoy the work of these young musicians.

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 All members of the Newtown A.C. and Hawley School baseball teams are urged to be on hand Sunday morning at 9 o'clock at Pine Grove Park to help with the field's spring clean-up. It is hoped that enough persons will turn out, so that the work of smoothing out the rough spots, repairing the backstop, and marking out the field can be completed in one day. Several town road workers have volunteered their services for the day, so it seems only fair that the teams do their share - and you might remember to bring a rake, shovel or hammer along with you.

April 14, 1916

The following letter was received from C.N. Hall on April 10, 1916: Dear Miss Anna Murphy, Sandy Hook Connecticut: Will you tell Clarence Bailey we think he is a pretty brave sort of boy to face all the hard snowstorms and drifts you have had up in the country. Thank you. Very truly yours. -Charles N. Hall. During the winter term Clarence was absent only one day, caused by impassable snow drifts.

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 Over 80 Newtown and Sandy Hook residents took advantage of the special train to Bridgeport Tuesday night, arranged by manager J.C. Leavy of the Blue Ribbon basketball team. The excursionists went down on the 6:35 pm train and returned by special train. Quite a delegation from Newtown attended the "Prince of Graustark" at the Lyric Theater.

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An enthusiastic meeting of those interested in the Newtown Country Club was held Tuesday night in the parlors of the Newtown Inn. It was voted to make local church pastors honorary members. A contractor who has looked over the property, stated he could have the golf course in readiness to be used by Decoration day. Already 55 persons have joined the club and it is expected this number will be more than doubled.

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 The teams of H.H. Peck and James Egan were busy Saturday and Monday, transporting a carload of lumber for Taylor & Buckingham, the builders, from the Newtown Station to the new site of the bungalow on Hanover avenue to be erected for Mrs Cora Pierce.

 Please consider sharing your old photographs of people and places from Newtown or Sandy Hook with The Newtown Bee readers. Images can be e-mailed to kendra@thebee.com, or brought to the office at 5 Church Hill Road to be scanned. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date.

 

A horse grazes lazily in a pasture on Toddy Hill Road in 1990, surrounded by wildflowers.