September 21, 1984

A Newtown man who built the athletic field behind St Rose School for practically nothing has offered to refurbish Taylor Field behind Hawley School. The proposal was made recently by “Sonny” Metz of Parmalee Hill Road, a member of the Local 478 Operating Engineers Union, to officials of Newtown Pop Warner Football. The proposal indicated some of the funding would come from donations. Mr Metz’s proposal indicated that Taylor Field would be completed by the fall of 1985 if work was begun after this fall’s football season ends.

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Responding to negative publicity about its supermarket on Queen Street, Grand Union has formed a consumer advisory panel, consisting of eight Newtowners, which has begun giving the store feedback on its operations and suggesting improvements. The store already has followed some of the panel’s advice, and it said it is considering a major renovation and expansion of the store.

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The marching men of the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Company — along with the marching women of the company’s ladies’ auxiliary — have completed another banner year in parade competition, crowning the season with an excellent showing on September 16 in the year’s premier firemen’s parade — the annual parade at the Connecticut State Firemen’s Convention in New Haven. Sandy Hook returned from the convention with three trophies. Sandy Hook was judged the best department in the Springsdale, Beacon Falls, Oxford, Prospect, Winsted, and Padanaram parades this year.

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The first day of school excitement at Newtown Montessori was heightened this week by the opening of the Newtown Montessori Elementary School. First, second, and third grade students raced from their cars to get a peek at their new white, Cape Cod style school, built this summer by TOPA Construction of Newtown. Located on the corner of Jacklin Road and Route 302, the school is adjacent to the Newtown Montessori Preschool, established in 1968.

 

 

September 25, 1959

The youth groups of high school age of the four Protestant churches in Newtown have consolidated this fall to form an organization to be known as the United Christian Youth Fellowship. Plans for this initial meeting call for the young people to wear old clothes for a trip to Camp Mohawk. Everyone is to bring his own picnic supper. The UYF will meet each Sunday evening in the Congregational Church house.

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Newtown’s “lame duck” Board of Selectmen was faced this week with charges that town road foreman Howard Beardsley had improperly used town employees and equipment on his own property. The board heard the charges, talked them over with Mr Beardsley, discussed the complaints with State Police and decided to take no further action.

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The dedication ceremony of Plymouth Hall rehabilitation center of the Fairfield State Hospital took place on Wednesday afternoon, before an audience of approximately 600, consisting of state and town officials, physicians and leaders in the field of mental health. Principal speaker of the afternoon was Dr Walter E. Barton, superintendent of the Boston State Hospital.

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The teachers this week at the Sandy Hook Elementary School went to school after school on Monday afternoon, September 21, when they witnessed demonstrations of reading machines and had the opportunity to practice on them in preparation for use with their children. Fred Veith of the H.B. Motion Picture corporation of New Haven was in charge of the program, which was designed to facilitate skill and ease in new reading devices which have proven so beneficial to group instruction in reading.

September 21, 1934

Frank Strassburger has been making extensive alterations on his place on lower Main Street. Thomas F. Brew has been doing the carpenter work and Abraham Nezvesky has been doing the painting.

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Despite the rainy weather, William Leahy and Charles Mercer, with the help of a good number of the club’s enthusiastic golfers, have made a lot of progress toward completing the task of seeding all the putting greens on the golf course. This work, while it will make playing on the course difficult for a short while, will result in greatly improved greens, towards which all of the club members are looking forward.

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THE KOSEY KORNER At Dodgingtown on Newtown Road. SKINLESS ROASTED FRANKFURTS AND ROLLS. ICE CREAM. SODA. CANDY. WEEK END SPECIAL: Fried Oysters, Stew, Soft Shell Crabs. Fiegenspan Beer, Ballantine Ale, Wines. ELMER PEARSON, Prop.

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“The damage to the country roads in town by the great storm of Sunday night and Monday morning is something terrible,” said Selectman Blackman to the editor, of The Bee, Tuesday. The hill from Richard Egan’s to the Boyson place in Palestine is torn all to pieces. Lower Queen Street is gutted very badly. The dirt improved roads are worked badly. The dirt improved road in Taunton up Sawmill Avenue was gutted and washed out. Over at the Fairfield State hospital the roads were seriously damaged. The selectmen had trucks and men out at noon, Monday, at work on repairing the damage.

 

 

September 24, 1909

E.J. Thrall, who has just taken charge of the Snake Rock farm in Zoar, told your correspondent of a very simple way of catching hawks. Take a tall pole and on top of it nail a flat board on which set a medium sized steel trap, attaching the chain to the pole. The hawks see the place on which to land to locate the prey and before they know it their feet are caught and you have your bird. It is a simple device but is sure to catch every time.

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Last Wednesday night the wood plant of Willis Lockwood in Pootatuck, at the foot of his driveway, was burned to the ground. Beside the building and the sawing outfit Mr Lockwood lost an almost new lumber wagon and about 30 or 40 cords of wood. The building must have been set on fire as no one had been near it for several days.

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W.C. Johnson is just completing the erection of a Harder silo, 32-feet high, ought of T.E. Platt & Son. He expects to begin filling it on Friday. H.W. Wright had a force of men at work, Tuesday and Wednesday, filling his silo. James Farrell filled his silo, last week.

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C.B Taylor, John B. Wheeler and David C. Peck, while on their way to Waterbury, Monday, in Mr Taylor’s automobile, got as far as Lake Quassapaug Hotel, when they saw flames coming out of the roof. They gave the alarm and assisted in removing the furniture. It is now believed these gentlemen are qualified for membership in the Newtown Fire Department.