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After 26 years as a postal carrier with the Sandy Hook Post Office, Charles S. Tilson, has decided to call it quits; today he retires. Mr Tilson, married and the father of four, has lived in Sandy Hook all his life.

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More than 65 teams have signed up to ride in the Newtown Bridle Lanes Association’s fourth Frost on the Pumpkin Pace, to be held Sunday, October 31. Teams of two or three will ride the approximately nine-mile long course, trying to match the pace set by experienced fox hunters. Due to the kindness of local landowners, the course will cover some of the most beautiful riding trails in Newtown.

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The Newtown High School Student Council is investigating the possibility of purchasing a free-standing marquee which could be used by any high school organization to announce its activities. The sign would be built at the base of the school driveway on Route 34, where it would have a high degree of visibility.

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Each year Halloween seems to get a little scarier, and the ghosts, goblins, and other traditional spooks have nothing to do with it. This year, in the wake of Tylenol poisonings and a rash of similar incidents, parents are taking even greater measures to protect their children. Some parents aren’t allowing their kids out at all and are instead arranging Halloween parties. Although Newtown Police Chief Louis Marchese suggests precautions, he doesn’t agree that trick or treating should be eliminated entirely.

* * *

Must the State of Connecticut apply for a permit when it builds an access road in a state forest in the town of Newtown? The property is an 800 acre tract once considered for purchase by Newtown and subsequently purchased by the State of Connecticut. It is bounded by Sanford Road, Hanover Road, and runs along Lake Lillinonah. What is questionable is the impact on the wetlands and watercourses in the area. Doug Cooper, Chief of Inland wetland Resources Unit of the State DEP, said in a conversation with The Bee, “I’m led to believe that it was an oversight by the Bureau of Forestry, the department that should have applied for a permit.” Although work is temporarily halted, four culverts have already been installed on the access road.

* * *

Newtown’s 4-H program is alive and well. This year the Sandy Hook 4-H Club has expanded to include Newtown and is approaching record enrollment in recent years. The program includes model building; level one foods; All-American fresh foods; textiles and clothing; and small animals.

 

November 1, 1957

A husky young beaver was captured Monday night in a trap set in the brook behind Al Karcheski’s house on Route 25. Mr Karcheski’s 12-year-old son discovered that beavers were in the vicinity when waters of the brook backed up to form a pond and the sheep wouldn’t graze in that area. As fast as the Karcheski’s pulled the dams apart, the beavers rebuilt them. They called District 1 biologist William J. Sondrini of the Board of Fisheries and Game who came and set the traps.

* * *

The US Atomic Energy Commission’s newest traveling exhibit will be shown in Newtown on November 14. The exhibit is a self-contained walk-through mobile unit housed in a modern bus-type vehicle that will be shown near the shopping center. Entitled ‘Atoms For Peace,’ it is the latest in a series of traveling atomic-energy exhibits to bring the latest information on atomic energy in a concise, easy to understand form.

* * *

Student absenteeism due to illness in the Newtown schools this week reached a peak of 23½ percent of the entire system, according to the school superintendent’s office. School authorities said that this was unusually high, but not alarmingly so. There is no way to check on how many were Asian flu cases, they said, though cases of flu have been reported in Newtown.

* * *

Henry G. Carlson, president of the local Liberty Chevrolet agency, announces that the new 1958 Chevrolet cars are now on display at the Liberty show rooms and invites the public to attend the open house and view the new models. The public will see a spectacular change in Chevrolet styling in all four new series: new length, new middle, new lowness, new roominess.

The three-day clothing sale conducted by the Newtown PTA last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in the former home of the Newtown Country Club on Route 25 was an overwhelming success. The sale netted $362.05 for the PTA’s scholarship fund and this amount was close to that achieved when the PTA ran the Clothing Exchange for an entire season.

* * *

The Winchester Division of Olin Industries has joined the Audubon Society in asking hunters to be especially careful of whooping cranes, urging hunters not to shoot at large, white birds. There are only 21 birds left of the many thousands that used to inhabit this country and Canada.

 

October 28, 1932

The Edmond Town hall, Newtown, was the scene of the finest dramatic performance witnessed by local audiences during recent years on Friday night, when the Pootatuck Grange Players scored a tremendous success with their presentation of “Only Sally Ann,” a three act comedy-drama by Katharine Kavanaugh.

* * *

An industry in which the town has great reason to be proud is the S. Curtis & Son, Inc, of Berkshire of which William R. Curtis is the directing president and manager. In the deep woods of Sandy Hook, Conn., 85 years ago, a little brook turned a small wooden paddle to furnish motive power for the machines of the original Curtis factory. Today, in exactly the same spot, the modern, busy box manufacturing plant of S. Curtis and Son turns out millions of folding paper boxes.

* * *

John J. Northrop, former first selectman and secretary of Pootatuck Grange, was taken severely ill, Tuesday night, in E.S. Pitzschler’s barber shop. Dr E.L. Kingman was called about 11 o’clock and at once arranged for removal to the Danbury hospital, where he was operated on for appendicitis.

* * *

District Fire Warden F.J. Crouch would like to ask all those owning summer homes in Newtown to clean up and burn all loose leaves and weeds around their homes before the grass dries up, and if possible, have an old barrel stand under the eaves to catch rain water. More than once it has been the means of saving homes in Newtown.

* * *

NEWTOWN RED CROSS WORK. Bridgeport Telegram: We want to commend the good people of Newtown for the splendid way in which they have given their support to the Red Cross. The Newtown branch has been very active, and while doing its share in furtherance of the various national undertakings, such as disaster relief and aid for disabled World War veterans in government hospitals, has also been a source of local inspiration.

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The October meeting of the Newtown Chamber of Commerce will be held on Thursday evening, October 27, at the Parker House. Joseph T. Woodruff will speak on the theme, “Why Newtown Should Be Interested in the Program of the Fairfield County Planning Association.”

 

November 1, 1907

Hughes & Chapman have erected a very fine monument in the Land’s End cemetery for the late Clark T. Jackson. Also tablets in the same cemetery for Mrs G.W. Robinson, Rev Anna Smith and Mrs John R. Smith. Hughes & Chapman have erected a nice granite monument in the Great Plain cemetery for Mrs S.W. Bradley.

* * *

On Tuesday last suit was brought in the name of the town of Newtown against Ex-Senator William N. Northrop as surety on a bond for $10,000 given to the town of Newtown, October 16, 1891, to cover claimed defalcations of Charles H. Northrop as treasurer of the town. The selectmen have done their plain duty in a mighty unpleasant and sad affair. Great sympathy is expressed for the venerable and esteemed Ex-Senator Northrop, but only execration, contempt and disgust for the ex-treasurer, who by his own conduct and acts has brought himself into this unfortunate and distressing situation.

* * *

The Allison Co of Hawleyville and New York are not going to shut down their Hawleyville factory. A rumor was circulated to that effect. They are again sending for help that was laid off about three weeks ago and expect to be running full force by next week. They are taking more orders for future delivery than a year ago and are better able to take care of them.

* * *

The ghost scene from Hamlet and the witch scenes from Macbeth will be two of the features of the High school Hallowe’en entertainment on Friday evening. Reserved seats are on sale at R.H. Beers & Co.

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The house on the Elam Tongue place, about a half mile north of Botsford depot, burned to the ground on Tuesday, October 15. The house was vacant and the cause of the fire is unknown.