* * *

Traffic through Newtown — both on I-84 and on town roads — was slowed to a standstill early in the morning November 14, after the operator of an eastbound truck, loaded with explosives, lost control of the truck, which went off the left side of the road. As a precautionary measure, state police shut down I-84 in both directions between exits 9/10.

* * *

A 16-month-old cease and desist order against F. Francis D’Addario issued by the Conservation Commission has been dropped after soil permeability results on the ground cover showed compliance with a town order. The soil permeability tests were the final step Mr D’Addario had to take to fully comply with the abatement order at the Button Shop Road landfill.

* * *

At its meeting November 12 the Board of Selectmen approved a $10,000 budget transfer to cover a shortage in the Highway Department’s account. The Highway Department does not have the funds this fiscal year for oiling and tarring four roads that it had planned to “chip seal.”

 

November 18, 1960

This week Newtown telephone users are all getting used to dialing COngress phone calls for toll-free telephone use to Woodbury and Southbury, all of which were previously toll calls. In addition, there is now the GA for all GArden Newtown calls. Millard S. Goodsell, Newtown’s Fire Marshal, wishes all townspeople to note carefully that the town fire department emergency number is no longer just 6-4425. It is now GArden 64425.

* * *

Ceremonies to dedicate Newtown’s new Post Office on Queen Street were held Saturday and many townspeople availed themselves for the opportunity to attend the ceremonies and to visit the new building where they were warmly received by Post Office employees.

* * *

Following the disappearance of the second set of pumpkins from the steps of The Bee office just before Halloween, Brandon Jones of the Misty Vale Garden Center supplied The Bee with an attractive autumnal wall decoration featuring ears of colored corn. So far, it has remained in place, beside the front door.

* * *

Robert E. Fulton Jr of Platts Hill Road, Huntingtown District, is the developer of a most unusual and extremely beneficial means of rescuing people from the water. A 90-pound rescue pack is parachuted to a victim in the water or on shore. Instructions on the packet, which is buoyant, tell the man how to open the kit and don its special overalls. Sewn into the garment is a harness that is fastened to a 500-foot line. The victim opens the valve of a helium bottle, a balloon inflates and lifts the line, to which the harness is attached. The rescued person is thus lifted into the air and the balloon is caught by the rescuing plane.

November 15, 1935

A fatal hunting accident has occurred in the Taunton woods on Tuesday afternoon when Carl W. Norton, 24, of Barkhamsted was accidentally shot with the gun he was carrying. With Mr Norton was Frederick J. Crouch. Norton, in an effort to push a boat from the shore of the pond into deep water, accidentally discharged the gun. Mr Crouch ran to his companion’s side, and found him with blood streaming from the wounds. Mr Crouch ran to a nearby farm house to summon aid. A blood transfusion was given, but the young man died in the early evening.

* * *

Master William Ingram was showing a large raccoon at the Sandy Hook stores, Wednesday evening. He caught it down by the Housatonic river and it was some catch. It weighed 23 pounds and was as handsome a coon as one often sees. The coon was nearly as large as himself, and he is to be congratulated.

* * *

The property of Edgar F. Northrop located on Hanover, and consisting of 75 acres of land, together with the old homestead and farm buildings, has just been sold to Blanche K. Jones of Pelham Manor, N.Y. The present dwelling on the property which contains 14 rooms was built by Mr Northrop’s grandfather about 100 years ago. Edgar Norton expects to leave this week for several days’ vacation. Mr Northrop has worked his farm for over 60 years and traces the buying of the farm back through his ancestors to the Indians from whom it was purchased.

* * *

On next Sunday the big new 39,000 Smith Electric Incubator of the New England Hatchery, which has been under test for the past week at the barn of William Baxter, will be started for the first hatch of baby chicks. The machine can carry a capacity load of 41,000. The public is invited to visit this plant which is located on the Currituck road.

November 18, 1910

A fine spirit of neighborliness was manifested at the farm of James B. Nichols, when 30 or more men, with their farm teams, gathered Thursday to husk the corn crop on Mr Nichols’ farm. Mr Nichols, it will be remembered, suffered the loss of a hand 10 days ago and is now convalescing. All worked with a will and at noon, two thirds of the two large fields was husked.

* * *

O.E. Morgan has finished making cider at his mill in Hattertown for the season and is now ready to do customer’s log sawing at his saw mill. Bring on your logs and he will convert them into lumber at short notice.

* * *

Henry G. Curtis has shown a degree of commendable public spirit in ordering 100 tons of crushed stone for the Berkshire road and has contracted with the B.N. Beard Co. to put it on the road. It will cost a considerable more than he will get out of it, but he is bound to have a first class road, and the general public will share in the good results.

* * *

Miss Sarah Maria Camp of Taunton had the misfortune to fall while attempting to unhitch a horse at a post, who appeared cross or unruly, and fractured a hip. The accident is a serious one, but Miss Camp is getting along comfortably.