October 26, 1990

First Lady Barbara Bush came to town Thursday morning. Speaking at a fundraising breakfast for Gary Franks, held at The Fireside Inn. Mrs Bush urged the sellout audience of about 250 people to support Mr Franks candidacy for Congress. Speaking at the Fireside, Mrs Bush praised Mr Franks as a young man who knew the value of education, who was an honor student at Yale University, who had a successful career with two Fortune 500 companies, who started a successful real estate business, and who has been involved in numerous community groups.

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Flirting with the supernatural may be a natural subject for the entertainment industry, but at Newtown’s library, whether such fare gets any billing at all seems to depend on the audience. In a just-canceled Halloween party slated for Friday night at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library, children’s Librarian Sylvia “Mike” Vuillemenot was due to materialize from a séance as Mary Hawley and talk about the family’s contributions to the institution the benefactress founded. Linda Mellick, who is in charge of adult library programs, was to have dressed as a fortune teller and read children’s palms. “Everybody would have had a positive fortune,” she said. On Tuesday, Librarian Janet Woycik announced that complaints from 16 parents and the clergy led to the death of the program, and an inquiry from the first selectman nailed the coffin shut, so to speak. “The parents were afraid that we were making something fun out of something serious. They assume séances to be a form of devil worship,” Mrs Woycik said.

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Newtowners will get a rare opportunity to get a close-up look at the rooster that reigns over Church Hill Road this weekend. The famous weathervane, which was removed from the steeple September 28, so that John Hallock could apply new gold leaf, will be at the Newtown Meeting House on Saturday, October 27, from 9:30 am to noon. It is expected the cock will be returned to its perch after the public viewing.

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A Massachusetts consulting firm envisions a future Fairfield Hills campus that includes a smaller, consolidated hospital, containing human services, plus acres of open space, elderly and affordable housing. The still-unpublished, detailed study recommends providing state-of-the-art care by renovating or rebuilding facilities at three hospitals at a cost of $43.4 million here, $35.2 million at Norwich, and $37.7 million at Connecticut Valley. The study also suggests the title to the 860-plus acres at Fairfield Hills Hospital remain with the state. The one or two vacated buildings expected from consolidation should be used, consultants say, to house “neutral” state or local agencies that are compatible with the aims of the mental health community.

October 29, 1965

Eight Halloween parties are planned for Saturday evening, in five places. The various committees will be on hand to usher in the little folks, soon after 6:30 pm, and later in the evening, the older young folks will be given their chance to dance and have refreshments served to them at Dodgingtown and Hawleyville Fire Houses and the Edmond Town Hall Gym. Prize ribbons for the prettiest, funniest, or most original costumes are on hand.

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Dr Thomas Draper was appointed town health officer at the Board of Selectman’s meeting last week. He will fill the unexpired, four-year term of Dr J. Benton Egee, who resigned to become director of the Emergency Service Department of Danbury Hospital. Dr Draper was also approved by the Board of Education to serve as school doctor recently. Dr Draper is a pediatrician with offices on Route 6 in Newtown.

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Robert Raynolds, noted American author and long-time resident of the Head O’ Meadow district, Newtown, died of a heart attack at the Yale-New Haven Hospital on October 24, after a brief illness. At the time of his death, Mr Raynolds had just completed page proofs of his latest work, “Thomas Wolfe and Robert Raynolds: Memoir of a Friendship,” scheduled for fall publication by the University of Texas Press.

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Lumber lined the path of a tractor trailer which smashed through the highway fence posts and rolled down a 25-foot embankment, Wednesday, following a collision with a passenger car on Interstate 84 near the Route 34 interchange in Sandy Hook. The truck driver, Robert L. Simpson of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., was taken to Danbury Hospital in the Newtown ambulance and treated for injuries. Edward F. Bader, the driver of the automobile, was charged with reckless driving and released under $50 bond.

 

October 25, 1940

The entire Agricultural Class of Hawley High school and 22 adults attended the all-day meeting held at Hawley school on Wednesday. Among the speakers were Rov E. Jones, Poultry Specialist, Garry Miles and William Maloney, who gave interesting talks and instructions in the grading and marketing of eggs.

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Miss Florence A. Peck will close her antique shop located in the old Brick Building, on November 1, for the winter months and will open a shop at 211-a East 57th street, New York City. Mr and Mrs Peck will reside in New York for the winter and will return to Newtown about May 1, when the Newtown shop will be reopened for the summer.

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Announcement is made by the Newtown Chapter of the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies, that two prominent speakers have been secured for the large mass meeting which will be held in the Edmond Town Hall Theater on Thursday evening, November 7, at 8 o’clock. One of the speakers will be Evarts Scudder, American writer who arrived in America from England early in September. The second speaker will be Walter E. Batterson, former Mayor of the city of Hartford, who is very active in the work of the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies.

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The new first green, which has been under construction at the Newtown Country Club for the past few weeks, is now completed and will be ready for play next season. The work was done under the supervision of pro-greenskeeper, Bill Leahy.

 

October 29, 1915

Charles Wheeler, son of Mr and Mrs Frank T. Wheeler, of the Bolmer farm, was the victim of a serious accident, Friday. When near the Bailey house in some way he let go the lines and the horse he was driving ran away, throwing him out near the entrance to the Bolmer grounds. He has suffered from internal hemorrhages and his condition has been critical. He is now improving slowly and it is believed he will make a recovery.

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So far as The Bee has heard, our citizens express their opinion, they are emphatic in their opposition to Contractor Kellogg’s suggestion to make a simple graded state road out of our new state road, leaving the stone covering for a later appropriation. So far a distance as the road is built, our citizens desire a “complete” road, with stone covering, etc. Judging of what we have seen of state graded roads in other towns, where there is no stone surface they are a poor thing in the muddy season.

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The movement for the organization of a Country club was formally begun, Friday night, with a meeting at the Newtown Inn. A considerable enthusiasm has been awakened in the matter, as it is believed the club will be a real benefit to the town. An option has been secured on the desirable property of David C. Bacon, a mile south of the churches on the State road and $3,000 has already been pledged. It is proposed to lay out golf links, tennis courts, and a hand ball court.

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Ralph Whitlock was so unfortunate as to fracture his arm and shoulder. Dr Mumford attended him and sent him to the Bridgeport hospital for X-ray treatment. The accident was the result of a fall from a wagon, a wheel of the wagon telescoping and throwing him to the ground.