May 21, 1993

The state Department of Mental Health (DMH) during the past year has been implementing an advisory committee's recommendations on the future direction of the state's mental health system, according to a DMH report. One goal is to reduce patient populations at state hospitals, including Fairfield Hills. Recommendations form the ad hoc committee on the Future of State Hospitals are being put into effect through a "managed service system initiative," according to DMH's annual report dated April 27. In their March 1992 recommendations to the DMH, committee members stated, "Each of the major psychiatric hospitals should remain open while DMH continues to pursue a reduction in patients at each facility over the next five years and define the roles and structure of the hospital within the mental health service system. The appropriate types and numbers of community programs must be in place which can accept the patients who are able to be discharged from the hospital."

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All Sheila Josephson wants when she arrives home from work is to be able to park in the parking area in front of the apartment building where she lives. But she says that's impossible when the parents of Newtown Little League players park in the "resident only" parking during games several nights a week and Saturday mornings. She lives at Watertown Hall, apartments for professional staff at Fairfield Hills. Ms Josephson, a registered nurse, is also handicapped. Her apartment building is directly across the street from two baseball fields, and a strip of about a dozen spaces are marked "Resident Parking Only." Ms Josephson has pointed out the signs to parents and asked for someone to move a car so she could park. "What amazes me is how rude these people can be. They are supposed to be loving, caring parents, but they will bawl you out right in front of their child. The parents behave so rudely that I am embarrassed."

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LOVELL'S GARAGE - THE SAGA CONTINUES: Workers are armed with tools, heavy machinery is greased and filled with gas, and empty trucks are waiting to haul away the non-fill parts of the structure that hold Lovell's Garage together. At this point, only one piece of paper seems to be holding everything back. To date, the town of Newtown has issued a permit. Yankee Gas has confirmed it does not have a line going into the building. In fact, it never did have one. After some searching CLandamp;P was unable to find a meter or any wires going from Main Street to the building. The connection was removed six years ago; the utility attested to the town. Newtown Water Company took time to notify officials that water had been disconnected about five years ago. Just when the Health Department had given its "go-ahead," The State of Connecticut stepped in. About two weeks ago the firm taking down the garage was notified that it would take 10 business days for state officials to confirm that there is no asbestos in the structure. Ten days later nothing happened, yet the town is assured that a person will be coming down from Boston before the end of the week, and the permitting process will begin.

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Sometime overnight on May 10-11, a 1984 Landeau Open John boat was taken from the members' parking lot of Newtown Fish and Game Club on Taunton Lake Road. The boat, valued at $300, was attached to a tree with a heavy chain which was cut. Anyone with information is asked to call the police.

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UNPRECEDENTED: The Newtown High girls tennis team has made the state tournament. The Lady Indians were 7-6 entering their Thursday, May 20, season finale at Bethel. They will finish no worse than second in the Western Connecticut Conference Division. Pomperaug has clinched the division crown. Over the last week, Coach Claire Willis's team beat Masuk 5-2, with fourth-seeded player Kate Spangler and the number one doubles team of Meghan Rohmer and Julienne Steck posting key victories.

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May 24, 1968

For the second year in a row, the Newtown High School Band under the direction of Joseph P. Grasso will spearhead the town's observance of Memorial Day with a brief ceremony at the Monument at the head of Newtown's Main Street. This year the high school band and student council will pay tribute to Newtown's servicemen on Wednesday, May 29. A wreath, purchased by band members, will be placed at the base of the Monument. First Selectman Timothy Treadwell will speak.

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The Newtown Choral Society's annual spring concert held Sunday afternoon in the Edmond Town Hall theatre delighted a good-sized audience. It also gave evidence that the Society has reached a new high in its choral singing. The program itself was well arranged. The first group, comprised of religious numbers, included several that are well-known and always enjoyed, such as "The Lord Is My Shepherd" and "Honor And Glory" by Bach.

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DISTEMPER: Because of a serious outbreak of distemper in the area, dog owners are urged to watch their pets carefully. Do not let them roam; this is against the law in any case. Dogs who have not recently had booster shots to help prevent this often-fatal disease should have them at once.

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Friends of Rev Joseph Barnett were pleased to see him in town Wednesday. He and Mrs Barnett celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on April 27 when a reception took place in their honor in the Cluett Memorial Gardens of the Bethesda-by-the-sea Episcopal Church in Palm Beach, Fla. "Joe," as he was known when he lived in Newtown as a boy, is now a retired Episcopal clergyman, though he still assists at the church in Palm Beach.

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The Y-Indian Guide Nation of Newtown extends a friendly invitation to come and join the fun on May 26 at the Indian Nation Village, off Castle Hill Road. It will be a Family Day in order that family and friends may see the progress made on the Long House, to show the trails to be marked in the forest, where the great council campfires will be held, and where there will be a tee-pee clearing one day. The Y-Indian Guide is a program in which fathers and sons participate together as tribe members. Many tribes make up the Newtown Nation, the Blackfeet, Sioux, Tuscarora, Mohican, Fox, Pootatuck, Apache, Unkowa, Mohawk, and Hopi.

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May 28, 1943

UNHEALTHY PARKING CONDITIONS: Last week

The Bee urged action by town officials in curbing the excessive speed of trucks through the town. Nothing, to our knowledge, has since been done. Perhaps that is not more than we expected. At any rate, we now carry our traffic suggestions another step and urge our Borough officials to prohibit all-day and all-night parking in front of the town hall, the Atchison Block, and the Congregational church. Time was, we remember, when hitching posts lined the walk in front of R.H. Beers' store. But those days are gone, and conditions have changed. There is a large parking area at the rear of town hall and where long-term parkers should put their cars. What about it, warden and burgesses, can we get some action?

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Mrs Willis Lockwood arrived in town Thursday of last week. She came from Texas where she was enjoying her honeymoon with her soldier husband. She is now residing with her husband's sister, Leslie Burr, in Sandy Hook.

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An evening of unusual interest is promised the people of Newtown in the program of sound motion pictures to be presented on Thursday evening, June 10 at 8 o 'clock in the Alexandria Room. The pictures are films of Holland and the Netherlands East Indies, made possible through the courtesy of the Netherlands Information Center, Rockefeller Plaza, New York. They will illustrate a lecture by Dr Harry van Walt on the subject "How I Escaped From Holland." Dr van Walt is author, lecturer, radio commentator, and traveler who has been well received wherever he has spoken.

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Triplets arrived among the herd at Minkdale Farms in South Center District on Wednesday. Mr Konig tells

The Bee that anyone wishing to see the little fellows will be welcome to visit on Sunday afternoon between 3:30 and 4 o 'clock.

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May 24, 1918

One of the greatest feats of engineering this section of the country has ever seen is now nicely underway at Stevenson, where the J.A. Crisfield Contracting Co., of Philidelphia, Pa., is building a dam across the Housatonic River. The work was started September last. About 350 men are employed and the number is steadily increasing. On Wednesday the editor, accompanied by his daughter, Miss Hazel Smith, drove to Stevenson, and passed one of the most interesting afternoons of their lives inspecting the great work. We were fortunate in finding Henry E. Brinkinbine, the gentleman and popular engineer in charge of the work, in the office. Passing from the office down the road, we soon came to the location of the dam. The structure will be about 1,000 feet long and 70 feet above the river. The engineer, Miss Smith, and the writer walked across a suspension bridge erected for the convenience of workers passing form one side of the river to the other. The building of the great dam made it necessary to remove bodies from Riverside cemetery to a new cemetery on the hill. John B. Downs was engaged with a force of men at the task. He had taken up 323 bodies by Wednesday afternoon. Several graves were being opened while the scribe was there. The burials in these cases were 75 to 100 years ago and little was found save the skull and a few bones. Mr Downs informed the writer that in one of the old graves where the burial was 75 years ago, he found a pair of leather boots in a good state of preservation with a few bones of the foot inside the boot.

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A party of workmen, giving the names Henry Keller, John Webb, J. Peluso, S. Daniolson, and Max Singer, in the employ of O.J. Gude Bill Posting Co., who were erecting a sign on the Danbury Road, May 8, had occasion to start a fire to burn up brush around the sign. Without going to the trouble of getting a permit, they set fire to the brush, and soon the whole woods were ablaze. It was estimated that over 500 acres burned. Fire Warden Conger got busy and soon had Deputy Sheriff Beers and Constable Robert Camp at work on the case. They located the work party somewhere near Southington and brought them back to Newtown where they were arraigned before Justice P. McCarthy. A fine of $5 and costs was imposed, which amounted to $183.12, which amount was immediately wired to Newtown by the company.

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Mrs L.C. Morris has bought of A.G. Muzzy his attractive bungalow at the head of Newtown Street. Mr and Mrs Muzzy will soon leave New England to make their home in California.

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Rev G.T. Sinnott, J.L. O'Niell, E.W. Troy, John Troy, and Francis Troy motored to New London, Monday, where the latter enlisted in the naval reserves. He leaves on Friday.

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Bert Bradley of Zoar was taken with an apoplectic shock, the first of the week. Dr Kiernan attends him.

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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.

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Few clues accompany this old Newtown Bee file photo. Written on its back are the words, Donating for David Ann Shpunt, 1984.