December 30, 1988

The town will formally take on ownership of the former Newtown Congregational Church on December 30. The transfer of the property to the town and a simultaneous signing of a lease by the Heritage Preservation Trust of Newtown, Inc is the culmination of nearly four years work to preserve the 180-year-old building.

***

Long existing fire code violations in Town Hall South and the Newtown Hook and Ladder Firehouse are finally being addressed, and work on correcting the violations should begin by July 1. According to Deputy Fire Marshal Jim Gies, the violations have been an ongoing problem, because the town has failed to act on them in the past. Mr Gies said the town submitted plans to correct the Hook and Ladder violations once in the past, but the plans were not approved by the building inspector.

***

The children at Head O’ Meadow School decided to put the Christmas Spirit into action this year by using money that would have been used for purchasing grab bag presents for themselves to supply a campership to “The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.” Altogether, the students collected over $1,000, nearly enough to pay for a two-week campership at the camp.

***

The strong winds on the night of December 28 resulted in 893 Northeast Utilities (NU) customers losing power in Newtown. The outages started after 5 pm. The storm kept the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Company busy for about 90 minutes, starting at 5:30 pm. On Riverside Road, there were problems such as trees and wires on fire, and a sparking transformer; and on Route 34 at Zoar Road, a tree came down on wires.

January 3, 1964

After purchasing thermo-underwear, a group of ardent Giant football fans from Newtown, including Emy Farrell, Frank Hubbell, Ernie Ehle, and Donald Walters, traveled by jet to Chicago last Saturday to witness the New York Giant and Chicago Bears football game. On the return trip home, they traveled on the same jet as Mayor Wagner of New York.

***

The annual Holiday Dance, conducted for the junior and senior high school and college students who reside in Newtown, scored an outstanding success last Monday in the gymnasium of the Edmond Town Hall. Mrs Robert Munger and Mrs Elliot Ellis, in charge of decorations, created a seasonal atmosphere with snowflake mobiles and bells, and music was provided by the Joseph Grasso Orchestra.

***

The Dodgingtown Fire Company in Newtown has purchased a new W M300 military type Dodge power wagon to be used as a brush truck. This is a four-wheel drive vehicle which can be taken into fields and woods to get at brush fires which cannot be reached from roads. It will be equipped with a water tank, booster hose and reel, water pump, eight Indian tanks, dry chemical extinguishers, and other equipment.

***

John C. Bautz of Buttonball Drive, Sandy Hook, is a man of determination. During last Friday’s snowstorm, Mr Bautz qualified as an elector from the second district in Newtown by appearing before a voter-making session at Edmond Town Hall. The Town Clerk and Selectman sat as a joint board from 6 to 8 pm for the purpose of examining the qualifications of any who should desire to be made voters. Not only did Mr Bautz qualify, he was the sole applicant to brave the elements.

December 30, 1938

DRUGS! Prescriptions A Specialty. Squibb’s Pharmaceuticals. Coty’s and Houbigant Cosmetics. Agents for Whitman Chocolates — Rider Dairy Ice Cream — Cameras — Films — Developing. Corbett & Crowe DRUGGISTS, SANDY HOOK, CONN. Tel. Newtown 154.

***

Mrs Eliva J. Arreghini of South Center district has filed in the Superior Court of Bridgeport, a suit for $7,500 damages against the town of Newtown and First Selectman Stanley J. Blackman, charging that the selectman and two town employees unlawfully trespassed on her property and in the act of repairing a bridge near the old grist mill she owns, opened the water gate of the mill dam, causing damage to a water turbine below the dam and to the water gate and turbine pipe.

***

The large fir tree which was originally placed on the triangle at the head of the street near the Soldiers’ Monument, through the generosity of Mrs Charles H. Peck, has been lighted this year by the Newtown Chamber of Commerce. One hundred colored lights were strung on the tree last Friday by John Ray, Raymond Jandreau and Paul S. Smith, president of the Chamber and the electrical connections were made by Harry Van Horn and the Danbury & Bethel Gas & Electric Light Company. The tree shines forth brightly each evening.

***

The Christmas decorations at the residence of R.S. Knibloe on Mount Pleasant are unusually attractive and original. There is a lighted candle in every window. On either side of the front entrance are lighted Christmas trees. On the front lawn, a short distance from the house, is a powerful floodlight which illuminates the entire house and clearly shows a large Santa Claus about to descend the chimney.

 

January 2, 1914

 

A horrible accident took place at Hawleyville on Friday afternoon, in the sawmill of Ernest Hawley, when Hobart Hawley sustained injuries resulting in his death. In some way an old apron he wore got caught in a revolving shaft, and in less than a second he was drawn around the shaft, breaking his limbs and sustaining serious bruises. Dr W.H. Kiernan was summoned and the injured man was taken to the Hawleyville Depot and placed aboard the train for Danbury. He breathed his last shortly after reaching the hospital. The burial was in Lands End cemetery.

***

While returning from Bridgeport recently, one of Charles Short’s horses slipped on the new state road in Long Hill, breaking is leg. Some sections of this road are very smooth and slippery and quite a number of people in this vicinity who drive over the road complain of their horses slipping and falling. Mr Short has purchased a horse of W.N. Hurd, Long Hill, to take the place of the one he lost.

***

Miss Anna Murphy had a Christmas tree for her scholars at the Half-Way river school house, last week Tuesday evening, and in spite of the heavy rain a large number gathered and listened with pleasure to recitations by the children and all pronounced it a complete success.

***

The January statement of the Newtown Savings Bank shows that institution to be in a remarkably strong condition. The deposits now total $1,213,910.96, with a surplus account of $65,000. The statement will be read with interest by all friends of this well known institution.