***

Bryant Wheeler, maintenance manager at the Newtown Shopping Center, said vandalism started about a month ago, with breaking into the garages behind the center. Mr Wheeler said on Monday mornings the parking lot is littered with broken glass from beer and alcohol bottles and garbage. He said kids drink in the lot over the weekend and smash bottles. About 10 days ago, all the dumpsters behind the main building were turned over and garbage strewn around, Mr Wheeler said.

***

A prisoner, who had escaped from his holding cell at the Newtown Police Department on May 16 by using a cardboard book edge to release the lock, was picked up by police just 15 minutes later at his home. “We weren’t aware that we had a defective lock until someone escaped,” Police Chief Louis Marchese said. “We had the locksmith repair the lock yesterday.”

***

The largest soccer tournament in Newtown’s history will take place this weekend as 84 youth teams will be arriving to participate in the fourth annual Newtown Kickoff Tournament, sponsored by the Newtown Soccer Club. For the first time in the tournament’s history, girls’ teams will be participating. The tournament features one of the strongest fields in every age group ever assembled.

May 26, 1961

The first step in the new civic project of the Garden Club of Newtown, the construction of a wildlife sanctuary on the banks of the Pohtatuck River in Sandy Hook at the foot of Church Hill Road, took place last Saturday morning. Shrubs of high bush cranberries, red osier dogwood, flowering crab and mountain ash were planted. The plan calls for a border of hemlock at the top of the bank, rhododendron, and mountain laurel.

***

It’s a big week on Queen Street. Monday is the grand opening of the new Newtown office of the Connecticut National Bank, and the merchants in the Shopping Center are celebrating the center’s tenth anniversary. A highlight will be a festival of the arts, at which some 25 artists from Newtown and nearby areas will exhibit their works of art.

***

The Newtown Park Commission has announced that the Dickinson Memorial Park will open to townspeople on Memorial Day, May 30, for picnicking and tennis. Each family must purchase a park sticker for the season at a cost of $2. Considerable work has been done on enlarging the swimming area, beach, and on the ball field.

***

Newtown will need to consider its desires and the necessity for industry in the near future Attorney Lazarus E. Heyman told a large gathering at the annual dinner of the Chamber of Commerce of Newtown, Tuesday evening. Mr Heyman noted that Newtown has doubled its population in the last decade. He pointed out that the town will be required to build more schools, establish a sewage disposal system, and expand police and fire protection.

 

May 22, 1936

There is a third party in the automobile accidents which occur in Newtown, and The Bee points to the state of Connecticut. At a recent meeting of the traffic committee of the Chamber of Commerce, a representative from the State Motor Vehicle Department claimed all responsibility for proper regulation of traffic at the flagpole in the Main street, Lovell’s corner, and the center of Sandy Hook. And yet, just before press time, your scribe found that a truck and car had collided at Lovell’s corner, both drivers, we feel, largely the victims of the state’s failure to act in properly protecting this corner.

***

Close to one hundred were in attendance at the open house held by members of the Dodgingtown Fire Company at the Fire House in Dodgingtown on last Thursday evening, in observance of the 25th anniversary of the organization. A feature of the evening’s festivities was the presenting of twenty-five-year service certificates to members of the fire company by former Chief Beckerle.

***

Memorial Day exercises will be held, as usual, this year, under the sponsorship of the Newtown Chamber of Commerce. They will take place at the Edmond Tow Hall Theater, Saturday, May 30, starting at 10:30 o’clock, DST. During the program, a tribute will be paid to Beach Nichols, Newtown’s only surviving Civil War veteran, who is now at the soldiers’ home.

***

The Mardi Gras put on by the Young People’s Club of the Newtown Congregational church in the gymnasium of the Edmond Town Hall, last Friday and Saturday nights, proved to be a big success, both financially and in every other way. The total receipts at the close of the Saturday night’s show amounted to something more than $400. As to the fun provided, the crowd on both nights left at midnight, wishing for more.

 

May 26, 1911

Former Selectman Hermon H. Peck was so unfortunate as to lose his most valuable farm horse from lockjaw, Tuesday night. He bought the horse, a noble black stepper, from W.B. Glover, a year ago. On Sunday Mr Peck discovered a small piece of an apple twig embedded in its head. He removed it, secured Dr Knapp at once, but in spite of all that could be done, the horse died. The animal was easily worth $250.

***

Report Of Mr E.C. Moore On the Newtown High School: The students of this school are a remarkably fine company of boys and girls. They are more serious and better prepared for high school work than are the majority of students in city high schools. Their work is good and discipline takes care of itself. The school is amply justifying every dollar that has gone into it.

***

Flowers for the purpose of decorating the graves of the Grand Army men can be left, Monday afternoon, at the residence of G.W. Graham or Charles Hawley in Sandy Hook.

***

Austin B. Blakeman has been appointed deputy sheriff for Newtown by High Sheriff William Vollmer of South Norwalk and will enter upon his duties, June 1. Mr Blakeman is one of Newtown’s substantial and leading citizens and the sheriff is to be congratulated on his good luck in picking Mr Blakeman.