Building inspector Al Brinley said October 29 that he will order the demolition of two Church Hill Road buildings extensively damaged by separate fires during recent weeks. The White Birch Inn Café was struck by fire on October 12, and the Hi-Way Cleaners building on October 19. Mr Brinley said he has determined each building is structurally unsound. In each case, he said, the repair costs would be prohibitive.

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Richard Crafts’ attorney Daniel Sagarin asked Judge Howard Moraghan to suppress all evidence gathered from what he termed, “ill-gotten fruit from a poisoned search” of the Crafts’ home. Mr Sagarin told the judge in Danbury Superior Court, October 28, that some of the five search warrants issued in the Crafts case showed no probable cause of the alleged murder of Mr Crafts’ wife, Helle, who has been missing since November 19, 1986, and the state claims was killed by Mr Crafts and then put through a wood chipper.

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The ninth annual Newtown Bridle Lanes Frost on the Pumpkin Hunter Pace last Sunday drew the largest number of entries ever recorded in NBLA history. A total of 99 teams and approximately 230 horse-and-rider combinations completed the well-manicured course, marked by a variety of coops, stone walls, and natural jumps. The Pace started from Joan Graham’s Windover Farm on Mt Nebo Road and proceeded through the properties owned by Kevin Williams, Arthur Bennett, Don Bryant, Mrs Silver, and Bob Holmes.

November 2, 1962

The Lions Liberty Bell program is rapidly becoming an American and World institution, and so vital now after seeing the antics of totalitarian Communists. On Election Day, November 6, members of the Newtown Lions Club will ring the bells in Trinity and St John’s Episcopal Churches each hour from 10 am until 5 pm, to remind the citizens of their religious and political freedoms.

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The Newtown Board of Education will hold an open meeting in the high school on Thursday, November 8, at 8 pm, to initiate a comprehensive planning study of the need for additional school facilities in Newtown. Interested citizens are urged to attend. The board states: “At the present rate of growth, existing schools facilities in Newtown will be overtaxed by 1964 and plans must be made to provide for additional facilities now! … A site committee last year screened and selected several tentative site for a new school in a separate building housing four to five hundred students…”

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Another step in the Main Street trees planting program was taken Tuesday when the committee working with the Chamber of Commerce convened to discuss future plans. In addition to 23 flowering dogwoods and sugar maples to be planted by the State Highway Department, the plan calls for about 40 trees of various flowering species to be planted on Main Street in the grassy areas between sidewalks and the paved portion of the street.

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A capacity crowd filled the Cyrenius H. Booth Library when Mrs Douglas Rathburn, bird chairman of the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, spoke about bird sanctuaries for every community. She noted that Garden Club members through their coordinated committees should offer their knowledge and help in any way possible to all other interested groups in the community, especially to the town officers, thus making it a joint over-all project benefiting the entire community.

October 29, 1937

Grace Moore, celebrated opera, movie and radio star, has bought from George E. Waldo of Bridgeport, his attractive 9-room salt-box house, located in Zoar district. With the property also goes over 200 acres of cleared and wooded land, with a trout stream. Miss Moore expects to take possession within a week. The house is furnished with Connecticut antiques, and is one of the oldest houses in Newtown.

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On Saturday afternoon the members of the Newcomers’ Club met at the Cyrenius H. Booth library, when the president of the club, Rev Dr William Northey Jones, presented to Arthur T. Nettleton, president of the library, one for the etchings, “Route 67,” by Martin Lewis, noted etcher of Walnut Tree Hill district, Newtown. Mr Nettleton accepted the gift in behalf of the library, where it will be hung.

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Editorial Ink Drops: Those who have noticed the new dress of paint being applied to the Methodist church in Sandy Hook, have probably been pleased at the improvement, and yet have given little further thought to this venerable building. The present church building, the records state, “was built by N.C. Lewis in 1850 at a cost of $3,300, of which about $1,000 remained unpaid until 1859.” To one who has observed with any sort of a discerning eye, there is a style of architecture about the building which very much merits preservation and restoration. The present fund for repairs has reached proportions which allow the repainting, but there is still need of replacing sills in the foundation and other timbers.

Good Luck dropped in at the Parker House this past week. Two waiters, Theodore Moore and Ross Farrar were co-winners on the Irish Sweepstakes. Owing to the suggestion from Mr Moore that he share a ticket with him, Mr Farrar was equal winner of $1,900. The horse’s name was St Botalph.

 

November 1, 1912

Nearly every Jewish farmer who lives between Newtown and Long Hill turned out with his family, last Sunday, to greet Joseph W. Pincus, editor of “The Jewish Farmer” and Secretary of the Federation of Jewish Farmers of America. The large and spacious dining hall in the home of Harry Garder where the meeting took place, was filled with men and the women were made comfortable in the rooms adjoining. Mr Pincus spoke on “The Progress of Jewish Farmers in the U.S. and Canada.”

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Some motorists show very little sense. A heavy touring car, in the downpour of rain, Wednesday, managed to get around the barricade across the road at Mrs M.S. Otis’ place, and proceeded up over the new fill on the state road job, until the wheels sank into the soft mud. After a time, they backed down the hill and went around by Queen Street.

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Mrs Hattie Cajoe, while getting on a train at the Hawleyville Depot, recently, had the misfortune to slip and fall quite badly injuring one of her limbs. Dr Gale was called and looked after her injuries and she is now gaining nicely.

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The rally of the Holy Name Society held Sunday evening in St Rose’s church, was attended by a large body of men. The object of the society is to repress the habit of cursing, swearing, the use of profanity, and immoral talk in all different ways. Rev Father Thomas Mulcahey of St Mary’s church, Bridgeport, addressed the members of the society. He preached a strong and forceful sermon and showed the evil effects that followed the careless use for the Lord’s name.