March 29, 1985

The results of a preliminary survey of Newtown Congregational Church members reveal that the majority favors consolidating its facilities on the former Yankee Drover property. Members were split regarding preserving the present historic sanctuary, which was built in 1816 and modified in the 1840s, or building a new one.

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At the first meeting of the Emergency Operations Planning Committee on March 26, members said the committee should prepare plans for handling “everyday disasters” such as the February 7 gasoline spill at Oberg’s Village Texaco on Church Hill Road. The town’s 1973 emergency operations plan dealt with such disasters as nuclear bombing and an earthquake, but committee members said it did not deal with more probable disasters.

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Marsha Ismailoff Mark, artistic director of the Malenkee Ballet Repertoire Company, with 12 of her ballet students plus chaperones, left for a ballet study tour to the Soviet Union on Thursday, March 21 and will return Thursday, April 4. The dancers on the trip range in age from 12 to 22 years old, and ten of the students are from Newtown.

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The Conservation Commission on March 27 took the rare action of suspending the wetlands permit for an approved, 12-lot subdivision off Jeremiah Road. Two weeks ago, the developers were given a cease and desist order, which ordered them to stop silting Gelding Brook with the erosion from the subdivision road under construction.

 

April 1, 1960

Actual work was started on Monday on construction of the new post office building in the Queen Street Shopping Center. George F. Wheeler, who recently returned from spending the winter in Florida, has the contract and was on hand for the start of the work. He expects to have the building completed by August, if not before. As soon as the building is ready for occupancy, Postmaster Albert Nichols and his staff will move the Newtown Post Office from the Edmond Town Hall to its new home.

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A Viennese, a professional caterer, an award winning home economist, a Parisienne, a native of the French Island of Corsica, a musician who was hostess to last year’s exchange student from Pakistan and two experts on church dinners have pooled their talents to further Newtown’s American Field Service Program. Excellent cooks all, they have planned a buffet dinner in the tradition of true French cuisine to lead off the first annual AFS International Night.

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Town Counsel Seth O.L. Brody has rendered a legal opinion upholding the action of the Board of Finance in applying school building fund surplus to the town’s general fund.

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Captain Richard B. Laning, USN, former commanding officer of the atomic submarine Sea Wolf, will be the speaker at the fifth annual dinner of the Newtown Chamber of Commerce. Captain Laning is presently on active duty at the National War College in Washington, D.C. At the time of the dinner he will recently have returned from a tour of the Middle East.

March 29, 1935

William A. Hunter of the Hawley Manor is making a very desirable improvement. He is expanding the dining room to the south and adding another gable to the ones already there. This will provide more dining space and will furnish a very attractive room for all his guests.

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A number of those interested in the study and collecting of postage stamps met last Friday afternoon and formed a club to be known as The Newtown Stamp Collectors. Anyone in Newtown or vicinity interested in this subject may join. A number of the members brought their stamps books with them and they proved very interesting; also, some “trading” was indulged in.

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Ground has been broken on South Main Street, above the home of Patrick Carroll, for a six-room Cape Cod house that Stephen Kovacs will build on the site recently purchased from Frank Strasburger.

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Mr and Mrs W.R. Tomlinson will conduct the Sandy Hook Inn, this year as usual, and opened on Monday for the summer business. Mr Tomlinson will sell gas and oil and Mrs Tomlinson will take care of the eating wants of all comers.

 

April 1, 1910

The Bee has been asked to give the history of the liberty pole in Newtown Street. Through the courtesy of Arthur Treat Nettleton, we give a copy of the original subscription papers used to raise funds. “We, the undersigned, for the purpose of erecting in a suitable location in the Centennial Year in the Town of Newtown, a Liberty Pole and to provide for the same the National flag, agree to pay into the hands of Henry T. Nichols, Esq, treasurer, the sum set opposite our respective names….” Newtown, June 20, 1870. Cash paid for Centennial Pole and flag: $20.00; Top Mast and expenses, 19.83; Edward and Carroll for labor, 10.60; Flag, 60.22; Timber, 2.00; Fire works, 10.00; Camp and Gay, 6.00; Paint, 3.00.

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A company of 50 men gathered at the Newtown Inn, Tuesday night, at the regular meeting of the Men’s Club to consider the various questions of interest to public-spirited citizens. W.T Cole thought the flag pole should certainly be put in some other place, rather than in the center of the square; W.C. Johnson said Commissioner MacDonald had stated that he would remove the pole to some other location if he had his way; Rev Mr George spoke in favor of maintaining the flag pole right where it is; H.N. Tiemann said “The place where it is, is where it should stay.” P.E. Abbott said he was in favor of the removal of the pole. Oscar Dikeman favored the removal of the pole.

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Thomas J. Cavanaugh of the Glen has about 200 bushels of Green Mountain potatoes in his cellar which are as fine a lot of potatoes as one often has the pleasure of looking at. Mr Cavanaugh raised last year between 700 and 800 bushels and the 200 bushels were selected especially for seed. He is now offering the 200 bushels for sale.

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A new steam shovel for the B.N. Beard Co, has been unloaded at Botsford. It is manufactured by the Thew Steam Shovel Manufacturing Co of Lorain, Ohio. It is to be put at work near Hobart Fairchild’s place and is to be used at various points on the State roadwork. The woodwork surrounding the boilers and engines is handsomely lettered.