February 3, 1989

The final draft of the state’s Environmental Impact Evaluation repeats in four volumes what the November draft reported in one — that Newtown’s site is the “best fit” for a $46 million proposed jail. Newtown’s first selectmen and legal counsel have a different interpretation of the evaluation’s usefulness, however, and expect to begin analyzing legal remedies next week.

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Fifty-eight percent of 3,684 voters and taxpayers on Tuesday approved spending $150,000 to pursue a legal fight against the proposed jail. Voters in all three districts supported spending the money, which would be used to fund a court challenge of the state’s environmental report and the permitting process required to build the $46,000,000 jail on 115 state-owned acres.

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Town education officials and teachers this week are mourning the death of Edgar M. Rodrigues, the principal of Head O’ Meadow Elementary School and a longtime Newtown educator, who died January 30 at Danbury Hospital after a brief illness. Mr Rodrigues, 55, was the husband of Norma Bierce Rodrigues. Mr Rodrigues came to Newtown in 1967, and for the next seven years was principal of Hawley School. In 1975, Mr Rodrigues moved from Hawley School to Middle Gate. Then, in 1977, thanks largely to his efforts, Head O’ Meadow opened and Mr Rodrigues had been its one and only principal.

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The Eagle Hill Alcohol Treatment Center, a 56-bed facility located off Alberts Hill Road, was sold last month to an Illinois-based corporation, but the new executive director says there are no plans to make major changes at the facility. James Philbrick, who replaces William T. Moriarty, the director since the center opened in 1979, said that Parkside Medical Corp assumed ownership of the center as of January 1. Mr Philbrick said the operation at Eagle Hill, which is now known as Eagle Hill-Parkside, will remain largely the same. He did say, however, that he wants to place more emphasis on the areas of family care and intervention with family members. In addition to the 56 inpatients, Eagle Hill-Parkside serves hundreds of patients in an after-care program.

February 7, 1964

Rampant vandalism in the destruction and stealing of mailboxes has resulted in the apprehension of five Newtown youngsters claiming they had nothing better to do. Resident State Trooper Sgt James Costello said that beginning in mid-January, some 50 mailboxes in Newtown were damaged and that there have been a number of complaints from residents that their mailboxes have been stolen.

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Members and friends of Christ the King Lutheran Church, Newtown, gathered Sunday for ground breaking ceremonies for the parsonage to be constructed on the northeast corner of the church property on Mt Pleasant Road and Tory Lane. The building will be a four bedroom garrison Colonial designed by Robert Ryan, chairman of the Parsonage Building Committee.

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Fifty Boy Scouts from Newtown, Easton, Trumbull, Monroe and north Bridgeport will run a 31-mile relay marathon on Saturday, February 8, starting at the Edmond Town Hall and finishing in the office of Bridgeport’s Mayor Samuel J. Tedesco, to salute the beginning of national Boy Scout Week.

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Carl Fleischman, 15-year-old son of Mr and Mrs Conrad Fleischman of Sandy Hook, is both an unlucky and a very lucky boy. Last Thursday afternoon, Carl and a friend were walking on Riverside Road when they spotted some rabbit tracks and decided to try and trail them. Almost at the edge of the road, Carl tripped and fell, cutting his knee on a broken bottle. The cut was serious and the boys could not stop the bleeding. Joseph Tani, a member of the town crew, happened to be passing. He rushed Carl to the office of Dr James Silverman, where 19 stitches were needed to close the wound. Mrs Fleischman reports that Carl is doing as well as could be expected. Meanwhile, the question remains: what can be done to curb the thoughtless actions of litter bugs?

February 3, 1939

Fire Chief Hiram Hanlon of the Sandy Hook Fire Department was called to the home of a Sandy Hook resident on Wednesday morning, to rescue a child who had locked himself in the bathroom of his home.

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An enthusiastic crowd of boys and girls, men and women turned out Tuesday evening for Badminton at the Edmond Gym. Each Tuesday and Thursday in the future, there will be one basketball game from 7:30 to 8:30, followed by badminton, ping-pong, or other games for an hour or so. In this way, it will be possible to get some exercise each week in our excellent gym. The price for playing basketball or badminton will be 15 cents each night.

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There will be dancing at the Hawley Manor Barn after the basketball game this Friday evening, February 3. Everyone, old and young should plan to be present. Here is a chance to have a dance or two, play a game of ping-pong, and get a bite to eat, all for 25 cents.

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At the start of the evening, a short business meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was held. The matter of building a cabin at the Town Forest in Taunton district was discussed, and a committee was appointed to look into the matter. As the Newtown Chamber sponsors the local troop of Boy Scouts, it is contemplated to build a cabin suitable for their use, as well as convenient for the Girl Scouts or other local organizations who might care to avail themselves of it for outings or picnics.

 

February 6, 1914

Rodney P. Shepard, for several years the obliging and capable assistant to Postmaster W.M. Reynolds at the Newtown branch of the US Mail Service, has tendered his resignation. On Monday he embarked in business at the store of Henry Rupf, which he has leased. Mr Shepard will carry an up-to-date line for groceries, boots, and shoes, and will give special attention to the meat department. Mr Shepard by fair and honorable dealing, hopes to merit a share of the public patronage.

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The selectmen have made a necessary improvement at the Brick building, removing from the town and probate vaults the wooden partitions and substituting metal partitions and frames. The work is being done by the Art Metal Construction Co, of Jamestown, N.Y., and was completed on Wednesday.

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C.C. Rion picked up a pocket book on the stoop at Taylor, Curtis & Co.’s Wednesday afternoon, bulging out with bills. Some time later, he had the pleasure of returning it to the owner, A.W. Bassett, who naturally was delighted to secure his property.

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The fact that the Borden’s Condensed Milk Co. have put up no ice at the Newtown plant has caused the report to become current that the plant was to be abandoned April 1. Local business men and many dairymen have expressed the opinion freely that it would be a bad thing for the town to have Borden’s leave, as besides the loss of the plant it is feared their departure may have the tendency to lower wholesale prices in the Bridgeport market. The fact that the Borden’s pay promptly and take all the milk the dairymen make are factors in their favor.