April 17, 1992

More than 300 youngsters went out on a raw morning to toss a baited hook into Dickinson Park pool for the Children's Fishing Derby last Saturday, April 11. "It's cold," said John Arsenault, one of the organizers. "I'm surprised this many showed up." Children ringed the large swimming hole and cast their lines, sometimes with a parent's help. Newtown Fish and Game Club, which sponsored the event, stocked the pool with 250 trout and 148 of them were caught by the youngsters, including two big 19½-inchers.

***

The Federal Clean Air Act passed in 1990 will affect all of us, especially in relation to our use of the automobile. One of the act's goals is to reduce traffic congestion and the amount of pollution it creates. As a result we are likely to see more electric and alternative-fueled cars, improved mileage, and/or emissions of vehicles, and aggressive campaigns by companies and government to get people out of their single-occupant cars and into carpools and vanpools or public transportation. And many companies won't just be asked to mount these efforts, they will be required to do so. Because southwestern Connecticut is classified as a severe ozone nonattainment area, the state must develop a plan requiring companies in the region that have more than 100 employees to develop programs that increase vehicle occupancy among workers. Essentially, companies will have to encourage more of their employees to ride together to work.

***

Well, I don't know about any of you, but this week sure was a lot better than the one before. That time change really threw me for a loop - I was dragging myself around for a week before the metabolism in my aging body finally kicked in. The next time we have one of those time changes, maybe we should do what Hank Hjerpe does; whenever the time changes, Hank changes his appearance. Usually, he shaves that white beard of his whenever it's time to spring ahead, and he starts growing it back when it's time to fall back. I sure get a kick out of that Hank.

***

A Letter From The President! Members of Lenore Niedzielski's third grade class at Head O' Meadow School wrote letters to President Bush expressing some of their concerns, and received a response. Concerns raised included complaints about Governor Weicker's and the state's new income tax to policemen who don't give tickets to persons in the fire lane at school. One girl suggested a foundation be created to protect wild animals from hunters. "Newtown is a Colonial town, and if you want to keep the wildlife in it, you have to do something!" she wrote. "Dear Students: Thank you for your message and for your words of support. I am always delighted to hear from my young friends. I want you to know that your letter means a lot to me. Learning that young citizens, like you, are taking an interest in our government certainly brightens my hopes for the future. Mrs Bush joins me in sending best wishes to you. -President George H. Bush"

April 21, 1967

The heavy gravel trucks laboring up Church Hill Road this past week were reported by Resident State Trooper Sgt James Costello, bound for the plant being built for St Regis Paper Company in the South Center District off Route 25. The extensive fill required there is being transported from Southbury by several trucking companies.

***

Cold, rainy weather prevailed on Saturday's fishing season opener, but it failed to keep anglers from their favorite ponds and streams. The number of anglers checked on opening day by conservation officers and biologists of the board of Fisheries and Game was higher than the average, as was the recorded catch per angler. Stream fishing success was lower than normal on a statewide average, due to high, cold water, but the excellent fishing in many ponds more than compensated for this. The outstanding catch of the day was a nine and three quarter pound, 28-inch brown trout taken at Saugatuck Reservoir in Redding by Anthony Gallo of Bridgeport.

***

A news release from the state Highway Department announces that it is "Bottle Blossom" time again. It is the arrival of that season when the snow has disappeared and the winter's collection of discarded bottles and assorted junk comes plainly into view. Probably the motoring public will never learn to be neat and tidy. The habit of throwing trash from cars is both filthy and costly. Approximately 600 trucks and 1,800 men, according to the Highway Department, will be involved in clean-up operations along state highways this spring. On a four-mile section of Connecticut Turnpike where the average daily 24-hour traffic volume is 65,000 to 70,000 cars per day the cost of litter pick-up is about $50,000 per year. The matter of highways littered with bottles and junk is costly and degrading, to be sure.

***

Lt Col Edwin P. Leonard of Sandy Hook, recently returned from Viet Nam, will speak at the Edmond Town Hall Alexandria Room on Tuesday, April 25, at 8 pm. Col Leonard commanded the 310 Air Commando Squadron at Long Van Air Base, Nha Trang. He will share the program with a film documentary on the nation-building activities in South Viet Nam. The program is sponsored by the Jaycees.

***

Readers of The Bee will be interested to know the early history of the Gibson House in Sandy Hook (more recently called the Fredericka House) which is now being taken down by the Methodist Church. This old landmark's demolition is watched with much regret by many town residents. The location is the expansion site for the Newtown Methodist Church, once the summer home of the Gibson family. The Bee is indebted to Miss Emily Sanford for her most informative letter: In 1842, David Sanford, my grandfather, then one of the town's large property owners, presented this house as a wedding gift to his sister, Elizabeth Charlotte Sanford upon her marriage to Edmund Trowbridge Hastings Gibson, a New York stock broker. It became the summer residence of the family.

April 17, 1942

Last week, when there were seven calls for the Newtown Ambulance in addition to the field trial blackout, it was found that there is a need for more volunteer drivers. It will be appreciated by the Ambulance Association if volunteers willing to accompany the first aid drivers will offer their services, to serve as a second man in the vehicle. Volunteers need not be qualified first aid drivers. Names should be given to John Sedor as soon as possible.

***

That chronic ailment - late copy - has been bothering The Bee staff for the past few weeks. Of course, we expect that a few correspondents and advertisers will always be late, and we allow ourselves time to handle their materials. But when the volume of last-minute copy grows to present proportions, we feel that we must speak up - reminding everyone to be PROMPT (we'd like to say FOREHANDED). It is our aim to make The Bee the very best medium for local news and advertising. With YOUR help we can continue to merit such compliments as this note which came in Thursday's mail" "We do enjoy your paper so much. We also send it to our son now stationed in Bermuda. He is so grateful on receiving same."

***

Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Department members will hold another of their popular dances on Friday evening, May 1, at St Rose hall. The committee in charge has secured the Woodbury Boy Strummers' services to play for the round and square dancing. One of the evening's features will be voting on Queen of the May. This contest should attract considerable attention and a large attendance. Admission will be 50 cents. Proceeds will benefit Sandy Hook Fire Company.

***

One of the single largest highway grants in Connecticut's fiscal history will be portioned out, when the State Highway Department allots $2 million to town officials for use on unimproved roads. In accordance with the new dirt road grant provided by the last General Assembly. It will be distributed to the state's 169 towns "on the basis of total mileage of unimproved roads in each community." Newtown's share will be $70,000, heading the list with the largest amount granted any town, based on the largest amount of dirt roads. This sum is in addition to the yearly grant of $24,000. No plans have been announced by town officials about which roads in town will be improved.

***

Regret is felt by many over the fact that there will be no baseball team this year at Hawley School. Evidently it is a combination of circumstances, chief of which seems to be the war. Whatever the reason, it is our firm conviction that athletics and physical education are just as much a proper part of high school training as Algebra or Ancient History. A high school without a ball team in the spring is sadly lacking. The war is not so near at hand that it need prevent the healthy exercise which our Newtown boys should enjoy on the ball diamond. Nor is it out of order to suggest that learning to play ball will make them better able to play the game of life. There is need for them to play a better game than their elders are playing right now.

April 20, 1917

George Toby of Hawleyville lost his valuable horse "Bob" recently. Bob was some horse, noted for his sociability, having on many occasions visited in the homes of various friends and once followed a party across the four tracks at Hawleyville and into the hotel office.

***

Mistaken for a burglar, Dr D. Chester Brown was held up by Newtown officers in the early hours of Sunday. Dr D. Chester Brown, the eminent and popular Danbury surgeon, while returning from "preparedness" meetings in New Haven, was held up at the foot of Newtown Street by a constable who flashed a revolver in his face and wanted to know if he was the man who broke into Blackman's garage. Dr Brown came near running the constable down. The doctor persuaded the official that he was all right and went on his way to the City of Hats. Dr Brown now has a very deep respect for the ability and enterprise of Newtown's police force.

***

Louis B. Blackik, a member of Company A., First Infantry, was accidentally shot in the leg by a comrade Wednesday night in his quarters in Sandy Hook. Dr Kiernan, Dr Brown, and Dr English attended him at Danbury Hospital. His injury was considered a serious one.

***

Frank Wegee was arraigned before Justice McCarthy Wednesday, charged with running an auto recklessly and wrecking the carriage of Seaman Mead, on Tuesday afternoon, and the latter's daughter, Helen Mead, and Margaret Bradley, her guest, into the ditch. When put to plea he said not guilty. Helen Mead took the stand and testified she was driving down the state road and was on the right side when Wegee's auto came around the corner, crossed the road and ran into the rear of their carriage, overturning them. Ms Mead stated positively that Wegee was the driver. Ms Bradley testified that he appeared to be driving from one side of the road to the other. Mr Wegee acted very fresh in court and attempted to cross-examine the witnesses. When confronted with admissions he made to police in Danbury he did not know what to say. Justice McCarthy said he would impose a fine of $25 and costs, and would impose a bond of $250. It is a wonder that one or both girls was not killed. Justice McCarthy is to be congratulated for giving this man his desserts, and he might have gone further and committed him to jail.

***

Four well-known young men from Hawleyville attended the theater in Danbury, after which they bowled a few sets and then wended their way through White Street to the station, where after a short wait of a few hours they boarded their special train for home. They reached home in time for an early breakfast and to get on the job when the whistle blew.Please consider sharing your old photographs of people and places from Newtown or Sandy Hook with readers. Images can be e-mailed to kendra@thebee.com, or brought to the office at 5 Church Hill Road to be scanned. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date.