April 30, 1993

The former Lovell's Garage at 1 Main Street is slated for demolition early next week. On the corner of Routes 25 and 302, the building has been a landmark in town since 1925 when it was built by Louis Lovell. He purchased the property in 1924 and acquired another five acres behind the garage in 1948. Harry Greenman began working for Louis Lovell in 1917 and later owned and operated the business known as Lovell's Garage until 1987. In 1983, the entire property was purchased by Bee Publishing Co., which intended to move its business from the Church Hill Road location. However, shortly after the purchase, it was found that the building would not support the weight of the presses and other machinery and half-ton rolls of newsprint used in the business. After realizing that the building would not serve his needs, Bee Publisher R. Scudder Smith said the use of the property had to be rethought.

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"We were watching a movie at the Hawley Manor Sunday and suddenly the lights flickered, and we heard a loud crash," said Colleen Gibbons, resident and Newtown Bee staff member. She was out in front of the building in time to see the remaining sections of a large maple across the street fall to the ground. The tree was in front of the home of Mr and Mrs Edmond Farrell, 20 Main Street, and it fell towards the road, disturbing power lines and blocking part of the road. Police and firefighters arrived at the scene. Fire trucks were used to block the road and later replaced by police personnel. CL&P was on the scene within the hour, and it was necessary to set a new pole. State highway crews were busy much of Wednesday cutting up the tree and hauling it away.

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An army of volunteers made home just a little sweeter for two Newtown homeowners on Saturday, April 24. Volunteers from AmeriCares Homefront painted the house inside and out. At one home, electrical work was also done along with kitchen floor renovations. Ida Rudman of Brookwood Terrace was delighted with activities. "All I can tell you is they are doing a terrific job," she said. Most of the work at the Rudman house was done by volunteers from Newtown Congregational Church. At a second site the Knights of Columbus were working along with volunteers from St Rose Church.

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CLEANING UP NEWTOWN: Linda Villafano leads a troop of youngsters along Blackman and Tunnel Roads, cleaning up roadside litter. Not only did the group clean up the mess, they sorted trash into several different bags so that some materials could be recycled. The Newtown Environmental Action Team sponsored the event. Altogether, 2.7 tons of garbage was collected by participants.

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The Society of Creative Arts of Newtown is sponsoring a pastel class taught by Kita Macon of Huntington. She is a prize-winning artist who has studied and taught painting classes all over the country. She will take students through a step-by-step to composition and painting. Classes begin on Tuesday, May 11, at Newtown Meeting House on Main Street and continue every Tuesday through June 15.

May 3, 1968

Dan Lufkin, new owner of Poverty Hollow Farm in Newtown, poses with Mayview Mariam Laird, registered Holstein cow who produced 24,595 pounds of milk, 1,010 pounds of butter fat in 305 days last year. Recently acquired in Pennsylvania, she is one of 50 milkers in the herd.

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Robert Shannon, former member of The Bee staff, was sworn in as Sandy Hook Postmaster on Tuesday, April 30, by Inspector Robert DeLong. "River" took over his new duties immediately and reported that things are running smoothly with "the help of a very efficient staff of wonderful people."

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Friends of Dr and Mrs Burke will be sorry to learn that both are in Danbury Hospital. Dr Burke is reported in fair condition after a fall, and Mrs Burke is in satisfactory condition after surgery.

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A record turn-out of Republican voters at the April 30 GOP caucus endorsed Timothy B. Treadwell as the candidate for first selectman in the July 16 special election. The crowd more than filled the Edmond Town Hall gymnasium. The vote was 407 for Mr Treadwell to 254 for Harvey Hubbell 4th, the only other nominee. Mr Treadwell had been appointed interim First Selectman, appointed April 22 by elected Republican town officers authorized by state statute to make such an appointment. Mr Treadwell had been recommended to the GOP officials by the Republican Town Committee for the appointment and was the committee-recommended candidate for the July election.

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The Newtown Little League begins the 1968 season on Saturday morning, May 4 at 10 o'clock at the Italian Community Center on Route 34 in Sandy Hook. Teams opening the season are the Platt Lumber Dodgers and the Treadwell Yankees. These teams finished one and two last year. In the afternoon game at 1 o'clock, the Rexall Red Socks will play the Sirois Giants.

May 7, 1943

SMALL TOWN PHILOSOPHER HAS GONE TO WAR: The Bee regrets to announce that its "Small Town Philosopher" - entitled, "Do You Ever Stop To Think?" - will no longer appear in the paper, at least "for the duration." Readers who have enjoyed these philosophical wanderings over the weeks for the past seven years, will be interested to know that the author has been The Rev Paul. A Cullens, pastor of Newtown Congregational Church. He is now too engrossed in his duties as US Army Chaplain to find time to continue.

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Sheep breeders of Fairfield County, who have greatly increased in number in recent months, will be much interested in the field day to be held at Fairfield State Hospital Farm, Saturday, May 8, 10 am. The affair is expected to draw a large attendance. The morning program will open with a sheep-shearing contest. Following the contest a demonstration of hand-shearing has been arranged. Those attending are asked to bring their own lunch, so that they can stay for the afternoon program which will include words of welcome from Lester Reynolds, farm superintendent at the Fairfield State Hospital.

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Mrs Fannie B. Edwards underwent an operation in Bridgeport Hospital on Tuesday for the removal of a splintered bone from her shoulder, received as the result of a fall on Main Street, two weeks ago. Mrs Edwards has suffered considerable pain since her removal to the hospital and her many friends trust that she will soon be able to return home.

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We note that Burt Hallock, on a first shot with a .22 rifle at a range of 200 yards, felled a huge bird believed to be a turkey buzzard, in a field in Woodbury Monday afternoon. The men, Frank Peterson and Hallock, believed at first it was a chicken hawk, possibly responsible for the loss of many chickens and pigeons reported missing here recently. The buzzard, uncommon in this area, has a wing-spread of 6 feet and weighs 10 pounds. Hallock is president of the Tunxis Rifle League in Woodbury.

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Ralph Loveland, Gunner's Mate, third class, who has been oversees for the past 13 months, has been enjoying a furlough of several days with his parents, Mr and Mrs Grover Loveland of Stevenson District.

May 3, 1918

EDWARD CARMODY PERFECTLY SATISFIED WITH THE ARMY: Dear Doretta: I am sure I owe you a letter today. Haven't written in over a week. Had a letter from Winnie today, also several from Hartford and New Haven. Received your date the 27th a few days ago. Am glad to hear Mr Benjamin was in town. Want to write him but I thought he had gone back to Baltimore. Last Sunday I had a few minutes to myself and had some pictures taken. They are cheap ones, but I guess you will agree that this life isn't doing me any harm. The pictures look much stouter than I am, however. I expect to have good ones taken later. I had a long letter from Collector Walsh and it surely made me feel good. He assured me that when I returned I would go back to the department, also Mr Byxbee wrote a four-page letter and told me of the doing in the states and in the revenue game. I surely am glad I came over here and the way things are breaking now. I am perfectly satisfied with the Army and wouldn't exchange for civil life as the war lasts on a bit. Well, I have to give up this type writer so will say Goodbye. Write soon, give my regards to the bunch. Edward M. Carmody.

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Pere Berggre, Hilding Gustafson, David Rich, and Joseph Bamph of Bridgeport, were arraigned before Justice P.H. McCarthy this morning, charged with starting fires without permission of the fire warden. It appears the party came up from Bridgeport Sunday, for early Sunday evening a fire was noted in the woods behind the Crowe & Keane Button factory. Messrs Francis Keane and Austine Conger went to the scene and found the four men with a roaring fire. Keane and Conger warned the men against kindling another fire. About 1 o'clock Monday morning, Fire Warden Conger discovered a fire on the property of David Switzsky, and suspecting the party, phoned Deputy Sheriff Beers who was soon on the scene and the four men were arrested. They pleaded guilty and were fined $5 and costs, amounting to $21.66, which was paid.

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Hughes and Chapman have just set a handsome double headstone for the late Philo Northrop and wife in the Berkshire cemetery.

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Julius Hartwig and Julius Hartwig, Jr, of Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., motored to Newtown on Tuesday.

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Edgar Hanlon's prize goat, "Maude," has a beautiful little kid, which he will christen "Clara Belle." It is said to be worth something under $985.50.Please consider sharing your old photographs of people and places from Newtown or Sandy Hook with The Newtown Bee 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.

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[naviga:img class="aligncenter wp-image-316850" src="https://newtownbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/way-we-were-April-27-2018-July-1984-Key-Rock-Road-structure-fire-WATERMARKED.jpg" alt="way we were - April 27, 2018 -- July 1984 Key Rock Road structure fire WATERMARKED" width="800" height="585" /]

Writing on the back of this Bee file photo, dated July 1984, indicates the scene is a High Rock Road structure fire.

-Bee file photo