July 5, 1991

A customer service sign hanging in the Fairfield Hills maintenance garage seemed oddly prophetic Wednesday, when hospital workers were mostly absent in the first full day of government shutdown. "Poor planning on your part doesn't necessarily constitute an emergency on my part," read the placard. At presstime Wednesday, the state was without a budget and Gov Lowell P. Weicker Jr ordered a shutdown that affected 20,000 state workers.

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Like the state, the town entered its new fiscal year on July 1 without an approved budget. But the Legislative Council on June 27 adopted a resolution authorizing the town to make necessary expenditures for a period of 90 days, as is permitted under state statute. Department heads can continue paying existing staff members and make necessary expenditures.

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Resident Carlen Gaines said this week she had filed a complaint with state elections enforcement officials, requesting the investigation of a flyer that Susan Swaney distributed before the last budget referendum. Mrs Gaines believes Mrs Swaney violated a state statute by distributing referendum-related flyers that failed to list her address, although it did list her name. Mrs Swaney said if it was a violation, it was a minor technical violation she hadn't known about. "I am not going to lose any sleep over it," she said.

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The Chippers will open the backyard summer concert series at the C.H. Booth Library on July 12 at 7:30 pm. This talented acappella group is made up of young adults from Newtown who will perform a variety of popular and jazz songs.

 

July 8, 1966

Mrs Ruth Wing, Sandy Hook, is a very proud mother-in-law these days because her daughter's husband John Tobias is having his play produced at the Westport Country Playhouse. The title is "The Thimking Man," purposely misspelled.

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The Newtown Bee is a little more than 89 years old. When the first issue hit the stands on June 28, 1877, the four small pages of hand-set type printed on a Washington press represented a considerable publishing "first." Today's 52-page issue, complete with map, is a new milestone for the old Bee.

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Last Friday, July 1, near the crack of dawn Father Richard Losch, a counselor, six boy scouts, a canoe, an aluminum boat, camping gear, fishing equipment and cameras were somehow all packed into a truck and trailer and headed for Lake Moxie, Me. They will rough it for two weeks and do some exploring of lakes they heard about last year but were not able to do any discovery jaunts.

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WARNING is issued from the selectman's office that water from the Pohtatuck River should not be used to fill swimming pools. An outfit which has been selling pools in town has been filling them with water from that source, pumping water into a tank truck at the bridge over the river on Walnut Tree Hill Road. Water from that point is not suitable for swimming and in the interest of health must not be used for that purpose.

 

July 4, 1941

Escorted by state police cars, an Army convoy of over 300 trucks passed through Newtown on Tuesday on their way to Delaware. The men, all members of the Delaware National Guard, were returning home after a period of training at Camp Edwards. Units of the 198th Field Artillery were included in the convoy that passed through town most of the day.

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The Edmond Town Hall Theater was almost full to capacity Thursday evening when the Newtown Orchestra Society presented the third in its ninth season of concerts. The large audience received cordially the attractive program by a well-trained group of 55 players.

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Though recently confined to his home and unable to make his usual daily visits to the store, Newtown's popular "Pop" Morris was not forgotten on Sunday when he marked his 83rd birthday, and friends and neighbors took occasion to congratulate him on the event. L.C. Morris for many years has been one of Newtown's most valuable citizens. He has always been a good friend and popular acquaintance to many people.

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Grace Moore of Far Away Meadows of Newtown, will leave New York by plane on August 2 for a six-week concert tour of Latin America, starting with an appearance in San Juan, Puerto Rico, August 4.

July 7, 1916

William Craft was brought before Justice P.H. McCarthy Monday, charged with breach of peace and assault upon A.N. Newburn, night operator at the Sandy Hook Station of the Highland division. It appears that Craft and two others wanted to sleep in the station, but were refused permission. Craft, who is a colored person, entered the station several times and defied the operator to put him out. Craft struck the operator with a club, and was arrested. Justice McCarthy fined Craft $1 and sentenced him to five days in jail.

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On account of the fireworks on July 4, the managers of the moving picture show canceled their bookings for that evening in order to give all a chance to see the display. A good show has been arranged for Thursday evening at the Town Hall.

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Newtown had a safe and sane fourth of July, minus any exhibition of midnight rowdyism, for which the citizens rejoice. The day had a fitting close in the band concert in Sandy Hook by the Sandy Hook band and the accompanying fireworks.

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The high school entrance examinations for those pupils who have a second chance will take place on Monday, beginning promptly at 9 am. The Board of School Visitors met Thursday morning, for the purpose of submitting questions.

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.