April 3, 1992

A Sandy Hook man's quick thinking may have offered wildlife buffs the chance to see the first conclusive evidence of a mountain lion in the Northeast in more than 100 years. At approximately 8 am on Wednesday, March 25, Ernie Satmary was looking out the window, eating breakfast, when he saw an animal coming through the woods. "I thought it was a dog, but as it got closer I saw it was lanky and had a long tail," he said. "I thought it was a coyote, but saw it had the shape of a cat." Mr Satmary went to get his video camera. "It was exciting. I went through my room, then my brother's room, found the camera and finally found the film. Luckily it was just laying there, rolling around on the ground," Mr Satmary said. "I tried focusing on it through the window, but the camera kept focusing on the window so I opened the door slowly and went outside." Amazingly enough, he was able to film the mountain lion for about 10 minutes from 100 feet away.

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Baseball begins next week and the most coveted ticket this spring is the one that gets you into the new ballpark in Baltimore called Oriole Park at Camden Yards. It has been drawing rave reviews as a wonderful place in which to play and watch baseball. It is constructed like an old-fashioned park, so fans are closer to the players. There are red brick arches and the field has real grass. Natural sunlight brings out the color of the clay and orange feathers of the scoreboard's weather birds. The park evokes a simpler era, one in which the sports fan picked up his newspaper and read about the feats his heroes performed on the field.

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Happy Birthday to Moo. Among the surprises that Charles Ferris Jr received on his 90th birthday was the Jersey calf that Steve and Diana Paproski brought over for his amusement, as well as the approximately 60 friends and relatives at the party March 29. A longtime dairy farmer, Mr Ferris certainly is no stranger to young cows, and he clearly enjoyed this gesture from another farm family on Route 302.

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Newtown police are investigating the theft of 20 cases of spring bottled water belonging to a Sandy Hook resident. Sometime between the hours of 8 pm on March 25 and 6:30 am on March 26, an unknown person or persons reportedly took the bottled water from the side of the roadway on Hemlock Trail where it was delivered fro a resident. According to police officer Joseph Joudy, the water was valued at approximately $180.

April 7, 1967

Lakes, ponds, and brooks are now being stocked with brown and rainbow trout, according to Board of Fisheries and Game Director Theodore B. Bampton. "The big problem," said Mr Bampton, "is not putting fish in - but seeing that they are not taken out before opening day. And the major offenders are youngsters." He appealed to all anglers to abide by fish and game laws and especially asked parents to see that their children wait until 6 am, Saturday, April 15, before going fishing.

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Newtown is definitely to have one more doctor within the next few months and in all probability two more as well. Stanley Saperstein MD expects to relocate in Newtown in July, Dr Thomas L. Draper, Newtown Health Officer, tells The Bee. Dr Saperstein is an internist and is looking for suitable office space and living quarters here. Two other doctors are also expected and Dr Draper hopes he will be able to announce their names also. In 1965-66, Dr Saperstein held a third year fellowship in clinical renal disease at University Hospital, Boston City Hospital, and was an assistant instructor in medicine in 1966-67 at the Boston University School of Medicine, and in 1966 a staff physician at the Boston Veterans Hospital. He served in the Army from 1962-64.

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More than 100 people attended the Democratic Women's Club card party and auction Thursday, March 30, raising about $300 for the campaign fund. First Selectman Carl Schultz pledged continued efforts from the town and its citizens. "Our job now," he said, "Is to carry on the work we have started to improve our roads, institute a sanitary code, establish a road ordinance that is meaningful and economical. Promises we make will be kept and we will have a Newtown to be proud of at a price we can afford. Our tax load is down and we intend to keep it that way." He spoke particularly about the roads, extensively damaged by the snow, said to be 101 inches, and the frost and thaw.

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What's the catch? There isn't any. $1,639 is the suggested retail price at the port of entry for the VW sedan. The price includes federal excise tax and import duty. It also includes built-in heater/defroster, windshield washer, 2-speed wipers, front seat belts, adjustable bucket seats, back-up lights, emergency flashers, and side mirror. It's the price of the real thing, not a stripped down economy model. What else do you have to pay? There is one option that makes sense: matching leatherette upholstery for $30 extra. (Nearly everyone orders it because it eliminates the need for slipcovers.)

April 3, 1942

A Fashion Show and Tea, sponsored by the Women of Trinity church, will be held in the Alexandria Room Thursday afternoon, April 9, from 2:30 until 4 o'clock. There will be a showing of the new spring style of dresses, coats and suits of Olga Frocks, Inc, a prominent New York house, which will be modeled by local women. A full range of sizes will be shown. Mrs Karl Minor of Currituck Road is the Olga's Frocks local representative, having recently taken over the agency for this well-known dress concern. The public is cordially invited to attend. Tickets are priced at 35 cents.

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Shortly before 5 o'clock Wednesday afternoon, a passing motorist discovered smoke coming from a small building at the James Farrell property in South Center District. The motorist notified the family, which contacted the Newtown Fire Department. When firemen arrived the garage building was beyond control and a second building was ablaze. Lack of water hampered the firemens' work and their efforts were toward saving the large dairy barn, near the burning buildings. Besides the loss of two buildings, Mr Farrell lost a number of farm tools and an automobile truck.

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All women are interested in making some contribution to the war effort. A year ago we were working for the Red Cross and Bundles for Britain. This winter for Air Raid Wardens, for First Aid and Nutrition, as well as these other activities. What are our plans to be for the future? Particularly what can the 6,000 and more women who are working on organized programs in Extension groups do as their part to help win the war? We have come to the point where winning the war is the most important thing in the lives of each of us. On it depends our freedom of speech, privilege of living in a democracy with the rights of free people. We have been a long time getting to a place where we believe a foreign nation could interrupt our business, much less attack or invade our country. Since December 7, thousands of tons of shipping just off our coast have been destroyed by our enemies, and we know that our state with others along the coast is open to bombing attacks.

April 6, 1917

J.H. Ross of Bridgeport, driving a Ford car,  had his car turn over near Mrs Wickens' place Thursday morning. He was arrested by Constable Carlson, as he was under the influence of liquor. He was brought before Justice McCarthy and fined $25.

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In view of the local epidemic of small pox, local health officer Dr W.H. Kiernan wished

The Bee to state that any person having a rash should report to a physician at once. People who neglect to report such cases and needlessly expose their neighbors will be prosecuted by state health officials. An insurance agent from Danbury, Martin Green, came to the Bailey residence in Sandy Hook and broke quarantine. He was taken in hand by Health Officer Lemmer of Danbury, and vaccinated. Attorney James A. Marr has issued a warrant for his arrest. He was given the privilege of apologizing to Dr Kiernan, and the Bee understands that he has already done so.

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A very fine example of patriotic spirit of 1917 is shown by John R. Peck of South Center. Mr Peck has offered the use of his two large auto trucks with drivers to the local branch of the Home Guards to transport them to where duty might call anywhere in the state. Mr Peck and his two sons, J. Wesley Peck and James A. Peck, have also joined the Home Guards.

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Sheriff Beers' Packard auto got stuck in the soft mud of Huntingtown Sunday night. Five or six strong and sturdy lads took hold and shoveled dirt and mud until the sheriff was able to ride forth with a smile that didn't come off.

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.