June 25, 1993

JUST MISSED A BIRDIE: Jim Murray rolled a putt toward the hole while members of his foursome - Brian Daly, Fred Gilbert, and Mike Snyder - encouraged it to go in. The effort failed, but the group and many other local golfers enjoyed themselves last Monday at the Jack Friel Memorial Golf Tournament benefitting Newtown Scholarship Association. Twenty of this year's graduating seniors will receive scholarships amounting to $32,000 this year, and more than $100,000 will be awarded to Newtown students all told.

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Residents living in the vicinity of a proposed car wash on South Main Street told Planning and Zoning Commission members on June 17 that building a facility there is a bad idea. Developer Brian Corson wants to build an automated car wash at 109 South Main Street near Simm Lane. Anne Daly of Appleblossom Lane presented a petition signed by 22 people opposed to the car wash. Concerns included traffic problems, icing in the winter, and poor air quality due to many idling engines. Speaking on behalf of the proposal, engineer Larry Edwards, who represents Mr Corson, said that car washing equipment at the facility would recycle and reuse water. Land use values in the area would not be affected by the presence of a car wash, he said.

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After our front-page photo last week of the misspelled state highway sign on Route 6, the State Department of Transportation replaced the sign with one that had the correct spelling of Newtown. Meanwhile, at the Newtown landfill, officials took delivery of new dump stickers for residents, and yes, the town was again spelled "Newton." The printing company was, at press time, rushing new stickers with the correct spelling to the landfill for distribution.

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A Garner Correction Institution guard was admitted to Danbury Hospital last week with serious head injuries after he was blindsided by prisoners while he was on duty in the high security prison, according to state police. Correction officer Davis Csay was on duty in cellblock C when he was assaulted by unknown inmates. Mr Csay was attacked from behind. At the time of the attack, about 35 of the block's inmates were out of their cells for recreation activity. Mr Csay was working at a cell door and had his back turned when he was struck. He fell unconscious after receiving a gash in his forehead. State police said they are continuing their investigation in the attack, a second-degree assault.

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The Planning and Zoning Commission has approved site development plans for the Bee Publishing Company printing plant on Commerce Road. P&Z members approved construction of a 10,000-square-foot facility at 17 Commerce Road. The plant is proposed for a 2.2 acre sloped lot near the end of the dead-end street in industrially-zoned area.

June 28, 1968

About 1,600 people accepted the invitation of Ivan Sorvall Inc on Sunday, June 23, to celebrate the opening of a new addition to Newtown's plant on Peck's Lane. Mrs Sorvall, president; Norman Christensen, vice president; and other executives welcomed guests, and 15 guides were needed to show visitors the handsome plant, now doubled in size by the addition. Sorvall, whose products are used in medical research, started in New York in 1934. The company later moved to Norwalk where the plant had 16 employees. In 1965, expansion required another move to Newtown. Now some 300 employees are on the payroll in Newtown and Norwalk.

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For the second year, fireworks will be the highlight of the Independence Day celebration on July 3 at Dickinson Memorial Park. The fireworks will again be presented as part of the Newtown Progress Festival, which will include the annual Labor Day Parade. Chief Lee Glover of Newtown Hook and Ladder will be responsible for fire safety. After 6 pm traffic will be one-way south on Elm Drive, so to reach the park cars must enter Elm from Sugar Street. After the program, cars must exit onto Route 25. No cars will be admitted to the park without a current park sticker, and since parking is limited, residents are urged to carpool where possible.

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On Sunday, June 23, people came from near and far to see the Newtown Jaycees Second Annual Horse Show. The show was at the 4-H fairgrounds in Bethel and a highlight of the day was the presenting of the championship trophies. The Paul S. Smith Western Equitation Trophy went to Jane Soule of Kent. The Harvey Hubbell 4th Open Jumper Championship Trophy was presented by Mr Hubbell and his son to Susan Peterson of Stratford. The Charles Batchelder Equitation Trophy went to Charlene Leonard of Cheshire. Another interesting point of the day came during the open hunter state competition when Marichu Flagg took first prize, beating out her father Peter Flagg, who took third. Both are from Middletown.

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Releases have been reaching us all week from various sources, urging motorists to exercise extra caution as they drive on the highway on the Fourth of July and the weekend to follow. Reams of releases pleading for safety should have some effect... We certainly hope so, but carelessness and the willingness to take chances seem to be inborn traits with many people. Therefore, deaths on the highways are just as certain as the attitude of mind held by many drivers that accidents will happen, but always to the other fellow... We would like to compliment First Selectman Timothy Treadwell for instructing Newtown officers, when they find children playing in the street, to stop and escort the children home and with instructions to the parents to keep more careful watch on their youngsters.

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LET IT BEE KNOWN THAT... Contrary to rumors, the White Knight has not been seen in town. It is Hook and Ladder Chief Lee Glover on his Honda. Abby Allen put a new pair of shoes on John Kay's horse. Newtown's young industrial realtor Bill Dudde received a birthday party at Hawley Manor on Friday. Jerry Velthuizen is lighter after having a piece of metal removed from his finger. Hope the Sandy Hook school sign will be up by September. A group of Girl Scouts had a party at the Osborne home on Zoar Road.

July 2, 1943

A reminder goes to the PTA members and other friends of the School Lunch Project. Do not forget the school lunch when harvesting and canning vegetables and fruits. Notify Mrs R.S. Watkins if you have surplus product that could be canned. Put aside one or two jars of each dozen you put up yourself for a house-warming gift to the lunch project next September.

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VICTORY POTATOES - 26 ACRES OF THEM! The Bee hesitates to turn its readers green with envy, but here is one of the finest fields of potatoes in these parts - and a real Victory Garden. Those responsible are Lester Reynolds, Walter Shaw, Joe York, and Mike Fauls, who in the spring leased from Theodore Becker the Bridge End Farm of the Anthes estate, along the Housatonic River. They started plowing on April 16, and by dint of hard work and good management now have 26 acres of flourishing green mountain potato plants. It is an AAA project arranged through the Fairfield County Farm Bureau. Lester hopes it won't take potatoes from all 26 acres to put back this winter the 30 pounds he has dropped off so far. The others hope so too! Congratulations to all four for their work on the food front.

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There is at present a new kind of demon driver on the highway. Although he may not recognize his own destructive power, he is the sleepy defense worker, who at 3 am after a long shift in a hot factory, steps on the gas in his hurry to get home, and then dozes off. Meanwhile his car leaves its chartered course and mows down fence posts, jumps ditches, or just plain smashes into a car coming in the other direction. Route 25 from Bridgeport to Danbury has been the scene of several such accidents in recent weeks, and The Bee thinks it is time something drastic is done about it. We believe the day will come when even the least concerned town official and the most miserly taxpayer at the end of the least travelled road will wake up to the situation.

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I wish to thank all of my friends for their kind remembrances while I was in the hospital, especially the firm and coworkers of Upham Food Products. -Helen Beck.

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Earl Knapp, who has been enjoying a seven-day furlough with his parents, Mr and Mrs George Knapp of Walnut Tree Hill section, returned to Fort Dix, New Jersey, on Sunday.

June 28, 1918

On Wednesday afternoon, in the company of a friend, Dea Henry P. Mitchell, the editor enjoyed a carriage ride over the Zoar hills to the site of the great dam which is to be built across the Housatonic River, a quarter of a mile below Zoar Bridge. Dea Mitchell narrated an interesting story of his boyhood. When about 15 years old he started one cold winter day with his father, Amos Mitchell, from their home in the Purchase, Southbury, to drive two pairs of steer to a butcher below Ansonia. They followed the river road to Derby and then to Ansonia. When they arrived there the butcher had so many cattle on hand he decided not to take Mr Mitchell's cattle. So about 6 pm they started to drive the cattle back to Southbury. It was a cold bitter night and Dea Mitchell says he shall never forget the experience They made their way back as far as the Lee place on the river road, where they put up for the night. But to return to our Dam story. At arriving at the office of J.A. Crisfield Construction Company, it was our fortune to meet Mr Crisfield who gave his guests adequate ideas of the mammoth project his company has on hand. The task of removing the bodies from the old cemetery south of the church to the newer cemetery on the hill has been completed by John Downes. A new graveled road has been built leading uphill to the cemetery. Here we found Mr Downes busy building the foundations for the monuments. When the dam is completed and the lake is flooded, the level of the water will be 60 feet below the new cemetery and about 200 feet distant.

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The ladies of the Newtown Red Cross would like the use of another sewing machine. If any person has one they are willing to lend, they will kindly notify Mrs E.B. Allen.

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Three small boys named Rosenberg, Schimelman and Feltzein were arrested by state police for an appalling piece of vandalism committed in the Huntingtown cemetery on June 14 and 15, when 38 stones and monuments were overturned and some of them broken. They confessed to the wicked deed, and are going before Justice McCarthy Friday. It is the worst piece of vandalism ever committed in this town. The parents of the boys are now very anxious to settle with officers and the cemetery association. They now begin to realize the enormity of the crime committed by their sons.

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Thomas Carey returned to work Wednesday at the Fabric Fire Hose plant after being laid up for several days by illness.

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James O'Connell, farmer for attorney C.G. Morris, was taken to St Vincent's hospital last Friday by Dr W. H. Kiernan where he was operated on for appendicitis.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 Road to be scanned. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date.