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June 14, 1996
A referendum has been set for Wednesday, June 19 to decide the fate of the $ 29 million high school expansion plans and Hawley’s. More than enough signatures were collected in a petition last weekend to force a machine vote on the projects, which was approved at a town hall meeting on June 3 … Questions on the ballot will be the same as those approved at the meeting town: Allocate $ 24,922,000 for the high school project and $ 4,183,000 for the Hawley school, although it is not yet known exactly how much the elementary school project will cost.
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The Newtown Police Commission has chosen a current captain of the Bristol Police Department to become the new Newtown Police Chief. Following an executive session on June 9, members of the Police Commission voted 4-0 to hire James E. Lysaght, Jr, 47, to become Newtown’s senior law enforcement official. Mr Lysaght replaces Michael DeJoseph, who retired as police chief in March.
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Since 1977, Sandy Hook Elementary School principal Ron Vitarelli has usually been to work every morning, but last Thursday he arrived in a limo. The longtime director of SHS will be stepping down this month after nearly 20 years of service at Dickinson Drive School … The day started off fairly normally for Mr. Vitarelli who, along with his wife Marie, took off. woke up at their home in Middlebury and got dressed for work. But when the limousine driver showed up at the front door of the Vitarelli Residence, the regularity of the day started to become irregular … During the limo ride, Mr. Vitarelli enjoyed the coffee and donuts while admiring the many sites seen so frequently during his trips to school.
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Nothing could match last year’s Special Olympics World Games in Connecticut for pageantry, but the same joy and determination was seen among participants in the Connecticut Special Olympics equestrian competition on June 8 in Lion Hill Farm in Easton, Connecticut Megan Riley, 12, of Sandy Hook, who has only been riding for two months, attended the game with her parents Robin and Jack. They watched Megan ride Frosty, a gray pony, to a gold medal in horseback riding and a bronze medal in the trails. Megan, a fifth student from Sandy Hook School, participates once a week in the Therapeutic Riding Program at Stepping Stones Farm in Bethany.
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In light of the Planning and Zoning Commission’s intention to eliminate backyard lots in one-acre residential areas, builders and developers have submitted fast-paced residential subdivision applications for them. areas with such zoning. The P&Z plans to hold a public hearing on June 20 … P&Z members added the one-acre residential backlot zoning to the zoning bylaws last summer, but since then they have determined that such zoning creates excessively high building densities.
June 11, 1971
The lower room of the Yankee Drover Inn was packed with 110 friends and relatives of Clayton Lewis who came to a testimonial dinner hosted for him by the Newtown Bus Drivers Association on June 4th. Mr Lewis is retiring at the end of this school year after driving a school bus for the system for 45 years.
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Sandy Hook’s new $ 5,000,000 high school has been busy for a full school year and all is not well. The fact that there are serious issues that could cost a lot of money to fix was discussed at the June 8 Education Council meeting … The first issue is lack of ventilation, poor acoustics and a bad exhaust system in industrial arts stores … The second is, from a temperature point of view, the school works hot and cold … The third is a problem with the water system … As a result of the discussions, there was no decision taken by the Council except to call the meeting with Mr. Fodor [unidentified] as soon as possible.
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On May 28, Henry Paproski interrupted the milk route that he and his brother Sam started 35 years ago. However, milk is still the Paproski’s business with the operation of their large dairy farm on Sugar Lane.
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An abnormal storm hit the Bee area on Tuesday night, chopping down trees that brought down power lines in some areas, particularly Newtown and Brookfield in that section, and hopscotch to leave other towns nearly dry. One sad event was the thunder and lightning death of a well-known horse, Ward Eight, perhaps better known as the Connecticut Yankee. The barn was not hit, thankfully, but a particularly bright flash and a loud punch apparently freaked him out. He died in his cabin from a serious heart attack. Ward Eight had been stalled for some time at Open Gate Farm in Newtown.
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The fourth unit of The Bee’s Goss Community offset press arrived from Chicago last week. It is now installed and used for the first time, to print additional pages for this week’s issue. Weighing over 6,000 pounds, workers at Danbury’s Mariano Brothers Inc. removed the unit from the truck and placed it in the building as if it were just a pound of butter.
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Prefabricated cement girders were delivered and put in place on Tuesday at the bridge site for the new Highway 25 landfill. The crane has hoisted the pieces in place, and the structure will span the tracks and lead to the unloading area. main for city dwellers. In the meantime, all the rubbish that for so many years had been left in the Highway 34 area is being moved by the state and used for backfilling for the I-84 widening construction.
June 7, 1946
Two fun and entertaining evenings were enjoyed by the large crowd who attended Mardi Gras on Friday and Saturday nights at the Edmond Town Hall Gymnasium … the gymnasium had been transformed into a most realistic street scene in New Orleans, with concession stands arranged along the walls … At the western end of the gym, a realistic Showboat, “The Dixie Belle” has been painted in the most expertly manner. , aboard which local actors and actresses gave two moving melodramas each night.
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Clear skies and bright sunshine supported the awe-inspiring Memorial Day ceremonies that took place last Thursday morning at the Main Street Headquarters Soldiers and Sailors Memorial. The exercises were in charge of Charles Howard Peck, Sr, and Jr Post 308, VFW. About fifty members of the post and 20 other returning veterans, members of the auxiliaries, joined by scouts, marched from Edmond town hall to the site of the ceremony.
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Female teachers at Hawley School, assisted by Walter Los, played a softball game Wednesday afternoon after school against a high school team. Much to the astonishment of the professors and the dismay of the students, the final score showed the professors in the lead.
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Next Thursday evening, June 13, at 8:30 p.m., the Newtown Orchestral Society’s first concert in five years will be held at Edmond Town Hall. To celebrate this event, the Society succeeded in securing Percy Grainger, the world-renowned pianist and composer, as soloist … Mr. Grainger will perform with orchestral accompaniment Grieg’s famous and currently extremely popular Concerto in A minor.
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“Jack” Leavy’s Sandy Hook ball team continued on their winning streak on Memorial Day afternoon, when they played at Woodbury and won 8-3 behind masterful pitcher “Bud” Luckner, who had 17 strikeouts and allowed only 3 hits.
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The Regional Board of Education will meet with the Newtown, Southbury, Woodbury and Bethlehem Boards of Trustees at Southbury Consolidated School on Monday, June 10 at 8 a.m. to choose a superintendent for the recently unanimously voted Supervisory District advice.
May 27, 1921
The body of C. Howard Peck, son of Dr and Ms CH Peck, who died in France, was brought to Newtown for burial on Wednesday afternoon. The Rev. James Lasher and the Rev. WC Cravner from Flushing, NY officiated at the impressive service at Newtown Cemetery. John O. Pitzschler rang Taps as the body was lowered to its final resting place. A large number of former members of Roosevelt’s hospital unit were present at the funeral.
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Wesley Peck and Louis Pettit were in a serious accident on Saturday night when a Ford car they were driving overturned near The Bee’s office. Mr. Peck was thrown against the railing and sustained bruises to his chest and hip. Pettit was also badly bruised. Dr EL Kingman attended. Emanuel Braga and Manuel Freyer removed the car from the unfortunate men.
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The Parker House, formerly the Grand Central Hotel, officially opened to the public on the first of the week under the able leadership of WD Parker. Significant improvements have been made throughout the hotel. The large dining room was nicely redecorated, the side wall in French gray and the ceiling in white … In front of the house, a very pretty sign was placed with the words, The Parker House, and the land was quickly put in good condition.
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A very beautiful animation was given during the meeting of Pootatuck Grange, Tuesday evening, it was the night of the children. The program was under the able direction of talented author and poet, Mrs. Austin B. Blakeman, who has delighted Newtown audiences on previous occasions with the presentation of original contests.
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There will be some good horse racing on Memorial Day, May 30, summer time at the Danbury Fair Grounds, with a free gait for all, a 2.17 trot, a 2.30 trot and a gait of 2.30. Entrance 50 cents, war tax included.
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There is a remarkable real estate boom in the vicinity of Zoar Lake in Stevenson. John B. Downes sold a 100 acre parcel of land to the Bridgeport Star Summer Colony. Mr. Downes also sold in the section of the Greater Quarter bordering Lake Zoar 100 acres to Elmore & Hurd of Bridgeport. The aim of these latter parties is to develop settlements of Derby, Ansonia and New Haven on the territory. The section was named Housatonic Heights. A week ago, Sunday, there were four people buses from Bridgeport and about 100 automobiles in Stevenson looking at the new bungalow locations.
Your memories are the ones we want to share! Do you have photographs of people or places in the city from a bygone era? The Way We Were is the perfect landing point for your photos to be appreciated by Newtown Bee readers. Images can be emailed as attachments to editor@thebee.com, subject line: Way We Were photo. When submitting photos, please identify as many people as possible, the location and the approximate date.
AJ “Doc” Crowe and Martin Corbett of Corbett & Crowe at Sandy Hook are featured in their Sandy Hook store in this 1939 photo. According to information from Newtown 1900-1960, by Daniel Cruson, Crowe first came to work in 1904 for the Sandy Hook Drug Store operated by Betts & Betts. He joined forces with Corbett in 1909 to become Corbett & Crowe.
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