Turning Back the Pages

100 years ago – August 1924

A party of state engineers have been surveying the Undermountain road.

James R. Melvin has finished painting the Amesville School house.

The first arrest of a motorist for defective brakes was made by State Policeman Ringrose at Sharon last week, when Elmore Clore of that place was before the court and received a fine of $1.00 and costs. Careless auto drivers would do well to look to the condition of their brakes, before they have to say “Good morning Judge.”

(Adv.) WANTED – A middle aged woman to care for two old people. No laundry. Good wages. Apply at Journal Office.

The former Parochial School building which is now used by several grades of the public schools has lately been connected with the water and sewer systems of the village.

The Chemical Co. was called this morning by an alarm from Lakeville Manor, the former convent. A forgotten pan of grease in the range oven created a smudge, but no damage resulted.

50 years ago – August 1974

Gasoline costs plenty any place you buy it these days. But an informal survey now shows a wide range – nearly 10 cents per gallon – in the prices charged by 48 area gas stations. Posted prices for “regular” gas ranged from 52.9 cents per gallon at one Amenia station to 60.9 cents at another New York dealership. For premium gas the price range was also 8 cents per gallon – from 56.7 cents to 64.7. No-lead gasoline was posted at 54.9 cents at one station and 64.7 at another.

Lieut. Charles Rust, a veteran Connecticut State Police officer, took charge at Canaan Barracks this week as Troop B’s fifth commander in less than four years.

Connecticut’s Democratic senior senator, Abe Ribicoff, acted out his customary political ritual in Canaan Monday morning. Ribicoff says he has started each of his campaigns at the Service Pharmacy ever since his successful gubernatorial effort in 1954.

Pfizer Inc. of Canaan was recently issued two permits permitting the firm to discharge water used in cooling and scrubbing operations into the Blackberry River in Canaan. The permits were issued by the Department of Environmental Protection. Pfizer removes limestone from an open pit quarry on Lower Road and processes the stone at a plant on Daisy Hill. The two permits allow the firm to discharge 43,000 gallons of water a day from the cooling operation into the Blackberry and 500,000 gallons a day from the scrubbing operation.

Canaan will soon offer a new service to its residents. The town crew will begin a twice monthly collection of brush as of Sept. 9. The brush will be chipped on the spot and the chips transported to the landfill area. The service will be available free of charge.

The Falls Village Conservation Commission appeared on the verge this week of granting its first permit under the town’s new inland wetlands regulations. The applicant is the Hartford Electric Light Company, who wants to replace its entire vintage 1916 transmission line and all towers along the 20-mile right of way from Torrington to the Falls Village hydro plant.

25 years ago – August 1999

Nationally-known consumer advocate Ralph Nader wants to know what state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has done about an inquiry into former Sharon Hospital CEO James Sok’s $500,000 severance payoff. Mr. Sok left Sharon Hospital in June 1998, and was reported to have been paid between $500,000 and $1.5 million in severance. His resignation from the hospital came after a vote of “no confidence” from the hospital’s medical staff. While his severance was actually around the $500,000 mark, to be paid off over several years, he was also given the 1995 Buick he had been using, up to $2,500 in legal fees and $10,000 a month for three months for him to be available for consultation.

The business section of Kent just became a little more pedestrian friendly, thanks to the Kent Garden Club. With the help of several volunteers, 12 park benches have been put in place up and down Main Street and by the Kent Green. By the week’s end, four more benches will be in place and the remaining benches should arrive soon.

Items were taken from The Lakeville Journal archives at Salisbury’s Scoville Memorial Library, keeping the original wording intact as possible.