Turning Back The Pages

100 years ago — December 1924

Mr. Walter Angus of Taconic got the surprise of his life on Tuesday evening. While Walter went for the evening mail exactly 50 of his neighbors and friends took quiet possession of his home, and were awaiting him when he returned. It is needless to add that he was thoroughly surprised, although everyone else in the community knew all about it. He soon recovered his poise and proceeded to enter into the very happy entertainment that followed. Cards were played, dancing was indulged in and there were games for the smaller members, while each and everyone made short work of the excellent refreshments. The event was given just previous to Mr. Angus departure for his old home in Scotland, where he expects to spend a six week’s vacation. He sails next Saturday from New York on the Carmania and his many friends presented him with enough good cigars to last him over several trips to Scotland.

Last Saturday night Carlo Zanetti of Lime Rock came home in an ugly frame of mind, and abused and struck his wife. She sent word to her brothers, Louis and Angelo Beerti of Torrington. They came Sunday to reason with Carlo and persuade him to be kind to his wife. He resented their interference and a struggle ensued in which Carlo grabbed a carving knife, and Angelo received a slight cut on one thumb. “Big Jo” came in at that time and relieved Carlo of the knife and took him from the room. The next day, Monday in court, Justice Tuttle found Carlo guilty on two accounts for assault and sentenced him to 30 days on each count, 60 days in all, and costs of $15.01. In view of the needs of his family for his support, the jail sentence was suspended on his promise under oath that he would go home and behave. Lawyer J. Mortimer Bell prosecuted the case.

Mr. Ralph Ayer of Torrington, well known here, died at the Hartford Hospital, following an operation on Nov. 28th. Mr. Ayer was state milk inspector and well known in this section. His age was 48, and he is survived by his wife, his parents, three brothers and one sister.

Mr. William Conklin of Salisbury was a visitor at the Journal office last Friday morning. Mr. Conklin will be 90 years of age in February and is remarkably sprightly and keen minded. Last summer he attended all the base ball games and says he expects to do the same this year. He was keenly interested in the new Linotype at this office and remarked upon the strides that machinery had made in his time. He talks interestingly of past events and remembers clearly the prize fight between Yankee Sullivan and Morrisey at “No man’s land” in Boston Corners years ago. He was but a lad at the time, and like all lads he climbed a nearby tree to see the fun.

Howard Paine is with his mother, Mrs. Bulman, and is nursing a sprained ankle.

The Falls Village Fire Department has been organized with twenty-two active members, with I.N. Hanson, chief; C.A. Maynard, captain; H.S. Beebe, lieutenant; E.L. Ferguson, secretary and treasurer. The Falls Village District has purchased a Reo chassis equipped with booster tank, pump, 100 feet of chemical hose, and 1,000 feet of fire hose. More equipment will be added later.

The new steam heating plant at St. Mary’s Church is completed and is giving great satisfaction.

Radio certainly brightens up the home. If you don’t believe it Mr. Radio Fan just look at your electric light bills.

Ten teachers of the Lakeville and Ore Hill public schools were entertained by Mrs. A.E. Bauman at her home last Thursday evening. The evening was most pleasantly passed with games, refreshments, etc.

Peter Flynn recently became the owner of a large ham, of which he is exceedingly proud. Pete is certainly no cripple at the table, especially when there is home cured ham to be eaten.

Betty, the little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Sylvernale, is very much better after trouble with an abcess in her ear.

Miss Josephine Bauman while coasting down Bostwick Hill last Thursday evening was thrown from her sled, striking a tree. She received a blow on the head and bruises about the body, being confined to the bed for several days following. She has practically recovered from her injuries.

50 years ago — December 1974

Two Housatonic Valley Regional High School student publications will run this year as supplements to The Lakeville Journal, it was agreed Tuesday night. The HVRHS Board of Education approved the arrangement for The Northwest Corner, the school newspaper; and for The Acorn, a literary magazine. Previously The Northwest Corner has had a press run of 350 copies, sold mainly at the school. The Acorn, published once a year, has had a slightly smaller circulation, with copies sold at the school and in some stores.

Sharon selectmen voted this week to accept Salisbury’s offer to share use of a solid waste transfer station and recycling center, effective mid-1976. Until then, Sharon officials said, they would plan to continue paying another neighbor, Amenia, $22,000 per year for use of the Amenia landfill.

After 30 years of sharing a law office with G. Campbell Becket, Lakeville attorney Thomas R. Wagner will move his office to larger quarters next Monday on the second floor of the building newly renovated by the Litchfield Savings Bank. The two attorneys have never been partners in a formal sense, although they have conducted their practices under the joint name of Becket & Wagner. Both men emphasized that their decision to occupy separate quarters does not affect the warm personal relationship that they have maintained for many years.

Andy Gandolfo, sales representative of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company’s Torrington office, recently exceeded $1 million in life insurance sales during the year of 1974. Mr. Gandolfo joined Metropolitan Life in February of 1974 and achieved these sales results with less than 10 months of company service. He is married to the former Carol Millard of Norfolk and is a life-long resident of Canaan.

Clifford Wohlfert of Canaan will open a new barber shop, the Cutter’s Cabin, on Railroad Street this weekend. The shop will offer a full range of services from conventional haircuts to the latest in men’s hairstyling.

The Canaan Housing Authority capped three years of dogged work last Thursday when they held the ground-breaking ceremony for the 40-unit housing for the elderly project. The project, to be called Wangum Village, will be located off Quinn Street.

Canaan First Selectman Leo Segalla said Tuesday that footings have been poured for the new town garage on Whiting Drive. “If we have any kind of weather we ought to be able to get the building before too long,” he said. Mr. Segalla said the new town garage will be larger than the one destroyed by fire in November. It will be built with cinder blocks rather than wood and will be 115 feet long and 48 feet deep. It will have seven bays with 12-foot overhead doors.

A third fire at Housatonic Valley Regional High School is still under investigation by state police, according to school vice principal Richard Alto. A small trash barrel fire started in a boys’ lavatory at the high school on Dec. 4 and was reported by a student. Custodians extinguished it quickly. Although this was the third fire in the last three weeks, Mr. Alto said it was “more apt to be carelessness” than the other two fires.

25 years ago — December 1999

Those walking through Treva King’s science room at Sharon Center School may notice a new addition to the room’s animal family. As of last week, the school has a pet hedgehog. The hedgehog, appropriately named Spike, arrived by car from Decatur High School in Indiana last week. Spike lived in the school for a year before the Rubino family helped to bring him to Sharon. Like all the other animals in the room, Spike has been donated.

LAKEVILLE — ITW Insert Molded Products is moving along smoothly with the construction of an additional manufacturing facility, to be located behind the existing factory at 194 Main St. The new facility will measure approximately 12,000 square feet.

CANAAN — The Board of Selectmen voted this week to accept an offer from Northeast Towers Inc. regarding the town’s use of the new communications tower. The town’s public works radio equipment will be moved to the Church Hill tower erected by Litchfield County Dispatch.