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The Amity Star
A Weekly Newspaper Published at The Bethany Press
Litchfield Turnpike, Bethany, Connecticut
Telephone - New Haven 3-1682.
George D. Vaill
Editor & Publishser
Alice M. Vaill
Business Manager
Subscription Rates
One Year - 52 issues - $4.75
Six Months - 26 issues - 2.40
Three Months - 13 issues - 1.20
Vol. I, No. 12     Thursday, February 15, 1951

Editorial Comment
As though the local newspaper were an all-powerful court of appeal, administrative force, and police department rolled into one -- and we really aren't any of these -- we have received countless telephone calls and other messages from people who ask, "Can't you do something about the roads?" Our answer is that we can't do any more about them than the next citizen, but that we shall be happy to pass the complaints on in print, adding our own to reinforce the noise of protest.
The chief question asked is, "Why aren't the roads sanded earlier? Why do we have to wait a whole day, or longer, after a storm has stopped, before they get out with the trucks to sand heavily-traveled roads, especially school bus routes?"
The question is certainly in order. This has been a winter of comparatively little snow, so the road crews have not had to wear themselves out with extraordinary plowing. Why, then, is the sanding done so late? In what order are the roads sanded? The complaints seem to come from all sections of the area.
Letters from road authorities, answering some of these questions, will be welcomed by this paper.
Anonymous Communications
In the past few weeks we have received several unsigned communications -- some of them mild and pleasant, a few vitriolic and uncomplimentary in tone. That's all very well: regardless of the content, we are always happy to receive letters on any subject. But an unsigned letter might as well not be mailed, for it cannot be given serious attention on this end. If a correspondent wishes to have his name withheld from publication that's a different matter. His confidence will be respected, and his letter may appear over a fictitious signature. No letter will be considered for publication, however, unless we know who wrote it.

Communications
To the Editor:
Glad to see "The Star" flourishing and growing in size. When my subscription expires it will be renewed.
The story in "The Star" about the tearing down of the Luciani house stirs up certain memories. This was the third Sperry house. Occupants previous to its purchase by Mr. Luciani, were Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bond. I have pictures of the house while the Bonds were still living there, one with Mrs. Bonod standing in the yard. She was a direct Sperry descendant. The house at that time was unpainted and weather beaten. Another picture shows an ox-team in front of the house, with large milk cans in the cart. Mr. Bond told me they were the first large milk cans made to take milk produced in Woodbridge to New Haven.
Mr. Bond farmed the large tract of land connected with the house until he had an injury that led him to sell. He built a smaller house on Bond Road, where he lived with his family until he died. I have a picture of Mr. and Mrs. Bond sitting on the porch of their later home.
The first Sperry house stood close by the road where the Amity Road drops down the hill to the level of the market gardens, just at the foot of the hill where a barn now stands.
On the rear wall of Center church, New Haven, are two badly-worn tablets, one for Theophilus Eaton and the other to Steven Goodyear. They were in the group of merchants and others who came from England with the Rev. John Davenport and settled in what became the New Haven Colony. Rev. Davenport was the first pastor of Center church, organized in 1638. Eaton became the first governor of the colony and Goodyear the first deputy governor. Both names appear on the first list of Center church members.
Either by grant or purchase Mr. Goodyear became owner of a large tract of land which included the land of the Luciani farm. Richard Sperry was his farmer. Mr. Goodyear returned to London where he died in 1658. The story is that he owed Richard Sperry for labor, and he was given a deed of the land in payment.
Jotted down these few notes thinking you might find them useful sometime. I have some pictures of old Bethany houses, and when I have chance to come up and make a call, will give you the names of them.
John M. Morse

Bethany Notes --
(Continued from page 1)
Road. Others present were: The Reverend Robert Calhoun, Dr. and Mrs. Edward Wakeman, Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Abell, Mr. and Mrs. David Calhoun, and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wakeman.
Mr. and Mrs. Albert D. Colton, now living in the Woodward house on Fairwood Road, will move on Friday to Quonset Hut #57, Central Avenue, West Haven.
The Well-Child Conference will hold a Dental Clinic on three successive Wednesday mornings, February 21 and 28, and March 7, in the Clark Memorial Library. Fluorine treatments will be given to three- and four-year-olds who were not treated at the clinics last spring. Appointments for the treatments must be made before Monday, February 19. Please call 3-1497.
The Jolly Juniors 4-H Club will meet on February 20 at the home of Anitra Sarno on Porter
(Continued on page 3)

The Star Reporter
When we went to the home of Frank W. Smith the other day to get the picture which appears elsewhere in this issue, we spotted another "Drake's 1860 Plantation Bitters" bottle. Mr. Smith said he used to have some Uriah Clinton soda bottles, too.
As we were leaving his house, Mr. Smith placed in our custody a small box of papers which, he said, concerned some former residents of this area -- which we might use as we saw fit. The box seems, at first examination, to be a goldmine of local history -- or the history of one family, at any rate. It contains deeds dated 1780, covering the transfer of lands in Bethany Parish; bills for coffins, shrouds, and gravedigging; sermons, prayers, and so on -- dating from the early 19th Century through the late '60's. After we have had an opportunity to examine them more closely and arrange them in some logical sequence, you shall hear more about them.
One item we shall give you now, to whet your appetite: it appears in the form of three documents written in the same hand and identical except for signatures and other subscriptions; it reads --
To the friends of Humanity
You are invited to consider the condition of Eunice and Sally Kingsley who are industrious and frugal in their habits and would support themselves very comfortably if they could keep themselves warm in the winter. But their house is to [sic] open and they feel unable to plaster it without the aid of charity. And we whose names are hereto subscribed agree to pay the sums annexed to our names for the above purpose to .....
Then follows, on each sheet, a different collector's name, with place and date. These are:
Enoch Sperry, Woodbridge, March 9th, 1844
Andrew Beecher, Bethany, Mch 16th/44
Kneeland Downs, Bethany, Mch 16th/44
The documents are apparently in Andrew Beecher's handwriting. He and Enos Sperry subscribed 75 and 25 cents, respectively. Enoch Sperry had better luck collecting in Woodbridge. He lists:
Charity Baldwin -- 50 cents
Easther [sic] Baldwin 2nd -- 50 cents
Esther Baldwin 1st -- 50 cents
James J. Baldwin -- 1 dollar
Mahitable Baldwin -- 25 cents
Garwood M. Baldwin -- 25 cents
Patty Chatfield -- 25 cents
Mary F. Peck -- 25 cents
John Andrews -- 50 cents
Kneeland Downs gave fifty-two feet of boards, and George T. Peck contributed 50 cents. (The Downs paper has a hole, the size of a dime, burned in it, and the writing follows around the edge.)
With $5.50 and fifty-two feet of boards, therefore, the Kingsley sisters were apparently made more comfortable -- but only temporarily, for later on the authorities had to build them a new house. In subsequent installments we shall give you further news of Eunice and Sally, as well as of their sister, Hannah, who "lived in a miserable old hovel and suffered there alone."
Competition
It's getting crowded around here. In the past week competition has appeared to challenge our claim as the only paper in Woodbridge: Volume I, Number 1 of "The Piccolo" -- a 4" by 6", 5-page paper produced under the auspices of Robin Haeseler, Publisher, and Steven Sewall, Editor. Price, 5 issues for 25¢. Full of interesting things, including some wild-west fiction. This paper, moving over to make room, welcomes and congratulates "The Piccolo."

Orange Play --
(Continued from page 1)
and Art Chambers, House Manager for the show, are both well known lawyers in New Haven.
The girl who has the lead part in the Paugusset Production of "Dear Ruth" is a newcomer to Orange, Mrs. Richard (Fran) Bowerman. The Bowerman's live on Hillcrest Road. This is Fran's first go at taking the lead part in a play and those in the show say she's doing a great job.
Charlie Sims is up to his neck in money affairs for the Paugusset production of "Dear Ruth." As Business Manager for the play, Charlie is said to be running off into the night screaming "The budget! -- the budget! -- don't you know we've got a budget!" Incidentally, his wife Doris Sims plays the part of "Mrs. Wilkins" and manages her two fictional daughters "Ruth" and "Miriam" with all the aplomb she knows in teaching art classes to pupils at the Orange Center School.
George "Mike" Brixner is studying hard to learn his part for "Dear Ruth". But he's doing nicely. All he has is one line -- but it's a good one.

Over-The-Counter Insurance
Real Estate Photo Display
Harry Merwin
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Airport Service Station
Opposite Airport
Bethany
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Naugatuck Dairy Ice Cream
Gas, Oil, Groceries
The place is small, yet we have a large variety of merchandise. Come in and look it over.
Otto Anderson, Prop.

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