The Hungarian American Club of the greater Danbury area will seek a permanent home on a 3.3 acre piece of residentially zoned land located off Old Route 25 and Old Hawleyville Road in Newtown. The club, which has been in existence in Danbury for 5½ years, has filed a special exception application with the Planning & Zoning Commission for the “Hungarian Cultural Center.” P&Z will eventually call a public hearing on the proposal.

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Interesting growth patterns are being created in Newtown as recorded in the vital statistics department of the office of Town Clerk Mae Schmidle. Births have more than quadrupled since 1940; deaths have doubled since 1940, reaching a height in 1960 of five times the deaths in 1940 and finally coming down to double the 1940 figures. These figures reflect all time high enrollment of patients in Fairfield Hills, with extraordinary numbers of geriatric patients — this has now changed. The overall population in 1970 is recorded as 16,800; 1960, 11,000; 1950, 7,400; and 1940, 4,000.

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More than 60 people gathered at the Yankee Drover Wednesday for an occasion which brought tears of joy to a lady who gave 29 years and two months of service to the Newtown probate court. Rosemary Mead of Hanover Road was given a surprise retirement luncheon, honoring her on the occasion of her retirement as clerk of the court, which officially took place January 2, the end of the term of the late judge, Benjamin B. Blanchard. Margot Hall of Nettleton Avenue, who was appointed the new clerk by Judge of Probate Merlin E. Fisk, threw the party and managed to keep it a secret through weeks of planning.

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Approximately 125 students faced disciplinary action this week for failing to report to their last period class last Friday after a morning bomb scare caused a reshuffling of the Newtown High School class schedule. A school secretary received the phoned-in bomb threat at 8:50 am January 12, which touched off an hour-long search of mechanical facilities and hall lockers. Police Chief Louis Marchese headed the search which was made by Sgt Ray Paccadolmi, the youth officer, Sgt Kenneth Shaw, Officer Parker, and high school custodians.

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The Parks and Recreation Department says this time it has reached an agreement with Ward Associates for the proposed Stefanko Park. After having agreed upon a plan submitted by the landscape architectural firm contracted to complete phase one of the park, P&R discovered that what it and the town wanted wasn’t feasible. There wasn’t enough room at the 56-acre Philo Curtis Road site to fit in three ballfields and one soccer field as planned. Initially P&R commissioners seemed upset, saying they’d been let down by Ward Associates. Others concurred with the firm that the existence of wetlands on the property would make it hard to fully implement the former plan.

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The Collins Development Corporation of Old Greenwich, which has a lead position in the partnership which owns the 60-acre former Lufkin farm, will begin discussion with town officials on Monday about their plans for developing cluster housing on the property. Representatives will meet with the Planning & Zoning Commission on January 22, at 8 pm in the Congregational Chruch House, Main Street.

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The Planning & Zoning Commission, in its capacity as planners for the Borough of Newtown, was scheduled to consider a mandatory referral from the Borough Zoning Commission on Thursday, January 18, on a proposal which would change the Borough Zoning Map in regard to 5.312 acres at the northeast corner of Church hill Road and The Boulevard. P&Z approved the zone change from residential to professional in October 1977, and the change was duly voted by the Borough Zoning Commission, but a technicality rendered the action invalid.

JANUARY 22, 1954

The recessed session of the annual town meeting, which was held last Thursday evening in the Alexandria Room of the Edmond Town Hall, required less than five minutes for adoption of a motion made by First Selectman A. Fenn Dickinson that the auditor’s report for the past fiscal year be accepted. The motion was passed without comment and the meeting adjourned until March 18, when the tax rate for the current year will be laid on the grand list which will be completed by the Board of Assessors and the Board of Tax Review before that date.

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At its Tuesday meeting, the Newtown League of Women Voters announced that John Mulholland, world-renowned magician and resident of Newtown in the Hanover District, would give two performances in the Edmond Town Hall under League auspices on April 21. According to present plans, Mr Mulholland will give a matinee for children and an evening performance for adults.

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Announcement was made this week by Lynn J. Mathewson, president of the Newtown Lions Club, that Henry Carlson, owner of the Liberty Garage, has offered a 1954 Chevrolet sedan for the use of Newtown High School students in a state-supervised training program to be included in the school program. At its meeting on January 13, the club voted to underwrite the cost of operating a car in such a program. The training car, delivery of which is expected around February 1, will include complete dual controls, to be installed at the garage.

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Mrs John Qubick of The Boulevard was reelected president of the Community Auxiliary of the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Company at the annual election of the auxiliary held Tuesday evening, January 19.

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Two families of Zoar District were made homeless Monday morning by near-simultaneous fires which four fire companies, handicapped by sub-zero weather and lack of water, were unable to extinguish. The homes of Mr and Mrs Albert O’Dell and Mr and Mrs Joseph White of Still Hill Road and their families, the entire furnishings of the O’Dell house, and most of the contents of the White’s home were a total loss. The two houses were located on the same property and were both owned by Mr O’Dell, a partner of Al and Bill’s Service Station, South Main Street. The first fire was discovered at about 5 am by Mr O’Dell in the larger of the two houses, a six-room structure, when he was awakened by smoke. The Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Company, Newtown Fire Company, Newtown Hook and Ladder Company and the Hawleyville Volunteer Fire Company responded to the call, but their efforts were limited by lack of water and temperature in the vicinity of 20 degrees below zero. When the first fire reached its height, fire was discovered to have broken out in the three-room house of Mr and Mrs White.

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Mr and Mrs Joseph Savelli returned recently from a visit to his parents in Naples, Italy, and have taken over again the management of the Red Maples restaurant, South Main Street. They have plans for enlarging and improving the restaurant.

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A play entitled “Machinal” written by Sophia Treadwell of Cedar Hill Road was given by the television show “Robert Montgomery Presents” on Monday, January 18, at 9:30 pm over Channel 4 WNBT.

JANUARY 18, 1929

Cards are out for the marriage of Elliott Hill Platt and Miss Ruth Hubbell Wheeler to take place on February 2 at 6 pm at the Congregational Church.

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Matthew Cabral, employed as a section worker on the New Haven road, had the misfortune to be struck in the eye with a steel splinter on Saturday. On Sunday he was taken by George Fatool to Dr Gordon, an eye specialist, of Danbury, where an x-ray was taken, and later had the splinter removed. Mr Cabral suffered greatly from the injury, and it is hoped he will not lose the sight of the eye.

***

Miss Amy Bradley is substituting for Miss Jennie Honan at the Sandy Hook school.

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H.G. Warner, H.B. MacClymon, Mr and Mrs George Clark, and Mr and Mrs William Hayes attended the banquet Monday night at Hotel Green, given by the United Grocers.

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Rev Dr J. Chauncey Linsley was one of the automobilists, who had a narrow escape on Sandy Hook Hill Sunday afternoon on his way home to New Haven, from his duties at St. James Church, Danbury. His car swerved completely around three times. Fortunately, neither the clergyman or his car were seriously injured.

JANUARY 22, 1904

Local members of the Masonic order have received invitations to the promenade concert and ball to be given by Evening Star Chapter, No 47, RAM, at the Tingue Opera House, Seymour, Friday evening, January 22.

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The next meeting of the Men’s Club will occur on February 3 with principal Ross Jewell of the high school as host.

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Mr and Mrs A.F. Clark are now in Italy. W.A. Leonard received a letter a few days ago, written from Rome.

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Walter Ruffles of Palestine is having a large new pig pen, 16 x 30 feet, with seven foot posts, built to accommodate his thoroughbred Berkshire stock. E.R. Botsford is doing the work.

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The office of the E.C. Platt Company and the post office of Hawleyville were moved this week from Ernest Hawley’s store to the E.C. Platt Company building.

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A.H. Ferry of Hopewell killed last week a fall pig which weighed 120 pounds.

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Canfield and Davis have completed their contract of painting all the buildings on the fairgrounds.

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The young son of Mr and Mrs Dennis Cavanaugh is ill with brain fever. Dr Kiernan is attending him.