* * *

Members of the Board of Burgesses and the Edmond Town Hall managers agreed at a meeting this week that traffic around the Edmond Town Hall has reached dangerous proportions, especially when movies are being shown in the building — particularly when shows are changing. The decision reached after discussion by the two boards was that the burgesses would discuss the possibility of adding more lighting in the area and explore the cost of converting the existing flashing light into a full 24-hour-a-day traffic light.

* * *

Stating that he’s acting as a consultant at present, John R. Reed will take over as superintendent of schools on March 15, but until then, he’s meeting as many people as possible. In his deep, resounding voice, Mr Reed said he’s a firm believer in education and said he’s confident that problems with any school system can be worked out through communication with the community.

* * *

Terence J. McGuinness and Barbara Shuster Huntington received the Outstanding Young Man and Woman awards for 1981 Saturday, January 30, during the 25th annual awards banquet sponsored by the Newtown Jaycees and Jaycee Wives, at the Fireside Inn. The two were selected from five men and four women nominated for their service to the community.

* * *

Chief Louis D. Marchese announced that the Newtown police department, following a survey of the number of motor vehicle accidents involving drinking, has qualified to receive an infra red breath intoximeter from the state to measure a person’s alcohol level. The Chief told the police commissioners Newtown should receive the intoximeter in two or three weeks. The NPD will use it to gather evidence in cases of driving under the influence.

* * *

The American Horse Show Association Horse of the Year Awards were presented at Newport, R.I. last Saturday and two fillies owned by Sky Watch Farm in Newtown tied for reserve champion in the Hunter Breeding Yearlings Zone 1 Division. Native Brass is a Thoroughbred by The Very Thing out of Minot’s Light by Miche. Native Brass is a great-granddaughter of the famous racehorse Native Dancer. Scarlet Begonia is an Appendix Quarter Horse by the Thoroughbred stallion Domrullah out of Daring do Riker by Greetis 7.

* * *

The Town of Newtown has received requests to help partially support regional human service agencies in the 1982-83 fiscal year, while a group of local residents concerned with the problems of the town’s youth are seeking the town’s help in establishing a new youth coordinator position.

 

February 8, 1957

Preliminary plans for the relocation of Route 6, insofar as they relate to the treatment of bridges and town roads in Newtown, were reviewed, and certain mutual agreements reached by town representatives and State Highway Department representatives and engineers, at a meeting the latter part of January in Edmond Town Hall. General agreements reached were that surface and subsurface drainage requirements for town-maintained roads are to be met using state standards; also the state’s overall general policy for fencing.

* * *

A Valentine dance for members only will be held by the Teen Canteen this Saturday evening, February 9, in the Alexandria Room of the Edmond Town Hall. The committee regrets that no guests will be allowed but special dances have proved so popular recently that it has become impossible to accommodate the larger numbers in the Alexandria Room. Highlight of the evening will be the election of a Queen of Hearts and a Jack of Hearts.

* * *

The three-day fair and craft show being held Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week for patients of Fairfield State Hospital has been an outstanding success. One of the feature attractions of the fair has been an exhibit of two live lambs loaned by Mrs Lorrie Hastings of Newtown. Patients also enjoyed the games and prizes available at the various stalls in the amusement area.

* * *

With the final tabulations of vital statistics for the year 1956 in, the record shows that there were 156 births in Newtown a jump of 29 over the total of 127 for the 12 months of 1955. Deaths among townspeople dropped from 75 in 1955 to 59 last year.

* * *

The library has placed a number of books in a section called “For Young Adults.” These books are actually written for adults. They do not usually treat the more difficult and complicated problems of adult life, and the realistic material is seldom a presentation of sordid details. We present these books to our adults; and hope that they will also serve as a bridge on which our young people may be carried from the reading of teenage books over to adult reading.

* * *

John C. Stefanko, Sandy Hook contractor, suffered a painful and serious injury last Thursday when working on a house foundation at Candlewood Lake. He was hit in the eye by flying stone and a small piece of steel. Friends will be pleased to know that his eye is responding to treatment, and that he was able to return home on Sunday. While the piece of steel is still imbedded in his eye, it is now expected that he will not lose the sight of that eye.

 

February 5, 1932

In a largely attended and harmonious meeting of the George Washington Bi-Centennial Committee held Tuesday night at the Edmond Town hall, it was unanimously voted that the Bi-Centennial celebration be held on a day apart from the dedication of the War Memorial, as it was felt that it would make too crowded a program for a single day.

* * *

Transfer of patients from the overcrowded State hospital at Middletown to the Fairfield State hospital now under construction at Newtown, will begin within eight months, Dr R.L. Leak, superintendent of the Middletown institution, revealed in a talk before the Bridgeport Medical Association in the University Club in Bridgeport Tuesday night. The new hospital at Newtown, he said, will care for patients from Fairfield and Litchfield counties and for part of New Haven county.

* * *

People driving without chains, Tuesday afternoon, found the traveling very slippery. Mrs A. Gradowich, in the attempt to make Church hill, in a Ford car, slid backward on to the bank near the Gannon place and nearly turned over. Willing hands assisted her in pushing the car out so that she was able to drive down the hill and around Queen street to her home.

The cottage occupied by Leon Nichols was burned to the ground, last week, Wednesday night. Mrs Nichols and baby were upstairs when the fire was discovered and escaped from the house with difficulty. The Hawleyville Fire Co. responded and saved a small garage from burning.

* * *

One of the most dastardly and wicked assaults ever perpetrated in this town occurred on Washington avenue in Sandy Hook, Saturday night, when Miss Ruth Tilson, daughter of Mr and Mrs Josiah Tilson, was struck down by an assailant in the dark armed with a club, sustaining two severe lacerations of the scalp with bruises and contusions of the back and abrasions of the right leg and left arm. Her father and brother, Ambrose, rushed to her aid but before they arrived the assailant had disappeared in the darkness. This terrible assault has aroused the entire town to indignation.

* * *

St John’s church people scored a fine success in their roast pork supper, last Thursday evening, in the social room in their new church, when fully 250 people were entertained. The service was prompt and all enjoyed the event, as practically everyone was present in Sandy Hook, as well as a large delegation from Newtown, glad to give to St John’s workers a good support in their initial effort in their new rooms. Following the supper, dancing was enjoyed for a time to the delight of the young people.

 

February 8, 1907

A valentine’s sale, under the auspices of the Christian Endeavor society of the Congregational church, will take place on Saturday from 3 to 8 pm, in the lecture room of the Congregational church. Rolls and coffee will be served for 10 cents and ice cream and cake for 15 cents. There will be a sale of brown and rye bread, cake, etc. and of course a fine display of valentines selected by experts.

* * *

A useful and well-loved citizen has passed from our midst in the death on Friday, just before the midnight hour, of William Bigelow Sniffen, postmaster at Sandy Hook. Postmaster Sniffen was stricken with pneumonia the Friday before his death. Mr Sniffen will be greatly missed in the village life of Sandy Hook, where for 31 years he had made his home. As a postmaster he was universally esteemed, his conduct of the affairs of the office winning him the respect and regard of all classes.

* * *

Mrs F.B. Lake of Mt Pleasant, who has been suffering with blood poisoning in her right hand, is now improving. Dr A.L. Schuyler attended her. J.H. Brew was confined to his home on Botsford Hill, last week, suffering with blood poisoning in one of his limbs. He is now able to be at work again.

* * *

The young blizzard which had Newtown and all the rest of Connecticut in its grasp Tuesday morning, made hard work for the patrons of the Borden’s Condensed Milk Co. The farmers were slow in getting to the creamery, the teams from South Britain and Zoar arriving as late as 1 pm. The team from Bridgewater was unable to get through.

* * *

Egan Brothers of Hawleyville have butchered over 400 porkers thus far this season for people in the vicinity. The largest one weighed 610 pounds and belonged to Mr White of Beaver Brook, and the largest sprig pig was a June one they butchered for R.A. Clark of Hawleyville, which weighed 338 pounds.