* * *

The Spay and Neuter Association of Newtown has added to the Booth Library’s collection through a recent donation of books about animals. The gift to the library is part of the association’s ongoing educational program which emphasizes the importance of spaying and neutering, as well as all aspects of good pet ownership.

* * *

In its efforts to streamline Newtown’s form of government, the Charter Revision Commission voted last week to retain the three-man Board of Selectmen. Two prior commissions, as well as several town officials, civic groups, and first Selectman Jack Rosenthal himself, have recommended replacing the board with a single chief executive. The current nine-member CRC has concentrated more on ensuring that the elected First Selectman, who works full-time, has expert assistance and receives good advice.

* * *

For Donna Jean Moffo, the experience of wearing the crown of Miss Newtown has been a process of establishing an identity for her title. Donna Jean has been an active Miss Newtown and has contacted a number of organizations seeking to participate in various events. She appeared last September for the Booth Library’s 50th Anniversary celebration, and during a circus theme event at St Rose and Head O’ Meadow schools. On Fridays she brings Fairfield Hills patients to the senior center to mix and mingle with other senior citizens.

* * *

If the mild temperatures and lowered thermostats of December and January continue, this year’s winter will be remembered as the “heating season that wasn’t,” according to Charles Isenberg of the independent Connecticut Petroleum Association, which represents over 350 heating oil dealers and distributors. Mr Isenberg, whose company is affiliated with many local independent oil dealers, said the unusually springlike weather has caused oil sales to decline by as much as 32 percent for some dealers. But the consumers have profited, he noted, with some reportedly saving up to $300 in heating oil during the winter season so far.

 

* * *

Plans of the Newtown Montessori Society Inc to build a second school on Dodgingtown Road will come before the Planning & Zoning Commission for a public hearing at 8 pm, Thursday, February 17, in Town Hall South. The society, which currently operates a school for pre-school age children at the corner of Route 302 and Taunton Hill Road, proposes building a new 1,300 square foot building diagonally across the street, on the corner of Jacklin Road and 302. The new facility would house 50 students of kindergarten through 6th grade age, and would represent an expansion of Montessori School services.

* * *

After an ice skater nearly drowned in Taunton Pond January 22, Newtown Fish and Game members have warned residents to exercise caution when skating on the pond. The pond is not lake fed by a stream, but a pond fed by springs, which makes it unpredictable for ice-skating. Also, the pond can be as deep as 30 feet in the middle.

 

February 14, 1958

A bowling record at the Edmond Town Hall alleys that has stood for 15 years fell last Wednesday night when Edward Casey, captain of the Quails team in the Newtown League, rolled a three game total of 455, 21 pins more than the 434 rolled by Frank Hubbell 15 years ago. In posting the new mark Mr Casey came within two pins of tying Mr Hubbell’s high single game of 181.

* * *

Newtown this week quickly rallied to lend a helping hand to Mr and Mrs Thomas Jones and their five children who lost almost everything but their lives when fire destroyed their five-room house in Pootatuck Park, Sandy Hook, early Monday morning. During the week the family has been completely outfitted with clothing and shoes supplied by the Red Cross, local merchants, neighbors and townspeople. The Sandy Hook Fire House had been established as a collection center for household furniture and effects.

* * *

A handful of voters debated nearly an hour at last Thursday’s special meeting, before approving a resolution to appropriate an added $10,000 for the town snow removal funds by a margin of 6 to 5. Within 24 hours of the meeting vote the town crews were back out coping with a new snowfall and within six days of the meeting the balance of funds on hand was exhausted.

* * *

Governor Abraham Ribicoff announced late this Thursday morning that he will call a special session of the General Assembly on March 4 at 10 am to consider the unemployment problem in Connecticut. The announcement will not come as a great surprise to a number of Newtown people as Governor Ribicoff departed from the prepared text of his speech here Tuesday night to discuss unemployment and the possibility of a special session.

* * *

The Newtown Board of Education voted Monday evening at its regular monthly session to begin a system of grouping pupils according to ability in grades four through seven inclusive starting the 1958-59 school year. A combination of these factors will govern the placement of each child to the proper group. First, the child’s mental ability will be considered. Second, the child’s achievement in school up to the point where the division is made, and third, the judgment of the child’s previous teachers.

* * *

At the regular monthly meeting of the Newtown Park Commission held last week in the selectmen’s office at the Edmond Town Hall, plans were made for a second annual benefit movie to be held May 15. The profits from last year’s successful benefit helped in part to make possible last summer’s great improvements at Dickinson Memorial Park. Outstanding were the drinking fountains and the lavatories, as well as planting, a new bridge, and a water control dam above the pond.

 

February 10, 1933

The Cyrenius H. Booth Library: We are pleased to report a fuller use of the privilege of drawing magazines the same as books. Our enrollment has grown from 502 reported, last week, to 535. Many citizens in the remote corners of Newtown have not yet become aware of the library and what it has to offer. They will want to use the library and our number of users will mount toward the 1,000 mark.

* * *

In September of last year, Miss A.C. Wenderoth, executive secretary of the Bridgeport Chapter of the American Red Cross, met with the officers of the Newtown Branch regarding the opening of a Dental Clinic in the schools. Dr Maurice D. Corrigan, DDS, of Sandy Hook, was secured to do the work. Over 210 children’s teeth were cleaned, and charted, and emergency fillings and extractions done for those who needed it.

* * *

Last Friday evening, a crowd which almost filled the school auditorium, witnessed the senior play, “Cupid Scores A Touchdown.” The play was put over in a peppy manner and was a credit to the director, Miss Alice V. Culhane. During the intermission between the first and second acts several piano selections were played by a member of the cast.

* * *

The name of Edward S. Pitzschler for deputy judge of the Newtown Town Court was presented in the Senate in Hartford, by State Senator Rodney P. Shepard, following the withdrawal of the name of Harry F. Bradley, whose name appeared for the deputy judgeship in a bill presented by request recently by Rep Thomas J. Connor.

* * *

A genuine touch of winter was the report, Monday morning, with thermometers as low as two degrees below zero in Sandy Hook. Sunday was a bleak day with a cold wind. The light snow fall did not affect auto travel.

* * *

One of the finest old Colonial homes in Newtown was sold, the past week, to New York parties. The place is widely known as the Jeanette Peck home located between Gray’s Plain district and Botsford and in a most secluded location. The place is in a fine state of repair and has wide oak original boards, fire place and Dutch ovens. The place is untouched with anything modern. Miss Peck, who lived there for over 35 years, was widely known as a lover of nature and it was not an uncommon sight to see her walking about the place with birds on her shoulders.

February 14, 1908

On Saturday of last week Deputy Sheriff Heisler of Bridgeport arrested Town Clerk M.J. Houlihan on the charge of embezzlement. There are five counts in the allegation against Mr Houlihan. Mr Houlihan is accused of collecting the amounts mentioned and failing to turn the money over to the town of Newtown, but converting it to his own use. Mr Houlihan said, Those checks in question were never supposed to have been banked, but were given as memoranda to show what the dog book called for. From time to time, however, I paid Mr Northrop cash and he also owes me several hundred dollars. I trusted Mr Northrop implicitly, as we were intimate friends, and I expected he would act on the square.

* * *

Bourquenez Brothers have set up their steam saw mill near the New England station at Sandy Hook, and have sawed up some timber bought of the E.E. Nettleton estate. The Fabric Fire Hose Co. will have quite a number of the tall pine trees in the Glen cut, and Bourquenez Brothers will saw them into lumber to be used in building over the dams at the two mills.

* * *

Deputy Sheriff Charles B. Johnson made what is considered an important capture at Hawleyville last Friday. A warrant was received from the Detective Bureau of New York City in the morning’s mail and the party was apprehended as he was about to leave town on the Highland train. The warrant called for Jacob Schreiber, alias John Ward, for grand larceny and described him as working or having worked for E.E. Rice at Hawleyville. As he had a formidable Iver Johnson revolver in his pocket he was held on the charge of carrying concealed weapons.

* * *

While working on the ice pond for William C. Johnson, last week, Attorney Charles H. Northrop had a narrow escape from being killed. He was tending the elevator which raises the ice to the chute, which takes the ice down into the house. In some way a block of ice knocked off a pulley at the top of the elevator, which fell, missing Mr Northrop’s head by about an inch. A chain also narrowly missed striking him in the face. Thomas Dring and Charles B. French, while assisting in filling Fred J. French’s ice house at Zoar Bridge, last Tuesday, had the misfortune to slip into the water, taking a cold bath. Fortunately, neither of them were injured.

* * *

Some one broke into the school house in Huntingtown, Saturday night, gaining entrance by breaking the lock on the door. A number of school books, a lot of paper, a pretty waste basket, and a number of other things were burned up. A plush cap and a glove were found upon the floor which the owner can have by calling at the school house.