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The battle to adopt Newtown’s annual budget begins in earnest next week as voters and taxpayers go to the annual budget meeting Tuesday evening to decide on the Legislative Council’s proposed $15,650,402 budget for both the town and the Board of Education. The budget proposal is eight percent higher than last year’s $14,491,966 appropriation.

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Four corporate office buildings totaling 600,000 square feet would be built on a 47-acre tract at the intersection of Routes 6 and 25, and near I-84 Exit 9 in Hawleyville, according to site development plans filed last Thursday for Planning and Zoning Commission approval. Total project cost is estimated at over $50 million.

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The first meal prepared by the Newtown Fish and Game Club last Saturday was served at 3:40 am and by the time the fishing season opened at 6 am, about 180 members and friends of the club had polished off over 30 dozen eggs and were ready to hook some trout from Taunton Pond. For some, luck was good and it took only a matter of an hour or so to reach the five-fish limit.

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Area artists, Newtown High School students, and the staff and residents of Buckingham Gardens Convalescent Home, Toddy Hill Road, Newtown, are exhibiting their art in a monthly series of exhibits. Exhibits began in March, featuring the watercolor paintings of Newtown artist, Betty Christensen. The displays follow the theme of National Nursing Home Week — 1981 — “Art is Ageless.”

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If you’re going fishing in the Housatonic River you may be catching more than you’re bargaining for, according to the State Health Services Department. The department reminds anglers that its four-year-old advisory against eating any fish caught in certain sections of the river remains in effect for the 1981 fishing season.

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Newtown septic tank pumper, Earl Conklin, contending it is a matter of business survival, has demanded the Town of Newtown reimburse him for expenses he has incurred since last November because the town has not provided a local place for him to dispose of the septage.

 

April 27, 1956

Capt Edwin Leonard of Sandy Hook stressed the need of reactivating a ground observation post in Newtown, at a meeting of VFW members, town officials and townspeople Monday night at Veterans Memorial Hall, South Main Street. Such a post, he said, is needed not only for guarding against enemy attack, but for alerting the town to fires, accidents and other emergencies which may arise in the area.

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John Sedor, dog warden for the town of Newtown, has issued a warning to all dog owners to keep their dogs tied and on their own property. Mr Sedor has received numerous complaints from residents that roaming dogs are causing property damage, and according to state law, persons whose dogs are allowed to roam are subject to arrest, their dogs impounded and a fee charged if claimed.

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Opening night of the Teen Canteen for grades ten through 12 will be held next Friday evening, May 4, from 8 to 10:30 in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall. For grades seven through nine, The Canteen will be held the following night, Saturday, May 5 from 8 to 10 o’clock. Tickets at a cost of 25 cents will be sold at the door.

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Most of the members of the Newtown Baseball Club turned out last Sunday morning to help with the task of preparing the diamond at Newtown High School for the season’s play. Using a roller lent by Richard Cooper, the workers rolled the infield and outfield after working out with rakes and shovels.

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A demonstration of electric welding as done in the field with portable equipment was the highlight of Tuesday night’s visit by the 475th Engineer Field Maintenance Company of Bridgeport, an Army Reserve unit, to the plaza at the Queen Street Shopping Center. Uniformed personnel of the company showed their work and equipment to mark Army Reserve Week and to point out the advantages of the Reserve Forces Act of 1955 to teen-age boys.

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KNAPP & MEYERS Main Street Newtown, Conn. TEL. GArden 62546 Shurfine Long Grain Rice, 1 lb. pkg., 19 cents; Elmdale Tomatoes, 2 cans, 29 cents; Seabrook Farms Frozen Cauliflower, 2 for 53 cents; Porterhouse or Sirloin Steaks (US Choice), $1.05 per pound; Elm City Bacon, 49 cents per pound.

 

April 24, 1931

On the way home to Bethel, Monday night, Dr A.J. Crowe hit a pheasant, which flew in front of his car and killed it. Dr Crowe picked the bird up and took it over to Officer Britto. If it had been in the hunting season, Mr Crowe would have put it in cold storage and saved it for that dinner Messrs Crowe and Smith were planning to give to Brother Shaw when he matriculates a full fledged member of the International Coffee Club of America.

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Stephen E. Budd wishes to announce that he will have from April 15 a champion stallion standing at his place, Roadside Farm, Newtown. This is a pure bred Chestnut horse, 16 hands high, weighing about 1250 lbs and will be for the exclusive use of the farmers.

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Anthony Varisco, who has been in Danbury for six months, will open a barber shop in the central building opposite St Rose’s church on Monday. Mr Varisco has many patrons in Newtown and vicinity. If all goes well, he expects to put in a beauty parlor where the ladies can get their hair waved by a competent hairdresser.

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The editor has been asked as to the history of the hatting business in Taunton district. The factory was on the outlet to Taunton lake. There were two buildings. One factory had a big overshot water wheel and a long pulley from this first building furnished power in the second building. Reuben Starr Blackman, grandfather of Herbert Blackman, settled up the business of the Lockwood Brothers and sold it out to the Tweedy Manufacturing Co of Danbury. Mr Blackman thinks the hatting business was discontinued in Taunton about 55 years ago, or in 1876.

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Fatool Brothers have taken over Hurd’s Pavilion and gas station, and will serve luncheon and specialize in toasted hot dogs, barbecued style. They will have an orchestra and will run dances twice a week. The Hurd building is new and up-to-date and the new lessees expect to have an up-to-date and popular place.

 

April 27, 1906

Articles of clothing, sheets, quilts, blankets or bed-linen for the benefit of the sufferers by the San Francisco earthquake and fire may be left at the Guild room of the church at any time on Saturday, and will be forwarded through the Red Cross as soon as practicable. All articles should be clean and in good repair.

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The pupils of the High school are preparing a grand entertainment to be given at the High school building, Tuesday evening, May 1, for the benefit of the North Center school library. Prof Jewell has the matter in charge and this alone is sufficient to insure its success.

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A CHOICE CONCERT ASSURED. AT GLOVER’S HALL, SANDY HOOK. The Ideal Concert Co, organized in Hartford, January, 1905, is composed of exceptionally talented blind musicians who are graduates of various institutions. The members of the company are wholly dependent upon their music for their maintenance and are giving these entertainments for that purpose.

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Rev R.E. Danforth purposes to form a club of “The Boys’ Knights of the Forest.” He extends an invitation to all Newtown boys between the ages of nine and 14 to meet at the parsonage at 2 o’clock, Saturday afternoon, for the purpose of forming the club. The two objects of the society are physical culture and nature study.

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The wretched condition of the town roads is a matter of general comment. It is now up to Selectman Blackman to get the road men and contractors at work AT ONCE. Why wait until the middle of the summer before putting the roads in decent shape for travel? The roads have come through the winter in bad shape. The heavy rains have washed and scoured them badly in places.