Despite protests from several area residents that the completed Ruwet-Sibley building will not be in character with the appearance of Newtown’s Main Street, the board of Selectmen Thursday morning voted not to recommend that any changes be made. It is now being renovated to house town offices and the police department.

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Mike Hinckley of Sandy Hook, a student at University of Connecticut, will have left for Georgia Friday morning to begin a 2,100-mile hike to Maine he expects to complete in September. He plans to pass through Connecticut in July.

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Two familiar faces about town are Kurt Schneider and his trusty horse, UVM Citation, a 5½ year old registered Morgan. Kurt, who lives with his family on Toddy Hill Road, was recently spotted in the parking lot of Middle Gate School where he had come to drop off a message for his children.

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The Board of Selectmen have tabled the Dodgingtown Fire Department’s request for a loan of $15,000 for a new tanker until the Board of Fire Commissioners have had a chance to further study the matter. Company spokesmen said the need was urgent and that the present vehicle is not safe for the driver.

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As part of the Connecticut Nutrition Education and Training Program, Newtown High School home economics students repeated their successful fall program of teaching elementary school students about healthful foods, this time at Hawley School, where they taught lessons on the school lunch, calcium, vitamins A and C, and nutritious snack foods.

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Now that the project to replace the leaky A and C wing roofs at the high school is underway, the Board of Education will go ahead and try to get a similar project started for the middle school. Back in December, a report was presented to the school board and the Public Building committee by the firm of Galliher, Shoenhardt and Baier of Simsbury. In the recommendations the architects gave the middle school roof top priority, referring to the condition of the roofs of the multi-winged building as being “disasters.”

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It apparently has become the obsession of a particular individual in town to check on the cars parked in front of The Bee office on Church Hill Road. As a result, The Bee has been informed by the Chief of Police that improperly parked cars are subject to a ticket in the amount of $10. Due to the number of cars which have been hit while parked at the office, five to be exact, drivers have taken extra precaution and parked with a part of the vehicle on the sidewalk. This is no longer acceptable.

May 20, 1955

Newtown Goes Into Mourning On Tragic Death Of First Selectman In Road-Building Mishap: Governor, Other Dignitaries Attend Thursday Funeral of A.F. Dickinson: The first selectman was struck down by a backing truck near the site of the new Sandy Hook School at about 8:45 am on Tuesday as he visited the workings prior to taking up the day’s duties at his desk at the town hall.

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An appropriation of $4,900 for alterations to Hawley School which will provide for four temporary classrooms was passed at a special town meeting held in the Edmond Town Hall last Friday evening. The alterations will be made in the basement and assembly hall of the school.

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On Wednesday in Hawley School about 325 pupils received their Salk vaccine shots, provided through the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis and administered by volunteers. Each child received a lollipop Wednesday and the children bared their arms bravely, no casualties being reported.

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At a meeting of the Committee for the Celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Founding of Newtown, held in the Edmond Town Hall on Monday evening, Colonel James A. Tobey of Sunset Hill was elected as chairman. Many plans for the observance of the founding of Newtown in 1705, to be celebrated this year on Saturday, August 6th, were discussed by the committee.

***

This Sunday afternoon, May 22, in the Edmond Town Hall theatre, townspeople will be given a full-scale preview of the third annual Stardust Revue put on by the pupils of the Lathrop School of Dance. A big show two years ago and even a bigger one last year, this year’s Stardust Revue is packed with 54 numbers, employing the talents of about 150 dancers of preschool through teen-age.

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At the Couples Club meeting in the Congregational Church House this Saturday, May 21, members of the Play Shop of Town Players will present a comedy “This Way to Heaven.” Members of the Couples Club will return the compliment by performing in “Egad, What a Cad!” It is said to be coincidental that the evening will start off with a ham dinner….

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This week the Board of Trustees of the Cyrenius H. Booth Library has mailed to friends in town its annual letter of appeal. Funds are urgently needed, the letter points out, to supplement its fixed income to meet expanding costs for upkeep, the purchase of books and supplies and to meet salary requirements.

May 16, 1930

Miss Mary Elizabeth Hawley, whose generous and magnificent benefactions to Newtown won her the affectionate regard of her home folks, and a state-wide reputation, passed peacefully away on Sunday evening about 8:05 o’clock. Miss Hawley had been quite ill for a period of two months, suffering from arteriosclerosis. All through her long illness the wish had been publicly expressed by citizens on every side that Miss Hawley might be spared to see the dedication of her latest benefaction to her native town, the stately and beautiful Edmond Town Hall, now nearing completion.

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Something entirely new in the refreshment line will soon open in town, when William B. Harris of Long Island completes the erection of his unique stand, which will be located on the corner of Main Street and Glover Avenue. Mr Harris plans to start a real novelty in Connecticut, by serving of half a broiled chicken on toast for 50 cents.

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Levi C. Morris has a homing pigeon that has made its home in his chicken yard for the last three weeks. The pigeon is rather tame and has a tag, K1929. Anyone who knows about the bird might want it and Mr Morris would gladly give it up to the right party.

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After undergoing extensive alterations, Pleasant Point Refreshment Stand is now opened for the season. Choice roasted frankfurters and rolls, a variety of sandwiches, ice cream soda and candy will be sold. The new manager, Lucian Pierron, is a former resident of this town and local people are glad to see Mr Pierron once more living here in town.

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The contract for the new concrete road between Newtown and Sandy Hook, 7,914 feet in length, has been awarded to Silliman & Godfrey of Bridgeport, whose bid was $79,883.50.

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Trinity Church has many visitors, who stop to examine its lovely decorations. Recently people from Boston and New York, who have seen many wonderful churches, expressed to the rector their delight over the way in which the work had been done and said it was one of the finest pieces of work they had ever seen.

May 19, 1905

WORK NEGLECTED AND A DISTRESSING STATE OF AFFAIRS FOUND: At the adjourned town meeting, Saturday afternoon, the report of the investigating committee on the condition of the Probate records, under M.J. Bradley’s administration, was made: We therefore report that there has been no chronological sequence in the recording of documents during the greater portion of this time, and a person searching for the record of any given document must depend on the index and may trace every document indexed to the estate before he finds that one he is seeking.

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The Town hall was completely filled, Saturday evening, at the entertainment given for the benefit of the Library. The leading attractions were the comedy, “The Only Young Man in Town,” and Arthur I. Platt, the violinist. Mr Platt, who is growing in power as a concert soloist in nearby cities, was heard with great delight in four selections and was enthusiastically encored.

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The railroad bridge in Hanover took fire, last Thursday morning. James Nichols saw it and flagged an approaching train. The fire was put out without serious damage to the bridge.

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Girls, keep your eyes open. George Burr, the popular young butcher, is training a promising colt bought in Southbury. Watch out for the black colt and red geared runabout.

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There are 100 dogs less in number registered than a year ago. It behooves dog owners to attend to this duty at once, as the dog agent is loading up his gun.