MAY 30, 1975

Because of a state statute enacted a few years ago, Newtowners have the right to accept or reject the new teachers’ contract within 30 days from the time it is filed with Town Clerk Mae Schmidle. This can be done via a town meeting, and if no town meeting is called to vote on the contract within the 30-day period, the agreement would automatically become valid and binding. In the past there have been times when the contract has sat through its 30 days without question. Last year a special town meeting was called by First Selectman Frank DeLucia for voters to either accept or reject the contract, and it was passed by the voters. A new contract for the teachers, a three-year one, with a reopener in the third year on economic items, was ratified this month after 14 months of talks which led to mediation, arbitration, a strike, renegotiations and then finally another mediation. Now it looks as though the contract will be brought before a town meeting with the purpose of having it rejected. On Tuesday, May 27, Paul Allen of Mt Pleasant Road went to Mrs Schmidle’s office to obtain petition forms to be used to gather signatures to call the special town meeting.

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Newtown was startled and fascinated Thursday morning when a caravan of four horse-drawn covered wagons, driven by full bearded men in long, dark, coarse clothing, clip-clopped along Mt Pleasant Road to the flagpole and turned down Church Hill Road. “Whenever we come into town,” one of the men admitted, “we’re always the main attraction.” In response to the requests of the group, The Bee refrained from taking any pictures. On their way to Athens, Maine, these 19 people, three men and two women plus children and youths are seeking to establish a less-worldly life for themselves, in a less-commercial part of the country, in accordance with their understanding of Christian doctrine. Their wagons are painted with Scripture verses calling upon all who read to repent and come out of the corrupt world. They are convinced that, besides believing in Jesus Christ as Savior, each person must also separate himself from the evil world and live, in simplicity, apart from society.

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Big Brothers of Newtown recently held its annual meeting to elect new officers and to review the previous year’s activities. New officers for the year 1975-1976 are: president, Dr Raymond Craven; vice-president, Briscoe Lang; secretary, Mrs Betty Gunderson; treasurer, John Wiggins. Following are other committees and their chairmen: finance, Sutherland Denlinger; publicity, Gordon Williams; recreation and “smokers,” Dennis Farrell; Big Brother Interviews, Robert Dyer; Little Brother interviews, Eugene Luchansky; newsletter, Betty Gunderson; state Big Brothers, John Wilson; recruitment, Hank Mahler; and speakers’ bureau, Frederick Dirga.

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Attorney Robert H. Hall of Nettleton Avenue has informed the Board of Selectmen that he does not wish to be reappointed Town Counsel when his current two-year term expires on June 30.

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One of the houses featured on the June 14 house tour in Newtown sponsored by the Jaycee Wives will be the home of Harrie and Marni Wood on Poorhouse Road in the Dodgingtown section of town. Mr and Mrs Wood have traced their house back to 1691, when it was built by Daniel Crofut, a Danbury surveyor.

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The members of the Newtown Ambulance Association and Drivers Corps and husbands and wives gathered in Yankee Drover Inn on Wednesday evening, May 28, to enjoy themselves at their annual dinner. Speaking briefly following the dinner was the Corps’ Chief Driver, William Kimball, who paid special tribute to the volunteer fire companies in town and the police department for their cooperation given to the Corps. A special applause went to the switchboard operators at the town hall, who were guests at the dinner, and without whose cooperation the corps could not run as efficiently as it does. Mr Kimball also thanked Kingston Smith, former Chief Driver, for having the Corps so well organized at the time Mr Kimball took over.

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On Wednesday evening, May 28, the Newtown Republican Town Committee played host to a gathering of 16 Republicans who hope to become members of the first town council in January 1976.

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The piano students of Mrs Lois Gold of Newtown will have their first annual spring recital on Saturday, May 31, at 11 am, at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Brookfield Center. Newtown students who will be in the recital include Anne Campbell, Leo Exconde, Mary Watson, Faith Exconde, Nancy Exconde, Robert Riebe, Sue Meyer, Barbara Biscoe and Mike Gold.

JUNE 2, 1950

In keeping with the purpose of giving simple and solemn honor to the country’s war dead, members of the Newtown posts of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and of the American Legion and their auxiliaries formed in front of Edmond Town Hall Tuesday morning at 10 o’clock and marched to the Memorial Monument at the head of Main Street, where fitting exercises were conducted under the leadership of Commander George A. Jackson, of Post 308.

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Mrs Felix E. Baridon was re-elected president of Newtown Scholarship Association at the annual meeting held in the auditorium of Hawley School on Monday evening, May 22. At this time Mrs Allen Northey Jones was elected vice president and Mrs Alice Carroll was re-elected secretary/treasurer. Other governors of the association include Mortimer Smith, Mrs Charles Goodsell, the Rev Paul A. Cullens, Roger Howson and Carl LeGrow, ex-officio member.

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A special town meeting has been called by the Board of Selectmen to be held at Edmond Town Hall on Friday evening, June 9, at 8 o’clock. The meeting will consider and take action upon two resolutions. It will be noted that the first resolution calls for the appropriation of a sum not exceeding $16,000, for the purpose of paying Newtown’s share of the liabilities for Regional High School District No. 3, which is now in the process of dissolution, authorizing the Board of Selectmen to borrow the necessary sum of money on notes of the town, at an interest rate of not more than one and one-quarter percent, payable semi-annually, and to mature not later than three years from date of issue. The second resolution calls for a special appropriation of $17,000 to be made for the purchase of three trucks and a bulldozer for use on state and road projects, in place of hired equipment.

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Approximately 100 guests took part in the games evening conducted by the Woman’s Auxiliary of Trinity Episcopal Church in the church social rooms last Friday evening. As they arrived, those attending were served dessert and coffee. Punch was served throughout the evening as they played bridge, canasta and other games. Mrs Norman Fedde, chairman of the ways and means committee, which made the arrangements, states that more than $100 was realized for the work of the auxiliary.

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The condition of Arthur T. Nettleton, friends will regret to learn, shows no improvement in Danbury Hospital where he was taken from his home here on May 15.

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Mardi Gras chalked up another success last weekend when hordes of young people crowded into Edmond Town Hall’s gymnasium to take part in the event. This year, the Newtown Congregational Church Sunday School’s annual festivity was a change from the familiar New Orleans carnival theme used in years past. The young people of the church and adult members, under the direction of Mrs William Walsh, planned a fairyland of magic, Cinderella Land. After working many weeks on preparation, they turned the gym into a place of pumpkin coaches, stardust, lillipop trees and white mice.

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The Women’s Federation of Newtown Congregational Church will hold its annual picnic at the home of Mrs Renwick Brown, Sandy Hook, on Thursday, June 15.

 

MAY 29, 1925

Two of our young Newtown ladies, Miss Anna Connors and Miss Alice Houlihan, have cheerfully offered their services to the American Legion to sell poppies.

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The most spectacular fire Newtown has been afflicted with in a generation took place on Tuesday night, when the large and magnificent barn on the estate of former state Senator Thomas R. Bussey was burned to the ground.

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The residents of Hawleyville have organized the Hawleyville Volunteer Fire Company, consisting of 26 members, and at the first meeting elected the following officers: W.A. Upham, president; L. Durgy, vice president; R.J. Clark, secretary; W.A. Upham, treasurer; first foreman, Charles Jackson; second foreman, John Hendrickson; and third foreman, L. Gilbert.

JUNE 1, 1900

J. Botsford Fairchild of Taunton district has been putting new roofs on his barns.

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John T. Sheehan has moved from the house in the rear of the Congregational Church, where he has lived for several years, to the Sastrom house, which he purchased some time ago, at the foot of West Street.

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Ralph Benedict has sold all his cows. He says he is too old to care for them any longer.