Date: Fri 15-May-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

Newtown-Forest-Association

Full Text:

Forest Association To Make Its Headquarters High On Great Hill

BY KAAREN VALENTA

The 86-acre Holcombe property on Great Hill Road soon will become the new

headquarters of the Newtown Forest Association.

The property, bequeathed last year to the association by the late Josephine

Holcombe, will be known as Holcombe Hill. It includes several buildings

including a main house, a caretaker's house, a garage and a barn.

"It's the first time that the forest association will have a headquarters

since it was established in 1924," said NFA President Wesley Gillingham. "It's

wonderful. We hope to be able to do a lot with it."

Currently NFA Director Dave Thompson and Scott Maxwell, a local youth who is

working for his Eagle Scout rank, are in the process of establishing a trail

system at the Holcombe property. During the association's annual meeting on

May 7, Mr Thompson showed aerial photographs of the Holcombe property and

pointed out the location of the trail system.

"We plan to have a parking area for the public to provide access to the

trails," Mr Gillingham said.

Mr Gillingham announced at the annual meeting that the association now has

more than 1,000 acres of land in Newtown. Five pieces of property totalling

163 acres were donated to the NFA during the past year.

"The Julian property -- 17 acres on Valley Field Road -- was the last

donation," Mr Gillingham said in an interview this week. "Mrs Julian had 20

acres, kept three for her house, and donated the rest to the forest

association."

The other pieces of land included 27 acres on Walnut Tree Hill Road, donated

as a memorial to the late Alida Knotts; 17 acres, including a black spruce

bog, at the new Avalon development off High Bridge Road; 16 acres at the

Cobblers Ridge development near Cobbler's Mill Road; and the 86-acre Holcombe

property on Great Hill Road.

Mr Gillingham said open space is a big issue in Connecticut today but "when

you stop to think about it, people in Newtown already were concerned about

open space in 1924 and decided to do something about it."

NFA Director Alan Floutin said last year's Shagbark Hickory tree hunt contest

was a big success. He showed one of the 30 cuttings he is trying to root from

the winning tree.

This year's tree contest is trying to find the largest White Pine. A $500

reward will go to the lucky locator of the winning tree. Submissions have

already been received. The contest will continue until August. Entry forms may

be found at the Booth Library or from Wes Gillingham or Brian Hennessey.

Submissions are coming in every day, Mr Gillingham said.

"One woman called because her daughter was excited about trying to find the

biggest tree. But first she had to show her what a White Pine looks like," he

said.

"Most people don't realize that the White Pine was one of the most plentiful

and popular trees in this part of the country, until so much of it was cut for

furniture and other uses," he added.

At the annual meeting Dave Thompson, chairman of the nominating committee,

presented the slate of officers for the coming year. The slate, which was

unanimously adopted, includes Mr Gillingham, president; Phyllis Zygmont, vice

president; Martha Wright, secretary; and Robert Beer, treasurer.

Directors will include Coke Cramer, Allan Floutin, Steve Paproski, David

Thompson, and William Watts; and honorary directors, Thomas Cheney and Doug

Rogers.

Friends Of The Forest

Mr Cheney was the guest speaker at the annual meeting. He reminisced about

some of the people of Newtown who played a part in the development of the

Forest Association.

He started with Paul Smith, who was "in favor of everything good for the town

as long as it wasn't expensive," and Congregational Minister Paul Cullen, who

was president of the association when it revived in 1959.

Paul Cullen was instrumental along with Polly Brody in securing the 790-acre

Mulliken Tract of rocky land on Lake Lillinonah as open space.

George Northrop was the first chairman of Planning and Zoning who guided the

commission as it adopted zoning regulations in 1958.

Jim Brunot, inventor of the board game Scrabble, used the experience he gained

in Chicago where property values increased because open space was available.

He gave the association 67 acres on the Bethel border.

Anna Lord Strauss donated Hattertown Pond to the association.

Henry Schnakenberg, an artist and authority on ferns, lived in a house on

Taunton Lake Road. He was a friend of Gertude Vanderbilt Whitney and known in

literary circles in Newtown, New York and Brandywine.

Arthur Christie was a uniformed state forester who gave technical advice to

the association.

Raymond and Betty Fosdick were among the association's earliest and most

generous supporters. He bought a farm on Boggs Hill Road in 1933 and visited

it on weekends. He was active in New York reform politics and the League of

Nations. He was also a close friend and adviser of Woodrow Wilson. As founder

of a law firm in New York one of his first clients was John D. Rockeller, Jr.

Betty Fosdick, at 103, is Smith College's oldest graduate. She lives in an

retirement home in Duncaster.

Mr Cheney proposed the following resolution which was adopted by acclaim at

the meeting: "Resolved, by the members of The Newtown Forest Association,

Incorporated, that they express their deep appreciation to Elizabeth Miner

Fosdick for her strategic gifts of land to the Association and for their

gratitude and esteem for the leadership in the Associations' affairs provided

by her and by her late husband, Raymond B. Fosdick."