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WAY WE WERE

May 18, 1973

Voters in Tuesday's election rejected the proposed $8 million 1973-74 town

budget by a vote of 1,476 to 890. Participating in the voting were 31

non-resident property owners and approximately 28 percent of the registered

electorate. The Board of Finance must meet this week to decide what to do.

First Selectman Frank DeLucia said he will ask the board for an additional

$4,000 for the Police Department to finance the proposed new dog warden. But

George Grosner, president of the taxpayers' group which petitioned for the

referendum, said the taxpayers "have spoken to reduce taxes." The Finance

board had cut $100,000 from the school budget requests and $82,751 from the

proposed town budget before the referendum. The proposed budget would have

required between a 1- and 1«-mill increase in the tax rate.

Seth O.L. Brody, attorney of Bridgeport and resident of Newtown, was chosen by

the Republican Town Committee (RTC) on Monday for appointment to the Board of

Police Commissioners and appointed to the position at the Board of Selectmen

meeting Tuesday evening. He will fill the vacancy created by the resignation

of former commissioner Timothy J. Loughlin. Mr Brody has served the town in

various capacities. He was a member of the RTC for 15 years and served as its

chairman. He also has served as town counsel, chairman of the Board of

Education, and a member of the Board of Tax Review.

The Conservation Commission, acting for the town, has started to process an

application from the state for an open space grant for the purchase of the

16-acre Ram Pasture from the Newtown Cemetery Association. The grant would be

on a 50-50 basis, with the town carrying half of the burden, and the Bureau of

Outdoor Recreation through the State Department of Environmental Protection,

the other half. Commission member Rita Lapati has agreed to do the task of

filling out the application. The Parks and Recreation and Planning & Zoning

Commission also must submit statements attesting that the purchase of the Ram

Pasture for open space is acceptable to them.

Karen M. Coyne and William Patrick Cavanaugh have been named valedictorian and

salutatorian, respectively, of the 1973 graduating class at Newtown High

School. The daughter of Mr and Mrs Edward L. Coyne of Newfield Lane, Karen

intends to major in nursing at the University of Massachusetts. Bill, the son

of Mr and Mrs Michael J. Cavanaugh of High Bridge Road, has received a

congressional appointment to the US Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.

Now that Mae Schmidle has been elected town clerk, First Selectman Frank

DeLucia is looking for someone to replace her as the town's state and federal

relations administrator. The position involves dealing with the community

development projects and the applicants must have some knowledge of procedures

of state and federal grants, experience in research and surveys, interest in

working with people, and some legal and community planning. The closing date

for applications is May 30.

Some 30 residents of Evergreen Road turned out for a Newtown Planning & Zoning

Commission public hearing on improvements to the road last Friday evening at

the town hall. With few objections, the residents received the commission's

approval following the hearing on the project which has been in the offing for

a number of years. The general consensus is that the road is in terrible shape

and is almost impassable at times during the winter. Now a private road,

Evergreen Road will become a town road when it is improved.

First Selectman Frank DeLucia proposed a new solution to the town's dog warden

problem Tuesday evening, proposing that the responsibility be turned over to

the police department and a new police officer hired for the purpose. Under

the plan the police department will receive the dog warden's revenues, which

amount to about $3,600 from the town's shares of licensing fees and $5 for

each dog adopted from the dog pound. This would pay for approximately half of

the salary of an additional officer and about $4,000 more would have to be

paid from the town budget. John D'Addario, who has been acting as dog warden

on a largely volunteer basis in recent months, would continue to do so until

the new police officer is hired.

MAY 21, 1948

Cub Scouting for boys from 9 through 11 years of age got off to a flying start

in Newtown this week when almost 100 people gathered at the Edmond Town Hall

Alexandria Room Monday evening as Troop 70 received its charter. Eighteen

young boys, accompanied by their parents, were present to witness the official

presentation of the charter and to receive their Bobcat pins, neckerchiefs and

certificates of membership. A delegation of officials from the Pomperaug

Council, Boy Scouts of America, came from Bridgeport to participate in the

ceremony. Otto Sauer, president of the council, presented the charter to Dr

Russell Strasburger, who received it on behalf of the Rotary, the local

sponsoring organization of the cubs. Donald R. McCain Jr is the Cubmaster. The

following boys were presented with insignia: Den 1 -- Hugh Brodie, Preston

McCain, Harry Greenman Jr, Fred Goodsir Jr, Stephen Jones, Paul Kovacs, Ross

Hill, Charles Nash, Gerald Miller; Den 2 -- James Curtis, Peter Underhill,

Walter Seman, Stephen Smith, Charles Bess Jr, Richard Whalen; and Den 3 --

Bruce Palmer, Samuel Scott, Earl Tigley.

Last Friday evening the Junior-Senior Prom was held in the Alexandria Room of

Edmond Town Hall, a room handsomely decorated in yellow, green and pink. Miss

Virginia Drew was crowned Queen and more than 50 couples enjoyed dancing to

the music of Eddie Kane's orchestra. In addition to faculty members present,

Superintendent and Mrs Carroll Johnson and Principal and Mrs Carl A. LeGrow

were in attendance.

The Town Development Committee met last Friday afternoon in the selectmen's

room at Edmond Town Hall. Judge Paul V. Cavanaugh was named chairman,

succeeding Paul S. Smith, last year's chairman. The committee reviewed past

activities and discussed future projects which it will undertake in its

capacity as a planning group charged, at last fall's annual town meeting, with

the power to suggest improvements considered for the best interest of the

town.

Some 70 citizens attended the meeting held Monday evening in the Edmond Town

Hall gymnasium, called for the purpose of discussing the formation of a local

taxpayers association. A. Fenn Dickinson, third selectman, introduced the two

speakers for the evening and in so doing, announced that he would not be a

candidate for public office in next fall's election. The first speaker, F.S.

MacDonald, of the Connecticut Public Expenditure Council, talked about the

best method of forming a local taxpayers association. He was followed by

Hubert W. Stone, also of the council, who explained the function of their

organization and how it helps towns with their problems of community planning,

adequate town reports, revaluation of assessed property to provide fair

taxation, and other issues. H.R. Geiger was nominated as temporary chairman

and Raymond L. Hall as secretary although several people at the meeting

questioned the need for the organization and whether it would be in conflict

with the Town Development Committee chaired by Judge Paul V. Cavanaugh.

Trinity Episcopal Church was the scene last Saturday afternoon of the wedding

of Miss Shirley Beardsley, daughter of Mr and Mrs Edward L. Beardsley of Sandy

Hook, to Charles Rudolph, son of Mr and Mrs Chris Rudolph of Easton. Miss

Shirley Shannon of Sandy Hook was the maid of honor. William Lovell of Newtown

was best man. Immediately following the ceremony, a reception was held at

Wheeler's Glen Lodge in Sandy Hook. The bride graduated from Hawley High

School in June 1947. Mr Rudolph attended Hawley High and served two years in

the Navy in the European Theatre. He formerly was employed at Liberty Garage

but is now working for his father in the grocery business in Easton.

Sgt Hugh H. Quinn Jr arrived home on Tuesday after completing his service of

19 months in Tokyo, Japan, with the Honor Guard. He made the trip from Japan

to Seattle, Wash., in 13 days and arrived there on May 8, from where he

received his discharge. His friends are glad to see him back in town.

Improper backing caused 1,510 accidents in Connecticut last year.