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THE WAY WE WERE

APRIL 12, 1974

The Conservation Commission met with members of other town boards and

commissions on Thursday, April 4, for an examination of the final draft of the

proposed inland wetlands regulations. The discussion ranged from suggestions

regarding word order to the possible uses of a town planner in Newtown. First

Selectman Frank DeLucia, Selectman Gerald Frawley and three members of the

Planning and Zoning Commission offered comments which may be included in the

regulations before the public hearing at the end of May. According to state

Department of Environmental Protection rulings, each town must have its own

set of wetland regulations approved by the state by June 30, 1974, or be

required to accept state regulations.

It has been nearly two weeks since the voters of Newtown went to referendum

and chose to have the Boyle property on Boggs Hill Road retained as a school

site. Since that vote, the Boyle issue has not been, for the first time in

many months, the main topic of discussion in Newtown. In fact, there have been

no words from either the Taxpayers or Boggs Hill Groups as to what their next

course of action, if there is to be any, will be in trying to keep a school

off the property. Other legalities involving the site are moving along in a

quiet way too. By the end of this week, Attorney Paul Pollock, representing

the town in regard to the declaratory judgment sought on the legality of the

December 1973 referendum, will have filed a motion in court seeking a summary

judgment on the issue. A court decision on such a judgment could possibly come

within two weeks.

Providing Newtown is willing to match the amount, the Federal Bureau of

Outdoor Recreation is ready to give $74,368 toward buying the Ram's Pasture on

the corner of Route 25 and 202 for open space. The offer is good until January

1, 1975. By that time, the Town will have to have appropriated the entire

purchase prices of the property, in order to get the reimbursement from the

federal government. The 12 acre property, currently owned by the Newtown

Cemetery Association, has been included in the Conservation Commission's open

space plan since last year. Two houses in bad repair stand on the property.

The land is wet, low lying and imperfectly drained by the one pond upon it.

Commission member Rita Lapati made out the application to the Bureau of

Outdoor Recreation for funds last October. The grant is the first made to the

town for the purchase of open space.

On April 17 two talented Newtown musicians will be giving a joint senior

recital at Western Connecticut State College in Danbury. The two, Joan Whippie

and Donna Tibbitts, graduated from Newtown High School four years ago, and now

they are ready to don their caps and gowns for the graduation from WesConn.

The senior recital they will be presenting is one of their requirements for

graduating.

Pat and Bill Denlinger, general co-chairmen of the Summer Festival, have made

known the names of the sub committee chairmen: Robert McCulloch and Mrs Paul

Furlotte are Parade co-chairmen; Joseph Gunnels and Donald Studley are

chairing the Finance Committee; Fireworks are being handled by George Arfaras;

Robert Bjornberg is in charge of arrangements for the Water Ski Show; Lee

Davenport is head of the Special Events Committee; the Newtown Tennis Club is

to organize the tennis tournament and Mrs Raymond Craven is publicity

chairman.

The Democrats met in Edmond Town Hall on Thursday night to endorse delegates

for the various party elections this year. Caucus endorsements were to be

given to the Town Committee-recommended delegates, barring any nominations

from the floor. The Democratic Town Committee recommended persons as delegates

at its meeting on Thursday, April 4. Jack Rosenthal, Committee Chairman, Diana

Schwerdtle, Selectman Gerald Frawley and Kenneth Bigham were nominated to

attend the state convention which will be July 19 and 20 at Bushnell Memorial,

Hartford.

The following students are competing this week in the Connecticut Science Fair

at Norwalk State Technical College: Theresa Peterman, Diana Rosato, James

Dirienzo and Chris Flanagan of St Rose School, Newtown.

The problem about the Police grievance filed in December, 1973 may be solved,

said Officer Richard Stook, president of Local 337 of the International

Brotherhood of Police Officers (IBPO). On Wednesday, April 10, he said, union

representatives, First Selectman Frank DeLucia and a state mediator met for

about an hour and came up with a joint statement to be released at the Board

of Selectmen meeting on Tuesday, April 16, which, said Office Stook, should

resolve the grievance once and for all. The Wednesday meeting took place in

the wake of a unanimous Police Department rejection on Monday, April 1, of the

letter of intent which had been written by the BofS to resolve the problem.

The Police charged that the letter did not include changes in wording

recommended by the National Association of Government Employees of which the

IBPO is a part. Furthermore, they said that the letter included statements

which were in violation of their contract. Specifically Officer Stook referred

to the part of their contract which says that posted duty schedules for

upcoming months cannot be changed. The original grievance was filed in

objection to the practice of having desk sergeants doing dispatcher duties due

to a shortage of personnel in the department.

APRIL 15, 1949

Educational requirements, background, aptitude and the individual interest of

the student will be things considered when Hawley High school puts on a joint

occupational conference and plays host to Woodbury High next Wednesday

afternoon, April 20. Speakers have been arranged to describe many fields and

professions in which students have already professed an interest.

At the annual Borough caucus held Friday night in the Edmond Town Hall, Henry

L. McCarthy was renominated for the post of warden for the Borough of Newtown.

The meeting was presided over by Mr McCarthy and the following candidates were

nominated for various Borough offices: Miss May E. Sullivan, clerk; Willian

Honan, Sr, and John C. Beers, burgesses; Judge Paul V. Cavanaugh, John A.

Carlson and Judge Reynolds, fire inspectors; Mr Carlson, pound keeper; Gilbert

Aiken and Mr Carlson, assessors; Frederick H. Duncombe and Joseph Hellauer,

board of tax review; William Hunter, registrar of voters, and Charles F.

Cavanaugh, tax collector.

The Women's Auxiliary of Trinity Church announces a Fashion Show, to be given

in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall on Thursday, May 5, at 2:30 in the

afternoon. Beautiful new clothes for late spring and summer will be exhibited

by Melissa Carpenter's Country Casuals. Included will be unusual new cottons,

prints in both silk and rayons, delightful afternoon frocks, and those

essential dresses and suits "to wear to the city." All in all, according to

advance notices, a panorama of the 1949 fashion scene. Bee readers are asked

to put this date down as a "must." Already selected as models, with additional

names to be announced, are: Judy Brewer, Mrs Charles Cavanaugh, Mrs Edmund

Foster, Mrs Robert Leahy, Mrs Archibald Mansfield, Mrs Perry Roehm and Mrs

Mortimer Smith. Committee chairmen are Mrs Warner W. Bayley, Mrs H. Gould

Curtis, Mrs Nelson J. Curtis, Mrs W. Cranston Brewer, Mrs Herbert Flanburgh,

with Mrs Felix Baridon, general chairman.

The meteor which streaked across the skies early Monday evening and was

visible in many parts of Southern New England attracted little attention in

Newtown. However, the eclipse of the moon on Tuesday night was watched by many

people, one of the most interested spectators being Henry "Astronomer" Price

of Sunset Hill, who has long been a student of the skies, and is well versed

in astronomy.

The Newtown Softball League is open for organization almost at once. Director

Harold S. DeGroat is rounding up the managers this week. The Cantons are

already starting practice. Whether the Fairfield State Hospital can round up

two teams again this year is one question. The Country Club team is another

question mark.

The first meeting of the newly organized Brownie troop was held Wednesday

afternoon at 3:30 o'clock in Hawley school with 32 young people attending. The

election of officers was held and Susan Desmond was chosen president and

Robert Duncan, treasurer.

APRIL 11, 1924

Jacob Goldberg has recently purchased a new Ford commercial car. Fred

Waterbury on Strongs Hill has a new Ford sedan.

While on his way home from school, Wednesday afternoon, Hobart Warner, son of

Mr and Mrs H.G. Warner of Berkshire, fell off his bicycle and fractured his

collar bone. Dr E.I. Kingman attended him.

Miss Finkle, the visiting nurse, will have a health picture, entitled "The

Gift of Life," put on at Blackman's Theater some time in the near future. It

is a four reel picture and is furnished by the American Social Hygiene

Association.