Full Text:

THE WAY WE WERE

May 25, 1973

The Board of Finance has decided to send the same 1973-74 town/school budget

back to the voters that was rejected, 1,476 to 890, in the May 15 referendum.

In a meeting Monday evening, the finance board decided that the budget as

originally proposed was reasonable to meet the needs of the town. Instead, the

board will send it intact to a town meeting scheduled for Wednesday evening,

May 30, for further consideration and action.

The Board of Education met Monday night to make $100,000 in cuts to the

1973-74 budget, an amount cut by the Board of Finance before the May 15

referendum. The board opted to cut the position of plant manager (building and

grounds supervisor); reduce the amount appropriated for substitute teachers

and teacher aides; cut textbooks and supplies including audio-visual,

instructional, office and custodial supplies; eliminate an after-school

activities bus; equipment replacement and maintenance and repairs. The

position of plant manager was cut for the fourth year in a row, and the

$13,500 cut from maintenance costs would have been for instruction to

maintenance people for the repairs and upkeep of equipment.

Newtown now has an ordinance protecting its wetlands and water courses. It was

adopted after about an hour and a half of debate with a voice vote from the

250 or so present in the Middle School auditorium on May 22. Speaking in favor

of the ordinance were those who felt that such a step is imperative to protect

the town. Those opposing the resolution, principally builders and real estate

agents, voiced the concern that it would take away the rights of landowners to

do as they see fit with their properties. Conservation Commission Chairman Ted

Whippie said that about 20 percent of Newtown's 62.4 square miles is

classified as wetlands by the US Soil Conservation Service.

On May 21 Police Chief Louis Marchese announced that he has appointed Officer

Kevin Flynn of the department as dog warden for the town. Officer Flynn will

work full time as dog warden while retaining his status as an officer on the

force. Chief Marchese also said that for the first time in history, Newtown

will have complete 24-hour coverage on any and all dog complaints because all

officers, while on their normal patrol assignments, also will be assisting on

any calls concerning dogs. Dog Warden Flynn and his assistant, Mrs Lelanie

O'Neil, will work on the placement and adoption of any dogs picked up in

Newtown.

A Sandy Hook resident, Frank Miles, 27, drowned on May 19 when the boat he was

riding in capsized on Lake Zoar. Mr Miles, who lived on Lakeview Terrace, was

one of three men in the boat when it flipped over about 10 am on Saturday

morning. When the three men began to swim toward the shore, two were helped by

persons in other boats. It was then realized that Mr Miles was missing and

state scuba divers were called to aid in the search. His body was found about

4 pm the following day.

Southbury's Tercentennial Celebration gets officially underway on May 25 and

last Saturday quite a group of Newtown's neighbors paid a visit to the Queen

Street Shopping Center to invite Newtowners to come over to help with the

celebration. The costumed visitors included Southbury's first selectman,

Michael Kenney, who also is vice president of the tercentennial events.

Editor Paul Smith has returned home after a month's stay at Gaylord Hospital

in Wallingford. Now all he is waiting for is the sun so he can get outside and

enjoy his yard and his pool.

MAY 28, 1948

The State Supreme Court of Errors, in a unanimous decision last Thursday,

upheld the legality of the Regional High School District No 3. The court said

the district was properly formed and the towns of Newtown and Bethlehem do not

have the power and right to withdraw from the district, nor can the four towns

in the district -- Newtown, Bethlehem, Woodbury and Southbury -- dissolve the

district. That can only be done by the General Assembly, according to the

court. Following the court's decision, the Board of Education of the Regional

District No 3 met and reaffirmed its intention to continue work as rapidly as

possible on the school with the view to open with about 650 students in the

fall of 1949. Estimates indicate the completed project will cost $1.5 million

or less and the building will have a capacity of 800 students.

Students from the four towns of Regional School District No 3 met together as

guests of Hawley School in Newtown on May 20 for a day of scholastic and

athletic activities. On the front page of The Bee this week is an artist's

sketch of the high school which is to be built on a 50-acre site on Route 6

about a mile southwest of Southbury. Included in the plans are general shops

and vocational agricultural shops and classrooms, art studios and home

economics facilities, classrooms and science laboratories. The center part of

the building will house seventh and eighth grade classrooms as well as rooms

for commercial studies, history and music. On the right side of the building

are the cafeterias and kitchen and the gymnasium which can be divided in half

for use by girls in one part and boys in the other.

Chest X-rays taken of Newtown school children in the recent tuberculosis

testing program have been interpreted and the results reported to the Visiting

Nurse Association of Newtown. The survey disclosed only 2.11 percent

reportable findings. The testing program was made possible through the

tuberculosis Christmas Seal program conducted annually by the VNA. The tests

were interpreted by the medical staff of Cedarhurst Sanatorium.

Speaking with fervor and logic, Vernon Nash held an audience of approximately

100 persons in rapt attention when he spoke on "Prospects for a Governed

World" in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall on Tuesday evening. Although

he believes that the United Nations as presently constituted is merely an

alliance or league guaranteeing neither justice nor settlement of disputes, Mr

Nash said this organization is a vehicle from which world government can

evolve, and which should be supported until a stronger world body can take its

place.

Robert de Veer of Glover Avenue in Newtown, who survived combat in the Pacific

and at least one near-fatal crack-up in a Navy fighter, is confined to his

home this week, suffering from the mumps.

The road crew began oiling the newer roads in town on May 18 and due to the

bad weather they are still at it. Unless the rain continues, this part of the

oiling program should be completed this week. Estimates are that 45,000

gallons of tar will be used and 1,150 yards of sand. The job is being done

with two town trucks and five hired trucks, applying an average of 7,500

gallons of oil in a nine-hour day. The materials for this project are being

furnished by the Town Aid Division of the State Highway Department and the

cost is charged to the Town Aid money which is made available to the town by

the state.

The Board of Education voted this week to add one teacher to the Hawley school

staff. This action was taken because an increased enrollment is expected this

coming year and because teachers are already carrying too heavy a teaching

schedule.