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THE WAY WE WERE

AUGUST 2, 1974

Dignitaries cover a lot of ground in a short time. No exception was Dignitary

Day, sponsored by the Park and Recreation Commission, on Wednesday, July 31.

Starting out on the school bus behind the Town Hall that morning was First

Selectman Frank DeLucia; school superintendent Albert Brinkman; Town social

worker Mary Brey; members of the Park and Recreation Commission Barbara

O'Connor, Cynthia Cassidy, and chairman David Larson; Arthur Bennett,

Dickinson Park superintendent; Bertram Stroock, who donated the land for the

park; and Lee Davenson, Recreation Director and tour guide. Though invited, no

members of the Board of Finance were present. In the space of little more than

two hours, the dignitaries visited Middle School, Hawley School, bypassed the

Methodist Church because the children who meet there regularly were on a field

trip, Sandy Hook School, Dickinson Park, and the Alexandria Room of Town Hall

where lunch was served. All the while, Mr Davenson kept up a running

commentary on the progress and problems, mostly financial, of the recreation

programs in each of the sites.

In response to insistent demands at the recent public hearing of the Charter

Revision Commission, and at the request of First Selectman Frank DeLucia,

commissioners are drafting a provision for the November ballot establishing a

board of ethics which, in turn, will develop and administer a code of ethics

for Newtown officers and employees. Redding and Seymour have such boards and

codes already constituted by ordinance, and a code of ethics has recently been

adopted by the selectmen of Easton, to become a town ordinance upon adoption

by the voters this fall.

The Main Street Historic District Study Committee had its second of three

planned informational meetings on the proposed district in the Alexandria Room

of the Edmond Town Hall Wednesday evening. Those in attendance were persons

who live within the proposed district, and they put forth an interesting

proposal to the committee members concerning the planned exclusion from the

district of buildings along Main Street which are in commercial zones. There

are five businesses which are in commercial zones: the Newtown Savings Bank,

the General Store, the Chase building, Lovells of Ruwet-Sibley, and Lovells

Garage. The committee is proposing to omit these businesses from the District,

although it has been pointed out that they may be included, if they so desire.

The suggestion on Wednesday evening was that the commercial zones be included

in the district. The reason for this, the residents explained, would be to

have some control over design of a building should one of the present ones be

destroyed, for instance by fire, or change ownership.

State Representative Sarah Frances Curtis (R-106) of Newtown told The Bee this

week that she is "demanding" that the state Bureau of Highways take action to

improve the situation on I-84 in the vicinity of Rochambeau Bridge.

Specifically, Mrs Curtis was referring to the sharp curve I-84 takes just

after the bridge, heading west into Newtown. A two-truck accident in the

vicinity on Tuesday sparked her comments.

At a special meeting on Thursday, July 25, the Newtown Park and Recreation

Commission awarded a contract for construction of a tennis court to Costello

Construction Corporation of Newington, an associate of New England Seal

Coating Company. The company, which specializes in tennis courts, offered the

low bid of $8,695 for a single court with the town to do the rough grading.

The bid does not include fencing. The company's bid for a second court to be

constructed at the same time was $7,695.

A representative of the State Human Rights Division met with officials of the

Newtown Police Department on Friday, July 26, to discuss a sex-discrimination

complaint filed by Paige Gillies of Newtown, who was not granted an

application for patrolwoman on the force earlier this year.

The Newtown Democratic Women's Club will sponsor a baked goods sale on

Saturday, August 3, starting at 9:30 am in front of the Grand Union. Club

President Millie Anderson is chairwoman of this event and promises a delicious

assortment of baked goods for sale.

Board members of the newly formed Sandy Hook group of La Leche League met

recently to organize their series of meetings on breast feeding, the first of

which will be held on Thursday, August 15, at 7:45 pm at the home of Mrs Paul

Bardelli, Buttonball Drive. Leading the Sandy Hook group is Anja Baldock.

Assisting her will be leader applicants Diane Biondo and Susan Cacioppo,

librarian. Other board members include Berney Skutel, secretary, Esther

Nichols, treasurer, and Peg Heetman, publicity.

AUGUST 5, 1949

Honor has been accorded to H.C. Honegger of Walnut Tree Hill, Sandy Hook, by

the Italian Republic, which has conferred upon him the Italian decoration

"Stella della Solidarieta." The decoration is made in recognition of Mr

Honegger's work as president of the Pestalozzi World Foundation and in other

ways aiding in the moral and material reconstruction of Italy.

As a result of the decision of the Connecticut Supreme Court on Monday of this

week, validating the judgeship appointments made by Governor Chester Bowles at

the end of June, Attorney John F. Holian, Democratic town chairman, entered

upon his duties as judge of the Newtown town court at the session held Monday

evening in Edmond Town Hall. The Newtown town court was one of 66 throughout

the state that were affected by the decision.

A picnic with swimming, races, merry-go-round rides and soda pop, held at Lake

Quassapaug last Friday, ended this summer's recreation program in Newtown.

Over 60 people, parents as well as children, joined the outing. Winners of the

Newtown events were as follows: boys' advanced free style, Fred Benton, first,

Buddy Palmer, second, Joe Zink, third; girls' advanced free style, Claudia

Palmer, first, Wendy Blantin, second, and Jane Slocum, third. Boys advanced

side stroke: Ken Anderson, first, Fred Benton, second, Joe Zink, third. Girls

advanced side stroke, Claudia Palmer, first, Susan Slocum, second and Wendy

Blantin, third.

The Newtown Bees returned to their winning ways on Sunday afternoon when they

defeated Roxbury in a fast moving game played on the Roxbury diamond. The

score was 12 to 5. Big Bob Crichton led the Newtown team with five hits for

five times at bat, collecting four singles and a two bagger, to cross the

plate with five runs, five seeming to be his lucky number. Elzie Hunnicutt

followed a close second with three for five, getting a single and two doubles.

Wagner led the batting for Roxbury, getting two singles and a double out of

four times at bat.

The foundation work for the Newtown Veterans Memorial building, located in

South Center district, opposite the Newtown Country Club, has been completed

and the process of laying the first floor begun. According to the building

committee, the volunteers who have been working evenings at the site also

expected to start the center blocks sometime this week.

An all-day golf and tennis tournament took place at the Newtown Country Club

last Saturday, conducted by the Newtown Rotary Club. Fred C. Bauer was

chairman. Some 18 members of the Rotary Club and ten guests took part in the

golf event, which featured a team match between two picked teams. The team

captained by Frank Hubbell and dubbed "The Hookers" defeated Fred Bauer's

"Slicers" 18 points to 16.

AUGUST 1, 1924

The Sandy Hook band never gave a better concert or played to better advantage

than on Sunday night at their concert in front of the Parker House, which was

enjoyed by several hundred people. Automobiles lined both sides of the street.

Leader Warner is to be congratulated on the excellence of the concert. The

band makes another public appearance on Saturday night, when they play at the

meeting of the Forestry Association on Dr C.H. Peck's Mt Pleasant estate.

A number of Newtown young ladies gave a picnic at South Center last Monday

afternoon. Among those present were Margaret McCarthy, Luella Sperry,

Catherine Crowe, Alice Meeker, Geraldine Cutler, Barbara Cutler, Muriel

Kiernan, Mary Frisbie, Alice Carmody and Julie Wetmore.