The colorful garb, cultural heritage and delicious food of area Ukrainians will once again draw visitors to the fifth annual Ukrainian Festival scheduled for this Sunday, August 24, starting at 11 am at The Paproski Farm on Hattertown Road, Newtown.

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After two futile attempts to get the charter-required 150 people needed at a town meeting to approve a $360,000 appropriation for the reroofing and structural repairs at Newtown High School, funding approval was finally gained at an all-day referendum Thursday, August 14.

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For the first time since it organized in January 1976, Newtown’s Legislative Council has been charged with a possible violation of the state’s Freedom Of Information laws by town Grants Administrator Zita B. McMahon. It stems from questions asked at a March 5, 1980 council meeting, about transfer of funds to provide her with a raise.

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Newtown building official William T. Connolly reported a dramatic drop in new home permits, with only 45 issued in the twelve month period which ended June 30, 1980. The 45 new home starts in 79-80 was less than half the number of new house starts during the previous bad period, 1974-75, when building officials still managed to give 92 new home permits.

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According to Charter Revision Commission member David Epp, Newtown is the only town around with the Board of Selectman-Council-Town Meeting form of government and the Connecticut Public Expenditures Council (CPEC) would like to take a “crack” at it. The CPEC, a non-profit organization which studies local governments and offers consultation to charter commissions, will be invited to the Newtown panel’s September 10 meeting. “We’re the only town, apparently, that has this form of government, and they think it’s kind of odd,” Mr Epp commented.

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The scouts of Sandy Hook’s Troop 70 recently spent a week of high adventure camping and canoeing in the Adirondack Mountains. 31 boys and nine adults traveled to Camp Russell in Woodgate, N.Y. where their 50-mile canoe trip began. The trip ended at Bog River Falls where the boys enjoyed sliding 30 feet down with the moving river water into a deep crystal clear pool.

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The Edmond Town Hall: Still Looking Good At 50. The town hall then (in 1930) was somewhat different than it is today, although those who remember when it was new say it hasn’t changed that much. What is new the selectman’s office was once the Newtown post office (which has since moved to a new building on Queen Street) which could be entered directly from the street. On the level below the probate office was the court room, with a jail containing two cells and two bunks just west of that. There was also a fully equipped pool room as well as “two modern Burnswick Balke bowling alleys,” and rest rooms.

August 26, 1955

Newtown Is Fortunate In Disaster; Other Towns Fare Less Well. Newtown was shocked last Friday morning, August 19, as news of the flooding of the rivers of the state and disaster in community after community came in by radio, newspapers, TV and townspeople who had been in flooded areas. The cause was, of course, Hurricane Diane, that underestimated follower of Connie, which had been the cause of power failures throughout town less than a week before.

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Booths of jewelry, aprons, novelties, fancy work of all kinds and a white elephant table will appear on the lawn of St John’s Church this Saturday, August 27, as part of the annual Lawn Fete given by the St John’s Guild.

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An unusually large turnout of party members, numbering close to 500, attended the Republican Caucus last Thursday evening in the gymnasium of the Edmond Town Hall. The caucus was held to nominate candidates for various town offices to be voted for at the biennial town election on October 3.

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Residents of Shady Rest are seeking contributions from townspeople to the Charles Hull Flood Fund, to aid Mr and Mrs Hull in restoring their home at Shady Rest, which was completely flooded last Friday night, the water reaching to within two feet of the ceiling.

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Persons in the flood area of the state who received their first “shot” of typhoid vaccine are advised by the Connecticut State Department of Health to be sure that this is followed up at weekly intervals by the second and third injections. Flood workers are cautioned to guard against infection. They should not get their hands near their mouths after handling polluted surfaces or polluted water.

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The roads through Pootatuck Park suffered from serious washouts during the heavy rains late last week. Two large eddies of water formed a fork of six-foot wide gashes at the intersection near the Sohn residence which temporarily stranded householders who lived beyond the intersection.

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Members of Charles Howard Peck, Sr and Jr Post 308, Veterans of Foreign Wars gave effective aid this week to flood victims in two Connecticut communities, Waterbury and Winsted. Starting Saturday morning, they enlisted the help of the United Fire company of Botsford and the Dodgingtown Volunteer Fire company to make up a truckload of food and water for Waterbury. The food, supplies collected by the Botsford and Dodgingtown groups, and around 40 gallons of fresh water in jugs, were loaded on Lou Gulacsy’s truck and delivered in Waterbury by Chester Griffith, George Powell and Bill Murray Saturday night.

August 22, 1930

The Edmond Town hall, the generous gift of the late Miss Mary Elizabeth Hawley to Newtown, will be formally turned over to the selectmen, representing the town, on Friday morning at 10 o’clock. The imposing building will be thrown open for the inspection of the public from 1 pm until 10 pm, preceded in the morning in the community room by the presentation of the deed of the building to the selectmen by Arthur T. Nettleton, chairman of the building committee, and the passing over to Mr Nettleton, as one of the executors of the Hawley estate by Selectman T.F. Brew of the deed of the Brick building.

***

 Country Club Notes: An exceptionally fine time was enjoyed, Monday evening, when about 75 members were present, to enjoy a corn roast, served at 6:30. The menu, which was served cafeteria style, consisted of roast corn, salads, boiled ham, meat loaf, rolls, pickles, cake and coffee. The affair was a most enjoyable one and these monthly events are eagerly looked forward to by the members.

***

In the runner up contest at the Upham Miniature Golf Course at Hawleyville, Monday night, John McHugh, Main Street, merchant in Danbury, had the highest score and was awarded the handsome silver trophy cup. The course was packed with players until well past midnight.

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The Silliman-Godfrey Co began Tuesday morning, on the task of laying cement on the Newtown Sandy Hook road, and laid 785 feet the first day.

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William H. Egan, general station master of the Pennsylvania system, is enjoying himself at his camp on Walnut Tree Hill. The camp is decorated, this year, in true patriotic style. In the yard, just outside his camp is suspended a great American flag, 28 x 16, beautiful as it blows idly in the breezes. His mascots, this season, consist of two goats and two kids, which roam in and out of the camp, two beautiful hounds and a Chester Red pig which is growing fat in a pen in the outskirts of the camp grounds.

***

All Democratic women interested in forming a Democratic Women’s club are invited to attend a meeting for the purpose of organization at St Rose’s Casino on Monday evening, August 25, at 8 o’ clock.

August 25, 1905

HORRIBLE ACCIDENT AT HAWLEYVILLE. Body Ground To Pieces. Right before the eyes of his wife and children, Rafel Adelizzio tripped and fell headlong in front of the 7:40 train bound for Bridgeport at Hawleyville, Sunday night. His head was severed from the trunk and the body was frightfully mangled. Death must have been instantaneous.

***

Newtown had a glimpse of real military life, Wednesday, when Capt Luzerne Luddington, Col Wade and 64 enlisted men of Troop A, CNG , passed through Newtown on horseback. The troop started from New Haven Saturday morning on a march of 110 miles, going to Bridgeport where it was encamped over Sunday, then to Putnam Park, Monday, and to Danbury, Tuesday. Col Wade favored THE BEE Office with a call as he was passing through town.

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Work was begun, last Monday, on renovation of the Gray’s Plain district schoolhouse. It is to be thoroughly repaired by the walls and ceiling being re-covered with ceiling boards and a new floor laid. New doors will replace the old ones.

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KIND WORDS FROM THE DERRY (N.H.) NEWS. We are indebted to Frank D. Bell, of Bridgeport, Conn., for a copy of THE NEWTOWN BEE of Newtown, Conn. The paper contains well written notices of men and places in commemoration of the town’s bi-centennial celebration, observed Saturday, August 5. The edition of nearly 5000 twelve-page copies so well printed and so finely illustrated is certainly a credit to a “country” newspaper.

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That genial gentleman, W.H. Prindle, has been having quite a serious tussle with rheumatism.

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Mrs C.H. Northrop will teach the Head of Meadow school the ensuing year. The district is to be congratulated on securing so competent a teacher.