***

On Monday, 24 children in grades K-5 were transferred from the Sandy Hook School to Middle Gate, and on Tuesday evening their parents went to the Board of Education to protest the move and ask the board to rescind its action which mandated the transfer. Although the parents argued their reasons for not wanting the transfer, the board’s action was not rescinded, and as of Wednesday the children were having classes at Middle Gate.

***

 The naming of the athletic field at Newtown High School for Bruce Jenner will take place at 1 pm on Saturday, September 25. Ceremonies are scheduled to commence promptly at 1 because the Indians’ first home football game against Masuk, scheduled to follow, must get under way on time. The slate of events calls for the NHS Marching Band to open the ceremony, playing selections of Olympic music, under the direction of Joe Grasso. The band will be followed by pairs of male and female bearers relaying a lighted torch around the track. The runners are students from each of the schools in town, and the final team will place the torch in the middle of the field, marking the official dedication of the stadium.

***

The uniformed men in the Newtown Police Department will not attempt to attend any future meetings of the Board of Police Commissioners, upon advice of the local union’s legal counsel. The men were notified of this by Sgt Raymond V. Tompkins, president of the local.

***

“Never the twain shall meet” is seemingly the case when it comes to discussions between First Selectman Jack Rosenthal and Selectman Frank DeLucia about that much beleaguered subject, the Newtown landfill. This week’s chapter, including the usual exchange of charges and counter charges between the two, began at Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting when the Democratic first selectman reported back to the board on his decision to purchase up to 1,500 cubic yards of material from Loma Sand & Gravel for use as cover material in the landfill operation. Two weeks ago the Republican Mr DeLucia asked Mr Rosenthal to report on his reasons for the purchase of the fill material, which was dredged out of ponds on the landfill that Loma uses for its concrete batching plant.

***

Registering a new voter in her office is always a pleasure for Town Clerk Mae Schmidle, but last Friday was a very special voter-making experience for Mrs Schmidle. On that afternoon it was her pleasant task to register Mary Bernadette Barnett of Capitol Drive. What made the occasion so special was that Mrs Barnett had come straight to the town clerk’s office from court in Bridgeport where an hour before she had received her United States citizenship.

***

The Legislative Council’s charge to the Charter Revision Commission that it consider amending the Newtown Charter to move the date of the annual town budget meeting up from May to April to allow more time for revising a budget rejected by the voters brought a strong expression of concern from Lester Burroughs, chairman of the Board of Education, at the public hearing on possible charter changes September 20.

***

“Believe me, if they changed the statues to take away negotiating from the Board of Selectmen, I would shed no tears,” First Selectman Jack Rosenthal said Wednesday, commenting on Dr Harvey Wachsman’s complaint to the Charter Revision Commission that the Board of Police Commissioners had no part in negotiations with the police union. Mr Rosenthal said he believes the Connecticut General Statutes give the first selectman or mayor the sole power of negotiation. He said he would check to confirm or disprove this assumption.

SEPTEMBER 28, 1951

The 1951 Danbury Fair with its “Old Home Week” theme, opens on Saturday, September 29, for a nine-day run, and midget auto races return to the fair the first weekend, followed by stock-car races the final weekend. John W. Leahy, general manager, has announced that programs have been scheduled for daylight hours only through Sunday, October 7. In keeping with the policy established some few years ago, there will be no night events. It is reported that this year’s fair will hinge on the agricultural exhibits, but there will be numerous attractions both in front of the grandstand and in the various departments about the grounds.

***

The annual town fair conducted by Mirah Chapter OES will be held in Edmond Town Hall gymnasium on Saturday, October 13. A great variety of articles, including home prepared foods and gifts suitable for Christmas use, has been assembled for the occasion. Luncheon, including a generous bill of fare, will be served by the Ladies Auxiliary of VFW Post 308 at 50 cents.

***

The special town meeting called by petition and attended by some 25 to 30 Newtown voters was short-lived and adjourned without the proposed resolution coming to a vote, which was the object of the meeting’s call. The resolution was intended to amend the ordinance adopted at a special town meeting of January 6, 1949, which required the filing of a written notice with the Board of Assessors for new building construction or structural changes when the estimated cost exceeds $500. Passage of the resolution would have reduced the amount requiring such notice from $500 to $100.

***

Newtown’s first biennial election will be held on Monday in the gymnasium of the Edmond Town Hall, with the ballot boxes open from 6 am to 6 pm. Two thousand, eight hundred and sixty-two voters are eligible to cast their ballots, with an opportunity on Saturday, September 29, for those whose qualifications for admission to the elector’s oath have matured since September 15, to be made voters in time for Monday’s election.

***

Corporal Arne John Carlson, son of Mr and Mrs Algot Carlson of the Taunton District, who has been home on a 30-day leave after more than a year in Korea, is returning for service to Fort Devens this Thursday.

***

The tenth annual meeting of the Newtown Ambulance Association was held on Tuesday night, September 18, in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall in an atmosphere of satisfaction over the accomplishments of the past year. A new garage situated on the Edmond Town Hall property had been completed and a new Superior Cadillac ambulance, purchased at a cost of $6,800, had been procured. A total of 138 calls for the sick and injured had been completed, and there was a tidy sum left for operating expenses and reserve for the purchase, when needed at some future date, of another new ambulance

***

At the regular meeting of the Newtown Board of Education held Thursday evening, September 20, it was approved by the Board of Education that Joseph Ozanne assist Mr DeGroat in coaching soccer and baseball and that Donald McGregor assist him in coaching basketball and baseball.

SEPTEMBER 24, 1926

   Joseph Collins has the contract for taking down the Niantic mill for the owner, Austin Hurd, who purchased the property of the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company.

***

Carl Rasmussen and men have been erecting a silo for Jacob Goldberg.

***

The Hawley School opened this fall with the following registration: High School, 122; Grades, 124.

***

Mrs H.H. Taylor will sail on October 30 for France for a month’s visit.

SEPTEMBER  27, 1901

A person driving on the highway past the property of E.L. Johnson sees some evidence of the recent cyclone in that section. But to give a correct idea of the damage done and of the terrible velocity of the wind on that memorable Sunday night of September 15, one wants to climb over the stone walls and go down into the fields…The damage to Mr Johnson’s property could not be placed lower than $1,200. Sixty-five apple trees were uprooted and blown over, and a section of one barn unroofed.

***

J. W. Daley has a dog which has caught 40 woodchucks this year.

***

George Parker of Obtuse, who understands catering, is to have a booth at the Newtown Fairgrounds this year, where he will sell all kinds of eatables, ice cream, and soda water.