Town officials didn’t exactly do a backflip from anxiety when informed Wednesday night that Newtown developers are considering legal action if the proposed road ordinance is adopted by the Legislative Council. The developers are opposed to one provision in the ordinance — that subdivision roads have utilities in place before building permits are given. They’re prepared to seek an injunction against the town if this provision is adopted. “The town gets sued for everything. You can write that,” remarked Town Attorney William J. Lavery Wednesday night after the council set an October 18 public hearing on the new road ordinance.

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Housatonic Valley Cable Vision, a New Milford company which plans to extend service to Newtown, may have more difficulties in providing residents with additional viewing fare than they anticipated. A petition containing 109 signatures has been sent to the state Power Facilities Evaluation Council requesting a public hearing on the proposed transmission tower location.

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Are the Republicans who were in the Goosman camp on Monday night for the judge of probate candidacy race working to have that night’s vote, which saw the election of Merlin Fisk, negated? Something’s definitely afoot, and it has to do with an amendment the GOP Town Committee made to its party rules on January 9 of this year. That amendment was to have all voting on personalities by written ballot. It was passed at the January 9 meeting, but the change in the rules was never filed with the Secretary of the State’s office, which, according to State Statute section 9-374, must be done.

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Newtown’s ad-hoc Youth Services Committee is moving toward completion of their project established by the selectmen in March. The project was to pinpoint the needs of Newtown youths which the committee opted to do through a questionnaire. In addition to contacting young people about different issues, the committee also will send a questionnaire to parents and business leaders.

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A State Department of Transportation official confirmed to The Bee September 14 that the proposed improvements to Church Hill Road include installation of traffic lights, and some minor widening of the road at intersections. The confirmation came after State Rep John Anderson and the president of the Newtown Industrial Park Association indicated they thought the project involved widening the state route from two to four lanes.

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Connecticut’s Farm Lands Preservation Act passed by the 1978 General Assembly has important national implications, agreed two Democratic candidates during a campaign stop in Newtown September 14. William Ratchford, Fifth District congressional candidate, and John Anderson, seeking a third term from the 106th Assembly District (Newtown and Redding), stopped by Hundred Acres Farm to talk about the state program.

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The collection baskets from Trinity Episcopal Church were stolen sometime shortly after the 10 am service on Sunday, September 16, right from the sanctuary, and some of the money, in the form of checks, has been recovered. The burglary apparently took place as parish members were at a meeting following the service. One of the baskets was found right inside the door to the building with a single check in it. A few days later, the second basket, containing some damp, torn, and slightly charred checks was found behind the A&P. Another check was found in an envelope on the floor of the church. But the most unusual recovery of a check was made by two boys, Rusty Strasburger and David Chamberlain, as they walked behind the church. The check they spotted lying on the ground was one which David’s mother had written and put into the collection basket that Sunday.

SEPTEMBER 25, 1953

This week saw the final contingent of young people from town leave for universities, colleges, and private schools throughout the country to complete the annual exodus which began early in the month. The Bee has endeavored to compile as complete a list as possible of the students who will study out of town, as boarding or day students, and will be pleased to publish in later issues any names which may have been omitted. The University of Connecticut, Storrs, claims 18 Newtown students, the largest number from town attending any single school. The 36 other institutions of higher learning represented are located throughout the United States, one is in Canada and one in Rome, Italy. The farthest-traveling Newtown student is Jerome P. Mayer, son of George Mayer of Palesitne District, who will be a graduate student at the University of Rome on a Fulbright Fellowship.

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At the zoning meeting for North Center District held in the Alexandria Room of the Edmond Town Hall on Thursday evening, September 10, an advisory committee was appointed for the district, following a detailed explanation of the proposed zoning act for Newtown by Albert H. Nichols, member of the Town Development Committee who has been serving as chairman in charge of the series of district meetings.

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 Last Saturday’s session of the Board of Selectmen and the town clerk for the purpose of making new voters, found 68 eligible residents registering as voters.

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 Harry Doehne, son of Mr and Mrs Arthur Doehne, Old Hawleyville Road, returned home early this week from a cruise to Venezuela as radio operator on an oil tanker. He then left for Iowa State College at Ames, Iowa, where he will work for his PhD degree in soil conservation.

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A sure sign of approaching autumn is the extensive planning going on in the Danbury offices of John W. Leahy, general manager, and C. Irving Jarvis, assistant general manager, of the 84th Annual Danbury Fair, to be held at the fair grounds on Route 7 during the nine days from Saturday, October 2, through Sunday, October 11. The officials have announced an elaborate program which will offer educational and entertainment feaures to the tens of thousands of visitors who will attend the event.

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Following a pattern established some years ago, the Newtown League of Women Voters is again providing the opportunity for candidates in the town election of October 5 to meet informally with townspeople on Thursday evneing, October 1, at 8 o’clock in the Edmond Town Hall gym. The rally, conducted on a nonpartisan basis by the League, makes it possible for every candidate of both political parties to meet the voter first-hand, express himself and his platform and answer questions pertaining to the office he seeks.

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Work was started on Saturday at the Yankee Drover Inn, making a parking lot in the area on the south side of the building. John Kolinchak & Sons, Inc, of Brookfield is the contractor in charge. A new driveway has been cut through the lawn and across the sidewalk, with a great deal of fill carted into the area to level the parking space. Grass will be planted each side of the driveway and a Colonial fence erected inside the sidewalk.

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Pvt James Gies, son of Mr and Mrs Arthur J. Gies of Hall’s Lane, sailed from San Francisco recently for duty in Korea.

SEPTEMBER 21, 1928

All the games on the schedule of the Newtown baseball team, having been played, the team has disbanded.

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The class of 1930 of the Hawley School announce their class play, “Miss Molly,” to be presented at the Hawley School auditorium on Friday evening, November 2 at 8 o’clock.

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On Tuesday evening, September 25, at the Newtown Library, there will be a meeting to organize a Newtown branch of the Bridgeport Chapter, American Red Cross.

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The Walnut Tree Special made its final run for the season on Sunday. The manager reports very heavy traffic during the month of August.

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Austin Warner, son of Mr and Mrs H.G. Warner, enters the Wooster School in Danbury this week.

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Dr E.L. Kingman attended the clinical Congress of Medicine at New Haven Tuesday and Wednesday.

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A class of 60 foreign students returned to New York Tuesday after passing ten days at the Frederica House in Sandy Hook.

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On Tuesday evening the annual election of officers was held at Virgillius Council. Edward Talty was again chosen as Grand Knight to serve his second year.

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Miss Marjorie Reale left on Wednesday to enroll as a student at Russell Sage College, Troy, N.Y.

SEPTEMBER 25, 1903

George F. Taylor, a director of the Newtown Fair, attended the Orange Fair on Friday and secured quite a string of entries for the horse racing at the Newtown Fair.

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The contract for the new gospel wagon for the Congregational Church has been let to Eckman Bros of Washington Depot.

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Charles Downs of Half Way River showed his kindness by remembering his neighbors with some of his delicious strawberries. He has marketed over two bushels. We think this is a rarity for September.

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E.A. Bennett has leased the feldspar mine of George R. Watson and commenced work upon it Tuesday morning.

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The Democratic caucus to nominate town officers will be held at the Town Hall Friday evening, October 2.

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The first passenger train south Tuesday did not reach the Newtown station till about 7:40, owing to a breaking down of the engine at Brookfield.

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In order to facilitate in the handling of The Bee’s large edition, now averaging about 4,400 copies weekly, the paper will hereafter go to press at 3 pm, promptly, on Thursday.

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The track at the fairgrounds is in fine condition. Bronson’s trainer says it is the finest half-mile track he knows of.