A petition will reportedly be brought before the Board of Selectmen by the beginning of next week asking the board to rescind the authority it granted to First Selectman Jack Rosenthal on January 28, to hire, suspend and dismiss town employees.

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Newtown’s Public Building Committee has compiled what it views as a “must list” of additional expenses which will be needed to complete the renovation of Town Hall South, totaling $40,000.

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The six-member council ordinance committee, sighting a multitude of ill effects members contend it would have on the town, unanimously voted Wednesday night to make a “strong recommendation” to the Legislative Council not to adopt the proposed tax limit ordinance sought by the Newtown Concerned Taxpayers.

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About $53 worth of empty beer bottles were reported taken from the Rivers on the River Package Store on Glen Road, Sandy Hook, on Sunday, September 21, at 8 am. Mary J. Driscoll, of Old Green Road, Sandy Hook, who discovered the missing bottles reported they had been stored in a pen at the rear of the store.

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Describing the excessive work load in the town’s sanitarian’s office as “extremely critical,” Health Department Director, Dr Thomas Draper appealed to the Board of Selectmen Monday night to reinstall the position of assistant sanitarian. Dr Draper said the department’s needs were severe. “Even with Mr Jontos working at full speed, we are still behind.”

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Both the town and Noie L. Richards Sr of Church Hill Road, were partial winners in a September 5 decision by a state trial referee in the town’s six-year effort to gain an injunction to prevent Mr Richards from operating his motor vehicle junkyard on Church Hill. …use of the property for a motor vehicle junkyard is a valid, nonconforming use that has continued both before and since the Newtown zoning regulations were enacted on August 25, 1978. The property, .85 acres, is on Church Hill Road across from the I-84 Exit 10 ramp. The judge did, in his decision, grant an injunction from using the southerly portion of the tract.

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A group of 25 boys and girls, aged 8 to 14 all of whom receive therapy at the Easter Seal Rehabilitation Center of Eastern Fairfield County, will be guests of the Hattertown Rod and Gun Club of Botsford for a day of fishing September 27.

September 30, 1955

An unexpected preview of the new lake on the Housatonic River, the dam for which has been in the process of construction by the Connecticut Light and Power Company since 1953, was given to the people in this area on August 19, when Hurricane Diane poured enough rain over the landscape to fill the basin in a few short hours. The sudden accumulation of water was allowed to run out through the sluices, when it was safe to do so a few days after the hurricane.

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The Newtown Kennel Club, Inc, will hold its 80th American Kennel Club-sanctioned match next Thursday evening, October 6, in the Edmond Town Hall gymnasium, Newtown. Judging the show will be Mrs. J.A. Mason, well-known breeder and show judge from Pine Orchard and Lloyd Case, professional handler from Torrington.

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 A testimonial dinner given by a large number of his friends last Thursday evening, September 22, at the Avalon Inn in Stony Hill, Bethel, marked the end of a long, useful career for William D. Corbett of Cherry Street, Sandy Hook, as custodian of many miles of state highways in Newtown and vicinity.

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 A large registration of voters and the keen interest being shown by townspeople in the wide-open contest between the Republicans and the Democrats for the key first selectman’s post indicated that the biennial town election to be held Monday, October 3 will attract a record vote for the town.

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Bob Ryan, a member of the Newtown High School senior class, is the newly elected captain of Newtown’s soccer team. Being groomed for center position, he is responding satisfactorily for Coach Joe Ozanne’s new edition. Ryan will make a good captain in spite of his quiet nature. He has a very relaxed style of play which seems to hide his alertness and smartness when under stress.

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The annual PTA fair, held last Friday and Saturday, September 23 and 24 in the Hawley School gymnasium, had an excellent entry with the quality of entries well above the average of past years.

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Action taken at last Friday evening’s special town meeting created a Town Planning Commission for Newtown and named the members of the commission. The meeting, which was one of the largest town meetings ever held in Newtown, was attended by considerably more than 800 townspeople.

September 26, 1930

E.R Botsford flew with his son to Schenectady on Tuesday. This makes nine times that he has taken to the air and Mr Botsford says that he likes it. Mrs. Dick Botsford took the land way and went to Schenectady. E.R. Botsford returned but before he set foot in Newtown again, he went to the Eastern States’ Exposition in Springfield, Mass.

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Stephen E. Budd, M.F.H., who has started a Hunt club in Newtown, went out cub hunting early Wednesday morning, with his pack of English fox hounds, recently imported from England, at “General” Eagan’s camp on Walnut Tree Hill. After a hard morning’s work in this thick covert, the hounds were finally awarded with their first “kill” of the season.

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Of general interest to local residents and to the patrons in nearby towns is the announcement that the popular Maryland will remain open all winter. This place specializes in a half fried chicken on toast for 50 cents with a slogan, “Eat with your Fingers.”

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While Louis T. Briscoe, registrar of voters, in the second district, Newtown, was turning into the Edmond Town hall on Saturday evening about 7 o’clock his car was struck and badly damaged by a car going south on Main street. The force of the impact threw the Briscoe car to one side. In doing so it struck the car of Judge Oscar Pitzschler which was parked near the entrance to the Town hall and damaged the fenders.

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The Dodgingtown Fire Department will canvass the whole town along with their other means which are under way to raise money for their new equipment which will be up-to-date in every way and ready to help any one at any time in the town. Two or more of this type of equipment and Newtown will be as well equipped as any town in the state, and it is safe to say that many of the buildings laid flat by fire in the past would be standing now if the town was properly protected.

September 29, 1905

Donald Alfred Griscom, organist and choirmaster of Trinity church, Newtown, gave his senior organ recital in the Baptist church, Danbury, Tuesday night, September 23, at 8 o’clock, assisted by Jenny Lee, soprano. The fine Estey organ in this church proved an effective recital medium, all its effects being amplified by the perfect acoustics of the building.

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A notable event was the testimonial dinner given, Monday night, in honor of William P. Boyle, building superintendent for the H. Wales Lines Co, of Meriden in the construction of the Edmond Town hall, Monday night, in the Community room at the Edmond Town hall. About 90 men were present, and they enjoyed a dinner of unsurpassed excellence serve by Mine Host W.D. Parker of the Parker house.

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The parade, Wednesday, at 1 pm was very creditable and was an excellent beginning. That it was the success it was is due largely to the efforts of Prof Ross Jewell and Mrs Herbert W. Wright. At the head of the procession marched Wheeler & Wilson’s band, followed by the High school, 80 strong, with John Houlihan at the head bearing a large flag.

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The Newtown Agricultural Society closed its three-day exhibition, Thursday night, having had, all things considered, the most successful fair in its history. And this in spite of wild predictions of failure and the groaning of the croakers from the mourners’ bench, a class who seem to glory in the decay of home institutions.

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Miss Emma Wildman, the 12-year-old daughter of Mr and Mrs Bert Wildman, fell from a ladder in the barn, Saturday afternoon, fracturing her collar bone. Dr A.L. Schuyler was summoned and attended to her injuries.

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Charles Nichols and Miss Lizzie Williams, who were recently married, are making their home with A.B. Nichols in Taunton. Charles Nichols has started a fish route, passing through Newtown Street every Thursday.