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The first chairman of Newtown’s first Legislative Council informed his fellows on Wednesday, October 6, that he was finally putting to rest the flurry of rumors “that have spread through our community. It is with deep regret that tonight I must announce my early retirement as chairman of this council,” James A. Severnak of Pond Brook Road stated. However, the third district councilman affirmed that he will remain as a member of the body. Mr Severnak, a Republican, was elected at the council’s first meeting in January, gaining the seat over Robert H. Hall of the second district.

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 The Legislative Council has approved Town Counsel William Lavery’s recommendation that the exchange of land approved by the September 29 town meeting between the town and Loma Sand & Gravel be effected by means of a private land sale.

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A memorial to the late manager of the Danbury State Fair has been erected permanently on the fairgrounds in front of the fair greenhouse. Mr Leahy, who died last year at the age of 80, was manager of the fair for 29 years. A group of concessionaires decided to express their respect and affection for the man in a permanent monument, and they commissioned sculptor Daniel Long of Newtown to do the job.

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The chairman of the Children’s Adventure Center day care building committee, Miss Joan Rinaldi, and members of the Committee on Aging met at the Middle School Monday to trade ideas with a view of perhaps putting a multi-purpose service facility, to be used as a senior center among other things, on the same site in Sandy Hook with the planned day care center. In the final planning stages now, the day care facility is sited on a 7.2-acre piece of town property off Riverside Road near Sandy Hook School, and funded by a $56,000 federal Housing and Urban Development discretionary grant awarded last year.

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Mae Schmidle, Newtown town clerk and Republican candidate for the assembly seat from the 106th District, has affirmed her complete agreement with a concept to establish an ethics standard, which would guide the actions of public officials.

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The October 7 hearing that had been scheduled to take place by the State Labor Board regarding a prohibitive practices complaint filed by Newtown’s police local has been postponed at the request of Town Counsel William Lavery. The hearing was to discuss the complaint the men have filed protesting the demands by the Board of Police Commissioners that men who are out sick or injured submit medical reports.

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Pohtatuck Grange, Sandy Hook, is on Cloud 9. They won a first for their Danbury Fair exhibit. This was under the leadership of Post Master Margaret White and her many helpers, the first among these Master Oscar White. Many of the vegetables were grown by Mrs White.

OCTOBER 12, 1951

Superintendent of Schools Carl A. LeGrow has approved a plan of School Savings which will be introduced in Newtown schools next week. The program is sponsored by the Newtown Savings Bank. The first Bank Day for local youngsters will be Tuesday, October 16. The purpose of the project is to teach young people to manage money. It will encourage a sound attitude towards the dignity of work, the care of property, avoidance of waste, proper use of time, and regular saving of small amounts.

***

Of interest to girls of high school age is the reorganization of Troop 153, Senior Girl Scouts, Newtown, announced this week by Mrs Robert P. Stokes, with the first meeting scheduled for next Monday, October 15, 3:30 pm, in the Congregational church house. Mrs J.D. Peterson, Jr, South Center District, is group leader, with Mrs Arthur H. Christie and Mrs Robert Leahy assisting.

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Ann Shaw, 14-year-old daughter of Mr and Mrs Irving F. Shaw of Glen Road, Sandy Hook, won the Junior Female Northeastern Championship bugler title at Newburgh, N.Y., last Saturday, October 6, in which contestants from the New England states, New York, and New Jersey were entered.

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The chance that comes once in a lifetime was snapped up by 17-year-old Andra McLaughlin September 24, when the talented figure skater signed a five-year contract with the Wirtz-Norris organization to replace the greatest ice performer of all time, Sonja Henie. According to the Denver Post, Miss McLaughlin, the daughter of Mr and Mrs Charles H. McLaughlin who own a home here in Newtown, signed the contract in Arthur Wirtz’s Chicago office while her father looked on. Financial terms were not disclosed, but sports writer Bob Bowie, of the Post, said that the pact called for about $50,000 per year.

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Two brothers, Sgt Stephen P. Kovacs and Sgt Julius R. Kovacs, sons of Mrs Vera Kovacs and brothers of Miss Velma Kovacs, of the Newtown-Danbury road, are now in active service with the US Army and located on opposite sides of the Eurasian continent, one with the occupation forces in Germany and one in Korea. All three children, now separated by continents, attended Hawley High School. Both boys write cheerfully of their possible returns for Thanksgiving.

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Included among those inducted into the Army on Monday were Francis J. Kilbride, son of Mr and Mrs Francis Kilbride, and Edmond P. Farrell, son of Mr and Mrs Mathew Farrell, both of Sandy Hook.

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Two sons of William Ferris of Sugar Street drew honors at the Harwinton Fair last Saturday. William Ferris, Jr, took first place in show with his Holstein calves, drawing a blue ribbon for the best pair of Holstein calves, and also second place with trained calves. Percy Ferris took second in drawing, or pulling, and first place for the best pair of trained steers, and also second place in show.

OCTOBER 8, 1926

 Dr Gesner takes some pride in pointing to a peach tree in his garden in which some four or five feet from the ground two fine Hubbard squash are growing side by side with the ripening peaches. Some time ago he exhibited a double cucumber, sort of Siamese twins! Hubbard squash don’t grow on peach trees but they may grow in them if the vines are long enough!

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Father Lyddy is visiting his classmate at Rome, the missionary, the Rev Father Ledwith, at St Rose.

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Miss Sarah Farrell of South Center on Monday entered on her course of studies at Bridgeport for a kindergarten teacher.

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Paul S. Stevens is to enter the automobile races at Danbury Fair, Saturday. He has entered in the booby class.

OCTOBER 11, 1901

The Outlook: It is the custom of the world to cry “The king is dead,” “Long live the king.” So after only a few days of sorrow over President McKinley, the papers are turning their attention to the life, history, and family of the new President. Mr Roosevelt is the youngest we have had, Grant being 48 when he entered upon the office and Roosevelt being 43.

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Clarence Sears and John Gilbert gave a game supper to eight of their friends last Wednesday evening. The game was some that they had killed the day previous.

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John C. Everts is relaying the wall to Mrs John Griffin’s ice dam.

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E.E. Nettleton, the hustling tie man and lumber contractor, has bought a tract of 30 acres of timber of James Carroll, located near the Housatonic River and will soon set up a new mill there.

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A freak of nature was found on the place of L.S. Mason on Mt Pleasant the other day, in a pear tree with blossoms on it. If it had been discovered a few days earlier, it would have been exhibited at the Newtown Fair.

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Monday’s town election passed off quietly and although the Democrats made the hardest kind of fight, Levi C. Morris was handsomely reelected as first selectman with 40 more votes than his opponent, John H. Blackman. The balance of the Democratic ticket was elected.