Reminded by its moderator, Harvey Hubbell, 4th, that it was probably the last time it would be called upon under normal circumstances to deliberate upon such questions, the Annual Town Meeting on October 6 voted on acceptance of a town road and purchase of a town official’s vehicle, and adopted, with amendments, a Code of Ethics for Newtown officials and employees. After January 1 questions such as these will come before the 18-member Legislative Council which will replace the town meeting as a decision-making body except for the annual town meeting, annual budget meeting, and in special instances, such as appropriations over $35,000, or disposal of town real estate.

***

 First Selectman Frank DeLucia met this week with mothers concerned about busing their children to and from school over the damaged Hanover Road bridge at Pond Brook, and announced he is hoping to have three bridges in town replaced by winter. During the heavy rains of two weeks ago the Hanover bridge was temporarily closed due to fears that it would be further undermined, and later was reopened. Last Friday the town hired a SCUBA diver with engineering experience to check the bridge’s condition. According to the first selectman, the undermining had become more serious.

***

Arguing that noise levels from traffic along state highways make the land unsuitable for its present designation in a residential zone, applicants sought a zone change Friday, October 3, to Retail Business B-1 for 10.658 acres of land located on the easterly side of Route 34, across from the Newtown High School. Atty Thomas L. Cheney advanced the request on the application of Myertin Associates. Other properties involved in the Myertin request are owned by the Estate of Alfred H. Jurgens, Sr, and Cornelia Jurgens; and by Alfred H. Jurgens, Jr, and Helen Jurgens.

***

The Newtown League of Women Voters is now taking advance orders for its publication Newtown Past and Present. The Newtown official Bicentennial book, which League members have been spending a year updating from the 1955 League publication, has recently been delivered to the printers.

***

Following calls from concerned area residents, State Representative John Anderson said Thursday morning he was prepared to recommend to the selectmen the damaged Hanover Road bridge crossing Pond Brook be closed. Area residents expressed their concern to him about the bridge’s capacity to handle heavy vehicles like fire trucks and school buses. The town has not closed the road, which was found by divers last week to be extensively undermined, but has mandated a load limit of three tons on it.

***

The Board of Selectmen, meeting Tuesday night, tabled a request from the Board of Police Commissioners for two special appropriations relating to a new radar unit and purchase of weapons. The police commissioners requested $360 to purchase three additional shotguns, noting the police department has always been short of fire power and planned to ask for them in the budget. The police union filed a weapons grievance following the July 31 shootings at the Sandy Hook Hotel. The police commissioners have agreed more fire power is needed for the protection of the officers.

***

A gathering of volunteer drivers, coordinators, and board members of Meals on Wheels took the form of a morning coffee hour October 2 in the United Methodist Church fellowship hall in Sandy Hook. Delivery coordinator Joan Buch reported the service has grown and more volunteers are needed.

OCTOBER 13, 1950

Townspeople have been cordially invited to attend an open meeting of the Newtown League of Women Voters, its first meeting of the fall season, to be held at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library on Wednesday evening, October 18, when Miss Anna Lord Strauss of Newtown will be the guest speaker.

***

A full Camp Fire program will be in progress in Sandy Hook next week under the leadership of Mrs Hawley Warner, Mrs Austin Dinkler, and Mrs Albert O’Dell as Camp Fire Girls, Blue Birds, and Horizon Club Girls start their weekly meetings in St John’s Church.

***

A telegram of notification was received on Monday by Mr and Mrs Earl M. Lockwood of Glen Road, Sandy Hook, that their son, Sgt Earl Martin Lockwood, has been missing in action in Korea since September 15. Sgt Lockwood, a sniper in the First Cavalry Division, left Fort Devens, Mass., for the front August 11, and was in the fighting area about ten days before he was reported missing. He enlisted April 28, 1948, when 18 years of age, took his basic training and a three-months leader course at Fort Dix, being transferred in November of that year to Headquarters, First Cavalry Division at Fort Devon. He was advanced to the rank of sergeant just before the division left for Korea.

***

Comdr Warner W. Bayley, coordinator of civilian defense for Newtown, has received word that the Air Force plans an air raid spotting test for Saturday and Sunday, November 4 and 5, between the hours of 9 am and 6 pm. The Newtown post has been alerted and will take part in the two-day exercises. Walter Los, chief observer, will assign hours to all volunteer observers. The post will be maintained at the Bayley home atop Mount Pleasant.

***

The Newtown Chapter of the Future Farmers of America held an assembly in Hawley School Tuesday, October 10. It was based on fire prevention because this week is Fire Prevention Week. Walter Cole was master of ceremonies and all the boys of the junior and senior classes participated.

***

With Christmas only ten weeks away, the Newtown Toy Clinic is making an urgent call for old and discarded toys, dolls, and books, and for volunteer helpers to put them in condition. The purpose of the clinic, which is being managed by Mrs W. Cranston Brewer, Mrs Morton Baker, Mrs Edmund Neary, Mrs Raymond Trimpert, and Mrs Allen Northey Jones, is to repair and brighten up the gifts received and distribute them to children who lack them in their homes and to children in hospitals and other institutions throughout the state.

***

With the summer season coming to a close, Mrs Robert Clark announces that the Hawleyville Country Store will be closed in the future for all day Thursdays. The store will be open the other six days of the week to care for the many visitors whose patronage has enabled Mrs Clark to send $1,200 to the Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City where the money becomes a part of the fund in memory of Robert Clark, Jr, and is used for cancer research.

 

OCTOBER 9, 1925

At the regular monthly meeting of the Hawleyville Volunteer Fire Company held on October 5, it was voted to hold Monday dances at the new fire house during the fall and winter.

***

A Ford car backed into a telephone pole near the Niantic Mill Saturday night, smashing the pole in two about 12 feet from the ground. The car was not injured.

OCTOBER 12, 1900

At the next meeting of the Grange, Tuesday evening, October 16, the class will be given the third and fourth degrees, and a collation will be served. The committee appointed at the last meeting, Mrs Lauren Skidmore, Mrs F.A. Young, and Mrs J.L. Sanford, will have charge of the arrangements.

***

Rev William Lusk of North Haven officiated at Trinity Church, last Sunday, and was the guest of E.L. Johnson.

***

Messrs Perkins and Northrop, carpenters, who have been working at the old Summers place on Orchard Hill nearly all the season, have about completed the extensive repairs and alterations to the buildings, and are now making half a hundred gates, which are to replace the numerous bars about the farm.