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Residential water customers could be paying an average quarterly bill of $82.08 for 18,000 gallons if the DPUC approves the Newtown Water Co’s request for its 168-percent rate increase. Currently the average bill is $28.53. Newtown Water Co General Manager Kevin Moran said he hoped once its customers notice the improvement in the water quality which is now on the line they would have something to judge the high increase against.

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The Newtown Bee has been notified by the New England Press Association that it has won awards in three categories in NEPA’s annual newspaper contest. Sports Editor Bill Brassard will receive an award for his feature story, “Golf: The Way It Was.” The newspaper also will receive awards for its classified ads section, and for last summer’s Bee-sponsored Newtown King and Queen Dog Contest.

* * *

Marguerite Boughton of Mt Pleasant Road has filed her second court appeal against the planned Newtown Corporate Park in Hawleyville because of the effect she contends the $50 million project will have on the value of her property. Mrs Boughton’s home on Route 6 is bordered on two sides by property that is proposed to have leaching fields to dispose of wastewater from the corporate park.

* * *

The Cyrenius H. Booth Library now has a two-volume set of The American Campaign of Rochambeau’s Army: 1780, 1781, 1782, 1783 thanks to a generous gift from the Chaplain Ebenezer Baldwin Branch of the Sons of the American Revolution. The volumes are a compilation of journals kept by the famous general’s officers which record the French army’s travels and encampments in America.

* * *

It is now the third anniversary of the foundation of the Newtown Bridle Lanes Association, a young club which has expanded in leaps and bounds, feeling the pains of growing, finding its way through trials and errors. The club now has over 100 members and in the last three years has been able to offer a large variety of activities from driving demonstrations, to the Rites of Spring, to lectures on equine health and care, to a first and already successful trail ride.

* * *

Buckingham Gardens resident Arthur Coviello gave the signal and in an instant 7,500 tiny amber lights added their glow to the majestic 20-foot tree donated to the state capitol and people of Connecticut by the people of Newtown. A contingent of Newtowners was present along with state officials, legislators, and state employees who lined the lobby and balconies as the tree was officially lit on Thursday, December 17.

 

December 28, 1956

In the year now ending, the weather accounted for one for the most spectacular events in Newtown and the surrounding area, when a violent wind and rainstorm hit the town late on the afternoon of September 14. The storm was said to be more destructive than recent hurricanes. Fortunately, there was no recurrence of the 1955 floods, though the weather made headlines, with snowstorms blanketing the area in mid-March with 14 inches in some areas, and one of the worst ice storms in years hitting in mid-December.

* * *

A new class of 60 nurses began their psychiatric affiliation at Fairfield State Hospital Wednesday, December 26. They represent the Mary Fletcher Hospital and the Jeanne Mance School of Nursing of Vermont and the following nursing schools in Connecticut: Bridgeport Hospital, Danbury Hospital, Waterbury Hospital, Greenwich Hospital, Norwalk Hospital and St Mary’s Hospital.

* * *

A special town meeting has been called by the Board of Selectmen for next Friday evening, January 4, at 8 o’clock in the Edmond Town Hall to transact two pieces of business. The first is to authorize the selectmen to sell a small parcel of land in Sandy Hook. The second is to take action on the recommendation of the Board of Finance for a special appropriation of $2,000 to buy an automobile for the use of the paid constable. The car, if purchased, would be painted white and lettered, “Town of Newtown Police” on both sides.

* * *

Hundreds of Newtown children enjoyed a free movie at the Edmond Town Hall theatre last Saturday, December 22, when they were guests of the Board of Town Hall managers. Later, the children were guests of the Newtown Rotary Club in the gymnasium. Refreshments of ice cream, cookies, soda and Christmas stockings filled with candy and prizes were served to all children by various members of the Rotary Club.

* * *

Miss Sarah Jackson, daughter of Mr and Mrs Charles Jackson of Curtis Hill, was chosen Sno-Ball Queen by popular vote at the annual affair held by the Young Peoples Club last Saturday evening, December 22, in the Congregational Church House. Miss Jackson was led to her throne by Robert Hall, president of the club, where she received a gold crown and scepter. Her escort for the evening was Sam Curtis, son of Mr and Mrs H. Gould Curtis of Sandy Hook.

* * *

Connecticut motor vehicles will wear new license plates in 1957, State Motor Vehicles Commissioner John J. Tynan has announced. The new plates, made of aluminum, six inches high and 12 inches long, are painted blue with white numerals or letters and have the word Connecticut spelled out at the bottom. For many automobile owners in the state, who wish to retain their present license plate numbers for the new plates, the month of January will be a special reservation period for renewals.

December 25, 1931

The Consumers’ Food Stores, Inc, opened their store at Sandy Hook on Saturday, December 19, with overwhelming success. They wish to thank the public for their overwhelming success. Those of you who have not already visited this complete combination market are due for a treat. Not only because of the attractive and useful gift we will have for you, but because of the shopping facilities they have prepared for your convenience.

* * *

A meeting of the committee on the proposed George Washington bi-centenary celebration will be held on Saturday evening at 7 o’clock at the Edmond Town hall. The committee appointed by the Chamber of Commerce consists of Allison P. Smith, W.F. Scott, Dr Waldo F. Desmond, Attorney Symonds, W.A. Upham, Judge Hampton and Frank H. Metcalf.

* * *

Donald Griscom, organist and choir master of Trinity church, has set to music Rev Dr Gesner’s little verse of greeting to his parishioners, which is printed on the Christmas folder, containing the musical program for Christmas Eve and the following Sunday. Mr Griscom has also shown his constructive musical ability in the composition of a musical setting to the Nunc Dimitt’s in C Minor which will be sung at the close of the Communion service on Christmas Eve.

At a meeting of the trustees of the Dr Cyrenius Booth Memorial Library, held on Thursday evening, at the Edmond Town hall, William A. Strong was elected librarian. Mr Strong, the new librarian, was born at Wyalusing, Penn., in North Eastern Pennsylvania. He prepared for college at Keystone Academy, Factoryville, Penn.; and went to Colgate University, Hamilton, N.Y., graduating with honors.

* * *

With the season of the year at hand when diphtheria is most likely to be prevalent, the Connecticut State Department of Health today urged parents to take all children under school age to their family physicians for immunizing against this dread disease of childhood. Diphtheria is more apt to prove fatal to an infant than to an older child. In a recent broadcast by the State Department of Health, in which a public health official and a layman discuss public health problems, the need for smallpox vaccination was convincingly shown. There seems to be some doubt in the layman’s mind as to the need for this procedure since few if any cases of smallpox are reported now-a-days.

* * *

George E. Marriner, Jr, aged 19, of Milford, was killed early Sunday morning when his car crashed into a state highway fence on the Bridgeport turnpike at Milford Downs. Marriner was on his way to Milford from Sandy Hook where he had assisted in opening the new store, Saturday, of the Consumers’ Food Stores, Inc.

 

December 28, 1906

The people of Newtown and vicinity were given a Christmas present by Judge Shumway of the Superior court on Friday last, that they have been waiting for a great many years, in the form of a decree dissolving the temporary injunction signed in August last, restraining the Newtown Water Co from taking water out of Taunton Lake. On Saturday last William B. Glover who furnished the engine and built the power house, commenced to pump water into the reservoir, filling it about one-quarter full, when he was obliged to stop on account of the machinery getting hot.

* * *

The auditorium of Trinity church was beautifully decorated with greens in honor of the Christmas season. The Christmas festival of the Sunday school, Monday night, brought out a large number of the children and friends. The older scholars recited the story of Christ’s birth from St Luke 2:8-20, and answered questions on the lesson of Christmas.

* * *

More than 200 people braved the cold, Christmas eve, to enjoy the Christmas exercises at the Congregational church, including about 100 children and older members of the Sunday school. The main attraction of the evening was William W. Stevens of Danbury, who presented a program of readings and recitations which were heard with great delight and shouts of laughter by the children.

* * *

“After a storm comes the calm” and after the installation of the telephone comes the perfect household. “Every Jack has his Jill” and every man should have his telephone. “Two swallows don’t make a summer” but a telephone does make a complete household. “He is a wise man that speaks but little” and that over the telephone.

* * *

The work of double tracking the Highland road from Danbury to Hawleyville is now being pushed with considerable energy. Two steam shovels are at work, one loading gravel for filling the sag, and a heavier one in widening what is known as the steam shovel cut, which is quite a serious matter as the material to be excavated is the hardest kind of hard-pan which it will be necessary to blast before the shovel can be used. A large gang of men are engaged on the work.