* * *

At a press conference October 31, First Selectman Jack Rosenthal announced that the town finished the 1984-85 fiscal year with a record audited surplus of $984,809. Mr Rosenthal said it will be up to the Legislative Council to decide what to do with the surplus. The surplus resulted from revenues which exceeded projections by $845,198.

* * *

Doris Bushaw, Hawley School principal, was hit by a car while she stood in the school parking lot timing a fire drill on October 28. Peggy Annette, school nursed, tended to Mrs Bushaw until an ambulance came to take her to Danbury Hospital. Severe bruises to the back and spine were diagnosed. Mrs Bushaw is recuperating at home.

* * *

Another eminently successful Frost on the Pumpkin Hunter Pace was held Sunday, October 27. Over 90 teams covered the course laid over woods and fields, lanes and trails in the Poverty Hollow section of Newtown. The pace was a tribute to the working members of the NBLA who gathered together and combined efforts to produce a wonderful day of riding through lovely country and near perfect autumn weather.

 

November 4, 1960

The Rev James B. Ilten, who will be ordained and commissioned as missionary of the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod, is now making house calls in Newtown in anticipation of the initial worship service of the Lutheran Church in Newtown the latter part of January, 1961. The Rev Mr Ilten was married to Nadine Lindhorst of Beatrice, Neb, in 1957. They reside on Birch Hill Road.

* * *

Entertainment Is Given In Five Districts By Fire Companies: Reports from the five Halloween parties held in Newtown on Monday evening indicate that most of the small fry of Greater Newtown had a fine time. This was Dodgingtown’s first Halloween party.

* * *

Newtown Postmaster Albert H. Nichols invites all townspeople to the ceremonies to dedicate Newtown’s new Post Office on Queen Street, at 2 pm, Saturday, November 12. A special committee for the dedication headed by First Selectman Charles W. Terrell, Jr met Tuesday to make final preparations for the ceremony and the open house to follow.

* * *

The Newtown Democratic Town Committee is sponsoring a motorcade to Bridgeport on Sunday, November 6, to see and hear Senator John F. Kennedy, Democratic nominee for president. The motorcade will leave the Newtown shopping center, Queen Street, at 11 am. All voters are invited to participate and are being requested to decorate their own cars for the occasion.

November 1, 1935

Fire of an undetermined origin destroyed the dairy barn belonging to George Beehler, located in the Walnut Tree Hill section, on Friday evening. The barn, burned without the owner’s knowledge and was not discovered until Mr Beehler went to the barn early Saturday morning to find it a heap of ashes. Besides the loss of the barn, a horse, cow and calf, farming implements, hay and grain were destroyed.

* * *

The Young People’s Club is sponsoring dancing every Friday night at the Hawley Manor Barn. The price is 25 cents. There is ping-pong upstairs for those who like to play. The music is furnished by an electric three-piece orchestra. The club has a feeling that it is making a real contribution to the entertainment of the town.

* * *

A masquerade dance will be held in the Alexandria Room of the Edmond Town Hall on Halloween eve, this Thursday evening. The dance is sponsored by the Young People’s Fellowship of St John’s. The popular ten-piece DeMolay orchestra of Waterbury will furnish music.

* * *

Mrs Anna Tucker, who has been connected with the Sandy Hook post office for the past 36 years, has forwarded her resignation to Washington, to take effect as soon as possible. During her long term, Mrs Tucker has been most efficient in her duties and has rendered acts of kindness to the patrons on countless occasions. When Mrs Tucker first entered the service, the Sandy Hook office was in fourth class and she witnessed the start of the RFD service.

 

November 4, 1910

A crowd of masked and robed goblins to the number of 13 visited many families in town on Hallowe’en evening. Although they were speechless they did justice to the good things which were passed out to them at nearly every home. One young lady lost her false hair and another her furs, but as no reward has been offered, the finder will hold until called for.

* * *

In the sharp shower of Wednesday night the house of H.N. Tiemann in Hanover was struck by lightning. It is believed the bolt first struck an elm tree then passed to the cornice on the house, went down to the kitchen, tearing off plastering and damaging the sink. The current then passed out to the ice house where several boards were knocked off. The element proceeded to do what it could with a section of wire fence.

* * *

There is a fine opportunity for someone to erect a memorial to their family in a memorial gate at the Newtown cemetery. The trustees of the Newtown cemetery will be obliged to replace the present rickety front fence at the cemetery within the coming year. Isn’t there some citizen who would like to lead in this good work?

* * *

“Tody” Foran, so called, dropped in at the meeting at Town hall last week Tuesday, to hear Hon Stiles Judson, who spoke under the auspices of Pootatuck Grange. He attempted to interrupt the speaker when suddenly he was seized by the collar by Constable Thomas Carlson and twitched out of the hall before he could say “Jack Robinson.” The job was done so quickly and neatly that the meeting was not interrupted.