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Town officials and Main Street merchants this week criticized two state plans for the flagpole intersection. The first selectman predicted that the plans, if implemented, would block traffic and put Main Street merchants out of business. The state is waiting for the town to officially comment on the plans.

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Newtown’s Board of Education is in the process of surveying the proposed $14.8 million budget before recommending it to the Legislative Council. Certain areas, special education as an example, are state mandated and cannot be radically changed. Teacher salaries are a negotiated area, and they, too cannot be altered.

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Caroline Stokes, a retired schoolteacher and historian, has discovered interesting photographs, maps, clippings, letters, and other official and personal documents in a collection of papers left to the town by the late Frank L. Johnson. Mr Johnson’s grandfather, Ezra Levan Johnson, wrote the well-known Newtown’s History: 1705–1918 and left most of his collected data to his grandson, also an avid historian.

 

February 5, 1960

Newtown Girl Scouts and Brownies will be knocking at doors to take orders for those delicious Girl Scout cookies starting this Friday, February 5, and continuing through February 13. An innovation in the selection of cookies to be sold by the Girl Scouts is a box of “stand up” cookies poured from molds depicting Girl Scout canoers, bicyclists, archers, tents and cabins that can be fitted into edible bases. Four other types of cookies will be sold and they will all cost 40 cents a box.

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Posters could be seen in the halls of Newtown High School this week welcoming Caroline Hibbard back from her five months stay in Rome, Italy, as an American Field Service student. Caroline returned to her home on Main Street last Sunday evening, but waited until midyear examinations had been completed at the high school before resuming her studies.

The 1960 Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow in the Newtown High School is Thelma Anita Mathison, a senior. Miss Mathison received the highest score in a 50-minute written examination on homemaking knowledge and attitudes taken by graduating high school seniors.

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The Newtown Junior Chamber of Commerce is now conducting its annual contest to choose Newtown’s outstanding young man of the year. Nominees are limited to young men 35 years of age or younger. This is the third year of the Jaycees’ outstanding young man of the year award. The first award, given in 1958, was made to Mr Charles Terrell, and the award last year was presented to Seth O.L. Brody, presently town counsel and a member of the board of education.

February 1, 1935

In the death of Cornelius Byron Taylor, Newtown loses one of its most respected citizens. His death occurred on Wednesday morning, January 30, at his residence in St Petersburg. Mr Taylor was in his 85th year. He held the position of station agent at the Newtown depot and was also senior partner in the coal and grain business of Taylor and Hubbell. He was vice president of the Newtown Savings Bank and had been a trustee since 1897. He was one of the prime movers in the formation of the Newtown Water Company. Mr Taylor had held the office of president of the Newtown Village Cemetery Association for nearly ten years. He also served on the building committee of the Hawley school and gave Taylor Field at the rear of the school to the town as a playground for the children.

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Mme Margarita Slaviansky, world famous conductor, was taken ill during the concert Tuesday evening, but she managed to finish her evening’s program. Later, she was attended by Dr W.F. Desmond who ordered her to remain in bed at the Parker House. When asked how she could continue her performance in such great pain, her reply was, “The show must go on.”

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An all-star cast with the speed and sparkle of “The Thin Man,” that is the reason for the tremendous ovations being given “Forsaking All Others,” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s new special, playing at the Edmond theatre, Friday and Saturday. Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, and Robert Montgomery, together for the first time, head the cast.

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Early Saturday morning, James O’Connell of Zoar suffered what was very nearly a fatal accident. He was attacked by a bull. He was knocked down and stamped upon by the bull, suffering severe rib injuries and many cuts and lacerations of the forehead, eye and cheek. It is believed that Mr O’Connell would have been killed by the bull were it not for his helper, who twice stuck the prongs of a pitch fork into the flesh of the bull so that Mr O’Connell was pulled to safety.

February 4, 1910

A dance was given at the home of Edward Conger on Monday evening, which is reported the greatest success of the season. The three little Conger girls surprised the guests with their ability to take part in the barn dance, which is the rage of the season. Young Austin Conger gave the guests the pleasure of hearing him play not only the latest rag-time music, waltzes, and “Old Zip Coon” but also the Rigolletto and many other high-class compositions, which delighted the audience, who appreciated every stroke of the artist’s bow.

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Wilson M. Reynolds is receiving congratulations over the confirmation of his appointment as postmaster at Newtown, the United States Senate having taken action on January 17.

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George Edwards with his portable engine has been converting cord wood into stove lengths for a number of local people. Owing to the snow drifts he was obliged to remove the engine to his home, Hobart Fairchild with his team moving it there.

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Egan Brothers of Hawleyville have in spite of the scarcity of porkers this year, killed 164 for people in that vicinity, it being about half as many as they have butchered in previous years. The best one year old pigs belonged to Patrick Ready of Hawleyville, and the pair tipped the scale at 800 pounds. The largest hog killed was a two year old porker which belonged to Mr Swanson of Stony Hill, and weighed 560 pounds.