* * *

Congressman William Ratchford and Toby Moffett notified Newtown Grants Administrator Zita McMahon last week that the US Department of the Interior approved on August 18 the town’s application for a $250,000 matching grant for the development of the second phase of the Timothy B. Treadwell Memorial Park in Sandy Hook. The second phase will include the water service and an irrigation system for the existing fields.

* * *

The usual August air one encounters around a public library had a different tang to it this week at Newtown’s Cyrenius H. Booth Library — that of fresh paint. After being closed for two weeks for its first ever repainting in nearly 50 years, the stately brick book depository on Main Street reopened last Sunday, with director Dennis Clarke and his staff working full tilt throughout the week to restore complete order, while filling local readers’ needs.

* * *

To give some hard thought to the essential questions of human life is one of the goals of the Great Books program which Newtown resident Dr Irv Ojalvo hopes to initiate at Cyrenius H. Booth Library this fall. The program is based on the idea that people can help one another to learn more about themselves, about others and about the world around them by reading and discussing some of the great literature written over the past 2,500 years, Dr Ojalvo explained.

* * *

Newtown First Selectman Jack Rosenthal says he believes he received a “positive” response last week when he requested Governor William A. O’Neill to consider whether the Town of Newtown could acquire a 15-25-acre section of Fairfield Hills Hospital property to use for a sewage treatment plant.

* * *

Although the number of new home permits increased slightly during the 12-month period ending June 30, 1981, no significant recovery in the local building industry can be reported, primarily because of stratospheric interest rates. Sixty-five new home permits were issued, compared with the all-time low of 45 in the period ending June 30, 1980. One resulting trend has been for families to stay put and make improvements on their existing home rather than pay a high interest rate.

* * *

One of Newtown’s largest employers is also one of its safest. DuPont Instruments’ Sorvall Biomedical Division marked its three thousandth consecutive day without a lost day of work due to on-the-job injury on Friday, August 14. The Sorvall plant, which employs 400, achieved that milestone through a thorough program aimed at preventing injuries both in and out of work, officials said.

 

August 31, 1956

The annual filing of property tax lists on or before November 1 with the Board of Assessors of Newtown will no longer be required by resident and non-resident owners of real property, following the adoption of a resolution which eliminates this annual procedure, at the special town meeting held in the Edmond Town Hall gymnasium on Monday evening, August 27. The resolution was unanimously accepted by voice vote.

* * *

The opening of all public schools will be postponed from Wednesday, September 5, to Monday, September 10, according to an announcement by the Board of Education. The delay is caused by the need for more time to make the new Sandy Hook school usable, at least in part, by the students. In holding up the opening of all schools because of the delay at Sandy Hook, the Board of Education was influenced by increased transportation costs which would result from the opening of only two of the three schools.

* * *

The Newtown Bowling League will open its 1956-57 season on Monday evening, September 10, at the Edmond Town Hall alleys. Printed schedules for the season are being prepared and will be distributed shortly. Officers of the league for the coming year are: president, Richard Hibbard; vice-president, Ernest Ehle; secretary/treasurer, Ted Braun.

* * *

The first meeting of the 30-week Fire School was held on August 28 with 39 members of the volunteer fire companies attending. This school is under the direction of the Board of Fire Commissioners and the State Department of Education. The course is divided into three sections of ten weeks each. Section one, now in progress, will study the raising and lowering of ladders and their use under all situations.

* * *

Last Friday at Hawley School field the Newtown Little League Giants, coached by Henry Jacoby and Ervin C. Stickles, Jr, swept to their second successive league championship by trouncing the faltering Red Sox, 9-3. This was the second and deciding game of a playoff between the winners of the first and second halves.

* * *

Construction of a 14,000-square-foot addition to the S. Curtis and Son plant in Berkshire was nearing completion this week, with presses moving into the factory section of the addition. The portion of the structure which will house the company offices is expected to be ready for occupancy sometime next month.

August 28, 1931

At a Borough meeting held in Edmond Town hall, Tuesday night, the 1931 tax rate for the Borough of Newtown was set at three and one-half mills. This is an increase of one-half mills over 1930’s assessment. The Borough also authorized the advertisement of sealed bids for the sale of the old firehouse and old fire apparatus.

* * *

Francis Gajdosik, 22, son of Mr and Mrs Joseph Gajdosik of the borough, who fell Tuesday from the roof of the home of Miss Mary A. Bacon of Taylor Avenue, is in the Danbury hospital with possible fractures to the spine. Gajdosik was shingling the roof of Miss Bacon’s home when he missed his step, slipped, and fell 25 feet to the ground.

* * *

Ex Senator and Mrs Robert C. Mitchell were host and hostess, Sunday afternoon, for a reunion of the descendants of Dea Eleazer Mitchell. The beautiful old colonial house where the reunion was held, was built in 1787 by Dea Eleazer Mitchell for his son, Warren Mitchell. He was followed in residence there by Cyrus Mitchell and he by Cyrus Leroy Mitchell, father of Hon Robert C. Mitchell. This fine old homestead is located on the banks of the upper waters of Lake Zoar.

* * *

Since the date commemorated Miss Hawley’s birthday as well as the opening of the Edmond Town Hall, a year ago, it was doubly fitting that Miss Hawley’s portrait was unveiled on Saturday, August 22. At half past nine that morning, this portrait, which was painted by the well-known young artist Frederick Lester Sexton, and which represents the desire of Newtown citizens to express appreciation of Miss Hawley’s benefactions, was accepted for the town by Thomas Brew, First Selectman, from Dr Edward L. Kingman, Chairman of the Mary E. Hawley Portrait Fund Committee.

* * *

The H. Wales Lines Co. have now about 80 men at work on their contract at the Fairfield State Hospital. They have five steam shovels at work and are excavating for the nurses’ home, a building, 158x90. They are also excavating for the reception building, a structure 450 feet long and the general hospital, a building 550 feet long.

* * *

The State 4-H Club exhibit, which was to be held at Durham, Conn., September 2, 3, 4 has been postponed until October 23 and 24, according to an announcement made today, by the Extension Service of the Connecticut Agricultural College. State and County Four-H Club leaders felt it was unwise to have a statewide gathering of boys and girls in early September because of the Infantile Paralysis situation.

 

August 31, 1906

Baseball News: A great many of the Newtown supporters who were making arrangements to go to Bethel this Saturday, will be disappointed to learn that the Bethel management has canceled its game with Newtown for September 1. After all the trouble the Newtown management has had, to arrange a game with Bethel, to think they should cancel it is about the lowest trick they could play and will be remembered for years to come among the local fans.

* * *

You can make the Newtown fair a success, this fall, if you will, local citizens. Don’t carp and find fault, but push on the lines at every possible opportunity. The Newtown fair is now about a month away. Plan to make some exhibit, even if it is a small one. Cultivate town pride, if you are lacking, and join in the good work of promoting the fair’s prosperity. The dates are September 25, 26 and 27.

* * *

E.L. Pierce of Hawleyville is one of the first of the employees of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railway to get his hard-earned vacation, a part of which time he is spending in Rochester, N.Y., visiting a friend. He also expects to spend a week hunting and fishing among the Thousand Islands. His many friends wish him better luck than he had while hunting for a certain black Derby hat, recently.

* * *

St John’s Church: The Sunday school of this church will resume its work next Sunday; and the rector hopes …to secure a full and prompt attendance. We have never offered any cash prizes, nor premiums, because we do not wish to bribe the children who in any sense belong to other churches. But, we wish to increase our numbers and children are scarce…the aggressive spirit of the day forces us to compete. Therefore, I make the following offer: To give a bright new quarter to each child not too old to go to Sunday school, with a jack knife or a pair of skates, at Christmas, providing that said Child, boy or girl, is not a member of this school and is willing to fulfill certain conditions.  —O.O.  Wright

* * *

About 25 of the young people of Newtown, Palestine and Botsford gathered at the home of William MacArthur to celebrate with him his 21st birthday, on Monday evening, August 27. Miss Susan J. Scudder had charge of the party as Mr MacArthur is a member of her Sunday school class of young men, to whom a party is given on the occasion of their reaching their 21st birthday.