Like Jacob’s Ladder, with every rung going higher and higher, home heating oil prices continue to climb out of sight. Local dealers are saying their projections before this heating season began are up to 20 cents a gallon off. After President Reagan’s decision last Wednesday to decontrol prices on domestic crude oil, several local suppliers show a 5 cents-a-gallon increase this week and expect the price may go up another nickel before the month is out.

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As insurance adjusters sifted through the remains of The Yankee Drover on Main Street this week, plans were still incomplete as to when the remainder of the restaurant would be destroyed. The 131-year-old building, a Newtown landmark, was destroyed by fire January 28.

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The Legislative Council will have its ordinance committee consider whether an ordinance should be adopted to form a youth commission to address the problems of young people, a problem First Selectman Jack Rosenthal contends could be better handled through programs established by the selectmen.

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Fire and police officials are waiting for results from the state Toxicology Lab in Hartford concerning evidence of an accelerant found at the scene of a blaze at Dodgingtown Fire House. The fire, which broke out on Sunday evening, January 25, destroyed a portion of the top floor of the building located on Route 302.

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While the heavy rains on Monday were welcomed by areas plagued by drought, Newtown High School personnel were dismayed as water leaked into the auditorium area of the school. After examination of the roof, it was discovered there was a nine-foot split in the area over the auditorium, said Joseph Borst, chairman of the Public Building Committee. Leaks were also discovered over the lobby of the school.

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Graham Stafford, 23, of Nottingham, England, stopped to visit the Stagg family on Taunton Lake Road as he was bicycling from New York to California (via Maine), camping out along the way. He and Mrs Stagg, also from England, met when she stopped him along the road to ask about the Union Jack displayed on the back of his pack. The visitor, a seasoned traveler, expects to complete his trip within a year. He says he actually expected it to be much colder now.

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Breaking away from the .500 mark has not been easy for the Newtown High boys’ swim team this season. The Indians win one, then lose one, lose two, then win two. What Newtown needed was a streak — and it finally got one. Four wins in its last five meets has pushed Newtown above the .500 mark with a 7-5 record.

FEBRUARY 10, 1956

Last Saturday Thomas Wright was given evidence in abundance that the robins — a whole flock of them — are convinced that winter’s back is broken. Tom reports seeing more than 100 robins, all at one time, at the Honegger property on Walnut Tree Hill. Maybe it’s too early to take off the snowtreads and sharpen the lawn mower, but who will say that 100 robins could all be wrong?

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Plans to expand the S. Curtis and Sons, Inc plant in Berkshire so as to double the space available for production operations were assured on Monday of this week as the stockholders approved a plan of the management to finance plant expansion with a $100,000 issue of common stock. In calling the meeting, Nelson G. Curtis, president, told the stockholders that recent growth has made it “imperative that additional space be provided in plant and office to permit efficient operations and to provide for continued growth.”

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The town of Newtown has received a check for $3,708.86 from the Corps of Engineers, US Army, for emergency repairs to town roads, bridges and incidental debris clearance, made necessary by last fall’s flood. First Selectman Edward Coleman, in informing The Bee of this reimbursement, that it is in addition to the sum of $10,000 previously allotted to the town, bringing the total to $13,708.86.

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A squirrel which chose an electric wire for tight rope walking or acrobatics last Friday is no more. He was electrocuted, but his demise brought out Newtown Hook & Ladder Company, Fire Marshal Albert Nichols, a repair crew of Housatonic Public Service, and a large gallery of spectators. Somehow, the rodent became entangled in three service wires running off Main Street along East Street, near The Hobby Horse.

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Look for a heavy infestation of tent caterpillars in certain areas next spring. This tree pest began building up to sizable proportions last year and there is a likelihood that they will again be abundant in some localities this year, according to Edward J. Duda, entomologist at Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories. For control of tent caterpillars in the spring, spray with arsenate of lead as soon as the tents are detected.

The Newtown Amoco station on the Newtown-Sandy Hook Road, a short distance east of the railroad viaduct, was opened for business last Saturday by Donald A. Beardsworth of 7 Maple Drive, Sandy Hook, the lessee. Mel Sime of Danbury is manager of the station, assisted by Marvin Shreders of Sandy Hook. The new station offers full service, with Amoco gasolines and lubricating oils; tires, batteries and other accessories; greasing, and washing.

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Winner in all seven games to date, the girls’ junior varsity basketball team of Newtown High School, coached by Miss Ann Anderson, is doing its best to finish this season without a defeat.

FEBRUARY 6, 1931

Mr and Mrs John L. Burr entertained a number of their friends and neighbors at their home on Taylor Avenue Friday evening. Each guest was requested to come dressed as a child and no end of fun was had as each guest arrived and displayed their boy or girl costume. A variety of children’s games were enjoyed including the Donkey game and an old-fashioned peanut hunt.

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A bill has been introduced in the Legislature at Hartford for Biennial town election in Newtown in place of the annual election which has been the rule for a century or more. Its proponents believe it will result in a greater efficiency.

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This Thursday evening the Newtown Athletic Club will play the powerful St James Church league team at the Edmond Town Hall gym. The St James team was last year’s church league champions and was leading the league this year until the club withdrew from league competition.

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On next Thursday and Friday nights, February 12 and 13, the Methodist church will present the sensational comedy of the American rookie, Corporal Eagen, at Edmond Town hall. This production promises to be one of the outstanding events of the community this season. Charles Cavanaugh, well known in dramatic art circles, is going to play the leading role of Corporal Eagen.

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The balmy weather of Monday changed at night to the good old weather of the frigid order. Tuesday morning the thermometers in Sandy Hook stood at zero and it was a cold morning.

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The editor is indebted to William H. Egan of New York for several copies of the beautiful Pennsylvania calendar for 1931. The calendar for 1931 portrays the “Giant Conquerors of Space and Time,” painted by Grif Teller for the Pennsylvania calendar, and is a picture which expresses in brilliant color and swift flowing lines the triumph of transportation in our day. And the climax of transportation is reached in the famous trains of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the tri-motored planes of TAT-Maddux Air Lines.

FEBRUARY 9, 1906

The annual sale of valentines will take place in the lower room of the Congregational church, Saturday, February 10. There will be on sale at that time valentines, homemade candy, brown bread, rye bread, biscuits, cake, cookies and crullers. Besides this there will be for sale ice cream with cake for 15 cents a plate.

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Fox bounties were paid by Town Treasurer C.H. Northrop of Newtown from January 2 to February 3, 1906, inclusive, as follows: January 2, Edward Gray, $2; January 15, Charles N. Harang, $3; January 27, Jesse C. Lewis, $6; January 30, David C. Kain, $1; February 3, Charles N. Harang, $2.

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Eight of the nine qualified justices of the peace for the town were present at the meeting to consider this question, Saturday, February 3, when the following rule was adopted: That all dogs within the town be restrained from running at large and, if at large, be securely muzzled for a period of 30 days from February 9.

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ONLY MEN ARE TO READ THIS — Because We Don’t Dare Mention It To The Ladies. A rather thick-set gentleman with a black moustache, piercing black eyes and a volume of “hot air” that was hypnotizing in its effect, called on many of our lady residents one day last week, with a lamp wick proposition that was swallowed like most ladies take to a Kibbe chocolate. It is understood that the ruling price for these everlasting, self-lighting, self-extinguishing, non-oil consuming wicks was 10 cents each, with no sales less than 50 cents — and several of greater size.

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From Fred Gerhardt in Alaska — Dear Parents: We have had a terrible flood here. Over $100,000 damage has been done. It was awful to witness. There were many shortages on the local market last winter. Among them were the following. The selling price of each article is here stated: Potatoes, 50 cents per pound; onions, 50 cents per pound; butter, $1 per pound; eggs, $3 per pound; nails, $1 per pound; beef, $1 per pound. These prices may seem high, but they are correct. I am your son, Fred Gerhardt

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Miss Jessie Taylor had a thrilling experience while skating on the Foundry pond Friday. She broke through the ice and sank gracefully into the icy waters. Miss Elsie Moore assisted her to a place of safety.