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THE WAY WE WERE

OCTOBER 4, 1974

Town Sanitarian John E. Goett is very leery about the proposed new septic code

which has been proposed by the state's Department of environmental Protection

(DEP) and the Department of Health. The stringent proposals, which, the DEP

says, "Will represent a substantial tightening of standards," were bluntly

appraised for The Bee by Mr Goett, who recently attended state-sponsored

information sessions on the planned code.

Between last week's issue and this week's publication date, several new

wrinkles were added to the ever-shifting story about the trials and

tribulations of setting up the first-ever contract between the Town of Newtown

and the new public works department union. Last week, following two days of

mediation, the union officers announced they were taking the stalled contract

negotiations to fact finding by the state Labor Department. At the same time,

local union president John Butler said the highway and landfill workers were

planning a new form of protest about the contract proceedings, though no

details were given. On Friday, September 27, the new tactic surfaced as 18 out

of 32 total employees called in "sick." However, after a hard line stand by

First Selectman Frank DeLucia, who met with union members on Monday afternoon,

both sides seem to have hammered out an agreement to sit down at the

negotiating table again, before going to fact-finding.

The State Department of Transportation wanted to discuss with Riverside

residents its plans for building a second Rochambeau bridge. The Riverside on

Lake Zoar Association, ROLZA, wanted to ask what DOT was planning to do about

a washout problem the construction of I-84 has caused. The two groups got

together around a table set up in the sunshine behind the ROLZA beach

pavilion. ROLZA's main concern was when the State would replace the culverts

in the Alpine Drive bridge over Otter Brook. Recent storms have caused water

to overflow onto the bridge, across the pavilion parking lot and finally into

Lake Zoar via the beach and the boat ramp. The water has worn great, rocky

gullies wherever it goes. Most damaging, however, was the storm of September

28, which resulted in a gaping hole in the bridge, rendering it impassable.

There were some new names in the bowling league limelight this week as Mae

Hein took high honors with a 126 high single, April Brown took high three

games with 347, and the high no mark game of 89 went to Bennie Ledoux.

Will Anderson of Possum Ridge Road, who wrote The Beer Book last November,

will be featured on the TV show What's My Line at 2:30 pm, Saturday, October

5, on CBS, Channel 2.

The first applications for licenses under the recent inland wetlands

regulations have been submitted to the Conservation Commission. On Wednesday,

October 2, the commission accepted a long form application from developer

George Arfaras as well as a short form application from Robert McCulloch. Mr

Arfaras' application is for a 24 lot subdivision on Orange Pippin Road in the

Berkshire District. Mr McCulloch's application for a property on Old Green

Road was almost not accepted because he had not drawn in the boundaries of the

wetland under consideration on his submitted map. Later in the meeting, he

corrected this.

The cupboard was bare Friday morning, September 27, when high school power

mechanics instructor Greg O'Losky got to the school. Tools valued at up to

$1,000 were stolen and other equipment smashed by burglars who broke open a

window in the electronics room and gained entry into the auto shop. Many

industrial arts classes were canceled for the day while Det Sgt. Michael

DeJoseph, Det Harry Noroian, Sgt. Michael Fekete and Officer Robert Braats

investigated the theft.

Local Republicans and GOP office seekers gathered on a stormy Tuesday evening,

October 1, to officially open their headquarters for the November 5 election.

Campaign '74 is being run from the familiar party center over the General

Store, next to Edmond Town Hall. Local candidates there were Judge of Probate

Benjamin Blanchard and 106th District State Rep Sarah Frances Curtis. Also on

hand were 32nd District State Sen. Richard Bozzuto, of Watertown, and 28th

District State Sen. Joseph Gormley, of Fairfield, plus Fairfield County High

Sheriff John Previdi. All are seeking reelection.

OCTOBER 7, 1949

Cooperating in the present Emergency Polio Drive, the Sandy Hook Fife and Drum

Corps is donating the proceeds of its dance being held this Saturday night in

the Edmond Town Hall gymnasium. Judge Paul V. Cavanaugh has stated that

nationwide the epidemic is currently draining the National Foundation's

treasury at the rate of $100,000 per day.

Monday's annual town election in Newtown was featured by a record number of

split tickets and a record number of total votes cast in a local election.

1974 ballots were counted, with 598 straight Democratic votes, 562 straight

Republican votes and 694 split tickets. There were 86 absentee votes.

Forty-seven ballots were rejected. As a result of the balloting, A. Fenn

Dickinson, Democratic candidate for first selectman, was successful in his

third attempt for that office, defeating Walter L. Glover, the Republican

candidate, by a count of 1007 to 899. Edward E. Knapp, Republican candidate

for selectman, polled 1061 votes, defeating Frederick Bresson, Jr, Democratic

candidate, who received 819. The incoming Board of Selectmen will, therefore,

be composed of Messrs Dickinson, Knapp and Glover. Republican candidates were

successful in all other offices.

The Newtown Board of Education held its organizational meeting on Wednesday

night at Hawley School, when William A. Honan was re-elected as chairman and

Raymond L. Hall as secretary. Mrs Ralph Knibloe was appointed to membership on

the Regional School Board, replacing Robert Clark of Hawleyville, whose term

has just expired.

Henry H. Taylor, chairman of the Newtown Country Club greens committee, Fred

C. Bauer, tournament chairman, George Smart of the greens committee, and Danny

Lawler, club pro, attended the annual meeting of delegates of the Connecticut

State Golf Association held at the Ridgewood Country Club Tuesday night, when

George A. McLachlan of Newtown succeeded Bobby Grant of Wethersfield as

Association president.

The roof and attic floor of the James H. Wallace home atop Sunset Hill at the

head of Newtown's Main Street were heavily damaged by fire of undetermined

origin shortly after 7:30 am Wednesday. Mrs Raymond T. Connor of Main Street

first detected the fire and summoned the fire department. To reach the Wallace

home, which stands on a hill beyond Main Street and commands a view of the

whole valley southeast of Newtown, firemen had to lay hose from two hydrants,

one in front of the M.F. Crowe property and the other in front of Judge Paul

V. Cavanaugh's home. They succeeded in bringing the blaze under control before

it spread to the lower floors of the house.

At a recent meeting of the Newtown Chapter, Future Farmers of America, the

following officers were elected for the year 1949-50: President, Larry Cole;

vice president, Michael Dugan; secretary, Robert Qubick; treasurer, John

Pendergast; reporters, George Spencer and John Pendergast; fire captains,

Larry Cole and John Pendergast.

OCTOBER 3, 1924

John A. Carlson has taken the agency for the Nash cars for the towns of

Newtown, Southbury and Woodbury. Mr Carlson will have a touring demonstration

about October 6, to show to prospective buyers.

Contractor T.F. Brew has completed an addition, 20 x 20, to the cottage of

A.W. Reynolds, giving them five additional rooms.

John A. Carlson has had a telephone installed in his home.

Richard and Willis Arndt, assisted by R.D. Fairchild, finished filling their

silo the first of the week.