Full Text:

THE WAY WE WERE

JUNE 14, 1974

Newtown Housing for the Elderly Inc has signed a six month option agreement

with Fairfield Hills State Hospital for 20 acres of land on which to build low

and medium rent housing for the elderly. NHE Inc president Stanley Main and Dr

Robert Miller, superintendent of the hospital, signed the agreement on

Wednesday, June 12. The option must be approved by the Governor, the Treasurer

and the Commissioner of Mental Health Ernest A. Shepard. Mr Main commented

that though "Dr Miller is sticking his neck out, he feels kind of confident."

On Thursday, June 13, Mr Main met with a representative from the Farmers Home

Administration about earmarking federal funds to construct the housing.

According to the option agreement, a warranty deed will be granted in six

months and actual construction of housing for the elderly must begin within a

year, or the land reverts back to the state.

"It's method we're discussing, not morality." With this slogan, William

Lavery, vice chairman of the Charter Revision Commission, trotted out a

skeleton upon which members began to hang possibilities for a meaningful town

charter proposal at the June 12 session of the group. In the absence of

Chairman Robert Hall, Atty Lavery dispensed with Roberts' Rules of Order to

explore the members' convictions about a change in the town's legislative

system. He ruled out discussion of any change in the executive structure

(Board of Selectmen) since Fred Marchionna's May 15 motion providing for a

single Selectman as chief executive had been defeated. Using his own motion,

tabled May 22, as a skeleton for discussion, Mr Lavery established: All but

one member of the commission would agree to a council as a continuing

legislative body of the town. A compromise on council size suggested 21

members. Most favored retaining the town meeting for approval of annual

budgets, bonding, land purchases or sale, and appropriations exceeding

$25,000, and limiting the council's power to increase the town's commitments

beyond the budget to one or two mills.

The Town of Newtown may be given the opportunity to acquire some land for

itself, and at reasonable prices, if the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company

Directors vote to get rid of some parcels of property they own in Newtown. The

word of the possible sale reached the office of First Selectman Frank DeLucia

last week, and the selectmen are now having discussions on the proposal with

various boards and commissions in town. Tuesday evening, June 11, the Board of

Education heard of the proposal, and within the week Mr DeLucia hopes to meet

with Conservation, Park and Recreation and Planning and Zoning members.

On June 14, the members of the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire company will begin

their annual fund drive, and it is hoped they will receive full support from

the residents of their district, especially in light of the fact that they

will begin construction of their new firehouse on Riverside Road at Dickinson

Drive later in the summer. Monies from the fund drive will go towards the

initial construction of the building.

This Saturday, June 15, the Holiday Inn on the Danbury Newtown Road will be

the scene of the gala opening event of the Newtown Summer Festival, the

Selectmen's Ball. Some tickets are still available for those who wish to enjoy

an evening of dancing to the music of the T.K 5. Mrs Maxine Ginn, in charge of

decorations, has arranged for the use of live greenery from Lexington Gardens

and the attractive wicker furniture from the King's Ransom in New Milford to

provide a glamorous and unusual setting for the affair.

Raymond O. Craven of Grand Place was elected president of Big Brothers of

Newtown, Inc at the annual meeting held recently at the home of Gordon M.

Williams, outgoing president. Other officers elected were: Briscoe Lane of

Taunton Ridge Road, vice president; John Wilson of Berkshire Road, secretary;

and Ray Fulton of Boulevard, treasurer. Elected as directors were Fred Dirga

of Currituck Road and Hank Mahler of Key Rock Road who replace Father Tom

Lynch and Gary McMahon.

Mrs Daisy Lawrence, niece of Juliette Low, founder of Girl Scouts in America,

was honored June 10 by Girl Scout Troop 506. The occasion was the bridging of

Junior Girl Scouts into Cadettes. The evening was dedicated to Mrs Lawrence,

who delighted the girls with her talk about the early days of Girl Scouting

under her own direction. Girls pictured with Mrs Lawrence were Cheryl Hensel,

Shelly Warren, Debbie Waitt, Jennifer Greaves, RoseMary Draper and Ruth

Hendricksen.

Employees at the Newtown plant of DuPont-Sorvall joined together to observe

the start of a 30,000-square-foot addition, the third expansion of the local

site in the last few years.

JUNE 17, 1949

Acting on doctor's orders, Geroge H. Tower submitted his resignation from the

office of assessor of the Town of Newtown to the Board of Selectmen on

Wednesday. Mr Tower asked that the resignation become effective at once, and

the Board of Selectmen is meeting this Friday to take formal action. Mr Tower

was elected an assessor on the Republican ticket in the town election of

October, 1947, for a three-year term. He has, therefore, completed not quite

two years of his term. During that period, he has been influential in the

movement for a revaluation by qualified appraisal engineers, which is now in

the process of being done.

Harold S. DeGroat, director of health, recreation and physical education for

Newtown, received the honorary degree of Master of Physical Education from

Springfield College, Springfield, Mass., last Sunday. He was one of five to

whom the college bestowed recognition at the commencement exercises for

distinguished careers in public and professional service. The occasion was the

63rd commencement for the college and the 35th anniversary of Mr DeGroat's

graduation there.

A recital will be given by the violin and piano pupils of Miss Caroline E.

Russell in the Alexandria Room of the Edmond Town Hall on Saturday, June 18,

at 11 am. The following pupils will take part: Susan Desmond, Teddy Smith,

Sally Jones, Robert Hall, Judy Carroll, Ann Marie Perkins, Carolyn Nash, Sally

Swanberg, Dorothy Strawburger, Donna Smith, Cheryl Smith, George Hanlon, Ralph

Jensen, Beverly Miller, Christina Muller and Diana Muller.

That racial or national group prejudice is unjustified is the theme of the

Newtown High School graduation this year. The program will be presented

Thursday evening, June 23rd, at 8 o'clock in the Edmond Town Hall Theatre.

The Newtown High School girls brought another honor to Newtown when they

managed to defeat the New Milford girls on the neutral Bethel field last

Friday afternoon in softball by a score of 6-3. This game gave Newtown its

first championship in softball in the Housatonic Valley Schoolmen's League.

Players for Newtown were Joan Weeks, rf.; Doris Pully, 2b; Joan Glover, p;

Alice Mary Carey, c; Irene Hornbeck, ss; Elaine Oberstadt, cf; Elsie McGrath,

lf; Janet Berglund, 1b; Pat McMahon, 3b. Other girls on the squad are Audrey

Wood, Shirley Weeks, Katie Quinn, Marilyn Platt, Joan Pully, Nancy Oberstadt.

The manager is Joan Pelletier, and Miss Ann Anderson is coach.

The Planned Parenthood League of Newtown is entertaining at tea on Tuesday,

June 21, at three o'clock at the home of Mrs Henrietta Metcalf. Mrs Norman

Williams, assistant director of the Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut,

will speak on recent legislative developments and plans for the future.

Hostesses are Mrs Edmund C. Platt, 2nd, Mrs Roger Howson, Mrs William Daniels,

Mrs Robert Snyder, Mrs Norman Fedde, Mrs Robert Fulton, and Mrs Metcalf.

JUNE 13, 1924

About 20 men participated in the Kickers' Tournament at the Country Club on

Memorial Day. William T. Cole, who picked a handicap of 22, was a winner with

a grand total of 76.

George F. Schaefer has taken a position in the Locomobile factory in

Bridgeport and is commuting daily between Newtown and Bridgeport.

The Newtown Station was entered by burglars on Tuesday night, but nothing was

taken. Entrance was also forced to the building of the Newtown Grain & Coal

Company, but apparently nothing was taken away.

Next Sunday will be "Children's Day" at the Congregational Church. "The Church

and the Children," a special program by Elizabeth Colson, will be given by the

pupils of the Sunday school. Exercises by Beginners Department, "This is God's

House," "The Robin's Song," "We Love Him," "Jesus With Thy Church Above" and

"Sabbath Morning Bells," by Junior Choir. Sermonette, "The Boy Jesus," Billie

Cutler. Solo, "The Extra Prayer," Ruth Ekins. Candle Ceremony, Raynor

Duncombe. Girls of the Junior Class, Anita Coy, Julia Perry, also Brynald

Neustrand, Taylor Duncombe and Donald Mead.