Residents of the Philo Curtis Road area had many questions which will require careful consideration by the Park and Recreation Commission in proposing a second town park for the town-owned Stefanko property in Sandy Hook, Recreation Director Lee Davenson acknowledged following an open meeting on the suggested park plan Monday, December 1.

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 The Newtown Summer Festival Committee has announced that tickets are available for its first annual “Not At All Ball” which will not be held on January 1, 1976, at the Newtown High School. This affair promises not to be the highlight of the holiday social season. The proceeds from this event will help to pay the $1,100 deficit from the 1975 Summer Festival and hopefully will ensure that all the marching units who participated in the September 1975 parade will be paid as soon as possible. Committee chairmen have been selected and plans are well under way for the dance. Entertainment chairman Marie Sturdevant has indicated that she is contacting several nationally known bands in order to arrange for them not to perform.

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“We had a dumping area at the old landfill on Route 34 four or five years ago, but we’ve been going backwards since then,” says septic tank cleaner Fred Lajoie of Botsford Hill Road. Owner of Fred’s Construction, Mr Lajoie is one of several local businessmen who face problems because the town of Newtown does not have its own area for the dumping of effluent pumped from septic tanks.

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A shopping center proposal will once again be the subject when the Planning & Zoning Commission holds a public hearing on Thursday, December 11, starting at 8 pm in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall. If necessary the hearing would be continued to the following evening. Cyril H. Mantell of Stamford is seeking a special exception to develop the facility, termed the “Newtown Green,” on 14.055 industrially-zoned acres, owned primarily by Paul V. McNamara and located on the easterly side of Route 25, just north of Ricky’s Shopping Center.

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More study needed. That’s the basic word on the much discussed northern section of the landfill and what uses can be made of it. This is the section involved in the recent dispute about the boundary lines between town property and the adjoining Loma Sand & Gravel operation, and use by the company of town property as a result of the town’s 1970 condemnation of the landfill. It’s also the area eyed hopefully by some – most prominently, First selectman-elect Jack Rosenthal – as a site for a new town garage, and by others – most strongly, outgoing First Selectman Frank DeLucia – for expansion in the future of the landfill operation itself.

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A Fall Piano Recital of the students of Lois Gold of Newtown will take place on Saturday, December 6, at 2:30 pm, at the Buckingham Gardens Convalescent Home, Sandy Hook. The program will consist of “The Whistling Parakeet” by Parker, played by Sue Campbell; the “March of the Tiny Soldiers” by Munn, played by Jessica Ionn; “Dangerous Journey” by Koelling, played by Anita Alonte; “The Doll’s Lament” by Franck, played by Mary Watson; “Fantasy Waltz I” by Kasschau, played by Barbara Biscoe; “Coasting Selections of Chopin and Paderewski” by McGrath, arranged by Schaum, played by Peter Mohlenhoff; “Baracolle” by Gillock, played by Sue Meyer; and “Swiss Music Box” by Burton, played by Sue Hennessey.

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The Newtown Fund has started the wheels rolling for their Christmas Project of providing a happy holiday for families in distress at this time of year. Baskets are assembled by community organizations, church groups, or individual families.

DECEMBER 8, 1950

The Newtown Friends of Music made its bow in the community on Sunday, having been prevented from presenting its first concert in a proposed series because of the storm on the preceding weekend. For its initial performance it presented Miss Frances Magnes of New York City in a violin recital. The artist chose works of Bach, Brahms, Stravinsky, and Ravel. The performance took place in the Alexandria Room of the Edmond Town Hall. David Garvey accompanied Miss Magnes at the piano.

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The annual Christmas Decorations Contest, which always stimulates the interest of Newtown residents at this season, will again be sponsored by the Newtown Lions Club. President Ray Trimpert has appointed a committee to outline the rules of the contest and to select the judges and arrange for suitable awards. The committee will consist of Roy F. Byrne, chairman; Ed Cullen; Lynn Mathewson; and William C. Bechert.

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The Newtown Parent Teacher Association is fortunate to have obtained the services of Miss Joan Moessner as art teacher for the series of art classes to be held at Hawley School on Saturday mornings from 10 to 12 o’clock, the first lesson being scheduled for this Saturday, December 9.

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One of the casualties of the recent storm in the community was the American flag that had been flying at the top of the new steel 100-foot flagpole on Main Street at the head of Church Hill Road. Lashed by the fury of the winds, the proud emblem of the Republic became hopelessly entangled in the halyards and was shredded to ribbons. Old Glory was finally removed from its lofty post last Saturday by steeplejacks using a crane furnished by Edgerton and Sons, Inc., Bridgeport. First Selectman A. Fenn Dickinson states that he has a new flag in readiness to be raised on the pole.

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Published figures on military contracts since the outbreak of the Korean conflict indicate that Connecticut leads all the other New England states in the dollar value of current defense contracts.

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Coach Harold S. DeGroat has announced this week the opening on Saturday morning of a sports class for students below the eighth grade, supplementing the Tuesday evening Sportsnighters Club sessions, which are being held for young people over high school age.

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Anticipation ran high at the monthly meeting of the Newtown Parent Teacher Association Tuesday evening, December 5, at Hawley School. The preliminary business meeting was in charge of Mrs William Knox, the president, who first called for reports by William Prahl, secretary, and Mrs Edwin Storrs, treasurer. Carl LeGrow, supervising principal, explained a request made by the elementary school teachers that room mothers cooperate to relieve teachers of their responsibility for a brief period during the noon recess.

 

DECEMBER 4, 1925

The boys in the vicinity of Dodgingtown were organized into a 4-H Club by James R. Case, the county agent, with John Visny as local leader. The officers elected for the ensuing year are as follows: President, Russell Platt; Vice President, Steve Tesh; Secretary, Peter Perun. A program was worked out whereby six meetings will be held in the Flat Swamp schoolhouse.

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William C. Johnson, the popular local road supervisor, was confined to his residence last week, with a severe grip cold.

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L.F. Terry has one of his portable saw mills near Cranberry swamp, having bought timber of Mrs Ann Parmelee, D.B. Parmelee, E.R. Botsford, William Liebold, and others.

DECEMBER 7, 1900

Owing to the epidemic of measles in Taunton, the sessions of the Taunton Sunday School will be omitted for a Sunday or two.

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At the missionary meeting at the Congregational Church on Sunday night, able and interesting papers were presented by Mrs Henry M. Smith, Miss Susie Scudder, and Rev O.W. Barker.

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James Connors, a young man who has been in the employ of Patrick McCarthy for several years, has gone to Chatham, N.Y., to learn telegraphing.

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Miss Susan Camp, the capable teacher of the Taunton school, is enjoying an attack of the measles.