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The Legislative council voted on August 4 to name eight people, four Republicans, three Democrats, and one unaffiliated, to the new Charter Revision Commission to consider at least six possible changes in the charter and report back to the council with recommendations by June 1, 1977. The council, at its last meeting, voted to set up an eight member charter revision commission. This week, the Ordinance subcommittee recommended a list of names of people willing and qualified to serve, and a list of six out of a general “laundry list” of 14 items for the commission to investigate.

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Robert Northrup, 23, of Hanover Road, spent four days stranded in a wet truck in Colorado, but was able by Tuesday to notify his parents, Mr and Mrs Edgar Northrup, that he had suffered no damage nor injury in the Thompson River flood which broke last weekend with a death toll now approaching 100.

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Andrew Willie, a member of the Board of Ethics who for some time has indicated concern about a possible infraction of the Code of Ethics for town officials, officers, and employees, told The Bee Wednesday he will not himself lodge a complaint.

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It seems likely that all over Newtown this past week, people were remembering that they or their children knew 1976 Olympic decathalon gold medalist Bruce Jenner, a 1968 graduate of Newtown High School and son of former Sandy Hook residents Mr and Mrs William Jenner. For surely he’s the pride of the town as well as of Connecticut and the nation whose colors he wore in smashing Russian Nikolai Avilov’s Olympic record of 8,454 points set in Munich in 1972. The Russian saw 26-year-old Jenner surpass his record as the former Newtown High athlete piled up 8,618 points in the rigorous, two-day, 10-event decathalon – an event which wins for the gold medalist the honor of being considered the best all-around athlete in the world.

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There is no lack of activity surrounding “A Bicentennial Celebration in Red, White and Blue, Plus Eagles” as committee members work towards the gala preview party opening on Friday evening, September 3, at the Matthew Curtis House, Main Street, Newtown. This event, co-sponsored by The Newtown Bee and the Historical Society, will be open for three days after the preview at no charge to the public. Hours will be from 11 am to 4 pm on the first two days and from 9 am to 2 pm on Monday… Probably the busiest person at this time is Stephen Kellogg of Sandy Hook, who is creating an 18-foot long drawing for one of the display rooms. Behind this work, which will stand close to four feet high, will be a collection of all sorts of items, each in red, white and blue, or any combination of the colors.

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Freedom Train visits Conn. The perseverance of a number of people was rewarded Monday night when the engine (finally) steamed through Newtown on its way to Milford, around 10 pm. The train’s locomotive was originally supposed to come through town at 3 in the afternoon, The Bee learned that day, and a number of people gathered along the tracks to catch a glimpse… However, if you’re interested in seeing the American Freedom Train, a 12 car panorama of American History, you can catch its visit to the state until August 15.

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The senior citizen dial-a-ride minibus so long awaited by Newtowners is just now rolling off the assembly line. The bus, furnished to the Newtown Fund Inc through the state Department of Transportation by means of a federal Urban Mass Transit Administration grant, has been in the works for over a year now. A mid-August delivery date is anticipated.

AUGUST 10, 1951

Three players in the Sandy Hook Fife, Drum and Bugle Corps have recently won honors in competitions within and outside the state. At the 66th annual convention of the Connecticut Fifers and Drummers Association held August 4 in New Haven, Miss Ann Shaw, daughter of Mr and Mrs Irving F. Shaw, Glen Road, Sandy Hook, Sandy Hook Drum Corps bugler, was again awarded the Junior State Championship and its accompanying trophy. She also won a first place medal in the competition held recently in Peekskill, N.Y., and last year took two first place medals in New York state.

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Mr and Mrs John Stefanko, Sr, with their daughter and son-in-law, Mr and Mrs Frank Casey, moved on Sunday from the Stefanko farm to their new home which has just been completed on Riverside Road by their son, contractor John Stefanko of Sandy Hook.

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Newtown had a field day against Middlebury in Sunday afternoon’s ball game played at Taylor field. The final score stood 22-2 in Newtown’s favor, seven runs being scored in the fifth inning and 11 in the sixth to turn the game into a track meet. Burr Morgan pitched for Newtown, relieved by Beardsley in the eighth. Kearns did the catching, with Jim Cavanaugh substituting in the eighth. Morgan, in addition to his win on the mound, got four hits at bat.

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Parents and children provided capacity audiences last Thursday afternoon and evening to witness the two performances of The Mighty Bear Brothers Circus shown in Edmond Town Hall theater as a benefit for the recently established scholarship fund of the Rosary Society of St Rose Church.

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Michael Dugan, a member of the Newtown Chapter, Future Farmers of America, and a graduate of Hawley High School last June, was one of 26 boys representing 12 Connecticut FFA Association chapters who took off Monday morning from the Flying Eagle Bus Lines terminal, Danbury, on the third annual FFA-sponsored bus tour.

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Currently showing at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library is an exhibit of 26 oils, watercolors, and drawings by Reuben Fogelson of Gray’s Plain District. This is the artist’s first local one-man show, although his work has been shown here in the annual celebration of American Art Week for a number of years.

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A food sale for the benefit of the work of Mirah Chapter 113, OES, will be held on Saturday, August 25, from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm in Warner’s Brick Store, Sandy Hook, under direction of Mrs Carleton Robinson, chairman of the ways and means committee.

AUGUST 6, 1926

The Land’s End schoolhouse has been newly shingled. Edward Olmstead and assistants did the work.

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Final preparations have been made for the initial run of the Walnut Tree Hill Special for the 1926 season.

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A record crowd enjoyed the “Ole Swimmin’ Hole” in Tilson’s meadows Wednesday night, some 30 boys and young men enjoying the swimming there, and all had a royal time.

AUGUST 9 , 1901

C.E. Beaman of Bennett’s Bridge has an acre of potatoes which are blossoming for the second time. The field looks very nice and bids fair for a fine crop of potatoes.

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The travel to the Exposition during August and September will be much heavier than during the preceding months, and visitors will do well to make plans in advance.

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The selectmen have issued a notice to the road contractors that has the right ring to it. All roads must be worked thoroughly, stones removed, and brush cut on or before September 1. At that time the selectmen will begin to inspect them and roads not found in good condition will have to be made so before they will be paid for.