Richard Butterfield, the architect who designed Head O’ Meadow School, is a kite enthusiast and last week brought several of his colorful and unusual box kites to Mrs Evelyn Harder’s third grade class. He assembled them for the class and explained how each is designed and what makes it fly, and also gave helpful tips on how to build kites and how to fly them properly and safely.

***

On the local scene, the Newtown High basketball team captured the Western Connecticut Conference championship with a victory over area rival Pomperaug last Friday night, and on Saturday Pete Jamieson and Gary Schneider became state wrestling champions in the class L tournament.

***

The Parks and Recreation Department’s practice of co-sponsoring flyers, newspaper pages and/or programs with local businesses was found to be in violation of the town’s Code of Ethics. The decision was reached at a special Board of Ethics meeting on Wednesday, February 27, which was called to act on a request from parks and rec for an advisory opinion on its practice of co-sponsoring programs and flyers with local businesses.

***

Plans are now in the works for the Newtown Summer Festival, a variety of events scheduled throughout the summer for the enjoyment of area residents. A dance May 3 begins the festival and the Labor Day parade ends it. In between are fireworks, a Fourth of July picnic and a block party, to name a few events.

***

In an effort to conserve on gas, the selectmen Monday night asked Grants Administrator Zita McMahon to apply for an energy action grant from the state which would enable the town to buy two compact vehicles to be used for town employees while on the job.

***

Police and the fire marshal are investigating a suspected case of burglary and arson which caused damage to an unoccupied room at the rear of the Hawley Manor Inn February 26. The fire marshal called police in to investigate after it was discovered that entry to the room had been gained before the fire by breaking a window to the front door.

***

A proposed amendment which would establish a Main Street Designed Historic District without the vote of property owners is presently before the Zoning Commission of the Borough of Newtown. The location of the district would include all properties having road frontage on Main Street north of Glover Avenue and south of Currituck Road and would…be declared a “special use district subject to separate planning, use, design and development standards.”

 

March 4 , 1955

The Girl Scouts of Newtown will join Scouts throughout the country in celebrating the 43rd anniversary of Girl Scouting in the United States. Starting with Girl Scout Sunday, March 6, local Scouts will attend their individual churches, and it is hoped they will wear full uniform. During the school week Scouts are urged to wear their uniforms, and each day a special program will be observed during troop meetings. Monday, March 7, is Homemaking Day.

***

A committee appointed by First Selectman A. Fenn Dickinson to consider plans for a celebration this year of the 250th anniversary of the purchase of the land of Newtown from the Indians, will hold its first meeting next week. The committee members already named are Nelson G. Curtis, Dr William F. Green, Herman R. Geiger, Miles Harris and Ralph L. Knibloe.

***

 A new color film, “School Boards in Action” will be featured by the Newtown Citizens Committee on Education at an open meeting in the Lecture Room at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library on Tuesday, March 15. Everyone interested in education is invited to view this unusual film. Two members of the Board of Education have accepted invitations to attend and will answer questions from the audience after the showing of the film.

***

 Students of Newtown High School presented their annual Talent Show to a full house at Edmond Town Hall last Thursday evening, February 24. The audience was extremely receptive as they welcomed each act to the stage. Newtown Rotarians were sponsors of the event, with all proceeds going to the music department and the Athletic Association of the high school.

***

Social events for the month of March for patients at Fairfield State Hospital include a party for a group of patients in Canaan House on Monday afternoon March 7, a dance on Thursday evening, March 17 in Bridgeport Hall, and parties for veterans on March 11, 17 and 23. The party at Canaan House will be given by the Young People’s Club of the Newtown Congregational Church.

***

A representative of the State Department of Motor Vehicles will hold a public hearing this Friday, March 4, at 1:30 pm in Edmond Town Hall on the application of Patricia and Alfred Killing for a certificate of approval for a gasoline station on the south side of Church Hill Road, east of the railroad overpass.

***

Mrs Frank Wright of The Boulevard, a resident of Newtown for many years, recently wrote a letter to the editors of the Ladies’ Home Journal which appears in the March issue of the magazine. In the letter, Mrs Wright quotes from her diary which she kept during the blizzard of 1888. It is an excellent description of how the famous storm affected this part of New England.

 

FEBRUARY 28, 1930

 On Monday morning The Newtown Savings Bank had an unusual caller. The front door being ajar, Billie Parker’s pet goat walked in to make a deposit. George M. Stuart, a polite member of the banking staff, could not quite make out what the goat wanted and in a few minutes the athletic Mr Stuart appeared before the brass screen, seized the dear little goat around the body and bore the struggling, objecting animal safely outdoors and deposited it on the sidewalk. The next seen of the goat was as it was making for the front door of Rev Paul A. Cullens.

***

 The Boy Scouts of Newtown plan to attend the Annual Jamboree of all the scouts of the Bridgeport (area) to be held in the Armory at 7 pm Friday and Saturday, February 28 and March 1. The local scouts will be there only Friday evening. The purpose of the Jamboree is to show to the public the work of the Scouts during the year.

***

Residents in the eastern section of the town are much pleased to know that Ralph Peck is opening a general store. A store is much needed in this section and Mr Peck will have a full line of canned goods, fancy groceries, and smoked meats onhand for the public. The new store is located in the lower part of Mr Peck’s home.

***

Sadness and grief came to Bobby Gannon, Wednesday, when his faithful dog, Tip, was struck by an automobile. He and Tip were good pals.

***

Friday afternoon, Louie Lovell was summoned with his wrecker to roll out an auto mired in the Queen Street mud. On the first trip the wrecker became mired and he was forced to return to the garage and secure his large truck, when he pulled the wrecker out and then went back after the auto.

***

Trinity Church Redecorations — On Sunday morning after the service, Clarence Beardsley, of Cross & Beardsley, supervising decorator of the improvements now underway in the church, presented to the large congregation a statement of the work already done on the edifice and the color scheme proposed to be carried out in the church.

March 3, 1905

Frank Bates who live with his father-in-law, C.L. Briscoe, started for his work in Bethel as usual, Tuesday morning. When near John Gay’s, he dropped his whip and got out to secure it. The horse started up and got away from him. Rushing up to John Gay’s house he shouted to Mr Gay to telephone to J.B. Fairchild to stop the horse. On receiving the message, Mrs Fairchild hastened across to the barns where her husband was working, and Mr Fairchild reached the road just in time to catch the horse. Score one for the telephone.

***

E.E. Nettleton, the steam saw mill man, has bought a large tract of timber near Hattertown and is now putting up his outfit.

***

Last week Wednesday morning Michael Cavanaugh of Hanover, with a friend, was driving down The Boulevard, when just above Mrs Terrill’s house the horse shied a little to one side and overturned the sleigh. It threw both persons out. Mr Cavanaugh held the horses and soon had the sleigh right side up. No damage was done to either the persons or the team.

***

George Parker has been shut in at his home with the measles.

***

One of our local clergy men was asked, the other day, by a citizen, if he “believes in a personal devil?” After looking at the inquirer a moment he replied, “Livest thou in Newtown, and knowest not these things?”