***

Governor Ella Grasso has announced she will hold public office hours in Brookfield on Monday, October 18, from 10 am to 2 pm. “The eight towns that comprise Greater Danbury are the eleventh fastest growing economic market in the United States. The citizens of Brookfield and the entire area are concerned with the problems of human services, education, land use, housing, transportation,” the Governor noted. “I am anxious to hear your suggestions, and discuss problems with residents of the area,” she said.

***

 Members of the Legislative Council’s Park and Recreation subcommittee came to the Park and Recreation Commission’s Tuesday night, October 12, meeting to clarify a question about jurisdiction over Taylor Field behind Hawley School. They left without an answer. The council has been wrestling with the problem of whose responsibility is Taylor Field and therefore who is in charge of the $10,000 Heise fund set aside in 1971 for maintenance of the area, specifically dealing with drainage problems.

***

Newtown State Representative John Anderson (D-106th) has called for legislation to provide stricter controls on the packaging of nuclear waste for transportation, and for a return to state monitoring of radioactivity in the air, as a result of two incidents that occurred over the past week.

***

Twas fit for neither the proverbial man nor beast – nor any other organism you can think of for that matter – Saturday when winds gusting over 50 miles an hour and heavy rains lashed the area. The major problem encountered throughout the area, according to Connecticut Light & Power and the Newtown Highway Department, was trees and limbs knocked down by the powerful winds, keeping CL&P, highway department, and fire department crews busy.

***

Upon the motion of Atty C. Harold Schwartz, the Charter Revision Commission voted October 7 to ask a “proper representative” of Budwitz and Meyerjack, Farmington auditors that monitor financial transactions of the town, to attend a meeting and make recommendations regarding charter changes that would improve the financial control of the town.

***

“The Big Issue,” as defined by Riverside on Lake Zoar Association President June Peck about the private neighborhood’s efforts to obtain increased town funding for road improvements, is that “if we don’t get some town assistance, we won’t be able to do anything.” Actually, Mrs Peck and Marge Plazza, who spoke at length to The Bee Tuesday, want more than “some assistance”: they’d really like to see the Town of Newtown bear most or all of the costs for maintaining and reconstructing the roads in Riverside.

***

Nine thousand, two hundred, and ninety-two voters are eligible to vote on November 2, according to Registrars of Voters Susan S. Fernandes (D) and Jeanne S. Hubbell (R); 3,976 are Republicans; 2,402 are Democrats; and 2,907 chose to remain unaffiliated.

OCTOBER 19, 1951

Hawley students and faculty members are all set to serve the public at John McMahon’s Service Station this Saturday, October 20, when they take over from the proprietor for the day in the name of the Hawley Athletic Association. This is McMahon’s way of making a substantial contribution to the local school sports program, which can use all the help it can get. Profits from the day’s cash receipts will be turned over to the athletic fund, thanks to the generosity of the proprietor.

***

A project that has been long in the planning stage moved a step nearer completion this week when the Hansen Lake Dredging Company of Greenwich moved its dragline to SAC Park in Sandy Hook on Tuesday to start work on the new proposed swimming pool. Because of the soggy nature of the soil in the area of the pool site, all the preparatory work had to be done by hand and this the boys did themselves in the past several weeks.

***

The first regular meeting of the newly constituted Board of Fire Commissioners was held Tuesday, October 16, at the Newtown Fire House at which time the resignation of Fire Marshal Walter L. Glover was presented and accepted with regret. Mr Glover has served with fire companies faithfully in various capacities for more than 20 years and was the first fire marshal for the town under its present fire department organization. The Board of Fire Commissioners elected Mr Glover an honorary fire marshal as a token of appreciation for his loyal service to the fire departments and to the town.

***

Weeks of preparation have been spent in rebuilding the former Greenman property on Route 25 in South Center District into the Newtown Inn, which will hold its formal opening on Saturday, October 20. Otto Heise of Palestine District is the owner. The Inn will be operated by Mr and Mrs Fred Bassato, who have been running the Flying Goose Inn in Dodgingtown until it closed its doors on Sunday night, giving Mr and Mrs Bassato an opportunity to get everything in readiness for Saturday’s opening at the Newtown Inn.

***

A group of movie stars stopped for a half-hour on Edmond Town Hall steps last Saturday afternoon when the party of visiting celebrities was welcomed to the strains of music played by the Sandy Hook Fife, Drum and Bugle Corps, with First Selectman A. Fenn Dickinson greeting the members in the name of the town and Representative George M. Stuart welcoming them in behalf of the business and service organizations. Wendell Corey acted as spokesman for the group, all of whose members made brief talks, directed to the children and adults in the audience which filled the Town Hall lawn from steps to road. Polly Bergen told about her part in playing in That’s My Boy with Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. Others present were James Whitmore, Jerome Cortland, Joyce McKenzie, Harry Carey, Jr, Bob Wagner and writer George Wells. Arrangements were made by Arthur J. Smith, manager of Edmond Town Hall and theater. The occasion of the visit was marking the anniversary of the opening of the first movie theater in Los Angeles, Calif., 50 years ago, highlighted by the slogan, “It’s Movietime, USA.”

***

Activities of the young people of Newtown were the center of interest at the annual Youth Club meeting of the Rotary Club held in the Parker House Monday night, when the junior and adult representatives of 13 young people’s organizations told of past achievements and plans for the future, adding suggestions as to what townspeople can do to further their aims.

***

Plans for the Newtown observance of Armistice Day were outlined at the regular meeting of Raymond L. Pease Post 163, American Legion, held in the court room of Edmond Town Hall Tuesday night of last week, when it was decided to hold services at the monument at the head of Main Street on Sunday morning, November 11, at 10:30 o’clock. Past Commander Oswald Peck is chairman for the exercises. Announcement was also made that October is American Legion membership month and it was voted that all members take part in a campaign to enlist all qualified veterans of Newtown, with special invitations to Korean veterans.

OCTOBER 15, 1926

The Walnut Tree Hill Special ran a special trip on Columbus Day to accommodate the summer vacationists over the holiday.

***

The Newtown Democrats are expecting to have a rally at the Town Hall on Tuesday evening, October 26, at which Charles G. Morris of this town, candidate for governor, will speak and other speakers are expected.

***

Charles Olmstead, while calling on friends at Flushing, N.Y., Wednesday night, had his Chevrolet coupe stolen.

***

Paul S. Stevens, the hero of Ben Sherman hill, ran away with honors in the Danbury Fair auto races on Saturday. The “booby” race, in which amateur drivers took part, furnished the sport of the afternoon.

OCTOBER 18, 1901

Lake George: Cider apples are very scarce around this vicinity.

***

A popular Sandy Hook young businessman had an experience the other day that he does not care to repeat. It appears that he is an enthusiastic bicyclist and often rides to the post office for the mail. He generally comes up to the post office steps with a rush, alighting with all the agility of the expert bicyclist. Something went wrong on the night in question, and instead of alighting in his usual graceful manner, he shot off his wheel, landing on his head somewhere near the door of the undertaking establishment of George F. Taylor. The noise he made in falling caused the postmaster, assistant postmaster and lady clerk to rush wildly to the door. But by the time they arrived on the scene the bicyclist had picked himself up and was ruefully rubbing his shins. He tried to smile and laugh it off, but the incident appealed to those who witnessed it as highly dangerous. He has been advised to slacken his speed on approaching the platform hereafter.

***

Ruffles and Nichols have taken the contract to paint the new barn of Mrs George Ferris and the residence of Lauren Skidmore.

***

E.T. Hook, Mrs Henry Botsford, Miss Elizabeth Burgmyer and John H. Brew drove to Danbury Thursday to visit the great Danbury Fair.