Mendik Realty Company of New York City is moving ahead with plans to develop up to 800,000 square feet of corporate office space in Newtown’s Hawleyville section at a 47-acre parcel of industrial land located at the junctions of Routes 25 and 6, near exit 9 off I-84.

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The school system will be applying for grants which could mean 50 per cent state reimbursements for four projects which it has to undertake. The projects include rebuilding the septic system at the middle school; excavating a 1973 addition to the system and rebuilding and resurfacing it. The estimate for the project is between $35–50,000.

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Motorists traveling eastbound on I-84 between exits 9 and 10 in Newtown are advised by the state transportation department that brief delays may be encountered from March 10 through June 30 due to removal of instable rock ledge in the vicinity of the Currituck Road and Parmalee Hill Road overpasses.

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When the Newtown High School band steps off in the St Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City on March 17, it will be displaying a new look on the bass drums. The Newtown Indian design has been painted for the drums by Judy Markl who came to the band’s aid with her time and talent.

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Sunday afternoon was really much too beautiful a day to stay inside, but it was well worth missing a couple hours of sunshine to hear the great jazz played at Edmond Town Hall. Music like that just did all the more to brighten the day. The Newtown High School Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Joe Grasso, hosted the event which featured the ensemble’s “friends” as well; a jazz quintet and a quartet.

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Unless the legislative council decides next Wednesday to override its ordinance committee, there will be no adoption of a town anti-litter law which was proposed a year ago by the Newtown Beautification Committee.

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March 18, 1955

During the month of February, Evelyn Weber successfully passed the Gregg Shorthand Speed Test for having written Gregg shorthand for 5 minutes at 80 words per minute and having transcribed the notes neatly and accurately. Barbara Biscoe, Eileen Craig, Beverly Sartain and Ann Shaw received the award for Gregg’s 3 minute test dictated at 60 words per minute.

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Frank Mack of Hattertown Road, cartoonist, gave a chalk talk on “Comic Strips – An American Art” for the Artists and Writers of Connecticut at a meeting held last Sunday in the Middlebury Town Hall. Mr Mack was the originator of the cartoon strip “Sun-ny Boy” and was an assistant to Robert L. Ripley of “Believe It or Not” fame.

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Recently appointed to the state post of tax marshal for Fairfield and Litchfield counties, first selectman A. Fenn Dickinson announced this week that he will serve out the balance of his term, to expire on October 1 of this year. He gave as his reasons his obligation “to the people who supported me,” and desire to save the expense of a special audit of town accounts, and special election to choose his successor, which his resignation would entail.

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A good response has been received thus far from the Easter Seal letters mailed last week to the people of Newtown in the 22nd annual Easter Seal Sale for Crippled Children. Coin containers have been placed in various places of business in town by the Boy Scouts and Mrs George M. Stuart, chairman of the campaign, desires to express her appreciation to the boys for their assistance.

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The Newtown AC men held their own last Sunday afternoon in a slam-bang basketball game against a visiting troupe from Bridgeport, The Western Jacksons. Newtown won in the closing moments, 98 to 97, but suffered a hospitalized casualty. Manager-center Bob Shannon spent Monday in Bridgeport Hospital for observation of a head injury suffered when he blocked a basket-bound Jackson in the last quarter and was clouted on the right cheekbone.

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The monthly dinner meeting of the Couples Club will be this Saturday, March 19, in the Congregational Church House. An evening of nonsense is planned by the committee and everyone is requested to wear old clothes and one of the articles of clothing should be worn backward.

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Mr and Mrs Alfred H. Jurgens Sr of the Basket Barn, Route 34, Sandy Hook, returned on Saturday from a 10-week, 11,000-mile jaunt by car which first took them to the West Coast where they visited their daughter and family in southern California. The travelers next visited Mexico, establishing a base in Mexico City and making many side trips from the capital.

 

March 14, 1930

An enthusiastic meeting of Sandy Hook Citizens went on record Friday night at a meeting held at St John’s Parish house, as being emphatically in favor or having the reconstructed State roads pass through Sandy Hook on practically the same locations as today. There was an intimation and suggestion made that the Sandy Hook section should organize itself into a Borough, in order that street electric lights and fire hydrants be secured.

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The officers and directors of the Newtown Chamber of Commerce were delightfully entertained at dinner Monday night, at Upham’s Japanese Tea Gardens by Edmond C. Platt, president of the Chamber. After due attention had been paid to the inviting repast by the company, an informal discussion followed on plans for the Chamber for the ensuing year.

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The adjourned annual town meeting was held as scheduled on last Saturday afternoon at the Hawley school auditorium, with Hon Charles G. Morris as chairman and Town Clerk Pitzschler as clerk. A resolution that the report be accepted and that a tax of 19½ mills be laid on the Grand List of 1920 was unanimously carried. An informal discussion as to the necessity of holding the meeting was had, and it was agreed that under the present law it was best to lay the tax as has been done in the past.

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Though Newtown does not hold an annual show, this town will be kept in touch with the latest in creative beauty arts through Miss Margaret English of the English Shop, 241 Main Street, Danbury, who is in New York City attending the Tenth Annual International Beauty Shop Owner’s Convention and exhibition, held at the Pennsylvania Hotel.

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It was a happy thought indeed, of the officers and trustees of Newtown Savings Bank to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the bank, which by the way was incorporated in June, 1855, by the legislature of Connecticut, by declaring an extra dividend of one half per cent, making three per cent payable on April 1. No institution in the town comes closer to the vital interests and affection of our town people than our Savings bank.

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It wasn’t some naughty bandit that took Leroy Noxon’s car up on the streets of Danbury, Monday night, but some careless citizen whose name Editor Buckley kindly hides, who couldn’t tell the difference between his own Chrysler and another shiny car of the same make.

March 17, 1905

An error of the compositor in last week’s BEE made C.F. Beardsley’s advertisement read 75 hens instead of 55. While 797 eggs from 75 hens would be a big average for most hens, this winter, it would be small for Mr Beardsley’s R.I.R.’s, which lay on the slightest provocation.

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Mr and Mrs H.M. Smith were in Washington, Saturday, the guests of Mr and Mrs John Eckman. While there they inspected the new Gospel wagon which is being built by Eckman Brothers, the carriage builders. The new wagon is a fine one and well built, and is a credit to the firm. The new vehicle will be run on the Taunton route as soon as the roads are settled.

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The cattle auction of W.S. Hine of Orange at the yards of the Newtown Inn, Friday, drew a good crowd. Prices ranged from $110 to $146 a pair.

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Thieves broke into A.E. Pixley’s saloon at Hawleyville, one night recently, and stole quite a quantity of goods. The thieves have not been captured yet, but it is suspected who the parties are. It will not be very safe for any parties to repeat the experiment.

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The road leading from Sugar Street to Taunton was opened last week. C.W. Northrop and John C. Everetts did the work.