Monday night the Republican Town Committee came up with a candidate to run against incumbent Democrat John Anderson in the 106th State Assembly District: town committee member Joanne Kemmerer of Hanover Road. Up until Monday, the GOP had no candidate for the 106th District, which encompasses all of Newtown and part of Redding. This has been a matter of discussion in a closed session of the town committee last month, with town chairman Marie Kertesz emerging from that meeting admitting there was no candidate.

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Slipping and sliding on ice might not concern most people in July, but for the newly formed Newtown Industrial Park Association, it was a hot issue. At their second meeting Tuesday afternoon the association, comprised of the ten companies within the park, discussed snow removal problems along with several others they say plague it. They include road maintenance, drainage, litter, and traffic on the corner of Church Hill and Commerce Road.

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Vandalism at the Dickinson Town Park came under discussion at the regular monthly meeting of the Park and Recreation Commission on Tuesday, July 16. During the past few weeks, glass has been broken on the grounds, garbage pails overturned, signs stolen, toilet seats ripped out and doors broken. Commission Chairman Bill Denlinger even reported that the tires of his car had been slashed at the Town Picnic. Pertinent to this, the suggestion was made to lock the gates of the town park from dark to 7 am. The only drawback to this, according to some commission members, is that the Newtown Police will no longer patrol the park since they refuse to get out of their cars to unlock the gates. The matter will come up again on Monday, July 17, at a special 6 pm meeting.

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First Selectman Jack Rosenthal waxed enthusiastic about a proposed sale of land to the town, which may provide sand and gravel in a quantity to meet Newtown’s needs for several years. Richard Fairchild of Turkey Hill Road has offered a four-acre parcel to the town. Test borings by Mr Fairchild’s engineer show there may be 88,000 cubic yards of sand and gravel, and 1,500 cubic yards of topsoil on the site.

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Northeast Utilities has a plan in the works with something in it for everyone. For the utility it’s a step toward fulfilling federal licensing requirements for its hydroelectric power facilities along the Housatonic River. For everyone else in the state, it means having access to recreational facilities that will be constructed or are already in existence. Many will be in this area. According to Northeast Utilities spokesman William Keveney, the utility has been mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to license operation of their Falls Village, Bull’s Bridge, Rocky River, and Stevenson hydroelectric facilities. Presently these facilities are not licensed, although according to federal regulations, anything constructed after 1935 must be. Therefore, the utility will make available to the state land that it now owns bordering Lakes Candlewood, Lillinonah, and Zoar and the Housatonic River.

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Newtown residents can soon expect inquisitive individuals at their door asking them what they do, who they are and how old they are. Resident cooperation is essential, said grants administrator Zita McMahon, because it’s all part of a CETA-funded town census.

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Will there be freshman boys sports at Newtown High next year? Maybe, and maybe not. It’s a question still up in the air, but Tuesday night the Board of Education got the word that there were quite a few people around who want to see freshman sports continued. And those people got the word the BofEd would not fund the program. Freshman sports took a complete cutting when the board had to trim its budget request down to the $8,000,000 the town said it could have to fund education this year.

JULY 17, 1953

An enrollment of 589 elementary school pupils at Hawley School for the beginning of the 1953–54 school year has been announced by Frederick Parr, principal, as a result of the preregistration day held on Monday. This is an increase of 63 pupils over enrollment at the close of school in June.

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Rev Francis B. Sargeant, SJ, Professor of Philosophy and Theology at Fairfield University and the campus Fulbright program adviser, has received notice of the award of a scholarship for foreign study to Jerome Joseph Mayer, son of George Mayer, Palestine District, Newtown, a graduate of the class of 1953. Mr Mayer was graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in the field of education and was a member of the Honor Society, having been placed on the dean’s list six consecutive semesters. He completed his academic studies with an average of 95.12.

***

 At a meeting of the Town Development Committee held Monday at the Edmond Town Hall, it was decided to resume the recent series of district meetings on zoning. Previous meetings were held for the residents of Lands End and Lake George District, Flat Swamp and Hopewell District, and Hanover District, when the series was interrupted for the preparation and passage of a special bill in the General Assembly at Hartford, enabling Newtown to adopt zoning according to the historical 21 school districts in the town.

***

 Pvt John E. Wood, Jr, was seriously wounded in his right foot during a recent front line section in Korea, according to word received recently by his father, John E. Wood, Sr, Walnut Tree Hill. Pvt Wood is attached to the Army’s 48th Field Artillery, Battery A, and has been overseas for four months.

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The recent acquisition of the former Norman Glover Farm on Boggs Hill Road in Palestine District provides acreage for one of Newtown’s newest and most sightly developments, to be known as Meadow Ridge Acres. Dr Vincent A. and Margaret K. Jablon of Mount Pleasant purchased the property from Mrs Emily Glover, widow of Norman Glover, and are now putting in roads and subdividing the land into good-sized plots for future homes.

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Drawings have been made for play in this year’s Honegger Cup Invitation Men’s Doubles tennis tournament, which will be held on Saturday and Sunday, July 18 and 19, at the home of Mr and Mrs H.C. Honegger on Walnut Tree Hill. The first match will start Saturday morning at 10 o’clock, with Dr Walter Baumann and Fred Meier meeting Rene Dentan and Mr Honegger.

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The recent ban on fishing in Taunton Lake instituted as a pollution safety measure by the Newtown Water Company, has drawn comment from townspeople, the State Fish and Game Department, and the company itself. Reasons for the measure were publicized prior to July 1, at which date fishing came to an end in Taunton. Generally, the public has abided by the rules, the company points out.

JULY 13, 1928

Mr and Mrs George Curtis Morgan and children are now staying in a temporary bungalow on their new property in Dodgingtown. The growing chickens from Homestead Farm are being raised there.

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Mrs Julia Hawley and Mrs F.H. Mitchell left on Tuesday on the bus for New York and then took the steamer for a sail up the Hudson.

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At the adjourned annual Borough meeting on Tuesday morning, H.H. Curtis was moderator. A three mill tax was laid.

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“Al” Bevans has opened a roadside stand on his property in Dodgingtown, which he has christened “Al Bevans’ Old Cabin.” He will dispense ice cream, temperance beverages, lunches, and a little later dinners, along with the characteristic “Al Bevan” stories and greeting of good cheer.

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The 23rd annual meeting of the Botsford Family Association will be held at the First Congregational Church, Milford, Ct., on the evening of July 18, and all day July 19.

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Was it hot last Sunday? Ask the players! Al Kuhne had a good day at bat with a double and single. Fred Kuhne deserved a win, as he pitched a good game.

JULY 17, 1903

An exciting game of baseball was pulled off on what is known as Penny’s Plain on the afternoon of the Fourth. The opposing teams were the Hattertown “Eagles” and the Botsford Hill “Doves.” The gathering of the clans took place at the residence of H.B. Penny, where W.H. Davidson resided until recently.

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The observance of Sunday shows a decline right in old New England. Here in Newtown, within sight of the church spires, haymakers were at work in two hayfields, Sunday, and they were not foreigners, so called, either, Poles, Hungarians, or Swedes. Is it not an unhealthy sign?

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Charles Bedat met with a serious accident, last week Tuesday, while driving home from Botsford Depot a pair of oxen. He was thrown out, the wheel of the cart passing over his body, breaking several of his ribs. Joe Anderson picked him up and took him home in his carriage. It will be some time before Mr Bedat will be able to be at his work again.

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Norman and William Northrop have sold about 40 head of fat steers to L.C. Gilbert & Sons, the past week.

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The 17th C.V. regiment of which Captain A.W. Peck is secretary, has just erected a new flagpole on Barlow’s Knoll on the Gettysburg battlefield.

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Miss Bessie Tomlinson will give a picnic party to her little friends on Sunset Hill, Saturday, July 18, from 4 to 6 pm.