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Despite the snow of Thursday, the temperature on Christmas should be about 20 degrees above normal — maybe up to 50 degrees — according to John Kaniak of Sky Watch weather service. Warm air from an approaching front moving from the west is expected to bring rain on Christmas Eve and the above average temperatures for Christmas Day.

* * *

Consternation that the Cullens Memorial Inc might use its property on Taunton Lake Road for more than the recreational scouting activities specified by the Planning & Zoning Commission led to a meeting December 16 between the commissioners and Cullens officers. The Planning & Zoning Commission earlier this year granted Cullens Memorial a special permit for the use of the property.

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YSIN’s future home at 10 Queen Street was the scene of new life Saturday morning, December 16, as several citizens gathered to dedicate a plaque honoring the town’s young people. Mr and Mrs Robert Knapp and their children, Susan and Robbie, donated the plaque in memory of all young people in Newtown who have lost their lives in any way.

* * *

A mélange of health services will be offered by Dr Richard Coopersmith, chiropractic, and his associates when his new Newtown Chiropractic Health Center opens at the corner of South Main Street and Country Club Road. The 4,000-square-foot new building, which is now under construction, will open in approximately six months, Dr Coopersmith said, by June or July.

* * *

Four large boxes of canned goods were collected by NHS students and faculty to be distributed to needy Newtown families in Christmas baskets. The NHS Key Club sponsored the drive as a class competition in which the sophomore class showed the most spirit of giving.

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Connecticut gasoline prices are as much as 14 cents a gallon lower than they were this time last year, according to the Connecticut Motor Club AAA. Current average prices for fuel at full-serve pumps look like this: regular, $1.294; no-lead, $1.355; premium no-lead, $1.446; and diesel, $1.347.

December 27, 1957

During this Christmas week, churches in town had record attendances at special services, pageants and church school festivals celebrating the Nativity of Christ. Regular church services are being held at all churches this Sunday, December 29, but it is still a holiday for church schools.

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Post offices in Newtown and Sandy Hook report substantial increases in holiday mail over previous years. Sandy Hook Postmaster Arthur Carmody said that his office handled half again as much mail as in prior years. He said many new people have moved into the area served by his office.

* * *

Miss Judy Tenney, daughter of Mr and Mrs Donald H. Tenney of Chestnut Hill Road, was crowned queen of the “Sno-Ball” annual dance of the Pilgrim Fellowship of the Congregational Church held last Saturday evening in the church house. More than 100 young people danced to the music of the Vinnie Lee Trio in the memorial room decorated with gold metallic stars and green ribbons.

* * *

A whirl of activities including Santa’s early appearance throughout various parts of the town gave the youngster a happy time in Newtown last week. The only thing missing to make the holiday perfect, perhaps, was the absence of that fluffy white stuff called snow.

* * *

Fire of an undetermined origin gutted a small building on the west side of Route 25 in South Center district last week. The United Fire Company of Botsford responded with its pumper and its tanker truck and succeeded in effectively checking the fire. The Deputy Fire Marshal of the Botsford Company was unable to estimate the extent of the damage.

* * *

Mrs Robert Crichton, daughter-in-law of Mr and Mrs Kyle Crichton of Newtown, appeared on the Christmas night “I’ve Got A Secret” television show. Mrs Crichton, a member of the program’s research staff, accompanied her daughter, who was a contestant. The child’s secret was that she was being seen by her grandfather, Benjamin Finer, in California, for the first time.

 

December 23, 1932

The thermometer registered five degrees below zero in Sandy Hook, Friday morning, and stood at zero, Saturday morning. The snowfall, Saturday night, was six or seven inches. All day, Friday and Saturday, the Liberty and Lovell garages were working at top speed, helping distressed auto owners out of their troubles. Just to show Vermont and New Hampshire did not have anything on Sandy Hook, the thermometers there showed a reading Monday morning, of 10 and 15 degrees below zero. Thermometers in the Street registered at about zero.

* * *

Wilton and Florence Johnson Lackaye have sent out to their friends a beautiful Christmas card of greeting containing an artist’s etching on the face of the card of their residence, The Parsonage, at Sandy Hook.

* * *

The first two units completed, the Fairfield State hospital in Newtown will be opened in the early part of April, when you make patients will be transferred to the institution from the Middletown and Norwich hospitals, as the first move to relieve extreme congestion at both the older institutions.

* * *

Burglaries are quite the order of the day in Sandy Hook. First H.G. Warner’s store was burglarized and now the First National Store in Sandy Hook. A large quantity of cigars and cigarettes were stolen from the First National store, between midnight and 1 o’clock Tuesday night.

* * *

It shows what a earnest and faithful workers can do when they have to combat such disadvantages as they met with last Saturday. Snow and low temperature were discouraging obstacles, nevertheless, there was a very fair attendance and the ladies disposed of most all of their fancy articles as well as a big supply of cakes pies, bread, and rolls in the course of two hours during which the sale was held.

* * *

It is no exaggeration to state that one would need to travel far to find another community comparable in size with ours that is so wonderfully served with the library facilities. We urge all to come and examine the books of the classes that most interest them and ask for books desired that may not as yet have been purchased.

 

December 27, 1907

A handsome gilded cross about seven feet high has been placed on the south end of St Rose’s church. George A. Northrop and men did the work. It was made by Mr Northrop and is a fine piece of work. Father Fox is greatly pleased with it.

* * *

Charles Miller, who had been 11 years and three months on Trains 1412 and 1425, was transferred at the last change of time to Trains 1414 and 1429. Mr Miller is a genial and painstaking official and has been on the Berkshire and Housatonic 17 years.

* * *

S.P. Davis has been boarding four men who are surveying and laying out a route between Bridgeport and Danbury presumably for a trolley line, although no one knows much about it as the surveyors are “not talking for publication.”

* * *

Trinity’s Christmas tree service, Christmas eve, brought out a good sized audience despite the hard traveling. In the center of the chancel a beautiful Christmas tree had been placed, covered wit lighted candles and glittering tinsel. Rev J.H. George conducted the exercises, propounding questions to the classes of the Sunday school on the Christmas story.

* * *

John J. Northrop, secretary of the School Board, is ill with diphtheria, under the care of Dr F.J. Gale. Mr Northrop has the disease in a mild form, and his speedy recovery is hoped for. Harry Morgan has been shut in for a week with a severe cold.