April 10, 1981

Of the 15 citizens who attended the first public hearing of the Charter Revision Commission on Wednesday night, March 8, in the lower meeting room of the Edmond Town Hall, most favored replacing the Board of Selectmen with a single chief executive, as well as increasing the number of signatures required for forcing a referendum. Discussion between retaining and removing both the Conservation Committee and the Board of Ethics from the charter was divided.

 

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The Annual Miss Newtown Pageant sponsored by the Newtown Lions Club will be presented on Saturday, April 11, at 8 pm at Newtown High School. Once again there will be nine area beauties vying for the title of Miss Newtown 1981. Talent represents 50 percent of the total score with swim suit, evening gown and personal interview comprising the other 50 percent.

 

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Newtown Fish & Game Club members enjoyed their annual dinner-dance last Saturday, with a crowd of over 500 assembling in the Amber Room in Danbury. Throughout the year the club’s members from throughout Fairfield County and surrounding areas enjoy outdoor activities including fishing at Newtown’s Taunton Pond and hunting on over 2,000 acres in Newtown.

 

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An event that may be the first of its kind in Sandy Hook will take place Thursday evening, April 30, when four area poets will gather to read selections of their works at the Ole Village Bakery on Riverside Road. Ron Knox, Polly Brody, Ruth Plassman and Diane Walter, all members of the Newtown Poetry Society, cordially invite the public to attend.

 

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The Planning and Zoning and Conservation commissions have both recommended that the Town of Newtown not acquire a piece of land located in back of Hawley School’s Taylor Field offered to the town for $90,000 by builder Clifford O’Dell. The conservationists said the cost of making the land useable would be “prohibitive.”

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Two of Newtown’s top officials have submitted resignations to take jobs in private business. Senior Sanitarian Robert J. Jontos, Jr of Stratford, informed the town of his resignation effective April 17, while Thomas Hislop of  Danbury, assistant to the finance director, is resigning as of May 1.

 

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Following three hours of examination and cross-examination, a permanent injunction was granted in Danbury Superior Court on Thursday, April 2 in a case brought by the Town of Newtown, Conservation Commission, against Bruce G. McLaughlin of Alberts Hill Road. Town Counsel for the commission, Paul Pollack presented evidence to Judge Joseph Chernauskas that Mr McLaughlin had filled a wetlands and diverted a watercourse.

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Understanding how the sun’s heat is harnessed makes one aware of the feasibility of solar energy. It is with this in mind that the Newtown League of Women Voters will sponsor a home energy tour May 9. The tour will allow interested persons to inspect the two kinds of systems in use — active and passive.

 

April 13, 1956

A group of students of other countries will spend next week end, April 20-22, in Newtown as guests of the Newtown Rotary Club. An interesting round of activities is planned for the students by S. Wirt Wiley and Harold Harvey, the committee for the week end.

 

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Efforts of the newly-formed Newtown Baseball Club to enter area hard-ball competition this season met with success with the acceptance of the club as a member of the Pomperaug League, at its league meeting in Middlebury last Thursday, April 5.

 

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Harold Wolcott and Sperry Andrews Top Oils Division Newtown holds a proud place in the New Haven Railroad’s exhibition of over 60 paintings of New England autumn scenes which opens this Friday morning, April 13, in the Grand Central Terminal, New York City. There is a Newtown pastoral scene of green meadows and farm buildings against a backdrop of a blazing hillside, which, incidentally, the artist is said to have keyed down as the colors transcended belief. There is also a picturesque, elm-lined Main Street, as seen from a high vantage point.

 

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The hard-dying winter of 1956 fought back last Saturday night and Sunday morning with a heavy fall of wet snow, accompanied by strong gusts of wind. Like a retired ham actor who can’t give up a role which once made the headlines, Old Man Winter left a blanket of upwards to six to eight inches of snow.

 

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An exceptionally good attendance marked the appearance Wednesday afternoon of Miss Fay Moeller, Extension specialist in family life as speaker at the monthly meeting of Newtown Homemakers at the home of Mrs Irvin Waterhouse, Route 34. Miss Moeller’s topic, “Growing Old Gracefully,” opened a general and lively discussion by all.

 

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With about 35 county dairymen present last Thursday, April 5, at Edmond Town Hall, Newtown, The Fairfield County Extension Service held lively discussions on causes and prevention of mastitis in dairy cattle, and the figuring of dairy rations.

 

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More Than A Picnic! EAT HEARTILY and Relax in Our Lounge SUNDAY NIGHT BUFFET $2.50 Hawley Manor Inn Route 25, Newtown, Conn. Phone GArden 6-4427

 

April 10, 1931

The State prison directors have taken an option on the Shaker farms property at Enfield, and the people in Thompsonville and the cottage owners at Crescent lake are up in arms about it. It is difficult to combat the powerful decisions of the state officials. That is what was discovered right in Newtown when they located the new Fairfield State Hospital here. There was strong and very influential opposition here to a hospital locating in Newtown. But the state authorities quietly went ahead with their plan.

 

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This year all the schools of Newtown will participate in Child Health Day exercises. May 1st belongs to children the country over. Thousands of communities will be thinking and talking of the rights of children on that day.

 

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Edmond Leonowicz, alias Eddie Lee, aged 26, of Bridgeport, suspected of being the leader of a gang responsible for a series of burglaries in Bridgeport, was arrested by eight Bridgeport detectives with drawn guns in Newtown, Saturday night. The arrest took place in the Lake Zoar district, several miles above Sandy Hook.

 

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An automobile belonging to James B. Nichols, popular local letter carrier, was stolen from in front of Edmond Town hall, Tuesday night, while Mr Nichols was attending a bowling game. The car was found in Danbury, Wednesday morning, near the Danbury State Normal school on White Street.

 

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The Passover program held in the Huntingtown Synagogue, Saturday night, was largely attended. The program which was under the capable direction of Miss Lena Gomberg of Botsford, consisted of readings and recitations and was presented by the younger group of the congregation.

 

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The Hawley School Stamp club will give an exhibition of stamps, air mail and first day covers, pre-cancels, etc, in the auditorium of the school on the afternoon and evening of Friday, April 24, from 3:45 to 5 and 7:30 to 9:30. All interested are welcome and the admission will be free.

 

April 13, 1906

The contract for the building of the new Masonic temple has been awarded to H.C. McCollam of Redding, who was about $250 under his nearest competitor. The highest bid was $3875. The temple is to be erected on the lot north of St John’s church at Sandy Hook.

 

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George Beardsley is having a new barn erected near his new house at Bennett’s Bridge. The barn is 17x24 feet. A number of neighbors gathered, last Saturday, to assist in raising the barn. C.E. Beeman is in charge of the work.

 

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Harry Gates is repairing the dam at Ezra Pierce’s old saw mill in Pierce Hollow and it is reported that he is to convert the old saw mill into a factory for the manufacturing of washing machines, which he has been making the past year.

 

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The sale and social of the Congregational church at the Parish house last week Thursday evening, was well attended and was a success in every way. The boxes of luncheons were all sold and more could have been disposed of if they had had them.

 

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A forest fire in Zoar burned over 250 acres of timber land, Sunday, belonging to William Shepard, Michael Halpine, C.M. Pratt and C.G. Morris. James O’Brien and John Keane fought the fire vigorously in to the early morning hours. It is thought the fire was started by fishermen.

 

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Walter S. Bradley of Half Way River entertained his old friends on The Bee staff with a fine dinner at the Grand Central hotel, Monday night, which was served in fine style by Host Houlihan. He saw two fine deer in the lot near his house, Saturday.