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WAY WE WERE

JUNE 22, 1973

The Board of Selectmen cleaned up a lot of year-end business Tuesday evening,

much of it over the opposition of Selectwoman Diana Schwerdtle, who found

herself on the losing end of 2-1 votes on all contested issues. Mrs Schwerdtle

opposed transferring $3,600 within the public works account to finance the

purchase of a trailer for use as an office. Road Superintendent Ed Napier

explained that the only office facilities available at the town garage were

one desk and two filing cabinets which are used by six people. "I find it

impossible to do my work under these conditions," he said. When the proposed

new town garage is built, the trailer could be sold or used by another town

department, he added. Mrs Schwerdtle argued that the expenditure should go to

a town meeting because it is a capital item. She also argued that the proposed

location of the new dog pound at the town landfill should be approved at a

town meeting. Town Counsel Robert Hall said such approval is not necessary

because the town already owns the land. The dog pound will be built of cement

block and have a capacity of 40 dogs in 20 runs, as well as office and storage

space.

Residents of Toddy Hill Road are protesting the trucking of sand and gravel

past their homes. First selectman Frank Delucia has forwarded their protests

to the D'Addario Sand & Gravel Company and the Curtis Box Company, owners of

the gravel pits involved. Mr DeLucia also said he is seeking an opinion from

Town Counsel Robert Hall about the possibility of taking legal action. But, Mr

DeLucia pointed out, because both companies are doing business on that road,

they are not subject to the "no thru trucks" signs posted at each end of it.

Residents pointed to the fatal accident which occurred on the road last week

as an example of how traffic has become hazardous on what was meant to serve

as a country road.

The Lake Lillinonah Authority is preparing to counterattack the problem of

summer blight that invades the manmade impoundment above the Shepaugh Dam on

the Housatonic River. The lake, normally a major recreation center in Western

Connecticut during the spring and autumn seasons, falls from favor with local

boaters and fishermen during the summer months as the unsightly algae blooms

sweep over the water. Lillinonah and Lake Zoar are afflicted with a condition

called "eutrophication" which is a phenomenon in which a body of water

literally chokes itself to death with excessive algae growth. This intense

plant growth is caused by the nutrients which leach into the water from

fertilizers and sewage plants.

Eighty friends and relatives of Vincent "Boss" Gaffney (as he is fondly

remembered by former students and teachers alike) assembled on Monday evening

at the Lamplight Restaurant in Monroe for a testimonial dinner in his honor.

Mr Gaffney, a math teacher at Newtown High School, is retiring after 36 years

of service to Newtown, and 40 years as a teacher. He came to Newtown in 1936

and supervised the agricultural program until it was phased out in 1961. After

becoming certified in math and science, he taught those courses at the high

school. Also attending the dinner were Mr Gaffney's wife, Audrey, a noted

volunteer worker in the community and Connecticut's recipient of the "Mother

of the Year" award, and his four children, three of whom were present with

their wives.

A dinner for Lee Glover, retiring chief of Hook & Ladder Fire company, was

held last Friday evening at the King Lake Restaurant; the dinner was attended

by about 70 people. This month Mr Glover completed almost 18 years as chief;

he has been a member of the fire company for 27 years. In stepping down, he

will take the position of third assistant chief and member of the Board of

Fire Commissioners.

The old Macomber house next to Lexington Gardens on Church Hill Road was torn

down this week to make way for a colonial-style red brick structure that will

house stores and offices. Morganti, Inc., of Ridgefield is the new owner. The

Macombers moved to Vermont after Fred retired last year.

Ronald E. Bolmer, son of Mr and Mrs Culver H. Bolmer of Hattertown Road, was

awarded a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering at the May 27

commencement ceremonies at the Lowell Technological Institute in Lowell, Mass.

He is a 1969 graduate of Newtown High School.

JUNE 25, 1948

Edmond Town Hall was the scene Thursday evening of the annual Hawley High

School commencement. Twenty-nine seniors, 16 boys and 13 girls, were in the

graduating class. Members of the class were Joyce Bancroft-Billings, Marie

Cavanaugh, Fred Candee Jr., Virginia Drew, Helga Doehne, Ralph Doehne, Robert

Eaton, Donald Ferris Jr., Richard Herring, Robert Jacot, John James; second

honors: Eric Johnson; first honors: Ruth Kearns, Florence Kelly, Rosemarie

Kilbride, Mildred Kocet, Barbara Kuhne, Harry Lake Jr., Sheila Laskin, Richard

Liska, Adrian Lillis, Ruth Mayer, William Renz, Kathryn Robinson, Richard

Rideout, Mildred Summers; third honors: John Watkins.

Some 60 townspeople attended an open meeting called by the tax assessors last

Friday in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall to discuss the subject of

property tax revaluation. H.N. Alexander of New London, auditor for the town

of Newtown, said his experience has shown Newtown's tax list to be "a plain

mess." He credited the present tax assessors with an effort to improve the

situation but said the only solution is to have an outside appraiser do the

job. The other featured speaker, Aldro Jenks, Waterbury assessor and president

of the National Association of Assessors, pointed out that state statutes

require towns to do a revaluation every 10 years.

Jane Marie Bearsley of Southbury married John Clinton McGinley Jr of Sandy

Hook on June 19 in Woodbury. Attending the couple were Mr and Mrs Kennth L.

Peck of Palestine District, Newtown. About an hour after the wedding, before

the bride and groom were to leave on their wedding trip to Canada, their car

was involved in an automobile accident. The McGinleys and the Pecks were so

shaken up, and the car was so badly damaged, that the trip to Canada was

postponed.

The Visiting Nurse Association is urging Newtown adults to sign up for

appointments for a free chest x-ray on July 7-9. The program is for healthy

adults, not persons who are sick. The x-ray is a device that will detect in

some seemingly healthy persons the presence of tumor, tuberculosis and some

heart ailments. The program is open to all persons who are over 15 years old

and live or work in Newtown. No charge will be made for this service which is

financed by taxes and by accumulated Christmas seal contributions.

First Selectman and Mrs W.W. Holcombe hosted a wedding at their home in the

Taunton district on June 17. Miss Beatrice Leaver, daughter of William B.

Leaver of Sandy Hook and the late Mrs Leaver, became the bride of Zaner Faus.

Mr and Mrs Faust are now on a honeymoon cruise on the Great Lakes following

which they will motor back to Newtown. They will reside at the Feede home on

Main Street, both resuming their duties at the Newtown Bee.

Fourteen children from the Herald-Tribune's Fresh Air Fund will be arriving in

Newtown on June 29. These children, all between the ages of 6 and 12, will be

the guests of 10 local families for two weeks, or longer if requested by their

hosts. The fortunate youngsters have been selected from the more crowded areas

of New York by various church and social agencies, according to Mrs Ralph

Knibloe, the Newtown chairman for the fund.

Allen Northey Jones, president of the Newtown Country Club, and Nelson Curtis,

chairman of the tennis committee, have announced the appointment of Lacey

Seabrook of Washington, Conn., as pro and director of tennis activities for

this summer. Mr Seabrook held the same position at the Litchfield Country Club

last year. He has been instrumental in the formation of the Tri-Town Tennis

League which will function this summer for the first time between Litchfield,

Washington, and Watertown.

Newtown has raised $2,300, or 134 percent of its quota, for the Crusade for

Children. Although a majority of countries campaigning, including the United

States, have not yet announced the totals collected, worldwide contributions

already have topped $14 million. The money will be used to aid sick and

starving children in Europe and Asia.

Friends of George Stuart will be sorry to hear that he has broken his leg and

will be confined to his house for some time. On Sunday, while wearing

"sneakers," he slipped on the wet grass and fractured his leg in three places

below the knee. While he is recuperating, his plans to begin an extended

vacation trip have had to be postponed.

If those who frequent the Newtown post office have missed Post Master Al

Nichols, it is because he has been away for the past 15 days. He was recalled

as Captain Nichols by the US Army for active duty at Fort Benning, Georgia,

from June 6 to June 21.