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The Hawley School PTA is conducting a special collection drive aimed at obtaining greatly needed audio-visual and athletic equipment. The program, Labels for Education, is sponsored by Campbell Soup Company and is offered to elementary schools, both private and public. Between now and December 31, Hawley School hopes to collect enough Campbell’s Soup labels to earn a Bell and Howell Autoload Filmosound 16 mm projector (50,300 labels).

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Percy Ferris of Newtown had quite a time for himself and his team of oxen at the Danbury Fair this year. On Saturday, his team placed first when it drew a load of 8,025 pounds 60 inches. To keep things in the family, his brother, David, of Woodbury, and his team came in second by drawing the same load 38 inches. The oxen of Percy Ferris also did well in the free-for-all event on Sunday, when the team took a third with a 6,505 pound load pulled six feet.

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Chip and Elaine Hendrickson of Rock Ridge Road took part in the Tenth Annual International Fall Fest in Syracuse, N.Y. the weekend of October 11-12. Mr Hendrickson was one of five callers featured at the two-day festival.

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On Friday, October 11, the League of Women Voters conducted a two-hour canvass of 306 Newtown voters concerning the four amendments to the State Constitution and the six questions on the November 5 ballot regarding Newtown Charter Revision. Two questions were asked of the voters: 1) Are you familiar with the four proposed amendments to the State Constitution? 2) Are you familiar with the six ballot questions concerning revision of the Newtown Charter? Replies to Question 1 were 84 yes – 222 no; question 2, 87 yes – 208 no.

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Girl Scout leaders and interested adults gathered at St Mark’s Church, New Canaan, for the fall council meeting on October 2. The topic of discussion was Girl Program, and each age level, Brownie, Junior, Cadette and Senior, formed a separate discussion group. Attending the conference from Newtown were Pat Craigin, Pat Denlinger, Clar Nordman, Gloria Carson and Elaine Hendrickson from North Newtown, and Barbara Palmer, Sandra Brown, Janice Papyani, Nancy Wigglesworth, Patti Doherty and Phyllis Mazaika from South Newtown.

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Mrs Alton Cashman and Mrs Thomas Evagash are co-chairmen of the Jaycee Wives Thanksgiving Basket Drive.

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Shortly after school began this September, residents from Kale Davis Road in Sandy Hook came to the Board of Education to ask for better bus transportation for their children. Along with them were residents of Osborne Hill Road who also sought a solution to transportation problems. The problem was that the children living on these roads had to walk to the intersection of Bennett’s Bridge Road to get the bus to school, and the parents protested, saying that Osborne Hill Road was unsafe to walk because of the increased traffic due to all of the construction of houses going up in the area. They also cited other dangers; poor sight lines, ledge and lack of shoulders on Osborne Hill Road.

OCTOBER 21, 1949

Members of the United Nations Secretariat were entertained this past weekend by members of the Newtown League of Women Voters and their friends. Arrangements were made by Mrs Herbert Wilde through Mrs Margaret Otis of the UN Volunteer Services at Lake Success. The Newtown activity is part of a larger plan being carried out in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey to acquaint UN personnel from other lands with American home life and people.

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Pohtatuck Grange conducted a successful bean supper at the Grange hall on Tuesday night, serving more than 60 guests. The bill of fare included home baked beans and home made rolls, cole slaw, pickles, fruit jello and whipped cream. Arrangements were under the chairmanship of Mrs Arnold Hill. Mrs Hester Scott was in charge of decorations and Mrs Vincent Gaffney supervised the kitchen staff composed of men and women of the Grange.

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The name of Newtown was carried on the Associated Press wires this week when Capt John J. Hennessey of Currituck Road, piloting an American Overseas Airline passenger plane across the Atlantic from New York to Frankfurt, Germany, by way of Ireland, was called upon to take into his calculations the advent of a new passenger en route. The new arrival was a son, born to a passenger, Mrs Darinka Parker of New York City, a GI bride from Bavaria and 20 years of age. She is quoted as saying the baby was not expected for another month and a half. Capt Hennessey had increased his Constellation’s speed from 290 to 320 miles per hour in the hope of reaching Shannon before the birth, but when it became apparent that the stork would win the race, Mrs Parker was removed to the crew’s compartment and she was attended by Dr Fred Henschel, a fellow passenger, also of New York City, who was assisted by Stewardess Mary Jane Hinckley of Millville, N.J., a registered nurse.

 

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The fashion show held under the auspices of the Newtown Mothers Club on Tuesday evening of this week attracted more than 100 guests. Held in Trinity Church rooms, winter fashions and holiday clothes from D.M. Read’s, Bridgeport, were modeled by local residents. In addition to the ensembles which were presented by Mrs John C. Ward, Mrs William Lewis, Mrs Robert Russell, Mrs George Mayer and Mrs Harold Harvey, Miss Esther Burr, publicity director at Read’s, gave an illustrated talk on the latest trends in fashion. Refreshments were served by Mrs Gilpin Johns and her committee which consisted of Mrs Louis McKee, Mrs John McMahon, Mrs W.K. Daniells and Mrs Ronald Olson. Chairman of the fashion show was Mrs Thomas Ramsdell.

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The Newtown Chapter of United World Federalists held its annual meeting in the lecture room at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library on Monday evening. The meeting was called to order by James B. Forbes, chairman. The reports of officers showed the chapter to be in a healthy condition, both as to membership and finances. The following officers were elected for the coming year: chairman, James B. Forbes; vice-chairman, Franklin Macgregory; secretary, Kay Dolan; treasurer, Julie Howson.

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William W. Holcombe, former first selectman, was appointed a member of the Board of Finance at a recent meeting of the Board in Edmond Town Hall. Mr Holcombe succeeds Walter L. Glover who resigned when elected a member of the Board of Selectmen earlier this month.

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OCTOBER 17, 1924

Some despicable thief broke into the Land’s End schoolhouse Tuesday night and stole a victrola, the property of Mrs P.H. McCarthy, wife of the popular teacher in this school.

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William Concannon of the Concannon Shear Company of Bridgeport has been in town this week interviewing local businessmen with a plan to establish a factory in Sandy Hook for the manufacture of his patent shear made entirely out of steel. Mr Concannon says that if he receives a reasonable amount of local support he will employ 40 hands within a month.