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THE WAY WE WERE

APRIL 20, 1973

The Board of Finance completed its revision of the town budgets Thursday

morning, cutting $84,100 from the selectmen's proposals and $100,000 from the

proposed school budget. The net effect of the revised budgets, according to

Finance Board Chairman W.W. Holcombe, would be an increase in the mill rate of

between 1 and 1« mills. The budget will be submitted to a town meeting for

debate and final action on May 1. Under the charter, the meeting may make

line-by-line cuts in the selectmen's budget and a lump-sum cut in the school

budget. But if a referendum is called, as happened last year, the voters will

only be able to accept or reject the budget without change.

* * * * *

The Old Rock Road Corporation, which labored without success last fall to

persuade Newtown to become the center of Connecticut horse racing, has

accepted an invitation from the town of Wolcott to go there instead. The track

will be essentially the same as the one planned for Newtown. Both harness and

thoroughbred racing will be offered, with a maximum seating of 20,000. The

Wolcott site was approved by that town's Planning & Zoning Commission after

receiving enthusiastic support at the largest public hearing in the town's

history. Meanwhile, the future of the 437-acre tract assembled by ORRC in

Newtown, lying between Toddy Hill Road, High Bridge Road, and New Lebbon Road,

is uncertain.

* * * * *

The Newtown Board of Education has accepted with regret the resignation of Dr

James Boyd, superintendent of schools. Dr Boyd's letter of resignation was

read at the board meeting on April 17. Dr Boyd's letter was a brief one in

which he said he had enjoyed his three years of working for the school system.

He gave no reason for his resignation in his letter but in a conversation

following the board meeting he indicated he was interested in the position of

superintendent of schools in another school system. During Dr Boyd's tenure,

Newtown opened a new high school, the high school curriculum was changed over

to a one-credit per semester basis, and students were able to graduate in

January for the first time. Innovations took place in the elementary schools

with the institution, on a trial basis, of "ungraded" classes. Curricula was

revised in the high school and middle school, and the special education

program was improved so that Newtown is now considered one of the leaders in

the state for these types of programs.

* * * * *

Three Newtown High School students swimming for the Danbury Regional YMCA swim

team have made the qualifying times for the National YMCA Championships which

will be in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., April 25-28. Judi Scoles, Kathy Schwerdtle,

and Hal Barth, accompanied by their coach, Stephanie Johnson, and six other

swimmers from the Danbury team will leave for Florida from La Guardia Airport

on April 22. Judi Scoles will be swimming in six events; Hal Barth in three,

and Kathy Schwerdtle in one.

* * * * *

Julia Wasserman of the Newtown Conservation Commission testified in Hartford

in support of Bill HB 2159, "Act Concerning Noise Control," during a

standing-room only hearing of the legislature's Environmental Committee. Mrs

Wasserman called the proposed legislation a "sophisticated bill with

tremendous scope and the first of its kind in Connecticut" and a "master plan

for noise control in the state." She said the speakers -- from garden clubs,

Leagues of Women Voters, civic groups, conservation commissions, health

associations, and others -- all spoke in support of the bill. So it was not

expected when, at the end of the hearing, Rita Bowlby, executive assistant to

Commissioner of Environmental Protection Dan Lufkin, who also lives in

Newtown, said the DEP is not ready for this legislation this year, having

neither the funding nor the manpower to carry it out. As a result, the

legislation was killed. Newtown's Noise Abatement Committee, of which Mrs

Wasserman is the secretary, has appealed to Mr Lufkin to reconsider his

opinion.

* * * * *

The Newtown Rotary Club heard a presentation Monday evening about the

possibility of bringing a Meals on Wheels program to Newtown. The program is

designed to deliver meals to the aged, convalescent and handicapped who for

physical, psychological or economic reasons are unable to prepare meals for

themselves. Representatives from the town of Bloomfield made the presentation.

Also speaking was Newtown Health Officer Dr Thomas Draper, who stressed the

importance of a Meals on Wheels program. In addition to the health and morale

benefits obtained from a well-balanced diet, the program provides daily

contact for recipients who live alone and have few, if any, social contacts,

he said.

* * * * *

Mrs Ann Brehm on Hanover Road woke up Thursday morning to find that her mare,

Melinda, had foaled, although Mrs Brehm hadn't even known Melinda was

pregnant. It wasn't hard to pick a name for the foal: April Surprise.

April 23, 1948

Artists of the Newtown area have been asked to contribute pieces of their work

for the Children's Crusade, United Nation's Appeal for Children. The auction

is scheduled to be held in the gymnasium of Edmond Town Hall on May 29.

Artists who have already donated include Elizabeth Bohannon, Paul Frame, Freda

Ettinger, Rea Irvin, Mrs Stockton Mulford, Mrs Walter Klavun, Robert Raynolds,

Eberhard and Madeline von Jarochowski, Henry Schnakenberg, George and Dorathea

Thompason, Mrs Robert Stokes, and Reuben Fogelson.

* * * * *

A kindergarten sponsored by the Congregational Church of Newtown will begin on

April 13 and continue for ten weeks until June 18. All children who were four

years old by January 1, 1948, are invited to attend until the registration

reaches 20. The class will meet on Tuesday and Friday mornings from 9 to noon

under the supervision of Mrs Robert Pierson Stokes. Mrs Stokes is a graduate

of Winthrop College where she majored in psychology and kindergarten-primary

education. She received her master's degree from New York University in

religious education and has several years of teaching and social group work

experience.

* * * * *

Licensed veterinarians, by an act of the General Assembly, are authorized to

tattoo identification numbers on dogs for a fee not to exceed $1 each. The

numbers are to be registered with the Farms and Markets Department.

Identification of lost dogs is expected to be facilitated under this system.

This pioneering law also requires that any person who finds a stray dog that

has been tattooed must report it to the proper authorities within 48 hours.

Officials believe this may help reduce the number of valuable dogs that are

stolen each year.

* * * * *

Playwright Laurence Eyre has been a guest at the Hawley Manor for the past

week. Mr Eyre is best known for his play Mis' Nelly of N'Orleans , written at

the request of the late Mrs Fiske and played by her for three seasons. It was

played in London by Irene Vanbrugh. At luncheon this past week, Mr Eyre

entertained the famous singer Miss Geraldine Farrar and Miss Christine Biddle,

both of Ridgefield.

* * * * *

W.M. McKenzie was awarded the Pierpont Edwards Medal for distinguished Masonic

service at the annual Communication of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Connecticut

at Hartford. The presentation was made by Alvin B. Coger, past master of Hiram

Lodge No 18 AF&AM. Other Newtown Masons in attendance were Kenneth Shaw, Ben

Day Smith, and Hoyt Johnson, delegates from Hiram Lodge.

Morris Tyler, counsel for the Regional School District No 3 Board of

Education, announced this week that the Connecticut Supreme Court has

scheduled a hearing on the board's suit against the towns of Newtown and

Bethlehem in the court chambers in the State Capitol on Friday afternoon at 2

o'clock.

* * * * *

At the Newtown Mothers Club college whist on Tuesday night in the social rooms

of Trinity Church, there was a large turnout of members and guests, so large

that the play comprised 19 tables, or 76 persons. Prizes were awarded and

refreshments served at the close of the evening.

* * * * *

Mrs Charles F. Hawley of Sandy Hook has resigned her position at Knapp and

Trull's store where she has been employed for the past two years. She will

assist Mr Hawley and son, Robert, proprietors of the Sylvan Crest Market in

Bridgeport.