The Board of Education faced round two with parents who want freshman sports reinstated again on Tuesday night, and the session ended the way the first one had. The board didn’t give any indication it would change its mind about putting funds back into the student activities account so that boys’ freshman basketball, football, and baseball could be played next year.

***

When the Newtown Republican delegation to this weekend’s state convention in Hartford returns to town late Saturday night, will one of its members be on the state ticket? Does Town Clerk Mae Schmidle want to run for Secretary of the State? It’s a question which is being tossed around, and to which Mrs Schmidle replies, “It might be interesting. I’m meditating.” Though while really not coming out with a definite statement that she is seeking the post, Mrs Schmidle is letting people know the idea is in her head. She also candidly admits she has also been approached to run for the post, but won’t say by whom.

***

Frank and Angelo Tedesco were fuming at the end of their session with the Newtown Planning & Zoning Commission July 13, but regardless of that they ended up with a rejection of their subdivision plans for 68 acres of land off Toddy Hill Road, Sandy Hook.

***

Zoning Enforcement Officer David W. Clark was waiting to see if he’d be inundated with howls of protest at week’s end from town and gravel miners. The reason? The Planning & Zoning Commission disapproved four of seven annual permit applications Monday evening.

***

At a state convention few Connecticut Democrats are likely to forget, Governor Ella T. Grasso won her party’s nomination, but failed to head off a primary challenge by Lt Gov Robert K. Killian. In what was the most fiercely waged battle of the two-day convention, Lt Gov Killian drew just enough delegate support, 20.4 per cent, to force a primary on September 12.

***

Herman Jervis of Taunton Lane was elected president of the Board of Trustees of Cyrenius Booth Library Monday, July 17, in the annual meeting conducted by retiring president Mrs Anne Gushee. An informal reception following the meeting honored Mrs Gushee, who, with her husband, the Rev Stephen H. Gushee, and family, will move to Hartford in August.

***

For the past three weeks, Jim Shortt and his family of Philo Curtis Road in Sandy Hook, as well as some of their neighbors, have been kept awake at night by what Mr Shortt describes as sounding like a woman screaming. “I’ve never heard a sound like it before, that’s for sure,” Mr Shortt told The Bee. The noise generally starts after midnight and continues off and on until nearly dawn. “The other night it went until 3:30,” Mr Shortt said. A few days ago, Mr Shortt and his son decided to do a little daytime sleuthing around the perimeter of the woods in the area of their home, in the hopes of getting a clue as to what made the unearthly sounds. While they were doing so, they came across some fresh animal prints in the mud at the edge of the woods, about 500 feet from their house. The two quickly went and got some plaster of Paris and made some casts. What they came up with were definitely animal prints, and fairly large ones: a wide back pad, four toes, with the total width of about four inches. The animal, whatever it was, also was in dire need of a pedicure since very long nails were very much in evidence.

JULY 31, 1953

Harry Doehne, son of Mr and Mrs Arthur Doehne of Hawleyville, a radio officer in the Merchant Marine, recently returned from a trip to Germany where he was able to visit for two days with his grandmother, Mrs Adolph Stending of Wilhelmshaven. Mr Doehne was aboard the SS American Clipper which he says is due to return to Germany shortly with a full cargo of food for the hungry East Germans. This Friday Mr Doehne sails from New York aboard another ship for the Mediterranean.

***

Steven Jervis, son of Mr and Mrs Herman Jervis of Taunton Lane, left by plane on Monday for the Jenny Lakes Camping Grounds, Wyo., where he will climb the Tetons Mountains. He will be gone a month.

***

 Meetings held this week by the Town Development Committee for residents of Taunton and Grays Plain Districts to establish a structure to implement the proposed zoning of Newtown by districts, resulted in the forming of committees to investigate the possible zoning of those districts. Dates were set by the Town Development Committee for meetings of residents through August for Huntingtown, Middle Gate, Sandy Hook, Toddy Hill, Gregory’s Orchard, Head of Meadow, South Center, and Walnut Tree Hill Districts.

***

 Carl A. LeGrow, superintendent of Newtown schools, received an honorary “state farmer” degree for encouragement of youth in agriculture from the Connecticut Association of Future Farmers of America on July 21. Mr LeGrow, however, was unable to be present at the presentation dinner in the North Coventry Community House, being confined to his home with bursitis.

***

A group of 18 children from New York City is halfway through a two-weeks vacation in Newtown and vicinity thanks to the efforts of the Newtown Mother’s Club, the New York Herald Tribune Fresh Air Fund and 14 householders in Newtown, Sherman, and Oxford who volunteered to give the youngsters a two-weeks’ respite from city heat.

***

As has been their custom for the past few years, the children of the Taunton District again put on a play of their own choosing last Saturday evening, July 25, at Morning Star Farm, the home of Mr and Mrs Nate Wagner. This year their choice was “The Magic Sea Shell” by Howard Malcolm Baldridge, Jr. The play was cast, coached, and produced entirely by the children and the costumes, too, were made by the young actors themselves. The plays are becoming increasingly popular and Saturday night’s performance was witnessed by 75 persons who vigorously applauded the children’s efforts. Members of the cast were: Ginny Wynne, Jamie and Christy Noehren, Skip Luf, Willie Wynne, Darcy Halstead, Katy, Michael, and Peter Greene, George, Fred, and Charles Berls, Ann Coleman, Linda McJennett, Sally Swanberg, Marsha Richmond, and Bruce Herring.

***

Allen Northey Jones, who with his children, Sally and Steven, has been vacationing at the Bones Brothers Ranch, Birney, Mont., left the ranch on July 27 to fly to Alaska on business.

***

The beginning of paving operations this month on the relocation of Route 6 from Route 34 in Sandy Hook to the southern section of Southbury, a distance of approximately three miles, heralds the completion of the new four-lane highway late this year, after more than two years of work. With the opening of the new section the state will abandon Glen Road from Sandy Hook Center to the Housatonic River for state highway purposes. Routes 6 and 202, now routed over Glen Road, will follow the new highway.

JULY 27, 1928

The state police made a raid on the premises of Martin Wixted of Hawleyville Sunday morning, looking for liquor violations, and the case was scheduled for Tuesday of this week but a continuance was asked for two weeks, as the state police have uncovered several leads which they wish to investigate.

***

The Walnut Tree Hill Special expects to make its initial run during the first week in August.

***

Troop No 1, Boy Scouts from Newtown, who have been enjoying a week’s camping at Mt Tom, Bantam, with the Scout troops of Waterbury, returned home on Wednesday. Those attending were: Taylor Duncombe, Elliott Brown, Billy Culter, Merton Greenman, Thomas Hancourt, Wesley Stanton, Linden, David, and Raymond Crouch, Robert Leahy, Robert Gannon, Fred Seaman, Thomas Conway, Charles Carlson, and William Carlson.

***

John Kucesera of the West End Meat Market, who has been in the hospital, expects to resume his trips through Sandy Hook and Newtown Tuesday and Wednesday, July 31 and August 1.

***

The Newtown Mandolin Club gave a very delightful concert on Friday evening, which was greatly enjoyed by those present.

JULY 31, 1903

Over 50 persons stepped into the ice cream parlors, Saturday evening, over the Savings Bank, to sample the elegant ice cream made by the New England Dairy Company. Miss Mary Bell Lake was in charge of the room for Mr Beers, who opened the ice cream parlors at the solicitations of the summer people.

***

The shocking condition of the sidewalks at the upper end of the Street, west side, is the occasion of much unfavorable comment. That the owners of the property are unwilling to remedy the trouble is the surprise of all. Perhaps it would be well to revive the borough and get after the parties interested in a legal way.

***

An exhibition of meanness may draw a crowd, but it never pays expenses.

***

Elliott Beardsley of Zoar has captured a rattlesnake measuring three feet 4 inches and having eight rattles. This is the second rattler this season.

***

The Fabric Fire Hose Company has bought a heavy farm wagon of A.M. Briscoe & Son.

***

William E. Hawley is bottling the milk from his dairy and shipping it direct to New York. He has fitted up a model creamery in a part of his house.

***

Alexander Noe, veterinary dentist, of Ansonia was in town Monday caring for several horses. He attended horses belonging to I.B. Harris, Mrs L.B. Lake, and J.H. Blackman.