The Parks and Recreation Commission plans to seek an ethics board ruling on the propriety of co-sponsoring its programs and flyers with private businesses. But no matter what the board decides, First Selectman Jack Rosenthal says he will have the last word. “If they want to seek an ethics board ruling, that’s perfectly all right,” Mr Rosenthal said Tuesday. “But regardless of what the ethics board says, they [parks and rec] will have to come up with guidelines that have my approval before I’ll allow this to continue.”

***

Fifteen men and women were nominated for the Outstanding Young Woman and Outstanding Young Man distinction and, after all had received a plaque for their achievements at the awards banquet, the sealed envelopes were opened and the winners announced. Mrs Edith M. Tschorn and William Girard were chosen and both received special recognition at the banquet at Preston Hill Inn in Middlebury on Saturday, January 26. The annual award, which is sponsored by the Jaycees of Newtown, was presented to the winners by First Selectman Jack Rosenthal.

***

The B-wing roof of the high school, the one which was replaced last year, is not leaking. Legislative Council education committee members were assured by supervisor of buildings and grounds Robert Montesi at a special Board of Education meeting Tuesday night. But, this doesn’t mean that there is no leak at the school in that wing. There sure is, but it’s not from the roof, but from a bad crack in the southwest wall of the wing, which “only when the southwest wind” blows and it rains, causes water to come into the music rooms and the corridor. “Why?” council Chairman William A. Honan nearly yelled. “We spent money to have repairs to that wing.” “That was last year. This is this year,” Mr Montesi replied.

***

Lynn Samuels of Hanover Road hitched up her pony cart Monday and headed for market, but it may be a long time before she tries it again. Newtown Smoke Shop owner Lyndon Thomas alerted The Bee to the fact that a pony cart had come down Church Hill Road that afternoon, and sure enough we found Mrs Samuels in the parking lot of the Newtown Shopping Center, hitching her pony to a light post near a parking space. No, she said, she wasn’t trying to conserve gasoline. “The car isn’t running and I was out of food,” she said, so she hitched up “Charlie Brown,” her son Timmy’s pony, and set out. But, she related, even the relatively short trip down Hanover Road, The Boulevard and Church Hill Road to get to the shopping area, was a little more than she bargained for. “People don’t pay any attention to horses anymore,” she said, when they’re driving along the road. “It’s kind of neat to do but it takes too long — and it’s a little too dangerous; cars come over hills at 50 or 60 miles an hour.”

***

Newtown’s Grand List for assessment on taxable real estate, motor vehicles, and personal property as of October 1, 1979, showed a higher than expected 5.36 per cent increase, according to figures filed this week by Assessor Vivian Mayer’s office.

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Last Thursday evening, the Republican Town Committee members, following the caucus, held a brief special meeting to recommend a person for Ruby Johnson’s vacancy on the Board of Education. Unanimously selected was Stephen Wippermann of Taunton Hill Road. There were no other candidates, and Mr Wippermann will be elected to his position by Board of Education members, probably at their February 5 meeting.

***

The Newtown High School Symphonic Band has received a letter of acceptance for participation in “The Festival of Nations” in Washington, D.C. in April and will be the only Connecticut band participating in the festival.

FEBRUARY 4, 1955

A research project of the American Psychiatric Association intended to aid mental hospital administrators in planning staff patterns and treatment facilities is under way at Fairfield State Hospital. Mental Health Commissioner John J. Blasko in making the announcement this Thursday noted that Fairfield is one of ten state hospitals in the country invited to participate in the project.

***

Newtown will be a partner in the accelerated development of Danbury, “willing or not,” Albert F. Clear, Jr, president of the Danbury Chamber of Commerce, told members of the Newtown Rotary Club Monday night, January 31. Workers attracted to Danbury by that city’s growing industrial communities look to Newtown and other communities for housing, and Newtown can expect new residents to come from that source.

***

 The Building Study Sub-Committee of the Newtown Citizens Committee on Education, as a result of intensive study of Newtown’s population trend, urges all citizens of the town to familiarize themselves with the vital problem created by the swiftly increasing school population. In a statement just released by Sub-Committee Chairman Frank Cadden, the committee comments that, “Like thousands of towns and cities across the nation, Newtown’s school facilities have not kept pace with the rapidly increasing number of school children. So fast has the number of school children increased in our town that even after the addition of a large wing to the Hawley school...and after the building of a beautiful new high school…it remained necessary to reopen the old and inadequate Sandy Hook School this past September in order to care for the overflow from the Hawley School.”

***

 The Newtown Athletic Club men’s basketball team will face stiff competition this Saturday night, February 5, as it faces the Savin Jewelers of Bridgeport, Bridgeport champions, in the opening round of a benefit tournament at Stratford High School. The AC, winners of the War Memorial Gold Medal Tournament in Danbury last year, was invited to play in an elimination contest sponsored by the Raybestos Division, Stratford, for the benefit of the Connecticut Chapter of the Hemophilia Foundation.

***

Donald F. Stickls of Sugar Street has taken over the management of the Texaco station located on the Sandy Hook-Newtown Road, formerly known as McMahon’s Service Station.

***

Mary Ann Parker, daughter of Mr and Mrs Herman Parker of Main Street, had a skating party last Saturday afternoon for a number of her friends in honor of her ninth birthday.

***

Charles Hayden, son of Mr and Mrs David Hayden of Botsford, arrived home Wednesday from Danbury Hospital where he had been admitted for a broken ankle. Charles, a fifth grade student at Hawley School, received the injury while sliding on the snow on Tuesday afternoon.

JANUARY 31, 1930

E.J. Hall has installed a furnace in the garage of S. Curtis & Son in Berkshire.

***

The Newtown Savings Bank is presenting to depositors a neat asbestos stove holder, which bears this inscription, “When baking use this mat, when saving use the Newtown Savings Bank.” The editor received one of these handy mats and desiring to express his gratitude to Mr Nettleton, offered to bake a pie and bring it into the bank. Mr Nettleton declined the gift, saying that he should hesitate to eat any part of the pie that the editor would make.

***

On January 16 an evening school was opened at the Huntingtown school house. The school is being run for Americanization classes.

***

The fine well kept home of Mrs C. Parmelee came very near being entirely consumed by fire one of the cold nights of last week. Fortunately when the fire was discovered in a closet adjoining a fireplace, the heroic efforts of the members of the household assisted by some nearby neighbors succeeded in extinguishing the fire, but not before some hundreds of dollars of damage had been done.

***

Miss Julia Geckle has been substituting for three weeks in the school in Minortown, Woodbury.

***

Robert Lake was so unfortunate as to lose a sum of money this week. Mr Lake can ill afford to suffer this loss.

 

FEBRUARY 3, 1905

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F.A. Young had a telephone placed in his house, Wednesday. His number is 17-12.

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The Newtown Savings Bank reports at the close of business, January 31, deposits of $789,804.22 — a gain of over $19,500. since October 1.

***

The barn of John Shannon, near his house, burned to the ground Saturday afternoon. Mr. Shannon was shoveling snow at the rear of his house when he discovered the fire, which started in the stables. He hastened to the barn and with difficulty got out his five cows, escaping himself with his hair and clothes burned.

***

The Shakespeare class will meet at the residence of Miss S.J. Scudder on February 9. A full attendance is requested.

***

E. L. Sherman On The Cream Question: A great many farmers would like to sell milk because cream does not pay, and some would like to find out how much farmers are getting for their cream. No one could tell, so I am going to keep an account of milk, also of cream.

***

For Sale at a Bargain: The Baird Farm situated on Brushy Hill, 1½ miles from Newtown Street and railroad station; 87 acres of good land, good 10-room house, large barn nearly new, cost $1,000.