March 18, 1994

Bolstered by an almost four percent increase in the grand list, the Legislative Council has put together a proposal for a town budget which would not require a tax increase for the first time in more than 20 years. The $41,343,412 budget proposed for 1994-95 is up 4.3 percent over the current budget of $39.6 million but the 3.9 percent increase in the grand list enabled the council to keep the current 31-mil tax rate. The budget includes $637,000 of the town’s recently announced $2.3 million surplus, a budgeting practice that has been continued from previous years. The rest of the surplus will go into a reserve fund for capital and nonrecurring expenditures, bringing the total appropriation for 1994-95 to $42.9 million. The budget breaks down to $15,778,762 for town spending and $25,564,750 for the schools. This is $250,000 less than had been requested by the Board of Education and roughly $250,000 more than the Board of Selectmen requested. Additional changes could be made at public hearings on the total approved budget which will be Tuesday, March 29, and Saturday, March 31.

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A proposal to build a $21 million horse park for major equestrian events in Connecticut is working its way through the maze of state government. The horse park proposal headed by Kurt Schneider, Newtown Bridle Lands Association president, was the subject of a public hearing held by the state legislature’s joint committee on the environment March 11 at the Legislative Office Building. At the well-attended session, a large majority of those who commented on the proposal spoke favorably of it. Of the several sites under consideration for the horse park, the sprawling state-owned Fairfield Hills Hospital grounds appear to be prime contender for the equestrian facility. The bill working its way through the state legislature seeking $21 million in state bonding, though, doesn’t specify a horse park would be built. At the hearing, John J. Filckak, III, Department of Agriculture, said the department supports creating a horse park, a facility which he said is needed, would well serve the horse industry, and would be a major benefit to the state. He said those favoring a horse park have been working to put together a public-private effort which could be phased in over time.

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It was hardly the weekend for a swim. The water temperature was 37 degrees at Candlewood Lake last Saturday when Mike McCarthy and Ed Pressmar of Underwater Search and Rescue slipped into a hole that had been cut in the ice to practice ice diving rescue techniques. The two men were among the first NUSAR members to become certified to perform rescues which require the divers search under the ice. Most of the 20-member team are already certified in surface ice rescue. “We hoped that more team members would take the ice diving certification class, but it costs $200, and that’s a lot for a volunteer to come up with,” Mr McCarthy said. Instead, the two men joined up with a group that included volunteer firefighters from other communities for the certification conducted by two instructors from The Diving Bell in Brookfield.

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Thursday’s snowstorm resulted not only in a 90-minute delay in the opening of schools, but cancellation of the high school band’s participation in the St Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City. The band was scheduled to leave the school by bus at 7:30 am, which is approximately the time classes start. But because of the delay, band members taking the school bus would not have arrived at the school until about 9 am. Principal Bill Manfredonia said it was thought that driving might be slow because of the snow, because it was St Patrick’s Day, and because other motorists might also be driving to the city at that time. He said the band was scheduled to be the first high school band in the parade. Rather than risk the safety of students in trying to drive them to New York City on a snowy day — while not being sure the band would be allowed to march — Mr Manfredonia said it was decided to cancel the trip. The band has been performing in this parade for many years.

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After a hiatus of almost 20 years, Earl J. Smith Jr, has taken over again at the Democratic Town Committee. A retired high school principal and three-term Legislative Council member, Mr Smith was elected DTC chairman at a the party meeting Thursday night, March 10. Former party chair Bunny Madden was elected vice chair. Heidi Winslow was reelected secretary, and Birthe Melville will continue as treasurer.

March 14, 1969

Newtown schools for kindergarten through grade 5 will close at 1:30 pm on Tuesday, March 18, so a science workshop for teachers can take place. The workshop will run from 1:30 to 4:30 pm. Conducting the workshop is Dr A. Harris Stone, a science consultant from Southern Connecticut State College. A faculty committee has worked with Dr Stone for the past two years on the process approach to science, which does not employ text books, but a vast variety of materials which permit the student to observe, classify, develop hypotheses, and test theories. The morning kindergarten classes will be in session at the usual time from 9 to 11:30 am. The afternoon session will run from 11 am to 1:30 pm with bus pick-ups starting at 10:15 am.

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We think it is high time that a bit of well-deserved recognition is directed to members of the Newtown Planning and Zoning Commission. The number of meetings and other hours devoted to the business of planning and zoning in town have been considerable. However, the time and effort are now showing a marked difference. As reported elsewhere, the commission has selected 14 areas in town for proposed upzoning, Also, The Plan of Development for the town has now been completed by Technical Planning Associates and, with some work yet to be done in certain segments, will soon be ready for presentation to the town. Hearings on both the proposed upzoning and the Plan of Development will be held for the public in the near future. When a group of citizens serves the town well, townspeople should be grateful for this discharge of civic duty. We salute the Planning and Zoning Commission for its accomplishments.

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The Post Office Department is seeking competitive bids for an existing building to house the postal operations in Sandy Hook, Postmaster General Winton M. Blount has announced. Under the department’s lease construction program, a contract will be awarded to the bidder who designates a building suitable to the department’s needs and agrees to improve it according to departmental specifications and then lease it to the department for a period of five years, with options to renew the lease for an additional 15 years. Location should be within the radius of 1,500 feet of present Post Office. The department’s capital investment will be limited substantially to postal equipment. The building will remain under private ownership, with the owners paying local real estate taxes.

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The many friends of Mrs Elberhard von Jarochowski of Platt’s Hill Road will be pleased to know that she is recuperating nicely at the New York Hospital in New York City from an emergency operation on her spine on Tuesday evening of last week. Mrs von Jarochowski, whose legs have been paralyzed for some time, was taken by car to the hospital Tuesday. Both she and her husband are thankful for the kind help of Llewellyn Rowe and Earle Megin of the Newtown Ambulance Association who responded at once and assisted in getting her settled in the car for the trip to New York.

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Mr and Mrs Angus Jone of Alpine Drive in Sandy Hook have received a letter from Mrs Mark Acuff, Americans Abroad Department of American Field Service International, New York, with news of their daughter, Faye, Newtown’s exchange student who has been studying in Denmark since last August. The principal of Kalundborg Gymnasium, where Faye attends high school, came to the United States on an AFS Educators Program. Mrs Acuff’s letter said the principal has taken a real interest in Faye and in other AFS students his school has had. He took the time to visit the New York office of AFS to express his pride in Faye’s progress, particularly with the Danish language. He said she was able to deliver a ten-minute talk to the student body and their applause and friendly reception greatly pleased her. Mr and Mrs Elon Halas and daughter Vibeke are the host family. Letters to Faye may be addressed to her at Rersso Radio, Bo. Nr. 3, Rersso, 4281, Gorlev, Sjaeland, Denmark.

March 17, 1944

According to recent word received by Mr and Mrs William Kayfus of Botsford Hill, Sandy Hook, their son, Lieut. Robert Kayfus, who is a transport pilot serving somewhere in India, together with his unit, has been presented with a citation ribbon which carries the honor of a Distinguished Service Cross. The meritorious deed which resulted in this high honor to one of Newtown’s boys will probably not be made known until after the war. The presentation, made in the presence of three generals, is a blue ribbon bordered in gold, which is worn on the right side, and is the third such citation made by the President during the present war. It ranks second only to the highest award, the Congressional Medal.

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Charles Magdish made an unusual discovery on Sunday in a meadow on his property in south center district, when he came upon a small box containing some type of Radio Sound transmitter equipment carefully wrapped in waterproof paper, which had landed there some time recently via a small red parachute, dropped from a plane. The package was marked “Property of the US Navy Bureau of Aeronautics.” with instructions that it be returned to the Naval Observatory in Washington D.C., which Mr Magdich did on Monday. Perhaps acknowledgement from the Naval Observatory will shed further light on his find.

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Four little girls in the Berkshire district have helped to swell the funds for the local Red Cross drive in Newtown as the result of a most successful circus which they presented in the barn at the James home on Monday afternoon. The young ladies were Miss Patricia Smith, daughter of Mr and Mrs Mortimer Smith; Miss Lucy Ann James, daughter of Mr and Mrs J. William James; and Misses Dale and Ann Heath Richardson, daughters of Mr and Mrs W.C. Richardson, ranging in ages form 7-10 years. The program consisted of several pageants, acrobatic stunts, and an animal act with the James’ pet goat as the star performer. About 45 children from the Sandy Hook school were transported to the circus by school bus and many neighbors swelled the audience. All four girls are members of The Camp Fire Girls, Sandy Hook.

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We are approaching the season of grass fires. Permits are necessary to kindle a blaze in the open. That is not enough, however, to prevent the many fires that are started in field and forest — usually from a carelessly discarded match or cigarette. The spring of 1944, with the prevailing manpower shortage and unusually dry conditions, is no time for this yearly conflagration. We know that words of caution will only help to stop it. Perhaps we should resort to the old-fashioned custom of putting in stocks, to be viewed as public enemies, a few of the worst offenders. That’s what would have been done in our New England of an earlier era.

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NEWTOWN— 5 rooms, modern insulated house, attached garage, partially finished room and bath on second floor, concealed radiation in living room, fireplace, pine paneling, outbuildings, all improvements, artesian well, 1 acre of land, more or less, $7800. Write Box S, care of the Newtown Bee, Newtown, Conn.

February 28, 1919

Microfilm for the January 17 through April 18, 1919 issues of The Newtown Bee are not available. It is unclear why New England Micrographics, Inc in 2000 was not able to produce film for these dates. Based on the poor quality of the early January issues, the film for which reveals torn and damaged originals, the newspapers for these dates may have been destroyed.

Please consider sharing your old photographs of people and places from Newtown or Sandy Hook with The Newtown Bee readers. Images can be e-mailed to kendra@thebee.com, or brought to the office at 5 Church Hill Road to be scanned. When submitting photographs, please identify as many people as possible, the location, and the approximate date.