The Parks and Recreation Department wants to encourage skating this year, but only on the Dickinson Park pool. Last year skaters used the swamp adjacent to the park, near where was situated the warming hut. This year the warming hut will be moved inside the park to cut down on vandalism. P&R Director Lee Davenson said in the past windows in the structure have been broken, cars have run into it, and the lock pried open. “Once someone even tried to burn it down,” he said. Also, skaters using the Dickinson pool will be able to glide on ice that has been properly maintained. Mr Davenson noted that this will be the only skating facility maintained by the town this year.

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Just before Christmas The Bee ran a feature article on the indexing of the back issues of The Bee which is being conducted at the Booth Library by Mrs Hilda Ferris. Just recently Mrs Ferris completed the research of the 1932, ’33 and ’34 issues of The Bee, compiling her notes in a reference book which was to have been used to transcribe the information on index cards. Sometime between the day after Christmas and New Year’s the book disappeared from the reference room and the library, and a search of the facility has failed to turn it up. Also missing is a small notebook in which Mrs Ferris recorded the hours she spent working on the research. The library staff is asking for the return of the reference book, in order to prevent Mrs Ferris from having to repeat her painstaking research of three volumes of The Bee, and suggests that whoever took it return it by way of the book drop which is situated in the rear parking lot of the library.

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In January the Newtown Jaycees and the Jaycee Wives will be presenting the Annual Outstanding Young Man and Outstanding Young Woman awards, and the two groups are still seeking nominees for consideration for the honor.

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The Bridgeport Hydraulic Company has informed First Selectman Jack Rosenthal of the intention to sell over 70 acres of surplus watershed land in the northern part of town. Hydraulic company official Joseph Hoerth informed Mr Rosenthal the company will have appraisals made of the property value and will apply to the Public Utilities Control Authority for release of the parcels. Pending appraisals, no asking prices were given.

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On Wednesday afternoon, January 3, the sale of the Sandy Hook Hotel was recorded in the office of Town Clerk Mae Schmidle. The historic old building was purchased by Clifford O’Dell of Newtown for $66,000 from James Nespeco of Trumbull and Robert Zeisler of Fairfield. Mr O’Dell could not be reached to comment on what his plans are for the building, which has been vacant since July of 1975, following a fatal shooting.

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The Newtown Board of Realtors installed its officers for 1979 at the Board’s annual Christmas dinner-dance, held on Friday, December 15, 1978, at the Chatham Oaks in Danbury. Newtown’s “Realtor of the Year,” Ann Dunleavy, principal of Dunleavy Real Estate, was installed as president. Vice President for 1979 is Andrea Haas, principal of Maple Corner Realty Inc. John Klopfenstein of the McCulloch Agjency will be this year’s treasurer, and Dick Capozzi, principal of Curtiss & Crandon, Realtors is the 1979 secretary.

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Newtown High School 1978 Valedictorian Douglass Darrow came home from Michigan State University to celebrate Christmas and New Year holidays, and he had a little something extra to celebrate. His Eagle Scout badge was presented in a Troop 270 Court of Awards at the year’s end.

JANUARY 8, 1954

Action by a group of town residents in petitioning the Board of Selectmen of Newtown to furnish protection against the encroachment of objectionable businesses which they believe will tend to devaluate real estate holdings, reported in last week’s Bee, led to the enacting by the board on Wednesday of this week an ordinance to regulate the erection of certain structures.

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Attorney Walter J. Sidor of Hartford has announced that Edward C. Krawiecki, son of Mr and Mrs Felix Krawiecki, Hawleyville, will succeed him in the general practice of law at the firm’s offices located at 525 Main Street, Hartford.

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 With the end of the annual sale of Christmas seals in sight, a total of $776 has been collected to date. The Newtown schools raised approximately $75 of this amount and the Visiting Nurse Association, sponsors, and Mrs Charles Cavanaugh, seal chairman, extend their thanks to the children and to Miss Martha Kline, school nurse, who took charge of the school sale, for their wonderful cooperation.

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 An ordinance which would control the excavation of sand, gravel and other materials, and the removal of top soil in Newtown, will be considered by voters in a special town meeting next Thursday evening, January 14, in Edmond Town Hall. The special session will be called to order immediately following the recessed annual town meeting, which is called for 8 pm.

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The March of Dimes, January drive to raise funds for the fight against polio, will receive the proceeds from a dance next Saturday night, January 16, to be held in the Edmond Town Hall gymnasium by the Newtown V.F.W. and Auxiliary. Mrs John Qubick, president of the Auxiliary, is chairman of the dance, for which the Willowcrest Orchestra of Bethany will play from 9 o’clock until midnight. Next Saturday’s dance will also be a tribute to the late Mrs Thomas F. Keating, whose death last month occurred as a great shock to the community and to the organization in which she had been active. Mrs Keating, senior vice president of the Auxiliary, had been appointed chairman of the polio benefit dance and was responsible for its early planning.

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A resurrection of pre-Revolutionary War commercial beef-producing is predicted for Connecticut by Col George P. Converse, owner of Great Ring Farms, Grays Plain District, whose thoughts were inserted in the first issue of the Congressional Record Wednesday by Rep Albert P. Morano, R, of Connecticut. Col Converse is one of the pioneers in the breeding of Santa Gertrudis cattle, the first new breed of cattle developed in over a 100 years, and the first breed ever developed in the United States.

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An urgent plea for “regional planning” is sounded by William H. Mortensen, chairman of the Connecticut Development Commission, in a signed issue of the Connecticut State Journal, published December 29.

JANUARY 4, 1929

Earle Lockwood has taken a position with the Plastic Molding Corp.

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Henry Hanlon sustained a bad wound in his hand a few days ago, while cranking a car. Dr Desmond dressed his wound.

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Miss Louise Nichols gave her piano forte pupils a delightful Christmas party at her home on Mt Pleasant Thursday from 2 to 5 pm. After a short program the afternoon was spent in playing the favorite game of each pupil.

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Miss Emma Moller went to Greenwich Wednesday to substitute again in the English Department of the Greenwich High School.

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The bright lights, the hearty singing, the large number of gifts, the general interest of a large congregation were features of the annual Christmas tree of St John’s church school. The choir assisted by Messrs Shepard and Tarbox rendered the familiar Christmas hymns, Mr Shepard doing the first two verses of “Little Town of Bethlehem” as a solo.

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Miss Meril Shepard returned to Bellevue Hospital, N.Y. Wednesday to resume her work on the nursing staff of the hospital.

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Miss Lena Gomberg entertained on New Year’s Day in honor of her sister Anna’s birthday.

JANUARY 8, 1904

There were about 75 passengers snowbound at Botsford from Saturday evening to Sunday morning at about one o’clock, caused by a freight car jumping the track, not far from Haugh’s crossing at Botsford. A wrecking train reached the scene about 9 pm, and it was after midnight when the track was cleared.

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A dance was held at Mr Ingram’s at Bennett’s Bridge Friday night. There were many present and all had a nice time.

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A horse belonging to W.C. Johnson broke through the ice at the Foundry Pond Friday. It took nearly an hour to get the horse out. Men went down from the railroad station to give assistance.

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The thermometer registered eight degrees below zero at the Grand Central Hotel Monday morning.

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Operator Boysvert remained on duty at the Newtown station Sunday until 3 am. He had hard work in getting through the drifts to his home in Sandy Hook.

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Agent Lawrence Taylor froze his ears while riding to Monroe last week Monday night.

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Mr and Mrs Michael McNamara of the Glen wish, through the columns of The Bee, to thank the officials of the Fabric Fire Hose Company for the repairs on and about their home, which has made it so much more comfortable for the winter.