No doubt about it, Newtowners, it has been wet. And it has been unpleasant, causing problems for just about everybody: motorists, homeowners, the police, fire, and highway departments, due to two deluges within a week. The first came on the weekend a
No doubt about it, Newtowners, it has been wet. And it has been unpleasant, causing problems for just about everybody: motorists, homeowners, the police, fire, and highway departments, due to two deluges within a week. The first came on the weekend after a snowfall turned to rain, much of it heavy. According to the weather station at WestConn, 3.19 inches of rain fell on the area Saturday and Sunday, just a little under the average rainfall expected for the month of January, 3.6 inches. Perhaps the only bit of optimism which could be gleaned from the statistics is that had all that precipitation been snow, we would have had 30 inches over the weekend. January has been a wet month, and up through the weekend the area has seen eight inches of precipitation. Translated into the white stuff, that would have been seven and a half feet.
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Planning and Zoning members were introduced to the concept of âpureâ cluster subdivisions on Monday night when members of the Collins Development Corporation of Greenwich presented a slide program illustrating their award-winning cluster subdivision in Old Greenwich, known as Lyon Farm.
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The Legislative Councilâs hearing on a $12 million capital improvements plan for 1979-84, postponed last week by snow, will take place at 8 pm, Wednesday, January 31. Public comment will be sought on items proposed by the various town departments and the Board of Education for the next five years. The capital improvements plan, which the financial director is required to compile by charter, is a planning tool f or the council to use in budget work over the next five years.
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A 100 plus acre parcel of land proposed for subdivision came under careful scrutiny this week by a team of state and local environmentalists. Members of the Kingâs Mark Environmental Team including a geohydrologist, sanitarian, soil conservationist and regional planner, inspected the planned Colonial Hill Estates subdivision off of Head Oâ Meadow and Scudder Roads, Tuesday.
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A change of zone request for a 1.04 acre tract on the corner of Toddy Hill Road and Route 34 by Trent Builders Inc drew the objections of one man at a Planning & Zoning Commission public hearing January 18. The property, bordered in part by the Curtis Packaging property, is unsuitable for residential use, according to Robert E. Smith, president of Trent Builders. Mr Smith said he wants to put a small warehouse or a building to store construction equipment on the property if the zone is change to Industrial M-4. But George Lockwood of Pine Street, Sandy Hook, predicted the zone change would result in accidents at the sharp intersection of Toddy Hill and Route 34. Mr Lockwood, who has fished in the area, also argued the septic system would pollute a nearby stream.
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Abigail Hazlehurst and Catherine Robinson arrived recently from Nashville, Tenn. to take part in a short term exchange with the Newtown AFS Club. They are students at Harpeth Hall, a private girlsâ school in Nashville.
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The Public Building Committee met with Architect Norman Baier of Galliher, Schoenhardt and Baier Monday, January 22, to discuss the scope of architectural services necessary to adapt the Ruwet-Sibley building on Main Street to town uses, and to instruct Mr Baier to prepare a fee proposal for preparation of a schematic design from which plans for the adaptation may be developed.
JANUARY 29, 1954
The 1953 Grand List of the town of Newtown, the basis of property taxes to be paid in 1954, stands at $16,682,210 as compiled by the Board of Assessors. The board, consisting of Charles M. Goodsell, chairman, F. Robert Mount and Norman A. Fedde, has announced that the Grand List is on file in the town clerkâs office in Edmond Town Hall.
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The new course for teaching proper driving methods to Newtown High School students, backed by the Newtown Lions Club and Liberty Garage, will begin with the start of the new semester on Monday, February 1, according to James F. Hinckley, principal.
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 Dr Ruth Haas, president of Danbury State Teachers College, will be the featured speaker at the first 1954 meeting of the Newtown Parent Teachers Association, Tuesday evening, February 2, at 8 oâclock in Newtown High School cafeteria. Dr Haas, formerly dean of women, has been at the Danbury college since 1931 and is the first woman president of any state teachersâ college in Connecticut.
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 At a meeting of the Town Development Committee, held Monday morning at the selectmenâs office in the Edmond Town Hall, new officers were elected for the current year. Rudolf Berkemann was named chairman, with Mrs Ralph Knibloe as vice-chairman and Mrs William Mannix as secretary. The committee is meeting again on Tuesday evening, February 9, at the town hall at 8 oâclock, to discussed its plans and projects for the future. One item discussed at Monday morningâs meeting concerned the creation of a town park for Newtown.
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Attending the launching of the first atom-powered submarine, the Nautilus, at the yards of the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics, Groton, Conn. last Thursday, were Comdr and Mrs Warner W. Bayley, Mt Pleasant. Also attending from Newtown were Mr and Mrs Lewis McKee, Boggs Hill Road. Mr McKeeâs father, Adm Andrew I. McKee, was the subâs designer.
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Eric DeGroat, son of Mr and Mrs Harold S. DeGroat and coach at North Carolina State College, was named first vice president of the National Soccer Coaches Association at its recent three-day convention.
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All young people belonging to St Rose Church, from the seventh through 12th grades, are asked to attend an important meeting Monday evening, February 1, at 7:30 in St Rose Hall. The meeting, called by mothers of the parish, is planned to discuss and form a new youth organization.
JANUARY 25, 1929
Martin McGrath, mechanic at the Liberty Garage, left on Saturday for Havana, Cuba and Florida for the balance of the winter.
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Mr Cole, who is employed in the factory of the Plastic Molding Company, moved into the Lillis house on Dayton Street Monday.
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Willis F. Arndt and Miss Ella Fairchild attended the installation of the officers of the Danbury Grange Wednesday evening.
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John Heider, popular clerk at Corbett & Croweâs store, took a half day off Wednesday and fearing there might be a blizzard left about noon for his usual Wednesday evening call in Bridgeport. Johnny believes in playing safe.
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The store of H.G. Warner at Sandy Hook was entered by burglars Saturday night. One dollar in pennies and a silver dollar were taken, but apparently no stock was molested.
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Friday morning motorists found a slippery road, especially on the hills. But foreman Johnson and his men soon had the hills sanded in good shape.
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Max Schimelman, Huntingtownâs leading poultryman, attended the poultry show at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
JANUARY 29, 1904
Frank Conger sold a pair of working horses to John H. French of Huntingtown last week.
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A.T. Nettleton of Newtown, Joseph Nettleton of New Milford, and Mrs S.G. Judd of Stamford all gathered at the home of their mother, Mrs George H. Beers, 14 Stevens Street, Danbury, last Saturday to celebrate her birthday.
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Miss Ida Ruffels is quite ill with rheumatic fever.
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Game wardens throughout the state have been warned to be on the lookout for men using ferrets for rabbit hunting. There would not be much objection to using ferrets if one or two rabbits were captured at a time, but the temptation is so great that often 30 or 40 are caught and thus the real hunter with his gun cannot have any legitimate sport.
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Birdsey Peck of Hattertown has been cutting stalks with his gasoline engine for E.M. and E.R. Botsford on Mt Nebo.
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J.C. Sears of Hattertown is out after an attack of the measles. His children are now shut in with them.