Bicycle and pedestrian safety was the theme of an original puppet show presented to the Grade 3, 4, and 5 pupils in all four Newtown elementary schools this week. The show, given by members of the public affairs department of the Newtown Woman’s Club, stressed proper care of bikes as well as sound rules for walking and biking. The four original puppets, script, and presentation were done by the members of the department Mrs Laurie Carruth, Mrs Marie Collins, Mrs Shirley Lawrenson, Mrs Jay Moran, and Mrs Lois McAuliffe. Donald Lawrenson designed the puppet stage and Mrs Emily Frank and Jill McAuliffe painted the scenery. Mrs Lorry Whelan assisted by working with the puppets. Sgt Robert Taylor of the Newtown Police Department then spoke to the children and conducted a brief question-and-answer period.

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Connecticut’s Public Utilities Control Authority (PUCA) announced this week that it has scheduled a public hearing for April 2 on an application by the Housatonic Cable Vision Company for a CATV franchise in the towns of Sherman, Brookfield, New Fairfield, Monroe, Trumbull, and Newtown.

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The Legislative Council’s administrative subcommittee started off its evening deliberations Tuesday night, March 22, by touring Town Clerk Mae Schmidle’s vault. She is seeking $25,000 out of last year’s budget surplus to recreate the first 107 volumes of Newtown’s land records, starting with volume two, with its first entry in 1712.  Concerned about fading ink, broken bindings, and brittle pages, she argued that an investment in that area would be of lasting value. “These books would outlast all of us.” Not only would the recreation, a photographic process, save the irreplacable pages, she said, but the large old volumes would be rebound into the smaller, more compact volumes the office now uses. Four of the newer volumes can be filed in the space of one of the old, thus extending the life of the vault.

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Sometime during the night of March 21 the recycling shed at the landfill was broken into, and although the police log says nothing was reported taken, a little bunny told The Bee that a stack of Playboy magazines were missing when the break-in was discovered the next morning.

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Middle Gate second graders in Jan Rysz’s class announce the birth, March 15, of four guinea pigs born on that afternoon in the classroom to Serena. Students missed the birth itself as that day was an early closing, but mother and children are doing well, according to reports.

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On Friday, April 2, at 10 am in the State Capitol, Hartford, the General Assembly’s Environment Committee will hold a public hearing on proposed legislation to govern the transportation of nuclear waste over state roads.

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The deadline for the signing of the contract between the state Department of Transportation and Yonkers construction Company, Yonkers, N.Y., for building a second span to the Rochambeau Bridge between Newtown and Southbury has been extended again, this time to April 19. This is the third deadline agreed upon by the state and the construction company which was the low bidder for the job.

MARCH 30, 1951

Miles Harris was unanimously elected president of the Rotary Club of Newtown at its meeting held in the Parker House Monday night, when a slate of officers for the coming year was presented by the nominating committee. Other officers elected when the secretary was authorized to cast a single ballot for the entire slate were Donald R. McCain, vice president; Fred Buermeyer, treasurer; and Alfred H. Jurgens, Sr, secretary. Franklin Hawley and Felix Baridon were made members of the board of directors. Upon his retirement as president, Edmund E. Neary will also become a member of the board.

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A corps of 35 volunteer canvassers are meeting in the selectmen’s office at the Edmond Town Hall this Thursday night to receive final instructions and receipt books for use in the campaign to get purchase money for the new Newtown ambulance. First Selectman A. Fenn Dickinson, who is campaign chairman and treasurer, will preside. Other members of the campaign committee of the Newtown Ambulance Association are Harry F. Greenman, Mrs Ralph L. Knibloe, and Anthony Amaral. Cost of the new Superior-Cadillac ambulance has been previously stated at $6,800.

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Easter Seal sales in Newtown have raised $702 for the Connecticut Society for Crippled Children and Adults, Mrs George M. Stuart, Newtown chairman in the seal campaign, announced this week.

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With Newtown contributions to the 1951 American Red Cross campaign lagging far behind its $4,000 goal, Mrs Bradley Randall, local chairman, was urging volunteer campaign workers this week to complete as many calls as possible by this weekend and report collections.

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Last Thursday, March 15, several members of the Newtown League of Women Voters attended the hearing in Hartford calling for a state constitutional convention. Two bills have been presented by the State League to the House and Senate. These bills are also endorsed by several other organizations, including the CIO, the state Democratic Party, the state Jewish Women’s Organization, Americans for Democratic Action, and the Federation of Democratic Women’s Clubs. Those attending from Newtown were Mrs Norman Fedde, Mrs Herman deVries, Robert Muller, Mrs Edward Conger, and Mr and Mrs James B. Forbes.

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Members of the Charles Howard Peck, Sr and Jr Post 308, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and members of the Post Auxiliary will gather for joint installation ceremonies for their officers for the coming year, in the social rooms of St John’s Church, Sandy Hook, on Thursday night, April 19, at 8 o’clock. At a recent meeting of Post members, William Slocum, past Post commander, was again elected commander. Joseph Hanlon was elected senior vice commander; George A. Powell, junior vice commander; Robert Kayfus, quartermaster; Michael O’Brien, chaplain; and George A. Jackson, trustee for three years. In the installation ceremonies for the Auxiliary, Mrs Edmund Pelletier, past Auxiliary president, will be the installing officer. Elective officers to be installed are: President, Mrs William Slocum; senior vice president, Mrs Claude H. Lewis; junior vice president, Mrs Harold Morgan; treasurer, Mrs Edmund Pelletier; chaplain, Miss Alice Mary Carey; conductress, Mrs George Powell; guard, Miss Shirley Blantin; and trustee for three years, Mrs Richard Lane.

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In an impressive ceremony conducted in Masonic Temple, Sandy Hook, Monday night, Mrs Fred G. Mayer was installed as worthy matron of Mirah Chapter 113, Order of Eastern Star, with a large number of local chapter members and guests from nearby chapters witnessing the ritual.

MARCH 26, 1926

Charles A. Steck, the genial nurseryman, was a victim of an unfortunate accident Friday morning. He had started for Mr Delohery’s farm on Shelter Rock Hill, Danbury. Stopping at the Liberty Garage, he had the gas tank on his car filled with gasoline. The car, a Ford truck, had gone as far as D.C. Peck’s property when flames burst through the floor of the car. Mr Steck and his assistant at once jumped from the car. In a minute or two the gasoline tank exploded, the flames shooting straight up in the air. Word was sent out to the Liberty Garage, and William Crouch and R.W. Tiemann came up with extinguishers and did valiant work.

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Miss Leila Bertha Poppovitch of Taunton celebrated her fifth birthday Sunday with a party for her young friends in the district.

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MARCH 29, 1901

Patrick Brennan of Hawleyville, whose home was burned recently, is erecting a new house on the old foundation. Contractor George A. Northrop has the contract.

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The heavy rain of last week Thursday did a considerable damage to the roads in town. The road opposite the Fairgrounds and near Mr Madigan’s residence was cut into badly on one side. One abutment of the bridge on the Hawleyville road beyond Clark Blackman’s was also undermined by the freshet.

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Frank M. Canfield and men are doing interior decorating at the Grand Central Hotel. Later they will brighten up the piazza with a fresh application of paint.