Following a tumultuous week of student demonstrations and vandalism, a calm seems to be finally spreading over Newtown High School. Mounting tensions have lessened in the aftermath of a sit-in involving 500 of the 1,400-member student body at the school.

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For the first time, the Newtown Ambulance Association, Inc has sought assistance from the Town of Newtown in purchase of a new ambulance. At Tuesday night’s hearing on the 1981-82 town budget association member Lyndon Thomas said the association had voted the previous evening to request the town’s financial assistance to purchase a third ambulance.

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Pitney Bowes and Barclay Knitwear have swapped buildings in the corporate park of School House Hill Road and Edmond Road as the result of changing space needs.

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An interim stamp valued at 18 cents has been issued by the United States Post Office and will go into effect Sunday, March 22. Postal officials note that the interim stamp has been issued for domestic use only and cannot be affixed on international mail.

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Strong support for creating a youth services agency, as well as an increased budget for the Cyrenius H. Booth Library was voiced during Tuesday night’s public hearing on the budget.

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The Newtown High School Symphonic Band recently received a “superior” rating at the Connecticut Music Educators Band Adjudication Festival, on Saturday, March 7, at Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk.

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Cubs from Den 1 are getting organized to make a pushmobile — kind of a glorified soap box car. Each den in Cub Pack 170 will join with other dens to make pushmobiles of individual design in preparation for the Fairfield County Pushmobile contest.

March 23, 1956

If any topic of conversation has been uppermost for the past few days, it has been that of the weather. And we suppose anyone has a perfect right to talk at length about it, when two such heavy snowstorms descend upon us as occurred on Friday and again on Monday. Not only were the storms severe, but they were decidedly post-season.

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A 29-mill tax rate was voted at the adjourned annual town meeting, held last Thursday evening in the gymnasium of the Edmond Town Hall. This is a two-mill increase over last year’s rate of 27 mills and was recommended by the Board of Finance, to be levied on the grand list of 1955 to cover the expenses of the town for the fiscal year 1955-56.

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An expanded volunteer service is getting underway at Fairfield State Hospital, with 55 recruits from nine towns giving their time to provide various services for patients, according to Mrs Vesta R. Milnes, director of volunteer services.

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A stubborn fire in a storage shed at the Newtown railroad station, Church Hill Road, early this Thursday morning, brought men and equipment from both Sandy Hook and Newtown fire companies at approximately 1:20 am. The shed, which is in daily use, houses two self-propelled repair cars and other equipment, and is furnished with a pot-bellied stove for heating purposes. It is thought that something falling on or near the unattended stove caused the blaze.

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Next Wednesday, March 28, the Newtown A.C. men’s basketball team will play the Liberty A.C. at 7 pm in the annual War Memorial Gold Medal Tournament in Danbury. Newtown won the tournament in 1953 and the local group is expected to give a good account of itself this year.

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NEWTOWN TRU-VALU SUPER MARKET Big 4th Anniversary Values Celebration CHUCK ROAST 29 cents/lb. BUTTER 65 cents/lb. PILLSBURY OR GOLD MEDAL FLOUR 5 lb bag 51 cents. BANANAS 2 pounds for 21 cents. MAXWELL HOUSE COFFEE 99 cents/lb.

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The weekend of March 10 and 11 was an eventful one for the Misses Janet and Betty McEnany, owners of Hollyrock Kennels on Hattertown Road, Newtown. Two dog shows on that weekend provide the opportunity for them to “finish” another champion among their black cocker spaniels, Hollyrock Fancy Frolic. Frolic was judged best of 58 bitches of all varieties entered in the Long Island Cocker Spaniel Club specialty at Hempstead, L.I. on Saturday, March 10, for five points. The next day, she picked up the two points needed for the total of 15 championship points by winning best of variety at the all-breed show of the Sawmill River Kennel Club at White Plains, N.Y.

March 20, 1931

On Monday the War Memorial Committee, which was named by a town meeting to carry out the provision of the will of Miss Mary Hawley, who gave $25,000 for that purpose, met at the Edmond hall with artists from far and near who had submitted sketches and models to the number of over 20 for the committee’s consideration. There were many very handsome designs submitted and this makes it all the harder for the committee to select but it is expected that in due time there will be erected a memorial to Newtown’s sons and daughters who offered their all, that will be worthy of the subject.

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Mr and Mrs W.B. Harris (the latter who has been passing the winter in Florida) have arrived in town and now are busy putting the popular Maryland tea house in shape for the summer. The grounds are being graded and Todol gas and oil pumps are being installed.

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You will miss a good thing if you fail to attend the oyster supper given by the men of Trinity church on Friday, March 27. Not to be outdone by the ladies in their efforts to raise money for the debt, the men will feed with a real Lenten repast the many who want to see what the men can do.

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The two memorials executed by Tiffany of New York, one in the Community room of pewter and one in the main lobby of the Edmond Town hall, have been placed in position this past week by contractor T.F. Brew. They are certainly very beautiful pieces of work.

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With the coming of the cold weather and the closing of the outdoor courses, Mr Upham has constructed on the first floor of his tea garden an indoor golf course which rivals the beautiful outdoor one and is said to be one of the finest in the State, or anywhere for that matter.

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One of the most important real estate transactions in western Connecticut, this year, is the sale of the historical and picturesque Hawley homestead in Newtown, Conn. to Sibyl A. Scott, of New York City, by the estate of Mary E. Hawley. This property contains almost eight acres in the center of Newtown village. It is the intention of the new owner to convert the place into a summer resort and motor inn.

March 23, 1906

Despite the fierce blizzard which raged Monday night and early Tuesday morning, the farmers’ institute planned for Tuesday morning took place as scheduled and was the most successful affair of its kind ever held in town. The institute was under the auspices of the Pomological society and Pootatuck Grange.

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Newtown people were stunned, Monday, to learn of the death of George Dagon, traveling superintendent for the Borden’s Condensed Milk Co. He made frequent visits to Newtown, making his headquarters at Taylor’s hotel. He was 38 years old and leaves a wife.

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R.H. Beers & Co are showing some stunning designs in wall papers, the very latest and newest shades. He has some very pretty designs on exhibition in his store window.

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The turbine wheel and the five-foot steel tube have been installed, this week, in the Sandy Hook mill, now owned by S.W. Gledhill. Marble Blodget of Antol, Mass. has been superintending the work.

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A theater party numbering 130 people will leave Newtown this (Thursday) evening to see Herbert Flansburg in “Way Down East” at Smith’s theater. A special train will convey the party, leaving 10 minutes after the last train south at night and returning from Bridgeport at the close of the performance.