Conservation Commission Chairman Julia Wasserman was all smiles as she left the Legislative Council’s special meeting on budget finalization Tuesday night. She had reason, as she listened to the council up her budget a whopping $30,500 over $16,652 the selectmen had recommended for conservation this year. With the raise, Mrs Wasserman saw two items she has been fighting tooth and nail for included in her agency’s request: funds for a full-time wetlands enforcement officer and for acquisition by the town of open space.

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While Tuesday night’s session of the Legislative Council on finalizing the budget resulted in increases in a couple of accounts in the selectmen’s budget, it was a different story for the education proposal. The council’s subcommittee on the education budget presented a recommended $8,770,000 for consideration on Tuesday, a figure which the group had decided upon March 22. That represented a cut down from the education board’s proposal of $9,170,930.

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Although the Legislative Council took a small chunk out of the $8,770,000 proposal by its education subcommittee for the school budget, there are those who still believe the $8,600,000 figure, which now more than likely will face voters at the April 24 town meeting, is too high. A group of residents have publicly expressed their disapproval of the proposal for the education budget, which now stands as a 7½ percent increase. Some members of the group are Ted Haynos of Jangling Plain Road, Ernest Gismondi of Currituck Road, Shepherd Stigman of Appleblossom Lane, and Edward Baumer of Main Street. Last week they announced they would petition the council to have a proposal of theirs for a budget figure, somewhere in the field of $8.3 million, put on the council’s agenda for consideration.

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Pootatuck Park residents are taking steps to cut down on the number of break-ins in the Housatonic River community which includes establishing neighborhood patrols and following burglary prevention guidelines. Socha Larsen, president of the Pootatuck Park Association, described these guidelines to the Police Commission Tuesday night and also asked that police increase their visibility in the area. She said there have been 30 break-ins in the community within the past two years that occur most often when the roads are muddy or icy. “People must think no one will see them,” she reasoned.

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“We’re at the point now where we really have to take a hard look at providing a security force.” Newtown High School Assistant Principal Earl J. Smith, Jr, told The Bee this week in reviewing vandalism problems at the high school. Last week Public Building Committee Chairman Joseph Borst told the Board of Education about his anger at damage in the school due to vandalism — including areas that had recently been repaired under a federal grant. Mr Borst said he’s had a number of parents tell him that “It’s about time someone drew attention to what the kids are doing in the school.”

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Since the reading room at the Booth Library exists no more now that it has been turned into the section holding adult fiction books, the members of the Library Board of Trustees crammed into a new meeting place on Monday night. They met in the reference room for a special meeting to update developments at the library so that more space for books could be utilized; also, to discuss what ongoing plans will be for the expansion of the facility. Library Building Committee Chairman Dan Cruson brought the members up to date on the obvious “temporary” stop gap measures made at the library for more book space. The most visible is the shelf-filled front reading room.

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Approximately 500 Newtown residents and state and local dignitaries gathered at the new day care multi-use center on Riverside Road Sunday for an open house and dedication ceremony. The town’s newest federal and locally funded facility drew words of praise from key speakers such as Secretary of the State Barbara Kennelly who noted the building “was perfect.” She said the building’s concept — a place where the young and not so young could gather under one roof — “was unprecedented” in Connecticut.

APRIL 9, 1954

Friends of John Angel gathered as his guests in the studio of his home in Sandy Hook on Saturday evening, to enjoy an illustrated lecture on the subject of sculpture. The occasion also served as a sort of farewell party on the part of Mr Angel, who sailed on Wednesday aboard the Queen Elizabeth for a three months’ trip to England. While there, he will visit numerous friends and relatives, and also do some lecturing on his lifetime pursuit.

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Ground has been broken and construction started on a building program at the Newtown Country Club, following the adoption of a resolution by the shareholders of the Newtown Country Club Realty Corporation to increase the mortgage from $6,000 to $12,000. The new construction will provide additional space for both men and women locker rooms, a lounge area, and a terrace. It is estimated that this work will be completed in about six weeks.

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 Dr J. Benton Egee’s new leg cast caused speculation this week as to how he broke his leg. He didn’t. A set of twisted ligaments require his wearing the cast for four weeks, but will not interrupt his work, it is understood.

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 John Shredd, assistant entomologist of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, spoke on various means of insect control at the monthly meeting of the Horticultural Club of Newtown, held last Friday evening, April 2, at the home of Mr and Mrs Edward Coleman.

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The vital question of adequate school facilities for Newtown’s growing population of children brought a full attendance of parents to the meeting of the Newtown Parent Teachers Association Tuesday night in the high school cafeteria. A panel consisting of Carl A. LeGrow, superintendent of schools; Frederick Parr, principal of Hawley School; Raymond Hall and Miles Harris of the Board of Education; and Dwight V. Norris, vice-chairman of the Newtown Citizens’ Committee on Education, moderator, discussed the various questions which were raised by the members of the audience.

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Latest figure in the annual membership drive of the Newtown Branch of the American Red Cross now stands at $3,213.69, according to Mrs Frank L. Johnson and Mrs Paul S. Smith, co-chairman of this year’s campaign. With a quota of $3,900 to be attained before conclusion of the town-wide canvass, the chairmen extend their thanks to those who have already contributed and express the hope that others will follow their example, and it is hoped the record can be duplicated this year.

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Mr and Mrs John Danise have taken over the operation of The Red Maples Restaurant, Route 25, and will specialize in serving tasty sandwiches and grinders.

 

APRIL 5, 1929

 Selectman Brew, who in times past has been subjected to a good deal of undeserved criticism on account of the condition of the Riverside road, the past week received a letter from an officer of the Riverside Association, thanking him for the good work he had accomplished. Mr Brew has expended some $700 on this road since last fall and now two cars can pass at any point.

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 Botsford Flying Service, Inc, with headquarters in the First National Bank building, has just closed negotiations with the Colonial Airways, by which tri-motored and other passenger carrying ships will be brought to Utica Airport and its pilots trained in airmail service. Richard “Dick” Botsford, one of Utica’s pioneer birdmen, and C.L. Wethern, another of the company pilots, will be among the first to become airmail pilots on the Colonial lines under the new arrangement.

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George F. Taylor and Edward T. Hook have been drawn for jury duty in the Superior Court at Bridgeport, Judge L.P. Marvin presiding.

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David C. Peck, president of the Newtown Savings Bank, arrived on Thursday after a winter’s sojourn at St Petersburg, Fla. Writing from St Petersburg, Mr Peck says, “Shall be glad for a whiff of home air.”

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Extensive improvements and changes are being made in the former Howell place, now owned by General Andrews, by contractor T.F. Brew.

 

APRIL 8, 1904

Owing to the depth of the mud at this time, the sociable announced for April 6 was not held, but a very novel and attractive event has been planned to take its place that will be made known in The Bee of April 15.

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John Hassett has resigned his position as night watchman in the factory of the Fabric Fire Hose Company.

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F.E. Burwell received an urgent telephone call to go to Roxbury Friday, where he had men working, but after arriving at the Newtown railroad station he thought of his calendar and concluded to defer the April fool journey. The boys on the other end were innocent of any joke, of course.

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The Easter session of the Congregational Sunday School brought out an attendance of 90 and a collection of $4.67. The Huntingtown wagon did not run owing to the poor traveling, which would have increased the attendance to about 120.

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Last Monday morning a broken rail in the switch south of Botsford Depot caused two freight cars to jump the track. Fortunately they were on the outside of the track so the main line was not blocked.

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Sparks from the engine set fire to the grass on the meadow below William Johnson’s creamery on the east side of the bank last Monday, burning over several acres.