The Planning & Zoning Commission has recommended against purchase of two Bridgeport Hydraulic Company properties which have been offered for sale to the Town of Newtown. The Park and Recreation Commission, however, does not appear to have given up on the possibility of acquiring one of the parcels for use as playing fields. By a split vote the planners gave unfavorable recommendations to purchasing the 25-acre Morgan pond and two parcels of land, 7.2 and 7.9 acres, located at the Maltbie and Castle Meadow Road intersection, and a 24.3-acre tract located on Huntingtown Road.

***

 Vandals had a go at the flagpole in the center of Main Street on May 6, and repair to the damage they caused will cost someone money. According to the police, Officer Martin Pytko, while on routine patrol, noticed the flag rope had been cut and about 200 feet of it was lying on the road. Also on the road was the flag and the Bicentennial flag which has just been presented to the town by the Republican Women’s Club. The Bicentennial flag was torn and damaged.

***

The Newtown Bicentennial Commission is sponsoring a stitchery exhibit on Saturday, June 12, at a place to be announced. All forms of hand stitchery are being accepted, including crewel, canvas work, cross-stitch, patchwork, trapunto, soft sculpture, etc.

***

The Newtown Bicentennial Committee received an exceptional collection of drawings, watercolors, oil and collages representing Newtown for an art contest and auction. The collection includes the professional work of Barbara Albright, Neil Bittner, Betty Christensen, Andrei Hudiakoff, Stanley Kijanka, Eleanor Loecher, James O’Malyev, Janice Papayani, Ida Van Tassle and Adolphe Wulser, plus many beautiful pieces submitted in the amateur and student categories.

***

Newtown’s Bicentennial Heritage Ball has turned into a town-wide project. Posters for the ball were made by students of the elementary and middle schools who participated in a school contest. Many members of various organizations are giving their time and energy to make this “once in a lifetime” event a memorable one. Several organizations have donated money to defray the cost of the ball and area artists have given many paintings and drawings which will be sold during a silent auction that evening.

***

The Newtown Recreation Department invites all residents to attend the Bicentennial Piano Recital on June 10, at 7:30 pm, in the Edmond Town Hall auditorium. Under the direction of Marianne Kopko, this recital is part of the “group piano” program, which has been conducted within each of Newtown’s schools and has been sponsored by the recreation department.

***

Erwin Pitcher of Shady Rest will step down soon as director of Newtown’s Civil Defense Unit, but because his son Sid is not a resident of Newtown he will not be able to succeed his father in the post. The selectmen discussed the matter at a special meeting last Thursday but tabled any action until their May 18 meeting to determine whether there were any legal problems with Sid Pitcher’s appointment. A former Newtown resident, he now lives in Southbury, but has been active in the Newtown CD as chief of the rescue squad. Town Counsel William Lavery has since advised that the charter requires persons named to appointive boards be residents of the town. First Selectman Jack Rosenthal said this week that John Mead, 112 South Main Street, has applied for the position of director, which is a volunteer, non-paid position.

MAY 18, 1951

Those who attended the meeting of the Newtown Parent Teachers Association Tuesday evening, May 15, were presented with a comprehensive picture of the plans for the proposed local six-year high school building. The spokesman for the High School Building Committee was its chairman, Herbert Cutler, who outlined the steps in the progress of the committee to date. Other members of the committee present included Herbert Janzer, Ronald Olson and Ervin C. Stickles, Jr.

***

The Newtown baseball team opened its season on Sunday afternoon at Taylor Field by defeating Oxford, 11-1. The first inning found Newtown building up a good lead of 7 runs, and they continued to add two in the 4th, one in the 5th, and one in the 7th. Hurling for Newtown was Burr Morgan who allowed the visitors only 8 hits. Receiving for Newtown was Mike Kearns, relieved by Jim Cavanaugh in the 8th.

***

Warning appears elsewhere in this issue, calling a special town meeting for Friday evening, May 25, at Edmond Town Hall, at 8 o’clock, to consider and act upon a resolution regulating the sale of fireworks in the Town of Newtown. The purpose is to prohibit the sale of fireworks by any person or organization, except the member fire companies of the Newtown Fire Department, operating under the supervision and control of the Board of Fire Commissioners acting as a committee for that purpose.

***

With the gymnasium of Edmond Town Hall transformed into a bower of apple blossoms and spring flowers, and with a background of white picket fencing, the junior class of Hawley High School was host last Friday night to the senior class in the colorful and traditional Junior-Senior Prom. Highlighting the event was the crowning of Miss Marilyn Burr of Obtuse District, Brookfield, a member of the Senior Class, as prom queen. Chosen by popular vote of those present, Miss Burr was crowned by Joan Close, president of the junior class, who placed on the head of the chosen candidate a white floral crown, which she wore during the evening.

***

The Newtown Lions Club held its regular meeting Wednesday evening, May 9, and had as guest speaker Wallace DeLaney of Newtown. Mr DeLaney gave a most interesting talk on rubber, tracing its history from early in the 16th Century to date. He spoke also of the development of synthetic rubber and its various uses in comparison with natural rubber. The speaker touched on the contribution made to the rubber industry by Charles Goodyear through his discovery of the process for vulcanizing rubber. Mr Goodyear was born in New Haven and made frequent visits to Sandy Hook.

***

A composition by Mrs Allen Northey Jones, “Rain,” was one of the featured numbers in an ensemble recital by piano pupils of Laurence Honan given in Danbury High School auditorium Monday night, with the players ranging from beginners to advanced artist pupils and with the number including works by Grief, Schumann, Saint-Saens, Mendelssohn and Bach.

***

Friends of Miss Marie T. Cavanaugh of Botsford will be happy to know that she has finished her six weeks training period at the Bridgeport branch of the Southern New England Telephone Company and has taken up her duties as a service representative.

 

MAY 14, 1926

Five cases of German measles have developed among pupils of the Hawley School. The students are Alice Carmody, Albert Nichols, Mary Frisbie, Merton Greenman, and Mable Greenman.

***

The winners of the speaking contests, which have been held at the various schools of the town, held their final contest at Hawley School last Friday, May 7. Anna Bizak, of Grays Plain School, won the speaking contest, and Marjorie MacClymon of the Zoar School won the spelling contest.

***

A birthday party was given Mrs Patrick Sweeney at her home in Sandy Hook on Tuesday evening, May 11. About 30 were present.

MAY 17, 1901

Curtis P. Morris, son of Selectman Levi C. Morris, on Wednesday entered upon new duties in the banking establishment of Bridgeport Trust Company in the Park City.

***

The bowling alley has just been completed at The Newtown Inn and was used for the first time on Wednesday by a party of ladies. It is bound to be very popular with Mr Leonard’s guests.

***

Miss Anna Hamburger is riding a new bicycle, bought of R.H. Beers & Company.

***

The old Toll Gate house on Newtown Turnpike in Botsford was totally destroyed by fire last Sunday night. The fire was discovered about 2 o’clock by someone passing, but it was too late to save the house.

***

The four solicitors for the fire apparatus for the borough — Rev O.W. Barker, L.C. Morris, Patrick Gannon and A.P. Smith — have begun their work, and it is hoped that they will meet with a generous response.