The State Department of Health is recommending that fish taken from the Housatonic River not be eaten because high levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) have been found in seven brown trout taken from the Cornwall area. The PCB levels discovered through state lab tests range from 13.8 parts per million (ppm) to 43 ppm in the three-year-old holdover trout stocked in the river last year by the state fisheries department. A typical sample, a 12.5-inch fish, showed a concentration of 18 ppm of PCB. The federal Food and Drug Administration standard is 5 ppm.

***

 First Selectman Jack Rosenthal Tuesday evening officially announced his intention to seek a second term in the November election and wrest control of the Board of Selectmen from the Republican party.

***

Following a year of debate and unsuccessful proposals, the Town of Newtown will be able to build its new town garage, 14.5 percent of the town’s eligible voters decided in last Friday’s referendum. Voters approved a $536,000 special appropriation by a tally of 841 to 489 to construct a 20,000-square-foot, prefabricated steel structure on 3.6 acres of town-owned land on Turkey Hill Road.

***

Doctor David M. Zolov of 62 Sugar Lane is a certified Bicentennial jogger. The hard-running physician finished running 1776 miles in a little less than a year, June 15, as his contribution to the American Revolution Bicentennial celebration. Dr Zolov, who is an allergy and immunology practician and chief of allergy at Danbury Hospital, took part in a 1776 Mile Jog sponsored by the National Jogging Association.

***

Having passed both houses of the General Assembly, amendments to the 1975 Freedom of Information Act are now on the desk of Governor Ella Grasso awaiting her signature. At presstime, it was expected that she would sign the amended act by week’s end. Most of the changes in the sunshine laws were designed to define the gray areas of the initial legislation, making the language clearer and more specific, yet there are a couple of substantive changes in the law.

***

Town Clerk Mae Schmidle continued her quest to restore the town’s volumes of land records and compile a new copy of the town code at Wednesday’s council meeting. The town has 265 volumes of land records at the current time, and Mrs Schmidle has been working on microfilming and restoring all the volumes. Volumes 1-107, the oldest ones, have already been microfilmed, but Mrs Schmidle told the council she needs $7,550.80 to recreate the oldest land records in new, space-saving binders.

***

Mrs Sarah Mannix of South Main Street, a bus driver for the system for over 30 years, is calling it quits, and the fact she was retiring was noted at the Board of Education’s Tuesday night meeting.

JULY 4, 1952

A home-town community Fourth of July celebration, with pop and popcorn, games, races, competitions, and fireworks, will mark the day for Newtown this Friday night. The town recreation program for all ages and all sizes begins at 8 o’clock, with potato, sack, and running races and other competitions, directed by Harold DeGroat and his assistants. Firecrackers, aerial bombardments, and set pieces after dark.

***

To raise funds for completion of the Memorial Building on South Main Street, the auxiliary unit of Post 308, VFW, will hold a rummage sale, food sale, and luncheon in the Edmond Town Hall gymnasium on Saturday, July 12.

***

Kenneth Berglund, son of Mr and Mrs Harry Berglund of Sandy Hook, returned last Saturday from a week’s stay at the American Legion Boys State conducted at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. The Newtown delegate was one of 240 boys, high school juniors, from all parts of Connecticut, chosen by high school teachers and candidates’ classmates to attend this convention, where boys are trained for future constructive political action in their communities and state, and on the national level.

***

The Town of Newtown received on Tuesday an award for Pedestrian Safety for the year 1951, having completed the period without a pedestrian fatality. H. Russell Tryon, field representative of the Connecticut Safety Commission, made the presentation on behalf of the commission to First Selectman A. Fenn Dickinson at the Edmond Town Hall.

***

Dr Louis E. Buckley has opened an office for the practice of dentistry in Room 6 in the Shopping Center, Queen Street. Dr Buckley served in World War II in the medical department for five and one-half years. He comes to Newtown from the Southbury Training School where he has been associated for some time.

***

Lincoln Park, Chicago, will be the scene next Sunday, July 6, of the dedication of a memorial to Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s great, unsung heroes. The event, scheduled for 3 o’clock Chicago time (4 o’clock Eastern Daylight Savings time), will be projected by nationwide radio and television hookups, with newsreal coverage. Central figure of the memorial to the Revolutionary hero, confidant of George Washington and first US Secretary of the Treasury, is a 13-foot statue created by John Angel of Old Mill Road, Zoar District, nationally known sculptor.

***

Several members of the Newtown League of Women Voters are entertaining members of the United Nations Secretariat on the weekend of July 11-13.

JULY 1, 1927

As St Rose’s Casino nears completion, everybody is looking forward to the opening. The hall is at once the largest and most beautiful in this section. It fills a long-felt want in Newtown. A big and pleasant surprise awaits those who have not as yet reviewed the interior.

***

The annual mid-summer frolic for the benefit of St Rose Church will be held on the evenings of Saturday, July 23, and Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, July 28, 29, 30.

***

George B. Beers is having his residence newly painted. George C. Canfield is doing the work.

***

The Guild rooms of St John’s were filled to overflowing on Tuesday night when the Girls’ Friendly Society held its last meeting until fall. Many parents of the young people gathered to participate in the events of the evening.

***

Charles B. Beardsley and F.H. Trowbridge attended the annual banquet of the Bald-Head Club of America held at Highland Lake, Winsted, on Saturday afternoon.

***

The popular Berkshire Restaurant has again opened for the season and is enjoying excellent patronage from the motorists.

***

John Hubbell is erecting a new two-car garage on his place in the Borough.

JULY 4, 1902

The annual meeting of the Newtown Center school district Friday night as usual brought out a large attendance, the support of the efficient teacher, P.H. McCarthy, being successful and electing the entire school ticket without material opposition.

 

***

Lucien Pierron has disposed of his farm near the Tunnel to Victor Olivier of New York.

***

One of the handsomest business wagons ever built in town is that turned out from the shop of C.H. Gay. It is for Hollister Sage and is lettered “South Britain Creamery,” “Sage Butter”, etc.

***

George B. Beers of Palestine has had his old barn taken down and is now having a new one built. The new barn is 26 x 40 feet. George A. Northrop has the contract.

***

At the school meeting in South Center district last Monday evening, the following officers were elected for the coming year: Alexander Baird, committee; H.W. Wright, clerk; C.B. Johnson, treasurer and collector. C.B. Johnson was chosen teacher for the coming year.

***

William Peck has just had a wide piazza built on the south side of his house, H.C. Beers doing the work.