While Maxine Ginn this week became the first announced Republican contender for the nomination for first selectman, highly placed local Republicans indicated this week that additional candidates will probably come forward by next Monday’s town committee meeting. The GOP will nominate candidates for the fall election that night.

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 Work on the new town garage on Turkey Hill Road could commence by July 15 as the Board of Selectmen signed the contract for the project at its meeting on Tuesday, July 5. Brennan & Brennan Mason Contractors Inc of Shelton, the low bidder, will construct the 20,000-square-foot building on 3.6 acres adjacent to the town landfill.

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Hike-Bike co-chairmen Sue Coleman and Edie Tschorn announce that $4,500 in pledges has come in as of July 1 for the Hike-Bike for the Retarded sponsored by the Newtown Junior Women’s Club. The total amount pledged is $7,000 so outstanding pledges are approximatley $2,500.

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Residents in the Echo Valley Road area were treated to a rare spectacle Wednesday morning July 6, when the production crew of the TV soap All My Children arrived with all their paraphernalia to film an episode for an upcoming show. Led by producer Bud Kloss — a Newtown resident — the crew filmed at least two sequences, one with actor Richard Van Vleet, who plays “Chuck,” driving down Echo Valley, and the other involving payment of a ransom.

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Why does the water level in Old Shady Rest Cove off Lake Zoar rise and drop a matter of inches or feet every few hours? Nobody knows. The residents of Anthes Avenue off Ford Road in Sandy Hook have watched in dismay, however, as the erratic water level in the past two years has caused their waterfront property to silt in, discouraged spawning fish and nesting birds from using their traditional breeding grounds, and transformed pleasure boating into a game of chance. The residents blame the rapid changes in water level on the operation by Connecticut Light and Power of its Stevenson dam. They feel that in the last two years, the power company has been manipulating the water level without any regard for the consequences to the lake, its wildlife, or its waterfront residents.

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Newtown Ambulance Emergency Medical Technicians spent four hours on a mutual aid call to the disastrous fire at the Federal Correctional Institution early Thursday morning, and as The Bee went to press, some corpsmen were at Danbury Hospital assisting in the emergency care of the victims of the fire.

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Many of Connecticut farm neighbors will be opening their farms to the public on Saturday and Sunday, July 16 and 17 from 1-5 pm — rain or shine. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn first hand what it takes to produce the food of today. In Fairfield County, the Ferrises, owners of Ferris Acres Dairy on Route 302 in Newtown, and the Wetherbees, owners of Crooked Furrows Sheep Farm on Church Street in Sherman, will be the host families.

JULY 11, 1952

Information presented this week by Walter Los is that the US Air Force has ordered the Civil Defense Ground Observer Corps on continuous duty 24 hours a day, starting July 14. Mr Los is Newtown Supervisor of Aircraft Warning and with First Selectman A.F. Dickinson, is in immediate need of volunteers to man the observation post at Fairfield State Hospital in two-hour shifts from 8 am to 12 midnight.

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Following its participation this Sunday afternoon in a field day as guest of the Boys Social and Athletic Club at SAC Park, the Newtown Youth Organization is planning a community young people’s block dance for all the young people of Newtown to be held on a night to be determined during the week of July 20. The place selected is the esplanade of the Newtown Shopping Center.

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Ten Boy Scouts, members of Newtown’s Troop 70 Pine Tree Patrol, accompanied by Scoutmaster Paul A. Cullens, left the Scout cabin Sunday afternoon at 3:30 with two cars and a trailer, bound first for North Bay on Lake Nipissing, far to the north of Lake Ontario and not far from Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay, travelling thence up French River to establish their base.

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“The Blessing Strive,” a colorful painting by Newtown’s Madeline Hewes, was so well liked in Springfield, Mass., that townspeople voted it most popular of all in a recent exhibition in that city. Furthermore, the museum there bought it, and papers reproduced it. Then on June 13 The Bee ran it on page one, together with a story of the work and the artist. Now Time magazine, in its issue of July 14, out this Thursday, has reproduced it again.

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A gala community evening of sports, games and competitions to be followed by a gigantic fireworks display on Taylor Field, planned for July 4 and postponed on account of weather, will be held on Saturday evening, July 26, according to a statement this week by Ned Platt, chairman of the Boy Scout Troop Committee. The entire event was postponed last Friday when wet grounds prevented the races and a light rainfall at 6 o’clock prevented mounting of the fireworks pieces.

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The Newtown Garden Club held its July meeting on Tuesday at 12:30 at the home of Mrs Benjamin A. Corres, Minkdale Farm Road, South Center. The meeting was conducted out of doors beside the brook which runs through the property, with Mrs Jacob L. Steizel, presiding. Members brought with them miniature flower arrangements which were judged by Mrs Frank C. Boardman of the Danbury Garden Club.

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On invitation of the Boys Social and Athletic Club of Sandy Hook, members of the Newtown Youth Organization will gather with the SAC members for a field day at SAC Park this Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock. A mixed softball game, boys and girls playing, is scheduled for 2:45 and there will be games of table tennis, badminton, keep-away, and horseshoe pitching prior to the swim planned for later in the afternoon.

JULY 8, 1927

John McCarthy’s Newtown baseball team, following an even break over the weekend holiday at Baxter field, when they met defeat, 7-6, Sunday afternoon, in a 12-inning game with Redding, and scored a victory over the All Stars of Danbury, 16-9, Monday afternoon, will play the banner game of the season at Baxter field, this Sunday afternoon.

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The large dance hall and dining room that has been recently added to the popular Toot-And-Come-In Wayside station, which is located on Lake Zoar on the South State road, is almost completed, and weekly Saturday night dances are now being held.

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Dr Waldo F. Desmond, Sandy Hook’s popular physician, was called from his slumbers about 2 am last Friday by some when, who said they had with them a woman, who had sustained a serious injury to her arm. Dr Desmond, after examining the woman, wanted them to take her to Danbury Hospital, but the woman’s companions insisted that the doctor should attend her, the doctor proceeded to dress the woman’s wounded arm. After the laborious task was completed, the doctor politely stated the amount of his fee. Her companions showed a menacing attitude, and after telling him he got his living out of the town, got into their car and left…

JULY 11, 1902

The flag raising on the afternoon of the Fourth brought together an audience of 300 people, the city friends at hotels turning out in force. A platform had been erected at the liberty pole on which sat Rev J.H. George, chairman for the day, Rev Patrick Fox, Rev O.W. Barker, Rev M.R. French and Ally Charles, H. Northrop, and Robert H. Beers.

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The flag was flown to the breeze to a salute of 21 guns, Patrick Gannon, William Honan, Walter Finch and Michael White handling the guns. The church bells also pealed forth their greeting, and there was certainly enough noise to suit the most patriotic.