Although every meteorologist in Fairfield County predicted a nice sunny day for July 4, Mother Nature pulled a fast one, and it rained, causing cancellation of many events, including the Newtown Summer Festival townwide picnic and fireworks at Dickinson Memorial Park. The summer festival committee has rescheduled both events for Saturday, July 7.

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The Botsford aluminum smelter, the Charles E. Batchelder Company, agreed with the Department of Environmental Protection to voluntarily shut down operations last Thursday afternoon after an apparent malfunction of its pollution control equipment caused a dense blanket of “fog” to be released into the air. David Nash, principal air pollution engineer with DEP, told The Bee that the company informed the environmental department of the problem, which also caused a “flood of calls” to DEP by concerned area residents.

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What started out to be a quiet evening for four at the Stony Hill Inn last Friday turned into a very pleasant testimonial dinner honoring Albert Nichols, retiring postmaster of the Newtown Post Office. Mr and Mrs Nichols arrived at the inn shortly before 7:30 pm in the company of Mr and Mrs Anthony Amaral, only to find about 100 friends and business associates on hand to join them. Arrangements for the party were under the direction of Mr and Mrs James Crick and among those attending who have previously retired from the postal system were Evelyn Shepard of Newtown, Mary Miller and Elsie Ryan of Hawleyville, Richard Greiser of Easton and William Malchodi of Southbury who said a few words for the group.

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Departments of the Town of Newtown were informed last Friday of a mandatory gasoline rationing plan for the months of July and August by First Selectman Jack Rosenthal. The rationing plan spreads 5,670 gallons throughout 13 departments. The plan was prepared by Financial Director Robert Shaw and Town Accountant Thomas Hislop, with top priority given to the police department. The town was informed by its supplier, Chevron, that the July allocation would be 85 per cent of gasoline ordered in July last year, amounting to 6,375 gallons.

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Newtown Grants Administrator Zita McMahon, a close political and governmental associate of First Selectman Jack Rosenthal, announced Tuesday she is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for town clerk.

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An area of high-priority concern for the Newtown Human Services Committee at its June 28 meeting was the problem of public transportation within the town. FISH, the voluntary driving service which provides rides for many elderly and others to out of town appointments, recently suspended operations for the summer because of the gasoline crisis.

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The long road toward instituting an historic district on Newtown’s Main Street — attempted in the past but never brought to fruition — has begun once more as the Borough Board of Burgesses recently named a new Historic District Study Committee. The group held its first meeting June 15, sifting through mounds of paper left by past committees which studied such a district.

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Newtown residents will again have a recycling center at the town’s landfill where they can leave recyclable aluminum and steel cans and glass, possibly within the next week or two. Only this time, the center will be in a more convenient location near the transfer station, where residents leave garbage.

JULY 9, 1954

Plans for the opening of the Italian Community Center Camp on Route 34, Sandy Hook, were made at a recent meeting of the group in Bridgeport, when arrangements were also completed for extensive construction work to take place at the site. Present plans call for the camp opening at the end of July and the work, now in progress, should be completed not later than the end of next week.

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Independence Day was celebrated Sunday in Beech Brook, the Paul Cashman-George Wheeler residential development off Glen Road, Sandy Hook, by a community picnic in which nearly all the residents shared. Starting festivities in midafternoon, when the weather cleared, was a parade of youngsters riding their decorated bicycles and tricycles, leading the gathering to the picnic grounds where all the children received balloons and other prize favors.

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A large number of townspeople, young and old, lined Main Street and Church Hill Road all the way to Sandy Hook on Sunday afternoon, to watch the annual Fourth of July parade sponsored by the volunteer firemen of Newtown. Held on a day which began with heavy rains, the parade was favored by a break in the weather shortly before the 2 o’clock starting time.

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Members of the Newtown Country Club are enjoying many new facilities this season as a result of the building program which was completed for the beginning of the summer golfing season. The construction of a 45 by 28-foot addition to the former pro shop has provided an enlarged locker room for the men and locker facilities for women members, a lounge, bar, new pro shop and large outdoor terrace overlooking the picturesque ninth fairway.

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Newtown’s third traffic light went into action just before the Fourth of July weekend. Installed at the intersection of Glover Avenue, Sugar Street and Route 25, the light works on an automatic trip as cars come out of Sugar Street and Glover Avenue. The town furnished the equipment, and will pay for the electricity. Installation was made by the State Highway Department which will also be responsible for its maintenance.

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Delegates from Newtown attending the Republican congressional convention last Thursday evening, July 1, at Half Way House, Darien, were Judge Walter A. Reynolds, Joseph H.A. Symonds, Dr Russell F. Strasburger and Frederick Rees.

JULY 5, 1929

The Hawleyville Fire Company staged a benefit boxing and wrestling tourney, Friday night, under the management of Robert Clark, which resulted in a huge success. Six boxing matches of three rounds each kept an audience of 150 continually on their feet.

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Now that the Fourth of July is approaching remember that the use of fire balloons is forbidden anywhere in the state.

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When it comes to raising prize chickens, all honors go to Patrick Keating of Zoar district.

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Rollin Shove, aged 14, was accidentally shot in the abdomen by some playmates Sunday afternoon. They had dug the lead out of the bullet, but a small piece of lead was retained, and when it was discharged, hit the boy, making quite a wound. Dr W.F. Desmond dressed the wound. The boy is getting along comfortably.

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Judge P.H. McCarty, who has held the position of the leading trying justice of the peace for fully 25 years, retired July 1, with the best wishes and kindly feelings of all.

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George Rasmussen has just purchased a new Reo 6 cylinder Stake body truck to handle his increased coal and feed business.

JULY 8, 1904

Connor Haugh of Walnut Tree Hill is going largely into the chicken business. He has already over 1,000 in his flock and is now marketing some fine broilers.

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Mrs Charles H. Northrop and Miss Eleanore Northrop leave on Thursday for the St Louis Exposition, passing the first night at Niagara Falls.

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The Fabric Fire Hose Company has nicely graded the lot from which the large house was taken down, just north of Manager Cole’s residence, and are to grade in front of the lot and will build a walk as far as the corner.

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In the baseball game on the morning of the Fourth between the married and single men, the former were defeated by the inglorious score of 32-7. The single men brought on the young professional pitcher, Curtis Glover, whose curves were too much for the men.

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The Fourth passed rather quietly in Newtown. Shortly after midnight, Sunday, the Fourth was ushered in by ringing the bells in the two churches and that at the Middle District school. The boys paraded the Street and made sweet music, drawing pieces of old roofing along the walk, and kept two bonfires going, which were replenished from a pile of boxes in the yard of R.H. Beers.

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In the hard shower of last Friday, the maple tree in front of Mrs S.C. Judson’s place was blown over on to the house but fortunately did no damage.