* * *

“I think you should be congratulated for a job well done in managing that money. You’ve set an example for other departments,” said Commissioner Clifford Bulmer when Chief of Police Louis D. Marchese told the Board of Police Commissioners Tuesday night that the Police Department was turning back $34,856 to the town’s general fund as it began the new fiscal year.

* * *

Most citizens, viewing the town meeting as the last vestige of New England democracy, resisted its elimination at the Legislative Council’s public hearing on charter revisions Wednesday night in the Town Hall South Conference Room. Appointing, rather than electing, a tax collector was also seen as eroding direct citizen involvement.

* * *

Fireman Tom Ramsdell was sitting at the Hawleyville Fire Station around 10 pm last Thursday when he looked out the window and saw flames. He summoned Hawleyville firefighters who responded to the emergency. A tar truck owned by Dosch-King apparently experienced an electrical short and a fire resulted in the rear of the truck. Fireman had to use foam to extinguish the blaze.

* * *

The 10 by 3½ foot message board supported by brick pillars that the Newtown High School Student Council wants to construct at the school near its flagpole dominates a long list of applications at the Zoning Board of Appeals public hearing Wednesday night, July 13. The board would have 5-inch high interchangeable letters to communicate a weekly message of activities to parents, students, and townspeople.

* * *

The Bee Publishing Company will return to the borough Zoning Board of Appeals Tuesday night, July 12, to ask for a special exception to build an additional story on the flat cement block area in back of the historic red clapboard building on church Hill Road. Zoning regulations prohibit the expansion of a non-conforming building. The addition would be in harmony with the intent of the regulations, would not detract from the appearance of the building or adjoining properties and would “assure the continued existence of The Bee Publishing Company in this historic location.”

* * *

Newtown Borough clerk Ethel Connor urges all Borough property owners to mail in their ballots on the proposed historic district. The rules guiding the Historic District Study Committee as handed down by the State Historic commission have been strictly adhered to, and now voters must decide whether or not to accept the committee’s recommendation and vote to accept or reject the proposal.

 

July 11, 1958

Initial steps were taken Tuesday evening to formally organize a Newtown taxpayers association, when a meeting attended by more than 125 townspeople voted to authorize temporary chairman Edward J. Hoyt to name by-laws, program and nominating committees. The approval, granted after expression of opposition, was by a vote of 69 to 57, and came after an amendment was passed directing that the names of committee members be announced before voting on the motion.

* * *

Edward Feldman of the Cashman Drug Store in the shopping center, has just installed a new air conditioning unit at his drug store. The new unit is one of the latest type jobs put out by Westinghouse and is of eight ton capacity, water cooled and is capable of keeping the store cool and free from humidity even on the warmest days.

* * *

Forty-five companies, ladies’ auxiliary units, and bands marched from the monument at North Main Street, to Glover Avenue, and then to the Carnival grounds in the largest parade ever, held Wednesday evening. The reviewing stand was located at the high school, on Queen Street, where judges scored the winners of the various trophies.

* * *

Fifty youngsters took advantage of the first recreation department weekly trips last week when they traveled to Mt Tom Park for a swim. The full busload left at noon, arrived at the park inside one hour; swam for an hour and then returned after trying to buy out the concession stand.

* * *

In bloom again for the sixth season, the American chestnut tree continues to flourish under the watchful eye of Walter Sherry, who has spoken in its behalf to utility and State Highway Department officials. If spared and continuing its present growth, this rare tree may be among the first of a new generation of chestnut trees. The American chestnut was decimated by a blight that started in New York state among material imported from Asia. Newtown’s spreading chestnut tree is located in the Grays Plain District.

* * *

Sports car racing will take the spotlight at the Danbury Fair Speedway this Saturday night. Bill Boyd, of Sandy Hook, will drive his Miller special, said to be the oldest race car in competition today. It is the same model racing car that ranked highest in popularity in Indianapolis during the late 20s and 30s.

 

July 7, 1933

JOHN RAY’S “RESURRECTION MINSTRELS” — If perfection in rehearsals means anything, this minstrel should be the best ever produced in John’s 30 years of experience as an entertainer. The cast includes most of the best voices in town while the end men will include William Burroughs, Charles Cavanaugh, Paul Cavanaugh and one who will be kept a secret until the night of the big show. You may get quite a surprise.

* * *

An incident that created much discussion at the Eden Hill Golf Club, during the past holiday was when Master Harold Batten, nine year old son of Mr and Mrs Harry T. Batten, shot a 42 for nine holes while playing in a foursome with guests at the club, during the week end.

* * *

The evening of July 11 will be “Nature Night” in Pootatuck Grange. Albert W. Meserve of Danbury will be the chief speaker. There will be a contest on “Leaf Guessing.” Each officer will bring at least two leaves. Henry B. Read will give a paper on, “Wild Animals and Birds That Are A Menace To The Farmer.” The program will conclude with a song by the Grange.

* * *

The residence of J. Gerald Fitzpatrick in Taunton, the former George R. Wilson place, was struck by lightning in the storm, Saturday evening about 8:15 o’clock. F.W. Luf, a neighbor, was one of the first at hand and with extinguishers kept the blaze partly in check until the arrival of the Newtown Fire Co. The Fire Co certainly did a praiseworthy piece of work, and unquestionably saved the house from total destruction.

* * *

The Frederica house of Sandy hook, which is maintained as a summer camp by the First Presbyterian church of New York, opened, Saturday, in charge of Miss Catharine Rengenberg of New York City. About 50 children are enjoying life there.

Thomas Ward of New York, while swimming under a dock at Riverside on Lake Zoar, sustained a very serious cut on his thigh. He was taken to the office of Dr Waldo F. Desmond, where an anesthetic was administered and the wound was sewed up. Augustus Beers, while swimming at Riverside, on Lake Zoar, Sunday, fractured two ribs. He was attended by Dr Waldo F. Desmond.

 

July 10, 1908

There was quite a lively runaway in Sandy Hook, last Monday evening. Clark Page’s son was turning around at the drug store when the wheel caught in the crank iron, in some way, nearly overturning the buggy and threw the young man out. The horse ran towards home but was captured by Homer Conger near his home. The horse was somewhat cut and one wheel of the buggy was broken, and the young man shaken up was all the damage that was done.

* * *

The Newtown Baseball team met and defeated the strong Criterion Club of Bridgeport in a warmly contested game at the Rye lot, Sandy Hook, July 4. Both teams played good ball and gave the crowd a game for their money. It was Newtown’s initial game but the team plainly showed that a little practice together will put them in to the class with the fastest amateur teams in the state.

* * *

H.P. Boyson wishes the public to distinctly understand that he did not own the five cows killed by lightning, last Friday, at the Philo Clark place but that Henry Barker Read, who has charge of the farm, was the sole owner of the cows. Mr Read took the farm last spring, and the loss is a very heavy one for him.

* * *

In the boiling sun of Thursday Mrs Oscar Dikeman and Mrs Hubert Smith seized two hoes and weeded out the flower bed of the Men’s club in the center of the Street. A village improvement society ought to be organized. Here’s hoping these enterprising ladies will take the lead.

* * *

Levi C. Morris, treasurer of the Newtown Water Co., has bought for the Water Co., an acre of land more or less on which is located the gate and bulkhead at the outlet of Taunton lake, of John L. Hughes. This gives the Water Co. practically control of the situation so far as the Lake is concerned, and friends of the Water Co. are naturally gratified at Mr Morris’ sagacious move.