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THE WAY WE WERE

AUGUST 17, 1973

Approximately 200 persons gathered for a public hearing held by the Planning &

Zoning Commission on a proposed $10 million shopping mall on 32 acres just

west of I-84 on Church Hill Road. Attorney Harold Schwartz representing the

Fairfield County Shopping Mall Inc proposal, told the board that the mall

would be of "high quality and of beautiful design and structure." The

400,000-square-foot mall would be anchored by two two-story department stores

and would have parking for 1,800 cars. Mr Schwartz stressed the tax benefits

to the town and the fact that space would be made available for community use.

Opponents of the project said a mall just off the interstate would draw a

considerable amount of traffic onto Church Hill Road, causing backups, would

require more work for the police department, and could have a negative impact

on the environment. Conservation Commission Chairman Theodore Whippie drew

applause when he said he'd "rather see Newtown stay the way it is than have

convenient shopping facilities and a host of other problems."

Police Chief Louis Marchese told the Police Commission on Monday night that

overtime pay for police officers is amounting to $5,000 to $6,000 per month.

"This makes it around $60,000 per year which can be used to hire additional

officers," the chief pointed out. With the recent citizens crusade for lower

speeds on Main Street and other town roads, the police have had to use extra

men for the radar units all over town. The force has an authorized strength of

22 men including Chief Marchese, but two men recently sustained injuries which

will keep them off duty for several weeks.

Youngsters from all over Fairfield County gathered on the fairgrounds behind

the Extension Service in Stony Hill last weekend for the 31st annual 4-H

County Fair, to show off the animals they had raised, the dresses they had

made, and the cakes they had baked, and all the other projects they had worked

on during the year. Reid Ferris of Newtown gave an oxen demonstration on

Friday afternoon and also won the oxen championship. Judging went by stages

through Friday and Saturday. The weather was fine most of the time, except for

some heavy downpours on Friday night, and the heat of the sun earlier Friday

and most of Saturday and Sunday was a burden on some of the animals, not to

mention some spectators. But everybody was used to that, and the fair was a

huge success.

Kenneth Adams, senior vice president and treasurer of Newtown Savings Bank,

was unanimously recommended by the Republican Town Committee for appointment

to the Board of Finance. The recommendation came at the GOP's monthly meeting

Monday night at Edmond Town Hall. Mr Adams, whose name now will go to the

Board of Finance for approval, will fill the vacancy caused by the resignation

last month of 15-year board member Edward Vollmers.

At Monday night's Police Commission meeting, Chief Marchese said he had

received a petition signed by 44 residents of Old Green, Valley Field and

Walnut Tree Hill roads in Sandy Hook protesting the removal of a stop sign

from an intersection at Walnut Tree Hill and Old Green Roads. The chief said

he had earlier received a complaint about the stop sign being there. Those

people complained that the blind intersection is too dangerous to stop at. The

chief said he has decided to install a yield sign.

The board of directors of the Newtown Summer Festival announced its

incorporation this week. The Newtown Summer Festival Committee represents

private citizens of the community who are interested in providing and

participating in programs from May through September for the fun and enjoyment

of all Newtown's citizens. Some of the activities planned for this year are a

performance by the Norwalk Youth Symphony, the Artists Gathering, the Fourth

of July fireworks, Ye Old Summerfest, and the Labor Day Parade.

Arthur Bennett, park superintendent, has been given authorization by the Park

and Recreation Commission to seek a cost estimate for installing a speaker

system for the town park. Mr Bennett said there is no way, at present, to

communicate with residents at the park, such as when a child is reported lost.

Lee Davenson, recreation director, said lifeguards always clear the pond of

swimmers when a child is reported lost and a speaker system would speed up the

process considerably.

AUGUST 20, 1948

Newtown voters, by a margin of 292 votes, have expressed their opposition to

the planned regional high school. A total of 1,407 votes were cast during

balloting at Saturday's special town meeting on the question of whether to

proceed with a regional high school at a cost of not to exceed $1.5 million

for the four towns involved in the Regional District No 3. Following the

meeting, Dr J. Benton Egee tendered his resignation to both the Newtown Board

of Education and the Regional Board. He said that he felt compelled to resign

at this time because of the evidence that his educational philosophy is

seemingly at wide variance with that of a large number of the townspeople of

Newtown. A similar referendum vote will be held in the town of Woodbury on

August 28. Neither referendum will have legal bearing but will merely furnish

an expression of public opinion in the two towns. Dissolution of the district

can be accomplished only by the State Legislature.

Alex Clark, son of Mr and Mrs Robert J. Clark of Hawleyville, escaped with

minor injuries from an accident in Maine on August 14. He was one of 15 boys

and five staff members from Camp Kawanhee at Weld, Maine, who were riding in a

truck that plunged 35 feet from a bridge abutment to the stream below. Five

boys, one in serious condition, are still hospitalized, but the other

occupants of the truck were injured only slightly and were treated at the

scene by three local men and other campers. The accident is still under

investigation.

The Newtown Combined Fire Companies held their annual clambake and outing at

the Hawleyville firehouse last Sunday morning. More than 100 participated in

the all-day event, with the membership of all four companies being well

represented. An afternoon of sports included a softball game in which the

married men played the single men, ending in a 7-7 tie. Horseshoe pitching

also was included in the activities. The group was entertained with violin and

piano duets plus a recorded musical program. The committee in charge of the

annual affair consisted of Chief Harold Dunleavy of the Dodgingtown Company,

chairman, assisted by Robert Popovitch of Dodgingtown; Chief Peter Feli and

Edward Vreeland, president of the Hawleyville company, and Tony Digilio of the

Sandy Hook volunteers.

Approximately 75 party members attended the Republican caucus held in the

Alexandria Room of the Edmond Town Hall on Monday evening for the purpose of

electing delegates to the state, congressional, and senatorial conventions.

William W. Holcombe, chairman of the Republican Town Committee, presided over

the meeting.

The wreckage of the Army plane which struck high tension wires and crashed

into Lake Candlewood at 5:35 pm last Saturday was removed from the water late

Tuesday night by an Army salvage crew. The body of the pilot, Lieutenant

Raymond R. Mele, an army reserve pilot from Port Washington, N.Y., had been

discovered and removed by a diver on Monday. The wreckage was returned by

truck to Mitchell Field on Long Island, from where Lt Mele had started out on

a training flight on Saturday afternoon. Services for the pilot were held in

Port Washington on Thursday afternoon.

The League of Women Voters is holding an open meeting in Trinity Church on

August 24 at which all friends are cordially invited. This meeting is of

double interest for the league shall have the honor of meeting National LWV

President Anna Lord Strauss, who will speak informally. James Nevins Hyde also

will speak on "The US Position as to Strengthening the United Nations." Mr

Hyde, who home is on Taunton Lane, is an advisor on the Security Council and

Interim Committee Affairs with the US Mission to the United Nations. He will

be accompanying the commission to Paris for the forthcoming General Assembly

meeting.

The Newtown Visiting Nurse Association will begin its annual drive for funds

on August 23 and will extend the campaign through September 13. Miss Katherine

Kirby will serve as chairman of the drive. During the past year a number of

new health services have been carried out by the VNA, notably the X-ray

testing program of children and adults, and the purchase, through Thrift Shop

committee funds, of telebinocular and audiometer machines for sight and

hearing testing of school children. Well-child conferences and pre-school

children's conferences have been conducted; the hot lunch and milk program in

the schools has been continued; and the dental clinic, also financed by the

thrift shop, has been continued and extended.

The Newtown Bowling League will start its 1948-49 season on September 13 when

four of the sixteen teams will begin competition in the bowling alleys at

Edmond Town Hall, in two games scheduled at 7 and 9 o'clock.