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WAY WE WERE 12/12/97

DECEMBER 15, 1972

Newtown's first revenue-sharing checks were received from the US Treasury

Department this week and they turned out to be a lot smaller than expected --

a total of $61,938 instead of the anticipated $102,000. US Treasury Secretary

George Shultz announced that last-minute changes in the allocations had been

made using tax data from 1971 instead of the 1965-6 data that had been used in

the preliminary estimates. First Selectman Frank DeLucia immediately wrote to

Senator Lowell Weicker asking him to find out why Newtown's share had been cut

by 40 percent and whether a mistake had been made in the computations.

Newtown may have another shopping center if a petition for a change of zone

from residential to commercial for property at the corner of The Boulevard and

Church Hill Road is approved. The property in question is six acres including

the former Beers property and adjoining property on Church Hill Road where a

gas station operated by R.H. Holcomb now stands. The petition was filed by

attorney Seth O.L. Brody on behalf of the present owners, Ernest A. Wiehl, Jr,

and William A. Wiehl and prospective purchasers Cyril H. Mantell and Thomas R.

Lyons. A public hearing on the petition has been scheduled for December 19.

Clifford Bulmer of Great Quarter Road in Sandy Hook was unanimously elected

the new chairman of the Republican Town Committee at the committee's December

11 meeting. Mrs Walter Lane, present vice chairlady, will continue in that

position. Mrs Harriet Lajoie, secretary, and Andrew Lapati, treasurer, also

will continue in their posts.

The Robert Hall family of Nettleton Avenue were among the spectators who saw

the liftoff of Apollo 17, man's last trip to the moon, at Cape Kennedy. Margot

and Bob Hall and their children were among 40,000 persons who had received

NASA guest passes for the event through the office of Senator Weicker. Mr Hall

wrote that his family watched the launch from the guest viewing area which was

located next to the Vehicle Assembly Building, about three miles from the

launch pad itself. "Unless you are Vice President Agnew, who watched the

launch from the control bunker, everyone gets to view from the same distance

away," Mr Hall said.

The Board of Education confirmed on December 12 the appointment of James J.

Naughton as school business manager. Dr Naughton has been a consultant in the

bureau of educational management and finance at the Connecticut State

Department of Education for the past 13 years. He lives in West Hartford. The

school board received 218 applications from candidates and interviewed 29 of

the applicants before settling on Dr Naughton. He graduated from Central

Connecticut State College with a bachelor's degree in accounting, received a

master's in accounting from New York University and a doctorate in philosophy

from the University of Connecticut.

The Board of Burgesses of the Borough of Newtown decided at its meeting last

Monday to meet with Newtown First Selectman Frank DeLucia and Police

Commissioner Alfred Karcheski to discuss the need for an organized and safe

pattern to govern the flow of traffic through the Queen Street Shopping

Center, and the need for more effective and enforceable traffic ordinances,

including a parking ordinance.

The Newtown Christian Church this week introduced its new minister, Rick

Fordyce. He is a graduate of Johnson Bible College in Knoxville, Tenn. Before

coming to Newtown he held ministries in St Charles, Va., Hollis, Queens; and

Lynnbrook, N.Y.

DECEMBER 12, 1947

Newtown's football team tied with Washington for first place in the Housatonic

Valley Schoolmen's League. The team includes Millard Goodsell, Richard

Knutson, John Lorenzo, Kenneth Anderson, Dick Herring, Mickey Keogh, Harry

Lake, Kenneth Pelletier, Robert Richmond, Jack Watkins, Eric Johnson, Ralph

Berkemann and Kenneth Wiser, and James Pelletier. Harold DeGroat was the

coach.

Mr and Mrs William Arthur Bowen, owners and operators of the Hawley Manor,

announce the engagement of their daughter, Mary Ann, to Donald William Moxley,

son of Mr W. Royden Moxley and the late Mrs Moxley of Greenwich. They expect

to be married on December 31 in Newtown. Miss Bowen, a member of Delta Zeta,

is a junior at the University of Connecticut, where Mr Moxley is also a

student. He served three years in the Armed Forces before returning to

college.

The damage caused by the storms of early November has been as nearly repaired

as is possible so late in the year, according to the Board of Selectmen. Some

roads which were completely destroyed have been, or are in the process of

being, replaced. Although costs cannot be determined yet, the board believes

they will be much higher than anticipated, due in part to the need to blast

out ledges to create storm drainage.

A very successful scrap drive was held last Saturday afternoon by the Newtown

Scouts and Camp Fire Girls in spite of inclement weather which included a

sleet storm the previous day. Between four and six tons of paper and a

quantity of scrap metal was collected and turned over to a Danbury dealer with

an expected return of between $40 and $50. The Senior Girl Scouts who

participated included Joan Glover, Carolyn Paulis, Betty Seman, Shirley Weeks

and Gerry Maurer. The intermediate Girl Scouts were Theresa Gilbert, Claire

Jandreau, Cynthia Eaton and Marie Ferris, and the Camp Fire Girls included

Ruth and Janet Berglund, Barbara and Marion Drew and Kathleen McMahon.

The rear wheels of an automobile owned by Martin J. McGrath of the

Danbury-Newtown Road were stolen Monday night. Mr McGrath's garage was

entered, the car jacked up and the rear wheels, with two new tires, removed.

Gifts are being solicited for the patients in the 34 wards at Fairfield Hills

Hospital. Several Newtown organizations are cooperating by acting as clearing

houses in efforts to make this Christmas a happy one at the hospital. Hospital

authorities request that there be no gifts contained in glass, or sharp

instruments of any kind. Contents should be listed on the outside wrapper.

About 400 patients will be able to spend Christmas with their families but all

of the rest will be at the hospital for the holidays.

Town and borough officials and delegates from various civic, fraternal and

social organizations were among the mourners at the funeral of John J.

Northrop on Monday afternoon. Members of the Men's Social and Literary Club of

Newtown were the honorary pallbearers. There also was a large delegation from

the Pohtatuck Grange and Fairfield County Pomona Grange. Mr Northrop was born

in Head of Meadow district on November 9, 1863, a son of the late State

Senator William Northrop and Julia (Lamberton) Northrop. He was educated in

the Newtown schools and served as postmaster of Newtown during the

administration of President Grover Cleveland. He also represented Newtown in

the General Assembly and served as first selectman in the town.