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THE WAY WE WERE FOR AUGUST 15, 1997

AUGUST 4, 1972

Area residents crowded the public hearing room at the Department of

Environmental Protection in Hartford on Wednesday to hear an application by

the Royal Corporation of Waterbury to dump 85,000 gallons of treated sewage

into the Pomperaug River. Among Newtown's delegation was Polly Brody. Many

Southbury residents and town officials also attended to protest the company's

application as detrimental to the environment.

More than 200 Newtown residents have signed petitions asking that more care be

taken to prevent patients at Fairfield Hills Hospital from wandering off the

grounds to nearby homes. Mr and Mrs John Miner of Nunnawauk Road have written

to The Bee about this growing problem. And Mr and Mrs Cecil Craft of Mile Hill

Road said a patient entered their home, picked up a knife and demanded

transportation to Bridgeport. The residents said they do not consider the

patients to be criminals but they are concerned about the safety of everyone

involved.

First Selectman Frank DeLucia this week said Newtown's sewer plan is expected

to be approved by the state but construction is still years away. He said he

spoke with officials of the Water Resources Commission on the status of

Newtown's preliminary plans for the installation of sewers mandated by the

state. Formal approval from the state will be sent soon. However, Newtown has

been pushed down on the list because of lack of state funds. It is now

estimated it will be at least six years before construction will begin.

The State Police said they are considering moving the Ridgefield barracks to

Newtown. Capt Joseph Hart visited Fairfield Hills Hospital during the past

week to look over the possibilities. The land under consideration is about 10

acres near Commerce Road. With the present security problem at Fairfield

Hills, it is felt the move would provide another measure of security for

Newtown residents.

Testimony ended Tuesday afternoon before Judge Frank Covello, state referee,

in Hartford in the suit over the town's decision to acquire the Boyle property

on Boggs Hill Road by condemnation as a site for a new elementary school. It

is expected a decision will be rendered within two months. Among those who

testified were some of the property owners who purchased the property before

the condemnation, Superintendent of Schools James B. Boyd, Board of Education

Chairman Dr Russell Strasburger, Harry Greenman, chairman of the Public

Building Committee, and Edward Sullivan, a member of the ad hoc Site Selection

Committee appointed by the school board to help select a site.

AUGUST 15, 1947

Following a visit to Newtown last Wednesday by Harry Bock, town aid supervisor

of the State Highway Department, announcement was made that the sum of $23,668

had been set aside by the state as Newtown's share of the funds to repair

roads. Work was started on Hanover Road and considerable work also has been

done in the Taunton district. The condition of roads in Newtown has been a

major topic at town meetings this year. It is expected that the state funds

will assure the continuance of roadwork until at least the end of September.

There was considerable excitement in Taunton district on Saturday night and

Sunday morning. The farm buildings of both Ed Camp and Fred Luf burned to the

ground in fires caused by an unusually vicious electrical storm. Fifty head of

sheep belonging to the Van Billiards were in Camp's barn but they were led to

safety. However, Mr Van Billiard lost all of the hay which he so laboriously

harvested during his two-week vacation along with his tractor and a brand new

electric saw. Stanley Blackman also was using the barn to store his hay, which

he lost. After the fire was put out, everyone went home to bed because the

electrical power was out. Shortly after 11 pm, alarms were sounded again as

the Luf barn was reported to be on fire. Residents from as far away as

Brookfield and Danbury came to see the spectacle, causing one of the most

needless of traffic jams. Many people parked their cars in the roads and left

their vehicles, taking their keys with them, making it almost impossible for

fire equipment to reach the scene. Mr Luf managed to get two bulls out of the

barn but a heifer was lost. He also removed two tractors and a few farm

implements from the blazing building but was unable to do any more. All of the

town's fire companies and the Bethel fire department responded to the fires.

Shipments of new and used clothing, layettes, blankets and shoes are being

made on a weekly basis from Newtown by the Inter-Church Committee of the

Congregational and Episcopal churches to assist in the relief of war-torn

Europe. The items were sent to the Church World Service Center at Long Island

City, New York. The center reported that last year $10 million in money and $5

million in food, clothing, bedding, seeds, tools and medicine were shipped to

churches and mission centers in Europe and Asia for distribution on the basis

of need.

The Newtown Bees took another hurdle in their race for the championship of the

Pomperaug Valley Baseball League on Sunday afternoon when they defeated the

Southbury nine at Taylor Field by a score of 13-3. The Bees will play Stepney

next Sunday.

The Intercity Bus Company said this week that it wishes to express its regret

that the noise of its busses has discomfited Newtown residents. The company is

aware of the problem of noise and has tried to correct the matter in its own

garage. Being unable to do so, it has sent for two men from the General Motors

plant to rectify the matter. In the meantime, the company asks everyone to

bear with them.