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THE WAY WE WERE FOR SEPTEMBER 26, 1997

SEPTEMBER 29, 1972

More than 100 Newtowners registered, in the first selectman's office, their

opposition to the proposed race track in Newtown on the first two and one-half

days this week. Petitions against the track are circulating. The Bee has

received many letters and many persons have stopped at the newspaper office or

called to express their opposition. It has been noted that the location of the

proposed track, west of Toddy Hill Road, is directly in the path of the

proposed new routes for a Route 25 bypass through Newtown. A planning meeting

for those opposed to the race track has been scheduled for 2:15 pm on Sunday,

October 1, on the steps of Edmond Town Hall.

On October 1, the age of majority in Connecticut will be lowered from 21 to

18. Connecticut is one of 15 states which have lowered the age of majority in

1972; eight other states did the same in 1970 and 1971. Now 18-year-olds will

be able to vote, to buy and consume alcohol, to obtain financial loans and

negotiate formal contracts, and marry without parental consent. They also will

no longer be considered minors within the context of the welfare laws and may

no longer be classified as dependents.

Jeanne Hubbell, head registrar of voters, told the Board of Finance Monday

evening that Newtown is required to have 14 voting machines in the November 7

election because state law requires one voting machine for each 900 registered

voters. For this election, Newtown must set up five polling places, although

one will be only used by about 550 voters. There will be two voting places in

the First District and three in Sandy Hook. Voters will go to polling places

which are different from the ones they previously used and will be notified by

mail about where to vote.

There was a standing room only audience at Tuesday evening's Board of

Education meeting in the middle school when the topic of school use was on the

agenda. Members of the Parks and Recreation Commission and the St Rose Sports

Guild were there for a return visit to try to settle differences regarding the

use of school gyms. Wilton Lackaye of SAC (Boys' Social and Athletic Club of

Sandy Hook) was there to ask for a small amount of gym time for his

organization. The school board agreed, with Lester Boroughs casting the only

negative vote, to put the use of school facilities for unrelated activities in

the hands of the Parks and Recreation Commission. Arthur Spector then asked

whether the resolution should include playing fields. Dr Strasburger, board

chairman, said the question would be taken under advisement and he would have

an answer in a few days.

The Great Danbury State Fair will open Saturday for its 103rd year and

continue for 10 days through October 9. The fair managers expect it to be very

successful because annual attendance figures have been climbing regularly to a

point where the fair now boasts attendance of nearly a third of a million

people each year. The gates will open at 9:30 am each day and close at 7 pm.

General admission is $2.25 for adults and $1.10 for children under 12. Babes

in arms are admitted free.

Volunteers are busy trying to clean out the brush from the drainage ditches

which surround Taylor Field behind Hawley School where the Pop Warner Football

games are played. A large group of kids and grownups spent the past few

Saturdays hard at work at the task but there is still much to be done as the

ditches are still clogged. Volunteers with chain saws are especially needed as

well as persons with strong backs.

SEPTEMBER 26, 1947

About 200 residents came to a special town meeting in the Alexandria Room of

Edmond Town Hall last Thursday evening and voted 94 to 87 to reject the plans

for an addition and alterations to Hawley School and instead hire an architect

to draw up a new set of plans and specifications. Ben D. Smith, chairman of

the School Building Committee, said the low bid for the proposed project was

$532,815. An alternate proposal, without the gym and kindergarten, was

$434,351. The committee recommended, and the voters agreed, to hire an

architect to draw up a new set of plans for the construction of at least eight

classrooms, together with whatever additional facilities that might be

provided, for a sum not to exceed $300,000. This amount does not include the

$50,000 state grant nor the $30,000 in town surplus funds that will be used

for the project.

Lillian E. Brennan, who arrived in Newtown at the beginning of the school

year, is director of Newtown's new public school program which provides for

music appreciation and participation at all grade levels. Miss Brennan, who

came here from Brooklyn, N.Y., earned an A.B. degree in music at Hunter

College in New York City, studied for two summers at the Julliard School of

Music and earned a master's degree in music at Smith College. Miss Brennan

will provide bi-weekly musical instruction to each class in grades one through

eight. Instrumental music will be offered on a limited basis in grades four

and up. High school students will study choral music on a voluntary basis.

Mr and Mrs William Hanlon of the Berkshire district were given a surprise

party at a regular meeting of the Charles Howard Peck Sr and Jr Post 308, VFW

Auxiliary in St John's Church in Sandy Hook last week. The party honored their

59th wedding anniversary. Mrs Hanlon had just returned from the Auxiliary

National Convention which was held in Cleveland on September 4-8; she was the

local auxiliary's delegate.

Jumping into a three-run lead in the first inning, the Newtown Bees trimmed

Bethany 12-6 on Sunday afternoon and evened the series in the playoffs for the

Pomperaug Valley League Title.

The first Member-Guest Golf Tournament was held at Newtown Country Club this

past weekend with the low gross event going to Walter Klinger of Bridgeport

and Ed Deegan of Mill River over Walter Collet of Newtown and Bruno Pardee of

New Haven. Mr Pardee is the former New England public links champion, New

Haven city amateur champion and the winner of many individual tournaments.

Some of New England's finest competitive golfers took part in the event which

is planned to be held annually.

The 500th meeting of the Men's Literary and Social Club of Newtown Street,

originally scheduled to take place Wednesday evening at the Old Hundred in

Southbury, has been postponed until next month.