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THE WAY WE WERE FOR AUGUST 29, 1997

SEPTEMBER 1, 1972

The Newtown Park and Recreation Commission this week announced the selection

of M. Lee Davenson to fill the vacant position of recreation director. Mr

Davenson currently is park and recreation director for the town of Clinton. Mr

Davenson, 24, is married and the father of two children. He earned bachelor's

degree in recreation from Virginia Commonwealth College. The Davensons plan to

move to Newtown when he assumes his duties on September 18.

With school opening only days away, there is still no agreement on a contract

between the Board of Education and the Education Association of Newtown, the

union which represents the teachers. Negotiators for the board and the EAN met

last week following a report issued by the state arbitrators. Despite

disagreement with some parts of the decision, the school board has decided to

accept the majority opinion of the arbitrators and asked the EAN to continue

negotiations, if necessary, beyond the September 6 opening of school so as not

to interfere with the school calendar.

At First Selectman Frank DeLucia's request, CL&P has made recommendations for

the placement of more street lights in six locations in the area around

Fairfield Hills Hospital. Dr Robert Miller, the hospital superintendent, also

has agreed to meet with neighbors and interested townspeople at 7:30 pm on

September 13 in Cochrane House to discuss what the hospital is doing in

response to a number of incidents in which patients have wandered off the

grounds and confronted residents.

Approximately 4,495 students are expected when schools open on September 6, an

increase of 51 over the earlier anticipated enrollment. The middle school has

1,457 enrolled, 74 more than those enrolled last June and 22 more than had

been anticipated. There were 4,262 students enrolled when school closed in

June but families move into and out of town during the summer so the official

enrollment count is not done until October 1 each year.

Thomas S. Watkins of the Watkins Wire Company on Glen Road in Sandy Hook has

made $2,500 available to the town of New Milford for reconstruction of the

bridge over the West Aspetuck River near Scovill Manufacturing Company. The

offer climaxed several weeks of exchange between Mr Watkins and New Milford

selectmen over the bridge and access to the company's mill on Wells Road in

New Milford.

This year's Labor Day Parade will be bigger and better than ever. The parade

will follow its normal route, then regroup in the Grand Union parking lot and

those who wish to will proceed down Queen Street to Fairfield Hills Hospital.

The marchers will proceed through the hospital grounds and onto Route 34, then

down Toddy Hill Road to Buckingham Gardens Convalescent Home (which later

became Ashlar). In charge of the parade this year are the Newtown Jaycees,

with Chris Spiro, Bob Rubinstein and their committee doing all the organizing.

AUGUST 29, 1947

Early Tuesday evening, Harry F. Bradley of Sugar Street, a member of one of

Newtown's old families, was stricken by cerebral hemorrhage from which he died

a short time later. The sudden attacked occurred at his house, not long after

Mr Bradley had returned from the Fabric Fire Hose Company in Sandy Hook, where

he was employed as maintenance foreman. He had been with the company a total

of 42 years. The son of Thomas F. and Mary Houlihan Bradley, he was Democratic

registrar of voters for 28 years, a former town judge and for many years

assessor for the Borough of Newtown.

Dr W.F. Desmond, health officer for Newtown, said that within the past five

days there have been three cases of infantile paralysis (polio) in this area:

one case in Danbury, one in Bethel and one in Sandy Hook. The local child was

Virginia Laborde, 11, who has been hospitalized at Englewood Hospital in

Bridgeport. It is important for children and adults to avoid bathing in

congested areas and to call their family physician at the first sign of fever,

runny nose, vomiting, abdominal pains, frontal headache or stiff neck.

Residents also should be aware that the water in the pond at the corner of Gas

Street and Cemetery Avenue has been analyzed and is unsafe for bathing.

With an indicated probable enrollment of 622 students, 25 more than the

capacity enrollment of the 1946-47 school year, all school facilities in

Newtown will be used to their limit this school year, according to Principal

Carl LeGrow. In preparation for next week's opening of school, the buildings

have been repaired and cleaned. Probable enrollments include Hawley School,

362; Sandy Hook, 115; St Rose, 60; Huntingtown, 36; Flat Swamp, 24; Lands End,

29.

The marriage of William A. Honan, Jr, son of Mr and Mrs William Honan of Main

Street, and Miss Jeanne M. Craffey, daughter of Mr and Mrs John J. Craffey of

Dorchester, Mass., will take place at St Peter's Church in Dorchester on

Saturday morning, August 30, at 9 o'clock. Miss Craffey is connected with the

Boston office of the John Hancock Insurance Company. Mr Honan is associated in

business with his father.

The Republican Town Committee will endorse the following slate at a caucus to

be held at Edmond Town Hall on September 5: George H. Tower and Frank H.

Strasburger, assessor; F. Robert Mount, Board of Tax Review; W.W. Holcombe,

first selectman; Frederick Bresson, Jr, selectman; Herman W. Parker, town

treasurer; Ervin C. Stickles, Jr, and Joseph Symonds, registrars of voters; J.

Benton Egee, MD, and Nelson J. Curtis, Board of Education; Allen Northey

Jones, Board of Finance; Robert N. Camp, tax collector; James B. Forbes, Town

Hall Committee; J. Frederick Seman, John J. Picone, Hiram Hanlon and Albert

Boyson, constables.