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WAY WE WERE FOR OCTOBER 17, 1997

OCTOBER 20, 1972

Bee editor and publisher Paul Smith, who suffered a stroke two weeks ago,

announced this week that his son, R. Scudder Smith, will take over as managing

editor. Mr Smith said changes also were in the works because of the retirement

this week of Mrs Arthur (Neise) Boyer, the news editor. Her position will be

filled by John Chabot Smith, a resident of Newtown and longtime newspaperman.

"As I have placed the reins of management of The Bee , at least for a

considerable period of time, in other hands, I do so with the hope that The

Bee will continue on its high plane toward its 100th birthday, which will be

here in a few years," Mr Smith said.

Movie production crews and actors from Rastar Pictures were in town on Friday

to shoot part of Death of A Snow Queen , starring Joanne Woodward, at the old

Boyle Farm on Boggs Hill Road. The movie, which will be released through

Columbia Pictures, also will be shot in Europe. Steward Stern, who wrote the

screenplay, also wrote the screenplay for Rachel, Rachel , also starring Ms

Woodward, which was filmed in Newtown and Bethel several years ago. He

describes this latest movie as being the personal, sensitive story of a woman

in her early 40s who has come to grips with her own mortality. Friday's shoot

in Newtown was a flashback scene featuring Helen Ludlum, who plays Ms

Woodward's grandmother.

The Community Development Action Plan (CDAP) public hearing on October 5,

called by the Board of Selectmen, resulted in the writing of an additional

five programs which will be included in the total package of recommendations

to be presented at a town meeting on November 9. The additions bring the

number of proposed CDAP programs to 90. One of the new programs is the

creation of an Economic Development Commission. Another is under recreation

and would create a network of cycle paths through the town's parks, open

spaces, school areas and parallel to selected roads. A similar program under

transportation would devise bicycle paths to central, school and recreational

areas of town from outlying areas. A "modern and scientific long-range solid

waste disposal program" has been added to the report. A new program under

transportation would create direct access between Newtown and Route 34 without

going through Sandy Hook Center.

At Tuesday night's Board of Selectmen meeting, selectmen Thomas Goosman and

Mrs Diana Schwerdtle joined First Selectman Frank DeLucia in opposition to the

proposed race track. Mrs Schwerdtle said the horse racing track "would ruin

our town. It would mean the end of Newtown as the community we desire to live

in." Mr DeLucia said he has asked each of the town's boards and commissions to

prepare its own report to the Planning and Zoning Commission for the hearing

on November 17 and 18. The reports will examine the effect of the track on

taxes, police and fire protection, highways, traffic patterns, park and

recreation needs, public health, housing, zoning and other town services.

The pros and cons of flying radio controlled model airplanes in Newtown were

heard at a lengthy Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Friday night at

Edmond Town Hall. Eleven residents who live near the old Botsford Railroad

Station area, where the Radio Control Club of Connecticut flies its planes,

turned out to strongly oppose the activity. The club had submitted a proposed

change to the town's zoning regulations to allow recreational use of town

lands by the airplane group and other clubs and organizations. But most

discussion at the hearing focused on safety and noise issues. Testimony from

those opposed to the proposal said that at least 11 crashes or landings near

houses have occurred. Others objected to the noise, complaining that flying

has started as early as 7:30 am and continued all day on weekends. It was also

pointed out that there are only three Newtown residents among the 30 members

of the flying club. No action was taken at the hearing.

OCTOBER 17, 1947

Close to 1,000 people crowded into the gymnasium of Edmond Town Hall last

Friday evening to attend the largest, and perhaps the longest, town meeting in

the history of Newtown. At 11:45 pm those attending voted by a slim 27-vote

margin to withdraw from the planned Regional High School District No. 3 and

spend up to $700,000 for a separate school building in Newtown. The meeting

had been called as a result of petitions that were circulated by the Newtown

Republican Club, headed by Jerome Mayer, president, and Herbert Janzer,

chairman of the club's education committee and chief spokesman. Proponents of

the regional school -- which also would serve Southbury, Woodbury and

Bethlehem -- said a larger school could support a much more diverse

curriculum; opponents wanted the school to be built in Newtown rather than, as

planned, in Southbury.

More than 80 men attended the one-day retreat last Sunday for the men of St

Rose parish, believed to be the first such retreat ever held in the parish.

The retreat opened with an 11 am Mass celebrated by the Rev John F. Culliton.

The day included four conferences, a hot roast beef luncheon, a softball game

and a game of horseshoes. William Mannix, chairman of the parish committee,

supervised the serving of the luncheon which was prepared by Joseph Savelli,

who was assisted by women of the parish. During the afternoon, the following

officers were elected to the Holy Name Society: William Kayfus, president;

Thomas Cunningham, vice president; J. William Hayes, secretary; and Leo

Carbonneau, treasurer.

As usual, the children of Newtown will be able to enjoy Halloween at parties

which are planned in the Hawley School gym and auditorium and in the gym at

Edmond Town Hall. The elementary school party will be held at Hawley under the

supervision of Miss Ann Anderson, the girls' physical education teacher, from

6:30 to 8:30 pm. Those 14 years and older are invited to a dance at the town

hall under the supervision of the ROMP committee which plans to have an

orchestra on hand for the evening. The evening will begin with games.

Virginia Laborde, who has been confined to Englewood Hospital for the past

seven weeks because of a polio attack, has shown encouraging improvement

during the past seven weeks, according to her parents, Mr and Mrs Justin D.

Laborde. Because of her illness, Virginia was the first member enrolled in the

current session of the Ksh I La La Campfire Girls.

Plans are being made for an Armistice Day memorial parade to be held in

Newtown on the morning of November 11, sponsored by the Raymond L. Pease Post

163, American Legion. The Charles H. Peck Sr and Jr Post 308 will send their

colors and a color guard. The Connecticut National Guard Battery at Danbury

also has been invited to participate. A. Fenn Dickinson will act as the parade

marshal. The US Army disciplinary barracks at Green Haven, N.Y., has assigned

a firing squad consisting of enlisted men for the occasion and Master Sergeant

Richard F. Stone from the same unit will be the principal speaker.

Selwyn Lane left Newtown last Thursday to enlist in the US Army in New York

City and become the fifth son and sixth member of the Walnut Tree Hill family

to serve in the armed services. His brother, Staff Sgt Wallace E. Lane, is

being treated at the hospital at Camp Kilmer after serving for a year and a

half in Germany in the US Army Air Force. Two other brothers served in the US

Army, and another one served in the Canadian Navy during World War II. Their

father, Richard E. Lane, served during the war with the Cameron Highlanders, a

Scottish regiment of the Canadian Army.