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THE WAY WE WERE FOR SEPTEMBER 19, 1997

SEPTEMBER 22, 1972

At a press conference held by the Old Rock Road Corporation (ORR), 30 or more

media representatives were told that Newtown is the ideal location for

Connecticut's first, and perhaps only, horse racing track. The developers want

to use 428 acres in the Toddy Hill-New Lebbon-High Bridge Road area to

construct a $27 million race track. The land currently is one- and two-acre

farming and residential zoning. ORR is applying for repeal of an old provision

barring auto racing in Newtown and also for changes in the zoning regulations

to permit construction of a track or tracks for flat and for harness racing in

a new race track zone. Other variances or exceptions also will have to be

obtained to permit creation of an infield lake, a 50-foot-high grandstand and

the sale of alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption. The area currently

brings in less than $5,000 a year in property taxes. ORR said a race track

will bring in about $860,000 in 1975, the year it would be completed, with

close to $1 million anticipated on the Grand List for the following year. The

track will bring 190 days of racing, quarters for 1,700 horses, and parking

for 7,800 cars and 75 buses.

On Thursday evening, September 14, the Newtown Democratic Committee named

Diana Schwerdtle to fill the post of the late Democratic Selectman Sidney

Seligmann who died recently. Two other candidates were named at the meeting,

Kenneth Casey, who was the Democratic selectman for Newtown for many years,

and Herb Rosenthal. Mrs Schwerdtle was sworn in Wednesday evening by Town

Clerk Barbara Parker. She will serve with First Selectman Frank DeLucia and

Selectman Thomas Goosman. A graduate of Middlebury College and former teacher,

Mrs Schwerdtle is past president of the League of Women Voters, a member of

the Charter Revision Commission and a member of CDAP's Committee on

Transportation.

Representatives of the Boggs Hill Group, owners of the Boyle property which

the Board of Education is attempting to obtain through condemnation for an

800-pupil elementary school, have filed for a restraining order to keep title

of the property from passing to the town. They have also filed an appeal to

set aside the recent Superior Court decision in favor of the school board.

At its meeting on September 19, the Park & Recreation Commission unanimously

passed an amended motion to give $700 to the Newtown Hockey and Skating

Association to use towards the cost of renting ice time this winter at the

rink at The Gunnery school in Washington. The commission also passed a motion

regarding its use of Newtown school facilities for community activities in an

attempt to compromise with the St Rose Sports Guild which also wants to use

many of the same facilities on the same evenings.

A Wisconsin woman was killed and her husband was injured as a result of an

accident on Route 6 in Newtown on September 17. According to police, a car

driven by John Landgraf, Jr, was traveling west on Route 6 when it made a left

turn in front of a car driven by a young Newtown resident. Elenore Landgraf

was pronounced dead at the scene. Mr Landgraf and the other driver, George

Decker of Birch Hill Road, were taken to Danbury Hospital for treatment.

SEPTEMBER 19, 1947

Last Friday's Democratic caucus, held in the Alexandria Room at Edmond Town

Hall, was well attended. It was presided over by Judge Paul V. Cavanaugh, who

later tendered his resignation as Democratic Town Committee chairman, making

the recommendation of attorney John F. Holian as his successor. In the

nomination for the Board of Education, William A. Honan, who has served as

chairman for several years, won the nomination over Ellis Gladwin. Among the

other nominees were A. Fenn Dickinson for first selectman; Arthur E. McCollam,

second selectman; and Walter Gutman, town clerk.

The Newtown Visiting Nurse Association brought its annual drive for

memberships to an official close this week. Fifty-eight collectors covered the

town, which was divided into 38 divisions. A special gifts committee headed by

Gould Curtis solicited business establishments. Gifts and memberships

contributed ranged from 25 cents to $50, including a memorial given in the

name of Karl A. Minor. The drive netted nearly $2,000.

St Rose Church was the scene of a pretty wedding Saturday morning when nearly

300 relatives and friends gathered as Dorothy Marion Quinn, the daughter of Mr

and Mrs Hugh Quinn, became the bride of James Gordon Cavanaugh, son of Mr and

Mrs James Cavanaugh of the Botsford district. Marie Cavanaugh, sister of the

groom, was the maid of honor. The best man was Joseph Cavanaugh, brother of

the groom. The Rev Walter R. Conroy, pastor, performed the ceremony and

celebrated the nuptial Mass which followed. After the service, the bridal

party was the guest of Rev Conroy at a wedding breakfast in the rectory.

Afterwards a reception was held at the parish hall for the wedding guests.

Failure to make one or two timely hits cost the Newtown Bees Sunday's ball

game in the first in the two-out-of-three final series to determine the winner

in this year's Pomperaug Valley League. Bethany, the successful invaders of

Taylor Field, took home a well-earned 5-3 victory.

Charlotte H. Ishman, teaching principal at Sandy Hook School for several

years, this fall began her new job as supervisor of instruction for the

schools of Newtown, Southbury, Woodbury and Bethlehem. Miss Ishham is a

graduate of Danbury State Teachers College and has a master's degree from

Yale. She has taught school in Terryville, Harwinton and Litchfield, and has

been principal and first grade teacher at Sandy Hook School since 1943.

Mrs William A. Bowen, proprietor of the Hawley Manor, invites everyone to the

Harvest Suppers which will be held on Saturday nights in September, October

and November. Seatings are at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30. The buffet-style dinner is

$1.50. Reservations, please.