Tuesday night, Superintendent of Schools Albert Brinkman asked for and got from Board of Education members approval for a timetable to work within in preparation for the opening of the Head of Meadow elementary school in September of 1977.

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 As of December 13, the Republican Town Committee will be seeing a change of leadership as Lyman D. Rogers, present committee chairman, has let it be known he will not be seeking reelection to his post. Mr Rogers’ announcement came during an executive session of the town committee called during its regular meeting on Monday night. He was elected chairman two years ago, and in giving his resignation, Mr Rogers said he felt that it was time for someone else to take over leadership of the party.

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First Selectman Jack Rosenthal was all set last week, he had informed the Newtown Public Building Committee, to go to a hearing before the Planning and Zoning to ask that the zone of the town landfill be changed, in connection with the planned construction of a new town garage. Legal advertisement was being prepared. P&Z Chairman Robert DiGiovanni expected the hearing would take place Monday, November 22, but…Nobody asked the Board of Selectmen. The first selectman admitted to The Bee that he had been under the mistaken impression that the selectmen had authorized him in July to bring a zone change request to the Planning and Zoning Commission. A thorough search through the board’s minutes this week, however, showed this wasn’t the case.

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First Selectman Jack Rosenthal announced that he asked the town’s labor negotiator, Joseph Bogdan, to file an unfair labor practices charge against the Newtown Police Department’s union. Mr Rosenthal alleged Wednesday that Stanley Kravicky, negotiator for the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, has failed to sign the contract between the town and union for the 1975-77 period. The contract for the period beginning in July, 1975, was basically agreed to last November, but the police and town squared off on several language clauses after Mr Rosenthal came into office in January. The police force members have been paid under the terms of the unsigned contract since it was agreed to last fall. Both sides filed prohibited practices charges and finally sat down on July 7 and hammered out a memorandum of agreement which was initialed. The contract was supposed to be signed after the police typed it up but that has not happened.

***

Newtown High School’s math team continued its outstanding performance by placing first at a meet held recently at Pomperaug High School. Newtown sent four teams to the meet and the highest scoring team represented the school. Members of winning team “A” were Paul Fleming, Kevin Murphy, Doug Darrow, Becky Hannah and Peter Goebel.

***

Six Newtown residents will be among 94 employees who will be honored at a banquet ceremony to be held as part of the 28th anniversary celebration of Vitramon Inc on November 4 and 6. Ron Schneider will receive a pin for 20 years of service, while Tad Hjerpe will be honored for ten years of service. Five-year service pins will be awarded to Bernice Dacolti and Henry Erickson and three-year pins to Bradley Flynn and Ann Gardner.

***

For the time being, at least until 1979, Newtown’s present school grade structure will remain the same; K-5 in the elementary schools, 6-8 in Middle School, and 9-12 in high school. The decision to retain the present system was made by Board of Education members Tuesday night upon the recommendation of Superintendent of Schools Dr Albert Brinkman. Dr Brinkman told board members that if current enrollment figures were taken for Newtown now, a decline in elementary enrollment is predicted—about 100 students within the next five years.

NOVEMBER 16, 1951

Organized league basketball will return to Newtown during this 1951-52 hoop season after a two-year absence. The announcement was made by Director of Recreation Harold S. DeGroat who told The Bee that already three teams have made plans to enter this season’s Newtown Basetball League. The squads named were Curtis Box, Fairfield State Hospital and a town quintet.

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Armistice Day exercises were conducted in two consecutive assemblies following school opening in Hawley School last Friday morning. Students of the seventh and eighth grades attended the first assembly, with high school students attending the latter. A short play appropriate to the day was presented by students in John Sweeney’s seventh grade class, who also read a number of poems. Judge Paul V. Cavanaugh spoke on the meaning of Armistice Day, and Joseph Ozanne, teacher of French, led the students in singing patriotic songs.

***

Miss Florence Pease was again named master of Pootatuck Grange at its annual meeting conducted on Tuesday evening in Grange Hall. Other officers were elected as follows: Willis F. Arndt, overseer; Mrs Sarah R. Slocum, lecturer; John Morgan, steward; Nicholas Sagnella, Jr, assistant steward; Mrs Elsie J. Smith, chaplain; W. John Murphy, treasurer; Mrs Rosa Lee Adams, secretary; Walter Shaw, gatekeeper; Mrs David Hayden, Ceres; Mrs Walter Shaw, Pomona; Mrs Eileen Artruc, Flora; Miss Jane Slocum, lady assistant steward; Judge Edward S. Pitzschler, member of the executive committee for three years.

***

A feature of the opening of the Tru Value store at the Shopping Center, has been the awarding of the Wilson Deep Freeze which has been on display there. From the many numbered tickets, 60,156 has been drawn, giving the holder of that number the opportunity to take home the freezer.

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There was a good attendance of members at the 36th annual meeting of the Fairfield County Farm Bureau in Edmond Town Hall on Tuesday, when Lestre F. Reynolds of Newtown was elected for his third term as president during a program that continued through morning and afternoon sessions.

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Election of officers took place at the meeting of the Newtown Ambulance Association held in Edmond Town Hall on Thursday of last week. Elected were Mrs Ralph Knibloe, president; A. Fenn Dickinson, vice president; Mrs Harold S. DeGroat, secretary; and Mrs Edward Wight, treasurer.

***

The annual Christmas Seal sale to fight tuberculosis, under sponsorship of the Newtown Visiting Nurse Association, will open in Newtown next Monday. Seals are being mailed to all Newtown residents with requests for payment at $1 per sheet. Additional sheets may be obtained from the chairman, Mrs Charles F. Cavanaugh. Seals and pins are being distributed among the school students through the kindness of Miss Martha Kline, school nurse.

NOVEMBER 12, 1926

Elliott H. Platt of Newtown, secretary to Commissioner of Agriculture Philo T. Platt, has been appointed to represent the State of Connecticut at a meeting of the Program Committee of the New England Council being held at Boston, Saturday, to prepare final plans for the meeting of the Council to be held at Hartford this year on December 9. Governor Trumbull is deeply interested in the success of Connecticut as a whole, and it was largely due to his influence that the meeting this year will be held in Hartford.

***

L. DeLaney and family of Stamford have moved into the Keating residence in the Glen.

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John O. Pitzschler is having improvements made on the interior of the former Birdsey Sniffen place. He and his family will move into the place at a later date.

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Mrs James Marshall took Rev and Mrs G. Herbert Ekins, Misses Evelyn and Ruth Ekins and Mrs Sarah Beers Mitchell to New York City Saturday where they saw F. Arthur Ekins playing in the “Countess Moritza.”

NOVEMBER 15, 1901

Newton M. Curtis was in Washington Depot on Thursday last, where he placed an order for a heavy farm wagon with that reliable builder, Henry W. Woodruff.

***

Selectman Levi C. Morris received on Monday the check of $1,000 from the state comptroller, the state’s share of the expense on the recent road improvements.

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Jesse James has moved into the Horace Gilbert place in Huntingtown, which he has recently purchased.

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Newtown’s popular barber, Oscar Pitzschler, has been on the sick list for a few days with a severe cold, and confined to his home. His business was well looked after in his absence by his son, John O. Pitzschler.

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Last Saturday morning about 11 o’clock the tenement house belonging to the estate of Samuel S. Scudder was discovered to be on fire by R.D. Smith, who rents the farm. Mr and Mrs Smith hurried to the house, but the fire had gained such headway that it was impossible to save the house, which soon burned to the ground.

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Miss Mabel Taylor has been engaged to teach drawing in the North Center school and will begin next week, giving one lesson each week.