On Saturday, November 11, the Parks and Recreation Department and the open space subcommittee will officially open the new hiking trail recently cleared by Fairfield Hills Hospital residents. Anyone interested in going on the hike should meet at the state boat launching area off Hanover Road at 10 am.

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Taking seriously into consideration the thoughts area builders and developers expressed over the proposed road ordinance at last week’s public hearing, the Legislative Council’s ordinance committee Wednesday evening unanimously decided to ease up on one portion of the proposed ordinance. This involves the section which was written to state that all utilities must be laid in a subdivision before a building permit is issued.

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A feasibility report on the Lovell’s of Ruwet-Sibley building as a possible location for the police and fire departments was reviewed by members of the Public Building Committee Tuesday, October 24. They concluded that the major alteration to the report would be the deletion of all cost estimates.

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With an eye to having an addition to the high school to relieve the overcrowding which is there now and predicted to continue for nearly another decade, the Board of Education on Tuesday night, October 24, appointed a high school education specifications committee which will be charged to study in-depth what will be needed for an addition. Those named to the committee were high school principal Alvah Cramer as coordinator, the school’s seven department heads, and the following citizens: Charles DeSantis, Lester Burroughs, Mrs William Bausch, Mrs Arthur Polstein, Robert Swart, Mrs Peter Stern.

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Tuesday evening the Board of Education elected Alan Martin as its vice chairman. He assumes the duties as a board officer which had been held by Michael Mazaika, who resigned from the board and was recently replaced by Merhi Hiteshew.

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On Monday evening, October 30, David Portman of the planning firm of Frederick P. Clark Associates, Rye, N.Y., will give a presentation to the Planning and Zoning Commission on conservation subdivisions (otherwise known as cluster zoning). Mr Portman, for Newtown developer William H. Laws, will discuss conservation subdivisions as well as present a rough draft of proposed amendments to the zoning regs which would pave the way for allowance of cluster zoning.

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“Weather and wind permitting” the “First Annual Great Pumpkin Balloon Rally’’ is schedule to take place at Dickinson Memorial Park in Newtown on Saturday, October 28. The balloon takeoffs are planned for around 6:30 am that day and then again at 3:30 pm. The event planning is in the hands of four local balloonists, Harvey Hubbell 5th, Richard Smith, and Dave and Joanne Lasher, all of West Street.

OCTOBER 30, 1953

The 98th annual meeting of the corporation of the Newtown Savings Bank was held Monday evening at 6 o’clock at the bank, when reports were heard and officers elected for the ensuing year. The meeting was followed by a dinner at the Sallie Chase Inn, attended by the bank’s officers and trustees, as well as its corporators and staff members. Highlight of the occasion was a talk by G. Whitney Hubbard, vice president of the Thomas M. James Company, architectural firm of Boston, who described in detail plans for an addition to the bank building, which will be built in the near future.

***

Returning on Saturday, October 24, with six deer, the Nova Scotia hunting of Dr J. Benton Egee, Royal Spaulding, Richard Herring, Frank Hubbell, Timothy Reardon and Joseph Samperi was declared a good trip by all members of the party.

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A neighborhood group in Hawleyville, headed by Mrs Paul Feli and Mrs William Ottoshavett, is undertaking the project of providing a roadside shelter for school children. A benefit movie will be held at the Edmond Town Hall on December 3 to help defray the expenses, which, it is expected, will be somewhat less than $100. Material is being supplied at cost by Platt’s Lumber Yard, and Paul Feli has volunteered to cut out the lumber.

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Newtown’s celebration of United Nations Week took place on Thursday evening, October 22, in the Alexandria Room of the Edmond Town Hall. Arranged by the Newtown League of Women Voters in cooperation with the Mothers Club, Rotary Club, PTA, Lions Club and United World Federalists, the capacity audience heard Mrs Ward Phelps of Greenwich, state chairman of International Relations for the League of Women Voters, give the principal address.

***

Charles G. Morris of Zoar District has entered a petition in Superior Court seeking an order compelling the Plastic Molding Corporation of Sandy Hook, of which he is a stockholder, to pay a dividend on its stock. Claiming ownership of 80 of the company’s 1,800 shares of stock, Mr Morris charges that Plastic Molding has not paid a dividend since it was organized in 1928.

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The annual drive of the USO for funds is being carried out in Newtown by a large team of workers headed by Mrs W.A. Swanberg and Richard S. Winship as co-chairmen.

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The Newtown Board of Education met on October 22 and after the routine business was completed, a group of parents appeared before the board to discuss discipline and instruction in the high school, and to assure the board of the cooperation of the group in helping to solve some of the problems of the school.

OCTOBER 26, 1928

Fire, which broke out about 7 am Saturday morning in the horse barn of R.D. and H.A. Smith of Dodgingtown, destroyed the structure.

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A group of farmers in Taunton went to Dodgingtown Tuesday and assisted R.D. and H.A. Smith in putting up their silo.

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Contractor T.F. Brew is building a new two-car garage for David C. Peck.

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W.A. Honan is enlarging his residence by building on a dining room and sun porch to his residence. Contractor T.F. Brew is doing the work.

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William T. Cole is having a sun parlor erected on the west side of his beautiful residence on the hill.

OCTOBER 30, 1903

Michael White, the genial clerk at the Grand Central Hotel, with Mrs White, took in the Pittsfield excursion Saturday.

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Mrs William H. Glover had a narrow escape from death at the station, Saturday night, on leaving the excursion train. She stepped off while the train was in motion, and came near falling to the track.

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George B. La Tour moved this week from Taunton to Hawleyville, into the same house occupied by Eugene Bulkley.

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Mrs Benjamin E. Smith of Obtuse has been suffering for a few weeks with neuralgia in her face.

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The New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad Company has made a novel departure in the installation on its system of a private party car, which may be charted at the minimal cost of $25, for the accommodation of private parties and for the transfer of their friends.

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The beautiful color of the ivy foliage on the exterior walls of Trinity Church has been much admired the past few days.

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Patrick F. Crowe, the popular Botsford button manufacturer, showed his generosity by presenting each of his employees with a ticket to the Pittsfield (Massachusetts) excursion Saturday.