Newtown's town clerk, Mae S. Schmidle of Echo Valley Road, was notified by letter Monday, that she has been found qualified as a registered certified parliamentarian by the National Association of Parliamentarians. She is qualified to serve as a pa
Newtownâs town clerk, Mae S. Schmidle of Echo Valley Road, was notified by letter Monday, that she has been found qualified as a registered certified parliamentarian by the National Association of Parliamentarians. She is qualified to serve as a parliamentarian, advising moderators or chairmen on proper procedure during meetings. Mrs Schmidle studied for the certification over a three-year period at Salve Regina College, Newport, R.I.
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Newtownâs judge of probate-elect, Merlin E. Fisk, took his official oath of office last week in preparation for assuming his duties on January 2. The 58-year-old Parmalee Hill Road Republican, elected to the vacant chair on November 7, will serve as judge in the Newtown District for a four-year term.
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Contrary to last yearâs snow storm which kept people at home, fair weather enabled many members of the Newtown Historical Society to attend the annual Presidentâs Tree Trimming Party on Sunday afternoon at the Matthew Curtiss House. Before the afternoon was over, a handsome tree donated by Mr and Mrs Malcolm McClintock was adorned with an array of old-time ornaments. The house itself was appropriately dressed for the occasion, and two of the fireplaces held brightly burning logs.
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Robert H. Hall of Nettleton Avenue has decided he wonât stand for election as the next chairman of the Newtown Republican Town Committee. Mr Hall, who was nominated for the position at the RTC session on December 11 by Clifford T. Bulmer, said heâd decided after ten days of reflection, âIâve come to enjoy the lifestyle Iâve become accustomed to in the past couple of years.â
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Barry Fowler of Newtown received a major award for football at the recent Nichols College fall sports banquet.
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The Newtown Pee Wee hockey team won one and lost one this past weekend. On Saturday goalie Tom Bussman registered the first shutout of his career as the Pee Wees blanked Washington, 7-0. The locals came up with some solid defensive play from Fred Merrill, Chris Peterman, and Bill Prokop. Sean Kosloff scored a goal from the defensive point.
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Back during Newtownâs celebration of the nationâs bicentennial, the townâs Bicentennial Memorial Committee, headed by Gordon Williams, began a project which is still being carried on today. The project is a long one because it entails hours of research, indexing the volumes of The Newtown Bee, which are kept in the vault at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library. The major portion of the work is being carried on by Newtown resident Hilda Ferris, who spends many hours at the library picking through the back volumes of The Bee, sorting out stories and indexing them into categories. When Mrs Ferris began she started from the beginning, the volumes of 1892. (Although The Bee was started in 1877, the 1892 issues are the earliest ones on hand at the library.) She has worked her way through the year 1933 and has started on 1934.
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DECEMBER 25, 1953
Last Thursday eveningâs special town meeting held in the theatre of the Edmond Town Hall, had proceeded no further than the election of W.W. Holcombe as the chairman, when the lights suddenly went out. Supplied with a flashlight, Mr Holcombe attempted to continue with the meeting, when a motion was made that a recess be taken until the lights were restored so that those present could more intelligently transact the necessary business. The power failure was due to a break in a high tension wire opposite the Hawley Manor, which was repaired by workmen of the Danbury and Bethel Gas and Electric Light Company so that the lights went on again at the town hall after an intermission of about 29 minutes.
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The âMile of Penniesâ drive of the Community Music Association, carried out to secure funds for the purchase of instruments and uniforms for the bands and orchestras of the Newtown schools, ended early this week with the securing of cash donations amounting to 98 percent of the quota of $633.60, and several musical instruments valued at approximately $600.
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With the number of entries, approximately 20, far less than the number of attractively decorated homes around town, the Christmas Decorations Contest sponsored by the Newtown Lions Club will be judged between Christmas and New Yearâs.
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A graphic letter from Korea which describes the desoation there and gives some inkling of the inactivity during the present armistice is one written recently by Capt Matthew W. Reiss of the Quartermaster Corps, US Army, to his parents, Dr and Mrs Jospeh Reiss of Pond Brook Road.
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Master Gerald Patry was tendered a surprise party on his fourth birthday last Friday at the home of his parents, Midway Park, Newtown Road. Among the guests were his grandmother, Mrs Daniel Stewart, Ann Stewart, Mrs Louis Muffatti, Veronica Stewart, Stephen Todd Muffatti, and Rita Patry.
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The Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall, in the décor of a night club, will be the setting of a holiday dance for young people home from school Wednesday night, December 30. The popular New Haven orchestra of Eddie Wittstein will play for the event. The committee in charge includes Mrs Nelson G. Curtis, Mrs Allen Northey Jones, Mrs Herbert Brodie, and Mrs Donald McCain.
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The Newtown High School basketball teams will meet the alumni next Wednesday night, December 30, on the Newtown High School court, with the girlsâ team playing the opener beginning at 7:15. Mrs David Cassidy will manage the girl grads while Mike Kearns will handle the alumni boys. Many of the alumni players are members of the Newtown AC teams and can be counted on to provide stiff competition.
DECEMBER 21, 1928
Mrs R.D. Fairchild and two sons, Lawrence and Robert, had a close call Monday from being asphyxiated with monoxide gas. Mr Fairchild started up his engine in the cellar, which cares for his lighting plant, about 8:30 am and left it running. He then went down to the home of his cousin, Horace A. Smith. About 10 oâclock Mrs Fairchild and one of the boys became deathly sick, and Mrs Fairchild telephoned to her husband to come home at once. Telling her to throw open the windows, he started in double quick time for home. On arriving there, he found Robert unconscious and his wife and son, Lawrence, sick and vomiting. He got in touch with Dr Wright, who told him what remedies to apply.
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In the special town meeting on Saturday afternoon at the auditorium of the Hawley High School, fully 250 voters were present. Hon Charles G. Morris, chairman of the town school committee, was chosen chair. A resolution protesting against the proposed location of the state hospital for the insane in the town of Newtown was defeated by a vote of 144 to 85.
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A new electric lighted Parker House sign has just been erected by William Parker in front of his hotel.
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Miss Helen Jennings resumed her position in the nurses training class at the Waterbury Hospital after a vacation of a few weeks.
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George C. Canfield has bought a lot of Lake Zoar on the Southbury side and has commenced the erection of a cottage.
DECEMBER 25, 1903
An informal meeting of the men of the Street was held at the Savings Bank last week Tuesday to talk over the question of organizing a village improvement society. There is no doubt but that such a society would be a great benefit to the Street and vicinity. The establishment of street lights and the building of cross walks are works that might be undertaken.
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H.B. Coger and G.R. Parmelie filled their ice houses last week.
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Patrick Campbell has his mill all in readiness now for making buckwheat flour, and will grind buckwheat every Friday at his mill.
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A number of the parents and friends of the children who attend the kindergarten of Miss Bertha George visited the school Friday afternoon to listen to the songs and witness the exercises of the children.
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Leonard Kindle, driver of the Gospel wagon which runs through Huntingtown and Palestine, brought up 12 children to the Congregational Church Sunday, notwithstanding the downpour of rain.
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There were small audiences in all the local churches Sunday, caused by the great rain storm.
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W.C. Johnson, Newtownâs genial ice man, completed on Saturday the task of harvesting his ice crop â 1,000 tons in four days time. He had about 30 men to assist him and the work was hustled along in great shape.