***

Shortly before 8 am on June 27, people starting lining up outside The Newtown Bee, for the 110 free Newtown Bee T-shirts which, starting at 8 am, were given away in observance of the newspaper’s 110th anniversary. To get a T-shirt, each person had to submit a front page of the newspaper; while waiting in line, several persons took the opportunity to catch up on some news.

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The Lake Zoar Authority is sponsoring a Boat Parade on July 4 at 1 pm. The line of boats will form at the Silver Bridge in Sandy Hook. The parade will proceed down the lake towards Monroe and Oxford. The LZA wants all participants to display the flag, have fun, and voice your opinion about the proposed dump along the shores of Lake Zoar in Southbury.

***

Superintendent of Schools John Reed, in a statement to the school board May 12, said it was the responsibility of the school system to help students understand differences that exist among individuals and appreciate people different from themselves. The best way to accomplish this task, he said in an interview in his office recently, is to hire more persons from minority races. But turning that goal into reality may turn out to be more difficult than he realized. Newtown is looking for the top 10 to 15 percent of the teaching population, he said, and eight out of ten applications that come across his desk don’t merit an interview. “It’s demographics, the law of supply and demand. We just don’t have a supply equal to the demand for highly skilled people in any area. Add in the minority component and you have a very limited supply.”

July 6, 1962

Newtown’s Board of Education, apparently at odds with the administrative staff and the faculty of the schools, as well as a portion of the public, has resigned, paving the way for the Board of Selectmen to appoint a brand-new six-member board. The board met with Superintendent of Schools James F. Hinckley, Thursday evening, to reconsider his resignation, before it took effect on Saturday. The members went on to a lengthy discussion in a session that lasted until the early hours of Friday, then voted three to two to extend to Mr Hinckley a two-year contract with an increase of $600, to bring his pay to $14,000 annually for the two years. Convening again at 5 pm Friday, the members of the board agreed to resign… With the mass resignation of the board came a statement, a seven-page recital of past events and the boards position. The statement, compared to previous statements, did not reflect the board’s usual restraint and good taste; it even anticipated action by townspeople that would result in a reduced budget for education…The incoming board which will be named will be bound to the agreement that gives Mr Hinckley the two-year contract and also obligated to see that the agreement on job definition is carried out.

***

One of the main attractions of the seventh annual carnival of the combined fire companies of Newtown was the annual fireman’s parade, which took place on Wednesday evening. The carnival opened on Monday at the Italian Community Center on Route 34 with good attendance. Only a small number of fire companies participated in the parade. According to Leo Carbonneau, parade marshal, probably many of the companies which had planned to attend were involved in parades in their own towns, since it was the Fourth of July.

***

Excitement begins to mount as the arrival date for Newtown’s American Field Service exchange student from Japan, Tadahipo Kawai, draws near. “Tad” as he will be known to his American friends, will arrive at Los Angeles International Airport on August 17. His host family, the Robert Mungers of Beechwood Drive, expect to meet his plane in New York within 48 hours after his arrival in the United States.

***

The summer recreation program is well under way with very large groups of children attending the Hawley School playgrounds on the three days when pick-up buses collect the from all parts of Newtown. A weekly tour to a nearby State Park to swim is scheduled for Thursdays, leaving the playground at 12:30 pm. The usual transportation fee for the trip is 75 cents.

 

July 2, 1937

Sunday morning found “Bill” Leahy, pro at the Newtown Country Club, in top form, despite the rain. Playing with “Joe” ringers, “Jim” Wargo and his younger brother, “Bob,” “Bill” scored a 30 on the second round, to beat par by four strokes, and establish a new course record. Shooting a 38 on the first round, he carded a par 68 for the entire 18 holes. It will be noted that he shot five pars and four birdies.

***

The First National Store in Sandy Hook was broken into on last Thursday evening and a quantity of cigarettes stolen. State police from the Ridgefield Barracks and Constable William E. Blake investigated the break in.

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At the Firemen’s Parade held in West Haven on Saturday, the members of the Dodgingtown Fire company won a silver cup for having the oldest fire apparatus in line of march. A few evenings before, they were awarded a cup at the Bethel Carnival.

***

A baseball team of employees and patients has been organized at the Fairfield State hospital. New uniforms have been secured and a first class diamond has been laid out on the hospital grounds. The team is now anxious to arrange a schedule of games and announces that they will be happy to hear from other teams in this vicinity. Communications should be sent to Dr Clifford D. Moore at the hospital and it should be noted that Saturday afternoon and Thursday twilight games starting at 6:30 o’clock are the days on which it is most convenient for the hospital team to play.

 

July 5, 1912

A very interesting suffrage meeting took place at the pleasant home of Mrs H.S. Gibson on Friday afternoon. About 40 attended and felt well repaid for the effort on such a warm day. The meeting was opened by Rev Mr Wright who said in part that the question of woman suffrage was no new subject with him… and could see no reason why women should not vote. Mrs Charles Morris spoke of the difference between boys and girls that are fostered by parent; then she spoke of the difference between men and women as the result of their training. Mr Steele spoke in favor of Woman’s Suffrage and said he believed that when women voted politics would be made better and cleaner. Mrs H.S. Gibson closed by reading extracts from the opinions of many men and women in public life, who are in favor of suffrage.

***

Mr and Mrs Charles D. Ferris of Sugar Street have a son, born on Monday. Mrs John Everetts has been caring for Mrs Ferris and the baby.

***

E.L. Johnson, Newtown’s popular historian, met with a severe fall on Saturday, which happily did not result in broken bones. He attended the examination for admission to the High School, and called at Rev Mr George’s, sitting on the piazza. While attempting to go down the steps, he lost his balance and fell full length on his arm and face. Although severely stunned and bruised, no bones were broken. He was assisted to a seat on the steps where he sat for a few moments and was then driven to his home in South Center by P.H. McCarthy, secretary of the school board.

***

W.H. Prindle, a popular member of the Masonic fraternity and member of the firm of Prindle & Morris, was quite painfully burned about the arms and face, one day last week. He had a can of shellac in his hand, which exploded, burning Mr Prindle severely. Mr Prindle’s many friends hope for his speedy recovery.