***

The Berkshire Veterinary Hospital is having an open house on Sunday, May 3, from noon until 5 pm. Berkshire Veterinary Hospital is a full service small animal hospital which has facilities for complete medical and surgical treatment including a surgical suite, modern x-ray machine, automatic x-ray film processor, laboratory facilities, intensive care and isolation ward. Cardiology equipment includes a diagnostic ultrasound electrocardiograph and intra-arterial blood pressure monitor. The new hospital is owned and operated by veterinarians Dr John Roumanis and Dr Karin Harter.

***

Since last year, the town’s Public Safety Committee, in planning for a consolidated Enhanced 911 emergency dispatch center for the town, has operated under the assumption that the center would be put in an unused portion of the basement of Town Hall South. Over the past few weeks, however, town officials reversed their position, deciding to put the dispatch center upstairs in Town Hall South, in the police station. Under the town’s present system, police dispatchers in Town Hall South handle police calls. Town dispatchers in the switchboard center at Edmond Town Hall handle fire and ambulance calls.

***

The Newtown Kennel Club had a good turnout at its 40th Anniversary Match on April 25 with an Afghan hound capturing the Best-In-Match honors over 248 dogs, while a Golden Retriever was highest scoring dog in match over 110 obedience entries with a score of 198.5. The Afghan, Zakari Maserati, is owned by Jean Albano of Danbury. The Golden Retriever, Chip Ahoy, is owned by Robert Lonzo of Oakville.

May 4, 1962

The 1961 Champions of the Pomperaug Valley Baseball League, the Newtown Indians, will start their season Sunday, May 6, at the Hawley School field by playing host to the reorganized New Milford baseball team. First Selectman Charles W. Terrell, Jr will be on hand to toss out the first ball of the season.

***

A conference of scientists including chemists, mathematicians, radiation biologists, and people in clinical medicine convened in Newtown Thursday and Friday, to bring their different scientific disciplines to bear to formulate a better concept of iron kinetics. The group, about two dozen strong, gathered at the Medridge Farm home of Dr Louis Wasserman on Walnut Tree Hill Road. Each discusses a certain aspect of work pertaining to the general topic of iron and blood.

***

Once again, the Newtown High School in cooperation with the State Park and Forest Commission and Ranger Philip Barksdale has established a Forest Fire Suppression Crew. These crews are organized with the approval of the school administration for the purpose of providing assistance to the local Fire Companies in the event of forest fires where more equipment and manpower is needed. As this was a new Crew, they were given as much training as possible. The Crew responds to a fire when it is determined by the Chief or Officer in charge of the fire that he needs the special assistance available by the Crew.

***

Saturday, April 28, the teen canteen held a successful “Beatnik” dance. There were approximately 85 young people there who danced to the music of the “Saints.” Besides the dancing, the ping-pong table was crowded. The next dance on May 12 will be a record hop to which the eight graders are invited, as they will shortly graduate into the high school.

 

April 30, 1937

Mrs Florence A. Peck of Main street announces the re-opening of the Newtown Exchange which is located in the old Brick Building. Mrs Peck has an interesting collection of antiques and hand-made articles, many of which are appropriate gifts for Mother’s Day.

***

Miss Ann Bernhardt, social hostess, called the clan together on Monday evening at the contract bridge at the Country Club and suggested that a supper be held on Decoration Day, which will be celebrated this year, on Monday, May 31. There will also be a Scavenger Hunt after the dinner. Club members and guests are assured a very lively and pleasant evening, especially those who join in the Scavenger Hunt, for these hunts have a habit of creating excitement wherever they are held.

***

The Newtown Boy Scout Troop Committee, meeting with the Scoutmaster in the Selectmen’s room of the Edmond Town hall, last Friday evening, selected Lawrence Fairchild, son of Mr and Mrs Robert D. Fairchild of Taunton district, to represent the local troop, No 70, at the Washington Jamboree to be held from June 30 through July 9 at the nation’s capitol. Lawrence was picked to represent Newtown at the last Washington Jamboree, which was to have been held two years ago, but owing to an epidemic of infantile paralysis, President Roosevelt deemed it wise to call the affair off.

***

Sometime between the hours of 6 and 11 last Friday evening, when no one was at home, the residence of Mrs Emma D. Mitchell of Main street was broken into and ransacked. A window at the side of the house was found broken and the door barricaded inside with chairs. The whole house had been given a complete going over with bureau drawers pulled out and the contents strewn over the floor. A check-up of the house showed that only a small amount of Money had been stolen. Gloves were worn by the culprits, making fingerprinting impossible.

 

May 3, 1912

Mr and Mrs M.C. Knapp returned last week from a five months’ stay at Southern California and reported a very enjoyable trip and say that California is an ideal place to spend the winter if one wants to escape the vigorous New England weather. Mr and Mrs Knapp brought home some California oranges, which they themselves picked from the tree and have remembered many friends here with a sample and they are delicious oranges.

***

D.B. Parmelee is driving a very fine pair of Devon oxen, which he recently purchased in Bethlehem. A.C. MacArthur of Palestine had the misfortune, last Sunday, to lose a valuable horse. Henry Penny has sold his horse to John H. Summers.

***

A well-known young lady and George Adamson had a frightful and thrilling experience while hunting wild flowers on the side of Cady Mountain above the Glen. When on the side toward the Glen they lost their hold and slid some 20 or 30 feet down the precipitous bank. Mr Adamson went into the water but clambered out and stood on the edge. On one side was the precipice, on the other the Pootatuck river. They managed to attract some one’s attention and it was necessary to cut down a tree for a temporary bridge. It was about this point that young Purtill lost his life in a similar manner, several years ago, while this silent mountain side has been the mute witness of several similar fatalities in the last 50 years.

***

What would Newtown be without her shade trees, particularly the elms? Probably this question has been discussed many times, and yet, while everyone realizes that these beautiful and attractive “monarchs of the highway” are fast losing their vigor, there appears to be a general tendency to wait until they have almost succumbed to the ravages of the elm-leaf beetle before attempting to save them. Even a judicious removal of the dead wood is a decided step towards keeping these trees in a healthy condition, to say nothing of the increased benefits to be derived if these elms were properly sprayed at the right time.