***

Members of the Charter Revision Committee have reached a consensus that the town should eliminate the three-member Board of Selectmen, and strengthen the position of the town’s full-time elected chief executive officer. Commission members do not think it would be a good idea for the town to replace the first selectman with a town manager. Members will explore ways to give the Legislative Council some of the powers previously exercised by the three-member board, so the town will continue to have and adequate system of “checks and balances” in its government.

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The Grand Union Supermarket on Queen Street was held up by an armed robber with a hand gun, shortly after 9 pm on January 26, who got away with approximately $4,000 in cash. At approximately 9:15 pm, the suspect approached the Grand Union office and displayed to store manager William Volage, a large automatic weapon, which he had tried to conceal under a portable red basket full of groceries, police said. Mr Volage told the police that the suspect had been seen in the store several times before, during the nighttime hours.

***

Schools superintendent John Reed has proposed an educational budget totaling $17,485,303, which represents a 14.5 percent increase over the budget for the current school year. The proposed spending package includes requests made by school administrators for several new programs and personnel positions.

February 2, 1962

Route 6 is coming back to its old path. A reversal of the highway route number changes is announced this week by Governor John N. Dempsey and Highway Commissioner Howard S. Ives. The new order cancels the change on Route 34, which will end at Sandy Hook. Route 6 will follow Church Hill Road, Main Street, up Mt Pleasant and on through Stony Hill, Bethel to the Danbury line.

***

More than 100 Marching Mothers braved the bitter cold Tuesday evening to raise approximately $1,400 in house-to-house canvassing for the National Foundation. Several small sections of the town were not canvassed due to illness of the workers or their children, and these will be done during the next few days. Newtown is fortunate to not have any patient care need at the present time, but there are many persons in town who have had polio and are now leading a normal life in the community, and the campaign is to help those who are not so fortunate as others now are.

***

A stamp plan whereby each completed book has a rigid cash value of $3 is being introduced in the community this week. “Profidollar Stamps” are unique in that each completed stamp book may be used as cash in any of the stores participating in the plan. The original purchases are made in a member store, the completed book is redeemed at the same store or another participating store, thus the community has kept the sale and money in town. At present there are over 200 member stores in the western Connecticut area.

***

The year 1961 was a big one for daughters in Newtown, for the newly arrived girls outnumbered the boys, 108 to 87, according to the vital statistics recorded in the office of Town Clerk John W. Schwenck. This year’s births compared with 1960 show an increase of six in total, but the division of sons and daughters was more even, 97 girls to 92 boys.

 

January 29, 1937

Last week the popularity of the new music maker at the Hawley Manor Barn was shown by the real interest and enthusiasm of the crowd. Although the rain was coming down in torrents, the music went on and around, and the pool table and ping pong paddles were busy in addition.

***

On last Thursday the Newtown Chapter of the Future Farmers of America was shown the huge root cellar of the Fairfield State Hospital. Dr Clifford D. Moore, superintendent, kindly escorted the group through the building and explained how the building was constructed and how the temperature, moisture, and ventilation are controlled. The building has the capacity of 16,000 bushels.

***

Lovell’s Garage has been busy of late, making delivery of new cars, including an Oldsmobile 8-cylinder Club coupe to Martin Dodge of South Center district. Deliveries of new Fords have included a 2-door sedan to Victor Allen of Sandy Hook and a 4-door sedan to John Anderson of Sandy Hook.

***

The committee on the Winter Formal of the Newtown Young People’s Club has been working hard to assure its continued success in these annual events. In the first place, there seems to be some misunderstanding around the proper dress. It will be formal for the ladies and optional for the men. Boxes will be arranged about the floor containing chairs and tables for as many as may be desired. For anybody desiring to make up a party, there is to be a charge of only 50 cents for each box. The date is Saturday night, February 6, from 8 to 12, in the Alexandria Room of the Edmond Town Hall.

 

February 2, 1912

Newtown has made a modest beginning in teaching agriculture in our public schools, with a course in agriculture in the High School. The attention of all educational leaders is being focused on this question. Scientific agriculture, if taught in the schools, would return the expense to the State a thousandfold, according to Raymond A Pearson, State Commissioner of Agriculture for Pennsylvania.

***

Do not forget the minstrel show which the High School Boys are going to give on February 16. They are devoting much time to the perfection of their songs and jokes, so as to make the program as interesting as possible.

***

The main of the Newtown Water Co. leading to Platt’s Hill, burst sometime Saturday night, making an icy gorge near Sheehan’s blacksmith shop. Superintendent Glover put men to work to locate the shut-off, but it had been so covered with crushed rock, it was afternoon, Sunday, before it was found and the water shut off.

***

The horse of Mr Conklin of Waterbury, hitched in front of R.H. Beers & Co’s store, was frightened, pulled away, and ran over to Mr Naramore’s place, where it was caught. The horse was frightened by a motor cycle, the rider of which took to the sidewalk. The practice of riding motor cycles on the walks must cease, or arrests will follow.