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As 1981 draws to what many consider a rapid close, the face of many town commissions and boards are also about to change. One notable difference will be the Legislative Council, which in January will see its 18-member board change from a Democratic to a Republican dominated group (11 of the members are Republicans.)

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Third term Republican Legislative Council member Roderick J. Mac Kenzie, Jr appeared to have the inside track on becoming the next council chairman this week — though several councilmen stressed he’ll have to be less partisan than he was as acting minority leader the last two years. Thursday, Mr Mac Kenzie said his head count of the other 10 GOP councilmen shows he has enough votes “to gain the chairmanship at this point.”

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According to Newtown High School Principal Alvah Cramer, two NHS gifted students are now participating in the Visiting Experts Program, and with school board approval will now receive one credit for their efforts. Sponsored by RESCUE, the program, which was started last year, is designed to meet the needs of gifted and talented high school students in the northwestern area of Connecticut.

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Main Street reverberated to the sounds of Christmas Caroling on a frosty Wednesday evening, December 23, as two groups of singers walked up and down the street, stopping by each house along the way to perform. One group consisted of Girl Scouts from Head O’ Meadow School, and the other was a group of Trinity Church carolers who carried lighted candles.

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BRAND NEW CAPE $89,900 GET IN ON THE GROUND FLOOR! Newtown builder is all set to start your brand new home set on 1+ wooded acre in southern Newtown. There are 7 rms, 2 full baths, fpl, and so much more. There’s still time to choose your colors and use your own decorating ideas. DRAMATIC COMTEMPORARY $133,900 7 LIGHT & AIRY ROOMS situated on 2 private wooded acres in Southern Newtown, featuring vaulted ceilings, skylight, 30 foot deck, 2 fpls and so much more!

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The film scheduled at the Edmond Town Hall during the holiday weekends hasn’t broken box office records yet but at this point is running neck and neck with Superman II and Four Seasons, two of the best drawing movies at town hall this year. The film, of course, is the box office hit, Raiders of the Lost Ark, which is going on record nationally as one of the biggest films of the year.

 

January 4, 1957

Freezing weather this past week may have brought gloom to householders trying to heat their homes and to motorist whose cars wouldn’t start, but local skaters, both young and not so young, have found it just their cup of tea. Skating has been good on ponds all over town, with folks cutting figure eights on Hawley Pond, the Dickinson Memorial Park pool, the pond at SAC park, and numerous private ponds around and about.

 

Thirty members of the Sandy Hook Fire Company, 20 from the Stevenson Volunteer Fire Department, and the Newtown Fire Department truck, driven by Chief Engineer Jack Maye, with Fire Marshal Millard Goodsell, responded at 3:45 am, Monday, to a fire at the home of Alan V. Dietz, Great Quarter Road, which gutted six rooms in the seven-room house. The master bedroom on the north wing of the house was saved, but nothing was left of the rest of the house but the shell.

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Well over a hundred young people attended the annual Holiday Invitation Dance held last Saturday evening, December 29, in the gymnasium of the Edmond Town Hall. The gymnasium looked exceptionally festive with the pine trees which were banked around the sides, the silver birds which hung over the dance floor and the two lighted Christmas trees. Dancing was to the music of Eddie Wittstein’s Orchestra of New Haven.

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The 1957 March of Dimes in Newtown opens officially this Thursday, January 3, with the appointment of Willis R. Tomlinson as chairman and Mrs Thomas Goosman co-chairman by Judge Edward Schine, Chairman of the Fairfield County Chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, Inc. An estimated 80,000 persons have been left handicapped by polio throughout the length and breadth of the United States, and year-round workers point out that the job of conquering the disease cannot be considered finished until these patients have been helped to regain normal and productive lives.

 

The Bee was pleased to receive a certificate from the Danbury Chapter of the Connecticut Heart Association, “For distinguished service in helping to forge a firm partnership between the public and medical science in the fight against the heart diseases.” The Bee receives the citation gratefully in the hope that its small contribution in informing the public year in and year out will bring about the desired results in health and happiness for all.

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Mr and Mrs Robert Hallock, Hattertown Road, took second place in the Christmas Decorations Contest, “House and Grounds by Night,” division. First place was won by Mr and Mrs James N. Greene of Taunton Hill Road, who have been prize-winners in the past contests. Many other handsome and effective decorations were entered in the contest, which drew a large number of entries.

 

January 1, 1932

Come on forward all you basketball fans in Newtown and vicinity and after squaring your accounts with the old year, turning over a new leaf for the New Year, find your way to the Edmond Town hall gymnasium, New Year’s night, where “Bill” Leahy, captain of the scarlet clad basketeers of the Newtown A.C., will attempt to unravel the squad from their defeat at Washington several weeks ago, when the hoppsters from that town that was named after George Washington, caged seven more points than “Bill Leahy’s tossers.

Hard Wood FOR SALE! (SEASONED) Fireplace or stove length, $6 per half cord delivered. Thomas M. White, Tel. 235-2, Newtown, Conn. Also Dogs boarded, $5 per month.

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While going to the fire on Sunday morning, at Eden Hill, a rubber coat was lost from the fire truck. Will the party who picked it up kindly return it, as a rubber coat is a very necessary article to have when fighting fire. Please communicate with Walter L. Glover.

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The committee on the proposed George Washington bi-centenary celebration which may be celebrated in Newtown in 1932, met at the Edmond Town hall, Saturday evening, at 7 o’clock. Nothing definite was decided upon, though the matter was discussed freely. The committee is after the facts, and later, when a program is agreed upon, doubtless a larger and more representative committee may be created to lead in the celebration, if a pageant should be put on in Newtown.

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The Right of Way division of the State Highway department is putting up boundary posts along the state roads in Newtown to mark the boundary lie of state property on each side of the highway. A crew of men from New Milford are engaged in the work.

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Charles F. Cavanaugh, a popular member of The Bee staff, was the victim of a petty sneak thief, Christmas night, when his car stood in front of the residence of his mother, Mrs Lucy Cavanaugh. The thief made away with the handsome and ornamental radiator cap on the Essex car and then drained his gasoline tank dry. The spirit of Christmas was not in Mr Cavanaugh’s heart when he discovered his loss.

 

January 4, 1907

C.W. Halsted, the popular young operator, has resigned from the N.Y., N.H.&H. railroad employ at Hawleyville, to accept a position on a road in the South. Mr Halsted has been working in Hawleyville for about a year and has made a great many friends during his sojourn there, and it is with regret that these friends learn of his resignation.

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C.J. Beck of Hopewell lost his faithful family horse, last week, which had reached the advanced age of 30 years. Mr Beck has a fine young stepper to take its place.

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The resignation of E.L. Pierce of Hawleyville came as a great surprise to all those who were acquainted with the courteous and affable manners of the latter and also to the patrons of the N.Y., N.H.&H. R.R. at Hawleyville station, where he has been employed for the past few years, and where his pleasant and honest treatment of the people won the hearts of all who had dealing in his line.

 

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At the meeting of the selectmen, Saturday, Thomas J. Corbett as tree warden brought in a bill of $17 for a month’s service. The previous two months the board had paid bills of Mr Corbett, as tree warden for $11 and $16 respectively. It was voted to allow him only $15 additional salary for the balance of the year.

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Andrew C. Moore harvested his ice supply, Friday, securing nine-inch ice of fine quality. R.D. Smith, A.D. Fairchild and J.B. Fairchild, with their teams, assisted with the work. Arthur D. Fairchild, one of the enterprising farmers of the town, finished the housing of his ice supply, last Thursday.