***

Back on March 15 Newtown Financial Director Robert Shaw, after studying the town’s accounts, concluded Newtown faced a $245,000 deficit on the town’s $14.5 million appropriation for the fiscal year, which will end June 30, but by various measures that had been reduced by April 27 to a deficit figure of $34,000, he told the Board of Selectmen this week. By law a town can’t finish the year with a budget deficit.

***

Well-known organist Douglas R. Major will present the inaugural recital on the newly completed Austin pipe organ at Trinity Church in Newtown. Mr Majors will play a comprehensive recital of Eighteenth, Nineteenth and Twentieth Century masterpieces for the organ. Works by J.S. Bach, Clerambault, Franck, Leighton and LaMontaine and others will be included.

***

Firefighters from Sandy Hook and Newtown Hook & Ladder quickly extinguished a fire in the attic area of a home on Route 34 south of Toddy Hill Road last Friday afternoon which Fire Marshal Joseph Cavanaugh said was caused by a lightning strike. The lightening also blew out a television and burned a hole in a rug.

***

Punk rock fans at Newtown High School were in rare form on Friday, April 10 during a punk rock dance for the benefit of the Newtown Scholarship Association. The 70 “punks” raised $100 for the scholarship fund. NHS Key Club members sponsored the event.

***

Due to the illness of star Gary McMahon, who plays the role of “Tevye,” the poor Russian farmer with five marriageable daughters in St Rose Church’s production of Fiddler on the Roof, performances were cancelled last Friday and Saturday. Performances were rescheduled for Thursday, April 30 and Monday, May 4, at the church hall.

***

Students from Sandy Hook School 5th grade spent last Saturday aboard a floating classroom — the R V Oceanic — studying marine life in Long Island Sound. While aboard the Oceanic Society’s education/research vessel, the crew instructed the students on the biology and ecology of life in Long Island Sound.

May 4, 1956

Connecticut’s first polio cases of 1956 reported this week emphasizes the need for children in the eligible age group, 3 to 12 years, to get their two Salk vaccine shots at an early date, Dr J. Benton Egee, town health officer, points out. Parents of children in the proper age brackets should consult their family physicians, he said, and arrange to have the shots administered before July 1.

***

The overabundance of player candidates for the Newtown Little League teams at this year’s tryout, led to the forming of a four team “farm” league this week to give all of the boys a chance to play. Each of the new teams will be a reservoir of players for one of the four Little League teams, from which it will bring up players.

***

Two basic facts were established and agreed upon by members of the Newtown Board of Education at its meeting with the Educational Planning Committee held in the high school cafeteria on Wednesday evening. First, that Newtown will require a junior high school, probably by September of 1958; second, that copies of the committee’s report be made available to all.

***

The Realtors of Newtown, under the group’s chairman, Edmund M. Foster, has submitted a letter of protest to the Commissioner of State Police at Hartford, citing its objections to the proposal by George J. Ryan of Fairfield for the construction of a drive-in theater on Route 34 in Sandy Hook. “This section of Newtown is, and has been, a residential and farming section and we believe the introduction of a Drive-In Theater would have a definite detrimental effect on the value of this type of property.”

Earl J. Meyers, a member of the former partnership of Knapp and Meyers, operating the familiar store on Main Street next to Edmond Town Hall, announced this week that Albert H. Knapp has left the partnership for other activities. Mr Meyers has been joined by John Janocsko of Newtown. Effective May 1, the name of the store was changed to the Newtown General Store.

***

Preparations are being made for the Junior Prom, for “Springtime in Paris,” sponsored by the Junior Class of Newtown High. It is to be held in the high school gymnasium from 8:30 to 11:30 pm on May 19, and invitations are now on sale for $3.00. William Godo’s orchestra has been engaged for the evening.

 

May 1, 1931

Representative Samuel A. Eddy, of Canaan, chairman, and Senator Harold B. Senior, of Bethel, member of the board of trustees of the Fairfield State hospital now under construction in Newtown, made a plea before the appropriations committee of the state legislature in Hartford on Friday, for the provision of $50,000 to build a new road from the Bridgeport-Newtown road to the hospital property.

***

As has been the custom for the past few years the Chamber of Commerce has sponsored the public exercises in town for Memorial day. There will be a parade, starting from Sandy Hook, promptly at 9:30 am, and continuing to the memorial triangle at the head of Newtown Street, where the exercises will take place. It is expected the school children, members of the Chamber, veterans of the world war, and other organizations, will participate in the parade.

***

There were five tables to enjoy the game of Bridge down at the Newtown Country Club, last Monday evening. The club was very much pleased at the attendance of Mr and Mrs E. M. Beach from Long Hill and Mr and Mrs Lester W. Furbush from Bethel who have been hibernating during the winter months.

***

Sandy Hook will open the baseball season on Sunday, May 3, at Long Hill on their new field. Both teams are all set and ready to go and a good game is expected. The memberships of the league are the same as last year with the exception of one team, the Elmwoods of Norwalk, who have taken the place of the Redwoods.

***

Fatool’s new dancing pavilion in the Hurd building at Sandy Hook, will open, Saturday night, with Jimmie Crane’s five-piece orchestra from Providence, R.I. furnishing music.

***

Why not get mother one of the new crisp dresses at Ye Apron Shoppe, Newtown. LaLure, all silk full-fashioned silk stockings, $1.35 pair. Ye Apron Shoppe, Newtown (Adv.)

 

May 4, 1906

The Newtown Fair Co’s difficulty with the National Trotting Association has been adjusted, and the association has been re-instated. A big fair is expected on the regular dates, the last week in September. There will be three stake races, one $1,000 and two $500 stakes.

***

Hughes & Chapman of 300 Stratford Avenue, Bridgeport, have just erected in the Land’s End cemetery at Hawleyville, a very fine all polished Barre monument for Mrs Ernest Hawley in memory of her late husband. They have also erected in the same cemetery a Quincy granite tablet in memory of Willis Hawley. Hughes & Chapman, since they have gotten in their power plant, are doing some very handsome and artistic work.

***

Sparks from a smoldering brush fire set fire to the woods of John Leavy on Botsford hill, last Tuesday, and burned over 25 or 30 acres. Mr Leavy and family and John Brew did some hard work and put out the fire.

***

Mrs Edwin Hook, who has been spending two weeks in Brooklyn with friends, has returned to her home on Botsford Hill. Mrs Hook opened the school on Botsford Hill, last Monday, after a two weeks’ vacation.

***

Robert D. Smith had a horse, by a remarkable quick maneuver, turn the wagon loaded with milk cans over on to the ground in the yard of A.J. Smith, Sunday morning. Fortunately no material damage was done to the wagon or horse. The horse was trying the experiment of turning the whole outfit around on the head of a 10-cent piece.