***

With a 25 percent turnout, voters in Wednesday’s all-day referendum rejected the $15,650,402 budget which was passed by the April 28 town meeting by a 57 to 43 percent margin. “We’re back to square one,” said Legislative Council Chairman William Honan after the vote. The council must now submit another budget proposal to a town meeting.

***

It may be news to organizations such as the Newtown High School Band Parents’ Association, which plans an antiques sale and flea market this Sunday at Newtown High, but such events are not currently permitted by the town’s zoning regulations, according to Zoning Enforcement Officer Richard S. Baldelli. Coincidentally, the Planning and Zoning Commission plans to legalize such events put on by nonprofit local organizations by its own proposal for a new section of the town’s zoning regulations.

***

By the end of September the Newtown Water Company plans to have a new water source for its customers, replacing Taunton Pond. Drilling started two weeks ago for two new wells at a site off South Main Street by the Layne-New England drilling company. An 85-foot deep well is expected to produce about 750 gallons per minute.

***

Nearly 30 substitute teachers in Newtown have signed a petition requesting double their current wage for substituting in Newtown. Currently the teachers make $25 per day and they have upped the price in their request to $50. After the meeting, board member Allan Cragin said if the increase was granted it would mean approximately $60,000 more in the budget.

***

Customers and employees were turned out of the Connecticut National Bank on Queen Street for about 20 minutes on Friday afternoon, May 8, while police investigated a report that a bomb was hidden somewhere in the building. Bank Manager Peter Stock said he called police immediately after receiving the anonymous phone call. Newtown Police Chief Louis Marchese said he, Sgts David Lydem and Owen Carney and Det Harry Noroian searched the bank during the time the bomb was supposed to go off, but found no bomb.

***

Approaching the presentation more like friends than educators, members of the Newtown High School Key Club offered advice and facts on alcohol and its use to interested 8th graders during a presentation on Friday, May 1, at the Newtown Middle School. The talks were a follow-up to visits by the Middle Schoolers to Fairfield Hills Hospital’s drug and alcoholism units, sponsored by the Newtown Jaycees.

 

May 18, 1956

Governor Ribicoff will formally dedicate The Connecticut Light and Power Company’s Shepaug hydroelectric development in the Housatonic River between Newtown and Southbury on Wednesday, May 23. The dam, which was built for the utility, has backed up the waters of the river to New Milford, forming Lake Lillinonah. Guests will make an inspection tour of the dam and power plant, and of the lake.

***

The expensive prospect of installing new dressing plants to comply with the impending federal legislation was spelled out by state officials and Extension at a meeting of Fairfield County poultrymen Wednesday night at Edmond Town Hall, Newtown. After extensive discussion by the poultry raisers who were in the audience, it was urged that those affected write to their representatives in congress to state their views on the bills.

***

Post 308, Veterans of Foreign Wars, will hold a brief Memorial Day ceremony on Wednesday, May 30, at the Soldiers and Sailors monument at the head of Main Street, to honor the war dead. The annual sale of Buddy Poppies will be held Friday, May 18 through Tuesday, May 29. All of the money collected will help needy and disabled veterans, and their widows and orphans.

***

Captain Erich Richter of Wilton, master of Tidewater Oil Company’s tanker, SS Frank Haskell, visited Hawley School to meet the youngsters who “adopted” his ship last September. They are the members of William Foote’s sixth grade class, who have maintained a steady correspondence, and have made an intensive study of the ship, its personnel and its travels.

***

Next Friday evening, May 25, the annual Spring Music Festival of the Newtown schools will be given in the high school auditorium at 8 o’clock with more than 140 students enrolled in the various musical organizations taking part. This year’s festival will present six different musical organizations within the school music department, according to William B. Jones, supervisor.

***

It has been the dangerous habit of motor car carriers going through Newtown in recent months to avoid Newtown’s Main Street and the railroad underpass by traveling School House Hill and Walnut Tree Hill. These town roads and the bridge over the railroad tracks are not built for such heavy traffic, which has become an increasing nuisance and hazard on the town roads. W.F. Hufstader, vice president of General Motors, has instructed the Anchor Motor Freight Lines to no longer use the town roads through Newtown, and W.A. Folson, General Manufacturing Manager of the Ford Motor Company, has given similar instructions to the University Overland Express, Inc.

***

LATHROP SCHOOL OF DANCE Announces Its FOURTH ANNUAL STAR DUST REVUE Thursday Night, May 31, Performance COMPLETELY SOLD OUT Tickets Available for Special Prevue Matinee, Sunday, May 27, at 2:30 Box Office Open 1:45 — Adults $1.10, Children 60 cents At Matinee Only

 

May 15, 1931

On Rogation Sunday when the church through the centuries has asked God’s blessing on the labors of the husbandman and which has latterly become a Sunday in which we commemorate our mothers, the services at Trinity were reminiscent of both when prayers in the service were offered for the toilers of the field and household. The flowers on this altar were purple and white lilacs brought by Dr Gesner from his daughter’s home in West Virginia.

Aaron T. Sanford, of Bridgeport, formerly of Bethel, has just purchased a rare old colonial house, together with out buildings, and two and one half acres of land, in Newtown, of Thomas Mulheron, of New York City. The property is located on Shepard Hill, and commands one of the most extensive views in that section.

***

The contract for the erection of the magnificent $25,000 Peace Memorial to be raised in Newtown, Connecticut, commemorating the three great periods in the development of this nation, has been awarded The McGovers Granite Company of Hartford, designers and builders of many of the finest monuments in stone in Connecticut. The rare beauty and dignified simplicity of the winning design was chosen by the committee after months of careful study and painstaking consideration in order that when the final decision was made, Newtown would have a memorial symbolic not only of the three great victories of the American people but representative as well of the nobler things of the spirit.

***

Newtown is to be represented on the staff of High Sheriff Thomas F. Reilly of Stamford by Austin J. Keane, as active deputy, and Hon William H. Egan, station master at the Pennsylvania Railroad station, NYC, as honorary deputy. Mr Keane is a highly esteemed resident of Sandy Hook and will succeed Morris D. Beers, who has served efficiently as deputy under Sheriff Pease for 16 years.

***

Architect Philip Sunderland submitted plans to the committee, in charge of the proposed Cyrenius Booth Library to be erected by a generous bequest of the late Miss Mary E. Hawley at their meeting on Saturday. The committee will meet a week later for final consideration of the completed plans.

 

 

May 18, 1906

The Newtown High school is of inestimable benefit to the children of Newtown and vicinity. In order to properly equip the school for its work for the coming year, chemical laboratory apparatus is needed. Who, among our philanthropic people, will be the first to equip our High school with the necessary apparatus for chemical laboratory work?

***

The directors of the Newtown Water Co. held a most important meeting, last week Friday night, when the contract was let for the water works plant. R.D. Wood & Co. of Philadelphia gets the contract for pipe, valves, special castings and hydrants. It was voted to accept the bid of Leonard L. Beckwith of Ridgefield, Conn., for laying the pipes, setting the gates and hydrants and building the reservoir. Their action bodes a better day for Newtown and THE BEE trusts every public spirited citizen will lend his aid to the project.

***

The new residence of William R. Curtis in Berkshire is now about ready for the plasterers. The house is of Colonial style of architecture, 36x41 feet, with a piazza across the front side. The house will be lighted by gas, the piping being laid to connect with the plant which supplies the house of his father, Henry G. Curtis. The house will be roomy and attractive in every way.

***

Elaborate preparations are in progress for Memorial day. Principal Jewell of the High school is superintending the same. There will be a parade, to consist of veterans in carriages, 50 men on horseback under the leadership of Charles G. Peck. The older boys will carry guns and fire salutes in the cemeteries. The High school young people are being drilled for the singing. This is the first effort for several years in the way of public observance of Memorial day, and there should be a large turnout of our citizens.

***

The Fair ground’s property owned by Walter Nichols has been bought by C.B. Taylor and Henry G. Curtis, two of the directors of the Newtown fair. The splendid public-spirited and far-sighted action has given the deepest satisfaction to all the directors of the fair and must commend these two men anew to the esteem and regard of all good people who love our town.