Some four inches of rain drenched the area this week during the “January thaw” which otherwise would have been welcome following two weeks of temperatures hovering in the teens and below. The rain, plus runoff from the water-laden ground during the warmer weather, caused flash-food warnings throughout the area, road damage, and soaked cellars, which required local fire volunteers to put in hours of pumping duty. Those living along rivers like the Housatonic kept a wary eye on water levels.

***

Members of the Newtown Jaycees, their wives and friends gathered together on Saturday evening, January 24, for an awards banquet at the Holiday Inn, Danbury, to culminate a week of Jaycee activities and to learn who was to be named the Outstanding Young Man and Outstanding Woman of the year. The recipients this year were William Bausch and Mrs Lynda Cox, and they were selected from a field of 16 nominees by a panel of three judges: Mrs William Walsh of Queen Street, Llewellyn Rowe of Hanover Road, and Robert Campbell of Grand Place.

***

Officials of the Town of Newtown, the State Department of Environmental Protection, and Charles Batchelder Company Inc., the aluminum-smelting firm located in Botsford, met Wednesday to discuss possible harmful effects of materials Batchelder is dumping at the town’s landfill. What exactly the state, town, and company would do about the situation remained undetermined, however, according to a report by First Selectman Jack Rosenthal. The State DEP’s solid waste management unit conducted tests at the landfill late last year, and filed a report with the town on December 19 citing hazardous industrial waste being dumped there. But, said a DEP spokesman Thursday, no emergency exists.

***

Two weeks ago Dr Albert Brinkman, superintendent of schools, presented the Board of Education proposals for redistricting Newtown’s elementary school children in anticipation of the opening of the new school on Boggs Hill Road. In his presentation, the superintendent also suggested that the system retain its K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 method of grade distribution when the new building opens.

***

The new elementary school on Boggs Hill Road is going up and coming along nicely, and once in a while when the school comes up in a conversation, someone usually is heard to ask, “I wonder what they’ll call it?” Malcolm McLachlan, a life-long resident of Newtown, has his own ideas of what name should be given to the new school, and he will present these to the Board of Education at a meeting in February. He hopes they will consider his thoughts. Buildings often stand as monuments to men, and Mr McLachlan feels there was a man in Newtown’s past who should have a monument. He was a person who played, not too many years ago, a vital and living part towards Newtown’s betterment, and many people who have lived here long enough remember him with fondness and appreciation for his tireless efforts working with the youth of the town. His name was Harold DeGroat, but his friends remember him as “coach,” and that is how they refer to him when they talk about him.

***

Three patches were selected from each Girl Scout neighborhood in District 1, a total of eight neighborhoods, to be entered into the final contest. A committee will select the final patch from these 24. The winners from the South Newtown neighborhood are Geetha Chandran from Troop 599, Wendy Sherwood from Troop 246, and three girls from Troop 103 who combined their efforts and designed one patch, Anita Alonte, Martha Polstein, and Deborah Polstein.

***

Mike Zilinek will see his wildcat peering at him from the shirts worn by many of his schoolmates if the Hawley School PTA plans work out. Mike, who is the son of Mr and Mrs Michael J. Zilinek of Old Hawleyville Road, submitted the winning design for the Hawley School wildcats symbol, which will decorate star-spangled T-shirts and school bags available to Hawley pupils. Mike is a 5th grader in Mr John Bird’s class.

FEBRUARY 2, 1951

Forward strides toward the enlistment of all Newtown residents in the town’s Civil Defense work were made during the past week with the calling of a meeting of the Civil Defense advisory Council last Friday night and a meeting of the heads of active service units on Tuesday night of this week. A tentative organization outline for the job was the subject of both meetings called by First Selectman A. Fenn Dickinson and held in the selectmen’s office in Edmond Town Hall.

***

On last Friday evening, January 26, Dr Oliver Stringfield of Stamford and Dr Robert Rogers of Greenwich, representing the Fairfield County Medical Association, and Judge Paul V. Cavanaugh, chairman of the Fairfield County Chapter for Infantile Paralysis, met in Newtown regarding the possibility of new facilities for the care of county polio patients, as the result of the serious epidemic during the past two years. At the present time a wing in Englewood Hospital at Bridgeport is the only institution that will accept polio patients.

***

The editor and staff of The Newtown Bee enjoyed playing host to many visitors who attended the open house on Saturday from 2 to 9 o’clock. The slight snowfall interferred somewhat with the attendance, but in spite of the weather a goodly number of people came to inspect The Bee’s  new addition and expanded facilities.

***

It seems probable that copies of The Saturday Evening Post for February 10, out this coming week, will be in short supply in the Newtown area, for advance word has it that this issue contains an item of local interest. It has to do with the Boys Social and Athletic Club of Sandy Hook and should be of interest not only to the SAC boys themselves but to their many friends in the area.

***

The Newtown League of Women Voters held a membership orientation tea last Thursday at the home of Mrs Frederick M. Herring, Taunton Road, with Mrs F. Jacobson and Mrs H.W. Wilde assisting the hostess. Recent new members of the league present were Mrs David Harrower, Mrs C. Sidney Haight, Mrs Edna Patterson, Miss Gertrude Palmer, and Mrs V.C. Kline.

***

Alvin B. Coger of South Center District was elected president of the Candlewood Shrine Club and Harry B. MacClymon of Sandy Hook was elected one of its directors for three years at the recent annual meeting of the club held in Hotel Green, Danbury. Mr Coger succeeds Joseph Hall of Danbury as president of the club.

***

Members of the Newtown Hook and Ladder Company gave a farewell party in their newly decorated quarters last Thursday evening for Robert J. Qubick, son of Mr and Mrs John Qubick of the Boulevard, who enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on January 12.

JANUARY 26, 1926

The front axle fo the Durant touring car owned by Julius Urbanovsky broke Sunday while going over Strong’s Hill.

***

W.N. Buroughs of Sandy Hook wishes to announce he is in the coal business with yards at Sandy Hook and Hawleyville.

***

Mr and Mrs D.W. Parker of Springfield, Mass., arrive this week to make their home with their son, landlord W.D. Parker, of the Parker House.

FEBRUARY 1, 1901

Owing to the epidemic of measles in the North Center district, Principal McCarthy has been obliged to closed his school for a week.

***

John H. Blackman has presented the Newtown Library with a substantial and handsome street lamp, and the trustees desire to return sincere thanks for the generous gift.

***

At the annual meeting of the Hawleyville Chapel Association, Monday night, the following officers were elected: President, E.C. Platt; vice president, A.B. Fancher; secretary and treasurer, A.T. Camp; trustees, J.A. James, S.A. Blackman, E.R. Platt.