Full Text:

THE WAY WE WERE FOR NOVEMBER 7, 1997

NOVEMBER 10, 1972

The Old Rock Road Corporation decided this week to withdraw its application

for a race track in Newtown and try again next year. ORRC hopes to bring the

issue to a referendum then. Seth O.L. Brody, special counsel to the Planning &

Zoning Commission, said such a move had been expected as the ORRC attempts to

get more support for the proposal. He said a public hearing scheduled for

November 17-18 would be cancelled but the P&Z would still make a decision at

its November 10 meeting. First Selectman Frank DeLucia said that even if a

referendum was possible, the final decision would rest with P&Z according to

the Town Charter.

About 20 minutes' drive from Newtown, the town of Wolcott wants a race track

and the Old Rocks Road Corporation has been invited to locate one there

instead of in Newtown. Dr Joseph W. Siemiakoski, chairman of Wolcott's

Planning & Zoning Commission, said the racetrack proposal was enthusiastically

backed by residents at the largest public hearing in the town's history in

July 1971 and that the P&Z had taken the necessary action to permit the

racetrack on a 400-acre site on a hilltop within sight of I-84. The president

of the company formed to develop that site said he and his partners do not

want to go into the racetrack business themselves but are interested in

hearing what the ORRC has to say.

I.E. DuPont de Nemours and Company of Wilmingtown, Del., has announced its

plans to acquire Ivan Sorvall Inc. Sorvall will become part of the instrument

products division of DuPont's photo products department. Ivan Sorvall is a

privately owned firm established in 1934. It employs about 350 people and

presently a new addition to the plant in Newtown is being constructed to house

the firm's corporate offices which are being moved from Norwalk. Its 1972

sales are expected to be about $12 million.

Newtown voters, following the pattern of voters throughout the country, gave

President Nixon and Vice President Agnew a resounding win over Sen George

McGovern and Sargent Shriver in the national election. They also gave a

resounding margin to every other Republican on the local ballot. As far as can

be determined, voter turnout was the largest ever for the town. Out of 8,431

voters, 7,320 went to the polls, or 89 percent. One real moment of panic came

when it was discovered that some of the new voting machines - necessary

because Newtown had been chopped up by redistricting - had see-through

curtains and the privacy of the voting booth was not secure. The problem was

solved by Registrar Jeanne Hubbell, who hung up some of her permanent press

pillowcases, but Newtown made the evening television news and The New York

Times as a result of the incident.

Air Force Capt Thomas McManus, Jr, of Newtown was awarded the Silver Star in a

ceremony at US Sen Lowell Weicker's Bridgeport office this week. Capt McManus

received the medal for gallantry in battle. The Currituck Road resident was

presented with the nation's third highest medal because of a bombing and

strafing mission over Khe Sahn, Vietnam, during which he risked his own life

by repeatedly swooping down to destroy two enemy mortar positions which were

cutting off air supply lines and pinning down friendly troops.

The Planning & Zoning Commission this week rejected the Radio Control Club of

Connecticut's petition to amend the zoning regulations of the Town of Newtown.

The club asked that the regulations be amended to permit periodic recreational

activities by clubs on Newtown land. Its members wanted to be able to continue

to fly radio-controlled planes on the site of the former Botsford railroad

station. In denying the request, P&Z said these types of land uses would have

to be permitted in all zones of town which could not be predicted or

controlled. Neighbors had strongly objected to the club's activities,

complaining about the noise and saying that the planes posed a safety hazard.

NOVEMBER 7, 1947

The board of the Regional District No 3 is planning to take legal action to

prevent Newtown from withdrawing from the regional high school which is slated

to be built in Southbury. On Tuesday the Newtown Board of Selectmen attended a

meeting of the regional board at Bullet Hill School in Southbury. They

listened to a report from the attorney retained by the board who said Newtown

cannot withdraw from the district. The board chairman then advised the

selectmen that a lawsuit will be filed. The selectmen now must call a special

town meeting to appropriate money to pay for attorney fees.

Businesses in Newtown will be closed from 10:30 am to noon next Tuesday when

Armistice Day is celebrated with a long parade of 20 local and visiting

organizations and memorial exercises, all under the direction of the Raymond

L. Pease Post No 163 American Legion. The parade will start on Glover Avenue,

opposite Lovell's garage, and will proceed to the Soldiers and Sailors

Monument at the head of Main Street at 11 am. Town offices and the library

also will be closed, and Knapp and Trull will be closed for the entire day.

Walter B. Klavun, who suffered an attack of virus pneumonia and was removed to

the Danbury hospital, was released this week. Mr Klavun's house on South Main

Street was partially destroyed by the fire several weeks ago, and it was at

this time he was taken ill, having exposed himself to the smoke and cold the

night of the blaze. Mr and Mrs Klavun are in the process of having Ronalds

Castle demolished so they can start a subdivision of new homes atop the hill.

In spite of forbidding weather, there was a large attendance at the first

meeting of the season held by the Newtown Parent Teachers Association in

Hawley School. Dale Messick, better known to Newtown friends and neighbors as

Mrs Everett G. Soltmann, was the guest speaker. She is the creator of the

comic strip "Brenda Starr."

Interest has been running high in football circles since announcement early

this week of the scheduling of a football game to be played on Taylor Field on

Saturday, November 15, between the Hawley High School six-man team and the

newly organized, fast-developing Boys Social and Athletic Club team. The game

will begin at 2 pm. Coaches of the two teams have tentatively arranged for a

return game, also to be played on Taylor Field, on Thanksgiving Day, weather

permitting.

At the annual meeting of the Newtown Savings Bank, Albert S. Knapp and Raymond

L. Hall were named corporators, replacing the late Harry S. Hart and Carlos D.

Stillson. Arthur T. Nettleton was reelected president and treasurer, George M.

Stuart and Robert C. Mitchell were reelected vice presidents, and H. Carlton

Hubbell was reelected secretary. The trustees are Mr Nettleton, Mr Mitchell,

Mr Stuard, Walter A. Reynolds, Newtown M. Curtis, Herbert C. Hubbell, S.

Curtis Glover, Robert J. Clark and John J. Keane. It was Mr Nettleton's 29th

annual report as treasurer.