Next week area residents will hear the cry of “Wagons, Ho!” as the New England Bicentennial Wagon Train winds its way through the state on its way to Valley Forge, Penn., where it will meet with other similar trains coming from all over these United States. The Connecticut contingent will be led by Elmer Gladding of Southbury as wagonmaster, and as the train passes through each town, outriders will meet at community borders to lead the train in.

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 First Selectman Jack Rosenthal has been given new authority over personnel in the highway department by action of the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday night in executive session: the right to fire. “That’s the way it should have been from the beginning,” commented Mr Rosenthal the next day. At his first meeting with the board in January as first selectman, he had requested that the selectmen delegate to him the authority to hire, suspend, and dismiss town employees as provided for in the town charter. But the two Republican selectmen then gave the Democratic first selectman only the authority to hire and suspend employees, with approval of the department involved.

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St Rose Parish is planning a testimonial dinner in honor of Sister Margaret Kane, SND, who is leaving St Rose parish at the end of June.

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The Newtown Junior Woman’s Club announces that Elaine Hendrickson (Mrs Charles), their candidate for the Phipps Memorial Scholarship, has been awarded a $200 scholarship for the academic year 1976-77.

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The Board of Selectmen voted Tuesday, June 1, that a mandatory referral be made to the Planning & Zoning Commission for the plans of the Children’s Adventure Center to locate a new day care center on seven acres of town-owned land on Riverside Road and Dickenson Drive, Sandy Hook.

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Wednesday eveng the Legislative Council voted to authorize the acquisition of 3.2 acres of Fairchild property adjacent to the landfill and to include the necessary cost of the purchase, $16,000, as a line item in the 1976-77 budget. The purchase of the property is to provide land to correct a drainage problem at the landfill, and the motion to buy the land came after lengthy discussion and questioning by council members.

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The annual corporation meeting of Children’s Adventure Center Inc. was held on May 26, at 8 pm in the Fellowship Hall of the United Methodist Church. The gathering included teachers at the day care center, families of children who attend, other members of the corporation, and invited guests. Among the special guests were State Representative John Anderson; James Severnak, Town Legislative council chairman; Kenneth Miller, chairman of the Committee on Aging; and Linda Roache, field representative from the Connecticut Sate Department of Community Affairs. The business of the meeting included the election of 11 people to the Board of Directors for the 1976-78 term. Those reelected were Margaret Barker, Patricia Hayes, Barbara Kasbarian, Charles Lehman, William Mack, Rebecca Marti, Elizabeth Morgan, and Mae Schmidle. New members are Mary Bucko, Linda Raigel, and Kathy Rosenthal.

 

JUNE 8, 1951

Newtown friends of H.C. Honegger will be greatly pleased to know that he has been awarded the Cross of Officer of the Order of Leopold II, by HRH the Prince Royal of Belgium in recognition of his generous assistance to the needy children of Belgium through the work of the Pestalozzi Foundation of America, which organization Mr Honegger founded and of which he is now the honorary president.

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The Sustaining Group of the Boys SAC met at the Fieldhouse at SAC Park last Friday evening to hear the annual reports and elect a board of directors for the next fiscal year. The following were unanimously elected and the secretary was instructed to cast one ballot for each: Joseph Hellauer, president; Edith Parker and Paul S. Smith, vice presidents; Jerome Jackson, Jr, treasurer; Dorothy Holiner, secretary; Wilton Lackaye, executive director; and board members, Francis Gilbert, A. Fenn Dickinson, Walter McCarthy, and Florence Lackaye. Treasurer Jerry Jackson’s detailed report showed the club to be on a sound footing with all obligations met and bills, for both junior and senior groups, paid up to date.

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To direct traffic during the hours of church services Constable Robert Leibold was stationed last Sunday at the flagpole and Constable Edward Casey in front of St Rose Church. They will again be at their posts this Sunday, and Constable Hiram Hanlon will be stationed at Sandy Hook Center. First Selectman A.Fenn Dickinson states that the newly innovated traffic control will be continued during the summer months of heavy travel.

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A special town meeting will be held this Friday evening, at 8 o’clock at the Edmond Town Hall, to consider and act upon admission of the Botsford Fire Company as a member of the Newtown Fire Department.

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The United Fire Company of Botsford held its annual meeting on Tuesday night at the Pines Inn, when the following board of governors was elected: A.W. Rasmussen, Carroll Eaton, F. Robert Mount, Otto W. Heise, David Nalvin, David Steinfeld, and Alvin H. Coger. Mr Coger, who has been president of the company since its organization two years ago, presided.

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The estate of Mr and Mrs Herman deVries, Hawleyville, will be open to the public this Sunday, June 10, from 3 to 6 pm for the benefit of the Women’s Federation of the Newtown Congregational Church. All friends of the church are cordially invited to attend and view the home and gardens. Mr deVries has also consented to open his picture gallery so that guests may see his paintings.

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Mothers and sponsors were guests of honor at the eighth annual mother-daughter banquet of the Camp Fire Girls held in St John’s Episcopal Church, Sandy Hook, Thursday, May 31. Three girls, each outstanding in her group, received campship awards entitling them to one week at Camp McKay, Lake Candlewood, Danbury. Color bearers in the opening ceremony represented the three age groups in the local Camp Fire program: Sandy Johnson, carrying the American flag, Horizon Club; Judith Tenney, Camp Fire flag, Camp Fire; Marilyn Peterson, Blue Bird flag, Blue Birds.

JUNE 4, 1926

On Monday, Mrs H.W. Wheeler opened her attractive home as The Betsy Page Tea Room and Inn. The broad piazzas have been enclosed with screens and here at charmingly laid tables the guests are served with their chicken dinners or luncheon as ordered.

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Michael Carroll, the painter, has done interior decorating in the residences of Henry G. Curtis and Mrs Julia Hawley in Berkshire.

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A son of William Leibold had a horse step on one of his fingers. Dr W.H. Kiernan attended him.

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Edward B. Allen is driving a handsome new Nash sedan.

JUNE 7, 1901

Hawleyville had quite an epidemic of runaway accidents on Friday and Saturday, but fortunately in all three cases no person was injured. On Friday, the horses of O.F. Terrill, driven by Henry Barnum, became frightened at the cars and got beyond his control. The wagon was wrecked. The horse of Charles Lake became frightened at the actions of Terrill’s team, broke away from a post, and smashed the wagon. On Saturday, Henry Fancher’s peddling wagon was smashed up at Southville, the horses taking fright.

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F.A. Young of Taunton has a dog which would be bought by circus magnates if they could see it perform. The dog goes after the cows, drives them into the yard, and then, getting behind the big swinging gate, he pushes it together, and locks it. It is “as good as a circus” to see the dog play ball, catching with all the grace of a professional.