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WAY WE WERE

MARCH 16, 1973

The Board of Education voted Tuesday evening to submit to the Board of Finance

a proposed budget of $5,496,295 for the 1973-74 school year. The final figure

is $588 more than the budget recommended by Superintendent of Schools James

Boyd and $566,537 more than last year. Board member Lester Boroughs pointed

out that since income to the town has increased, the actual amount to be

raised by local taxes has gone down by $12,000.

A little more than 1,700 voters went to the polls in Newtown during the

all-day referendum on Monday and voted on two special appropriations totalling

$50,000 sought by the Board of Education. Both were approved. The question on

whether to spend $38,000 for negotiated teacher salary increases was approved

by a narrow margin of 26 votes. The second question, seeking $12,000 for

septic repairs at the middle school, was approved by a nearly 2-1 margin.

The Board of Selectmen voted yesterday to submit a budget of $2,665,482 to the

Board of Finance for next year's budget. The proposed budget includes a

provision to increase the positions of the zoning officer and the sanitarian

to fulltime, and to hire a night dispatcher for the police department. Capital

items include an aerial truck for the fire department and a vacuum truck for

public works.

The Zoning Board of Appeals have given the go-ahead for the construction of

the Barclay Sweater Company's new distribution center and offices on Edmond

Road. The approval removes the final hurdle to get the New York-based company

into town and was the culmination of a year of negotiations on the part of the

company, First Selectman Frank DeLucia, and the state. Mr DeLucia said the ZBA

decision opened the way for what will be the largest industry in the

community, one which will broaden the town's tax base.

Representatives of the Union Trust Company presented an original watercolor of

the Belden House in Newtown to the Newtown Historical Society this week. The

painting was executed by noted Branford artist Leo Stoutsenberger. The Belden

House, which is currently undergoing renovation, is the headquarters for the

historical society. Located on Main Street, it was acquired by the society

from the David Harrower estate in 1970.

Last week Newtown Hook & Ladder was notified that several women wish to join

the fire company, not as members of a ladies auxiliary. One of the women did

fill out an application in the presence of several of the firemen. However, a

paragraph in the charter forbids women, except through a 100 percent vote by

the membership. That clean sweep hardly seems likely, The Bee noted, but it

gives the women something to work toward.

At the Board of Education meeting this week, Fred Marchionna of 47 West Street

suggested that consideration should be given to some course offering at the

high school in the field of computer science. Mr Marchionna said he felt the

school was really missing out by not teaching this. "Everything now is

affected in some way by computers," he said, "and students would benefit by

the experience of working with them." The board asked Superintendent of

Schools James Boyd to meet with Mr Marchionna to discuss the possibility.

MARCH 19, 1948

One of the saddest fatalities to befall a Newtown resident in recent years

happened Wednesday night of last week when Mrs Donald William Boxley, the

former Mary Ann Bowen, was so seriously injured in an auto accident that her

death occurred Tuesday morning at the Hartford Hospital despite all that could

be done to save her life. The accident happened at Bolton Notch, near

Manchester, as Mr and Mrs Moxley were returning to the University of

Connecticut where they were both students. Another car, coming toward then,

skidded on an icy section of road and crashed head-on into the Moxley car. Mr

Moxley suffered a broken nose and three cracked ribs but his wife received

serious head injuries. The couple was married last December 31 at the Newtown

Congregational Church. "Pat," as the bride was known to her family, would have

reached her 21st birthday on April 28. Her parents are Mr and Mrs William

Bowen, owners of the Hawley Manor.

The new Newtown League of Women Voters held a membership tea and luncheon at

the Hawley Manor on Monday afternoon. About 30 women attended and voted the

following slate of officers: Mrs William Oakley, Jr, president; Mrs Norman

Fedde, first vice president; Mrs Frederic M. Herring, second vice-president;

Mrs Ralph Knibloe, treasurer; Mrs Robert Stokes, recording secretary; Mrs

Bradley Randall, corresponding secretary. It was agreed to hold the meetings

on the second Monday of every month, and members who were present at Monday's

meeting presented some suggestions for the study program to be drawn up by the

executive committee for acceptance at next month's meeting.

The Newtown Chapter of United World Federalists together with other

organizations in town, plus the cooperation of a group of Student Federalists

from Yale University, will conduct a petition drive for world government this

Saturday. Canvassers will call on all citizens in town asking them to support

the effort to strengthen the United Nations Charter; those who are not home

but wish to express themselves will find petitions at the town hall, at Knapp

& Trull's, and at Warner's store in Sandy Hook. Headquarters for the day's

drive will be in the courtroom at Edmond Town Hall. The Newtown petition, when

completed, will be presented with those of other Connecticut towns to the

state's representatives and senators in Washington, D.C.

The Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall was filled to capacity Monday night

when a special town meeting was called for the purpose of voting authorization

to the Board of Fire Commissioners for the purchase of a new fire engine for

the Hawleyville district. The resolution, which was unanimously passed,

authorized the purchase of the fire truck, at a cost not to exceed $9,000, to

be financed through the issuance of short-term notes.

An open board meeting of Regional School District No 3 was held last Friday

evening at Hawley School, attended by some 50 residents of the four towns in

the district. The purpose of the meeting was to review the expenditures for

1947-48 and the budget preparations for 1948-49. During the meeting it was

learned that a decision is expected from the courts in May or June concerning

the legal status of the district. Residents of Newtown and Bethlehem have

voted to withdraw from the district which was formed to provide a regional

high school for those towns plus Southbury and Woodbury. If the courts rule in

favor of the district, the school board will proceed with plans to obtain bids

on the project. If the school can be completed for a cost not to exceed $1.5

million, it will be built on the site in Southbury and will be ready to

accommodate 800 students in the fall of 1949.

Lloyd J. Riemersma, 22, of Holland, Mich., the driver of the heavily laden

truck and trailer which last Tuesday narrowly avoided a loaded school bus at

the foot of Sandy Hook hill, crashing into a tree instead, continues to show

improvement at Danbury Hospital. The young hero of the crash, in which no one

but himself was injured, has become the object of much attention by grateful

townspeople. He has received visits, cards, magazines, cigarettes, and Ralph

Knibloe secured a radio for him. Harold Bassett is the chairman of a committee

which is collecting a fund of money for the young man.

It is with deep regret that The Bee announces the illness of a member of its

staff. J. William James, who has been confined to his home this past week with

a siege of grippe, suffered a coronary attack Wednesday night and was removed

to Danbury Hospital Thursday morning. The severity of the attack cannot as yet

be determined, according to Dr J. Benton Egge.