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A freeze on federal spending under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act prompted by President Ronald Reagan’s February budget message has led to a suspension of work on Newtown’s pollution abatement study, town Grants Administrator Zita McMahon said this week.

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Delinquent taxpayers who have not contacted Tax Collector Carol Feeley about their accounts have until Friday, March 27, to do so, or be included on a list the town attorney will receive on April 1 to start foreclosure action. It will be no April Fool’s Day effort as the town is facing an estimated budget deficit of $224,000.

***

The spring sport season is here and like crocuses, coaches old and new have popped up to fill vacant head coaching positions on several Newtown High School varsity athletic teams. Most conspicuous is the jump made by DeAnn LeBeau. The veteran girls track and field coach will be watching the boys fling discuses and jump hurdles this spring as the new head coach of the boys track and field squad.

***

The Newtown Water Company, heading toward a September deadline to comply with the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, will go before the Zoning Board of Appeals next week for a variance related to its planned construction of wells which will replace Taunton Pond as water source for its 840 customers.

***

You and your pet might see a new face the next time you visit the Newtown Animal Clinic on South Main Street. He is Dr Neal Warner, Dr Lawrence Washington’s new associate, and has come to Newtown from Ellington, Conn. Dr Warner, 29, received his degree in veterinary medicine from Cornell University, his master’s degree in animal pathology from The University of Connecticut, and his bachelor’s degree in botany and zoology from Drew University.

***

Newtown police voted officially last week in the presence of a state labor relations board representative to switch their union affiliation from the International Brotherhood of Police Officers (IBPO) of the National Association of Government Employees to Council 15, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO.

***

The Newtown Historical Society will open the Matthew Curtiss House on Sunday, March 29, 11 am to 4 pm, for an exhibit of original Currier & Ives prints. The prints in this exhibit are being displayed by various historical society members, and the Travelers Insurance Companies, who began to assemble their collection in 1935.

March 30, 1956

Construction of the Sandy Hook Elementary School reached a point by the end of last week at which a visitor could visualize the finished building, due to go into service at the beginning of the 1956-57 school year. Miles Harris, chairman of the Elementary School Building Committee, reported to The Bee this week that construction is two to three weeks behind schedule, with the principal causes of the delay being heavy winter weather.

***

Excavation of the swimming pond in the Dickinson Memorial Park was begun last week by A. Sega and Sons of New Milford. The Newtown Park Commission reports that it has contracted with the firm to excavate a pond of approximately 150 feet in length and 125 feet wide. Aware of the importance of a swimming pond to the children of the town, the members of the commission are working hard to have the pond ready by summer.

***

A second week-end snowstorm cut down the mileage of Red Cross canvassers for the 1956 Fund Campaign but it did not cut down their enthusiasm. Many telephoned F. Farny Eilers, chairman of the fund, to explain their delay and pledge that they would complete their work as soon as possible.

***

Members and guests of the Newtown Mother’s Club enjoyed a spring fashion show at their meeting Monday evening, March 26 at the Congregational Church House. Clothes were provided by the E. Miller Shop at the Queen Street Shopping center.

***

The Newtown Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Tuesday evening, April 10, on an application to establish a motor vehicle junk yard in the Hawleyville section of Newtown, according to a notice published in the legal notices in this issue of The Bee.

***

Two trainmen have been injured and seven youths apprehended as a result of stone-throwing episodes last Sunday and Monday evenings as freights on the N.Y., N.H. &Hartford line have been passing through Newtown and Danbury. Five Newtown youths, all 13 to 15, were apprehended after investigation by State Policeman James Costello of Ridgefield Barracks. Two other juveniles were turned over to the Juvenile Court following Sunday’s incident.

***

The members of the Democratic Town Committee have succeeded themselves by virtue of no opposition having shown itself by the deadline of filing of opposing candidacies, 6 pm, Tuesday, March 27. Following their recently adopted local rules, and the new primary law, the committee endorsed itself on March 2.

March 27, 1931

A citizen of outstanding ability and character, a native of this good old town, Dr Andrew Egan, died on Monday at his residence, 1134 Bergen Street, Brooklyn, following a brief illness. He was a graduate of Yale Medical College, and took up the practice of medicine in New York City, after having studied under the late Dr William C. Wile and the late Dr Bennett of Newtown.

***

The Hawleyville section had a disastrous fire on Monday about 1 pm when the barn on Edward Lauffer’s place, just east of his house was totally destroyed. The Newtown fire company and the Hawleyville volunteer company responded to the alarm, but the fire had made such headway the building could not be saved.

***

A strange accident occurred on the farm of D.M. Poppovitch in Taunton, Wednesday when a valuable cow fell down backwards into a well. Securing tackle blocks and heavy ropes, the cow was finally drawn up out of the well. And the best part of it is after the wounds caused by the fall and the ropes had been treated, the cow went contentedly at work chewing her cud as if nothing had happened.

***

Frank Kaiser did a good piece of work through Taunton, Saturday, using a tractor and drag on the roads throughout the district. The roads do not appear to be in a bad condition from mud as last spring and in some previous seasons.

***

Donald Shove fell the other day and ran a wire through the palm of his hand and into his wrist. He was taken to the office of Dr W.F. Desmond for treatment. He has had quite a serious time.

***

A.E. Bevans has completed very extensive improvements in his cafeteria or serving room in the Old Cabin lunch at Dodgingtown. The dining room has been equipped with neat tables, on which are unique and very handsome electric lamps. Mr Bevans has received many compliments on his handsome and well-equipped place.

March 30, 1906

The thermometer registered four degrees below zero at Crowe’s button shop in Cold Spring, Saturday morning. Pretty fair spring weather at that!

***

Patrick McMahon, unmarried and an employee of the Waterbury Buckle Co, of the plating room in the plant, Monday, on a staging suspended many feet from the floor, was caught in a shafting revolving at more than 100 revolutions a minute. Besides a serious contusion on his back and a number of minor bruises and cuts, McMahon suffered a nervous shock which makes his condition precarious.

***

The Litchfield branch of the New York & New Haven road was blocked from 1 o’clock, Tuesday morning, till Wednesday morning, by an accident which befell Conductor Bristol’s freight train. A car broke a flange as it was passing over a trestle near the bridge which spans the Pond brook. Three cars left the trestle and bridge and went into the ditch and brook.

***

St Rose’s church was well filled, Sunday night, by an audience which included many from the Protestant churches of the town. The speaker was Rev Walter Shanley of St Peter’s church of Danbury, one of the most eloquent speakers in the state. His subject was “St Patrick.”