The Board of Education had a special meeting on Tuesday night, one which they called in order to help them with their final budget making decisions. The board’s task in the next few weeks will be to pare down its original $9.1 million budget request for 1979-80 to the town-approved figure of $8.6 which came on May 23.

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Terming the upgrading of the old Sandy Hook Hotel “the key to the continued upgrading” of the Sandy Hook Center area, builder Clifford A. O’Dell has applied to the Zoning Board of Appeals for variances to allow the property to be used for more businesses than the zoning regulations currently permit.

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Republican David E. Brown, the minority member of the Board of Selectmen, told The Bee this week that he will resign his seat by June 30 as a result of his acceptance of a new job as a professional accountant with the firm of Malkin, Studley and Ramey of Danbury. Mr Brown, who has been manager of Edmond Town Hall since June 1, 1976, has also informed the town hall Board of Managers he will leave that job by June 30, to give the board time to hire a new manager.

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The Newtown Business Park Association has been successful in its effort to push up the state’s plan to install a traffic control signal at the intersection of Commerce Road and Church Hill Road. First Selectman Jack Rosenthal said Department of Transportation Commissioner Arthur B. Powers has informed him the much-sought-after signal will be installed this summer, instead of in 1980 as originally planned.

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Now that Laurie Cantalup has been elected the first Miss Newtown, the sponsors of the pageant that was held May 12 are continuing their efforts in the hope that the 17-year-old Newtown resident will become Miss Connecticut.

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Republican Selectman David Brown failed Tuesday to convince the other selectmen to have the Public Building Committee conduct a study as to whether the objections of the town’s fire officials to moving the Hook & Ladder fire company from the rear of Edmond Town Hall to the Ruwet-Sibley building are valid or not. Mr Brown also wanted the building committee to be asked to determine what the best use of the Ruwet-Sibley building was, but neither Jack Rosenthal nor Jack McAuliffe would second the motion. “I think it is our responsibility to make a recommendation,” asserted Mr. McAuliffe.

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Brian Karcheski, son of special education teacher Mrs Jeanne Karcheski, will be acting as chaperone for a group of Litchfield children at the International Special Olympics in Brockport, N.Y. on August 9-13. Brian was selected as chaperone by the Connecticut Special Olympics Board because of his volunteer work with the special education children.

JUNE 4, 1954

The Cyrenius H. Booth Library opened its annual campaign for funds with the mailing of a letter on Tuesday to friends of the library in town. This year’s drive has a quota of $2,000, an amount which has been sought in recent years to augment the regular income from the legacy of the late Miss Mary Hawley.

***

Approximately 200 people visited the wildflower garden of Mr and Mrs Herman deVries of Obtuse Road, Hawleyville, last Thursday, May 27, when the garden was open to the public for the benefit of the Horticultural Scholarship Fund of the Federated Garden Club of Connecticut. Availing themselves of the invitation to bring a picnic lunch, about 75 people found various delightful spots along the garden paths where they enjoyed their lunches.

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 The Rev Michael D’Elia, ordained a priest on May 22, has been assigned to St Rose Church by Bishop Shehan to assist in the work with the parish. The new curate took up his duties here last Saturday.

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 The annual meeting of the Sustaining Group of the Boys Social and Athletic Club was held Tuesday evening in the club house at SAC Park in Sandy Hook. Joseph F. Hellauer, president, presided, with reports given by various officers and committees. The outstanding report of the meeting was that given by Wilton Lackaye, director, who itemized the various social events, athletic contests, work projects, etc, in which the boys have taken part during the past year. It is of interest to note that 52 weekly business meetings were held, in addition to several special events, including a party given to the club by Mr and Mrs George B. Holiner, the annual Christmas party, and a surprise party given the club by Mr and Mrs Walter Trumbull.

***

Mr and Mrs Raymond Trimpert, having sold their home on Sugar Street, are moving to Grand Street, Bethel, this Saturday. Mr and Mrs Trimpert and their son, Michael, who is now a classman at the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, and daughter, Corky, have been residents of Newtown for several years.

***

The Men’s Literary and Social Club of Newtown Street celebrated its 60th anniversary and ladies’ night Wednesday night with a dinner at Stony Hill Inn, Bethel, arranged by the following committee: Floyd A. Nash, chairman, Milton F. Hull, Charles G. Morris, Walter A. Reynolds and George M. Stuart. Among the guests present were the Rev and Mrs William G. Wright of Greenwich. The speaker of the evening was Louis Untermeyer of Taunton District, who spoke on the development of American culture during the last 50 years.

***

John R. Holian, chairman of the Democratic Town Committee, has issued the call for a Democratic caucus in the Alexandria Room of the Edmond Town Hall on Tuesday, June 8, at 8 pm. At that time, delegates to the Democratic State convention at Horace Bushnell Memorial, Hartford, and to the Congressional, County and Senatorial Conventions will be elected.

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Miss Evelyn Weber, daughter of Mr and Mrs Edwin Weber of Gray’s Plain District, a junior at Newtown High School, has been named as the recipient of the George Trull Memorial Award of the Newtown Lions Club.

MAY 31, 1929

  Miss Mary H. Hawley has sold on contract her colonial home and seven acres of land at Redding Ridge to Franklyn S. Bates, of New Rochelle.

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 W.A. Upham has had a sanded walk built entirely around the little lake at Upham’s Japanese Tea Gardens.

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Frank Wright and Allison P. Smith, as has been their custom for 15 years, placed the flags on the graves of the veterans of the several wars in Newtown Village Cemetery on Sunday morning.

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The high school gave a movie, “Give and Take,” Wednesday evening for the benefit of the Athletic Association.

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Bernard Newell and John Boucher attended Sells Floto Circus in Bridgeport Saturday night.

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Tax Collector P.H. McCarthy reports that the taxes are coming in very good this year. It would be well for all to bear in mind that Saturday, June 1, is the last day there will be no interest collected on the current tax, and if you do not pay by then, you will have to pay interest from May 1.

***

S. Curtis and Son have installed another new Babcock printing press in their plant in Berkshire, making five Babcock presses now in operation there.

JUNE 3, 1904

Miss Etta I. Martin went to Hartford Monday to act as toastmistress at the banquet of the alumni of St Joseph’s seminary, of which she is a graduate.

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Gordon Mayer, Louis Sammis, and Arthur I. Platt have chartered a schooner at Bridgeport and have anchored it in the Sound near Pleasure Beach. The young men will make it their home during the summer. They are keeping bachelors’ quarters and are anticipating a fine time.

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John Keane of Zoar is putting up a barn of large dimensions. Thomas Kinzie laid the foundation.

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If you are driving cattle along the highway and they escape and enter upon your neighbor’s land, and you pursue and retake them, are you liable for the damage caused by the cattle or for your own trespass? Possibly the lecturer’s hour at the Grange, next Tuesday night, will enlighten you.

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James Lyons killed a black snake near his home which measured over six feet in length.

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Mrs Mary Frank Peck Cheves had a narrow escape from being killed by the cars, Monday, just escaping the train going south at 4:05 pm, at the crossing near Mrs Lamson B. Lake’s residence. As it was one shaft was broken as she pulled the horse to one side as the train rushed by.