With this election, members of the Board of Police Commissioners, who previously had been appointed, will be elected. There are two seats up for grabs: one for a four-year term beginning December 1, 1979, and running until December 1, 1983; the other for three years, December 1, 1980-December 1, 1983. The seats now belong to board chairman Clifford Bulmer and Thomas Goosman, who is running for tax collector. There are four candidates on the ballot: two Republicans, Mr Bulmer and J. Gilbert Collins, and two Democrats, Lester Burroughs and Edwin Dudeck.

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During October the Registrars of Voters were busy with voter making sessions, enrolling those folks who wanted to vote in the November 6 municipal elections. As of October 29, the registrars came out with statistics which show the total count of registered voters in Newtown as of that date. The total number of voters stands at 9,205. Here, Republicans still outnumber the Democrats, 41.8 per cent to 27.96 per cent. There are 3848 Republicans and 2574 Democrats. Unaffiliated voters stand at 2783 or 30.23 per cent of the total.

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The Newtown League of Women Voters sponsored a “coffee” for Legislative Council candidates on Sunday, October 28 in the Undercroft Room of Trinity Church. Eighteen of the 26 candidates were present, as well as Democratic incumbent First Selectman Jack Rosenthal, and Lyndon Thomas, the Republican contender for the office. A small handful of constituents attended the coffee which was sponsored by the league to provide an opportunity for voters to meet the candidates.

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They skulked, hopped, tapped and roller skated to classes at Newtown High School during spirit week. The boys’ locker room was strewn with intimate female apparel and Charlie Chaplin, sailors and mailmen haunted the ladies’ rooms — not to mention the lions, bunnies, ghouls and goblins. Merriment was the keynote of the student council-inspired spirit week. On hat day, sombreros shared the stage with fedoras, leopardskin pillbox hats, helmets and beanies. Freshmen wore pink clothes on color day.

***

The Middle Gate Nature Trail has been cleaned, new markers have been added and a descriptive booklet explaining interesting nature points along the way supplements the nature lover’s walk along the trail. Jim Gorham of Boy Scout Troop 370 recently completed the work on revising and updating the booklet and was responsible for the clean-up of the trail as a project for his Eagle Scout designation.

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Big Brothers of the Greater Newtown-Danbury Area this week welcomed Todd Benedict of 25 Hawleyville Road as a Big Brother. Todd is matched with George Hilton, age 11, of Danbury.

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Newtown school children were given a mobile course in drug education recently, when “Sonny’s Narc Squad” parked its van at St Rose School. The mobile unit contained items and information relating to drug education, and groups of students toured it throughout the day.

NOVEMBER 5, 1954

At a special town meeting, held last Friday evening in the gymnasium of the Edmond Town Hall, official steps were taken toward the start of a new elementary school building for the town of Newtown, as recommended by the Board of Education. It was voted to create an Elementary School Building Committee of seven members, the committee was selected, and a sum of $10,000 was made available for its use by transfer from the New School Building Fund.

***

The Most Rev Lawrence J. Shehan, Bishop of Bridgeport, was principal speaker at a banquet held in his honor by the Rosary Society of St Rose Church in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall on Monday evening.

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In spite of Tuesday’s downpour of rain, a large number of Newtown voters went to the polls to cast their votes in the state election, scoring an impressive Republican victory. The count showed 1,715 votes cast in the First District and 992 in the Second District for a total of 2,707. There are 1,983 registered voters in the First District and 1,162 in the Second, giving a total of 2,145 for the entire town. Sarah Frances Curtis, with 1,631 votes, was given the largest support among the local candidates for representative and was reelected. H.H. Cutler was also elected representative, with 1,622 votes. Their Democratic opponents, Norman Fedde and James N. Greene, polled 1,054 and 1,040, respectively.

***

An organization meeting for a Newtown Basketball League has been called by Coach Harold S. DeGroat in the boys’ physical education office in the Newtown High School next Wednesday, November 10, at 7:30 pm. Teams from Fairfield State Hospital and the Newtown AC have signified their willingness to participate. The latter team will be under the management of Robert Shannon. Possibilities seem to point to teams from S. Curtis & Son and an independent team made up of the former Sandy Hook Senior SAC team. The meeting should determine the need for a league, the day of the play and how to finance the payment of good officials.

***

The Director of Volunteer Services at the Fairfield State Hospital, Mrs Martha Wyland, reports that progress has been made in the establishment of the new volunteer program. However, many more volunteer workers are needed.

***

Miss Lucy A. James of Bennett’s Bridge Road, Sandy Hook, daughter of Mr and Mrs J. William James, has been named to the staff of the “Campus,” student newspaper at Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vt.

***

With the showing of the film, “The Student Prince,” this Friday and Saturday, November 5 and 6, the Edmond Town Hall theatre introduces to the people of Newtown the use of its new CinemaScope. Invented by Professor Henri Chretien of France, CinemaScope consists of an “anamorphic” lens, Miracle Mirror Screen, stereophonic sound and a new four-track single film projection.

NOVEMBER 1, 1929

Of general interest to the people of Newtown and vicinity is the news of the opening of Sunset Tavern on Friday evening, November 1. The place is well known in Newtown as Sunset Cottage. Mr and Mrs Naramore bought the place about two years ago and immediately started to restore it.

***

The October meeting of the Newtown Chamber of Commerce was held last week Thursday night at the Guild Room in Sandy Hook, with about 35 in attendance. The speaker of the evening was Austin V. Hawes, state forester, who gave a splendid talk on the state forests, showing some excellent pictures.

***

The Girls Friendly Society at its meeting Tuesday night worked on a quilt and almost completed it before the close of the meeting. It is designed as a gift for Austin Dinkler, who has been a faithful helper of St John’s in many ways and who is now recovering from a severe illness.

***

The roof of the Newtown station was discovered to be on fire at about 11 o’clock Monday morning. The Newtown Fire Department was called and soon had a line of hose laid and it was the work of a few minutes after the water was turned on that the fire was out. The damage is estimated at about $150.

***

Richard Carmody returned to his post as manager of the Sandy Hook store of Davey Brothers Thursday after a very pleasant European trip.

NOVEMBER 4, 1904

The new iron railroad bridge over the Pomperaug River near Bennett’s Bridge is completed and the workmen all left Wednesday.

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Mr and Mrs Henry G. Curtis and Harry Curtis of Bridgeport left on Saturday for the St Louis exposition.

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Miss Kathryn Honan has taken a position at Hawleyville with the New England Lace Company.

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The fox terrier dog, “Dan,” owned by J.T. Sheehan, surprised his owner Saturday by killing a skunk and thereby saving Mr Sheehan’s poultry.

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Thomas Leavy of Walnut Tree Hill had the misfortune to lose a fine fat pig last Sunday night. He found it dead in the pen on Monday morning.

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Edward Peeso killed a coon last Saturday in the woods near his home in Zoar, which weighed between 11 and 12 pounds.

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M.F. Houlihan has had a new floor laid to the porch in front of his store.

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Connor Haugh of Walnut Tree Hill has had a large new hen house built.

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Michael Turner has a fine crop of rock turnips this fall. He sold 10 bushels to Newtown parties last Saturday.