The Way We Were
AUGUST , 1979
After a decade of discussion and studies to find a solution to crowded Town of Newtown office space conditions, voters at last Friday’s referendum overwhelmingly approved a $600,000 special appropriation to enable the town to convert the commercial Lovell’s of Ruwet-Sibley building for municipal use. First Selectman Jack Rosenthal said he hopes renovations will be complete and offices occupied by next June.
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At a party caucus last Thursday, Newtown Democrats expeditiously approved the slate of candidates which had been endorsed by the Democratic Town Committee and came up with what they believe is a winning hand – topped by a “pair of jacks.” Incumbent First Selectman Jack Rosenthal will seek his third term for that position, unanimously elected by the Democrats, and Jack McAuliffe will be his running mate, seeking his second term as selectman.
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With the approval by the voters of the Ruwet-Sibley town office renovations, First Selectman Jack Rosenthal this week termed the offer of the Congregational Church to sell its property adjacent to Edmond Town Hall to the town a “dead issue.” But Legislative Council member James Knapp, a third district Republican, has resurrected it by placing on the agenda of next Wednesday’s council meeting consideration of a $350,000 special appropriation to purchase the church property.
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Newtown builder George Arfaras will carry his proposal for constructing a ten-court racquetball club and recreational facility on Commerce Road to a Planning & Zoning Commission public hearing, scheduled for Thursday evening, August 16.
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First Selectman Jack Rosenthal said this week he’ll push the Ruwet-Sibley building reconstruction for town office space along as fast as possible in an effort to avoid the inroads of inflation in the building industry on the $600,000 appropriation approved in last week’s referendum.
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Tuesday night at the Board of Police Commissioners’ meeting commissioner Ronald Costa let it be known that he wasn’t too pleased that the new police cruisers were going to be Plymouth Volares, cars smaller than the present Fords which are being used. Nor does he like the way the purchasing authority of the town, First Selectman Jack Rosenthal and Finance Director Robert Shaw, awarded the bids to the second lowest bidder, Amaral Motors, here in Newtown.
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Raymond L. Doyle, Jr, of Bonnie Brae Drive, a local attorney, has been appointed a member of the Legislative Council from District II. He fills a Democratic vacancy left by the resignation of Michael Kelly of Pine Tree Hill Road.
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The owners of the property surrounding the site of a proposed cable television tower have taken legal steps to block the tower’s construction. Richard F. Gretsch and Richard F. Gretsch, Jr, are seeking an injunction through Danbury Superior Court to prevent the Housatonic Cable Vision Company of New Milford from crossing their property.
AUGUST 13, 1954
Ann Shaw, first sergeant bugler of the Sandy Hook Fife, Drum and Bugle Corps, took title of female state junior champion bugler for the fourth consecutive year at the annual convention of the Connecticut Fifers and Drummers Association held last Saturday, August 7, at Windsor Locks. Miss Shaw is the daughter of Mr and Mrs Irving F. Shaw of Glen Road, Sandy Hook.
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The Board of Trustees of the Newtown Ambulance Association, Inc, have this week mailed letters to all previous contributors explaining that this year the Association finds itself in the happy situation of having sufficient money in reserve so that it will not be necessary to have the usual annual fund raising drive.
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Miss Miriam Rasmussen, assistant postmistress of the Botsford post office, and Miss Grete Hansen, medical technician at Fairfield State Hospital, leave this Friday for a motor trip to the Gaspe Peninsula and Nova Scotia.
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At the regular monthly meeting of the Board of Managers of the Edmond Town Hall on Wednesday evening, August 4, a contract was entered into with Winfield S. Holman, Inc, of Danbury, the lowest bidder, for an entirely new ventilating system to provide an ample supply of fresh filtered air for the Town Hall theatre. The system has been designed by Richard Shipman Leigh, mechanical engineer of Woodbury, who will supervise its installation. Work will be started at once.
The Young Republican Club of Newtown will formulate plans for its participation in the coming election in a meeting on Tuesday evening, August 17, at Edmond Town Hall. Robert Carruth, president, has announced a plan to appoint aides from each district to assist the Republican Town Committee in checking caucus lists, to assist in providing transportation and babysitting service for voters, to assist those desiring absentee ballots and to assist in the general details of election activity.
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Members of the Boys Social and Athletic Club of Sandy Hook are clearing the way for workmen for further construction of the new 40 by 40-foot all-steel game room at SAC Park, Sandy Hook, being built by the Topmost Building Company of West Goshen.
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The clock in Edmond Town Hall tower as well as those in the various offices in the building went into operation on Tuesday after being idle for several weeks. It took that time to obtain a new set of special storage batteries which operate the synchronized clock system to operate independently of the regular power service.
AUGUST 9, 1929
Austin hurd injured the end of one of his fingers while closing a door the other day, requiring the attention of a physician.
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Mrs Cornelia Hawley brought back Sadie Tilson and Helen Terrill Sunday from Canaan, where they had been attending the Girls’ Friendly Young People’s Conference.
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Harold Tomlinson and Richard Bevans journeyed to the State Agricultural College at Storrs, where they spent several days getting valuable information about the poultry business and other farm topics.
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In a game noted for heavy batting, Sandy Hook fell on to the Newtown pitchers, Beers and Kuhne, at the game at Baxter’s Field Sunday afternoon. The result of the game was 22 to 7. Sandy Hook bagged 13 runs in one inning. Edward Bradley and Smith did the honors as umpires.
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Three new houses are soon to be erected by Cornelius B. Taylor, one of Newtown’s honored citizens, which will greatly improve the Main Street to Sandy Hook. Mr Taylor has done much to improve that part of the borough. As chairman of the building committee of the Hawley School, he gave 12 acres of land adjoining the school for recreation and play grounds. This is called Taylor Field in honor of the giver. He also built two attractive houses west of the school, one now owned by Asstant Town Clerk E.S. Pitzschler, and the other by Mrs Thomas Maloney.
AUGUST 12, 1904
Among those who went to Woodbury to witness the ball game between the Woodbury and Newtown nines were: Ex-Representative Edward Taylor, Hardin George, Miss Mary Hawley, P.J. Kelly, P. F. Crowe, Mr and Mrs L.C. Morris, John Lynch, Patrick Lynch, John Brew, Harry Madigan, Charles Briscoe, and Martin Lillis.
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The baseball nine of the Street went to Redding Saturday afternoon and played the nine there. They went down to sure and sad defeat by a score of 11 to 2.
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The three skilled representatives of the medical fraternity in Newtown, Drs Schuyler, Gale, and Kiernan, went to Woodbury Saturday and helped cheer the Newtown boys on to victory in the game of baseball with the Woodbury nine. Had there been any broken fingers or heads there would have been medical attention aplenty.
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The ordinance of baptism was administered at the Congregational Church Sunday morning by Rev O.W. Barker to Henry Marteuse, the young son of Mr and Mrs Harry Lloyd of Brooklyn, and grandson of Dea and Mrs L.W. Lloyd.
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Mr and Mrs Henry Wolfenberger, who have been employed at Castle Ronald for a year, have resigned their positions and returned to New York City.
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C.G. Morris has placed a barrel on the road to Botsford for watering horses.
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Henry B. Coger attended the reunion of the 23d regiment in Bridgeport on Thursday, August 11. Mr Coger is a member of this regiment, Company C from Newtown, Capt Julius Sanford commander.
