USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Newtown > Newtown, Connecticut, past and present > Part 9
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The Board meets monthly, examines the operations of the previous month, including expenditures, and authorizes the payment by the Town of the Fire Department obligations that have been properly incurred. The Board handles no money, but does operate within the budget figure approved at Town Meet- ings.
The Town-owned switchboard has been most efficient in handling fire calls as far as its equipment permits.
Fire Department Telephone:
Emergency Only-All Districts: Garden 6-4425
Routine and Business Calls: Garden 6-2501
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PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
The town Health Officer is appointed by the Board of Selectmen for a term of three years. He is compensated on a fee basis for services rendered. His primary responsibility relates to the control of communicable diseases and public sanitation. In carrying out these duties he works in co-operation with the State Department of Health under whose authority health regulations are established. He also works in association with the local physicians, the School Nurse and the Public Health Nurse, the Sanitary Inspector and other public officials.
Preventive programs include periodic examinations of school children, immunization, and quarantine when necessary. All cases of communicable disease must be reported to the Health Officer; it is his responsibility to see that adequate safeguards are taken for the protection of public health.
The Health Officer is also responsible for routine inspection of restau- rants and other food dispensing establishments, as well as periodic checks on milk and water supplies and on trailer camps. Sanitary inspections of sewage disposal systems are made by a Sanitary Inspector when ordered by the Health Officer.
General responsibility for the care of the poor is vested in the Board of Selectmen. All inquiries as to available facilities or services should be directed to them. In actual practice, the greater portion of available aid is administered by various state agencies, from state and federal funds. If the applicant is adjudged eligible for state aid the function of the Selectmen's office is largely that of receiving the applications and referring them to the appropriate de- partment for attention. If no state aid is possible the responsibility rests with the town.
The Connecticut State Welfare Department, through its public assistance program, grants basic maintenance costs for needy persons who meet legal requirements such as age, residence, lack of a legally-liable relative who could support, etc. for the following four types of aid :
Old Age Assistance for persons 65 years of age or older.
Aid to Dependent Children for children "deprived of parental sup- port or care by reason of death, continued absence from the home, or physical or mental incapacity of a parent."
Aid to the Blind.
Aid to the Disabled-for persons who are permanently and totally incapacitated.
Financial need is the eligibility requirement common to all these pro- grams. Monthly cash payments cover such basic items as food, shelter, house- hold operation (fuel, etc.), personal expenses (clothing, etc.) and also, when
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appropriate, certain special needs such as housekeeper or homemaker service, telephone, etc. The need for medical care is met outside the monthly grant and covers a wide variety of medical expenses. The state-wide average monthly in- dividual grants, excluding the cost of medical care, for March 1955, were $69.49 for Old Age Assistance, $109.40 (per family) for Aid to Dependent Children, $80.85 for Aid to Blind and $85.52 for Aid to the Disabled.
The case load for Newtown for the same month was:
Old Age: 53
Aid to Dependent Children : 5 (families)
Aid to the Disabled: 0
Town expenditures for care of dependent persons during the fiscal year ending September 30, 1954 was $12,458.06.
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Chapter IV NEWTOWN SCHOOLS
General Organization
The Newtown school system operates under the control of the Board of Education composed of six members. This is a bi-partisan board representing the two major parties and its candidates are nominated at the respective caucuses. They are elected for a term of six years with two members elected every two years at the biennial town election. Board of Education members serve without pay, except the secretary, who receives a small salary for clerical work and disbursing and accounting for budget funds.
The Board of Education formulates the educational policies for the opera- ation of the school system.
Since education is a state function there are many state laws governing educational policy. These laws control such matters as certification of teachers, compulsory attendance, length of school year, certain required subjects, etc. Where no state law governs, the local board decides its own policy.
The superintendent of schools, as executive officer of the Board, is re- sponsible for administering the board policies. Responsible to the superinten- dent for operating their respective schools are a high school supervising principal and elementary school supervising principals, to whom the teachers in their buildings are directly responsible for the performance of their duties. The school system also employs 2 clerks and 6 janitors.
School Plants and Facilities
School plants and facilities consist at present of the Hawley Elementary School of 19 rooms with a small auditorium and a small gymnasium. There is a separate kindergarten building of 2 rooms, which was originally built as a temporary annex to house the home economics classes which are now in the high school. The older part of the Hawley School, consisting of 9 class- rooms, the auditorium and the gymnasium was built in 1921 as a gift to the town by Miss Mary E. Hawley. She at the same time set up for the maintenance of the building a small fund which is administered by the town treasurer. This partially maintains the building. An addition of 10 classrooms with teachers' room and health and music rooms was completed in 1948.
The Hawley School is on the site of approximately 6 acres, including Taylor Field which is the playground for this school, and which was a gift to the town by Cornelius B. Taylor.
In addition to the Hawley School there is a four-room elementary school in Sandy Hook housing grade 3 which is being replaced within the coming year by a modern 16-room building with 14 primary and intermediate class- rooms for grades 1 through 6, and 2 kindergarten rooms. This building will also have a cafeteria-assembly room, a playroom, health unit, music room and administrative offices. This new school is being built on a site of 12 acres and is located near the center of Sandy Hook.
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Newtown has a new high school completed in 1953 which has 18 class- rooms, including a home economics suite, art room, a commercial section of three rooms, two laboratories and music facilities. It has a gymnasium which may be divided for instruction into two sections by an electrically operated collapsible partition. There is a cafeteria-assembly room with a cafeteria kitchen adjoining. It has also a general shop, an agricultural shop, a library, a health unit, and an administrative section composed of a general office and adjoining offices for the guidance director, principal, and superintendent of schools.
Transportation
In a large rural town such as Newtown where schools are largely central- ized, approximately 80% of the children are transported to school. At present a fleet of nine school buses, most of which have a capacity of fifty-four chil- dren, is required to transport our pupils to and from school. Each bus makes at least two round trips with children both morning and afternoon. In addition to the large buses there are also two station wagons and two sedans engaged in transporting school children, making a total of 13 drivers.
In 1956 an additional bus will be required to carry our growing school population.
ELEMENTARY PROGRAM
The program of the elementary schools of Newtown is more or less stand- ard for all schools in the State of Connecticut.
General supervision of the over-all program is made by a supervising principal under the superintendent of schools.
The elementary program is carried out by a staff of twenty-three class room teachers aided in art, music and physical education by supervisors in their respective fields. In 1954-55 the number of pupils is 718 which includes the 100 kindergarten children.
The three R's, social studies, language, science and health make up the academic subjects studied by all children from first through sixth grades.
Art, music and physical education are also taught, but these classes do not meet every day.
Extra curricular activities as such are not feasible in our present organiza- tion due to the transportation problem. However we do have 2 fine musical organizations for the members of grades 4, 5 and 6, namely the Junior Band and the Junior Orchestra. These two groups now number approximately 78 children.
A kindergarten program for all children who are at least four and a half years of age is also offered in our elementary program. It offers the boys and girls of pre-school age the opportunity of learning to work and play with others as well as developing habits of group behavior which will enable them to enter into the more formal school program at the age of six years.
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A health program is carried on by a full time registered nurse and a part-time dental hygienist.
Accidents and illnesses are promptly cared for by the school nurse. Yearly physical health examinations are given by one of the local doctors and records of those examinations are kept by the school nurse, who administers sight and hearing tests.
The work of the dental hygienist is assisted by the local Visiting Nurse Association through the payment of half of her salary and the aid of volunteer workers. This hygienist works half time in the school system dividing her days between the elementary and the high schools. Her work is examining all childrens' teeth, recommending remedial work when necessary and ad- ministering the fluoride treatment for prevention of tooth decay.
Both the nurse and dental hygienist also meet with the various classes to instruct them in the proper preventive measures in problems of physical and dental health.
NEWTOWN HIGH SCHOOL
Newtown High School (grades 7 through 12) offers a comprehensive educational program to the secondary school age youth of the community. The 7th and 8th grade classes in this school are non-departmentalized. That is, the pupils stay in one room with one teacher, except for courses in the indus- trial arts, home economics, art, music and physical education.
There are 20 teachers in the high school not including the music super- visor, who divides his time among all the schools, and 410 pupils in the six grades during the school year 1954-1955.
The curriculum of the high school is such that a student may prepare for college entrance or receive a general education that will equip him with a background of knowledge and skills necessary for living in our present-day society.
Subjects which prepare our young people for admission to colleges and universities include English, mathematics, 2 years of Latin and French, his- tory, physics, chemistry, biology, general science, and electives in art, music and other fields. The high school is fully accredited by the New England As- sociation of Colleges and Secondary schools.
Other subjects are offered to prepare students for commercial and busi- ness careers.
It is also possible to major in Industrial Arts or Home Economics. These subjects are exploratory in nature and are required at junior high school level, while elective for upper high school students.
Of long-standing importance to the community in past years as well as now is the Vocational-Agricultural course which trains young people in all of the practical aspects of farming and agriculture. This is the only course of its kind given in Fairfield county. Many of the students in Vocational Agriculture are tuition pupils from surrounding towns and much time is spent
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in field trips and actual working experience on farms, carrying out special projects of a practical nature. The salary of the Vocational-Agriculture teacher is paid directly by the state.
The curriculum of the Newtown High School is administered in a flexible manner. That is, the courses required by state statute, or those which are definitely basic to college entrance or any other specialized course of study are mandatory. Other students, through guidance, are allowed to elect those courses or subjects which will either better fit them for entrance to a college or university of their choice or fit their needs in terms of a general educational program.
Newtown High School operates one of the most extensive physical educa- tion programs in the state. Each pupil from grade 7 through grade 12, parti- cipates daily in organized physical education classes.
The addition of art to the high school curriculum has provided an op- portunity for students to develop their creative abilities. Exploratory but re- quired at the junior high school level, art courses are elective at the upper high school grades.
Newtown High School offers a wide program in the field of music. The school is fortunate in being able to support four distinct organizations: A Senior Band, Senior Orchestra, Senior Chorus, and Junior Chorus. These provide practical opportunity for the development of musical talent.
SPECIAL SERVICES
GUIDANCE: Guidance service is provided for every student in Newtown High School. Individual conferences with every pupil, a full testing program and well organized cumulative records, covering all of the years spent by the pupil in school, are some of the means used to provide help to the individual.
HEALTH: A registered nurse is employed whose time devoted to the high school is at present adequate for the number of pupils.
Health services include physical examinations of all pupils every three years. This includes a hearing examination. Vision of all pupils is checked every year. A part time dental hygienist is carrying on an educational pro- gram examining children's teeth and making referrals for dental care.
ACTIVITIES: Newtown High School has a well rounded program of pupil activities. In addition to varsity and intra-mural sports, opportunities for participation are provided in dramatics, a school newspaper, class organiza- tions, student council and Future Farmers of America, as well as many others. Social affairs in the form of class and school dances and picnics are an integral part of the activity program operated by the high school.
RECREATION
In April, 1922, the playground at Hawley School "a tract of land 8 acres more or less" was deeded by Cornelius B. Taylor on the following terms "to be used as a playground for the children of Newtown, especially and primarily
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those of the Hawley School, and shall not be diverted to uses inconsistent therewith during my lifetime, nor thereafter except with the unanimous con- sent of all my heirs and lineal descendants. Its use for a few hours for athletic contests in which school children do not actually participate may be permitted, or it may be used for public educational or community purposes such as Chatauquas are. Persons desiring to make any such outside use shall first make application and obtain a written permit therefor. Permits may be issued or refused by the School Board of Newtown." "This deed conditional as fol- lows: No ball game or other game in the nature of a contest which attracts spectators shall be played upon said Taylor Field or any part thereof upon Sunday. If this condition shall be broken with the consent of or by the in- difference or negligence either of the Town authorities or of the School author- ities of said Town, then this deed shall become wholly void, and one of my heirs or descendants may enter at will, and retake possession in fee simple free of all incumbrances."
In 1939, the heirs consented to the field's use for public school purposes other than those named in the deed as the School Board shall determine (for more school buildings or extensions) provided that there shall still be a play- ground or playgrounds suitable in size, condition and equipment for the School pupils (or others for lawful athletic sports as designated and permitted by the School Board) .
The heirs also consented to its use on Sunday.
NEWTOWN PARK COMMISSION
The Newtown Park Commission was formed, following a resolution adopted at a special town meeting held on December 17, 1954, to accept a gift of $50,000 from Bertram A. Stroock toward the establishment of a town recreational park.
In accordance with the resolution, the Commission is a six member board comprised of the Town Health Officer and five appointees from the following organizations: Board of Selectmen, Board of Managers of the Edmond Town Hall, Rotary Club, Lions Club and the Visiting Nurse Association. The Town Health Officer is the only permanent member of the Board. The other mem- bers serve for a term of two years. Appointees are subject to the approval of the Board of Selectmen.
On January 15, 1955, the Newtown Park Commission held its organiza- tional meeting. The late Mr. Dickinson was elected chairman.
Since that time, the Commission investigated many properties throughout the town and had numerous consultations with professional landscape archi-
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tects, site and town planners to determine the recreational needs of the town. After making a careful study, the commissioners selected a site near the center of town which is suitable in every respect for a town park. The tract is lo- cated a little more than a mile from the flagpole, fronting on Elm Drive, Brushy Hill Road and Deep Brook Road. Deep Brook runs through the property. The land is largely level and wooded with maples, elms and oaks. A border contains valuable plantings of pines, hemlocks and spruces with rhododendron, laurel and azalea among them.
At a special town meeting on May 6, 1955, the voters gave their approval for the purchase of this site as recommended by the Commission. The Board of Selectmen was authorized to purchase the land with money from the fund given by Mr. Stroock.
The Commission has engaged the services of the National Recreation Association to make a master plan for the entire park. The association is a non-profit organization which gives professional counsel in the entire field of recreation, including facility and area planning. It has offices throughout the United States with headquarters in New York City.
The plan calls for swimming pool, bath houses, wading pool, parking space, play areas for children, junior baseball diamond, two tennis courts, skating rink, picnic areas, walks and a monumental flag pole. In order to implement this plan, it was necessary to have boundary and topographical surveys made.
Fully aware of how important the formation of the park was to the late A. Fenn Dickinson, and in recognition of the invaluable assistance he gave as chairman, the Commission unanimously agreed that the park should be dedicated as a memorial to him.
At present, Mr. Stroock is temporary chairman of the Commission.
The Commission intends to provide the swimming pool first. The other facilities will be added when the Park Commission has the funds to assume the expense of their construction.
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Chapter V RELIGIOUS LIFE
There are four Protestant Churches, one Catholic Church and one Syna- gogue in Newtown.
Congregational
Services-Beginning in September there will be two Sunday Services at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. Two sessions of Church School at the same hours with classes from nursery through High School.
Organizations-Young People's Club, Women's Federation divided into Eight Circles, Couple's Club, Adult Bible Study Class, Weekday Nursery School, Layman's Fellowship, Senior, High School and Junior Choirs.
Trinity (Episcopal)
Services-Holy Communion every Sunday at 8:00 a.m. and at 11:00 a.m. the first Sunday of each month. Morning Prayer at 11:00 a.m. the other Sun- days. Church School for all ages at 9:45 a.m.
Organizations-Woman's Auxiliary, Rector's Chapter, Altar Guild, Acolytes' Guild, Vestry, Senior and Junior Choirs.
Methodist
Service of worship at 9:15 a.m. Nursery Class at same time. Church School for all ages at 10:00 a.m.
Organization-Dorcas Society.
St. John's (Episcopal)
Service each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Communion first and third Sundays. Sunday School at 10:30 a.m.
Organizations-St. John's Guild, Ladies' Guild.
St. Rose (Catholic)
Masses-Sundays at 7:30, 9:00, and 11:00 a.m. with one more at 6:15 a.m. in the summer. Weekdays at 7:10 and 7:40 a.m. the first Friday of each month at 6:45 and 7:30 a.m.
Confessions-Saturdays 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Eves of Holy Days and Thursdays preceding first Fridays.
Organizations-Council of Catholic Women, Rosary and Altar Societies, Holy Name Society, Catholic Youth Organization.
Jewish Synagogue
No resident Rabbi. The President of the congregation conducts services on Saturdays. A Rabbi from Danbury teaches a Hebrew School three times a week.
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F
Schnakenberg
LIBRARIES
The handsome brick library building on the Main Street-more like a spacious private house in appearance than a public institution-came into existence, like so many other things in Newtown, through the generosity of the late Mary Elizabeth Hawley. In her will Miss Hawley bequeathed to the town of Newtown the sum of $200,000 for "the purpose of erecting and equip- ping a building to be used as a free public library .... to be known as The Cyrenius H. Booth Library," and also left the sum of $250,000, the income of which was to be used for the maintenance of the library. Cyrenius H. Booth was Miss Hawley's grandfather and one of Newtown's well-known doctors during the middle nineteenth century.
At a special meeting on October 24, 1930 the town voted to accept the bequest and at a later meeting on December 5th a building committee was elected. The building was first opened to the public December 17, 1932.
While the library is maintained for the benefit of the town and is free to all residents, it is a private institution in the sense that its Board of Trustees is self-perpetuating, not elected or appointed, and none of its income is de- rived from the tax funds of the town. The principal fund is held by a Hartford bank as trustee under Miss Hawley's will and the annual income is paid to the treasurer of Newtown to be used only by order of the trustees. For a num- ber of years, especially during the 1930's, the income was more than sufficient for maintenance but with rising costs after the war and increased demands for
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library service it became necessary to appeal to friends and users of the library for annual contributions.
During the year 1954 there were 2437 active subscribers and a total of 33,769 books were circulated. The total number of volumes in the library was 21,842. The library aims to maintain a well balanced collection of fiction and non-fiction and to build a backlog of books of permanent value. In addition to its principal function of providing reading matter, the library maintains historical rooms, presents many exhibits during the year, and provides a meet- ing place for various associations and groups. One special group of books, somewhat unusual in a small library, is the Julia E. C. Brush Genealogical Collection on the second floor, consisting of about 1500 volumes of genealogy, family histories, and town histories.
For many years the library has shown the work of local artists both amateur and professional during National Art Week. At present a committee of local artists is in charge of all exhibits displayed in the library.
The head librarian gives instruction in the use of the library and talks on books twice a year to the children of 4th through 7th grades. The High School Seniors in cooperation with their school receive instruction in the use of adult reference books. Senior Girl Scouts working for their Library Aide Bars spend six hours receiving instruction and thirty hours in practical service.
In The Newtown Bee the head librarian writes a weekly column of "Notes" about books old and new.
Among organizations meeting regularly in the library are: The League of Women Voters, United World Federalists, The Great Books Group, Ameri- can Heritage Project, Town Players, Citizens Committee on Education.
The Booth Library is not the first library in Newtown's history nor its only one at the present time. A Newtown Library Association was organized in 1875 with headquarters in the old post office building on the Main Street, later transferred to the brick building which now houses the Stuart insurance office. In 1900 this association was presented with the gift of a new building by Rebecca D. Beach, descendant of Newtown's eighteenth century minister, the Rev. John Beach, and as the Beach Memorial Library continued to operate until the opening of the Booth Library. The legal assets of the old library, consisting principally of books, some furniture, and small trust funds, were transferred to the new.
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