A poll of a dozen restaurants in town indicated that, although sensitive to non-smokers' rights, they did not set aside specific seats for smokers and non-smokers, the April 7, 1983 Press reported. In fact, many of the restaurants queried did not know the provisions of the law, which required setting aside areas for non-smokers and posting notices prohibiting smoking in designated areas.

More than 100 people attended a public hearing regarding a school redistricting plan, which would shift students to the Farmingville and Veterans Park schools because of the scheduled closure of the Branchville School in the fall. The most contentious part of the plan, “mini-area 26,” cut the Branchville district in half, roughly in a north-south line parallel to Nod road. Those pupils to the west were to attend Veterans Park and those to the east were to go to Farmingville. Richard Ligi said his home was only nine-tenths of a mile from Veterans Park and should never have been in the Branchville dis-trict in the first place. He objected to having his children bused all the way to Farmingville.

Elizabeth Lynch Bishop, who moved to Ridgefield from Brewster when she was a baby, died at 95. Her daughter, Mrs. Richard E. Venus Sr., survived her.

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After being turned down for the second time in a bid to gain a seat on the Republican Town Committee, Barbara Bright of Silver Spring Lane, area coordinator for the 1982 campaign to return Lowell Weicker to the U.S. Senate, charged that she was rejected because of her work with women's rights groups. “It's unfortunate that the Ridgefield Republican Town Committee chooses to punish me for being an active supporter of women's rights,” Ms. Bright said.

Patrolmen John Roche, Donald McGran and Paul McAllister were among 30 Fairfield County policemen who attended a two-week course in detective work taught by members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State Police, the medical examiner's office and the courts.

New residents included Francis and Kathleen Michaud and their daughters, Diana, Cindy, Debbie and Patty. Michael and Barbara Stephenson moved to their Poplar Road home from Houston. William and Margaret McKitty and their daughter, Kathleen, moved to town from Glendale, L.I. Walter and Michela Barber and their children, Nicholas and Tiffany, purchased their new home on Standish Drive and the Carrolls, Edward, Jody, Heather and Matthew, were recent resi-dents of Holmes Road.

A 2,900-square-foot Williamsburg colonial with a master bedroom suite, formal dining room and kitchen work area opening into a family room was offered in The Press for $245,000. A 3,200-square-foot colonial with a master bedroom and four additional bedrooms in a homeowner's association offer-ing swimming and tennis was on sale for $181,500.