Occupation: I'm a carpenter, and I work on the family farm on Platt's Hill Road, Cherry Grove. I also substitute teach in Redding on occasion.
Occupation: Iâm a carpenter, and I work on the family farm on Plattâs Hill Road, Cherry Grove. I also substitute teach in Redding on occasion.
Family: My mom and dad, Catherine Dougherty and Jerome Mayer, live here in town. I have a sister, Deirdre Dougherty, who lives in Washington, D.C.
Pets: We have one dog, Ms Belle. Sheâs a mutt, about 8 years old.
How long have you lived in Newtown? My whole life. I grew up here and graduated from Fairfield Prep in 2003.
What do you like to do in your free time? I do a lot of sports shooting, like skeet, and I like to shoot pool. I play a lot of cribbage. Itâs kind of addicting. I do read a lot and I like old movies from the 1930s and 40s.
What are you reading right now? Right now Iâm reading Cape Cod, by Thoreau, and a Nevil Shute novel. Heâs a British author from the World War II period.
Do you have a favorite vacation destination? Probably Cape Cod, around the Wellington area. I get up there several times a year. Itâs relaxing to hang out and go to the beach, and just take it easy.
What is the best thing about Newtown? I like the fact that my family has been here for over 150 years, and that the land has stayed in the family. Itâs a nice town and a nice place to grow up in.
Do you have a favorite Newtown memory? Growing up here, during the winter I played hockey, so I loved it when Hawley Pond would freeze over and we could skate there. We even had a running joke: weâd drive by the pond in summer and say, âHey, do you think itâs frozen over?â
Do you have a personal philosophy? It sounds trite, but I think it is: to work hard, and play hard.
Do you have a guilty pleasure? Jane Austen novels and anything connected to them. I like that they are sort of comedies of manners. Etiquette and manners are half the problem in her novels.