The Little Stories Of Human Interest That Make Newtown Nicer

By Nancy K. Crevier

The Bee featured many stories with a local and national interest slant during 2008, offered ideas to ponder, and put out snippets of information to pique the curiosity.

The Ram Pasture Christmas tree had a bit of an on-going saga this year. In May, members of the Newtown Village Cemetery Association granted a request by the Christmas Tree Committee to plant a 35-foot white spruce tree in Ram Pasture to replace the original Ram Pasture holiday tree toppled by high winds in March. Newtown resident Wayne Addessi offered the full-grown fir to the Christmas Tree Committee, who after polling residents informally, found that, unequivocally, townspeople wanted the tree replaced in Ram Pasture. In September, Dan Dalton of Growing Solutions and Jeff Davenport of New England Tree Movers prepared the spruce for its move from the Mt Nebo pasture to the Ram Pasture, with special guests Art and Jane Torrence standing by. The former Newtowners had planted this spruce on their property in 1985. The committee was honored to become the recipient of a gift of $5,000 from the Joseph Patrick Foundation earlier this summer. The donation from Newtown residents Sean and Barbara Patrick, and their children, Colin, Ryan, and Madeline, went a long way in providing for the costs associated with the moving of the tree.

Another saga in the annals of Newtown is that of the Hawleyville Post Office. In March, real estate specialists from the postal service spent several hours walking five sites in Hawleyville to assess several possibilities for a new or renovated Hawleyville Post Office, a process that has been going on for nearly three years. United States Postal Service spokesperson Maureen Marion noted that the sites walked were all options outside of renovations to the existing facility. Once again, no decision was reached. Then in September, Ms Marion confirmed that the USPS had been served an eviction notice by landlord Housatonic Railroad, effective October 31. Following the eviction notice announcement, Ms Marion said that the legal department of the USPS and the Housatonic Railroad representatives were “actively involved in a discussion regarding an extension to the lease.” But wait, there’s more. Hawleyville Post Office Postmaster Mark Favale said Friday, October 31, that he had received notice from the district office of the United States Postal Service the day before that the Route 25 branch of the postal service would remain open, for now.

In a far less controversial USPS setting, Iris Dena took on the new position of officer in charge at the Commerce Street station of the USPS in Newtown on Monday, October 20.

A look at tears and why we cry showed that tears are not to be ridiculed. Not only do they provide a necessary eye lubrication, but can also rid the body of excess chemicals and proteins and create a more balanced emotional state.

Deb Linley cleared up the misconception that feng shui (pronounced fung-shway) is merely the rearrangement of furniture, or that the 4,000-year-old art of interior and exterior balance of energy is a New Age occurrence. The ancients practice is actually, said Ms Linley, a way to create an environment that “nurtures, feels wonderful, and supports us in what we want to manifest in our lives.”

In a effort to combat rising prices and increasing waistlines, the popularity of bicycling was on the rise this spring. The Bee took a moment to review safe bicycling habits, in hopes that cars and bikes would share the road in a polite and friendly manner.

The new Connect-ED system was put into effect in Newtown schools in 2008, eliciting cheers from some parents and groans from others as school administrators used the new technology to announce unanticipated emergencies and time-sensitive changes. For those who felt that the information was over the top, the district office noted that parents could opt to receive only the Connect-ED emergency notifications, and waive any community outreach calls.

Newtown residents seemed to be letting their fingers do the walking this summer — right to the Queen Street AT&T office where they dumped hundreds of unwanted and unsolicited copies of the white and yellow pages. The 7½ pounds of names and numbers per book — the same ones that can be accessed online — apparently were more information than a lot of people want thrown at their doorsteps.

Kerri Cartelli, an eBay education specialist, presented two workshops at the C.H. Booth Library on “How To Sell On eBay.” Selling on eBay has became a more popular way to make some extra money.

High gas and oil prices were on people’s minds the first half of 2008. Area oil companies noted this summer that with oil at the highest price it had ever been, and a volatile market, both distributors and customers would be hard pressed to decide what kind of budget plan to take part in, or when to lock into the best price. Even though the prices have dropped substantially since then, the advice offered by Mitchell’s office can still be heeded: “We are strongly suggesting to people that they conserve on fuel and upgrade to more efficient equipment. This is an energy problem, not just an oil problem.” he said.

Residents were not ready to completely give up on R&R this year, though. But instead of driving or flying, many families opted to tweak the usual vacation plans by staying closer to home or “stay-cationing” in the area.

The Wowbrary

For those keeping close to home, the library offered some new ways to escape through the written word. “Wowbrary” provides a weekly update of new items available for review, borrowing, or even purchase, and registered “Wowbrary” patrons receive e-mail or RSS alerts on the thousands of new books, CDs, or DVDs that go into circulation at Booth Library every year. Playaway is the other new addition at C.H. Booth Library. An all-in-one, lightweight unit that plays prerecorded audio books, Playaway is a self-contained audio book device introduced this summer at the library. Personal earbuds or headphones plug right into the tiny player that can be checked out for a three-week period at a time. A new audio listening system was also purchased by the library in 2008 that allows the hard of hearing to better participate in programs and meetings.

With grocery bills soaring and heating bills on the horizon, The Bee took a look at how some community members pass the time in games of chance and skill. Several groups around town branch off from popular family board games to play mah jong, bridge, and Bunco, in what may be the perfect alternatives to $10 movie tickets and $200 video games.

We like to think it is nicer in Newtown, but even in Newtown scams can take hold. Local elder law attorney Paul Lux shared his thoughts this past year with Bee readers on how to spot scams aimed at senior citizens, as well as a simple way to avoid identity theft: “With a very simple letter to the three major credit reporting agencies and a check you can prevent identity theft. If your credit history is ‘frozen,’ any crook who gets a social security number will not be able to take out bogus credit cards under that number or take out mortgages with personal information after the date that the person freezes the reports,” he explained.

Wintering in Florida, Mary and Ray Maki of Newtown took the time to contact friends and neighbors in town, warning not to fall for the Internet overpayment check schemes that abound in the area. They encountered, but were not roped in by, such a scam when trying to sell a low vision machine online. According to the fbi.gov website, mass marketing fraud costs US citizens millions of dollars every year, and the elderly are often the targets of the schemes. Complaints concerning suspicious scams can be filed at ic3.gov.

“Unfortunately, there is no recourse [when a customer ends up with a counterfeit bill],” said Newtown Savings Bank Main Street branch manager Brian Amey. “The counterfeit bill is returned to the federal government. The depositor is the loser.” Mr Amey shared tips for identifying phony bills, following an incidence in town this fall when a customer of another local bank received a counterfeit bill. “If you think you have a counterfeit bill, you should report it to the police, just to let them know,” Mr Amey suggested, as well as contact the Secret Service in New Haven.

The Amazing Fun Bus

Taunton Lake Enterprises entrepreneurs Stephen and Loreen Lewis of Newtown wheeled out the 30-foot long, 7-foot-wide Amazing Fun Bus in 2008, to the delight of kids and kids at heart. The handicap accessible, retrofitted RV bus is a self-contained mobile party machine equipped with all of the latest gadgets and gizmos to create a fun-filled atmosphere for partiers from 5 years old to 100.

In February, Caraluzzi’s Markets of Bethel ended some longtime speculation, announcing that the former Grand Union in the Eton Center Shopping Center would be home to its third supermarket, and on October 15, local shoppers walked through the doors of the family-owned business.

Amy Schmidt and daughter, Hannah, observed a large animal casually making its way along the edge of the winding driveway of their Castle Hill home this past May, one of several sightings of what residents claimed was a mountain lion. State wildlife experts, however, said that there have been no confirmed mountain lions in Connecticut, meaning that no definitive photographs or other evidence have been substantiated over the years.

Mountain lions were not the only wild visitors in Newtown in 2008. Black bears made their presence known at bird feeders and garbage cans around town, and The Bee received several photographs taken of bobcats passing through. Of course, the usual squirrels, raccoons, turkeys, and deer continued to thrive, as well, serving as a reminder that people and pets need to remember with whom they share the land.

While voters were agonizing over the budget and in an uproar over Fairfield Hills issues, a 575-square-foot addition to the Newtown Senior Center quietly rose from the ground up, adding just enough room to relieve the space concerns there and open up former space to new uses. Members of the center began using the new space the week of May 12, with the main room now available for quilting, sewing, and craft groups, and the smaller rooms beyond the main room offering more “men friendly” activities.

Members of the Borough of Newtown Historic District Commission began discussions on the addition of properties to the existing Borough of Newtown Historic District this past June, and hope to culminate the process in early 2009. Under consideration are about a dozen properties, including the Newtown Savings Bank buildings and Ram Pasture.

Eichler’s Cove Beach on Lake Zoar opened this summer, an attempt by Parks and Recreation to extend further swimming opportunities to residents struggling to keep cool at the town’s only pool in Treadwell Park. But with both swimming spots in the heart of Sandy Hook, residents from other sections of town looked into other options, The Bee discovered, including Wolfe Park in Monroe, Limekiln in Bethel, and the Fairfield beaches.

Local Starbucks general manager Peter Johnson set up Oil Drum Art outside of the Church Hill Road coffee shop in August, allowing volunteers to decorate the recycled oil drum in the spirit of “Global Warming: How it affects our future and what we can do about it.” Each artist painted his or her vision of the theme in one of several squares taped off on the drum, and the finished project was donated to Parks and Rec.

Newtowners got into gardening in 2008, inspired perhaps by high grocery prices and pocket pinching prices at the gas pumps. George Miller experimented by creating a jungle of house and vegetable plants in his 50 Main Street basement. The plants thrived under grow lights on an automatic circuit, and strategically placed strips of sticky packing tape to capture aphids and white flies before they became a problem. “It’s a labor of love. I do it because I like to see things grow,” Mr Miller said.

About Those Pawpaws

Carm O’Neill shared her love of a special fruit tree she grows with readers of The Bee. She first read about pawpaws in a gardening magazine about ten years ago, and realized right away that this was something different than the papaya of her native Australia, known there as a pawpaw. The two trees have thrived in her backyard, impervious to the cold, ice, heat, and humidity that Connecticut throws at them.

Manicured lawns gave way this spring to vegetable gardens, and some first-time gardeners found the fruits of their labors gave way to the wiles of nature. In some areas, garden vegetables buckled under to leaf blights, powdery mildew, and molds; luckily this plague affected more gardens outlying from Newtown, so by fall the harvest was underway. It created a pleasant dilemma and resulted in the obvious solution to an excess of fresh produce for many: canning. Several local longtime gardeners and canners shared their tips for safe and delicious canned goods.

But not just vegetable gardens were on the minds of residents this year. An ode to weeds pointed out the beauty in roadside blossoms that are frequently scorned, and Pootatuck Park resident Joe Viola shared with readers how he had turned a wasteland into his own personal Eden of terraced gardens.

From rustic to high-tech, but all with the chief component of comfort, “Man Caves” around Newtown were uncovered and the cave dwellers exposed. Hideaways with high testosterone levels are tucked away all over town, it turned out, and a few of the owners proudly rolled away the rocks to share their thoughts on private spaces.

Lynn Willie offered a peek into her late mother’s world this summer when she shared her experiences traveling to Germany to meet her mother’s longtime German pen-pal, who had kept all of the letters Alice Preble sent to him over the years.

A six-part series explored the names behind the roads in Newtown. With hundreds of miles of Newtown roads winding from north to south and east to west, it is easy to take for granted the paths taken from one part of town to the other. This series served as a reminder of not only where we are going, but where we have been.

The start of the school year would not have been complete without a look at fall fashions for 2008. Several area high school students shared their thoughts on what the top fashions at NHS would be this fall. The skinny on jeans for the 2008-2009 season: wide is good, too.

Newtown Prevention Council co-chairpersons Joan Piscitelli and Beth Agen distributed a statement supporting the minimum legal drinking age of 21 at the Legislative Council meeting held November 5. Council members were invited to sign the statement. Ms Agen said that the Prevention Council feels that it is always timely to remind community leaders of the positions of national and local organizations in support of Legal Age 21.

Empty nesters are looking for condos or townhouses and selecting homes based on proximity to services such as recreation, cultural activities, and golf, The Bee reported in 2008. The Woods at Newtown, Regency at Newtown, and Walnut Tree Hill Village are three communities located in Sandy Hook and Newtown that offer the amenities baby boomers are seeking.

Plant lovers congratulated Tom Johnson, who announced the sale of Lexington Gardens on Church Hill Road, November 6, to Newtown resident Gregory Cinicolo. Brett Thomas, also a local resident, join the Lexington Gardens staff as acting manager, and regular customers were pleased to hear that Mr Johnson has agreed to stay on until spring on a part-time basis.

There was much to ponder, near and far over the past year, and without a doubt, more to come in 2009. Stay tuned.