We hope readers enjoyed and were inspired by the The Newtown Bee’s ‘Why I LOVE Newtown’ Essay project finalists, whose contributions were featured in the April 14 edition.

The inspiration continues!

This week marks the beginning of several weeks of coverage our newspaper will provide highlighting all the remaining contributors. Today’s segment is focusing on a randomly selected group of middle and intermediate school age writers.

In the coming weeks, look to The Newtown Bee as we complete publishing the work of all the remaining Essay Project participants.

We will also include coverage when award checks are presented to the six finalists — arrangements for those presentations are being made now.

In the meantime, read on to discover why today’s featured middle /intermediate school age contributors LOVE their home town:

Edith Kaplan, 12 — Newtown Middle School

I love Newtown for many reasons. I’ll start with the fact Newtown has such a tight knit community, for example, when I walk into the diner, I almost always see someone I know! I also love Newtown because everybody here is kind, like when my mom and I ordered donuts, they gave us two extra!!

Newtown has an amazing community of kind, helpful, and selfless people. Whether young, old, boy, girl, everybody sets aside their differences and helps when someone needs it, for example, during Girl Scouts, different people give us lessons, and tours, like the Newtown ambulance, fire station, and post office! We were allowed to look around at everything, climb around, and learn about it!

When I think about my town, the first thing that comes to mind is how close our community is. We all know each other, and help each other. We all use social media to get to know each other as well, like buy nothing, or Newtown neighbors! I’ve gotten so many good clothes, and a few pairs of shoes from buy nothing. On Newtown Neighbors a lot of people help find lost pets, and offer to help with different events!

I love our school community! We have a lot of amazing schools in our town, and they all have amazing teachers, and amazing buildings! I’ve had so many opportunities brought to me from school, from field trips to envision! I’ve had so many great years because of the teachers as well!

Overall, I feel like Newtown is an amazing community, and I am really grateful for the fact I am able to live here, and go to the amazing schools we have!

# # # #

Trevor Stott, 11 — Reed Intermediate School

There are many things to love about the small town in Connecticut called Newtown. Personally, some of the things I like about Newtown are the late nights in summer when you feel you could do anything and go anywhere. One of my favorite places to go to is Fairfield Hills. You can have a great time walking with family on the trails and the best thing to do is to catch the sunsets late at night at the highest point of Fairfield Hills. It’s the best place to get a workout in by biking, running, walking or jogging. Fairfield Hills is a great place to be.

Another one of my favorite things to do is to head to Ferris Acres with my family on a hot day. The ice cream is one of the best in Connecticut and is great to enjoy after a long day or even just when you’re bored on a summer day! The lines may be long but it’s worth it and it can even be nice to just enjoy that time with family and friends at sunset.

In my opinion, I think the schools in Newtown are very good. Most teachers put their lives just into developing children’s education and making sure that they are learning. The school I go to is a very new school that has tons of room for kids to do anything they want and enough space for lots of classes that kids learn in. There’s a lot you can do after school, too, clubs like ski club and Extreme Sports and so many others. The schools and teachers make this town a great place for children.

I like how Newtown is a nice, clean town to live in. I know it’s safe and there are clean sidewalks to walk along on Main Street, and lots of great restaurants to enjoy a great meal at!

Newtown is a beautiful place! There are many sights to see if you are coming to Newtown for a few days. There are awesome waterfalls, farms and lakes you can see all by just going on a simple hike. Newtown is a great place to live for anyone. It is a beautiful place with many things to love about it!

# # # #

Lily Paige Tucker, 12 — Newtown Middle School

“My Newtown”

I watch

As the seasons pass

As the trees dance

Green

Orange

Puffs of white snow,

No doubt in my mind

This is the place to go.

Newtown is my home.

All year-round

As people roam

Cheerful smiles and shy waves.

On the gloomiest of days

Nobody seems glum.

Even the garden flowers seem to lift their petals

a little bit higher “It’s just a gloomy day. It will be ok.”

This is the place to go.

Newtown is my home.

As children learn their nursery rhymes

As teens meet in the maker space

The books sing to me “Pick me, Pick me.”

I head to the third floor

To Find a cozy chair

A chair that catches me

This is the place to go.

Newtown is my home.

At the brick building

In the center of town

With large, large pillars

Rising from the ground

Watch the color filled screen

Play your favorite movie

Only at the brick building

In the center of town

With large, large pillars

Rising from the ground

This is the place to go.

Newtown is my home.

As cheerful children play

As Carefree dogs catch

The dazzling sun

Beams down

Park benches

Climbing walls

This place is for everyone

Young, old, human, pet

This is the place to go.

Newtown is my home.

As red, white, and blue

Waves

On Main Street

Red For Love

Passing through everybody’s heart

and

Moving to yours

White For Simplicity

Reminding Us of Our History

Blue For Loyalty To One another

This is the place to go.

Newtown is my home.

# # # #

Ainsley Stott, 13 — Newtown Middle School

There are so many reasons why I love Newtown; it is hard to narrow it down to a few. From the gorgeous landscapes to kind people, Newtown is the epitome of a friendly small town.

Newtown is filled with some of the most gorgeous landscapes in the state. Whether it’s the breathtaking view from the top of Castle Hill Road or the beautiful sunset at Fairfield Hills, there is more astonishing scenery to discover everywhere you look.

I continue to be amazed by the genuine selflessness of my neighbors here in Newtown. Whether it is grabbing a gallon of milk from Big Y or grabbing the mail when you’re on vacation, you can always count on one of your neighbors to be there for you. A good example of this is the recent search for a lost dog where it seemed like so many people in town pitched in to help successfully find him! I feel like Newtown is filled with so many kind and caring people.

Another thing that I love about Newtown is all the available activities. It’s almost impossible to be bored! From the library to our town pools, and all the wonderful parks, there are so many options to choose from.

Furthermore, there are so many great places to eat! Fusion 25, Cover 2, Bagel Delight and Boost Bowls are some of my personal favorites. What’s even better is the fact that so many of them are small businesses and/or family-run.

I’m so glad that I live in Newtown. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Many people can’t wait to leave their hometown and live somewhere else, but I want to give my future kids the same experience I received of living in the friendly small town of Newtown, Connecticut.

# # # #

Leah Mangino, 11

One of the many things that I find great about Newtown is all the wonderful people who have welcomed more people into this town then they have had to wave goodbye to.

One other thing about the people here in Newtown is that they are inclusive. For example, we now have an all inclusive playground. What’s great about the people here is I have never heard of a riot starting in Newtown. In other words we live in a peaceful community.

The people in Newtown are very involved, we have clubs like the lions club and the rotary club, and the Knights of Columbus. The Knights of Columbus are involved with the saint rose church, they’re the ones who set up breakfast with Santa, the picnics, they help with funerals, and they do the fish fry’s. The Lions Club helps the faith food pantry, they help build ramps, and they do a duck race every year to help bring the town together.

Which brings me to another point: the people in Newtown are unified. We have been brought together by helping each other, this town is in everything together. A small act of kindness, or picking up trash even if it isn’t yours, helping when someone needs it, helping a neighbor, smiling at someone, saying something kind, all these things. When one person does one everyone is impacted because if we see someone doing something we want to do it too.

That’s why this town is in everything together. Everything that everyone in this town has ever come up with or done, has impacted someone somehow, and eight times out of ten the impact is good.

# # # #

Joli Hunter, 11 — Reed Intermediate School

I have lived in Newtown for my whole life, and my parents have lived here most of their lives. It’s really such a wonderful and unique place to live.

If someone asked me how to describe Newtown, I would say it’s the definition of a beautiful old New England town. It’s a very friendly community where you’re always met with a smile. From the old churches to the rustic General store on main street, our town is filled with history.

There are so many unique things about Newtown. Right in the center of main street stands a 100 foot flagpole. We also have an amazing dairy farm called Ferris acres that opened in 1964, and now has their own homemade ice cream stand. We also have our own town-owned movie theater called Edmond town hall, named after one of Newtown’s founding fathers, where you can still get tickets for only 3 dollars. We also have a community Center with its own pool and sports Center with indoor training fields. There is so much to see and do.

Newtown is also a great place to enjoy nature by being outside. We are the second biggest town in Connecticut, giving everyone plenty of space to explore the wilderness. We have 2 state parks, and dozens of town parks and open spaces with miles of trails to get out and enjoy time with family, friends and pets. The great thing about living out here is there is always the opportunity to encounter wildlife. You may even see some deer, a bobcat, a bald eagle, or even a black bear!

But what I think is best about Newtown is our great sense of community. There is always something to do here. The events on Main street attract a lot of people. Every year we always have a big Labor day parade that brings thousands of people to our town for the celebration. Halloween here is also a big deal, with people even coming from other states to join in on the fun. We also have an annual town Christmas tree lighting event with music, caroling and an appearance by Santa himself. All these events help to bring families and friends together to enjoy our town.

Newtown is an incredible place to grow up and we are all so lucky for what we have here.

# # # #

Clare Danner, 11 — Homeschooled

I love Newtown because it has lots of unique and special places. One of the places that makes Newtown unique is the Newtown General Store. Whenever we go to the Newtown General Store I like seeing its history— the antiques, pictures of the original General Store, and flags with only 29 stars.

Another reason I love Newtown is because of the beautiful natural places— Holcombe Hill, Fairfield Hills, Brunot Preserve, and Hattertown Pond to name just a few. I really enjoy being outdoors and these parks are very diverse natural habitats.

Ferris Acres is an ice cream place with lots of unique and delicious flavors. Peach is delicious, sweet, and creamy. While I am eating my ice cream, I enjoy the view of the cow pasture across the street.

Dickinson Park is special to me because it is made of wood, which is environmental and naturally beautiful. In my old town there was a fun wooden playground and I was sad when it was torn down and replaced with a plastic one. In addition to the playground, there is a field and stream I like playing in and catching crayfish.

One of the things I love to do is read, and the Cyrenius H Booth library offers a wide variety of amazing books.

I hope you enjoyed hearing my personal favorite places in Newtown. I know there are many I haven’t included, and it all contributes to making the town such an amazing place.

# # # #

Nora Oberg, 11 — Reed Intermediate School

I love living in Newtown because of the scenery and events. There are lots of trails and animals to look at while hiking, walking, or even driving! Like when I get to see deer along the trails, and in my yard. This town also participates in making the community continue thriving.

There is so much to see in this beautiful town of ours. There are even some things that are kind of hidden that have beautiful fields, and lots of events to help our town!

For example, we have a nature center hidden behind Reed Intermediate school, CVH Animal Sanctuary. There is a very nice stream that I love to go to with my mom and throw rocks in. We also love exploring this place as much as we can. Then, there are some not-so-secret trails, like Fairfield Hills. This is insanely known around Newtown and is right across from Reed too! I enjoy exploring these areas and spending time with my family as well. There are so many places to go see here in Newtown!

I also enjoy many events held in town, such as the butterfly party, the labor day party, and the holiday tree lightings. These events often help our local businesses and are a great way to have our community enjoy these beautiful spaces around town.

# # # #

Lily Rose Caston, 13 — Newtown Middle School

Newtown’s 4 Seasons

Ginger, hazel, and caramel colored leaves, dancing and drifting around my knees

all while kids and teens run the turkey trot with ease.

A new pumpkin flavor in coffee comes back,

and Halloween on Main Street is spookily packed.

Beautiful golden dandelions and blossoming violet tulips shifting in the breeze

With gardens filled with colors and vegetables all over town,

bringing with spring, a beautiful sunrise and sundown

And laughing and walking with my friends after school all over and around.

Warm amber light of the sun and the paper white clouds above me as I sit and watch the whizzing bees

Boat rides and shopping at boutiques is always a summer need.

Frozen icicles trickling off trees causing a charmingly romantic scene

While the Newtown Nighthawks play

And Blue Colony Diner is the place to go after each game.

And for all those reasons

this is why I love

Newtown and all its

4 seasons.

# # # #

Check back next week for the first look at our high school age runners-up.