Date: Fri 04-Jun-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

Mountain-Scott-Maxwell

Full Text:

TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN

Sometimes things just don't go right -- even for high achievers.

Scott Maxwell almost didn't show up for the May 20 Newtown High School awards

night ceremony, which would have been a shame because he was the recipient of

three awards. It seems the high school mailed his parents the notification

letter on May 14. It was postmarked in Stamford on May 25 and got to the

Maxwell house on May 27, a full week after the event.

As if that wasn't enough, when the high school sent out the list of the award

winners, it credited Scott's honor as CIAC Scholar/Athlete to another student

and that's how it appeared in The Bee . Scott knew he was supposed to attend

the awards night because he was a National Merit Commended student so he found

out the date and showed up. Good thing, because he also received the Sandy

Hook PTA Scholarship. Scott will receive another award on June 27 when he

achieves the rank of Eagle Scout.

While controversy swirls around the labs in Los Alamos, New Mexico, it's a

member of the class of 1996 at Newtown High School to the rescue. Jeff Fagan,

a senior at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, left this week for a summer

job at the labs. Jeff will be living two miles from the labs and plans to run

to work everyday to keep up his favorite sport. Considering the altitude at

Los Alamos, that should make Jeff, quite literally, another high achiever.

With all the training in the thin air, he figures he'll be in great shape by

fall.

There was a lot of commotion at the front entrance of the Booth Library on

Wednesday when a snake was spotted trying to climb up the front steps. Maybe

the snake was on its way to check out an interesting book for summer reading,

but it beat a hasty retreat when several library patrons and staff members

noticed it. It definitely wasn't a garter snake, the observers said, but no

one was sure just what kind of a snake it was, and no one knows exactly where

it went. So don't reach too far into the night book depository.

Dog Warden George Mattegat is still looking for someone to donate a working

refrigerator to the dog pound. The refrigerator there stopped working last

week and George hopes someone has an extra one. Call George or Pat at 426-6900

and they will arrange to have someone pick it up.

Shirley and Don Lawrenson visited Peter Alexander, son of Paul and Marilyn

Alexander, in Shanghai during their recent trip to China. A story about their

trip starts on the front page this week.

Ken Lerman has told us a story that reminds us that Newtown is still a small

town with all the benefits. A few Sundays ago he broke his glasses. Since he

leaves Newtown for work at 6:30 am, he had to find some way to get the glasses

to Dr Roger and Patty Moore, so that they could be fixed. So he put the

glasses in an envelope and taped the envelope to the front door of Dr Moore's

office with a note. The first patient that morning brought the glasses in

(since the Moore's enter their office from the back entrance.) Ken called the

office during the day and picked the fixed glasses up on his way home from

work.

As promised, Julie Friend returned from her new home in Ohio last Wednesday to

rehearse and perform with the Newtown Choral Society at their spring concert

Saturday night. As a terrific surprise for Julie, her husband, Neil, arrived

from Ohio shortly before the program to see Julie's last performance with the

group, which included her solo from My Fair Lady .

Former Newtown resident Marie Dupree was back in town this week and made a

surprise appearance at Tuesday's meeting of the Chamber of Commerce board of

directors. Marie used to be Chamber president until the Jane Goodall Institute

moved its headquarters to Washington, DC. Marie is an accountant for Ms

Goodall's world renowned organization. Marie, who now lives in Silver Springs,

MD with her husband, Keith, was in town over the weekend sorting through what

she called 35 years worth of family treasures.

Telling tales of Newtown's past can be a very time consuming task for Dan

Cruson, but the town historian still finds time for life in the present. He

has been especially busy this spring as an assistant coach for the Joel Barlow

High track & field team.

Newtown High School teacher Kurt Ryder stopped by The Bee this week to drop

off the latest edition of the NHS yearbook. This year's unsettling cover was

somewhat controversial with the yearbook staff, Mr Ryder said. However, its

eerie images befitted this year's theme, "Apocalypse Now."

The 1999 yearbook was dedicated to Zygmont and Diane Olbrys, who are among

about a dozen NHS teachers retiring this year. The Olbrys, who are headed for

Florida, were class advisers for this year's seniors.

Kathi Weller of Flagpole Realty was recently quoted in USA Today discussing

the current real estate market trend. The article, entitled "Big Cities'

Housing Crunch Slamming Doors on Buyers," described the Northeast's shortage

of available houses for sale and how some buyers are overpaying for homes. In

the story, the Newtown Board of Realtors president said there is a "critical

shortage" of homes in the $200,000-$400,000 range.

Fortunately for me, there's never any shortage of interesting news about

people in Newtown, so be sure to...

Read me again.