Date: Fri 09-Oct-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

Mountain-blessing-animals

Full Text:

TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN

Last Sunday, members of Trinity Episcopal Church parish gathered at the church

playground after church services for The Blessing of The Animals. Pastor

Kathie Adams-Shepherd and Assistant Pastor Kurt Huber walked amid the many

dogs, cats and other small animals brought there by parishioners, blessing the

animals in honor of The Feast of St Francis of Assisi. It's hard to tell

exactly what effect the blessing had on some of the critters.

Some dog owners may have been hoping that the blessing just might allow Rover

to skip dog obedience class, but judging by what I saw as the dogs made their

way home past some popular bushes, stones, tires and curbs, they may be

blessed, but some of them sure ain't saints. But they're dogs, right? What do

you expect?

I'm also beginning to think there may be something slightly demonic about

guinea pigs. Here's why.

Two weeks ago, Norma Hayes bought a white male guinea pig named Frosty. One

week ago, Frosty gave birth to a black guinea pig (as yet unnamed). Frosty's

surprising feat has given males everywhere, myself included, a reason to

shudder. Just think what this could mean. One week you're going along minding

your own male business, spitting, reading Field & Stream, and avoiding

commitments, and the next week, you're giving birth. Yikes!

This is so upsetting I'm going to drop the subject right now. Let's all forget

about Frosty and his baby and pretend it never happened.

Fire Marshal George Lockwood was busy this week investigating a fire that

destroyed a small cottage on Great Hill Road September 1. His biggest

challenge, however, may have been trying to determine who planted the smoke

bomb under his desk last Friday.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal became a bit confused last week during a

meeting of the town's finance committee. With local oak trees shedding so many

acorns this year, committee members wondered how the town was going to afford

to pay its highway crew for all the overtime. "Overtime for acorns?," Mr

Rosenthal's puzzled eyes seem to ask. Actually, the committee, believing in

folk lore that holds that an abundance of acorns foretells heavy snowfall down

the road, was simply assuming this was going to be a busy winter for the snow

plows.

At long last, Fairfield Hills has traffic signals that display red, yellow and

green lights. For the past several weeks the new traffic signals at the

intersection of Mile Hill Road and Trades Lane were on "blink" mode. The fully

functioning traffic signal works on a demand basis, through traffic sensors

buried in the pavement near the intersection.

For weeks, The Bee has been trying to organize a little get-together for

employees at The Pleasance, to officially celebrate the newspaper's new

pleasure garden at the corner of Main and Sugar streets. We finally got around

to it on Tuesday after work, when about 30 "Bee people" stood around watching

the sun go down and the Harvest Moon rise while snacking on cheese and

crackers and other refreshments. It got pretty nippy after the sun dropped

below the horizon, though, so the little party dispersed quickly.

The rest of Newtown has been making good use of The Pleasance all summer.

During the warm weather, strollers could be seen there almost any time of day,

and the gazebo has proven to be a popular al fresco lunch spot for office

workers in the area. There has been one wedding at the site, and next week the

new officers of the Newtown Board of Realtors will have their picture taken

there.

Janet Woycik had a busy couple of days earlier this week. On Monday, she was

presented the Business & Professional Women Club's Woman of the Year award.

She made the event despite the fact that her daughter, Jennifer, was due to

give birth at any time. She brought her beeper.

On Tuesday (still no baby), Janet showed up at the monthly meeting of the

Chamber of Commerce at My Place Restaurant. She had to leave early, though --

the baby was on its way. And at around 5 o'clock that evening, little Madison

was born at Danbury Hospital, weighing eight pounds, eight ounces.

As for me, I will weigh in at about the same weight right here next week,

so...

Read me again.