Date: Fri 16-Jan-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

First-Baby-contest-D'Avola

Full Text:

Newtown's First Baby

(with cut)

BY KAAREN VALENTA

Elizabeth and Mark D'Avola thought it would be great if they had Newtown's

first baby of 1998, but when Emma Rose was born on January 3, they did not

think they had a chance.

"You always hear about babies that are born a few minutes after midnight," Mr

D'Avola explained. "So it didn't occur to us to call The Bee when she was

born."

It wasn't until they read in last week's edition that the first baby still had

not been found that they decided to call. At Wednesday's deadline, Emma Rose

D'Avola, born at 11:20 am on January 3 at Putnam Hospital in Putnam, N.Y.,

officially became Newtown's "First Baby," eligible for all of the gifts and

services donated by local merchants.

"The baby actually wasn't due until January 10, but I felt like I'd go early,"

Mrs D'Avola said. "Both of our girls came a week early."

The D'Avolas, who live on Taunton Ridge Road, decided to use the obstetrician

who had delivered their first child, Morgan, now 5, when Elizabeth became

pregnant last year, even though they knew it would be a 40-minute drive to

Putnam Hospital.

"I really like my doctor -- Dr Angelo Cumella of Brewster, N.Y.," Mrs D'Avola

said. "So, I decided to stay with him."

"But I was pretty frightened that we wouldn't make it to the hospital on

time," Mr D'Avola admitted.

The D'Avolas and their nine-year-old chocolate lab, Hershey, have lived in

Newtown nearly three years. They previously lived for six years in Danbury,

where they bought their first home.

"I sold real estate in Westchester County, N.Y., and then started working for

a relocation firm in Danbury," Mrs D'Avola said. "The company has changed

names several times because of corporate mergers and is now called Cendant

Mobility. It is the largest relocation firm in North America and is hired by

different corporations to move their employees."

When the D'Avolas decided it was time to sell their first house and buy

another, they began to look at outside Danbury, checking out the "schools and

lifestyles" in the surrounding communities.

"We liked this section of Newtown," Mrs D'Avola said. "We ended up buying a

house from a woman I worked with. It was never even on the (real estate)

market."

Mark D'Avola liked the location because it is a short commute to his job as

parks superintendent for the Town of Brookfield.

"Twelve minutes door to door," he said. "You've got to love it."

The D'Avolas found that one of the best ways to get to know Newtown has been

by going to tag sales.

"We looked forward to The Bee coming out on Fridays because it has the best

local ads," Elizabeth D'Avola said. "It's real treasure hunting. You get the

best stuff."

"It's a good way to meet people, too," Mark said. "You have a reason to drive

down some of the roads that you otherwise might never use."