Date: Fri 21-Jun-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDREA

Quick Words:

Mountain-cats-dogs

Full Text:

TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN for 6/21

I used to think dogs at the pound had a tough time finding homes, but there

seems to be a growing epidemic of homeless cats.

Through the Newtown cat-grapevine, I've learned that four friendly felines

need to find a new home because their owner passed away. There are two

ten-month-old black cats (brothers) with Siamese characteristics. They and

their three-year-old mother have sleek coats. The fourth cat is a 12-year-old

female with a fluffy coat. All have had their shots; the females have been

spayed. Any cat lovers out there who have an extra pillow can call 740-8882.

Beryl Harrison still is looking for someone who has a barn and would be

willing to adopt two barn cats. Although I like to perpetuate the mystique of

the library cats, I have to admit these are nice mousers - not vicious.

They're up to date on shots and have been spayed, but they are afraid of

people and prefer to live outside. For more information, call Beryl at

426-4533.

Don't forget to license your dog by June 30 and get into the drawing for

Newtown's No. 1 dog tag. The winner also will receive a certificate for a free

rabies vaccine shot at next year's rabies clinic and a 25 lb bag of dog food.

Hey - do you think I could fool Cindy Curtis by donning a poodle suit?

Well, I know it's not easy to pull the wool over Marie Sturdevant's eyes. But

on June 23, she was totally surprised to find she was named a Paul Harris

Fellow - the most prestigious award bestowed by the Rotary. The award is given

annually to Rotarians who have contributed a great deal to club endeavors; one

is given to someone outside the Rotary family. Marie is not a Rotarian, but

she was invited to the meeting and given the award because she "embodies the

community spirit." Marie's husband, Dick, wrote up her background for the

event.

Another sneaky and fun-loving family hit paydirt last weekend. Helen

McLaughlin Smith thought she was just going to dinner with her son, Bart, at

the Inn at Ridgefield. When she got there, she found her whole family

assembled for Helen's surprise 60th birthday. Her five kids had arrived from

points around the country, along with her three brothers, Malcolm, Dick, and

Peter. According to Bart, his mom was caught completely by surprise.

Lots of things are happening at the library these days because of the

construction project. Parking soon will be available again because John Vouros

has generously agreed lend the library the use of his property (the former

Yankee Drover site next to the Newtown Meeting House) for off-street parking

for a year.

The next few weeks are the perfect time to check out all those best-selling

novels you've been meaning to read. That's because the library's non-fiction

department is closed - all the non-fiction books have been boxed and stored

while the renovations are taking place. By mid-July the library staff hopes to

be able to move the books into the downstairs meeting room so patrons will

have access to them again. Meanwhile, the Reference Room is still open if you

need to check some facts. Don't forget the library now is closed on Sundays

until Labor Day.

The Friends of The Library are hoping to see some strong bodies at the library

this Sunday that will help move 60,000 books from the basement of the library

into storage at the old A&P. A moving van has been rented, but hand trucks are

needed to wheel the boxes outside. Volunteers will be either loading at the

library or unloading at the old A&P on Queen Street, between 8 am and noon. I

hope to see you there (look for me taking a cat nap near the coffee and

doughnuts).

Speaking of which, did you see the doughnut and coffee spread at the Newtown

Post Office this week? It was Customer Appreciation Week. At a time when other

towns are talking about postal workers striking, my friends here have offered

goodies to let us know they like us.

I hate to point fingers (or paws, I should say) - especially when I still have

powdered sugar on them from the doughnuts - but I got a piece of mail returned

by the post office that obviously was not given the "priority" that I paid

for. I sent a copy of Antiques and the Arts Weekly to a friend in Honolulu,

Hawaii, by Priority Mail, on June 21, 1994 , and it was forwarded to his new

address in that same city. He must have left town, because the envelope never

got to him. But it took two years to get back to us. If only envelopes could

talk...

After you ponder the philosophical ramifications of talking envelopes, be sure

to...

Read me again.