Date: Fri 24-Oct-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: DOTTIE

Quick Words:

snapshot-John-Verbanic-Sr

Full Text:

SNAPSHOT for 10/24/97: JOHN VERBANIC, SR

Occupation: Head Custodian, Newtown High School. I have been working in the

Newtown School System for 23 years and was first at Sandy Hook School. Before

that, I worked in Ridgefield.

How long in Newtown: We have lived here 25 years.

Biggest change: All the building that's going on in the whole town -- schools,

houses, sewers, additions, roads. I guess it hasn't affected me all that much,

but I'm an outdoor person and I hate to see so much land being used up. I know

we need more housing and you can't stop progress.

Family: My wonderful wife, Amanda, and I met when we were in Norwalk High

School and we've been together for 40 years. She's my idol.

We have four great children who never gave us a moment of trouble. Three

daughters and a son. Now there are six grandchildren. We are very lucky.

Hobbies: I'm a gardener and get a great deal of pleasure out of growing my own

food. We can everything, even make our own pickles. Our meat is grown for us

up north. Anything I shoot we eat, like the 800-pound moose I got last year.

That was incredible. There's nothing like eating natural food that doesn't

come from the stores.

Although I hunt deer, I let them eat in my garden if they want. I just enjoy

looking at them. We had 17 at once last weekend and they ate almost all the

flowers off the mums.

I told my wife, "See, it's not so bad. They left you one flower!"

My son, John Verbanic, Jr, and I belong to the Newtown Fish and Game Club.

I've been in it for 17 years and John joined when he was just 11. We really

enjoy it. John first went fishing with me when he was 6 years old, sitting in

my lap with a cane pole catching sunnies.

Personal philosophy: I used to be a stone mason and never said a word.

Now, since I've been working in the schools and around kids and teachers so

much, I'm not so shy anymore. My wife sometimes says she wishes I'd go back in

my shell!

Seriously, I really enjoy what I'm doing. I believe if you work hard at what

you do and keep the faith, things will always work out.