Date: Fri 29-Nov-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

Mountain-commercials-kids

Full Text:

MOUTNAIN for 11/29

Thanksgiving is the purrfect holiday - Felix The Cat in the Macy's parade, a

dinner of roasted bird with giblet gravy, an afternoon stroll in crisp

weather, and invasion of the relatives. As fun as it is once a year, can you

imagine going through all that twice in one week?

That's what happened to Cathy Mullikin of Jackson, Tenn., who prepared a huge

Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings on November 21 because that's when

her calendar said it was. Apparently 39,999 other people were given bad

information through a calendar published by Jackson-Madison County General

Hospital. She said she would have saved the turkey for a week, thereby

celebrating with the rest of the country, but she has a bum refrigerator.

I can empathize with Ms Mullukin because it was not so long ago that The Bee

acted on a faulty calendar and told people to turn their clocks back a week

too soon. Being an hour late somewhere on a Sunday seems to pale next to all

this squawk about The Great Mistaken Thanksgiving.

If you don't have anything pre-printed on your calendar for Sunday, December 7

at 8 pm, you might want to venture forth to Shelton High School to A Christmas

With Juan , featuring Newtown's very own Juan Cardona, Jr. Juan began his

study of piano at the age of seven and has continued his musical training

through college, majoring in classical organ. He is currently studying under

Angela Salcedo at UConn, and is staff organist at the Thomaston Opera House

where he performs organ preludes prior to stage shows. In 1994 and 1995 he won

thee ATOS hobbyist competition. For ticket information, call 860-868-7226.

A very affectionate gray and black striped tiger cat, has been found hanging

around the high school parking lot, apparently living under a construction

trailer. Chris Belair thought you all would like too see a picture of him, so

he brought the cat to The Bee this week so I could snap a photo.

INSERT CAT PHOTO HERE

The cat was very hungry, Chris said, and was grateful to be fed a chicken

patty from the high school cafeteria (I guess fish cakes weren't on the menu

that day). The cat, a neutered male about one- to two-years-old, is now at the

home of Melissa Vaast. If your tiger gave you the slip, or if you are

interested in adopting him, call Mrs Vaast at 426-4121.

Two of Newtown's finest, Police Officers Phil Hynes and Dan Cacace, got high

praise from passers-by last Thursday night when they tried to locate a deer

that had been hit by a car on Buttonshop Road. The driver immediately left the

scene after hitting the deer so Russell Picerno, a member of the volunteer

United Fire Company of Botsford, stopped and called the police. Alisa Maher,

who works for The Bee , also stopped. The deer, which was lying in a pool of

blood, appeared to be severely injured but it suddenly managed to get to its

feet and run off into the woods.

Officers Hynes and Cacace responded to the call and spent nearly a half hour

searching the woods, but were unable to find the injured animal. Both Russell

and Alisa said the two officers went far beyond the call of duty in a

compassionate effort to locate the deer. Now, that's what I call true blue

friends.

There's been a lot of excitement around The Bee during the last two weeks

because one of our favorite co-workers, Amy D'Orio, has been expecting her

first child. Anyone who knows how determined Amy can be, would not be

surprised to hear she planned on working until the day she delivered. Well,

she almost made it (giving many of the male employees a major Nervous

Condition), but took off two days last week before giving birth to a beautiful

baby boy, Ethan. The latest word is: Mommy is resting up at home, Daddy Wayno

is learning to prepare formula, the baby is trying to teach Henry The Dog how

to push a swing, and Otis The Cat is trying to claim one of the bassinets.

In other baby news: Joshua Knox was only two weeks old when he made his first

visit to Edmond Town Hall last Friday. Shelia Knox, Newtown's director of

human services, brought her new son to town hall to show him off to everyone

who has been waiting for his arrival for so many months. Everyone agreed that

he's a beautiful baby, one that might follow in the footsteps of other local

babies and children who are in modeling and television. Like Brandon Neri, for

example.

Brandon, who is just four months old, was "born" on November 5 on the TV soap

opera "The Guiding Light." He's the daughter of Adele Gianni Neri and Alan

Neri and the grandson of Tony and Joyce Neri and Marie and Gary

DiFilippantonio, all Newtowners. On the show Brandon is a twin, sort of. It's

one of these complicated soap scenarios in which Brandon's fraternal twin

actually has a different father. Anyway, Brandon is definitely going to be on

the soap opera for a year, his mother says, and maybe even longer. He has his

own nurse, too, who carries him around the set during the rehearsals and

taping.

Brandon got into the business because his parents are friends of Gene Brochu

whose older brother, Bob, and wife, Ann, have a young son named Liam who is

also on television. Liam, who is the grandson of Bob and Jan Brochu of Sandy

Hook, is with the Ford Agency in New York City and has been in lots of ads.

So has Joe Summo's daughter, Katie, who at age eight is an experienced child

actor, having started when she was about three years old. You can catch Katie

on television right now in the Post Raisin Bran, Pillsbury Rolls, Children's

Tylenol and Scoop Away Kitty Litter ads.

Joe, who works at Newtown Hardware, says Katie loves doing commercials because

she has her own hairdresser and makeup lady. "She gets everything she wants -

what kid wouldn't like that?" Joe says.

And if you happen to catch the Toys Are Us commercials on television, you'll

probably see Jay McNally, 12, another Newtowner who has been in the business

for years.

Phew! All that star gazing has left me dizzy. Of course, there's nothing quite

like being the cat's pajamas, so if you want to follow in my pawsteps be sure

to...

Read me again.