Occupation: I’m a housewife, mother, and volunteer. I attended a community college in Rochester, N.Y., and then dental assisting school. I thought I wanted to be a dental hygienist. Then I got a job at Eastman Dental Center, where I ran the orthodontic clinic for ten years. I met my husband there. He did his orthodontic training there.

How Long in Newtown: I have lived in Newtown for 23 years. Prior to that, I was in Danbury for a year. I was born and raised in Rochester, N.Y.

 Biggest Change Seen in Town: Growth, traffic, and lots of building. When I came here, there was one traffic light in town.

 Family: My husband, Henry, and I have been married for 23 years. We have three children. Erika, 22, just graduated from Tufts and is living in Boston. Andrew, 21, is a senior at Harvard. Ally, 17, is a senior at Newtown High School.

Hobbies: I like to play tennis, run, waterski, and attend basketball games. All three of our kids played basketball.

Favorite Books and Authors: I read a lot of different things. I’m reading Smoke Jumpers and just finished Flags of Our Fathers. I also enjoyed The Last Amateur. My reading runs the whole gamut of things.

 Favorite TV Show: I don’t watch much TV. I enjoy Judging Amy. We do go to the movies a lot. I enjoy sports movies, such as Remember the Titans, because of the closeness of the team members and the conflicts they overcome.

 Organizations: I’m a member and treasurer of the Visiting Nurse Association of Newtown. I’ve been involved with VNA about ten years. I am a member of the Blue and Gold Booster Club at Newtown High School and president of the Girls Basketball Parents Association. I’ve been a member of PTAs and head of the American Cancer Society’s Daffodil Days. Years ago, my husband and I were chairmen one year of Newtown’s Summer Festival.

Most Vivid Memory of Newtown: The Fourth of July picnic. We would get together with friends and watch the fireworks. You would absolutely run into someone you knew there and hook up and picnic together. That was the best. I really miss that. It was a lot of fun. Also, I remember the floats by Grand Place residents that we made for three years for the parade. Some of the kids would be on the float. After the parade we would have a picnic. As the kids got older, there was less interest. People there still talk about it.

 Favorite Vacation Spot: We’ve been on 17 Club Med vacations, and generally vacation with the kids. Four times we went skiing. We like to be active on vacation, but don’t want to go to the same place.

Personal Philosophy: I don’t always live up to it, but I always say if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything. My kids probably heard that 755 times each. My mother always said that.