By Steve Bigham

There's a new face working at The Pleasance these days. It's new Bee employee Keith Denton, and his primary job is maintaining the inside and outside of the various Bee properties around town.

Keith lives in Southbury where he maintains his own property, which includes a barn and two horses. He also works part-time at the Newtown Country Club.

These days, Keith is removing brush, dead trees, and stumps from the area directly behind the Pleasance where the flagpole was installed this past summer. Bee Publisher R. Scudder Smith has plans to install pathways leading out toward the wetland areas, garden steppers as foundations, and the installation of several raised-bed gardens. The bulk of this work will take place in November with springtime plantings to follow.

So far, three new trees — Leprechaun ash — have been added to the property, just to the left of the flagpole.

"We plan to put in other trees, a few shrubs and lot of colorful plants," Mr Smith said this week.

Frank Lapak can also be seen working at the Pleasance from time to time.

The Pleasance is a garden created by The Newtown Bee for the enjoyment of the people of Newtown.