Newtown Blooms With Holiday Spirit In Early December

By Nancy Crevier & Kendra Bobowick

Luminarias lining the streets of Newtown and ringing Hawley Pond glimmered in the cold night air, Friday, December 3, as hundreds of residents followed the bright trail down darkened roads to the edge of the Ram Pasture and the towering evergreen that would shortly be aglow with twinkling lights.

But before the main event, there was plenty of time for friends to meet and greet each other, comforted by cups of cider provided by the staff of People’s Bank and crunchy cookies from Union Savings Bank. Children eagerly surrounded Santa’s sleigh and reindeer, already awaiting the post-tree-lighting arrival of the jolly old elf.

The Baker family, Kim and Scott, and their children Grace and Grant, were attending their first Newtown Ram Pasture Tree Lighting. “We moved here last year on December 1,” said Mr Baker, “and were looking forward to this. But then we all came down with the flu and didn’t make it. So we’re pretty happy to be here this year.”

On hand to entertain the crowd were high-kicking dancers from Newtown Middle School, introduced by Tree Lighting Committee member and library director Janet Woycik. Dancing to the holiday classic “Let It Snow,” the young dancers were greeted by enthusiastic applause.

The Newtown High School Choral Singers entranced the audience with a medley of holiday songs, and were joined by one of Newtown’s youngest choirs, preschoolers from Merry Hill Center Day Care Center, much to the delight of all in the audience.

Then, voices raised high, the countdown began. “Ten, nine, eight….” Town historian Dan Cruson pulled the switch and the tree was lit. The oohs and ahhs faded away into giggles of joy for the littlest crowd members who soon spotted Santa and Mrs Claus and hurried over for a candy cane and a quiet word with the man in red. The voices of the Newtown High School Men’s A Cappella Group drifted over the peaceful scene.

Newtown’s holiday season was officially underway.

 

[naviga:h2 style="line-height:10.0pt"]Saturday Events

On Saturday morning, December 4, Main Street was already bustling with activity, particularly around Edmond Town Hall, where the delicious scents of pancakes and sausages wafted down the stairs from the Alexandria Room and swirled over the sidewalk. The 50th Annual Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast served thousands of hungry diners between the hours of 8 am and 1 pm, with Dr Bob Grossman, Skip Roberts, and “Mix Master” Gary Steele staffing the griddle, assisted by dozens of other Rotary Club members. At 9 am, “Chef” Grossman was seeing the beginning of what he expected to be the morning’s biggest wave of diners. “Then around noon, we’ll see another big wave of people,” predicted the longtime Rotary member.

Just down the street, the Newtown Meeting House was filled with greenery created by the Garden Club of Newtown. Hand decorated wreaths festooned the main aisle, hanging jauntily from the corners of the pews. Fresh evergreen roping, displayed on the benches, caught the eyes of several shoppers, as did the creative holiday tabletop arrangements, all being sold to support the local gardening club and its efforts.

Also at the Meeting House on Saturday morning was well-known gardening expert and author Sydney Eddison. Ms Eddison has recently published Gardening For A Lifetime, and was on hand to autograph copies of the book. Another corner of the Meeting House featured the jewelry of Tina Catalano, and the fancy and fanciful accessories by Shelby Baumer of Sew Lovely.

The greenery sale attracted many customers during the morning, with more than half of the items sold out before 10 am. The Garden Club inventory completely sold out before the scheduled 1 pm closing time.

In the hallway of the C.H. Booth Library, near the children’s department, holiday shoppers were thrilled to find a wide selection of like-new books, DVDs, games, and puzzles at the Friends of the C.H. Booth Library’s Annual Holiday Book Sale.

Kris Kivela, a fifth grade teacher from Sarah Noble School in New Milford, browsed the selection early in the day. “I get books here every year for my classroom,” said Ms Kivela, “and all so affordable.” She was particularly excited to have found a model horse skeleton this year, to bring back to her class, as well as a book called How to Care and Raise Horses. “We are just finishing up reading Black Beauty, so these will be fantastic to use for related projects,” she said.

Adjacent to the book sale was another annual holiday favorite, in the meeting room, the Newtown Youth & Family Services Annual Festival of the Trees. Tiny tabletop trees sported decorations ranging from miniature stuffed animals to feathery white doves and butterflies to gingerbread people and a gold and blue Newtown Nighthawks tree. Toothbrushes, tubes of toothpaste, and dental floss dangled from the branches of a six-foot artificial blue spruce with a silver and blue dental theme, donated by Girl Scout Troop 5070. Centerpieces, gift baskets, a three-story hand painted bird house, a quilted tree skirt from the Sew Together Gals, and many more decorative items donated by local clubs, businesses, and individuals rounded out the selection of trees, all being raffled off.

Upstairs, near the main circulation desk, 16 gingerbread architects had adhered the final wafer roofing tiles, laid down the last chocolate bar walkway, set up the last candy cane fence, finished “painting” the walls of their tasty creations, and brought in their entries for the Newtown Youth & Family Services Annual Gingerbread House Contest.

“It’s hard not to touch them, isn’t it?” one mother reminded her preschooler, who was closely examining each and every house. The bigger question bandies about, though, was “Who will win?”

Would it be the cleverly crafted replica of the General Store, or the whimsical house featuring Snoopy? Would the gingerbread mansion top the end-of-the world, topsy-turvy dinosaur entry? It was up to the judges, and the winners are:

Family Division: First Place: The Lundquists, for the Gingerbread Mansion; Second Place, The Rasmussens, for Sierra and Ginger Candy Dog House; Third Place, John III, Sabrina and John Boccuzzi, Jr for Candy Lake House and Ice Fisherman.

Adult Individual: Jessica Cosgrove for Candy Beach Scene.

Adult Group Division: First Place, Dianne and Scott Orlando for The General Store; Second Place, Carolyn Tevnan, Jill Tevnan, and Mike Hill for Dinosaur World.

Individual Child, Grade 3–5: Victoria Weimann for Twin Houses.

Individual Child, Grade 6–8, First Place Jonathon Paes for Candy Snoopy House; Second Place, Carlin Cohane for Candy Cane House.

Child Group, Grade K–2, First Place, Annie Phelps, and Molly Lewis for Hershey Kisses House; Second Place, Hannah and Charlie Sepp for Candy House.

Child Group, Grade 3–5, First Place, Courtney Cohane and Sophia Andrew for Bake Shoppe; Second Place, Belle Phelps and Alix Lewis for Kisses And Candy Bars House.

 

Adding Their Colored Lights             To The Night…

A festive mood again captured residents Saturday evening in Sandy Hook center as guests crowded storefronts and waited for the downtown tree to light. Lifting 3-D glasses to their eyes were Hannah Diresto, Bryce and Bryanna Benson, and McGovern Moore, who crowded their heads together and watched through colored lenses as the luminarias sparkled along Church Hill Road.

Wearing a painted Santa on her cheek, Tatum and Sterling Radasci were steps away from the Toy Tree on Church Hill Road, one of the many businesses open to revelers awaiting the 6:30 pm tree lighting. Santa and his dog “Rudolph” were out on the stoop near Sabrina Style and waving at passing traffic as early as 4:30 that night.

As magic and miracles abound around the holiday season, Santa in another rendition appeared around the corner in front of Katherine’s Kitchen, where the jolly old elf — Dan Doherty — gathered close his family including sons Joseph, with a sticky candy cane in hand, and Patrick, and his wife Sharon.

One door down at the Sandy Hook Hair Company, Kristy Davenport perched reindeer ears on her head and greeted guests. With her were friends Liz Moroney and Denise Balog, dressed as Mrs Claus.

Moving closer to the tree wrapped in lights and just minutes away from sending their holiday glare into the night was Rick Baczewski, with Kailey on his shoulders. Laughing with him as they breathed in the popcorn-scented air outside Sandy Hook Wine & Liquor were his wife Sara and daughter Leah.

With a wet paint brush dashing his cheek, Matthew DeMott sat still as Hayley Benitez drew a holiday figure as others waited for a face painting inside Fun Kids Consignments, also on Church Hill Road.

The sidewalk crowds soon moved to the corner of Washington Avenue as the clock drew toward half past 6. Laughing and singing carols to themselves, parents and their families formed a ring around the tree and crowded the hillside across the street. “Ten, nine, eight…” they began, and as soon as they yelled, “One!” the tree lights shone in vibrant colors.

With cheeks red and glossed lips glistening, Trish Uhl and Jodi Markowsky hugged their children close for a photo beneath the tree.

…And On Sunday

By Sunday, Main Street and various homes and buildings found queues of residents standing outside waiting for doors to open on decorated rooms, holiday sounds, and fires warming kitchens and dens.

As gingerbread houses on display in the C.H. Booth Library and the Festival of Trees and a book sale drew some residents’ attention, others wandered into the Edmond Town Hall to enjoy crafts in the lobby, a photo with Santa in the downstairs gymnasium, two performances of the Nutcracker Suite by the Malenkee Ballet Repertoire Company, and a Victorian Tea served in the Alexandria Room.

As Santa sat with rosy cheeks, twin sisters Annie and Ellie Minor colored snowflakes and dreamed of “great big” stuffed animals for Christmas this year.

Up a couple flights were Carol Mahoney and Maureen Birden, helping serve the 25th, and last, Victorian Tea. “It’s been 25 years and maybe the town needs a change,” the women agreed. Serving scones and other baked goods along with fresh poured tea were Stacey Pramuka, Rebecca Beard, and Krista Adams. Also helping guests fill their plates was Victoria Adams.

On the stage overlooking diners were sisters Emily and Elizabeth Charash, playing piano.

Knotting together necklaces and other crafts downstairs were Lauren Henchcliffe, Aspen Krausher, and Rachel Cole. Nearby were quilters Stephanie Monasto and Ginny Sherwood. Their Quilts of the Heart will benefit needy children in crisis and wounded veterans. Their group meets between 10 am and 2 pm, at the United Methodist Church in Newtown on Wednesdays.

Tracing glass-beaded jewelry through their fingers were Karen MacKenzie and her daughter-in-law Elizabeth MacKenzie. They perused several tables of handcrafted items on sale that day.

As homeowners welcomed crowds to tour their professionally adorned rooms dressed for the season, 50 Main Street resident Shane Miller stood with Steve DeSilva and Mark Urso as they overlooked table settings for imagined guests including Sarah Palin and Barrack Obama facing one another across the table. Waiting to enter the arched central hallway were sisters Molly and Eileen McCleary. Also touring 50 Main Street was Kirsten Ursem, who had done the decorating at 38 Main Street.

Heading into the Matthew Curtiss House, which also beckoned guests to enjoy Christmas past at the historically preserved 1700s home, were Theresa Swift and her son William, standing before an open, cooking fireplace occupying one wall of the kitchen. Docent Celina Weigel stoked at items inside the bricked-in oven.

In the dining room was docent Mairin Hayes, arranging the Christmas tree.

Down the street as guide Brian Hartgraves explained home history and décor, guests Alison and Chris Cummings and daughters Sienna and Melina wandered through the lobby and nearly 300-year-old rooms at 38 Main Street.

Winding up the weekend’s activities with a last festive celebration were Hawleyville residents, lighting a tree for their corner of town between 5 and 6 pm December 5. The inaugural event found First Selectman Pat Llodra and her husband Bob Llodra among faces turned toward spotlights shining on Ann Marie Mitchell, who helped organize the event. A host of town officials wove their way through guests, showing their support for Hawleyville, which rallied with community pride this year while fighting to protect its land and water from railroad company transfer station expansions.

Longtime resident Edgar Beers also addressed the crowd with words of local history. With their reindeer antlers askew and singing voices aching in the cold, a hush finally fell over guests as Mr Beers connected the cords and lit the tree.