You couldn't tell by the amount of snowfall on the ground Wednesday afternoon - it was just a foot or so - but this week's storm really seemed to throw the town for a loop. When the governor banned tractor-trailers from the highways, it stopp
You couldnât tell by the amount of snowfall on the ground Wednesday afternoon â it was just a foot or so â but this weekâs storm really seemed to throw the town for a loop. When the governor banned tractor-trailers from the highways, it stopped the flow of mail in and out of town, which shut down the post office on Tuesday. With the schools closed, and many businesses shut down as well, there wasnât much activity in town. People huddled in their homes burning the last of their junk mail in the fireplace, hoping the supply would hold out until mail deliveries started up again.
Things were so quiet in the center of town, Big Y even closed on Tuesday. And when they turned out the lights at Big Y, most of the other merchants in the Queen Street Shopping Center followed suit. It was quite eerie.
The only ones who seemed to be on the move Monday and Tuesday were the townâs highway crew. The plow drivers spent nearly 72 hours clearing the roadways of Newtown early this week.
In situations like that, lifeâs little pleasures do not go unappreciated. Take, for example, the delicious chicken dinner provided for the crew Monday night by Mariann Adams, wife of crew chief Milt. Then there was the lunch put on for the crew by Superintendent of Schools John R. Reed Tuesday with Buildings & Grounds Supervisor Dominic Posca in charge of the soup.
When the sun returned on Wednesday, everyone was back outside wielding shovels and firing up their snowblowers. Everyone seemed to be catching up with neighbors as they piled more snow on to the snowbanks.
With the sun higher in the sky and the days longer, the accumulated snow from this week shouldnât last too long. Once they get rested up the highway crew can start worrying about the drainage catch basins, making sure they are free and clear to let the melting snows drain away.
One casualty of the storm was the community blood drive, first scheduled for Monday, then postponed to Tuesday. The American Red Cross has rescheduled the blood drive for this Sunday from 8 am to 1:15 pm at the Newtown Middle School on Queen Street. If you want to make an appointment, call 800-Give-Life. Theyâll be glad to see you there on Sunday.
Last week, I reported that NHS teachers Chuck and Karen Mann ran into Sandy Hook School teacher Cathy Mazzariello, and her husband Rick, in a tiny pizza shop in San Diego. It was actually NHS teacher Kathy Madzula and her husband, John, who were in San Diego. This week, everyone has been asking Cathy Mazzariello how her trip to San Diego was. She was no where near the place.
Health District Director Mark Cooper and Public Works Director Fred Hurley made a joint announcement late last week, saying the townâs over-abundance of potholes is in no way related to the recent discovery of high levels of uranium here in town.
Happy birthday wishes go out to longtime Newtown resident Jim Osborne, who turned 75 on March 8.
Barbara Borst officially retired last week after 32 years at Hawley School where she was an educational assistant, working one-on-one with students. Joeâs still driving a school bus, however, so the Borsts arenât yet out of the school business.
Members of the Thomas J. Nelson, Jr Post 9427 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Fairfield are looking for Sgt Nelsonâs daughter, who is married and reportedly lives in Newtown. Post members Ed Matto and Ed Bachman said the post intends to honor Sgt Nelson, who was killed in World War II, with a plaque and ceremony. The problem is that the VFW members donât know the daughterâs married name. Anyone who might have information is asked to call Mr Matto at 203-259-7548 or Mr Bachman at 203-259-0495.
Seen on Main Street: A jogger, with head phones and microphone, having an animated phone conversation while on her daily run.
Stephanie Dorenbusch has been in Washington, D.C., taking pictures at the Smithsonian Institute for the anthropological journal that she has worked for since this past summer. Then sheâs on her way to Yugoslavia and Turkey to continue her work.
Fairfield Hills was the site of yet another tour Friday, March 2. Town officials provided interested firms with a guided tour of the sprawling former mental institution to familiarize them with the physical plant. The town is seeking requests for proposals from firms interested in redeveloping the property for new uses. The town is interested in buying Fairfield Hills from the state. I donât know what the developers have planned for the site, but this week, it looked more like a ski resort than anything else.
They say more snow is coming, so Iâve got to stop waxing poetic about Newtown and go wax up my skis. Iâll be sushing back this way next week, though, soâ¦
Read me again.