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NEWCOMERS CLUB

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B Y D OROTHY E VANS

If you are living what Newtown Newcomers Club president Mandy Monaco calls a

"'90s kind of life," you're on the go all the time.

Yet there never seems to be time or opportunity to meet people in a neighborly

way, to sit down over a cup of coffee and share experiences.

"You need to touch base and get advice from someone who is in the same boat,"

said Mrs Monaco as she prepared for the kick-off coffee which was held in the

Alexandria Room at Edmond Town Hall on Wednesday evening, September 17.

Where to start?

The Newtown Newcomers Club is a very good place to begin, Mrs Monaco said, as

she described the '90s-lifestyle situations shared by many transient Newtown

residents.

They might have small children and husbands who frequently travel during the

week. When they are not at home taking care of the house and kids, they're out

doing errands, walking the dog, getting groceries or car pooling.

Or they might have recently experienced job or lifestyle changes.

"Suddenly you find yourself in a town where you don't know anyone," she said,

and you've got to rebuild your support network from the ground up.

Doctors, favorite shops, a drugstore, the bank, a plumber, a vet, where to go

if you need a root canal done - simply talking about some of these problems

and sharing solutions with others can go a long way toward easing a difficult

transition period, Mrs Monaco said.

"Newtown is just like a small town within a large town. There are so many ways

to be involved in this community, to help others and make a difference," she

said.

New residents don't always know how to plug into the community.

"Anything you're into - needlework, play groups, crafts, perennials - we'll

hook you up with others who share that interest."

A Wide Variety Of Activities

Any Newtowner is invited to attend one of the club's frequent membership

coffees, learn more about the club and meet the members. Coffees are held the

third Tuesday or Thursday of each month.

Also, during the membership year, monthly general meetings are held for the

entire membership. These meetings alternate between daytime luncheons or

evening dinners at a local restaurant and are held on the second Wednesday of

each month.

Newcomers' activities include Bible Study, Book Club, Breakfast Club, Bridge

Club, Coupon Swappers, Folk Art Painting, Recipe Exchange and Tot Tours, as

well as many others.

"If there's something you're interested in and we aren't doing it, you can

talk to two or three others and start your own group," Mrs Monaco said.

"We even have an Adult Play Group of women who don't have children at home,

who don't work and who have time to do interesting things together during the

day. I can't wait to join it," Mrs Monaco said.

Social activities available to all Newcomers include Adult's Night Out, a

Children's Christmas Party, Cookie Exchange, Easter Egg Hunt, Harvest Moon

Cocktail Party, Progressive Dinner, Silent Auction, Trunk or Treat Halloween

Party and Wine/Beer/Champagne Tasting.

"We've been working with WIN (Women Involved In Newtown) to co-chair

Thanksgiving baskets as well as the Penny Drive and Easter baskets for

children of needy Newtown families," Mrs Monaco said.

Membership dues are $30 per year and include a monthly newsletter and a copy

of the membership directory.

Mandy Monaco: A Newcomer Setting Down Roots

Having lived in Newtown only four years since moving from New Jersey in 1993,

Mandy Monaco said she already feels quite settled and a part of the life of

the town.

"You've got to get out and meet people," she said, adding that otherwise you

stay home "and just eat."

Her husband, Bill Monaco, is a computer analyst with Comdisco in Norwalk, and

the couple lives on Blue Spruce Drive with their two children, Jonathan, 9,

and Alison, 3.

Mrs Monaco helps out with Meals and Wheels by driving four times a month and

is part of a group that cooks dinners for the family of Summer Ghent, a little

girl living in Sandy Hook that was born with a rare brain disorder.

Mrs Monaco's third child is on the way, due January 22.

"Every year (that) I'm pregnant we have a horrible winter. The last one was

1993. I hope that doesn't mean this will be a bad winter, too," she joked.

That and a new baby at 40 years old might slow her down a bit, though she

hopes to keep right on going with her regular schedule of daily aerobics,

Meals on Wheels and, of course, the Newcomers Club presidency.

"I hope anyone with any questions about Newcomer's or anything else will call

me. I'd be happy to help," Mrs Monaco said, adding that she can usually be

reached at home.

For more information regarding the Newtown Newcomers Club, Inc, contact Karen

Pierce at 426-1288 or Mandy Monaco at 426-5600.