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Town & Country Garden Club Of Newtown Celebrates 60 Years Of Commitment To Club & Community

Published: Jun 28, 2025 8:00 am

Town and Country Garden Club of Newtown turns 60 this year.

Established in September 1964, the club has been a constant in the community. An active member of Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut, New England Garden Clubs, Inc, and National Council of State Garden Clubs, Inc, the club's objectives are to promote interest in horticulture; to provide information on invasive plants; to increase knowledge on the artistic use of plant materials; to further the conservation of natural resources and the protection of our environment; to continue our involvement in civic and community events and projects; and to design, plant, and maintain three of Newtown's traffic islands.

Members note it is “incredible” how much has changed while how much has also stayed the same over the years.

The club’s handbooks have evolved into beautifully curated books with colorful pictures, agendas and program information. While the content was similar years back, the earliest handbooks were hand typed, with no photos, and the names of club members were actually listed as their husbands names with Mrs.

What has remained consistent is the commitment to the club and community.

The annual plant sale and Christmas Tree decorating will never go away. Maintaining and planting the three traffic islands in the center of town — a community service proiect launched in 1968, just a few years into the club’s existence — will always be associated with Town & Country Garden Club.

The club may not participate in the Labor Day parade any longer, but most members still attend individually and support the efforts.

The club and its members have participated in countless flower shows, not to mention the enjoyable and informative programs hosted each month that are open to the public.

Town & Country Garden Club has also participated in the Parks & Recreation Halloween Scarecrow contest, and have taken home a few awards from The Federated Garden Club of Connecticut, including the Tucille Schavoir Award for being “a dedicated group of volunteers who make civic commitment a way of life.”

The most important part of the club is its members, a group of women who just don’t know what cannot be done. The dedication, passion and love they all exhibit, not just to the club but to each other, is remarkable.

The longest standing club members who just don’t seem to slow down are as follows: Barbara O’Connor, 60 years; Lilleba Peterson, 49 years; Arline Shanley, 34 years; and Barbara McCann, 32 years. Additionally, the following members have been part of the club anywhere from 15-25 years: Teri Doern, Jan Gardner, Joy Kopesky, Margareta Kotch, Jane Vouros, Joyce Webster, Mary Ellen Weiner, and Josie Schmidt.

Newer members are just as dedicated and have hopes to live up to the reputation of these longstanding members. The club is always growing and looking for new members.

The club meets the second Wednesday of the month at Newtown Senior Center, 8 Simpson Street. Business meetings begin at 6 pm, followed by a program with a guest speaker on a garden-related or conservation topic.

The public is invited, free of charge.

The Town & Country Garden Club of Newtown is an educational and charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

For additional information including membership opportunities, send email to townandcountrygardenclubct@gmail.com or visit tcgardenclub.org/

Members of The Town and Country Garden Club of Newtown are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the club’s founding this year. —photos courtesy Town & Country Garden Club

Members gather on the traffic island on Queen Street at the intersection with South Main Street. The Town & Country Garden Club have been maintaining traffic islands within the Borough since 1968. —photos courtesy Town & Country Garden Club

The club’s handbooks have evolved from hand typed booklets to full-color collections with photos, agendas, and program information. —photos courtesy Town & Country Garden Club

An undated newspaper clipping shows members of Town & Country Garden Club of Newtown “clearing the way for a natural trail and study area” behind Middle Gate School. As with club handbooks of the era, the newspaper clipping refers to each member as “Mrs So-and-So,” not by each woman’s name. —photos courtesy Town & Country Garden Club

The club recently gathered for a tour of the gardens of three members, concluding with a reception at the home of Joan Alexander. Scrapbooks and other memorabilia were shared, as well as refreshments including this cake. —photos courtesy Town & Country Garden Club

Town & Country Garden Club members celebrated the club’s 60th anniversary with a thematically decorated tree displayed at Newtown Community Center. —photos courtesy Town & Country Garden Club

Town & Country Garden Club of Newtown picked up the win for Most Original Scarecrow in the 2023 Newtown Parks & Recreation Scarecrow Contest. People of all ages fell in love with the sculpture of a woman in a dress and bonnet created of pinecones and needles, dried grasses and reeds, and a splash of dried red leaves and flowers. —photos courtesy Town & Country Garden Club

An undated appearance in Newtown's Labor Day Parade. —photos courtesy Town & Country Garden Club of Newtown

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The Way We Were

The Editor suggest a meeting between the "Rock This Democracy " and the Police Commission. As a former Police Commissioner the Chief should have followed the chain of command and discussed this with the Police Commission. The Chief reports to the Elected Police Commission not our Republican First Selection. Can't help but feel this is Republican politics again making an issue out of a non issue.

Assembly Ordinance?

I support Chief Kullgren’s request to explore permitting, and cost-sharing for large gatherings. The right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, and I fully support the constitutional right to free speech and assembly. However, where and how often these protests occur matters. Main Street is not just a symbol — it’s a vital artery for daily life in town. When events are held there monthly, and at increasing scale, they cause disruption to residents, businesses, and traffic. While the Rock This Democracy group may describe these protests as unique or urgent, the frequency — roughly once every two weeks this spring — suggests more of a recurring series than a singular, spontaneous moment of civic expression. This isn’t about silencing anyone. It’s about fairness, public safety, and fiscal responsibility. Every time a protest happens, our police department is forced to assign resources, often on overtime. That expense adds up quickly. If any group wants to use public space regularly, particularly in a way that impacts traffic and requires police presence, then it’s reasonable for the town to consider permitting and cost-sharing — just as we do for other organized events like races, festivals, or parades. Let’s protect everyone’s rights — including the right of the community to function smoothly and the right of taxpayers not to bear undue cost for repeated events. I trust the Council to consider a reasonable path forward that balances speech with responsibility.

David, your passion for transparency would carry more weight if it weren’t routinely wielded like a cudgel. Let's set the record straight: no one is against easier access to documents or better online availability—we all want an informed public. But there's a difference between constructive advocacy and the kind of grandstanding that costs this town time, morale, and taxpayer money. You cite Ridgefield’s practices—great. Let's talk about that like adults. But instead, what we see is a steady stream of accusatory posts, legal challenges, and FOIA blitzes aimed less at solving problems and more at creating headlines. It’s not “slander” to point out that your approach often does more to divide and exhaust than to help. I’ve been at the very meetings you claim are inaccessible or opaque. I’ve seen your group turn logistical hiccups into conspiracy theories. I’ve watched as staff—who already work overtime—are dragged into another fishing expedition while real civic needs are left hanging. You’re not just pushing for access; you’re using the tools of open government to grind its gears to a halt. That’s not progress. That’s obstruction dressed up as advocacy. And the people paying for it—literally—are your neighbors. Let’s stop pretending it’s just about uploading PDFs. The issue here is how we engage. We can have real conversations about modernization without constant accusations, FOIA skirmishes, and Facebook pile-ons. Until then, I’ll continue to call out tactics that undermine, not uplift, our town.

Calls For Policies To Create Greater Transparency

The bottom line is this: costs are up, and no group—including teachers—is exempt. Ignoring Anthem’s recommended 22% increase last year may have directly caused the $2 million shortfall. Everyone has to share in the fix. That might mean higher premiums and leaner benefits. Complaints alone won’t solve the problem—realistic solutions will. I urge all Newtown Teachers to email their Union leaders and express their support for higher premiums.

Discusses Town Self-Funded Insurance Plan

Its really easy to make assertions and cast doubts from behind a keyboard....a little too easy aparently. You might try conducting the actual research BEFORE doing it next time. If you do, you too will find that there's no need to imagine such a policy to improve public transparency and participation. Take a look at Ridgefield's P&Z meeting agendas on their website for starters. They are just one town that provide links to electronic copies of applications and other public documents, so that their commissioners and residents can easily access them and be well-informed, before meetings and public hearings occur and without making them drive to town hall (during business hours) to ask their land use staff to pull the files and make copies of them, saving everyone time (time is money), and gasoline, and missed work. Most applicants alrleady submit electronic copies, and for those who don't, it's a lot easier for a staffer to scan them once, than to have to make copies every time someone asks for them. And please don't misrepresent or slander those who advocate for smart, low impact & sustainable development policies and practices as 'anti-development'.

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Town & Country Garden Club Of Newtown Celebrates 60 Years Of Commitment To Club & Community

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