Newtown 250 conducted a meeting on May 21, when representatives of local groups joined Matt Ariniello at Newtown Community Center to check in on plans for local events related to the Semiquincentennial. Ariniello has become the coordinator and point person for local observances.

He began the meeting introducing Donna Vella, a member of the Newtown Forest Association board. NFA had reached out, Ariniello said, to see how it could become involved in Semiquincentennial planning.

“I explained that we are currently during a collaboration of community events, we don’t have one sole, independent town event,” Ariniello reminded those present. “We have a number of nonprofit events and groups running their own events throughout the course of the year.”

Joining Ariniello and Vella that evening were Newtown Parks & Recreation Director Amy Mangold; Newtown Cultural Arts Commission Chair Laura Lerman; Chane Cullens, from Flagpole Photographers Camera Club; and Steve Stolfi, representing Newtown Lions Club.

One large-scale event well into planning is a concert and picnic. Ariniello said Parks & Rec “has solidified they will be doing a 250th Semiquincentennial Celebration picnic on June 26, at Dickinson Park, and they are inviting any organizations that want to participate with activities, so it will be a family-friendly event.”

The community center will be presenting themed arts and crafts and activities, and old-fashioned yard games, he later said.

Newtown Senior Center has also signed on to participate, and there will be live music, Ariniello also noted.

(See related release: Town Park To Play Host To Musical Semiquincentennial Celebration)

Mangold said she was very excited to see the growing collaborations for the Dickinson Park event. Passing out hand fans, she offered additional details for the picnic.

“The more the better,” she said. “It’ll just make it more of a community focused and community event.”

She said Parks & Rec is still looking for additional people to host activities ranging from face painting to dance lessons, hosting an inflatable slide or bounce house, and offering displays and demonstrations, “especially advertising 250th related events.”

C.H. Booth Library and Newtown Historical Society Semiquincentennial events are planned further into the year, she said.

“If they want to advertise during our event or if anyone has displays or demonstrations that they would like to have out, interactives or really any activity — it doesn’t have to be themed with the Semiquincentennial, but it would be kind of fun if it was — or just fun, old-fashioned picnic ideas,” Mangold added.

Stolfi said Rotary Club of Newtown, Newtown Lions Club, “and three or four others” are all co-sponsoring the event as well. Mangold said EverWonder Children’s Museum has also agreed to be a partial sponsor.

National Flag, Labor Day Parade

Ariniello also said that as of June 1, a national flag with the America 250 logo would be raised at Fairfield Hills.

“It’s required,” he said, “to fly in every town that will fly with a town hall flagpole.”

A second flag was also acquired, he said. The location for that one was yet to be determined, although Ariniello was leaning toward having that one fly at Treadwell Park.

“They have a pretty significant flagpole there,” he said. Mangold later thanked him for that idea, agreeing that either Town park would welcome the flag.

Ariniello said he spoke recently with Nicole Kullgren, the current president of the Newtown Labor Day Parade Committee.

“They are welcoming any America 250 type of events and floats,” he said, “but that will not be the lone theme of their parade. As you know the parade is usually themed off the grand marshal, but we will have a 250 float in the parade this year, so I’ll be sending an e-mail out to those who want to participate.”

Newtown 250 Logo

Turning toward Laura Lerman, Ariniello asked her to show examples of a Newtown 250 logo she had been working on.

As copies were passed around the table, Ariniello explained “many communities with events have their own logos. We thought it would be a good idea to have our own too.”

The localized art will be on a page on the Town website that has links to statewide fireworks listings, he said.

“There is a ton of fireworks shows commemorating the 250th anniversary that are new this year, so those are now listed on the Town website as well,” Ariniello said. The state is also doing “a significant amount of Revolutionary Trail tours and events,” he added, which will also be linked on the local website.

The Newtown 250 logo will also be featured on marketing materials including postcards that will have a QR code that will send people “back to the Town website, where we’ll have a list of the town events,” Ariniello said. Signs announcing locations that are hosting 250 events will eventually be placed around town, and will incorporate the approved art as well, he added.

“EverWonder, Edmond Town Hall, the community center, the library will all have yard signs in front of them signaling they are host sites of America 250 events,” he said. There will also be banners around town and other promotional items to hand out, he added.

Lerman’s three designs all included the words “Newtown, CT”; and variations of 250th USA or 250th Anniversary. Two followed red, white, and blue themes, while the third was blue and yellow. Two also featured the dates 1776 and 2026, and two featured roosters, although Lerman admitted it was an oversight that all three did not include the town’s unofficial mascot.

“Oh my God, there’s no rooster,” she said looking at her design with a generic building near the lower section of a circle. “The prompt on this was minimalist, 250th anniversary. I went with a building that looks like a generic Connecticut building.”

The discussion remained focused on that design, which Lerman agreed to update by removing the building, and adding a rooster and a fenceline in the background.

“The postcards are small, so simplicity in the design is key,” Ariniello said. “That will help the logo be seen on promotional materials.”

Stolfi agreed, saying “Big Newtown, big 250.” Lerman nodded, acknowledging the suggestion. Vella also suggested balancing the lettering in the upper half of the logo so that USA does not merge into the flag banner that appears immediately below and near to those letters.

“I’ll do my best,” Lerman replied. “I’m not a graphic artist, but I promise to try.”

First Selectman Bruce Walczak has given $1,200 to help with promotional materials, Ariniello said.

“We do have a grant opportunity for $500 from the state,” he added. “We’re hoping to use some of those funds for the parade, because we’ll need a lot of money to do the float and have handouts.”

If funds are still available after the parade spending, “there is the possibility of maybe utilizing what’s left over for some other type of community event,” Ariniello said.

Future Events

Ariniello has reached out to the Board of Education, he said, to see what that group’s role will be on the education aspects of America 250.

The National Flag Committee is asking communities to do townwide light-up events on July 4, he announced.

“There is an opportunity to do either a townwide luminaria sale — Monroe is doing a luminaria sale that people can put lighted luminaries on their porches to celebrate the event,” he said. Ariniello said he has spoken with those at Edmond Town Hall about the possibility of lighting the building in red, white, and blue lights.

Turning to Mangold, whose department has long coordinated luminaria sales and lighting ahead of the Ram Pasture tree lightings and invited residents to sponsor those through donations, he said “I know you’ve had much experience with this.”

They agreed to further discuss that topic later in the week.

A list of related events is being populated by local groups, Ariniello said, adding he hoped to have the list ready to publish online by June 1.

In response to a question from Stolfi, Lerman said Newtown Lions can do another Chalk the Walk event during this year’s Newtown Arts Festival, planned for the weekend of September 18-20, “but we would like to have more security.

“The street where all the artisans are coming in is right where that event is, and people are parking near there so there is also a lot of vehicle traffic,” so she and other arts festival organizers want to make sure no one gets hurt, she said.

Stolfi agreed, and said Chalk The Walk will carry an America 250 theme this year.

Lerman later mentioned the state troubadour has been booked for a concert on the Friday of arts festival weekend.

“Connecticut is the only state with an official troubadour,” she pointed out. “We will have 100 artisans participating again that weekend. I’m sure most of our artisans will have 250th-themed items,” she added.

Ariniello said another themed event being planned is Red, White & Blueberry by Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary.

“They’ll be handing out blueberries, for free, at the sanctuary, in July,” he said.

Newtown Cultural Arts Commission has been working with Flagpole Photographers, Lerman said, “to take pictures of things that are appropriate” thematically. She is letting the photographers work with the theme, she said, rather than overseeing what they’re doing to prepare for a July exhibition at Newtown Municipal Center Art Gallery.

The photos will be accompanied by signs sharing local history notes covering religion of the era, education, clothing, architecture, and even food. Lerman said she also plans to contact former First Selectman Jeff Capeci for his sourdough recipe.

“Sourdough was a very important food at that time,” she said after the comment drew a few chuckles.

Some of the signs will have QR codes that will take guests to YouTube videos that will play music of the era, she also said.

Simultaneously, the municipal center showcase will feature examples of historic quilts. Lerman will be working with former Queen Street business Quilting by Lois to create that display.

Cullens proposed the idea of a walking tour focused on Main Street locations. In response, Lerman pointed out that not all homes on Main Street are in fact historic.

“My house is 1799,” she said. “I don’t know what houses on Main Street are 1776 or before.”

Cullens countered it would “still be interesting to see these places and learn about their history. We could still fit in some buildings. It might be interesting for some kids, and even adults, because here is a lot of history, not necessarily 250-year-old history, but getting close.”

Ariniello mentioned Newtown Historical Society “is planning some open houses and different types of events” at its headquarters on Main Street. “Maybe they can tie something into it,” he added.

Mangold said she remembers when her children attended The Hawley School, “and they would walk up the hill from the school to do the walking tours on Main Street, and it was really interesting.”

Ariniello said this summer’s Outdoor Movie Night at Fairfield Hills will feature Miracle, “when the USA beat the Russians for the gold in 1980, which kinds of comes full circle after they won it again this year. It’s somewhat symbolic and pretty patriotic.”

National Night Out, an event by Newtown Community Center and Newtown Police Department, “will have a 250 theme this year,” Ariniello also announced.

Donna Vella said Newtown Forest Association is still trying to figure out how to participate “in some way.” She attended the meeting hoping for suggestions or guidance, she said.

“We hope to add some value, maybe joining someone to do something together,” Vella said.

Cullens asked if any NFA properties have trees that are 250 years old or older, and whether something could be created around that. Vella said there are two yew trees at the top of Holcombe Hill that look like a rainbow when viewed the right angle. Town Benefactress Mary Hawley planted them, she said.

Ariniello asked if there was a way to highlight those trees, perhaps with a sign. Cullens added “putting something there would give people another reason to visit there to see all the good things you do.”

Vella said an NFA board meeting was scheduled within the week. She and other board members hoped to begin gelling ideas soon, she added.

Ariniello thanked those in attendance.

“Things are coming together,” he said. “I’m glad for so many community partners that are willing to host and put in the work to do events on a very limited budget.”

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Managing Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.