As one postal patron said, the 165-year-old Hawleyville Post Office had “a glorious run,” but on Saturday, February 14, Postmaster Mark Favale lowered the flag and locked the door to the Route 25 facility for the final time. But customers and staff alike kept their chins up, believing firmly that the USPS will stand behind its promise to open a new facility in Hawleyville by the end of this summer. As English poet Alexander Pope said, “Hope springs eternal…”

Did you ever find yourself saying, “I wonder what happened to so and so…?” Chris Vichiola stopped by The Bee office recently to say “Hello” and catch us up on what he’s been up to in recent years. Seems the NHS graduate and former Newtown resident has become college graduate (WCSU, 1983), a Navy SEAL, trained under Colonel James “Bo” Gritz; a martial arts master, having studied under Stephen K. Hayes, Richard Von Donk, and Dr Masaaki Hatsumi; he has been an educator and speaker for The Christic Institute law firm; and for the last ten years he has also held a full-time position at The Home Depot. Now he is working on his master’s in psychological counseling, with a hope of establishing a new policy of zero tolerance for counselors who neglect abused families and children in need of special services. He also has been selected as an Honored Member of The Biltmore Who’s Who Executive and Professional Registry. Now resident of Torrington, most recently Chris worked with the Democratic party and was “instrumental,” he says, in getting Barack Obama elected to the White House. Whew. I guess I’d have to live to be a hundred (in cat years, of course) to do half of this!

You might want to check out this lecture by a current Newtown resident that is coming up in Fairfield. Daniel Mark Duffy will be the featured speaker on Wednesday, March 4, at 1 pm, at Fairfield Public Library. The internationally renowned portrait painter will present “A Mid-Career Visual Retrospective,” complete with original works and slides that follow his amazing career. Dan invites anyone with the time to stop in for the program, during which he will not only be talking about his own work, but will also invite lively discussion and healthy debate by artists and those who appreciate art. For more information about the program, including directions to the library, call 261-4621. The program is being hosted by the Fairfield branch of the National League of American Pen Women.

Staff and visitors at The Newtown Bee were happy to find Bridget Seaman sitting at her desk in the front office this week. The super efficient secretary has been out for several weeks and sorely missed. Welcome back, Bridget!

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, or in the case of Newtowner Marty LaMarche, when the supermarket doesn’t make your fav cookie anymore, make it yourself. Marty’s son Andrew stopped by The Bee earlier this week to drop off some samples of the coconut pecan cookies she has developed since her family’s craving for the store-bought ones has been denied by a local supermarket’s decision to quit making them. At the rate the cookies disappeared, I’d have to say she has hit on a winner. Just in case anyone else is missing those cookies, Marty is sharing her recipe with Top of the Mountain readers:

                           Coconut Pecan Cookie Clone

                                ½ cup butter

                                ½ cup canola oil

                                2 cups brown sugar

                                   Cream above together.

                              Blend in:

                                     1 tbsp vanilla

                                     2 extra large eggs

                              In food processor or blender pulverize:

                                     2 ½ cups old-fashioned oats

                              Add in:

                                     1 cup unbleached white flour

                                     1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

                                     ½ teaspoon salt

                                     1 teaspoon baking soda

                                     1½ teaspoon baking powder

Add to above in small portions blending well after each. Stir in 3 cups shredded sweetened coconut and 2 cups chopped pecans.

Place balls of cookie dough (about the size of large marshmallow) on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly brown on bottom, but only starting to brown at edges on top. Do not overbake or you’ll have crunchy cookies instead of chewy…especially after they have cooled.

Cool on pan, and remove to wire rack. Roll extra dough into logs and freeze for small batches later.

Makes 50–75 cookies.

One of the best things to do during the winter is to grab a cookie warm out of the oven, mix up some hot chocolate, and settle down with a good book to read. Which reminds me, the C.H. Booth Library is looking to add to its Newtown Authors and Illustrators Collection. Published writers and authors who live in or have lived in town are invited to donate a copy of their works to the library. Contact Andrea Zimmermann at BoothRef@CHBoothLibrary.org. The collection is located on the third floor of the library and absolutely worth browsing. It is astounding how many talented artists call, or have called, Newtown “Home” over the years.

School vacation this past week has made our quiet little town just a bit quieter. Don’t let things get so sleepy, though, that you forget next week to… Read me again.