Date: Fri 14-Nov-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

Mountain-leaves-veterans

Full Text:

TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN

I was happy to see that leaf removal is finally getting the front page

treatment it deserves in The Bee this week. I used to look forward to the

weekends as an opportunity to pursue my favorite pastime -- napping. But with

all the high-powered blowers, suckers, mulchers, and various tractored attacks

on gravity-stricken foliage, I've had to confine my sleeping hours to the

nighttime, which is when any self-respecting cat should be out making trouble

in the alley.

I say we get more creative and find an environmentally sound way to solve the

problem. We should try biological controls. Caterpillars.

Remember the gypsy moth infestation that happened in June of 1981? The

Northeast was invaded by millions and millions of furry caterpillars that ate

every leaf in sight, right off the trees. As I recall, in a period of just two

weeks they had completely defoliated our forests.

Why not get the gypsy moth caterpillars to come in the fall instead of the

summer? With a banquet of leaves spread conveniently on the ground, how could

they possibly resist stuffing themselves? After consuming every leaf in sight,

they could retire to a safe place, pupate, and sleep through the winter,

spring, and summer, working up an appetite for the following fall. Nice for

the caterpillars and even nicer for us. No noise from all those gas-powered or

electric mowers and blowers. No raking. Just chewing. Think about it.

Fred and Ellen Parrella just returned from traipsing through Austria and

Germany on the trail of Mozart, J.S. Bach, Robert Schumann, Richard Wagner,

Goethe and Schiller. They were amazed at the rebuilding of totally bombed out

sites in the former East Germany and reportedly listened to much excellent

music. Naturally, their trip was all in the interest of finding musicians to

perform for the Newtown Friends of Music.

There were plenty of wet fans who showed up at last Saturday's Newtown High

School football field where conditions were downright miserable. The rain came

down in buckets from start to finish. The field at Hawley School was turned

into a mud bowl and the players from both Newtown and New Milford took the

opportunity to do a bit of mud sliding after the game. I wonder who got to

wash the uniforms after the game.

The three driest men at the game were the guys up in the booth: Jack Quinlan,

announcer; John DiSette, spotter; and Kevin O'sullivan, clock keeper.

First Selectman Bob Cascella is the first person to admit his disappointment

that the $4.1 million Cyrenius H. Booth Library project won't be done until

after he is out of office. Herb Rosenthal will likely be the man in charge of

Newtown when the ribbon does finally get cut. The situation is similar to the

Iranian hostage crisis of the late 1970s when Ayatolla Khomeni, as a final

insult to Jimmy Carter, waited until just minutes after Ronald Reagan took

office to release the American prisoners.

Bob still has his share of ceremonies to attend to, however. At last week's

Legislative Council meeting, Bob presented former Water Pollution Control

Authority (WPCA) chairman, Peter Alagna, with an honorary plaque for his 18

years of service to the town. Mr Alagna headed the WPCA as it has overseen the

$33 million sewer project in Newtown. They should have engraved a manhole

cover for him.

Members of the Newtown Health & Fitness Club showed up for some exercise

Monday afternoon only to find the club in complete darkness. Sewer workers had

mistakenly cut the power line heading into the Commerce Road building,

shutting off power for most of the day.

Local accountant Alan Clavette will finally get to speak at next Wednesday's

Chamber of Commerce meeting. The local CPA was slated to speak on the issue of

employee vs independent contractor at the Chamber's September luncheon

meeting. However, the meeting never happened. It was supposed to be held at

the Mary Hawley Inn, but the restaurant did not open in time. Next week's

meeting will take place at noon at My Place Pizza in the old post office on

Queen Street.

Ever vigilant in his mission to see that the mail gets through, Newtown

Postmaster Dick Maguire wants to remind Newtown children that letters to Santa

Claus should be addressed: "Santa Claus, North Pole, Newtown, CT 06470-9998."

George Clark wrote from San Francisco last week to get three of the Christmas

ornaments being offered by the Newtown Woman's Club because they feature

Hawley School. George was in the percussion section of the Newtown Symphony

Orchestra in the late 1930s. He's been very busy out in California and has

published an illustrated history of the USS Calvin C. Cockrell (DE-366), and

is now working on a history of US Navy boot camps of World War II.

Speaking of the military, I want to tip my hat to the organizers of this

year's Veterans Day ceremonies at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. The

tribute was simple and moving as always.

Not everyone was able to get away from work to observe the 11th hour of the

11th day of the 11th month, but I was glad to hear that at least one workplace

in Newtown took note of this special hour in our history. The Hubbell Plastics

Plant on Prospect Drive shut down for a few minutes at that hour to honor

those who have paid the ultimate price for our nation on the battlefield. The

public address system at Hubbell played "Taps," followed by the National

Anthem. There weren't many dry eyes as people got back to work.

Though I am less deserving of honor than the vets, I ask you all to do me a

great honor and...

Read me again.