Date: Fri 03-Apr-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

Mountain-daylight-savings

Full Text:

TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN

Daylight Savings Time returns this weekend, which means that the Paproskis and

the Ferrises and everyone else in town who has to get up in the morning to

milk cows must spend the next few weeks slowly getting their herds acclimated

to the clock change.

It would be nice if we could lose that hour of sleep over a period of days or

weeks, rather than all at once. As one member of a group of daylight savings

time opponents represented at a website called www.standardtime.com puts it,

"It's like getting jet lag without even leaving home." The group points out

that aside from presenting the entire population with the daunting task of

having to re-set their VCR clocks, having nationwide clock changes twice a

year can be downright dangerous. They note that there are more automobile

accidents in the weeks following the time changes than at any other time of

year.

I don't know this for sure, but I bet if you checked appliance repair shops,

you would find that more alarm snooze buttons wear out at this time of year as

well.

I know that Destiny Mosher isn't looking forward to daylight savings time.

Destiny routinely exercises her dog Pepper in the evening, and it's far easier

when it's dark. Destiny stands on the porch and shines the flashlight in

various corners of the yard, and Pepper energetically chases the beam from

point to point. All it takes on Destiny's part is good wrist action. Once the

sun starts shining in the evenings, the flashlight trick is useless.

Danny Amaral got to enjoy the great outdoors last weekend in slow motion. I

spotted him inching across the lot at his service station on Main Street with

the help of a walker. Danny, who isn't quite geriatric (yet), explained that

he was having disk problems in his back. He was hoping a scheduled cortisone

shot would put a little spring back in his step this spring.

Speaking of Danny, there's a new 1998 Neon on his car lot just waiting for

someone to get lucky in the half-court shot on Saturday night at the charity

benefit basketball game night featuring the Knights of Columbus vs the St Rose

Home & School Association at the Newtown High School gym. The game starts at

6:30 pm and there will be lots of games and prizes for the entire family

including the chance to make a car-winning basket. Tickets, at the door, are

$3 for adults, $1 for kids.

A cavalcade of minivans jockeyed for position in the parking lot at the Ice

Cream Shop on Church Hill Road Monday, a day that seemed more like the end of

June than late March. The shop has been creating something of traffic jam on

Church Hill Road since it opened, with scores of youths and families seeking

out frozen treats.

Pierre Rochman showed up for this week's budget hearing dressed in a bow tie.

For those who attend Legislative Council meetings, the look was a new one, but

Pierre says he wears them quite often. "It's either turtle necks or bow ties,"

he joked.

Rob Frangione, better known as the "Mailman" around town, encountered an

enormous turtle in the middle of High Bridge Road last Saturday. Rob figured

the thing weighed about 70 pounds and may have been around during the Woodrow

Wilson administration. Wanting to make sure the slow but deliberate turtle

stuck around to see Bill Clinton out of office, Rob and another passerby

helped move the snapper to safer ground.

Olga Paproski, who introduced Ukrainian Pysanka (Easter eggs) to the area, has

invited people who want to learn more about the meticulous egg decoration

technique to attend a Pysanka workshop at her home on Hattertown Road this

Sunday. So if you have any interest in learning the secrets of Ukrainian egg

decorating, give Olga a call at 426-4017.

Finally, as a word of warning, I must mention that April 6 has been proclaimed

Tartan Day in Connecticut. So if you hear what sounds like the torture of

waterfowl on Monday, don't be too concerned for our feathered friends. It's

just the Scots playing their bagpipes.

Time for me to jig on out of here, but don't forget to...

Read me again.