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snapshot-Joe-DiBiase

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SNAPSHOT Joe DeBiase

Occupation: Head custodian at Hawley School. I've been here for four years

now. I started at the Middle School in 1985, then went to Head O'Meadow. At

Head O'Meadow, I was acting head custodian.

Family: I've got three children of my own from my first marriage - my two

daughters live in Oklahoma, and my son, Michael, lives in Danbury. I got

remarried to a lady with nine children, so I have five step-daughters and four

step-sons and most of them live in Danbury. I have 15 grandchildren counting

my step-grandchildren. I've been married 13 years to Emma.

Pets: I got a dog named Diamond, a little Sheltie. I got her from the pound in

Woodbury five or six years ago.

Biggest change in Newtown: Additions - everything: the library, the high

school, Hawley. A couple of years ago they added on to Sandy Hook. Population

is getting big over there.

Hobbies: My favorite hobby is horse shoes. I play with the Greater Danbury

Horse Shoe Association by the Danbury Fair Mall. They've got 14 pits. We play

in the summer. On Thursday nights, I play in Southbury. Last year, in New

Milford, we had a league indoors. And I bowl at the Elks Club - I belong to

the Elks. I like stock car racing; I watch them on television if I have time

on Saturday mornings. The Winston Cup and the Busch - Randy LaJoie from

Norwalk, he's in second place. I went to Lime Rock last year with my

step-daughter. I like to dance, too. I love country music - that's my music. I

just learned a new dance, the Macarena. I like the waltz, I do the polka, and

beebop once in awhile to get my heart going. When I was young they called me

Crazy Legs - I was a dancing fool. I won second place in 1970 down in Orlando

for dancing. That's way back.

Favorite food: I'm not fussy - I eat. My wife's a great cook. I like lasagna.

I like a nice pork roast and that's good with mashed potatoes. I eat anything

put on the table. My wife calls me a guinea pig because she experiments and I

eat it.

Organizations: The Elks in Waterbury. I used to belong to the Lion's Club in

Bethlehem. Then I moved and never rejoined. I'm a life member of the Bethlehem

Fair Association. I usually cook at the fair grounds. My father, when he was

alive - we had two stands, Joe's Stand, and had sausages, peppers, hamburgers,

hot dogs. The money went to the association.

Do you enjoy movies: If a good movie comes out, my wife and I will go see it.

Grumpier Old Men - that was the best movie I've seen that I went to recently.

It was funny.

Personal Philosophy: That's pretty hard to say. I go home every night and get

things ready. I start supper if my wife is going to be home late. You got to

be nice. The teachers say, "Joe, can you do me a favor?" I never refuse

anybody. I try my damnedest to get everything done. You got to treat your

people right and they'll treat you right. You can't be a mean guy, you got to

be a gent.