People And Places A Part Of 2007

By Nancy K. Crevier

Residents of Newtown find themselves woven into the fabric of all that happens in the town. They celebrate each other, support each other, and even bristle a bit at each other.

But Newtown residents are not insular in their thinking. The concerns of the state, the country, and the world affect the lives of those who live here. The Newtown Bee was kept busy in 2007, attempting to capture the interests and cares of the hundreds of people and organizations that give character to this town.

Beginning in February, the Cyrenius H. Booth Library began a string of celebrations in honor of the library’s 75th anniversary. The kickoff event was February 17, with an all-day, five-round Scrabble Tournament. On March 1, a special celebration featuring local author Rachel Bausch-Gold and including a representative from each of the book club groups in town feted the numerous local book groups. The very next day began the townwide reading event, NewtownREADS, that had town bibliophiles engrossed in To Kill A Mockingbird and the subsequent related book discussions, movies, and even a mock trial directed by Newtown’s Doug McHugh.

In June, the library hosted a reception for local published authors, and beefed up the Newtown authors’ collection in the third floor reading room. The July 4th weekend, of course, was the annual Friends of the C.H. Booth Library book sale, drawing thousands of booklovers to Reed Intermediate School to browse the more than 100,000 books offered for sale.

The children of Newtown were not forgotten in the 75th Anniversary festivities, either. C.H. Booth Library threw a big birthday party at the Edmond Town Hall in August with two gigantic birthday cakes, silly clowns, and lots of balloons for everyone. Some very special wall quilts became a part of the children’s department during the 75th year celebrations, thanks to local quilters who worked for nine months under the direction of children’s librarian Lana Bennison and quilter Peg Jacques to sew up four beautiful quilts featuring the signatures and artwork of famous children’s authors. As summer drifted into fall, the anniversary celebration continued with a dinner dance/fundraiser at Rock Ridge Country Club. The Shakespeare Festival, eight months of celebrating the prolific English wordsmith, was the opportunity to learn about five of the major Shakespearean tragedies through reading, discussions, and lectures by various learned speakers, including Yale Professor of English, Mark Scherer.

The library is not just about the past, of course. The Long Range Planning Committee for the C.H. Booth Library met with library consultants Christine Bradley and Kevin McCarthy, committee members, town leaders, and citizens for input on the positive and negative aspects of the library and how the library needs of Newtown citizens can best be met in a changing world. Newtown resident and web designer Peter Bjorknas, with input from librarians Kim Weber and Brenda McKinley, created the new chboothlibrary.org, to the delight of all users.

Another organization celebrating its anniversary this year was SNAN. The Spay and Neuter Association of Newtown, Inc, (SNAN) works with area veterinarians willing to accept their vouchers for a discount on spaying and neutering, and last year instituted a new service to make it easier for people unable to get to a veterinarian office to have their cats neutered. In conjunction with the Animal Center of Newtown, SNAN sponsors the Team-Mobile Unit, an operating room on wheels. A queen-sized quilt handcrafted by local quilters was raffled off in November as part of the SNAN celebration, raising much-needed funds to keep the organization going.

Homes Help Us Look Back

Newtown’s history speaks in other ways than organized institutions, as well. For close to 200 years, a grand house on South Main Street has stood proudly as the road that ran past it grew from a dusty dirt track to a busy thoroughfare. The stately home at 84 South Main Street is known as “The Manz House,” to some, where the late Leonard Manz, organist at the Newtown Congregational Church, made his home, or as “The Johnson Farm” to others. Newcomers to Newtown may not even have noticed the house half-hidden behind a stand of overgrown pine trees and bushes. But as 2007 progressed, the old home reappeared from behind the shady shroud of trees, stripped of its many layers of paint. Judy Fishman and Andy Wiggin of Newtown bought the property in late December 2006 and began renovations shortly thereafter. Day by day, residents have been able to watch as the old home’s glory is restored. Ms Fishman and Mr Wiggin hope it will house professional offices when all is said and done.

As of June 21, the home of Peter and Karen Alpi at 71 Riverside Road in Sandy Hook joined the lofty list of historical residences recognized by the National Register. Built for Thomas Sanford, Sr, in the early 1800s, the Georgian farmhouse later became the property of the prominent Curtis family, one of the early 18th Century settlers of Newtown. The gracefully proportioned home with fine appointments was a beautiful example of that architectural style, but it is the home’s later association with humorist writer and cartoonist James Thurber that gave it significance worthy of being listed in the National Register.

With the help of Newtown historian Dan Cruson, The Bee took a look at a quieter piece of Newtown history. The Newtown Village Cemetery is a trove of primitive art, to look at the tombstones that mark the graves of those who perished here in the mid- to late 1700s. Grimacing skulls with wings that flair behind the head preside over grave sites with hollow eyes that seem more like something from a Harry Potter novel than an ancient burial ground. But according to Mr Cruson, they are a reflection of the Puritan attitude toward death and resurrection dominant in the mid-1700s. The crude carvings are actually a record of the art of the times.

Hawleyville Post Office Saga

The ongoing saga of The Hawleyville Post Office occupied the thoughts of many this past year who use the tiny branch on Route 25. Hawleyville resident Maureen Colbert-Wilhelm first took on her crusade nearly two years ago to ensure that the local landmark remained a viable entity in Hawleyville, but she has had her hopes repeatedly lifted and dashed. Ms Colbert-Wilhelm, as well as The Newtown Bee, have received numerous assurances that the USPS is assessing improvements to the Hawleyville Post Office. Months continue to turn into years, though, with no signs of renovation or communications that portend progress. What has put the Hawleyville Post Office renovation on the back burner may be that the lease on the building that houses the post office was turned over to an unnamed developer late in 2006. Maureen Marion, public relations and communications representative for the United States Postal Service conveyed to The Newtown Bee on October 31, a statement from the Office of the District Manager of the Postal Service, Connecticut District, that no lease agreement had yet been reached for the Hawleyville Post Office, although the USPS remained committed to continue mail service to the Hawleyville community. By early December, promised renovations had mounted up to a new loading dock, a new heater and window air-conditioner, and an adjacent space in the building cleared out. Not quite what everyone had in mind….

Perhaps the increase in postage will fund renovations at Hawleyville Post Office. As of May 14, the one-ounce letter rate for first-class mail went up two cents, from 39 cents to 41 cents. A “Forever” stamp, available since April, may also stamp out the need for supplemental one- and two-cent stamps when prices go up. It retains the value of that stamp at the rate of one-ounce first class mail and is not affected by future price increases.

Sandy Hook Center traded a Little Green Barn for Our Green House. After three years in business, the past two of which included a booming online business, Our Green House on South Main Street was bursting at the seams, so owners Pam and Mike Davis, who own the environmentally-conscious business, jumped at the chance to move into more spacious quarters at 4 Washington Street, recently vacated by Mary Fellows’ Little Green Barn.

Focus On People

This past year, residents had the opportunity to view Shannon Hicks’ pictorial essay at the C.H. Booth Library of her late fall 2006 trip to Biloxi, Miss. Nagged by news reports about the Hurricane Katrina disaster that continued to tell of lives still on hold, the associate editor of The Newtown Bee joined volunteers from all over the country as part of a Back Bay Mission program to rebuild a home for a Biloxi resident who, along with thousands of other residents, had lost her home to the August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina. She returned to Biloxi this fall and reported slow but steady progress in the Gulf region recovery.

Former Bee reporter Lisa Peterson has been reexploring the Regina Brown disappearance that she first reported on in the late 1980s and has written a book about it. While the famous Newtown “Wood Chipper Murder” made headlines, the eerily similar case of Newtown resident and flight attendant Regina Brown was relegated to the back pages. Ms Peterson’s book, The Other Pilot’s Wife: The Untold Story of the Disappearance of Regina Brown, for which she is currently seeking a publisher, sheds new light on the circumstances that surrounded the young mother’s 1987 disappearance.

Local hair stylists also shed some light on a far less gruesome subject, sharing their thoughts on the putties, pastes, and pomades that promise to deliver the elusive shine and silkiness sought by the masses.

But when all else fails, The Bee discovered, a bad hair day can be hidden beneath a hat — if one is willing to don one. Wearing a head covering in winter can reduce the amount of body heat lost by 50 percent, and in summer, hats protect the scalp from harmful sunrays. It turns out, though, that other than a few local hat aficionados, most Newtowners prefer to let the wind blow through their tresses.

Kent Carpenter, Chris Locke, and Ken MacKenzie shared their experiences harvesting maple syrup in a year of erratic winter weather that threatened to stall out the whole process. Just when it looked like the too warm nights were going to put the kibosh on maple syrup collecting in 2007, a nice cold snap saved the day. Production was down a bit from other years, but it was not a total wash.

Newtown residents were willing to share with The Bee their thoughts on matters close to their hearts during the year, as well.

In a world where the workday is viewed by many as sheer drudgery, George Miller, Brenda Wurtz, Beth Caldwell, Larry Gardner, and Karen Pinto are a few locals who have found gratification in their choice of work. Their thoughts on what makes them eager to get up and take on each day were part of an exploration into job satisfaction.

Why an individual believes in a higher power or not, and how belief or lack of it benefits themselves or others, as well as thoughts on life after death and how that plays into belief, were questions put forth to several Newtown residents willing to ponder and share their personal thoughts about those questions with The Bee. Separating the “why” and “why not” of belief from the “what” was not a simple act, even after much thought. Personal experiences, backgrounds, training, and education were repeated themes of the “why” of believing for Wally Wood, Rose Bergen, Denise Kaiser, Jennifer Ober, Julie Stern, and Tim Reilly.

Several 2007 Newtown Bee articles looked into health and environmental matters, subjects also near and dear to Newtowners.

While the popularity of Thomas the Train made the June toy recall prominent, the recall was just one of many that the US Consumer Product Safety Commission issued in 2007. All of the recalls involve toys manufactured in China or Hong Kong, where 80 percent of the world’s toys are now produced. It is a subject that raised the ire and concern of many Newtown parents.

Does convenience and fashion trump health and expense? The Bee took a look into the multibillion-dollar world of bottled water. Bottled water does contribute to Americans upping their water intake (a good thing), but the carbon footprint left by producing and shipping the trendy bottles and potential for chemical leaching into the water from the plastic bottles (bad things) are giving the environmentally sensitive second thoughts about sipping water from bottles. Turn on the tap, please.

Biology Lessons

That’s what Stacy Carney of Sandy Hook is doing these days. Ms Carney was one of 35 volunteers around the country who took part in testing for the largest nongovernmentally funded biomonitoring project this past spring, funded by the Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Connecticut in conjunction with six other states. The volunteers donated blood and urine samples to be tested for 20 toxic chemicals that occur commonly in homes, workplaces, and schools. Ms Carney was shocked to find that despite leading what she thought was a healthy lifestyle, high levels of some of the toxic chemicals showed up in her tests. She suspects that her one vice, bottled water, may be the culprit.

There may be hope for smokers who want to stop. According to Dr Diane Wenick of Danbury Medical Group, a new drug, Chantix, is a dream come true when it comes to helping smokers quit smoking. Dr Wenick and the other doctors in the Danbury Medical Group have prescribed Chantix for nearly a year, with a success rate of between 80 to 90 percent.

That leftover Chantix, or any other expired drug in the medicine cabinet, should be disposed of with care. According to a release from the Connecticut State Department of Consumer Protection, and information provided by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc, outdated and unused medications and medical waste is being improperly discarded at a rate that risks contamination of the soil and water supplies. The local health department can advise on the safest way to get rid of old medications.

The buzz in Newtown and all over this country last year was about colony collapse disorder (CCD). CCD is a serious, die-off issue affecting honeybees that was first reported in 2006. The affliction is causing mass losses nationally for commercial and residential beekeepers alike. Even on local levels, fewer bees means less pollination, affecting crop production. Environmental pollutants, mite infestations, or viruses are all being looked into as a cause for CCD, but to date, research has not come up with a definitive answer.

Going Green

We’re cleaning up in Newtown, but there is still room for improvement. A look at recycling in town and school buildings led to the Newtown Schools System instigating a long-overdue policy to ensure better recycling habits in all of the schools. Collectively, though, Newtowners are more successful recyclers than the residents of other towns in the region, leaving 36 tons of materials for recovery and reuse in bins at the side of the road in an average week. In a related news story, though, Cheryl D. Reedy, director of the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority, shed light on why cardboard that is used in pizza boxes and shoe boxes is not part of Newtown’s recycling effort. The economics of marketing this chipboard is not as good as for paper and corrugated cardboard is one reason, explained Ms Reedy, but the main reason is that presently the processing center for recycling in the Danbury region is constrained for space.

Overly zealous cleanup is not so good, however. Newtown resident Katja Pieragostini spoke with The Bee about her concerns about antibacterial soaps and cleaners. Ms Pieragostini, a biology major with a master’s in pharmacology, mother of an 11-month-old baby, and a member of ROOTs of Newtown, an environmental group, believes that not only are antibacterial soaps and cleaners unnecessary, that they are harmful to the environment and may add to the increase in germ-resistant bacterias. Supporting research showed that her concerns are not unfounded and that over-cleaning may increase susceptibility to infections.

One of the concerns vocalized by Newtowners in 2007 was the ever-increasing cost of gasoline. But resident Richard Reilly has come up with a solution. By producing his own biodiesel fuel from recycled vegetable oil, methanol, and lye, last year he spent only $500, including taxes, to power his diesel Volkswagen Jetta for a whole year. For the low cost of just $10, he can go 600 miles, giving him bragging rights that outdo just about any other driver around town.

Newtowners voiced trepidation about many other issues in 2007, including the surprisingly high cost of college textbooks, the inundation of technology, the high cost of daily staples like milk, the mysteries of elder law, the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and excess noise and property disrespect at Glanders Field on Mile Hill Road. Practical means and support for the elderly so that they can remain in their homes longer was on the minds of senior citizens.

For a variety of reasons, marriages can end in divorce. It can be a messy and painful ending, or as The Bee discovered, one that dissolves using reason, empathy, and understanding. Collaborative divorce is a new process in Connecticut in which a team of trained professionals made up of a financial specialist, divorce coaches, lawyers, and a child specialist if needed, work in a nonadversarial manner to help couple dissolve their marriages with dignity.

Longtime Newtown residents Helen and Scudder Smith, who created The Pleasance on Main Street for the people of Newtown ten years ago, set a new scenario in a patch of greenery near The Pleasance. Resin-fortified, cast cement statues of frolicking bunnies and their friends, designed and hand painted by artist Ken Memoli of Lime Rock, are part of the enchanting scene open year around to the public.

Fido’s frolicking on Newtown Forest Association property came to an end in 2007. In response to several complaints from NFA members and others, particularly concerning the Holcomb Hill Wildlife Preserve off of Great Hill Road, effective September 1, a new dog policy was issued by the NFA requiring all dogs to be leashed at all times while visiting properties managed by the NFA.

As the year comes to a close, the Peace Pole behind Trinity Episcopal Church might be just the place to reflect on hopes and dreams for the upcoming year. The Peace Pole Project is an offshoot of the World Peace Prayer Society, founded in 1955 in Japan. The handcrafted monument, dedicated this past September, stands as permanent symbols of peace and spreads the message, “May Peace Prevail On Earth.”