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Snapshot: Kevin Burland

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Occupation: I was a radio announcer/program director for WINE AM/FM until the mid-1980s. During this period, I also worked as a club and mobile DJ when there were very few around. I left radio to open Newtown’s first video store, the Video Movie Corner, in the Queen Street Shopping Center. I remained in video retail management until the mid-1990s. When I started working for a nonprofit organization called Directions, I was a job developer for people with disabilities. Most recently, I have been a bus driver for Maplewood Assisted Living in Newtown and the Elmwood Hall Senior Center in Danbury, under the guidance of Mayor Mark Boughton and my terrific supervisor, Susan Tomanio. At the Elwood Hall Senior Center, I also help out with such programs as line dancing, trivia games, karaoke, and bingo. Working with and for people you love is a joy.

Family: My wife, Sandy, is a retired teacher after 35 years in Bridgeport schools. We’ll be married 50 years this July, and we’ve been together a total of 56 years. She’s an angel.

How long have you lived in Newtown? Sandy and I have been living in this beautiful town since 1974, when we moved here from Bridgeport. We met some wonderful people upon getting involved with the Newtown Jaycees, the Big Brothers program, and the Newtown Lions Club. Newtown has always been a great place to call home, but back then in the ‘70s and ‘80s, it was really special.

What is your favorite travel destination? Sandy and I enjoy taking extended weekend trips in our own backyard along the New England coast. Being an amateur photographer, I really love taking pictures of landscapes and seascapes in places like Newport, Boston, the Cape and the islands, and the North Shore. But, ultimately, there is no place like home.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? The unconditional love from my wife, Sandy, continues to bend and shape me — even after a lifetime together. Her patience, goodness, and forgiveness have helped me to become a better person. She has always been the best part of me.

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why? It is my Christian hope and belief that I will once again share an “eternal” day with my family and friends (and pets) that have passed on.

Who is your favorite musical artist? As a single musical artist, Harry Chapin. He was a great songwriter and, having interviewed him twice, a really good man. As for my favorite kind of music… any kind that makes me want to dance!

Do you have a favorite TV show? My favorite TV series was back in the 60s called The Fugitive with David Janssen. As far as I know, it was the first series to have the decency to show a conclusion to its four-year story line.

Do you have a favorite movie? Since 1975, Jaws has been the greatest adventure film I’ve seen. I’ve watched it so often, my lips move to the dialogue.

What is your favorite food? Seconds.

What is your favorite quote? William Shakespeare wrote this great phrase for the character Polonius in Hamlet — “To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not be false to any man.” This says, to me, that so long as you do not deceive yourself, then you will not be tempted to deceive other people. Unless, of course, your goal is deception.

Kevin Burland is this week's Snapshot profile.

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