Family: My dad, my mom, my brother, and two sisters — one passed away, I had three.

Pets: Three dogs, four chickens, a dozen fish, and two rabbits.

How long have you lived in Newtown? 16 years

Career: I am the owner operator of Barzetti Welding in Bethel. It’s busy but I enjoy it. I’ve been working here 43 years and I love my work. I’m passionate about it — we do welding and fabrication. We’re all certified welding instructors and employees. We also operate a welding school out of here, which has been a wonderful experience. We get all ages, from 13 to 90 years old, male and female, the three different processes. We get a lot of artists, auto enthusiasts, landscapers — a wide variety of individuals who come here for classes. We also offer welding certification for those who want to keep continuing.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? I spend time with my family. We go on trips, to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, or go on hikes together, or get involved with sports.

Favorite author? Wayne Dyer

What is the most recent book you’ve read? I listen to a lot of audio tapes because I’m driving a lot. I don’t remember the latest.

What is the most recent movie you’ve seen in the theater? I’m not really a moviegoer but I just saw a Broadway show, The Lion King, about a month ago. That was fun. We have another one coming up — we’re going to see Back To The Future, and we’re looking forward to that.

Favorite musician? Kenny Chesney. I just saw him, in fact, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Be honest. Be humble.

Do you have any pet peeves? Not really. I’m happy with everything. You’ve just got to accept people for who they are. I don’t want to get in a dispute with them. You can’t argue with them.

Who or what has been the greatest influence in your life? My father and my mother, both of them.

If you could spend the day with one person, living or deceased, who would you pick? My sister who’s deceased.

Favorite color? Blue.

What is something you can’t live without? Air (laughs).

What is your proudest accomplishment? Building this [raises hand to indicate the building and people working around him] — a successful business — and having a good family. You can’t take any of this with you, so I just enjoy the present moment.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? The Outer Banks in North Carolina, and the Caribbean.

What is your favorite thing about Newtown? I enjoy the privacy and the rural setting. We’re not in the city and we’re not in the boondocks. You can get to everything you want to, and you also have your privacy, which is nice.

What would you like to see covered by The Newtown Bee? I think you guys cover just about everything we need to know about in town — schools, activities, community projects, politics. 150 years of success is good, that’s a great accomplishment.

Do you have a personal credo? Be thankful. I’m thankful that I’ve got a roof over my head, a shirt on my back, and three square meals a day. I’m good. Whatever happens after that, it doesn’t matter to me. As long as I’m alive, I’m happy.