Occupation: I'm the librarian at Columbus Elementary School in Bridgeport. I was in Derby before that, and I was a public librarian for many years.
Occupation: Iâm the librarian at Columbus Elementary School in Bridgeport. I was in Derby before that, and I was a public librarian for many years.
Family: My husband Allan and I have been married for 34 years. We have two boys, Jeffrey, who is 26 and a radar engineer in Baltimore, and Michael, 22, who is a student at Salem University in West Virginia.
How long have you lived in Newtown? We have been here for 26 years. We moved here in May of 1983, and bought our first house.
What do you like to do in your free time? I like to sing! Iâm with the Waterbury Chorale, the St Rose Choir, and the Newtown Choral Society. I have to read a lot for my job, too, especially childrenâs books. I like to walk and I like to swim, too. Iâve been involved with Boy Scout Troop 270 since my boys were young, and Iâm still a merit badge counselor for the troop.
Do you have a favorite childrenâs author? Gail Gibbons has always been one of my favorites. She writes nonfiction and can take any subject and make it understandable for any age group. Plus, she does her own illustrations. I also really like Tomie dePaola.
What are you reading now? Iâm reading Testimony by Anita Shreve. Iâm a books on tape addict, too, and I always have one in my car. I just finished listening to one by Nora Roberts.
Do you have a favorite travel destination? I love the beach. My two favorite places are Biddeford Pool, Maine, where Allan has family, and Rhode Island. I also love to go to national parks. We went to Death Valley National Park last February vacation and it was incredible. We try to do one every year.
What is the best thing about Newtown? I grew up in a city, East Hartford, so I really like the hills and nature here, and the hiking trails. I like our library a lot, and people here are so nice. I enjoy living here.
Who do you most admire? My husbandâs grandmother, Mary Abbey Hussey. She never left Biddeford Pool, but she always welcomed anyone into the family and always found the good in everyone she met. She lived a long life and never complained. She was a wonderful woman.
Do you have a personal philosophy? Try and find the good in someone and bring it out. I think everyone has a gift given by God. You need to find it and pursue it.
Do you have a guilty pleasure? Yahoo backgammon and Yahoo bridge. When I get a chance on the computer, thatâs what I do. I love talking to people from other countries and across this country when playing backgammon.