Newtown was absolutely hyperborean this week. It was so cold that dog owners had to go out and break their pooches off the trees in order to get them back in the house. As for me, I stuck close to the hearth. I would much rather risk the occasional s
Newtown was absolutely hyperborean this week. It was so cold that dog owners had to go out and break their pooches off the trees in order to get them back in the house. As for me, I stuck close to the hearth. I would much rather risk the occasional spark than freeze my paws.
Those who did venture out in the single-digit temperatures on Monday and Tuesday did their best to stay in their cars, close to the heater. I donât know whether it was the cold weather, or what, but the new drive-up window at Newtown Savings Bank is proving to be very popular, especially for the customers who used to go inside the bank to do business. On a recent Saturday, there were six cars lined up at the drive-in window. Inside, as a Main Street resident found, there were three tellers and no customers at all.
It was a different story at Fleet Bank on Tuesday morning. The ATM was frozen solid so customers had to actually park and go inside to get cash â cold cash, I guess it was.
Head Oâ Meadow School Principal Bill Bircher was one of many residents who suffered through the bitter cold this week. Bill was forced to stay home on Wednesday after his car refused to start. And Bob Stokes was even seen wearing a hat! Unheard of!
The Newtown Choral Society is inviting everyone who likes to sing to come to the first rehearsal of the season at 7 pm on Wednesday, January 26, at the middle school. The choral society will be preparing for âShakespeare and Love,â a concert devoted to popular music from Broadway and art songs. There are openings in all sections, no auditions, and enthusiasm is as important as experience. Call 426-3769 for more information.
NHS sophomores Brian Budnick, Michael Sobo, Tom Ragusa, Charles Rosentel, and Mark Huot have spent this winter broadcasting boysâ and girlsâ basketball games for the high schoolâs Channel 17. They say they do it for the love of the game, but Charles admitted being able to sit next to the cheerleaders is an added bonus.
Laura and Ken Lerman will be preparing for a wedding this year. Their daughter, Samantha, got engaged on New Yearâs Day to David Bernstein, who is a resident in anesthesiology at Massachusetts General Hospital.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Â
When Kym Stendahl is out jogging she likes to go past Cherry Grove Farm and see Sweetie, the wild turkey who lives there. Kym says that Sweetie will come to you if you whistle the first three notes of âJingle Bells.â Sweetie likes people but not cats â she has been known to beat up on any cat that views her as a possible source of dinner. Sweetie was raised by a local resident who found her abandoned. Nursed back to good health, Sweetie went to live at the farm and has enjoyed the good life there ever since.
Janet Woycik said a local resident has been coming to the library a lot lately to use its resources in his search for employment. While he had been unemployed he had been doing a lot of volunteer work in town, but he really needed to find a job. One day last week he was delighted to report that he had a job interview scheduled and, if he got the job, he said heâd buy the librarians a cake. Janet said she didnât think anything more about it until she came back to her office after a meeting and found a cake sitting on her desk. âIt was a nice happy ending for everyone,â Janet said.
 Sandy Hook Fire Chief Bill Halstead celebrated his 50th birthday this week, but he wasnât eating cake here in Newtown. He was on a cruise ship with friends in the Caribbean.
The Parks and Recreation Department is a bit quieter this week due to the departure of Jason Arnauckas, the former assistant director. Jason has moved on to another job, but remains on as the junior varsity boysâ basketball coach at Newtown High School.
Animal Control officer George âLonesome Doveâ Mattegat usually chases stray dogs, but, with the help of state and local police, played cowboy last Friday as he rounded up a handful of horses who had broken free from the corral at the Governorâs Second Horse Guard at Fairfield Hills.
Itâs time for me to ride off into the sunset again, but yâall come back here toâ¦
Read me again.