Occupation: I am an attorney admitted to the Connecticut Bar in 1986. I graduated from Holy Cross High School in Waterbury, received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., and juris doctorate degree from the Washington College of Law at American University, Washington, DC.

How Long in Newtown: I began as an associate attorney of Robert H. Hall, PC, in September 1989. In May 1994, I became a shareholder in the law firm now known as Hall & Savarese, PC, located at 43 Main Street. I live in Middlebury, which has been my home town since I was 11.

Biggest Change Seen in Town: The transformation of Fairfield Hills, including the bypass road, the former State of Connecticut mental health facilities for use as the temporary relocation of the library at Shelton House, and relocation of Land Use, Health and Building departments from Main Street to Canaan House.

Family: My wife, Meg Savarese, has been the bookkeeper for the C.H. Booth Library since November 1989. She may know more Newtown residents than I, due to her additional duties over the past 10 years at the General Circulation, Reference and Children’s Library desks. We have been married for 12 years. We have three children, William, 10; Annmarie, 7; and Elizabeth, 3. Meg and I have enjoyed introducing our children to all our activities here in Newtown and the terrific people we work with here.

Pets: We have a shepherd-collie mix named Max and a black cat named Star for the white marking on her chest. She was adopted from a Newtown family.

Hobbies: As our children have gotten older, our activities have shifted into supporting their endeavors, most of which are sports, including Little League baseball, soccer, and karate, that I did growing up. We enthusiastically support the kids, and most of my time is spent taxiing the kids to their events. My favorite pastime is sailing our Sunfish sailboat on Lake Quassapaug in the summer. I’ve been sailing the same boat since I was 14. It’s a lot of fun.

Favorite Books and Authors: I have favored spy and adventure novels for fiction, such as John LeCarre’s Bourne Identity and Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse, and enjoy biographies of famous men, such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Napoleon.

Favorite TV Show: I like many different kinds of shows, including PBS Lehrer News Hour, CBS Sunday Morning Show, Friends, ER, Blues Clues, A&E Biographies, and American Castles. Blues Clues is Elizabeth’s favorite show. It’s well done.

Organizations: In Newtown, I have been a member since 1993 of the Board of Directors of the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Association, Inc., and served as its president in 1997 and 1998. I was active in the Newtown Jaycees from 1990 to 1996, serving as president in 1993 and 1994. It was a good organization to belong to. We did a lot of different events. I enjoyed it while I was doing it. At home in Middlebury, I am very active with my church, St John of the Cross, currently serving on its Stewardship Committee, as a eucharistic minister, chairman of the raffle for the Apple Harvest Festival, and chairman of the parish drive for the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. I am also the deputy grand knight of the Middlebury Knights of Columbus, Father Loftus Council 3992. I will be grand knight next year.

Most Vivid Memory of Newtown: The Labor Day Parade. The Jaycees used to sell hot dogs. It was fun to see the politicos coming through waving to everyone. It was very colorful, seeing all the people out there. It was fun for the kids to see the fire trucks and the floats.

 Favorite Vacation Spot: St Catherine’s Island (Jefferson Island Club), Potomac River, St Mary’s County in southern Maryland. This is a place my wife has visited for over 30 years that provides solitude in nature and a chance for our children to get to know my wife’s extended family in Maryland. A lot of presidents visited this island. You have to take a boat launch to get out there. Electricity is run by generator. We’ve also enjoyed Vermont and Disneyland. But over the last few years we’ve made three or four trips to the Jefferson Island Club. It’s a family thing.

Personal Philosophy: My favorite thing to ask my wife and children each day at dinner is, “What did you learn today?” I enjoy variety and believe everyone can benefit by trying new things, and if focused, can realize no matter how old we are that we are learning new things every day.