A Rooster Year For Newtown

To the Editor:

While the Newtown Tercentennial is very much a colonial American event, it does have a bit of Chinese in its history.

In 1705, when the fledgling would-be Newtown was busy signing Indian Deeds, according to the Chinese calendar, the Town of Newtown was born in the Chinese Year of the Rooster. And now 300 years later as we celebrate our tercentennial or our 300th Birthday, the year 2005 is once again the Year of the Rooster, according to the Chinese calendar.

For the Town of Newtown, this is, indeed, a very propitious year not just for our birth but also for our tercentennial — 1705, as well as 2005, are both years of the Rooster, according to Chinese tradition. Also, according to Chinese tradition, the Year of the Rooster is a good year. Those born in a Rooster Year are very reliable and have good common sense. Since roosters are also communal birds, 2005 will be a lucky year for joint ventures and most auspicious partnerships. In particular, the year 2005 is symbolic of the wood rooster and the characteristic of wood roosters is that they work for the betterment of society, working diligently to change the evils of it.

With the sound of the rooster, the whole world becomes bright and darkness goes away — the rooster makes everyone happy, bringing peace, success, and a good future for the whole world.

How very propitious of the Town of Newtown to be born and to celebrate its tercentennial in the Chinese Year of the Rooster — roosters who are happiest when surrounded by others bodes for our tercentennial and all of its festivities.

Very truly yours,

Mae S. Schmidle

Tercentennial Commission

Echo Valley Road, Newtown                                          May 17, 2005