Occupation: I am 22 and going into my senior year at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., majoring in criminal justice. I hope to have a career in law enforcement and will probably go on for more schooling sometime, but I want to work
Occupation: I am 22 and going into my senior year at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., majoring in criminal justice. I hope to have a career in law enforcement and will probably go on for more schooling sometime, but I want to work for a while first.
Meanwhile, Iâve been working at Lexington Gardens summers and holidays for seven years now. I started when I was 15 as a general helper around the nursery. We are called âBulk Boysâ and I think after all this time, you could say Iâm the Head Bulk Boy. I do floral deliveries and installations and try to help out wherever I can. This coming Christmas will probably be my last time working here because then Iâll be getting a real job. Iâve really liked it, and Iâm grateful to [Lexington Gardens owner] Tom Johnson for giving me this opportunity.
How Long In Newtown: My parents, Frank and Carole Krasowski, moved into Sandy Hook in 1980, and I was born in 1982, so Iâve lived here all my life. I graduated from Newtown High School with the Class of 2001.
Biggest Change You Have Seen In Town: The town has grown dramatically. I donât know if I like that or not. When I make deliveries, I go all over town and I keep seeing new roads where there used to be fields or woods. Itâs hard to see that.
Family: Besides my parents, I have an older brother, Frank, who lives in Warren. He owns his own business and is a physical therapist. Itâs called The Hills PT.
My sister, Traci K. Smith, used to work at Lexington Gardens. She lives now in Miami, Fla.
Hobbies: Iâm a big mountain bike racer, and do it locally and on the Northeast Circuit. Itâs a huge sport and requires a lot of discipline. Lance Armstrong is my hero. I sort of hope he doesnât go for number seven because there is a special etiquette and tradition of respect in cycling that is unspoken but very real. Heâs already broken the record and thatâs enough. Any more and heâd be thumbing his nose in a way at the other bikers. Maybe he could enter some other races in Europe and elsewhere ââ just not the Tour de France.
My other hobbies are boating and wake boarding, which is so much fun. Thatâs what I do in the summer when Iâm not working or biking.
Pets: We have a beagle mix called Heidi, and a cat named Checkers.
Favorite Book: I donât have much time for TV or movies, but I like to read magazines, and lately Iâve been reading James Patterson detective stories. Theyâre well written and entertaining.
Most Vivid Memory About Newtown: I have a lot of little memories from living my whole life here. When you are away at college for months and months, you donât think about it. But then you come back and itâs all so familiar here and you wish you could have appreciated your time here more. This summer, I wish Iâd had more time to hang out with my friends from school. Time goes by too fast.
Favorite Vacation Spot: My parents have a condo at Myrtle Beach, S.C., and my sister lives in Florida, so thatâs where I go.
Personal Philosophy: As bad as things get, you can always fight through it by trying harder. Thatâs something that Iâve learned from cycling. As I said, Lance Armstrong is my idol because he illustrates that. He shows it all.
Snapshot: Paul Krasowski