By Kim J. Harmon

Alex Aitchison chuckles as he remembers the night he was blindsided at a meeting of the Newtown Tennis Association and somehow became president . . . Kasey Keating has a chance to recall her record-setting night with the Newtown High basketball team and that epic struggle with Southington . . . Mary Atkinson remembers a picture in The Newtown Bee, a bunch of years ago, showing (how is this for kismet?) Keating taking Mary’s backstroke record off the board at the Newtown High pool . . . and the Byrnes sisters, Samantha and Cathy, have a chance to look back at their seven-year reign as Newtown High School softball pitching stars.

The memories evoked this past week as we spoke with these five people were simply wonderful and made the task of inducting them as the Newtown Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2001 all the more enjoyable.

This is the sixth year since the Newtown Sports Hall of Fame was first formed. Thirty-six of Newtown’s best athletes, best coaches, and most ardent supporters and organizers have already been enshrined – and with the addition of Alex Aitchison, Mary Atkinson, Kasey Keating, Samantha Byrne, Cathy Byrne and Kasey Keating that number swells up to 41 members.

Of course, there are many more deserving candidates to go – many more athletes, coaches, founders and supporters who have made a sizeable impact on the Newtown sports community. But it is time for you to meet the Class of 2001.