Date: Fri 16-Apr-1999
Date: Fri 16-Apr-1999
Publication: Bee
Author: CURT
Quick Words:
Mountain-The-Pleasance
Full Text:
TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN
The new season is stirring at The Pleasance, The Bee's privately owned public
garden park at 1 Main Street. Kim Proctor has been cleaning up the beds and
plantings, and Al Jacquoit has cleared out the corner of the property near
Sugar Street and Elm Drive to make way for some new plantings. Those plantings
-- trees and low shrubs -- along with the labor to put them in, will be
donated by Young's Nurseries of Woodbury and Wilton.
In case you didn't notice, The Pleasance was actually closed to the public two
days this week. The "closed" signs went up to preserve the parcel's status as
private property. But the signs are gone now, and everyone's welcome to take a
stroll through the area to see what's coming up. Bring your bocci balls as
well; the bocci court has dried up nicely and is ready for some players.
Betty Hoglund said she was working at the Grey Horse Gallery in the back of
the Masonic Temple in Sandy Hook last weekend when a man showed up at the
door. The man said he was on his way to Vermont, but his truck had broken down
and it had taken all of his money to get it fixed.
Broke and hungry, he said he stopped what looked like a homeless person on a
street in Danbury and asked where he could get something to eat. The homeless
person directed him to a church in Danbury or to the Faith Food Pantry at St
John's Church in Sandy Hook.
Finding the church in Danbury locked, he drove to the food pantry, but it also
wasn't open. So he went next door, looking for the pastor's home, and found
Betty instead.
"I asked him if I could call the police to see if we could get someone to help
him, and he said that was okay," Betty recalled. "So I called the police and I
think it was Officer Koetsch that came and talked to him."
Since the food pantry wasn't open, the police contacted the Newtown Fund,
which provided some assistance for the man to get something to eat and
continue on his trip.
Newtown's own Vincent Lajoie has been named Danbury's Police Officer of the
Year by the Danbury Rotary Club. He works the night shift in Danbury. Lt. Gov.
Jodi Rell was expected to be on hand on Thursday night to present the award to
Officer Lajoie.
Russell Picerno of the United Fire Company of Botsford was rushing around this
week making arrangements for the United Fire Company of Botsford's third
annual springtime carnival. The carnival will begin next Wednesday in the high
school parking lot. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are bracelet nights, $10,
from 5 to 10 pm (Friday til 11 pm). The carnival also will be held on
Saturday, with all rides $1 from noon to 5 pm, $1.75 from 5 to 11 pm.
When the Legislative Council called for a recess following last week's public
hearing, the public thought it was to allow members to work out a deal before
finally voting on the town's proposed budget. In truth, it turned out not to
be a backroom deal, but a bathroom deal. Some of the members just had to go.
Congratulations to Brian Leavitt for his hole-in-one Saturday at the
University Park Country Club in Sarasota, FL. Brian nailed the ace on the 11th
hole -- a 174-yard, par 3. He used his trusty five-iron for the shot. John
Grimardi and Pat Somo were both witness to the shot of a lifetime.
Detective Robert Tvardzik recently reached his 25th anniversary of service
with the Newtown Department of Police Services. Hard to believe it, but it was
1974 when he started work with the police department. Tvardzik started as a
patrol officer, became a detective, served shortly as a patrol sergeant and
then went back to being a detective again. After detective Harry Noroian, who
served as department spokesman, left the police force several years ago, Det.
Tvardzik was named the department's new spokesman.
Members of the Newtown Fish & Game Club are expected to be up before dawn
Saturday morning for a bit of pre-fishing camaraderie. Fishing season
officially kicks off at 6 am on Saturday and these anglers are always up and
ready to reel in that first catch of the year. Breakfast is served at 4:30 am.
Now, I love breakfast, but you won't see me up before the sun, even if trout
is on the menu. I do promise to rise early enough every day to reel in some
good news about the people of Newtown in time for next week, so be sure to...
Read me again.