Date: Fri 29-Jan-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

Mountain-Squirrels

Full Text:

TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN

These cold dark days in the depths of winter tend to drive man and beast a

little bit crazy. Take the ongoing war between people with birdfeeders and

squirrels, for example. The squirrels sit back and chuckle while the people

attach various blockades, wobbly disks, and counter-balanced booby traps to

their bird feeders, usually to no avail. Occasionally they come up with a

complicated arrangement that actually does work, and the people then get their

turn to sit back and chuckle while the squirrels hurl themselves repeatedly at

the well-defended feeder. It's a winter thing. In warm weather, both species

have better things to do.

I got an interesting dispatch this week from the front in this amusing little

war from Jeanne Smith. She said she was startled when she looked out the

window of her house on Stone Fence Lane this week and saw all the commotion

around her birdfeeder. It turned out a baby squirrel had climbed inside, eaten

the seed, then couldn't get back out. Two large squirrels -- Jeanne figures

they were the parents -- were gnawing and clawing at the outside of the

feeder, trying to free the little one inside. Jeanne freed the squirrel but

not before the trio had managed to destroy the birdfeeder, as you can see:

(bird feeder photo here)

Jeanne stopped by The Bee on her way to the dump to tell us that she now has a

new metal feeder. It twirls like a merry-go-round when the squirrels try to

get a foot-hold and flings them off. It works so well she now feels guilty and

thinks that she might need to get a squirrel feeder.

Winter is taking its toll on wrists around town. Both Jay Mattegat and Bill

Watts have broken wrists, suffered after they slipped on the ice. Janet

Touloukian broke her wrist too, but her injury came from her car's air bag,

which deployed in a fender-bender accident.

Newtown resident Ed Ortowski was traveling along the Fairfield Hills bypass

road at just the right time Wednesday afternoon. Two horses from the nearby

Second Company Governor's Horse Guard had broken loose and made their way onto

the roadway. Experienced in handling horses, Mr Ortowski pulled over grabbed

the two horses and quickly moved them out of the roadway.

"You have to approach them slowly," he said. "Once I got a hold of one the

other came right over to me."

The Newtown High School Community Service class is hosting a blanket drive.

The students hope to collect new or used blankets and sleeping bags that are

clean and in good condition for the needy. No comforters, please. Boxes will

be at the high school, the middle school, all of the elementary schools, and

at the Parks & Rec office at Fairfield Hills through February 5. All donations

will be given to the Warm Hearts charity.

If you haven't purchased any Girl Scout cookies yet this year you still have a

chance. Second graders from Troop 890 at Middle Gate School will be selling

cookies outside Super Stop & Shop at Sand Hill Plaza on Saturday from 9 am to

3 pm.

Moppin Sauce, a local retro band, was picked to perform at a concert next

month for Rick Reusch. Rick is a Newtown resident who had a freak accident

late last year that has left him paralyzed. Friends and family are rallying to

help Rick's family with the medical bills, as well as the morale support. On

February 27, Moppin Sauce will be playing a show at the Monroe Firehouse, but

the $25 tickets have already sold out.

The community can still help Rick and his family, however. There are raffle

tickets still available for a drawing that will be held that night, and

winners do not have to be present in order to claim their prizes. For $2 per

ticket, anyone can still take a chance at winning a 32-inch color TV; a round

trip limo to Foxwoods, with an overnight stay at the Grand Pequot Towers and

dinner at the Veranda Cafe; a 26-inch, 18-speed mountain bike; or six Beanie

Baby bears. Tickets can be purchased at The Natural Look in Sandy Hook, where

Rick's sister, Candice Davies, works. There is also a registered

non-profitable charitable organization fund set up at People's Bank in

Newtown. Anyone who would like to donate to the Richard Reusch Fund can visit

the bank during regular hours.

Edgar Beers and David Brown waited for more than three hours to get their

chance to talk to the Board of Selectmen about the Edmond Town Hall Board of

Managers' proposed budget. However, moments after they began their discussion,

the lights went out at the senior center. First Selectman Herb Rosenthal

didn't want to have the two men come back out again so he continued the

meeting in total darkness. When it was over, Herb and Jan Andras locked the

doors using Ben Spragg's headlights to show them the way.

Bob Cascella said he loves his new career in real estate at William Pitt.

However, he admits he misses his former job as first selectman. Is a comeback

in store? "The year off has given me time to reflect on a lot of things," he

told me. "If I come back, it would be as first selectman or I don't come back

at all." Bob said he expects to make a decision "in the very near future."

I have already made my decision. I will be making a comeback -- right here,

next week, so be sure to...

Read me again.