Help Wanted: Painters Needed For A Tercentennial Timeline

By Shannon Hicks

Newtown resident Robbin Chaber is spearheading a project for the observation of Newtown’s Tercentennial that will greet all visitors to one of the town’s public schools for years to come.

Ms Chaber is calling on professional and amateur artists to help with a Tercentennial Timeline. The project will be created at Middle Gate School on the walkways that run between the school building and the playground. The school is already home to one of the town’s original schoolhouses. Why not combine that historic location with a timeline that will help the school’s attendees — children of southern Newtown in kindergarten through fourth grade — understand when important events in the town’s history occurred?

Ms Chaber has been working with fellow Newtown artist Michael Morshuk to create the timeline, including the icons, dates, and phrases that will be included in the outdoor project. They are currently working on the design for the timeline, and also getting help from Town Historian Dan Cruson.

The plan is to break the timeline into three sections, each representing one century of Newtown’s history. The first 100 years, Ms Chaber hopes, will be completed by the time school starts. With Newtown public schools opening for the 2005-06 school year on Tuesday, August 30, that means Ms Chaber needs help right away.

The second century should be finished by November, before the snow starts, and then work will resume on the timeline — and the third century — in March, once the weather cooperates.

“Everything depends on the weather,” Ms Chaber said. “Even getting started now, we need to make sure we can put the paint down and it won’t get washed away by a thunderstorm, or even that the weather isn’t too humid. If the weather is too hot, the paint won’t dry properly.

“When it’s finished, though, the children will be able to walk along this timeline any time they wish,” she continued. “Teachers will also be able to use it as a teaching guide.”

Anyone with a little bit of experience is invited to contact Ms Chaber to find out when the timeline will be worked on and whether they can work some painting into their schedule.

“The painting will mostly be simple icons,” Ms Chaber said. “But there will also be some printing of words, so people need to have a pretty good hand for that.”

Contact Robbin Chaber at 426-3742.