Occupation: I own and operate Associated Refuse Haulers in Newtown. I started the company in 1982, and in 1986 we started the residential rollout program. In 1988, we provided curbside pickup for recyclables for our customers, which is now a town-spo
Occupation: I own and operate Associated Refuse Haulers in Newtown. I started the company in 1982, and in 1986 we started the residential rollout program. In 1988, we provided curbside pickup for recyclables for our customers, which is now a town-sponsored program. We provide trash removal and recycling services for Newtown schools.
Family: My wife, Joanne, and I have two boys. Nicholas is 24 and Alex is 21 years old.
How long have you lived in Newtown? We moved here in 1982. Newtown still had chip seal side roads.
What do you like to do in your free time? Iâm pretty engrossed in my business, so there is not a lot of free time. Iâm also a member of the National Solid Waste Association. I devote some of my time with them on issues that pertain to Connecticut. Iâm a member of the National Federation of Independent Businesses and Iâm also involved with the Newtown Rotary Club. Itâs a great organization and a good group of people. Iâm a gardener and have an affinity for fig trees. I have two and they are some work, moving them around all of the time so that they are in the sun. Iâm also a hot pepper aficionado and grow cayennes, Thai hots, and jalapeños. I do read, too, when I have time.
Do you have a favorite book? Well, I have to confess that it sounds a little screwball, but I do read the Handbook of Solid Waste pretty often, a reference book. I read a lot of nonfiction, too. I liked 1776 by David McCullough; Blind Manâs Bluff by Sherry Sontag, Christopher Drew, and Annette Lawrence Drew; The Bureau and The Mole by David A. Vise; and Flyboys by James Bradley. I like to read political stuff. But I also like anything by Michael Crichton.
Do you have a favorite travel destination? We do like to go down to the Caribbean. I donât think thereâs water like that anywhere else in the world. We like the Bahamas. Itâs a lot of fun down there. And the Southwest is a favorite spot, too. We have done the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Arizona, and Camelback in Arizona. Pictures just donât do the Grand Canyon justice. You have to see it in person.
What is the best thing about Newtown? Iâd have to say the people, and Iâll tell you why. Iâm a bell ringer for the Salvation Army and the people that give money are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. You see it all over this community. People are very genuine and generous here, and I think thatâs what makes us a unique community.
Do you have a hero? My grandfather influenced me greatly growing up. He was a very kind man, and a gentle man. I used to spend a good amount of time with him at his cabin in Upstate New York. And my dad, too. He gave me so much support over the years. He passed away this last September.
Do you have a personal philosophy? Itâs our Rotary motto, a four-way test, and I think it applies to all interactions in life: One, is it the truth? Two, is it fair to all concerned? Three, will it build good will and better friendships? Four, will it be beneficial to all concerned?
What do you think is the most important lesson you have learned? Tell the truth and you wonât get caught in a lie. Trust people, and if you say youâre going to do something, do it.