Thanks For Celebrating Newtown

To the Editor:

Thank you to all who came to “Celebrate Newtown’s Natural Beauty” at this year’s 40th Labor Day Parade.

It was wonderful to see the town gather together and share this truly special tradition, showing it is “Nicer in Newtown.”

Your smiling faces, cheers for the marchers passing by and enthusiasm for the National Flag Exhibit made this one of the best parades ever!

Special thanks to so many who worked behind the scenes to make this parade a success including:

The Parade Committee – Brian Amey, Ann Marie DeWeese, Dale Meier and Helen Seferi.

Our Emcees – Laura Buzaid, Dr Gellert, Mike Giarratano and Mary Ann Murtha.

Our Judges – Geoff Allison, Andy & Beth Cluff, Karen Finlayson, Nancy Kotch and Marsha Mascowitz.

Grand Marshalls – Al Goodrich and Mary Mitchell.

Street Directors – Cal & Scott DeWeese, Frank Franze, Mike Giarratano, Al Huppenthal, Bill Meier, Jim Setz, Dave Stendahl, Chris Meier and Justin Miller.

Creative Cuizine for donating all the delicious food for the judges and the committee.

Ed Jenkins of Newtown Tire for providing the float for the committee and judges, John Klopfenstein for having the courage to photograph the National Flag Exhibit, from high atop the trees, Alan Potter of Newtown Tree Service for providing the cherry picker.

Also the Newtown Police Dept, The Newtown Bee, especially Kaaren Valenta & Steve Bigham, Nick Kopcik, Jr, from Newtown Exxon for providing the main reviewing stand as well as manning the ropes for the National Flag Exhibit, Honan Funeral Home, The Homesteads, Fleet Bank, NMS Spokes Club, Quick Pick of Shelton, Mike Fitzsimmons, Holland Lexington Gardens, Newtown Hardware, Danny and Steve Murtha, RER Motor City of Monroe, Rick Erickson, Tom Murtha, Richard & Lisa Kase, Sheila Gervais, Northeastern Communications, Newtown Highway Dept, Newtown Ambulance, Margaret Amey.

Special, special thanks to sponsors of the National Flag Exhibit: J.P. Maguire Associates, Inc, Rand Whitney, Andy & Beth Cluff of Automated Security Systems, John & Terri-Ann  Martocci of Newtown Savings Bank and Jim Setz of Rock Ridge Builders.

Finally, a very special thank-you to Mary Ann Murtha for all her efforts in bringing the National Flag Exhibit to Newtown.

Kym Stendahl, Lisa Franze

18 Palestine Road; 11 Susan Lane  September 5, 2001