Volunteers Needed To Help Plan Newtown’s Tercentennial

By Jan Howard

Hear ye, hear ye! The Newtown Tercentennial Commission is seeking volunteers to organize a program or event for the town’s 300th anniversary in 2005 and see it to fruition.

“Not many towns can say they’re 300 years old,” Town Historian Dan Cruson said at a meeting of the commission on September 3 at the C.H. Booth Library.

The commission approved a steering committee composed of Mr Cruson, Gordon Williams, John Martocci, Janet Woycik, Mae Schmidle, Cindy Simon, Barbara Kasbarian, Scudder Smith, Bill Brimmer, Julia Wasserman, Brigette Sorenson, John Trentacosta, and Herb Rosenthal, ex officio. The steering committee will coordinate activities, oversee the budget, facilitate events, and provide a master calendar of events.

There have been several responses to a letter sent out to Newtown clubs and service organizations, as well as town boards and commissions, according to Mr Williams.

To volunteer to help out with the Tercentennial celebration, contact the commission at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street, Newtown, CT 06470 or call a member of the steering committee.

A volunteer is also needed to develop a website for the Tercentennial celebration.

A temporary design for a logo has been adopted until a design competition can be organized that will result in a permanent seal for the commission. A competition to design a commemorative medal was also discussed, as well as a poster competition for children.

Possible committees for which chairmen and members are needed include finance, fundraising, publicity, publications, and major events, such as historical exhibits, a parade, fireworks, a ball, and a town picnic. There are also committees for commemoratives, such as a medal and other merchandise, a logo committee, and a volunteer communications committee to maintain contact with volunteers, boards, and other organizations.

Mr Cruson noted that special legislation might be required for a fireworks display because a town ordinance forbids fireworks. Fairfield Hills was mentioned as a possible site for a fireworks display.

Another possible event that was discussed, in addition to those mentioned above, included a 5-K cross country race through the town’s seven-mile trail system, which is expected to be completed in 2004 and named in honor of Al Goodrich, a member of the Open Space Task Force and longtime supporter and map maker of open spaces.

Another suggestion was a play performed in a cemetery by members of the Town Players or the Newtown High School Drama Department, with actors representing deceased Newtowners, as was presented in the towns of Wethersfield and Watertown. Another play idea was a one which was previously scripted about the town’s benefactress, Mary Hawley.

Members of the commission also discussed other items that could be developed for sale as mementos of the Tercentennial year, such as plates, caps, flags, and pins. Among other fundraising items discussed were trading cards, hand towels, or a print copied from an original painting by a local artist.

One suggestion was the reprinting of an old map of Newtown, which Ms Woycik advised the Friends of the Library are in the process of doing.

Claudio Basso discussed his idea for “The 300 of Newtown,” which would be a collection of 300 photographic portraits of Newtown residents. “It would be a slice of Newtown today,” he said. “It would represent today’s population.” Some ideas for photographs included the last baby of 2004, public servants, professional people, retailers, lifetime residents, and residents of all ages.

Also discussed were a book that would provide something tangible about the Tercentennial for future generations, an oral history project, or a video.

“It’s a big undertaking,” Mr Cruson said. “It will be a multitude of different parts, but it will be a lot of fun. It will bring the community together.”

The steering committee plans to meet again in October.