Lighting The Way To The Holidays
Lighting The Way To The Holidays
To the Editor:
What looked like the biggest crowd yet gathered Friday evening at Ram Pasture for the 26th annual lighting of the Newtown Christmas Tree. The crisply perfect weather, the glow of luminarias around the pasture and the ponds, the path of light down Main Street, along Glover Avenue and Elm Drive, the laughter and the singing, the tree lights on cue, the hot chocolate, cookies, and candy canes, Santa and Mrs Claus surrounded by hopeful kids of all ages: these were the ingredients of a perfect evening.
Behind the scenes, many worked hard to create our annual celebration of community and holiday spirit. We thank everyone who helped bring the event together and kept it running smoothly, including our own Chamber of Commerce, C.H. Booth Library, Parks and Recreation Department, Newtown Hook & Ladder, Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and Newtown Police Department. Stan Perrone of Kesco Electric, Dan Dalton of True Green, and Rob McCullogh of Newtown Tree Service made sure our tree was lighted and lovely. Curtis Packaging once again donated all the luminaria boxes, and several other local businesses donated goods as well: Peopleâs United Bank, Union Savings Bank, Dunkinâ Donuts, Newtown Hardware.
Others gave their time and talent as well â the Newtown High School Chorus and the Newtown High School Dance Troup, many members of the Luminaria and Tree Lighting Committee, helpers who delivered luminarias, the residents along the luminaria route who put out and cleaned up their luminarias, members of Boy Scout Troop 370 who helped clean up Ram Pasture, bus driver LeReine Frampton, and Dan Cruson, this yearâs tree lighter. Santa and Mrs Claus made their always-anticipated visit to charm us all.
To these community-minded people and businesses, thank you for another tree lighting and luminaria evening. To all who attended, thanks for helping Newtown begin this holiday season together.
Diana Johnson
Janet Woycik
Amy Mangold
Joy Kopesky
Luminaria and Tree Lighting Committee
30 Parmalee Hill Road, Newtown                        December 8, 2010