Bits & Pieces

By Kim J. Harmon

 

Years ago when I was working at The Town Times in Watertown, one of my tasks – back before the paper had entered the realm of computer typesetting – one of my tasks was to type of the annual Christmas column of Waterbury sports reporter Bob Palmer.

Each year Mr Palmer put together a column that incorporated the names of a good many of the friends he has made through his lifetime in sports – and did it in a poetic way, rhyming Matt with Pat and Stan with clan.

I considered it an honor to sneak into the column one year.

As a homage to Mr Palmer and my early days in local sports, I decided to give the same kind of column a try with the names of those people I have met over the 13 years since I have been in Newtown. Although I have met a lot of wonderful people here in that time, for the sake of not driving myself totally insane I tried to stick to the people I have personally interviewed or quoted in The Newtown Bee (with, admittedly, one or two other names thrown in to keep a whisper of a beat going) and kept this thing to 20 or so “verses.”

If I missed some people, please don’t be offended. There just doesn’t seem to be anything that rhymes with Swiatowicz or de los Reyes and DeBenedetto simply doesn’t flow.

Maybe next year I’ll figure it out … and figure out how to fit in Czaplinski, Gasparini, Paternoster and Manfredonia, too.

Happy holidays everyone – and have a happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to Kathy Nowak

And Mr Shpunt – his name is Jack

To former v-ball coach Lynch, Nell-Ayn

And jayvee softball coach Winsett, Dan

 

To the Logan sisters, Steph and Jill

And NMS hoop coach Ryan, Will

To the LaPortas, Blaise and Sean

And Babe Ruth coach Timmy Braun

 

To the Bowens, Nancy and Tom

And the Stampps – Bob, Scott and Todd

The Fiscellas, Andrew and Tara

And softball coach Bob Guerrera

 

To the Daveys, Kathy and Russ

And Spartan footballer Josh Rouse

To the Masellas, Erica and Lisa

And hoop star Eigen, Melissa

 

To Jared and Debbie – the Tendlers

Tom and Kristin – the Denningers

The DeVellis bro’s, Jake and Joe

And runner Sergio Ribeiro

 

To hoop coach and A.D. Gregg Simon

And girls’ ball coach Shawn O’Brien

To vintage ballist Raymond Shaw

And “The Goose,” of whom I was in awe

 

Christmas cheers to Amber Butler

And former track star Laurie Miller

To the Byrnes hurlers, Sam and Cat

And NHS swim coach Childs, Matt

 

To the Ryans, Jamie and Kate

And Newtown baseball coach Carl Strait

Can’t forget his wife Sara Strait

Or the Lyddy’s, Kyle and Kate

 

To Rhinos star Johnny Ball

And the Iwanicki’s – to them all!

To Fairfield soccer star Michael Troy

And former diver Alyssa von Oy

 

To the Atkinsons, Mary and Abby

And the donut guy, Rich Barillari

To wrestler Amanda Morici

And soccer star Marcus Tracy

 

To lax sprout McDonald, Erin

And another lax star, Moira Curran

To halfback Bobby Pattison

And goaltender Kerrie Canavan

 

To the Regans, Kevin and Matt

And Trinity hoop star Maher, Cat

To free throw guru Lodato, Frank

And No. 1 supporter Gellert, Hank

 

To track and field coach Marsha Caine

And super diver Becky Crane

To the Morgans, Heather and Lisa

And former stick girl Araya, Melissa

 

To the Voice – Edwards, Jay

And the bat guy Michael Paes

To lax star Champagne, Ellie

And B&G head Michael Kelley

 

To our big center Morgan Knees

And tennis coach Marty Margulies

To football coach Kenny Roberts

And Al’s family, the Tauberts

 

To Rock Ridge pro Billy Flood

And NCC’s Paul Miller – he’s no dud

To Newtown trainer Crowley, Tim

And field hockey coach Lowell, Kim

To former v-ball coach Russell Weiss

Michele DeLuca – she’s pretty nice

To the McGoverns, Brian and Terry

And lacrosse star Meg Regnery

 

If it’s lax it’s Mark Feltch – or

On the girls’ side Maura Fletcher

To track coaches Russell, Doug

And David Foss – he’s no slug

 

To Wake Forest hurler McGrath, Ryan

And boys’ lax coach Micena, Brian

To youth baseball coach Ron Schmidt

Whom we all like quite a bit

 

To the hoop star we called Ali G

And the v-ball star we called Ali B

And roundball guru Girard, Bill

On the court, coaching still

 

To Brookfield coach Brian Reiff

Be still – with him, we have no beef

To Bonnie diver CJ Maurer

And tennis coach Maureen Maher

 

To former spiker Jenn Corkum

Also hoop star Jayme Beckham

To NHS track coach Ed Obloj

And now we’re done – oh Christmas joy!

JOHN QUINN

Kathy Davey

Jill Logan

Ed Obloj

Carl Strait

Tom Kuroski

Stephanie Logan          

Will Ryan         

Joe DeVellis

Nancy Bowen

Jared Tendler

Debbie Tendler

Bob Tendler

Tom Bowen

Jake DeVellis

Jaime Ryan

Kate Ryan

Tom Ryan

Alyssa von Oy

Samantha Byrne

Cathy Byrne

Rich Barillari

Amanda Morici

Chelsea Morin

Abby Atkinson

Erica Masella

Lisa Masella

Sarah Wasko

Lori Iwanicki

Amber Butler

Goose Gossage

Melissa Eigen

Ray Shaw

Tim Braun

Casey Frobey

Mike Troy

John Fiscella

Sean LaPorta

Blaise LaPorta

Erin McDonald

Sara Patrick (nee Strait)

Sean Raby

Laurie Miller

Sergio Ribeiro

Moira Curran

Todd Stampp

Scott Stampp

Bob Stampp

Tara Fiscella

Kelley Haines

Morgan Haines

Andrew Fiscella

Kyle Lyddy

Nick Feola

Katie Lyddy

Steve Selezan

Reid Warner

Charlie Heinzer

Bob Pattison

Marcus Tracy

Jay Edwards

Kerrie Canavan

Heather Morgan

Marsha Caine

Lisa Morgan

Becky Crane

Tom DeBenedetto

Ellie Champagne

Michael Paes

Cat Maher

Matt Regan

Kevin Regan

Jenn Corkum

Marty Margulies

Larry Ashmore

Kyle Tobin

Jayme Beckham

Frank Lodato

Nell-Ayn Lynch

Kristi Nowak

Morgan Knees

Mike Kelley

John Ball

Shannon Rouse

Alex Konneker

Al Taubert

Josh Rouse

Bill Flood

Paul Miller

Jess Carino

John Quinn

Christie Iwanicki

Russ Davey 

Dan Winsett

Ron Schmidt

Ryan McGrath

Bill Girard

Alison Giannini

Ali Bernstein

Al Mazur

Michele DeLuca

Matt Micros

Brian McGovern

Mark Feltch

Meg Regnery

Terry McGovern

Maura Fletcher

CJ Maurer

Maureen Maher

David Foss

Doug Russell

Kristin Denninger

Ken Roberts

Matt Childs

Brian Reiff

Mary Atkinson

Gregg Simon 

Kim Lowell

Jack Shpunt

Brian Micena 

Russ Weiss

Shawn O’Brien

Bob Guererra 

Tom Czaplinski

Brian Neumeyer

Alan Potter

Carl Paternoster 

Rupert de los Reyes

Dustin Zima

Angelo Bodetti 

Bob Zito

Rich Pesce

Tucker Kass

Barbara Kasbarian

Bill Kneisel

Diana Perachio

Gino LoRicco

Elise DeRoo

Leah Hoppmeyer

Dee Conley

James Monroe

Bill Manfredonia

Stephanie Nickse

Kane Kunst

Dan Cascone

Trina Ramsdell

Caitlyn Elf

Amanda Marsilio

Erica Christopher

Kate Bouteiller

Erin Carolan

Keith Kling

Jon Read

Ron Isler

Peter Terrance

Pete D’Amico

Stacey Gordon

Heather Gunn

Adam Hayden

Marc Doherty

Sean Martins

Nick Magoulas

Pete Oggeri

Steve Marks

Matt McCarthy

Casey Kirch

John Oliver

Chris Body

Caitlin Collier

Karli Beitel

Kim Solheim

Erica Vacaro

Jen Madej

Joanne Johnson

Jeff Gasparini

Becky Osborne

Jenn Swiatowicz

Ryan Eberts

Mike Porco

Kevin Woessner

Ally Gellert

Erica Hanson

Frank Durante

Joan Crick

Janelle Tracy

Antonia Militano

Jim Casagrande

Jen Huettner

Micaela Hurley

Liz Glaser

Alex Aitchison

Kyle Tobin

Kelley Haines

Morgan Haines

Reid Warner

Erin Carolan