Date: Fri 28-Aug-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

Mountain-weather-Bridgewater

Full Text:

GENNEWS / LIBRARY / BWEB

MOUNTAIN for 8/28

Local firefighters had their hands full this week as the stormy weather

provided them with plenty of downed and burning wires to tend to. When there

are up rooted and fallen trees everywhere and it's pouring down rain, the work

is cold and sloppy. By the time the weather gives them a break, their

equipment is a mess, and they have to head back to the firehouse, not to rest,

but to clean up.

Just how well these guys can clean up was apparent last Friday night at the

opening parade of the annual Bridgewater Fair. Once again, it was the Sandy

Hook Volunteer Fire Company walking away with the Porges trophy for best

overall company.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal was one of just a handful of politicians

walking the parade route and his patented smile and enthusiastic waves may

have won him a prize. But he forgot to bring a sign to let everyone know who

he is.

Speaking of winners, Newtown resident Richard Newman came up big in the fair

car raffle, taking home a brand new Chrysler Jeep Wrangler Sahara.

Dick and Marie Sturdevant recently returned from a two-week trip to Hawaii.

Among the many highlights was a visit to Pearl Harbor where they saw the USS

Arizona . It was a breathtaking experience, Marie said, especially now that

the USS Missouri is there, too. That was the ship where the treaty to end the

war was signed. On one flight between islands, the Sturdevants flew on the

same plane as Craig T. Nelson, the star of the hit series Coach .

News has it, Newtown's own Mae Schmidle, the woman in red, is headed to China

next week. No doubt, recruiters from the Red Army will be looking for her to

enlist.

Poor Sue Shpunt of the town clerk's office. All she wanted to do was go out

for lunch on Tuesday, but she couldn't. Sewer workers hooking up Edmond Town

Hall had dug a ditch right behind her Pontiac Sunfire.

Kim Nelson and Ellie Meyer, who have been best friends from kindergarten at

Sandy Hook School, have another milestone to share. Both families are moving

from Newtown on the same day. The girls are now juniors in college, Kim at

Keene College in New Jersey, Ellie at UConn.

The ambulance crew rushed to the Ice Cream Shop at dinner time last week on an

emergency call that, in the end, turned out not to be serious. The staff at

the shop was so glad to see the ambulance crew that afterwards they offered

the EMTs ice cream cones. Everyone declined (too close to dinner, they

explained), except for Ken Lerman who happily accepted, saying "What's wrong

with ice cream for dinner?"

Blood supplies are so critically low as the Labor Day weekend approaches that

an emergency blood drive has been scheduled for Thursday, September 3, at the

Sandy Hook firehouse on Riverside Road. The drive will be open extra hours,

from 8:30 am to 7 pm, to accommodate as many donors as possible. This is a

"Holiday Hero" blood drive as well - there will be special "hero" gifts for

all donors. Western Connecticut Federal Credit Union of Newtown is sponsoring

the blood drive and will give $25 to each donor for an account there, plus $5

per donor to Newtown Youth Services and $5 to the fire companies' Cairns Iris

Fund. Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE to make an appointment or call Fileta Sheehan at

the credit union, 426-5056 ext 101.

If you like to sing, the Newtown Choral Society is looking for you. The group

has openings in all voices - soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Auditions aren't

required. The choral society will hold its first rehearsal on Wednesday,

September 9 at the middle school. Call 426-3769 for more information.

Town Clerk Cindy Curtis Simon and her husband Fuzzy were driving through New

Hampshire on their vacation when they came upon a scene that prompted them to

stop and take this photo:

INSERT COW PHOTO HERE

Cindy says she has no idea what the cow was doing in the van because there

wasn't anyone around to ask.

Laura Lerman said she was really confused when Jocelyn Williams and Colin

Polnitsky both said on separate occasions they would be living in the house

closest to the entrance of Ithaca College this fall. "I didn't even realize

they knew each other, let alone that they'd be living together," she said.

Turns out there are two entrances at the school. The two students aren't even

living in the same neighborhood.

The Friends of the Library are looking for volunteers to help sort books week

nights from 7 to 9 pm at Bridgeport Hall in preparation for the Labor Day

weekend book sale. Lots of help also is needed at 5 pm on Thursday, September

3, to set up for the sale. Just show up at Bridgeport Hall, the same place the

sale was held last year, or call the library for directions.

If you're here now, you probably don't need directions for your return trip

next week to...

Read me again.