Pasta Project Celebrates 15 Years Of Carbs And Community

By John Voket

There was nary a mention of the Atkins diet Saturday evening as nearly 100 friends, family members, and supporters chatted noisily across large banquet tables set up in the basement of Newtown’s United Methodist Church. Of course, it was the 15-year anniversary installment of the church’s popular Pasta Project.

So factoring in the garlic bread oozing with melted butter, and Natalie Krotzer’s homemade éclairs, it was the dietary equivalent of throwing all cautions to the wind. But even the most dedicated calorie counter could not resist the tempting, steaming spaghetti being dished out as a warm-up to an evening of Bluegrass music courtesy of perennial favorite Roger Sprung and Friends.

Organizers of the monthly activity, including chairwoman Martha Millet, admitted that adding live entertainment eight years ago was the perfect complement to an evening of socializing and stuffing down at least a plate or two of whatever pasta happened to be on the menu that week. But according to Ms Millett, long before the picking of banjos accompanied the plop-plop, fizz-fizz coda to overindulgence, there was a core group of dedicated volunteers who kept coming back for seconds month after month.

“From day one we depended on Domenic Corsi manning the range, Calla and Harvey Sellner who quickly became our dedicated pot scrubbers, Barb Carlson who has been preparing garlic bread all these years, Marcia Maurer who is our number one server and her husband, Jim, whom I refer to as a maitre d’ of the dining room — except he does a lot more work than if he just took reservations in a real restaurant,” she said.

“Then there’s the dessert table filled to the brim with homemade delectables each month,” Ms Millett continued. “There are several contributors who have been faithful for the duration of the project. They include Sue Klein, Barbara Sherman, Sandy Brown, Barb Gates, Natalie Krotzer, and Becky Virgalla.”

Ms Millett keeps coming back, as well. Serving as chairperson for the activity since 1990 has provided an opportunity for her to see an innocent foray into volunteering grow to a virtual vocation.

“We started very meagerly serving 70–90 people during the early months and years,” she recalled. “But our consistency of fine food and regularity has assured our customers of a wonderful bargain as well as a good time for a nominal fee. Some customers use it as a monthly meeting place where they can keep in touch with friends or family.”

Many of those who kept coming back over the years have found new friends at the monthly gathering. Her point was confirmed by Harriet and Douglas Combani, who made the trek from lower Fairfield County to socialize and enjoy the Pasta Project’s repast.

“We brought some first-timers with us tonight,” Ms Combani said gesturing around the table. “I think they’ll all be coming back.”

Ms Millet testified that her guest list is often made up of people who come from as far away as the New Jersey Shore and Upstate New York as well as New York City. “We were even written up in a Maryland publication a few years ago,” Ms Millett said.

As the result of its success, the UMC Pasta Project now taps the talents of four shifts of crewmembers who each work some portion of Saturday in order to ensure the dinner runs successfully.

“I thankfully have been joined by my co-chair Diane Rockwell for the past two years,” Ms Millett said. “She has been a tremendous assistant and takes responsibility for many chores.”

It takes approximately 40 people setting aside at least three to four hours each first Saturday to make the Pasta Project hum like the well-oiled machine it has become.

“We also have several youth who participate regularly and earn ‘Community Hours’ for confirmation as well as for their own records at Newtown High who are a real asset to us,” Ms Millett said.

She noted that one of her greatest satisfactions comes from the uniting many people under a common cause.

“Working together side-by-side with families, sometimes spanning at least three generations, gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling,” she said. “And it’s not only true of those who work the project, but also of those who attend. We are grateful to all who have contributed to our success whether they are a worker or a patron.”