Date: Fri 11-Dec-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

Mountain-holiday-festival

Full Text:

TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN

Most years, people prepare to attend the Newtown Holiday Festival by putting

on coats and scarves, but with temperatures in the 70s last Sunday, most

people were putting on sunblock instead. It was a great day to be outside, but

for many it just didn't seem like Christmas. No one likes to see Santa sweat.

Gary Fetzer, who has spent the past several festivals out in the freezing cold

working the streets with bell and top hat as a town crier, was ecstatic to

learn that this year he had graduated to an indoor job at the festival,

greeting people inside at one of the stops on the house tour. Gary spent his

spare moments on Sunday, however, looking longingly out the window.

Taking Gary's place as one of the town criers this year was First Selectman

Herb Rosenthal, who looked great, except that his hat was too small. The

chapeau perched precariously on Herb's head, leading some who wonder whether

Herb had somehow gotten a big head since his election. To disabuse his

constituents of this notion, Herb did a lot of bowing and tipping of his hat

throughout the day.

If you're looking for a book for someone who cooks, the members of Women

Involved in Newtown still have a few of their popular cookbooks left. The

books are $10, plus $2 for shipping, and can be ordered by sending a check to

WIN, PO Box 286, Newtown 06470. Don't forget to send the address to which the

book should be sent. Or call Nicole Christensen at 1-800-247-5222.

A holiday blood drive for Richard Rauner will be held at the United Methodist

Church on Church Hill Road in Sandy Hook on Thursday, December 17, from 1:45

to 6:30 pm. Appointments to donate blood can be made by calling

1-800-GIVE-LIFE.

Mary Kelly, of the first selectman's office, is wearing what she calls her

"Laverne" (from Laverne & Shirley) glasses this week. The rainbow-colored

spectacles have been a big hit up at Edmond Town Hall. It seems someone

accidentally picked them up last Friday while she was at Fairfield Hills

during a state-run tour. The man realized they were not his glasses when he

went to put them on while he was driving. He promptly stuck the pair in the

mail and returned them to their rightful owner after getting her address from

the state agency that sponsored the tour.

Congratulations to Parks & Recreation Director Barbara Kasbarian -- now the

proud grandmother of a baby boy, Austin. Bill and Sarah Kasbarian are the

proud parents. Little Austin was eight pounds even when he arrived at 5:30 am

Tuesday.

Stephen Kellogg will be at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library on Saturday from 1 to

3:30 pm to sign copies of his books including his latest release, A-Huntin '

We Will Go. He also will present a program based on one of his earlier books,

The Island of the Skog , which was turned into a play for the Dallas

Children's Theater and is currently on a 66-city tour.

The Spay & Neuter Association of Newtown is planning to hold its annual

holiday luncheon on Monday, December 14, at 12:30 pm at My Place Restaurant.

New members are welcome and no reservations are required.

The students from Newtown Youth Services will be offering free gift wrapping

near the gazebo inside the mini-mall at Sand Hill Plaza on Saturday and

Sunday, December 18 and 20, for any items purchased at the shopping center.

Donations will go to a NYS scholarship for a graduating senior. MJB Real

Estate, the mall's management company, is sponsoring the event.

A happy birthday wish goes out to longtime Newtown resident Sarah Mannix, who

turned 90 on Thursday. Sarah was expected to be honored at Thursday's regular

meeting of the Democratic Town Committee. It was supposed to be a surprise.

Jim and Betty Lou Osborne had plans to take Sarah out for dinner then stop by

the DTC meeting.

The next time you are dining at Mona Lisa Restaurant, check out the Christmas

tree owner Sam Chowdhury has erected near the bar. It's quite spectacular,

although Sam lavished all the decorations on the front and sides and left the

back undecorated. But no one notices, except Sam's wife, Zannat, when she

presides behind the bar.

As for me, I remain unadorned in all seasons, and proudly so. Most people know

I don't dress up the real news of the town here, which is why they always want

to...

Read me again.