Occupation: Currently, I'm a general contractor. But the thing I like is reinventing myself every ten years or so. I've always been self-employed. I've been a tree surgeon, and a landscape contractor, too. Right now, I'm reinventing myself into a mushroom farmer. I grow a few staple varieties. The plan is to bring in some very special mushrooms.

Family: I've been married to Susan for four years. I have three children from a former marriage. Alrick V is 27; Shane is 26; and Katie Ann is 31. She's married to Joe, and they have two children. Parker is 13 and Lily is 2 years old.

Pets: Susan has a cat, Josie, that came with the marriage. We have a local lynx we see around the property, and a groundhog that has been with us since the time we moved in.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We moved to Newtown two years ago, into an expanded 1843 farmhouse.

What do you like to do in your free time? I'm learning mycology, the art of collecting and identifying mushrooms. I took a course on growing mushrooms in the backwoods of Vermont, about five years ago. That's what started me on mushroom farming. I like to hike and fish - saltwater fishing, mostly. I do a lot of volunteer work. I've learned over the past 20 years the value of helping others. I volunteer at St V's in Bridgeport and The Apt Foundation in Bridgeport. I also do some cabinetry work.

Do you have a favorite mushroom? If I had to say, overall, it's the Blewit. It's a fall growing mushroom that looks like a white mushroom, with a tremendous nutty flavor. We eat mushrooms two to three times a week.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? We do travel a lot. Wherever I've last been, that's my favorite. We go to Martha's Vineyard, usually once a year. I do the fishing derby there.

What is the best thing about Newtown? I would have to say the peace and quiet, the stars. And our neighbors, really. People are nice and outgoing. It's a very warm feeling here, a "home" feeling.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? Believe it or not, my mother. She taught me the value of hard work and perseverance. She showed me how to keep moving forward and not give up.

If you could spend a day with anyone, who would you choose? My great-grandfather, the first Alrick in the line. He was a lawyer in New York, and he purchased a large farm in Richmond Hill, and turned it into one of the first commuter neighborhoods. I'd like to just listen to his ideas and learn from what he was doing during that period of his life.

Do you have a guilty pleasure? Taking time to spend with my grandchildren.