Occupation: I'm a full-time potter. I own Bear Hills Pottery in Botsford, and I also teach summer programs in the schools.
Occupation: Iâm a full-time potter. I own Bear Hills Pottery in Botsford, and I also teach summer programs in the schools.
Family: My wife, Liz, and I have been married 28 years. We have a son, David, who just graduated this June from Newtown High School.
Pets: We have a Yorkshire terrier named Ruby. Sheâs about 5 years old. Sheâs spirited, but fun.
How long have you lived in Newtown? Weâve been here for 25 years.
What do you like to do in your free time? I like to spend quiet time with the family. My son and I enjoy going online and playing games, or playing video games. And I enjoy movies, too.
Do you have a favorite video game? Right now we enjoy Call of Duty, a World War II video game. Itâs interesting, because when we play, we can play with people from all over â Ireland, Australia, Canada, or England â and converse in real time. Iâve met people I would not have met any other way.
Do you have a favorite movie? Awakenings was a really good movie, one of our favorites. I like Robert De Niro a lot.
Do you have a favorite travel destination? We enjoy going to Cape Cod. I spent two summers there in my early 20s and I have a fondness for it. We also like to go to Gloucester, Mass., a nice seaside town.
What is the best thing about Newtown? Itâs a great place to raise a child and certainly Iâve been very impressed by the schools. When David was young, I had the opportunity to come into the schools and demonstrate the art of pottery for the kids. Itâs just a pretty town, as well.
What are some of the changes you have noticed in town? There are more street lights and more retail centers. When I moved here, there wasnât a stop light between my house and the flagpole, and now look at it.
Do you have a hero? The person I admire most is my wife. She has a good heart and she keeps our family going. I credit her with finding Newtown, too. We were living in Norwalk and she brought me up here; I didnât even know where we were, but she said, âTrust me,â and Iâm glad we moved here.
Do you have a personal philosophy? Live and let live. Iâm a pretty easygoing person.
What is the most important lesson you have learned? To do what you love to do, so far as your work goes. Iâve gotten away from pottery a couple of times, and I always come back to clay to pursue my dreams. I enjoy my work a lot.