Occupation: I am an attorney with offices at The DaSilva Law Firm, LLC, 19 Church Hill Road, Newtown, and also in Westport. I have a general practice doing real estate law, accident claims, and new business formation, but I don’t do family law. I attended Fairfield University with a major in political science and a minor in English. Then I attended the American University Law School in Washington, D.C., and I found living and studying in the nation’s capital to be a fantastic experience. I could do my law research at the Supreme Court library, and I enjoyed taking advantage of all the city had to offer.

How Long In Newtown: I grew up in Fairfield, but we moved to Newtown six years ago after our son, Steve, was born. Fairfield had gotten to be like a small city and we wanted more of a small town feeling. When we discovered Newtown, we fell in love with it.

What About Change: In the short time I’ve lived here, I have not noticed the town changing all that fast. But there are some future changes I’d love to see happen. I think the Fairfield Hills campus ought to have a pedestrian-friendly central mall with coffee shops and small boutiques and stores, so you wouldn’t have to always drive to the Danbury Fair Mall for shopping. It seems like this ought to be possible.

Family: My wife Cyndy works at Prudential Real Estate and is a member of Women Involved in Newtown (WIN). Our son Steve is 8 and he is a third grader at the Wooster School in Danbury. His latest craze is the Internet game Runescape. All his friends are doing it.

Hobbies: I enjoy water skiing, fishing, and wake-boarding. We love spending weekends on Lake Zoar and we keep a boat on the lake. In the winter, I like to take my son skiing to Butternut in the Berkshires. It’s only an hour and a half away and it is a very nice, family-run ski area.

Pets: We have two cats named Ozzie and Sharon.

Favorite TV Show, Movie, Book: I enjoy reading Stephen King, especially The Stand. I like apocalyptic stories about the end of the world, and I have to say Y2K was a big disappointment because I’m a big planner and I enjoy seeing how problems get solved.

On TV, I sometimes watch House, a medical mystery about a doctor who is a good diagnostician and a problem solver. Otherwise, I like TLC or the Discovery Channel, and my son and I enjoy watching Orange County Choppers together.

Organizations: I belong to the Chamber of Commerce, and I am on the Booth Library Board of Trustees.

Happiest Newtown Memory: Coaching Charlie Brown T-Ball on my son’s team, which is the level just before Little League. It was a lot of fun.

Favorite Vacation Spot: We are so busy right now that we don’t go away very often. Our time spent on Lake Zoar on the summer weekends is like a vacation.

Personal Philosophy: Spike Lee put it best when he said “Do The Right Thing.” I try to make that apply in my personal and public life. I believe it is important to take personal responsibility and not blame others for what happens in your life. I do what I can to change outcomes for the better.

Eric DaSilva