Date: Fri 13-Nov-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

Mountain-Friday-the-13th

Full Text:

TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN

Hey, all you triskaidekaphobics. This Friday is dedicated to you. Since you

fear Friday the 13th, you want to make good use of your time hiding in your

house by considering what other phobias you might like to adopt. Here are some

of my favorites:

Cynophobia, the fear of dogs (my all-time favorite); taphephobia, fear of

being buried alive; gamophobia, the fear of marriage; erythrophobia, the fear

of the color red; chionophobia, the fear of snow; lalophobia, the fear of

speaking; and astraphobia, the fear of thunderstorms.

I do not recommend ailurophobia , which is the fear of cats.

Evidently, John McKinney does not suffer from haptephobia , which is the fear

of being touched, since he was out pressing the flesh in Newtown again last

weekend. It's a tradition for candidates to shake hands with voters at the

Newtown transfer station/recycling center before the election. But last

Saturday state Sen-elect McKinney was back at the landfill to thank the voters

for not trashing his candidacy to fill the seat of former Sen Fred Lovegrove

in the 28th State Senate District. Mr McKinney spent several hours there,

chatting with residents and listening to their concerns.

Mary Clark stopped at The Bee this week with a photo of a deer that her

husband, Raymond, spotted in their back yard on the morning after Halloween.

The eight-point buck was cream-colored, an albino or perhaps a European breed

known as fallow for its webbed antlers. The Clarks wondered if the unusual

deer could have been the same one that was photographed in New Milford on

Saturday.

Shirley Ferris also stopped at The Bee on Wednesday since the state offices

were closed for Veterans Day and she had a rare weekday to spend at home in

Newtown. Shirley says her whole family -- five children, their spouses and 10

grandchildren -- will be coming to her house for Thanksgiving this year so

she's got a lot of preparation to do.

Things have quieted down at the Alexander residence this week now that all

their children have left. Paul Jr, Douglas, Kathryn and Peter -- and their

families -- came home for Marilyn's 60th birthday bash at Edmond Town Hall

(instead of gifts, she asked everyone to bring food for the Faith Food

Pantry). While they were here from China, Peter and his wife, Zhang Qing,

renewed their wedding vows and their baby was christened at the Newtown

Congregational Church.

The Congregational Church is holding a roast beef dinner in the Alexandria

Room at Edmond Town Hall from 5 to 7:30 pm on Saturday. Admission at the door

is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $5 for children 12 and under.

Women Involved in Newtown is conducting its annual Thanksgiving basket program

for families in need. Donations of nonperishable food, toiletries and paper

goods can be dropped off at the Sandy Hook firehouse between 6 and 8 pm on

Friday, November 20. Call 426-7133 for more information.

Cathy Sullivan says letters are going out for the Newtown Fund's annual

Christmas basket project. It will be another week or so before the families

can be adopted but meanwhile anyone who wants to make a monetary donation can

send a check to the Newtown Fund at PO Box 641, Newtown 06470. Make the check

out to the Newtown Fund and write "Christmas Basket" in the memo line.

There are only a few days left to get your orders in for the high school's

American Field Service citrus sale. Navel oranges and grapefruit from Indian

River Citrus can be ordered by calling Thrya Wilson at 426-5355. Pickup date

is December 12 at the high school.

Bill Honan celebrated his 75th birthday November 9. Mr Honan, who operates the

Honan Funeral Home on Main Street, has lived his entire life on Main Street.

Another notable birthday is coming up. Betty Fosdick, former longtime resident

of Boggs Hill Road, will be celebrating her 104th birthday next Monday,

November 16 at the Bloomfield nursing home where she now lives. If anyone

wants to send her a card, her address is Duncaster P118, 60 Loeffler Road,

Bloomfield, Conn. 06002-2275.

The women's basketball league at the Newtown Health & Fitness Club ended a bit

prematurely Tuesday night. The power in the club went out between the third

and fourth quarters of the 8 o'clock game. Referee Bob Rogers said the fourth

quarter would be made up at a later date. Sue Roman's team was ahead, 30-27,

at the time of the power outage.

Town offices were closed Wednesday in honor of Veterans Day. However, First

Selectman Herb Rosenthal was found in his office in the afternoon. Herb is

nursing a sore throat these days and has gone hoarse, so it was a nice

opportunity for him to get some work done at the office without having to talk

to anyone.

Old Glory got battered overnight Tuesday, as high winds whipped torrents of

rain through the center of town. Wednesday morning, the flag looked pretty

tattered as it awaited the arrival Hook & Ladder aerial truck for a

replacement flag. The replacements aren't cheap. The small winter flags cost

$225 and the large summer flags are $450 when bought in lots of three or more.

The flag fund relies on contributions to keep the colors flying, so if you

would like to pitch in, send your check, payable to "Town of Newtown

(Flagpole)" in care of the Department of Police Services, 3 Main Street,

Newtown, Conn. 06470.

I myself am looking a little tattered these days, but I will refrain from

soliciting donations for myself. But you can always help my cause if you

just...

Read me again.