A Wonderful Place To Live

To the Editor:

Newtown!

It sounds like a made up name, “Newtown,” visions of Smallville, the hometown of Superman.

Why do I like living in Newtown? Why is it so much better than other places I have lived or visited?

Is it the flagpole… is it the tree lighting ceremony… is it the $2 movies at the town hall… is it the Parade?

It is all of those things but mostly it is the people.

It’s coaches like Ken Good, Gary Larocque, Norm LaFlamme, who spent countless hours coaching the 8th grade girls travel basketball team. Motivating, encouraging and helping to guide an outstanding group of talented young ladies. Judd Dolye, Kevin Kohn, Butch Dugger, Roberta Walston, Keith Kling, Mike Iassogna… the list goes on and on, regular folks giving to kids and their community. With four children, we certainly are the beneficiaries of their sacrifice.

It’s merchants like Joe at Newtown Hardware, whom I called in a last minute rush, after they had just closed on Saturday, to ask if I might race down and pick up a tube of the all-important powdered graphite for the Pinewood Derby (not to forget the Scouts) that began early the next morning. “No problem, we’ll leave it at the Drug Center for you, take your time.” Don, at the Drug Center, gracious and always helpful in every way, had it at the ready when I later arrived. Tony at Taunton Wine & Liquor who calls you by name, and is always happy to help you carry any package out to your car. It’s The Newtown Bee, a great newspaper (we subscribed to The Bee for almost a full year before moving to Newtown), that tells the story of the town and its people with style and good old-fashioned newspaper sense and flair.

It’s the community at St Rose. Priests whose style and personalities are all very different, but whose faith and dedication are the same; steadfast. A school that teaches my kids with love, what and “whom” they need to know! The Knights of Columbus fixing a roof and challenging me to make time. Joe Vacaro who when asked to play “Christ crucified” in the living stations, with a powerful teaching humility and courage, said “yes.”

It’s the neighborhood and the neighbors. Across the street lives Barney Rubble to my Fred Flintstone, the kids on bikes and scooters, the strollers, dads and moms and babies, a truly great Christmas party up the hill every year, the lake at the end of the road, a story of remarkably calm reserve when the neighbors came to my door to recover their “misplaced” diamond engagement ring that my young son had in his jeans pocket after using it as a Power Rangers death ray. My son was matter of fact, “Here it is, Daddy”; the neighbors were relieved, calm and thankful; I was stunned and expectant of the justified “reading of the riot act” which never came.

It’s long overdue. I tell myself and others that I am very busy, that I am travelling for work, that I have to take one of the kids to Tae Kwon Do or baseball, school, practice... That’s all true. But I also have to take the time to say thank you.

Thank you! Thank you to all the great people of Newtown. You all make Newtown a wonderful place to live and raise a family.

Dan O’Connor

5 Sawmill Ridge Road, Newtown              May 1, 2001