Rooster Rally 2009 Will Be Something To Crow About

By Shannon Hicks

Newtown’s celebration of its most famous symbol and mascot will be held from 11:30 am to 2 pm Saturday, June 13, along the stretch of Main Street (Route 25) in front of the Edmond Town Hall. A number of organizations will participate with booths and displays about the rooster or some other form of local history.

Additional events will probably be added in upcoming weeks, but Rooster Rally coordinators are already planning on welcoming famed local artist David Merrill, who will set up an easel and paint in front of The Budd House; photos with Beau, the ten-foot-tall rooster sculpture who calls the Parks & Recreation office at Town Hall South home; the presentation of a collection of glass and ceramic roosters hosted by VNA-Newtown; a children’s painting area hosted by Children’s Adventure Center where children will be invited to paint their own roosters; and dance performances by Rocking Roosters Square Dance Club.

In 1956, for the 250th anniversary celebration of Newtown’s founding, artist Bob Halleck drew a rooster patterned after the weathervane atop Newtown Congregational Church (now Newtown Meeting House), which became the central visual for the official Town of Newtown corporate seal. That drawing will be on view during the Rooster Rally.

Also on June 13, Town Historian Dan Cruson will lead a walking tour of Sandy Hook Center.

The first Rooster Rally event was held four years ago, in 2005 on the occasion of Newtown’s Tercentennial. Approximately 3,000 residents celebrated the town mascot that day, perusing exhibits and visiting with vendors who had set up tables and booths along the upper stretch of Main Street.

Anyone interested in displaying an individual rooster artifact or a collection of rooster objects next month should contact Rooster Rally 2009 committee members Beth Caldwell (994-4849), Amy Mangold (270-4342), Mae Schmidle (426-6264) or Anna Wiedemann (426-1035). Mrs Schmidle is serving as chairperson of the Rooster Rally committee, which also includes Tom Catalina, Michael Cech, Dan Cruson, Dr Bob Grossman, Jennifer Johnston, George Miller, Dr John Reed, and others.

The Rooster Rally is being held in conjunction with Connecticut Open House Day, a statewide celebration of old homes and other local history throughout the state as sponsored by the Connecticut Commission on Arts and Historic Preservation.

Newtown Historical Society will also be participating in Connecticut Open House Day by opening its Main Street headquarters for tours as well as a used book sale.

Coloring Contest Coordinated

Newtown’s Children’s Adventure Center (CAC) has announced that it will be holding a children’s art contest as part of the 2009 Rooster Rally.

Terri Santaniello, office assistant at CAC, says it is a great way to introduce Newtown children to their rich local history.

“The rooster is a symbol that everyone can see around town,” she said. “[Students] are fascinated to learn that the soldiers camped right there on Main Street before continuing their march to join General George Washington’s troops.”

The coloring contest is open to all students in kindergarten through grade four. Pencil-lined drawings of the rooster that graces the Town of Newtown official seal drawn by Mr Halleck have been handed out throughout the school system.

Once the rooster is colored in, entries should be delivered to The Children’s Adventure Center, 14 Riverside Road in Sandy Hook, by Tuesday, June 9.

All submissions will be reviewed and the winner will be announced at the Rooster Rally on June 13. The winning entry will also be on display, as will several of the runners up.