Hawleyville Hosts its First-Ever Tree Lighting

Hawleyville will host its first-ever in an event intended to celebrate the coming together of residents.

Over the past year or so, residents have banded together to create their own identity within the town. A tree lighting is only another step in that process, organizers said.

"We continue to define ourselves in these traditional ways," said Ann Marie Mitchell, who has been helping to organize Hawleyville similar to what happened in Sandy Hook, which recently revived its Sandy Hook Owners for Prosperity, or SHOP group.

"There's a lot of pride people take in their individual community," Mitchell said. "There is a defining characteristic in Hawleyville that is unlike any other community. We are unique."

Hawleyville's inaugural tree lighting will be the third one in a row in Newtown. The at Ram Pasture followed by and then Hawleyville will hold its festivities at 5 p.m., Sunday at 23 Barnabas Road, the Hawleyville Post Office Plaza.

Organizers said they expect local residents to come out for the occasion.

"The true Hawleyvillian will be there," Mitchell said.

Dave Jossick, with the Hawleyville volunteer fire department, was more practical in his assessment.

"If we get 100 people, it's a total success," he said.

Jossick and Joe Farrell, the department chief, were out at the plaza Friday putting the finishing touches on the tree in anticipation of the Sunday event.

"This is a little lost community," Jossick said of Hawleyville.

When the post office closed and then re-opened at the Barnabas plaza after residents successfully lobbied officials, the community had a new center, Jossick said as he stood facing the retail plaza.

"Now this is the re-creation of the center of Hawleyville," he said.

Hawleyville is a bustling community with more people out and about then one might think, Farrell said.

"People don't realize it," he said.

The tree lighting will feature refreshments, songs as well as Santa and Mrs. Claus. Resident Edgar Beers also will recount some of the early history of Hawleyville for the occasion.