Homemade Candy and Wonderful Hideous Sweaters

OK, the sweaters weren't hideous.

They weren't ugly and they didn't just say holiday though those were the two themes town employees were following for Wednesday's dress-up day at Town Hall.

Call the look hugly. Eat your heart out Lady Gaga.

Following the recent crazy hat day — a fundraier for My Brother's Table — the women and men of Town Hall donned sweaters hung and strung with holiday lights, ornaments and whatever else the imagination invited.

Marcia Willis wore a red sweater hung with 10 years worth of town historian Lou Gallo's handmade wooden ornaments.

Each year the local historian crafts a new design for his Christmas ornament and replicates it for his holiday gift. He's been at it 30 year. That's 30 designs. 

They include trees, piggy banks, ice cream cones and, this year, the Statue of Liberty.

In Year One he gave an ornament to 16 friends. This year gave Lady Liberty to 66 friends.

Town Treasurer Denise Dembkoski wasn't wearing ornaments but she was lit up like a Christmas trees — a string of bulbs wrapped around her sweater.

Maureen Shultz wore an elf outfit.

Meanwhile the second-floor conference room was a confectionary.

Town employees made homemade candies. The chocolates, turtles and even a spread of sweets on an edible dish made a fine table display.

They also brought in extras for each other to sample.

Between the outfits and the candy, they got into the holiday swing, ushering out 2012 in style.