By Michael Boriero
Donald Taylor was given a special surprise on his birthday this year, as nearly a dozen Stanstead residents, including Mayor Jody Stone, stopped by his house to drop off a gift and sing him ‘Happy Birthday’ from the parking lot.
Taylor, who turned 101 years old on Jan. 4, told The Record he was caught off guard when he heard noise coming from outside of his living room window. Stone and some of Taylor’s closest friends organized a sing-a-long to commemorate yet another birthday milestone.
“I just happened to look out the window and the fire trucks were sitting outside the fire hall and all of the red lights came on and then there were a bunch of people standing in the parking lot singing ‘Happy Birthday’,” said Taylor. He stepped out onto his patio to get the full experience.
He told The Record that he hasn’t been getting up to much of anything these days due to the pandemic. According to Taylor, he was still working part-time as a security guard in Vermont before COVID-19 swept through and forced him out of a job, and into his home.
Taylor said his boss has plans to bring him back, but the 101-year-old Stanstead resident doesn’t plan to take him up on the offer. When asked if he finally plans to kick back and rest up, Taylor laughed and noted he’s always going to find something to do.
“I don’t know about that, I like to bowl, but I can’t bowl now because it’s all closed down. I bowled a couple times a week,” he said in a phone interview, sharing he was discouraged when the government shut down all indoor sports and activities again.
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