Retired NMS tech-ed teacher Don Ramsey received a beautiful gift from Mother Nature last Wednesday. While walking across the Fairfield Hills campus, Don spotted a double rainbow during one of the brief moments that day when the sun tried to break through the gloom.DuBois Manor series, will discuss her novels and sign books at the Newtown Woman's Club English Tea fundraiser. The event, scheduled for Saturday, January 14, from noon to 2 pm, takes place at the Newtown Country Club. Tickets, $16, can be purchased at the library or by calling Margot Hall at 203-426-9101.sreilly24@gmail.com . (There's still time to practice your basketball skills.)bechocolat.com/collections/audubonbons ; and as you might suspect, chocolate sales support the state Audubon Society's conservation and environmental education programs. Okay, so the birds don't actually get any chocolate... you might want to pick up a bag of sunflower seeds for your feathered backyard friends.FCGives.org . According to information I received this week, 300 nonprofits from throughout Fairfield County have already registered. Fairfield County's Community Foundation initiated Giving Day in 2014 and since then, more than 35,000 donations totaling more than $3 million has been raised for more than 600 nonprofits. Last year $1.24 million was raised during the 24-hour period, benefiting 410 local nonprofits. Sounds like an opportunity not to be missed, and one that many in our town will support.

Give yourself a beautiful gift of tea and learn about a local author's book trilogy. Diana Baxter, author of the

Alan Embree, you are a Good Egg! At least, that's the word around town and from a fan who says that you are helpful and serve the community in many capacities, including as a tutor for two young men with foreign backgrounds, and as the main tutor for the Interfaith Partnership for Refugee Resettlement. Alan is active at Newtown Congregational Church, we are told, and is often spotted there, "tool bag in hand." Congratulations, Alan!

The Newtown Choral Society will present its winter concert this coming Sunday afternoon, January 15, at the Newtown Meeting House on Main Street, at 3:30 pm. You can get tickets at the door for $10 ($8 for senior citizens and students). Under the direction of Mary Andreotta, I've no doubt you'll hear a wonderful concert of varied musical pieces, just right for reflecting on the winter season.

There may be time ahead of the choral concert to catch photographer William Burt's slide show of birds. "Water Babies" will be presented at 2 pm, in the Meeting Room of the library - just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Meeting House.

The Knights of Columbus are sponsoring their annual Free Throw Competition on Sunday, January 22, at noon, in the St Rose School Gym/Gathering Hall. There is no entry fee. Boys and girls, ages 9 through 14 as of January 1, can compete. Every participant receives a certificate of participation and patch. The winners get plaques, with the opportunity to compete at the division level and the potential to compete on the state level. For more information, contact Sean Reilly at

Chocolate might be deadly for dogs, but it's turning out to be pretty good for birds. The Connecticut Audubon Society is celebrating its 45th anniversary by partnering with chocolatier Benoir Racquet of Fairfield, to create "AudubonBons." Packages of the AudubonBons (which come in blood orange, milk-rum, peppermint, and red currant flavors) can be purchased online at

You can't talk about the birds without talking about the bees, right? There is bad news and good news for the rusty patched bumblebee. The bad news is that it is an endangered species; the good news is that it is now listed as such, as of this Tuesday, gaining it protection through raising awareness of practices that harm this pollinator (and others), improving conservation efforts that will encourage the growth of the rusty patched bumblebee population, and restriction of activities that have negative effects on this bee. Go, bees!

If you have not made time to see Marleen Cafarelli's photography exhibit, "Life In The 2nd Company Governor's Horse Guard" at the Municipal Center at Fairfield Hills, you will want to trot over there sometime before the end of the month. The exhibit can be viewed anytime during regular Municipal Center hours, weekdays, and is a lovely look at our 2GHG troopers and horses.

Here's another art diversion: Artwork created by Newtown High School Art Portfolio Class students Chaeli Allen, Sadie Elkow, Teresa Forlenzo, Daphne Mack, and Jerusha Wright will be on display in the C.H. Booth Library meeting room, from January 13 to 24, during library hours.

Do Not Enter - that's the word at the Juniper Street intersection of Nettleton Avenue these days. Long used by travelers on Route 302 to circumvent heavy tie-ups at the Main Street, South Main Street, Glover Avenue, and Sugar Street, residents on the tiny unpaved road that stretches from Juniper to Elm Drive can now breathe a sigh of relief. This will be especially welcome, I hear, when bridge work near the Pleasance and Ram Pasture gets underway and drivers are sure to want a shortcut around the construction.

Calling all nonprofits who want to spread the word and raise funds. Fairfield County's Community Foundation Giving Day takes place this year on Thursday, March 9. Nonprofits that can benefit from the day of giving must register by February 1, at

It's been a ping-pong of temperatures this week, with below zero temperatures recorded on Monday, following the snowstorm, then a surge to the 50s midweek.

There'll be no waffling on the news in this column, though. Be sure to... Read me again.