Cornerstone Winter Hours began Friday, November 2. The thrift shop located in the lower level of Newtown Congregational Church, 14 West Street (entrance at the side) will be open Tuesdays through Fridays, from 10 am until 3 pm, and Saturdays from 11 am until 1:30 pm. There are a lot of brand new-never used items and lots of decorations for the holidays.

Not just people are suffering from the wildfires in California. Horses, livestock, dogs, cats, and other pets have been displaced or lost as their owners have fled for their lives. One nonprofit doing its best to help the many creatures in need is the Humane Society of Ventura County (not part of the Humane Society of America). If you’d like to find out more about their recent efforts and support them, visit hsvc.org.

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport is the new home for a pair of Emperor geese (Anser canagicus). The male and female pair arrived from Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Wash., in late September, and after a brief quarantine period, they took up residence in their new habitat, we hear from the zoo. Both were hatched in June 2018. Emperor geese are native to Alaska, the Bering Sea, and parts of Russia.

Students at American Tiger Martial Arts in Bethel last month helped raise money and awareness for breast cancer by purchasing a Pink Belt to be worn in class. During October, Master Barghaus shares with us, most of the students, from 4 to 50 years of age, gave up their belts and purchased Pink Belts to help raise money for Breast Cancer. School owner and instructor Master Barghaus was proud to say of his students’ effort “that’s what the martial arts is about — fighting for a worthy cause.”

The student-produced NHS fall drama, The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, is on stage at the 12 Berkshire Road high school this weekend. The show focuses on the Salem Witch Trials. Performances are at 7 pm Thursday through Saturday, November 15-17; and 2 pm on Sunday, November 18. Tickets are $7 for students, $10 for senior citizens, and $12 for adults.

Looking for something to do in your spare time? The Fairfield Hills Authority and Newtown Community Center Committee both have vacancies open to a Republican or an unaffiliated voter. Candidate recommendations are due by Friday, December 14, with an anticipated appointment date of December 17. Contact Sue Marcinek, executive assistant to the First Selectman, at 203-270-4203 or susan.marcinek@newtown-ct.gov.

Before you get ready to gobble your turkey, please remember that the holidays are especially challenging for some of our neighbors. Members of Hawleyville, Hook & Ladder, and Sandy Hook fire companies will be stationed outside Big Y on 6 Queen Street, and members of Botsford and Dodgingtown will be at Stop & Shop, 228 South Main Street (Sand Hill Plaza) on Saturday, November 17, from 9 am to 2 pm. Your donations of food items to fill the fire trucks will support FAITH Food Pantry.

You want your furry friends to enjoy Thanksgiving as much as you do, but the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) suggests that the best way to do that is to keep the holiday feeding as close to normal as possible. The ASPCA offers these tips to make Thanksgiving a day your pet will really be thankful for:

*Talkin’ Turkey: If you decide to feed your pet a small bite of turkey, make sure it’s boneless and well-cooked. Don’t offer them raw or undercooked turkey, which may contain salmonella bacteria. Do not give your pet the leftover carcass — the bones can be problematic for the digestive tract.

*No Bread Dough: When a dog or cat ingests raw bread dough, the yeast continues to convert the sugars in the dough to carbon dioxide gas and alcohol. This can result in bloated, drunken pets, which could become a life-threatening emergency, requiring hospitalization.

*Don’t Let Them Eat Cake: If you plan to bake Thanksgiving desserts, be sure your pets keep their noses out of the batter, especially if it includes raw eggs — they could contain salmonella bacteria that may lead to food poisoning.

*A Feast Fit for a King: While your family enjoys a special meal, give your cat and dog a small feast of their own. Offer them made-for-pets chew bones. Or stuff their usual dinner — perhaps with a few added tidbits of turkey, vegetables (try sweet potato or green beans), and dribbles of gravy — inside a food puzzle toy. They’ll be happily occupied for awhile, working hard to extract their dinner from the toy.

I’ll add, as well, be sure that Fluffy and Fido do not mistake that vodka tonic or glass of Prosecco for a serving of delicious water. Alcohol is a big no-no for pets. For more information on tips to keep pets healthy, visit aspca.org.

The Newtown Fund is also seeking community assistance for the Holiday Basket Program. You can find out how to adopt a local family — providing requested items of holiday gifts and food, for instance — by calling 203-426-5189 or visiting thenewtownfund.org by the end of the month. Volunteers will also be needed for Depot Day on December 15 to wrap small gifts, load cars, and get the baskets to the families in need.

Hollandia Nurseries, at 95 Stony Hill Road in Bethel, is ready to get you in the holiday spirit. Join in their holiday open house, this Friday, November 16, through Sunday, November 18, during store hours, 9 am to 6 pm, featuring the unveiling of their Christmas showroom. It’s always dazzling!

Not only is the holiday season upon us, but so is flu season. If you have not yet received your flu shot, the next flu clinic will take place at Newtown Middle School on Queen Street this Saturday, November 17, from 10 am to 1 pm. It’s $40 for injection or $45 Flumist for those not covered by Aetna, Blue Cross, Cigna, ConnectiCare, Harvard Pilgrim, Medicare (Part B), Oxford, Tricare or United Healthcare (bring proof of insurance). The Newtown Public School Nursing Department is hosting this clinic administered by Western Connecticut Home Care. Call 203-426-7600 with questions.

Someone at Nicholas Auctions in Whitehall, N.Y., is very artistic. The Newtown Bee recently received a letter from this auction house with a clever, hand-drawn bee encompassing our post office address. The envelope art struck a memory chord, and sure enough, our front office receptionist Sandy Tannone realized she had saved a similar one from a few years earlier. In neither case was the USPS confounded by the unusual rendering of our address, and we hope that the envelopes brought as big a smile to the faces of postal handlers as it has to our staff. Thank you, Nicholas Auctions, for brightening our day!

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