Betty Baker - longtime residents may remember her as Betty Smith - celebrated her 90th birthday on January 13, in Florida. Betty was the town clerk in Newtown for many, many years. We send our belated best wishes to her, and if anyone would like to send her birthday greetings, mail to Betty Baker, 3590 NE 107th Street, Anthony FL 32617.newtowneducationfoundation.org.beardsleyzoo.com.cvhfoundation.org for the Sunday at the Sanctuary program that takes place this Sunday, January 21, from noon to 3 pm, at Edmond Town Hall. Learn about caring for pets from veterinarians and other animal experts. The program is hosted by the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary.newtownfoodpantry.org for a list of FAITH's most needed items. (You'll find a FAITH donation box in the lobby of The Newtown Bee office, 5 Church Hill Road, too, if you want to stop by with donations.) Thank you, in advance.newtownbee.com, as well, for upcoming school music concerts. They are always a great way to lift the spirits in the winter.

We are big on belated wishes: we've only recently learned that an end of year party at Edmond Town Hall included ETH's Christopher Clark, custodian, and Bruce Caulkins, night operations manager, accepting recognition awards for teamwork from Sheila Torres, operations manager. Edmond Town Hall board members joined the festivities and also recognized Azra Sholtes, bookkeeper, and Sheila Torres for their contributions. Congratulations to all!

A club that studies the past has officially joined the 21st Century. While the start of last week's Genealogy Club of Newtown meeting - which included a webinar as its featured program - was a little rocky, club member Bea Morgan reports that "club expert" John Irwin rescued the group by showing up with his laptop. "We whizzed right through it," Bea said of the program on "Dual Citizenship: Italy and Ireland." The webinar was a first for Bea, who feels like she's on top of technology with the successful presentation now under her belt.

Looking for some belly laughs? Then Edmond Town Hall this Saturday night, January 20, might be the place for you. The Newtown Education Foundation presents an evening of adult comedy with performers Keith Anthony, John Iavarone, and Tony Liberati. Doors for general admission open at 7:30 pm, and the $50 ticket - along with supporting NEF - gets you dessert, wine, and general seating at the 8 pm show. For more information and info on the VIP event earlier in the evening, visit

Stay tuned - The University of Connecticut and WTNH News 8/WCTX MyTV9 announced a partnership to broadcast live, two men's hockey games throughout the state of Connecticut. The first was a Huskies match up with Providence, scheduled for Thursday, January 18, airing at 7 pm; the second will be Saturday, January 27, Huskies and New Hampshire, airing at 3:30 pm, from the XL Center in Hartford. The Huskies made their debut on WCTX MyTV9 earlier this season, knocking off No. 16 nationally ranked Colgate, 4-2. UConn fans can check their local listings for WCTX MyTV9 channel information.

The Amur tiger cubs at Beardsley Zoo were officially introduced to the public late last week. The zoo shared a photo of a zoo employee carrying one of the two big kittens into the photo op. Zoo workers have been nurturing the cubs since their birth in November, when mama tiger decided motherhood was not for her. The zoo is currently fundraising for a new Amur tiger habitat. Find out more at

These tiger cubs remind me that you can register at

The Popcorn Board - of course - announces that this Friday, January 19, is National Popcorn Day. So if you were planning to go to a movie on Friday, you'll probably find the perfect snack right there. Staying in for movie night? Look for a specialty popcorn at the supermarket for that special night in: purple, blue, and red popcorn, super white, or rainbow are all out there. Don't forget the tasty popcorn seasonings!

There is another holiday looming on the horizon: Valentine's Day, February 14. Gifts are often sent with a message of love, so don't forget that our local stores offer great shopping opportunities. From chocolates to spirits, from games to gadgets, from jewelry to clothing, from flowers to restaurant gift cards (or how about just making reservations?) there are endless choices for the perfect gift without going outside our borders. Sure, you can order online, but what's the fun in that? The browsing is half the fun!

Food insecurity lasts beyond the holidays. Donations to support FAITH Food Pantry at 31 Pecks Lane and the food pantry within the Social Services Department, 3 Main Street, are always welcome. Nonperishable food items, toiletries, paper towels and trash bags, and pet food are among the many items always needed to stock the shelves. Call Social Services at 203-270-4330 if you'd like an idea of the most needed donations; and go to

You gotta love the roller coaster of weather in New England. From temperatures near 60 degrees late last week that swiftly dissipated that foot of snow from Storm Grayson, to the single digits and new snowfall on Wednesday of this week, we have been treated to the joys of winter in Connecticut. That includes a two-time postponement of the celebration of the new high school auditorium, which now school officials hope can take place in April. Students won't have to wait to use the completely renovated auditorium, though, so you can look forward to the return of events that have been shuffled about the past year.

If the weather has you feeling gloomy, check out the "Garden Planning For Frosty Months" program presented by the Garden Club of Newtown. It is scheduled for Tuesday, January 23, at 1 pm, at the C.H. Booth Library. You'll get tips from some of Newtown's master gardeners - and come away inspired, I am sure.

You'll want to check our online calendar at

I'll be doing my part to lift spirits and whatever else I must to find the news. Be sure next week to... Read me again.