Punxsutawney Phil for the win! Less than 24 hours after seeing his shadow and promptly predicting six more weeks of winter, we had our second snow of 2025 this week. Beardsley Bart’s prediction was a contraction, with the zoo’s prairie dog (or Senior Spring Arrival Specialist, according to his official title) leading followers to believe we were in the clear from any additional winter weather.

“Above the fold” is a very familiar phrase to anyone in the newspaper industry, and those who enjoy reading print media (our favorite people). The phrase refers to the space above the fold of a newspaper, often thought to be prime real estate, especially the closer you get to page 1. With that in mind, I have to give a shout out to The Genealogy Club of Newtown, whose program this month will feature New York-based genealogist Jeanette Sheliga offering a virtual program she calls “Above The Fold: Your Ancestors in the News.” Even the program description made me swoon: “Newspapers are a fantastic source of research leads, information, and historical context for family history. The stories of ancestors’ lives can be found in the pages of archived newspapers.” I know this!!! That is the song of my people!

In fact, one of our favorite things to remind people when we’re talking about The Newtown Bee is “we’re recording the permanent history of Newtown.” Every week we publish, that’s one more week of this town’s history being recorded for future generations. If you’d like to know how genealogists and other researchers use newspapers to search for ancestral news, you may want to consider joining The Genealogy Club of Newtown for the February 12 program. Check our calendars in print and online, or find the press release in last week’s paper or online, for additional information. Registration is required, and the club is asking for that to be taken care of by Monday, February 10.

Your Newtown Bees eased into last weekend by observing National Hot Chocolate Day. Thanks to contributions from a few employees, everyone working at — or even visiting — 5 Church Hill Road on January 31 was invited to enjoy a cup of cocoa, made to their liking. There were flavor options including standard hot chocolate, hot chocolate with marshmallows, a sugar-free variety, and packages of French Vanilla, Chocolate Caramel, and Chocolate Supreme. Organizers weren’t done there. If you wanted more marshmallows, there was a jar filled with those, nestled next to a jar of Peppermint Soft Pulls, near a jar of Peppermint Bits, and even a jar of instant coffee! Finally, a can of Reddi-Whip was kept on ice all day, giving celebrants the opportunity to top their hot mug of cocoa with a traditional topping. Nearby was a plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies. Now that’s the way to celebrate National Hot Chocolate Day!

We did not, however, take advantage of Take A Shower With A Friend Day when that “holiday” was noticed on Wednesday’s calendar page.

Bruce the Spruce stepped right into February and an observance of National Canned Food Month. He is all dressed up as a soup can, and Bees have begun responding with additions to his little plot of land in our Production department. The growing collection will circle Bruce for the month, and then be delivered to FAITH Food Pantry in early March.

In addition to the NHS cheer team winning the South-West Conference Championship, Nighthawk basketball player Aidan Walker followed his SWC Player of the Week honors by being selected as the Connecticut High School Coaches Association Player of the Week for the same week. See this week’s Sports section for details on both stories.

Fifty years ago this month AC/DC released its first album, Drew Barrymore was born, Daylight Saving Time began two months earlier than usual, and a fire at the Manhattan switching station of The New York Telephone Company knocked out telephone service to 300 blocks in the financial district and surrounding residences, some for as long as 23 days.

Meanwhile, one local teenager decided he would become a firefighter. Botsford Fire Rescue President and Firefighter Jay Nezvesky was surrounded by family, friends and plenty of fellow first responders Monday night, ahead of the company’s regular monthly meeting, to celebrate his 50th anniversary as a member of that company. He’d joined the company — then known as United Fire Company of Botsford — on February 3, 1975, becoming the second generation in his family to do so. (His father Samuel was a founding member of the company, and the third generation of Nezveskys are current BFR members.) Jay has held nearly every rank from Firefighter to Assistant Chief. He is also the company’s Board of Fire Commissioners representative. Monday night Jay was presented with a citation from State Representative Mitch Bolinsky, State Representative Martin Foncello and State Senator Tony Hwang. The citation recognized Jay’s “unwavering dedication to our community” and his “profound impact on the safety and security of your neighbors.” Jay’s service, “in times of extreme danger,” the citation also noted, “has exemplified bravery and courage by gearing up and heading into the chaos.” Jay is certainly one to lead by example, and I offer my thanks for his friendship and years of service to our shared hometown.

I hope you’ll offer your thanks to him, and anyone else who makes Newtown a great place, before you remember to come back here next week, when you can … read me again.