We received good news this week from Donna Marschalk, who shared that her friend and neighbor Dolores Meehan had returned home. Readers met Dolores last week ([naviga:u]“Canine To The Rescue: A Blessing Named Bella,”[/naviga:u] February 1, 2019), when they read about a fall she took back in December. It was Donna’s dog, Bella, who heard Dolores calling from outside her home that cold Friday evening and barked until Donna went outside and found her friend on the ground. One fractured hip, one surgical procedure, and one long stint at Newtown Rehabilitation later, Dolores went home about a week earlier than had been expected. Donna and Bella visited their friend in her home over the weekend, and Bella returned to one of her favorite spots: curled up in Dolores’s lap.

Bingo fun and cash prizes, along with raffle giveaways and concessions, return to St Rose of Lima School this weekend. Players of all ages are invited to the school’s Gathering Hall on Friday, February 8, where Bingo games will be ongoing from 6:30 until 9:30 pm. Admission is $17 per person, with additional small fees for optional special games. The school is at 40 Church Hill Road. Reservations are not needed, but additional information is available by calling 203-426-5102.

It’s a tough call for music lovers this weekend. [naviga:u]Flagpole Radio Cafe returns to Edmond Town Hall this Saturday evening[/naviga:u], at 7 pm; and Murphy’s Pub, 77 South Main Street, is featuring a Joni Mitchell tribute at 8:30 pm, with local musicians. Toss a coin: tickets for Flagpole Radio Cafe are at [naviga:u]flagpoleproductions.org[/naviga:u] for $35 per person. Comedian Tom Leopold joins the Radio Cafe show. If you head to Murphy’s Pub, cover charge is $10 or get tickets in advance at [naviga:u]jonirocks.brownpapertickets.com[/naviga:u].

Canaan resident Angelo Paul Ramunni [naviga:u]will be at Edmond Town Hall next weekend[/naviga:u], offering “Accordion Stories from the Heart.” Based on his recently released book of the same name, Mr Ramunni’s program will include a mini concert and stories about some of his favorite accordions and the people who perform on them. The 90-minute program will begin at 2 pm on Saturday, February 16. Cost is $5 per person, with proceeds to benefit the ongoing restorations to that historic building at 45 Main Street. Mr Ramunni, who is also the founder of New England Accordion Connection & Museum Company, will also have accordions from his personal collection on view that afternoon.

Congratulations to the elementary and middle school Newtown Youth Wrestling Association teams who recently were named the Western Connecticut League Champions.

We’re patting ourselves on the backs a little here in the office of The Newtown Bee, as well. Next weekend, Bee staff will travel to the New England Newspaper & Press Association’s conference in Boston to be honored with awards in various categories. Stay tuned for the announcement!

Everybody is curious about their background. If you or your family has dug into DNA via one of the ancestry search products and would like to share any discoveries, The Newtown Bee is underway with a series about these finds. (See this week's first story in that series, [naviga:u]“Newtown Residents Discover Their Ancestry: Doreen Kelleher.”[/naviga:u]) Or maybe your curiosity about your dog has been piqued and you’ve had Fido’s ancestry checked — we’re interested in any surprises, there, as well. Contact [naviga:u]alissa@thebee.com[/naviga:u] for more information and to take part in this series.

I’ll take this opportunity to remind readers that we do love your feedback. To comment on our online stories, you do have to register. At the top of the home page, select “Log In,” to register — we do not give out this information to anyone, if that’s your fear. (If you prefer to speak out in print, please send letters to [naviga:u]editor@thebee.com[/naviga:u], subject line “Letter to the Editor.”) Can’t wait to hear from more of you!

Here’s good environmental news that has my heart aflutter: The National Wildlife Federation announces “The latest numbers for the eastern monarch butterfly population have just been released and posted by Monarch Watch... going into 2019, the population is 144 percent larger than last year and higher than it’s been in over a decade.” NWF has also shared with us a photo by Jennifer Strom of a monarch in Minnesota (definitely not taken during that state’s recent deep freeze!). “While the western monarch population continues to decline, this is an encouraging sign that favorable weather conditions coupled with the work of cities, farmers, and individual gardeners to plant native milkweed and nectar plants could be paying off for the eastern population,” Monarch Watch notes.

Do you have an Arts Hero? The Connecticut Office of the Arts introduced Arts Hero Awards to honor and celebrate Connecticut residents who are doing extraordinary work in the arts, for the arts, or through the arts in Connecticut — some publicly and some behind the scenes. The deadline to submit a nomination is Thursday, March 28. Visit [naviga:u]surveymonkey.com/r/2019ctartshero[/naviga:u] to nominate your hero of the arts.

There’s a reason you never see Cat Obedience Training offered, but my canine friends find they are better loved when better behaved, and that starts young with puppy obedience classes. Luckily for the pooches in Newtown, I see that Parks & Rec is offering a number of puppy and dog training classes, beginning February 28 — as well as agility training for those more athletic dogs among us. Visit [naviga:u]newtown-ct.gov/parks-recreation[/naviga:u] to find registration information. Meanwhile, I’ll continue practicing my batting skills on glasses left on the counter...Mexican Jalapeno Peanut, English Toffee, and Thai Coconut Peanut M&Ms are the three newest flavors being tested in markets. Cast a vote for your favorite at [naviga:u]flavorvote.mms.com[/naviga:u], until May 17. The winning flavor will be announced in August.

Also known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, the Chinese New Year began this past Tuesday, February 5 — but you didn’t miss it. This celebration lasts about 15 days. 2019, by the way, is known as the Year of the Pig, according to the Chinese Zodiac. People born in the Year of the Pig are philanthropic, generous, disciplined, hard-working, social, and friendly. They like to entertain and have a love for life. I’ll be looking forward to the Year of the Tiger, naturally — in 2022.

You don’t have to wait that long to hear from me, though. Be sure next week to... Read me again.