Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope everyone has someone to love this Friday. If not, I’ll be your valentine.

Speaking of love, the President I love most is Abraham Lincoln. Presidents Day falls on Monday — hence all the car deals and other “special” sales we’re being bombarded with. Ahead of the day that celebrates the anniversaries of the birth of Abraham Lincoln (February 12, for those keeping track) and George Washington (February 22), I’d like to announce that the tallest President to date (6’4” before he added a stovepipe hat) is my favorite leader, despite the fact the federal holiday remains Washington’s Birthday.

Sure, Abe Lincoln led the United States through the Civil War and helped bring about the abolition of slavery. But the 16th President was also known for his keen sense of humor, and a varied list of interests outside of politics including being a farmer, carpenter, and animal lover. Lincoln owned dogs and cats throughout his life, and he let his sons Tad and Willie keep rabbits, turkeys, horses, and goats at The White House. The animal that apparently got the most special treatment, however, was Lincoln’s cat Tabby, whom he let dine at the table, including once during a formal dinner at The White House. Mrs Lincoln was not amused. When Mary Todd Lincoln said it was “shameful in front of their guests,” the President reportedly replied: “If the gold fork was good enough for [former President James] Buchanan, I think it is good enough for Tabby.” Lincoln thought highly of his cat Dixie, as well. He once remarked that she was “smarter than my whole Cabinet!” If I’m being as honest as Abe is reported to have been, I’m going with that man any day.

President Lincoln will also be the focus of a lecture Sunday afternoon at C.H. Booth Library. We have a press release about that event, in print and online this week; check our calendars for details as well. Newtown Historical Society is co-sponsoring the lecture.

A group of six intrepid Newtown residents braved the subfreezing temperatures on February 5 to drive to Hartford. They participated in protests taking place concurrently in all fifty state capitals to show opposition to recent Executive Actions and policy changes taken by the current Administration. The local residents joined with about 250 others peacefully protesting outside the Capitol building. Many cars passing by tooted their horns in solidarity. Amazingly, the police were friendly and no buildings were stormed. I understand the group returned home with everyone agreeing that this one action may not change the world but success is measured in small steps, and it was a lot more satisfying than posting on social media.

Best wishes to Father Eric Silva. A Parochial Vicar at St Rose of Lima Church since mid-2023, Fr Eric’s final day in Newtown was Friday, January 31. He was assigned by Bishop Caggiano to serve as Parish Administrator at St Joseph Church in Danbury, effective February 1.

Trinity Episcopal Church has been doing a Dorothy Day Coat Drive for a few weeks. A collection box has been set up near the glass doors of the rear entry of the historic church at 36 Main Street. Readers are invited to donate new or gently-used winter coats, gloves and socks. If you can get there by this Sunday morning, parishioners will be delivering the collection to Danbury during the week. Trinity’s Hot Meal Team visits the Danbury shelter on the third Tuesday of each month. In January, they served 175 hot meals of chili, rice, corn bread and coleslaw in 18-degree weather. They also handed out sandwich meals, coats, gloves and socks, all provided by supporters of the Dorothy Day mission.

Trinity is also home to The Little Pantry, which continues to collect and provide nonperishable food and household goods. The standalone structure in the parking lot behind the church is available to all readers. Donations can be left at any time. Recent needs have included peanut butter and jelly, oatmeal/cold cereal, coffee, soups, pasta and pasta sauce, rice (regular or minute), canned legumes (kidney, black beans etc), pet food, and grocery or Walmart gift cards. Canned goods are not needed at this time.

Bruce the Good Hearted Spruce in our Production Department is still collecting canned goods, however. As mentioned last week, we at 5 Church Hill Road are observing National Canned Food Month with a building-wide collection. All donated canned goods are filling the space under our three-foot tall artificial tree, and will be delivered to FAITH Food Pantry in early March.

Bravo to the participants of a recent special event at The Foundry. Attendees of “Succulents And Sips,” presented by Tulips and Sage at the Sandy Hook eatery, were asked to provide a donation to the food pantry and boy did they deliver! Over 100 pounds of donations were reportedly presented to FAITH thanks to those good people.

Bee Reporter Sam Cross had a very unusual opportunity this week, thanks to the town’s Keeper of the Flagpole. During Tuesday night’s Borough Board of Burgesses meeting, Senior Burgess Chris Gardner — who also serves as said Keeper — had the ball from the Main Street flagpole with him to discuss during his report. The ball was in hand because it was knocked from the top of the 100-foot-tall steel flagpole after a driver traveling west on Church Hill Road crashed into the flagpole back on January 26. The crash was so hard, it broke the metal rod — or truck, in flagpole speak — connecting the flagpole to the 16-inch gold orb. The fall from the top of the landmark down onto Main Street crushed the gold ball. Sam said one side is absolutely flattened. Chris had the heavily damaged gold ball with him this week to illustrate why it needs to be replaced, not just repaired. Before the ball was returned to the vault within Edmond Town Hall that evening, Chris invited everyone to take a good look at it and, if they wanted, to hold it. As this photo shows, Sam was among those to eagerly accept that invitation.

If you were planning to head to St Rose School next Friday for this month’s St Rose Bingo Night, you’ll be a little early and very much alone. As announced a few weeks ago, this month’s games have been postponed one week due to a scheduling conflict. All ages are now invited to the Monsignor Weiss Gathering Hall at St Rose of Lima School, 40 Church Hill Road, on Friday, February 28. Doors open at 5:45 pm, and games run from 6:30 until about 9:30 pm each week. Admission is $20 for all ages, and that covers all regular games.

While Bingo isn’t a betting game, it’s a safe bet to say I’m still looking forward to this month’s games, even if I do need to wait one extra week. You know what you have to wait one more week for? The opportunity to come back here to … read me again.