Finding a place to park in The Bee lot is getting to be more and more difficult for employees and visitors alike. Caroline Stokes, who lived in Sandy Hook for nearly 60 years before moving to Southbury last year, was stymied Monday when she pulled in Monday to drop off a press release. Not finding a place to park, Caroline jumped out of her car and quickly handed the release to a passing Bee reporter who was about to enter the building. “Is this the Newtown Bee?” Caroline innocently inquired while double-parked, as though she were a lost newcomer. Recognizing her and fully aware that there is almost nothing in this town that longtime Booth Library Curator Caroline Stokes doesn’t know something about, the reporter laughed. Caroline grinned back, and the press release got delivered.

You might have noticed the boss standing out in front of The Bee this week directing the removal of several overgrown junipers and yews from the front entranceway. No telling what he plans to put in their place. Maybe another couple of parking places would be a good idea.

Animal Center Board Member Marj Cramer is putting out an alert for anyone who sees Blue, the long-escaped Sheltie recently seen in the vicinity of Huntingtown Road. (Be sure to read the story about Blue in The Bee this week.) “We can’t imagine how she has survived the last two years with all the coyotes around. But we are very anxious to rescue her,” Marj said, adding that Blue is very timid, so people should not approach her. “If you spot her, call one of these numbers,” Marj said, mentioning Karlyn Sturmer at 426-1142, The Animal Center at 241-6427, or Newtown Animal Control, 426-6900.

A fundraiser for her friend’s 3½-year-old daughter has turned from fun to frantic for Eileen Knox. Toddler Brianna Lennon of New Milford has pachygyria syndrome, a rare congenital malformation of the cerebral hemisphere complicated by developmental delay and seizures. Brianna attends day care at Koalaty Care in Newtown, owned by Debra Gaudette. Eileen, her family and others who know Brianna through the day care just wanted to raise money to help the Lennons purchase a special $30,000 wheelchair to aide Brianna in learning to walk and to help cover the many medical expenses the family has incurred. So Eileen volunteered to start a fundraiser to be held at her house on Fairchild Drive on April 29.

“Businesses, friends, and family have donated a roomful of beautiful gifts to be raffled off,” said Eileen. Gift baskets, massages, art work, handmade jewelry, and gift cards to various shops are taking up a large part of her home. What she didn’t know until this week is that a raffle requires a state permit. She has also been told that she needs to incorporate as a nonprofit organization in order to hold a raffle. “I’m hoping at this point that I can find a nonprofit organization to be our sponsor now,” Eileen said. Otherwise, she is unsure what is going to become of her goods and goodwill.

“It seemed so simple and now it is so complicated. I really need help,” she said. Anybody out there have a good idea to pay this forward? Call Eileen at 364-0529.

Kenny Joyce, who so ably keeps The Pleasance mowed and looking tidy, also works at a number of private properties around town and he sees a lot of natural curiosities in the course of his work. On Monday, however, he saw something new. He came across a red fox pup with its head caught in a chain link fence. After much discussion with a co-worker and client and some more strategizing, he approached the fox. The fox, on the other hand did some strategizing of his own and decided the best thing to do was to free himself instead of putting himself in Kenny’s hands — which he did. The incident gave both Kenny and the fox a good story to take home with them.

Milt Adams has done a lot of retelling of a not-so-good story that left him with a cast on his leg and some time off from work at the Highway Department. While driving an ATV near his home in March, Milt collided with a stonewall[SH1] , breaking his leg. With no one around, Milt had to walk back to the house to call for help. (That had to hurt!) He’s getting around on crutches now and expects to be back at work by mid-May.

I’ll be back next week, providing no stonewalls [SH2] get in the way, so be sure to…

Read me again.