It’s the time of year when obsessive grass aficionados start spreading magic pixie dust, or whatever it is they use to keep the crabgrass down on their lawns. Some of these lawn jockeys are so successful that their yards have nary a flaw. They all must have litter boxes stashed somewhere.

The Parks and Recreation Department could use a little magic pixie dust in its efforts to plant an artificial playing surface at Treadwell Park. In this case, the potion would stimulate grassroots support at a May 5 town meeting and at a subsequent Legislative Council meeting, where Parks and Rec is hoping to win support for a transfer of surcharge funds for that purpose. The surcharges aren’t tax revenues, but advance funds that were voluntarily paid by the teams who use the fields last year and placed in town coffers. Unfortunately, to get those funds back out for their intended use, taxpayers must endorse the transfer.

If you’ve been admiring the pansies in The Pleasance, be sure to thank Tom Johnson at Lexington Gardens. Always a material supporter of The Pleasance Gardens, he donated the pansies this year.

Recreational users of Fairfield Hills need to get ready for some changes as spring turns to summer. Before you know it the building remediation and demolition activities will be starting, and this will also constitute the need for restricting access to vast areas of the grounds for days and sometimes weeks at a time. In the short run, however, campus safety officials are asking everyone to stay clear of all buildings by at least 50-feet, because a number of the buildings have been shedding large and dangerous pieces of masonry cornices in recent days.

After the recent story on the tick and Lyme prevention program under way at the Newtown Health District, director Donna Culbert is asking folks for assistance. Since many ticks are coming through the office to be tested for Lyme, she wants to remind everyone about special handling of the critters. Bring your ticks in to the District offices on Peck’s Lane in a sandwich-sized plastic bag with a blade or two of grass to help keep the sample moist. Don’t affix them to tape, or put them in an envelope, film container, old medicine bottle, etc.

It was a down and up week for Sandy Hook resident Richard Budman. Mr Budman, who is preparing a collection of his works for a solo exhibition opening next month at Bethel Arts Junction (which will be talked about in detail in an upcoming Enjoy feature), also submitted work for a juried show at Housatonic Museum of Art in Bridgeport. HMA’s “Annual Open Juried Show” is a major event for artists in the New York-New England area. Mr Budman sent a slide of one of his surrealist paintings for consideration, and then the waiting began.

Earlier this week he received a rejection letter from the museum. But he didn’t know this until he had a phone call from Robin Zella, the director of the museum, who told him to ignore the letter… which he hadn’t even seen yet. It seems the museum accidentally sent a rejection letter to Mr Budman, but they meant to send him a notice of acceptance. So the confusing phone call has a happy ending: After Mr Budman finishes celebrating the opening of his show in Bethel in mid-May, he can plan on another celebration in June in Bridgeport — where one of his paintings will be shown in a museum for the first time in his career.

That strange little parking lot extension as you turn into Lexington Gardens off of Church Hill Road is for Lexington Gardens customers, and a new sign warns that “others will be towed at their own expense.” So, if you’ve been trying to avoid the congested parking lots of nearby businesses by parking there, take heed.

Mike Porco has generously donated office space in Sandy Hook center for use by the Tercentennial Committee. The committee voted at its last meeting to accept the offer, and hopes to have the information space up and running soon, in case you’ve been wondering where to get the skinny on the many upcoming tercentennial events.

Retirement is apparently not a concept former Newtown School Superintendent John Reed is embracing heartily. Besides the more than part-time volunteer work he’s doing at the helm of the ad hoc Fairfield Hills Management Committee, Dr Reed has taken the “temporary” post as acting assistant superintendent of elementary education in Darien. So when he factors in that wonderful commute every day, it must be almost like he has three new jobs!

First-time author C.J. Golden, who is celebrating the recent release of The Tao of The Defiant Woman, will be the guest author at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Danbury on Friday, May 6. The Newtown resident will be at the book store for a program to start at 7:30 pm. She will discuss the interesting philosophy she sets forth in her book, one that offers a unique yet effective approach to life. C.J. will also autograph copies of the book after her presentation. The store is at 15 Backus Avenue, in Danbury Square.

The postal carriers and the staff at Newtown Social Services are reminding everyone to do a little extra shopping next week and to put your nonperishable food items by your mailbox Saturday May 14 for the annual Postal Carriers Food Drive. Remember that volunteers will be helping the carriers, so it may not be a postal vehicle picking up your donated food. Social Services Director Anne Piccini is also in need of many volunteers that day, especially to help sort the food coming in later in the afternoon. If you can be a driver/runner or a sorter for one to four hours that day, just give Anne a call at 270-4330 or leave a message. And if you’re bringing the kids to help, please no children younger than middle school age for the sorting duties.

Anyone listening to New York’s WCBS Newsradio 88 Monday may have heard the item about problems with Homeland Security funding. Yes, that was the calming voice of First Selectman Herb Rosenthal commenting during the segment, which ran for much of the day. Herb reassured the listeners that the situation had not yet reached crisis proportions, despite the sensational introduction that made it sound like Newtown would be wiped off the map because of the government’s failure to provide the necessary equipment or training to deal with a terrorist attack.

Speaking of an attack. Don’t be alarmed if you see dark suited and armed police officers running around the Fairfield Hills campus next week. Apparently, the FBI and Connecticut State Police will be conducting a SWAT team drill in and around one or two of the buildings. The drill may cause parts of the campus to be temporarily off limits to recreational users.

Someone just pointed out to me that I’ve gotten a little wordy this week, so I’ll save the rest for next week, so be sure to…

Read me again.