Somewhere out there, a critter is rubbing his rump and thinking, “Ouch! All this for a minnow?” Bee employee Emery Klein was out fishing last week, when his line started spinning out. This gave Emery a bit of a thrill, as he was expecting to reel in the big one. But the “one that got away” turned out to not be a trout or bass or any other fish one might find in Connecticut waters, but a beaver that had been tempted by the minnow at the end of the line. The beaver slipped away after breaking the line, and Emery is busy fixing his snapped pole now, I’m told.

If when you think of trucks, it’s “The Bigger, The Better!” then I have just the event for you. Saturday, May 4, from 10 am until 2 pm, Pay Suma from the Advanced Auto Parts Monster Jam Monster Truck Series will be at the Sandy Hook Firehouse on Riverside Road, giving rides in a special truck made for just such an occasion. Admission is free and parking is at the rear of the firehouse. The monster truck “Thrasher” will also be on display in its Sandy Hook memorial colors. Pete Barresi has more information at 203-915-0704.

Still looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift? Newtown Christian Church and Ever After Photography invite residents to gather their families and join photographer Janet Kuzma for some free family photos, Saturday, May 4. From 4 to 6 pm, Janet will be taking pictures of families and then provide them with a disc to print on their own. Weather permitting, all photos will be taken outside on the church property, at 210 Sugar Street. Reservations are not necessary, unless you need to request a specific time. The discs of pictures will be available for pick up at Newtown Christian Church’s Mother’s Day service, Sunday, May 12, at 10 am — titled, coincidentally, “Mothers: A Snapshot of God’s Love.” Those who are unable to attend the service can make arrangements to pick up their photo discs. For more information, call 203-426-6189, or visit www.Newtowncc.org.

Newtown resident Barb Patrick is taking a starring role in Manhattan, for Mother’s Day, sharing her view of motherhood as part of the national Listen To Your Mother show. Listen To Your Mother is a series of readings by writers celebrating all the angles of motherhood. Barb’s original piece reflects on the events of 12/14 and its impact on her own family. Tickets and more information about the show can be found at www.listentoyourmothershow.com/nyc/show-information.

It’s music to my ears when I hear news like this: NHS student Alex Lampel, a candidate for the Newtown Cultural Commission/Newtown Arts Festival scholarship, has composed a piece of music, Chromatic Metamorphosis, that will be part of the Danbury Community Orchestra’s final concert program for the season. Alex is a senior this year, and principal cellist for the DCO. His work will be joining other pieces by musical luminaries Copland, Bach, Sebelius, and Tchaikovsky. The concert takes place Sunday, May 5, at 7 pm, at Ives Concert Hall on the midtown WestConn campus, on White Street, and is free and open to the public.

History buffs will be pleased to know that the archives on the recently updated Newtown Bee website are up and running at last. That means that you can seek out stories that ran in The Bee all the way back to August 1999, if you are as curious as this cat. Just go to www.newtownbee.com and type in a key word in the search box, and voila! Instant information!

You’ll get a kick out of this upcoming event, I’m sure. The Newtown Soccer Club, in conjunction with Newtown Kindness, and support from Connecticut native and Houston Dynamo team president Chris Canetti and Dynamo Charities, announces the second edition of Soccer Night in Newtown. The event takes place at the soccer fields at Fairfield Hills on Friday, May 17, from 5 to 8 pm. It is open to Newtown residents and Newtown Soccer Club members. This event is free and no registration is required to attend. Soccer Night in Newtown includes the opportunity to meet and get autographs from US soccer legends including Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Alexi Lalas, Taylor Twellman, Chris Klein, Cobi Jones, Tab Ramos, Eddie Robinson, John Harkes, and Jeff Agoos.

You can toss this idea around for the next day: Current and former New England Patriots football players will come to Newtown High School to instruct youth residents ages 6–14 in a free football clinic, on May 18. The clinic will run from 11 am to 3 pm, and will feature a Patriots-themed activity zone open to the public and ceremony honoring the community of Newtown and Sandy Hook Elementary School. Registration is open at www.patriots.com/community.

Sunday is the day to celebrate Mexican heritage here in the US, Cinco de Mayo (The Fifth of May). I’m always happy to be a part of any celebration, so I’ll be cooking up some delicious south of the border empanadas and lapping up the guacamole. You can find some good party recipes at www.allrecipes.com or www.epicurious.com, if you need inspiration. In between bites, I’ll be seeking the best bits of news around town, of course.

So, for now, it’s “adios” from the Gato en la Cima de la Montana. Be sure next week to… Read me again.