Apparently our historic flagpole inspires veterans far beyond our own modest borders. The State Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars recently informed First Selectman Herb Rosenthal that the organization’s leadership will be awarding the Town of Newtown with a patriotism award in a ceremony and breakfast gathering June 4 at 9 am at the Rocky Hill Marriott.

Retired Newtown Police Lt David Lydem, who graced The Bee’s front page just last week, will be attending to accept the award, which is being presented in honor of our town’s most famous Main Street landmark.

Speaking of the flagpole, Dave Lydem reports that there is a truck somewhere wearing a coat of fresh flagpole paint. Last week Dave painted the base of the flagpole in preparation for the raising of the summer flag on May 21. But it didn’t take long for a passing truck to undo the job as it scraped its way past the flagpole in the middle of the intersection. Having been keeper of the flag since 1983, Dave is philosophical about such happenings, and will be back painting the flagpole again soon.

When Carol Smiley, who was passing by the flagpole last Wednesday with her daughter Caitlin and Caitlin’s friend Sara Truitt, saw Laura Lerman and Carol Foss struggling to carry some musical equipment into The Meeting House, Carol did the Newtown thing and stopped her car to help. The two Carols and Sara and Caitlin (with Laura supervising) made short work of the task. The Newtown Choral Society’s concert is this Saturday at 7:30 at the Meeting House. It is part of the yearlong celebration of Newtown’s tercentennial. Tickets are available at the door.

The local American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life team known as The Crusaders is working with Belmont’s Ridgefield Golf Range on Sunday, May 15, for mini golf fun and bake sale. The golf range, family owned and operated by Newtown resident Jaime Belmont, is donating all proceeds received from the miniature golf activity from the hours of 10 am to 1 pm to the Newtown team. The Crusaders invite everyone to come and play and buy some of the baked goods, too.

Another team is sponsoring a musical event for children featuring the musical trio Pure & Simple on Sunday, May 22, at the Reed Intermediate School. Tickets are $7 and show times are 1 and 3 pm. Call Alice Masher at 364-1957 or Carol Mason at 426-3723 or stop by Coldwell Banker Real Estate at 17 Church Hill Road to get tickets.

The members of the Ladies Auxiliary of VFW Post 308 hosted a Loyalty Day reception for local veterans last Saturday to thank them for their service to the country. Each veteran received a flag lapel pin and enjoyed the refreshments prepared by the auxiliary. The event lasted all afternoon and was very well attended.

Planning for the May 21 Post Prom Party for Newtown High School’s juniors and seniors is gearing up thanks to the efforts of the NHS PTSA. However, the party is seriously short of chaperones for the midnight to 5 am shift. If anyone can help chaperone, or help find chaperones, please call Barbara Manville at 426-1539. Any time that one can give will be greatly appreciated. And what better way to spend a Friday night!

While its activities are normally low key and very occasional, Newtown’s Board of Ethics will still be hard pressed to fill the shoes of its dedicated chair Deborah Deakin, who resigned recently as she and her husband begin their relocation to the Chicago area. Now, at least, I’ll know who to call on when I’m in the mood for some of that anchovy deep dish pizza!

It became obvious this week that pizza isn’t the only attraction at My Place restaurant. Louise Tambascio and her sons John and Mark, proprietors of My Place, served a record (for them) 600 breakfasts on Mother’s Day.

Always glad to celebrate any recognition earned by our resident writers, we have heard from Mary Maki that retired Ridgefield High School English and American Studies teacher Liz Arneth has won first place in two categories at the Newtown Woman’s Club (GFWC) State Convention. One award was for Liz’s short story about her mother’s death, and the other was for a poem about her friend William’s garden. Liz is thrilled, and so are we.

Don’t forget, if you haven’t already done so you can buy tickets to any of the three Newtown Historical Society’s “Newtown Notables, Gone But Not Forgotten” guided graveyard walking tours scheduled Saturday at 2 pm, 4 pm, and 6 pm, at the Booth Library on Friday. Or buy them at the Village Cemetery entrance gate off Elm Drive on Saturday beginning at noon. Tickets are $5 each or $20 maximum per family. Event coordinator Patty Graves is hoping there will be a big turnout. “This is a gift for the folks in town interested in history, and I hope they come to open their gift. After Saturday, the history will be history,” Patty says.

Sometimes when I drive through central Newtown, it seems like the Pyramids are under construction. On the north side of Edmond Town Hall, an elevator that will serve all levels of the building is being built. Next door, at Newtown Hook & Ladder Firehouse, the fire company is putting some finishing touches on its garage bay expansion project. Next door to that, the Newtown Savings Bank is constructing a new office building behind the bank. Just down the street, the town is rebuilding the southern section of Town Hall South to create a vehicle impoundment for police. There’s a monumental pile of dirt blocking the southern driveway to the police station. Either it’s a pile of excavation debris or the town is putting in the footings for a suspension bridge stretching to Monroe.

Between the flying dust at the construction projects and the blocked driveways, I need a glass of lemonade. But I’ll be back next week, so be sure to…

Read me again.