It’s always impressive when someone graduates from college, but when a person takes the time to go back to school to further his or her education, while holding down a full-time job and raising a family, it is even more so. Congratulations to two such Newtowners that I heard about this week. Jim Borst graduated May 15 from the University of Hartford Barney School of Business in West Hartford, receiving his MBA. Jim was also inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society. Also on Sunday, May 15, Greg Pategas received his law degree from Quinnipiac University, “Five years and two babies later,” as his wife, Dianna commented. Congratulations to Greg and Jim, and all of the others out there this spring who are donning caps and gowns.

The Newtown Bee introduced readers to Chris Fulcher and his fledgling photography business two years ago, when Chris was a sophomore at NHS. This month, readers of Shutterbug magazine can read about what Chris, now 17 years old, has been up to with his camera since then. More of his photos and a feature story are in the June 2011 issue of the photography magazine, so kudos to Chris!

Howard Lasher tells me that he ran into one of his neighbor’s children this past weekend at a soccer match. Henry Vaughan, 9, and a number of other neighborhood children had recently visited Mr Lasher’s home to see bird expert Larry Fischer band six baby screech owls. (See related story in this week’s Bee.) Henry was still high on that experience, Howard says, telling his friend, “That was one of the best days of my life.”

The rain did not keep Newtown residents away from the Friends of C.H. Booth Library’s Book Donation Day on Sunday. “Many thanks to the Newtowners who braved the rain to donate,” says Friends volunteer Toni Earnshaw. “In spite of the weather, this may have been a record day for donations. Even as the donations came in on Sunday, we were busy bees sorting and alphabetizing for the big sale, July 9 to 14,” said Toni. At the Friday morning board meeting, May 13, it was reported “people are bringing in tons of donations to the library, saying they didn’t want to wait till Sunday,” she added. The Friends have also received several calls for pick-ups of big donations, so the library support organization wants to thank everyone who has made an effort to get their gently used books, DVDs, CDs, and LPs over to the library. The Friends continue to accept donations, of course, right up to the day of the sale, anytime the library is open.

I know you have been watching all of the funny cat videos on YouTube — who doesn’t? — but here’s another site you ought to visit that is far more entertaining: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEcAnq8qUUs. That’s where you can see 2004 NHS graduate Matthew Grills performing works of Steven Sondheim and Chris Brown, at the May 14 Eastman School of Music Kneisel Winners’ Recital. Matt was one of the stars of the Les Miserables performance at NHS his senior year, among the many other musical events at which he wowed listeners during his years in Newtown. Which reminds me, to remind you:

A one-night-only Les Miserables Reunion Performance will be presented by Sabrina’s Encore Productions, May 30, at 7 pm, at the Ridgefield Playhouse, to benefit the local arts and literature magazine, The Newtowner. And guess who will reprise one of the lead roles? Here’s a hint: starts with Matt and ends with Grills… Download ticket forms at www.SabrinasEncoreProductions.com.

Just because it is not a major holiday, does not mean that clients of our food pantries do not continue to be in need. Resident Rich Greenawalt is starting his monthly food drive to support those residents. A food collection will take place Saturday, May 21, from 10 to 11 am at Caraluzzi’s Newtown Market, and at the Stop & Shop supermarket in Monroe from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. That gives you not one, but two opportunities to help out. Depending on the amount of goods collected, supplies are delivered to the both the Bridgeport Rescue Mission and Newtown’s Faith Food Pantry.

Hawleyville residents, as well as any others who use the Hawleyville Post Office, are well aware of the true concern Postmaster Mark Favale and his staff have for their patrons. This Thursday, I understand that Postmaster Favale handed out a certificate of appreciation to one of those good-hearted clerks (who prefers to remain anonymous) for assisting an injured pedestrian, outside of the post office on Route 25, a few weeks back. This, I think, calls for The Good Egg Award.

Cats like me are so good at hip-hopping onto anything and everything, so I’m pretty excited about the upcoming performance by Steve Zarifis a/k/a Stevie Fresco, a local hip hop/rap artist and Newtown High School senior, May 20, at the Newtown Middle School. Stevie will be there as part of a show of the artistic and literary creativity of Newtown’s Middle and High School students, from 6 to 8 pm, in support of the Newtown Relay For Life, an American Cancer Society fundraiser scheduled for June 4 (see http://relayforlife.org/newtownct for more information). Come and be a part of this “Creativity For A Cause” event!

My “Creativity For A Cause” involves keeping you entertained, so please, next week… Read me again.