General Mills box tops, Campbell’s soup labels, and Tyson A+ points are being collected to raise money for the elementary schools, Reed Intermediate School, and the Newtown Middle School PTAs. There are currently collection boxes at Misty Vale Deli, Stop & Shop, the Senior Center, and Bagel Delight, as well as the Dodgingtown Deli and at The Turtle School. In the recent past, Box Top funds have been used during the school year to supplement fundraising events, such as the Turkey Trot, SmartSitting, and the Year-End Family Picnics. Additionally, the funds have been put toward recess equipment items for each grade level, safety posters in the cafeteria, snacks and ribbons for Field Day, and Language Arts celebrations. So if you are chowing down on General Mills cereals or warming up with a cup of Campbell’s soup, don’t forget to save the box tops and labels and drop them in the nearest collection box.

Sigh. I know that Newtown is a town of dog lovers, so I suppose I should pass this on: Canine domestication is featured at the “Darwin: 150 Years of Evolutionary Thinking” exhibit at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. According to Yale, “Darwin connected what was known about how traits emerged and were passed on with what breeders did to refine the characteristics that produced such an astonishing range of [dog] breeds.” Included in the exhibition is the skeleton of Togo, one of the famous sled dogs that brought serum to Nome, Alaska, during the diphtheria outbreak of 1925. Two films about Darwin’s research are also featured. The exhibition is on view from 10 am to 5 pm, Monday through Saturday; Sundays, from noon to 5 pm, through Labor Day. The museum is located at 170 Whitney Avenue in New Haven.

What was that saying? You can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Well, I do not want to be the first one to point a paw when it comes to age, but I hear Pedro, the seeing eye-dog companion to Alex Snow, a 2005 Newtown High School graduate, got a spontaneous ovation with Alex when he accompanied him across the stage for Alex’s graduation ceremony from Western New England College, in Springfield, Mass., on May 16. Good dog!

That’s enough canine chit-chat. On to bigger and better things. Newtown High School freshman Krutarth Mehta recently starting selling his cookbook, Easy N’ Spicy International Food, in two places online: Lulu.com and Amazon.com. In March Krutarth’s book was only available at Lulu.com, but now for $24.44 the book can also be purchased at Amazon.com. I’m up for a new recipe — and the “easy” part of the title leads me to believe that there is hope for me in the kitchen.

Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day aren’t the only times we should reflect on those who serve our country. The public has a chance to attend a meet and greet for the National Commander of the American Legion, David K. Rehbein of Iowa, the day before Flag Day, Saturday, June 13, from 4 to 6 pm, in the fellowship hall of Newtown United Methodist Church, 92 Church Hill Road. Join with members of the George A. Powell Sr/Jr American Legion post in Newtown, which will have the honor of hosting the meet and greet. The American Legion was founded in 1919, and Commander Rehbein is the head of the largest veterans’ service organization of more than 2.6 million wartime veterans worldwide. Refreshments will be served and all are welcome. If interested, please call Boyd Saxton at 426-7728.

If you’d like to join The Newtown Bee fan club, and you have a Facebook account, you can now get updates and links to our Newtown Bee website at our Facebook page by searching for The Newtown Bee on your Facebook account. How cool is that? Find photos from hot spots around town and lots of other up-to-the-minute and trendy information. Remember, it’s a growing page, so comments and interaction are welcome.

I’m wondering where all the fans of local residents who do so much behind the scenes are hiding? The email has not been flowing over with suggestions for the “Good Egg Award.” Don’t forget that I am willing and able to bestow my “Good Egg Award” each month to a lucky Newtowner or Sandy Hooker nominated for the honor. If you know someone who works quietly and humbly to make this world a better place, let him or her be recognized by contacting me through nancy@thebee.com, “Good Egg” in the subject line.

We had a special visitor earlier this week and it seems that I’ll have a new lap to jump into next week. The Newtown Bee is welcoming NHS junior Sarah Ferris as an intern at the paper. Sarah is one of the editors-in-chief for the NHS Hawkeye, so we know we are in for a treat. Good luck, Sarah, and have fun!

Steve Danyew paid a visit to his parents Janice and Craig over the Memorial Day weekend and took a few minutes to share some exciting news. The former Sandy Hook resident continues to draw appreciative attention for his composing skills, including the honor of winning the Delaware Valley Chorale 2009 Young Composers Competition, a contest open to composers under 30 from around the world. A new vocal work for choir called “On Green Mountains,” which was a collaborative work between Steve and girlfriend Ashley Garofalo, author of the poem on which the music is based, pulled in that honor. The DVC will be performing the piece during its season next year. Then to make the accomplishment that much sweeter, just a few days ago Steve learned that “On Green Mountains” was selected by the Kansas City-based vocal octet Octarium as the winner of its 2009 Composition Competition. Octarium will record the piece in August and include it on their CD Modern Masters, to be released in November. They will also be performing the work that same month in Kansas City. All of this great news is surely music to his ears. Congratulations, Steve.

It would be music to my ears, of course, if I were to hear that next week you plan to…. Read me again.