It is truly a small world, as AFS student Arnold Geng discovered this past Saturday. While visiting Ellis Island with his Newtown host family, Arnold sat down for a quick break near one of the displays, looked up — and there was another AFS student from Trumbull. Boom, from Thailand, and Arnold had met when the young men first arrived in the US last fall. Like Arnold, Boom was taking in some final NYC sights before all of the AFS students head back to their homelands the end of June.

I wandered over to beautiful New Pond Farm in Redding this weekend, where the educational and environmental center is hosting an art exhibition featuring the works of numerous area residents. Among the talented artists displaying their works are two Newtowners, Ruth Newquist and Marty LaMarche. The “Celebrate the Seasons” exhibit and sale runs through June 27, so there is still time to visit the gallery and enjoy the different visions of New Pond Farm as seen through the artists’ eyes. I spotted a few kitty cats in the paintings, but not so surprisingly, the sheep, cows, and chickens of New Pond Farm fame dominate the works.

A number of residents had the opportunity to take part in Oil Drum Art last summer when our local Starbucks manager, Peter Johnson, sponsored an oil drum outside of the Church Hill Road coffee shop. That environmentally themed oil drum has become a fixture in Dickinson Park, and if all goes according to plan, will be joined by the end of summer by four more painted oil drums. Parks and Rec Assistant Director RoseAnn Reggiano says that the department has acquired four oil drums from Oil Drum Art and plans to let campers at the Treadwell, Dickinson, and 5/6 camps this summer have a go at creating art in the parks. If you want to find out more about the Oil Drum Art movement, visit oildrumart.org.

Ray and Linda Martins have passed on some exciting news concerning their son, Dr Raymond Catarino Martins. “I thought you would like to know that our son was asked to join a national health care panel, including Newt Gingrich and several other people.” I remember when Dr Ray was a member of the lifeguard staff at Dickinson Park teaching little kids to swim. Here’s hoping he can be a part of helping lots of Americans keep their heads above water with better health care accessibility.

I’m pretty excited that the Organic Farmers’ Market is going to be returning for its seventh summer. But don’t go poking around behind St John’s on Washington Avenue, where they have always set up shop, looking for them. While that venue served the market well, this year Lexington Gardens on Church Hill Road will host the food and craft vendors. Look for purveyors of locally grown veggies and fruits; salsas, jams, and chutneys; baked goods; herbs; cut flowers; farm fresh eggs; and handcrafted items in the parking lot, Tuesdays, beginning June 23, from 2 to 6 pm. Call 313-9908 for more information.

Another popular farmers’ market in the area is opening up this weekend. The Bethel Farmers’ Market is pleased to announce it will kick off the season Saturday, June 20, at 9 am, at the Fairfield County Extension Center on Stony Hill Road (Route 6), Bethel. The Bethel market is open until 1 pm each Saturday through the fall. This farmers’ market offers a wide range of products and all of the vendors are located within 50 miles of Bethel, so you are supporting local growers. Hometown producers include Andrea’s Bakery and Cedar Hill Farm of Newtown. Other vendors, back by popular demand, are Taylor Family Farm, Middlebury’s Vasauska’s Farm, and Maple Bank Farm in Roxbury. Don’t miss Daffodil Hill Growers from Southbury, Ox Hollow Farm, or Bear Pond Farm, and look for great natural products from Goat Boy Soaps. Lisa Marie Ault will also be there with terrific prepared foods. I can’t wait to get my paws on all of these delicious, super-fresh foods!

There’s some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that the Way We Were photo in the June 12 edition of The Newtown Bee misidentified the farm in the photo as one destroyed by the creation of Interstate 84. Not so, say Tom and Dot Dwyer, who own the property. And that’s the good news! Structural changes since that 1910 photo was taken of the Obtuse Road property and some pruning of evergreens by Mother Nature, as well as some new growth, have changed the scene quite a bit, but there is no doubt that the scene is the same one. “It’s not possible to photograph this area from the same place the photographer stood years ago because a number of trees are now blocking the view,” point out Tom and Dot. Still not sure which barn that is on Obtuse Road? Have you ever seen two little folk art giraffe faces looking out of a stall window onto the road? That’s the one! And it is absolutely, positively, still standing in Hawleyville.

A handicap accessible bus allowed wheelchair-bound members of the Newtown Senior Center to join with all of the other center members on a recent trip to The Brownstone in New Jersey, where they were able to Rock ’n’ Roll with the best of them to the music of an Elvis impersonator. The day included a luncheon and plenty of fun, but director Marilyn Place made sure everybody steered clear of the “Jailhouse Rock.”

Meowch! My tender skin still smarts a little, but I know I’m safe from rabies for a year now after attending Newtown’s 24th rabies clinic on June 13. It was a “big success” according to town clerk Debbie Aurelia. She again thanks Mt Pleasant Animal Hospital’s Dr Brian Silverlieb and his assistant Mary Simpson for volunteering their time and vaccinating 84 dogs and 23 cats — which is 65 more than last year. Pet owners from nine surrounding towns attended the clinic. Debbie’s staff, Monica, Ann, and Renee issued 43 dog licenses that afternoon, too, for dog owners in Newtown. Special thanks go to the Newtown Woman’s Club GFWC members for 17 years of volunteering, and the Canine Advocates for helping to make this year’s clinic run as smoothly as possible.

My life will be running as smoothly as possible, too, if I think you will make time next week to… Read me again.