“Any baby news yet?”

If ever there was a catchphrase around 5 Church Hill Road, that was it as the work week began. Alex and Scudder Baggett watched as Alex’s due date of July 22 came and went… Then finally we heard the good news on Tuesday: Publisher R. Scudder Smith and his wife, Helen, were great-grandparents for the third time, with the arrival of little Sophia Elaine! Grandparents Sherri and Scott Baggett are glowing — Bee office manager Sherri is Scudder Smith’s daughter, and Scott is the engine that keeps this paper running, no matter what — so it’s a whole Bee family and extended family of excitement in the office. Congratulations to all!

Speaking of postings, we loved some of the tag sale signs spotted around town last week. Someone took their sign work for a multi-family tag sale on Johnson Drive on July 19-20 very seriously. One sign featured a picture of Lionel Ritchie along with the line “Hello … is it deals you’re looking for?” Another sign had a picture of The Most Interesting Man in The World (nee Jonathan Goldsmith, who has become internationally famous for his work in Dos Equis beer ads). His sign had the line “I don’t always go to tag sales, but when I do, I go here,” a play on his line “I don’t always drink beer.” We loved the creativity and hope the Johnson Drive families did well with their sale.

The latest Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority (HRRA) Hazardous Household Waste Collection Day was last weekend, but all definitely did not go as planned. At least a few of the volunteers at the HRRA event, staged at Brookfield High School, were reportedly overcome by Saturday’s heat and humidity. A few were even taken to the hospital after passing out, we were told. Unfortunately, anyone trying to take advantage of the event open to regional residents, including many from Newtown who schlepped their old paint, degreasers, lighter fluids, rechargeable batteries, etc to Brookfield after noon, were out of luck. The event, scheduled to run until 2 pm on July 20, closed instead at noon. The good news is, HRRA’s next Household Hazardous Waste Collection event is already scheduled. Residents of Newtown, Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, and Ridgefield can keep collecting the items that cannot be taken to the transfer station, and plan instead to visit Walnut Hill Church in Bethel on Saturday, September 7, between 9 am and 1 pm. Visit hrra.org for updates and a listing of all the items that are accepted during these events.

Stormy weather reminds us how important it is to have trees and brush under control. “Eversource contractors are in the process of trimming trees along approximately 100 miles of Newtown roadways to keep wires clear to help mitigate future storm impacts. If your property is in the path of the trimming effort, Eversource will place the attached permission form on your home or mailbox” the power company tells us. If you complete the form promptly indicating whether or not you approve, Eversource will be able to do that trimming before it becomes a problem.

While The Animal Center (TAC) in Newtown may no longer have a foster/adoption program, TAC Board Members, including Laura McHugh and Marleen Cafarelli, continue to advocate for animals. This is the second year the group has had its billboard to bring awareness about the dangers of leaving pets in vehicles unattended during the summertime. The design was created by Ms Cafarelli and depicts a canine in a car along with the words “In minutes, hot cars kill pets!” The billboard is located on South Main Street near the Stop & Shop Plaza, along with TAC’s billboard advocating against declawing cats.

Strolling through the main hallway of the Municipal Center last week, the paintings of Jim Chillington that populate the Gallery there caught my eye. If you haven’t had a chance to see his work, make some time to stop by the Municipal Center and appreciate the talent of this local artist.

Adult Programming Director Lucy Handley from the C.H. Booth Library shared this photo of a baby skunk taken last Thursday “through the dirty basement window” of the library. What was going on? Lucy tells me, “On Thursday, custodian Adam Liscinski spotted the baby skunk from the Mechanical Room [at the library]. It had fallen into the deep window well, despite the space being covered by boards. The skunk’s small size had allowed it to slip through a gap by the window. Adam devised a rescue ramp for the little fella, covering a wide plank with old carpet tiles. Moments later, ‘Skunky’ was gone!” She added, “It was sooooo cuuuuute, acting trusting and friendly, as if it wanted us to let it in, but the window doesn’t open.” Well, thank goodness for that!

Newtown Day is approaching! The Chamber of Commerce and Parks & Rec have joined up to present a day of fun, fun, fun and food, food, food up at Fairfield Hills, this Saturday, July 27. More than 20 food trucks will be on hand, offering a broad selection of delights, and you can visit the beer garden, too, to slake your thirst — if you’re over 21, that is. A $3 entry fee gets you access to the trucks as well as the opportunity to check out a number of vendors and hear some great music. Newtown Day runs from 11 am to 8 pm. You can find details at newtownday.com.

Newtown native Carol Stratton recognized her great-grandfather “Gramp” Beers in the July 12 “Way We Were” photo of dozens of men on stage for a Womanless Wedding performance. “I recognized my great-grandfather, and I recognize this picture, maybe it’s a family photo,” she said. Gramp Beers — “that was what the family called him. Someone must have known him well to put that down.” Her great-grandfather was pictured in the second row, holding an instrument. “He played the fiddle,” she said. John Beers was a relative, and also in the photo, but Ms Stratton did not know which person. The name Beers goes way back in Newtown, Carol said.

You have plenty of reusable shopping bags on hand, right? Don’t forget that the new Connecticut law demands businesses charge 10 cents per plastic bag, starting Thursday, August 1. You’re in luck if you think you need one or two more reusable bags: Free reusables can be found in bins set out by Newtown Environmental Action Team at Edmond Town Hall; C.H. Booth Library; the Municipal Center; FAITH Food Pantry; and the food pantry at Town Hall South. A little bird has told me that there will be a bin with these free bags at the new Newtown Community Center, as well, in the near future. Reusable bags are a good habit to get into, because remember, come October, town legislation will ban those plastic bags being available at all in our businesses, and there will be a ten cent charge for paper bags.

I guess I’ll have to use my old, crinkly paper bag fun houses ‘til they fall apart. It won’t hinder my ability to seek out the news you want, though. Be sure next week to... Read me again.