It’s time to start tuning up your vocal chords if you gave them a rest this summer, says Newtown Choral Society president Laura Lerman. Rehearsals for the unauditioned group begin Wednesday, September 9, at 7 pm, at the Newtown Middle School. Choral Society members and the community will welcome back Mary Andreotta as the choral director this fall, taking up where she left off a couple of years ago. Also returning this year is accompanist Susan Anthony Klein. If you have a penchant for singing in the shower, maybe you would like to expand your venue by joining the choral society. Always looking for new members who love to sing and learn about singing, Laura says interested parties can contact her at 426-3769.

Here’s something to sing about: Bobby Murray, a lifelong resident who is suffering with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), and who has been featured in The Bee on several occasions for his advocacy on behalf of ALS research and outreach, recently told some of his caregivers at Bethel Health Care that he wanted to see The Boss. Not the boss of the facility, but The Boss — Bruce Springsteen. Luckily, Springsteen was scheduled to make a stop at Hartford’s Comcast amphitheater. So several individuals who got wind of Bobby’s wish made a few calls, and on the hot evening of August 19, Bobby was right up there about 50 feet from the stage checking out the entire performance, accompanied by his personal nurse, Sue. Ticketing assistance was provided by LiveNation, the event’s promoter, and the ticket was obtained by several anonymous donors who either work at the health care facility, or who know Bobby from reading about him in The Bee. One concerned individual made a call to American Medical Response (AMR), and regional manager Jeremy Rodorigo personally handled not only the donation of an air-conditioned chair car and driver, but personally escorted Bobby in a company fly car, standing by him throughout the show in case he had any discomfort from the nearly 100 degree temperatures inside the venue.

The show, according to Bobby, was nothing short of “awesome” with The Boss performing a litany of hits from “Spirit in the Night,” to a smashing pre encore medley of “Born to Run,” “Rosalita,” and “Thunder Road.” Sounds like it was one hot August night with The Boss, and a musical wish come true for Bobby!

How many times have you meant to drop off a donation to the FAITH Food Pantry and just weren’t able to fit the drop-off hours at St John’s Episcopal Church into your schedule? Andrea’s Pastry Shop is going to make things easier for you. FAITH Food Pantry donations can now be dropped off any day at the Queen Street bakery and owner Tony Posca will make sure the community food cupboard gets your donation. Now if you ask me (and no one did), I think Tony is a pretty darn Good Egg for doing so. Tony, I name you official Top of the Mountain Good Egg!

Meanwhile, this is the perfect time to remind you that Breanne Lubinsky will be doing her second annual One Can Make(s) A Difference during the Labor Day parade in a few weeks. Breanne has arranged for three trucks and plenty of friends and family to help her collect nonperishables along the parade route that morning, so help her help FAITH Food Pantry with their ongoing mission to help folks put food on their table.

Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue member Karin Halstead will make her hometown proud in a few weeks. The firefighter and EMS captain was selected last week to be one of the briefcase holders for a special firefighters edition of Deal or No Deal, and she’ll be doing the taping for the NBC game show on September 10. Karin will be holding a briefcase, so she’s guaranteed to get some airtime on the show. If her number comes up on the game wheel, however, she’ll also have the chance to compete for $500,000. Karin promises to keep us posted on when the shows will be aired. Sounds like a great deal to us.

The Newtown High School softball team is willing to clean up your car for you. The team is hosting a fundraiser car wash this Saturday, August 29, in the parking lot of St Rose Church on Church Hill Road. From 10 am to 2 pm, you can have your car transformed from grimy to great.

I hear that former NHS baseball player Nick Urso had a good spring playing for St Mary’s College of Maryland. Nick had his first start in the third game and went 2-for-4. Then he had a double, stole third base, and scored the winning run on a passed ball for St Mary’s first win of the season against Randolph Macon from Virginia. In an elimination game later this spring against rival Mary Washington, Nick drove in the winning run.

Nick ended up the season playing in a total of 21 games, starting in nine of them, and had the fourth-highest batting average on the team (.279). Congratulations, Nick! Do I see a major league contract in your future?

What’s the world coming to? The C.H. Booth Library has posted the following notice around the building: “Due to recent thefts at this and other area libraries we advise you to: Keep your valuables with you at all times. Do not leave laptops, purses, etc, unattended.” Sounds like someone needs a good, swift swat on the nose.

There’s still time to make a splash this summer, but don’t forget that the pool and Eichler’s Cove have abbreviated hours once school begins. September 2–4 the pool is open 3 to 8 pm, and the Cove from 3 to 7 pm. Labor Day weekend, September 5–7, the pool is open from 10 am to 8 pm, and the Cove from 10 am to 7 pm.

It seems that the long saga of the Hawleyville Post Office move is gaining momentum, once again. The USPS has signed a lease for space at the new 23 Barnabas Road site, which means interior work can now be negotiated and begun. It’s good news, for sure, for all of the displaced patrons of the Route 25 facility, but I doubt that anyone should look for a September opening, as was once hoped. Still, I’ll be counting the days until I can buy stamps from friendly Hawleyville postmaster Mark Faval and his wonderful staff.

Until then, I’ll be on the prowl and hoping that next week you will… Read me again.