Next week it becomes official: lollipops are the official candy of Connecticut. Public Act No. 21-121, which was approved in June, did three things. It formally designated the Siberian Husky as this state’s official dog, it established a workshop group to study redesignating the state insect (what’s wrong with the praying mantis??!), and it formally designated the sugary suckers the official Constitution State Confection, all as of October 1.

Residents have been preparing for months for the Nunnawauk Meadows Annual Tag Sale, Craft Fair & Bake Sale, which returns this weekend to the Community Building at 3 Nunnawauk Road. The annual event will again offer everything from jewelry, household items and handbags to toys and games, artwork, baskets, gardening tools and more, donated by residents of the local community. Many folks have also been working on handmade crafts and other items. This week it’s been time to bake, and everything will all be put together on Saturday between 9 am and 4 pm. Proceeds benefit the Nunnawauk Meadows Residents Association — and you, of course, and anyone who may enjoy all the goodies that will be found on Saturday.

Belated congratulations to Tracy James, whose latest film project is an Official Selection of The Women’s Independent Film & Television Festival 2024. The former Newtown resident has taken her short play, Eire We Go, and turned it first into a 50-minute one-act that was presented at 2019 Edinburg Fringe Festival, among other locations. She has since written a screenplay for Eire We Go, which was named Best Comedy Feature Screenplay at the 2024 Georgia Comedy Film Festival in August. The work was also a semifinalist in the Rhode Island International Film Festival last month, a nominee in the SilverScreen International Film Festival (European Film Union Gala) in Scotland, and a finalist in the just-wrapped Mystic Film Festival. Now living in Monroe, Tracy is waiting to hear from a few more festivals while also getting ready to head to Ireland next year.

According to Tracy, her comedy follows The Wilde Players, whose theater is falling apart and its artistic director has neglected to pay the mortgage. The players stumble upon a contest that could help them save their theater should they pull off a win. Set in Ireland, Eire We Go finds The Wilde Players having quite an experience. “A few too many pints, grinding gears, narrow roads, sheep, love, and loss bring this endearing group together and memories that will last a lifetime,” she recently shared. Plans are in place for three weeks of filming in Ireland and a few days of filming in the US. I for one cannot wait to hear what happens next with this story.

The annual Lake Zoar drawdown will be Saturday, October 19. The Lake Zoar Authority is encouraging all homeowners to plan accordingly. Considering how cats feel about water, I’m not even going to pretend to be any help with this but if you own waterfront property, if this annual procedure is new to you, contact LZA at info@lakezoarauthority.org or go through the Contact form at lakezoarauthority.org/contact.

Looking well ahead, Newtown Lions Club has selected the date for next year’s Great Pootatuck Duck Race. I’m told the 2025 offering will be Saturday, May 31 — the weekend after Memorial Day, and not on a weekend that will host The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary Butterfly Party or Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue’s LobsterFest. All three groups hosted their major events on the same weekend this year, and it was a tough choice for many residents. The CVHAS Butterfly Party is always hosted on the Saturday closest to what would have been young Catherine Hubbard’s birthday, which means organizers can look at any calendar and know when that event will be (next year, June 7). LobsterFest is presented the Friday and Saturday nights after the company conducts its annual meeting on the first Monday in June (so next year, June 6-7). Sounds like it might be easier for readers to plan their calendars next year.

On Tuesday this week, reporters Sam Cross and Jenna Visca travelled back to where they first met. On an invitation from their old professor, John Roche, they visited Western Connecticut State University’s Writer’s Studio class. I’ve seen how hard those two work here in the office; it’s no wonder they were asked to return to Writer’s Studio. I understand they discussed their responsibilities at length and explained to some (hopefully) future Bee writers what a typical day on the job looks like — which is difficult because as they’ve already learned, there is no “typical” day in a newsroom. Sam and Jenna answered questions and offered some jokes to the class. They were even able to connect with some old friends and offer advice to the new editors of the literary journal Black & White, the journal that fortified the friendship between the two young journalists all those years ago. Sam and Jenna wish everyone the best and can’t wait to see WCSU graduates’ names on bylines and tables of contents soon.

Jenna also had the opportunity to visit The Little Red Schoolhouse last weekend, when Newtown Historical Society hosted its annual public open house there. The visit was special for Jenna because she attended Middle Gate Elementary School as a kid. According to her, the last time she stepped into the Little Red Schoolhouse — situated, of course, on the front lawn of the Cold Spring Road elementary school — was for a second grade field trip when she was eight years old. That means it’s been about 16 years between visits! I feel old all of a sudden. Readers, if you see me growing any gray hairs or whiskers, please don’t let me know.

Here’s hoping lots of lollipops are handed out when it’s time for Trick or Treating in a few weeks. I’d be very happy with catnip flavored ones, of course. Do you have a favorite? Send me a note (mountain@thebee.com) and mention your preferred choice. I’ll share the results of my completely unscientific survey next week when you come back to … read me again.