Hurricane Florence has created an increased need for emergency blood and platelet supplies as the Red Cross responds. There are numerous opportunities to donate in the surrounding towns over the next several weeks. Go to [naviga:u]redcross.org[/naviga:u], select the “Give Blood” tab, and enter your zip code to find a donation event in our area.

I have a Good Egg Award for the anonymous young woman who funded lunch for a fellow student at NHS last week. His lunch money account was deficient, and it looked like a hungry lunch time until she stepped in with some extra cash. Kids helping kids — it is kindness in action. 

The March For Our Lives/Road To Change organizers from the Parkland, Fla., group urge all who are not yet registered, especially those eligible for the first time, to register to vote. If your are at least 17 and will be 18 before Election Day (November 6, 2018) and a US citizen living in Connecticut, you are probably eligible to vote in our state. Text CHANGE to 977-79 for updates from the organization or visit [naviga:u]portal.ct.gov/sots/election-services/voter-information/voting-eligibility[/naviga:u] for details on registering to vote in Connecticut.

While registration is closed, spectators are welcome to attend this Saturday’s Second Annual Collin George Whitmore Memorial Cornhole Tournament at 150 Gay Bowers Road, Fairfield. Admission for this family-friendly event includes cornhole tournaments for adult and kids, music, pizza, drinks, bounce house, arts and crafts, a silent auction, and many raffle items, according to the foundation’s Facebook page, Collin George Whitmore Foundation. All proceeds benefit the Collin George Whitmore Foundation and arteriovenous malformation research. Collin, a Sandy Hook resident, died unexpectedly in February of 2016, when he was 8 years old, from a condition known as brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Tickets for single admission are $30, and children under 3 are free. Donations will be accepted at the event, and donations are also accepted on [naviga:u]eventbrite.com[/naviga:u] by searching for “Second Annual Collin George Whitmore Memorial Cornhole Tournament.”

The [naviga:u]Newtown police are throwing open the doors[/naviga:u], and you’re invited! Take a tour of the current facility at 3 Main Street (Town Hall South) and/or the proposed site for a new police headquarters at 191 South Main Street, on either Saturday, October 13 or Saturday, October 27, from 10 am to noon.

Flanza Baci, a prekindergarten teacher at Merryhill Child Care Center; and Director Karen Tuller were joined recently by Gene Rosen and children from the center when Mr Rosen presented them with a special framed photograph.  “About 12 or 13 years ago, we had a stray cat hanging around Merryhill,” Karen tells us, “and we would put food out for it. We spoke with the neighbors across the street, who decided to capture it in their garage and ‘adopt’ the cat.” Gene Rosen was their pet sitter and fed the cat when the neighbors were away. “When the neighbors moved, Gene asked if he could keep the cat, who had been named Kevin J. Kittenpuss the Third. Kevin has been living with Gene and his wife happily and comfortably as an indoor cat ever since, and Gene came by Merryhill with this framed photo he had taken of Kevin to present to us as a thank you for taking care of Kevin when he was homeless. The children loved the story, and we were so touched by his thoughtfulness and by the beautiful photo,” says Karen. Now that’s a story to purr about.

Newtown residents can get rid of hazardous waste at our neighboring town’s Hazardous Waste Day, this Saturday, September 29, from 9 am to 2 pm. Danbury will host the event at the Danbury Public Works Garage, 53 Newtown Road. From leftover stains, paints, pool chemicals, fluorescent bulbs, pesticides, and waste fuels to hobby supplies, batteries, and more, you can safely rid your home of these items. Go to [naviga:u]newtown-ct.gov/home/news/household-hazardous-waste-day-sept-29[/naviga:u] for a complete list of what to bring — and what not to bring.

Save your appetites! The 2018 Newtown & Sandy Hook Restaurant Week is set for October 8 to 14. Whether it is breakfast, lunch, or dinner out that you prefer, explore the many eateries in our town. According to [naviga:u]newtownsandyhookeats.com[/naviga:u], restaurants in town “may offer special menu items, discounts, etc” during Restaurant Week. A list of Newtown and Sandy Hook dining options can be found at the website, as well. Questions? Contact EDC Deputy Director Christal Preszler at 203-270-4281 or Kim Chiapetta, EDC coordinator, at 203-270-4271, or send a message through [naviga:u]the website[/naviga:u]. My stomach is growling already.

Fall Book Donation Day, sponsored by the Friends of the C.H. Booth Library, is scheduled for Sunday, October 21, from noon to 5 pm, rain or shine. So if fall cleaning has left you with piles of gently loved but unneeded books, DVDs, CDs, LPs, puzzles, or computer or board games, volunteers will be happy to accept your donations, unload your vehicle, and provide tax receipts. Pull up to the rear of the library at 25 Main Street that day and drop off your treasures. Call 203-270-4537 with questions.

FirstLight Power Resources (FirstLight), the owner and operator of the Rocky River pumped hydroelectric station, will conduct a fall drawdown of Lake Lillinonah at the Shepaug Dam in order to conduct its maintenance and inspection activities, October 26. The drawdown will lower lake levels to minimum pond levels and return to normal operating elevations on November 9. On November 10, FirstLight will conduct a fall drawdown of Lake Zoar at the Stevenson Dam. The return to normal operating elevations will be November 24. Homeowners on the lakes are reminded to remove structures, boat lifts, and docks from the lakes to prevent ice or flood damage from occurring during the winter months. Any and all work planned to occur along the shoreline requires prior permitting from FirstLight.

Not everyone seems to have figured out our updated website. Please create an account so that you can comment on our stories, letters, and editorials. Your info is just for us! And be sure to put in your two cents’ worth by voting in the polls found on the website. By the way, following The Newtown Bee on [naviga:u]Facebook[/naviga:u] and [naviga:u]Twitter[/naviga:u] is a great way to catch breaking local news and information throughout the day and keep up on the many stories you may have missed online.

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