Okay, everybody. It’s time to “Sock it to ’em.” As of this Tuesday, Newtown resident Joanne Brunetti had received just THREE pair of socks for the “Socks for Soldiers” campaign she runs each year. Her deadline is next Tuesday, October 25, in order to have the socks shipped overseas to troops in great need of the comfortable, dry socks. Joanne is shocked, because by this time last year, she had already gathered together 3,000 pair of socks.

Men’s and women’s crew socks in white, black, or olive green are needed desperately so that soldiers serving overseas have a chance at changing into clean socks each day. The socks will be included in Christmas baskets for the troops, put together by the Soldiers’ Angels organization. Donations can be dropped off in the bin on the porch at 77 Butterfield Road. If you need your sock donation picked up, or for more information, call Joanne at 203-948-0584. Every pair of socks is a step forward for this drive. Please help.

The Newtown Animal Shelter is also in need of assistance. A box is set up in the lobby of The Newtown Bee to collect Nutro Max mini chunk and Iams dry dog food, Pigs’ Ears, rope toys, large Kong toys, Frisbees, squeak toys, sturdy slide leads and choke collars of all sizes, as well as dry goods like ammonia, bleach, paper towels, large black garbage bags, laundry soap, and cloth towels. If you can’t decide what to donate, give a pet store gift certificate. Items will be collected through next Wednesday, October 26. All donations are very much appreciated.

Newtowner Beth Ann Fetzer kicked off Domestic Violence Awareness Month in a meaningful way. As the assistant vice president and community development officer for the Savings Bank of Danbury, Beth joined nearly two dozen fellow bank staffers October 2 supporting the Women’s Center of Greater Danbury in the Annual 4K Walk Against Domestic Violence. The bank’s team participated in the 2.5-mile walk and volunteered at the registration table collecting pledges. This year’s event raised more than $30,000 for the center, which last year provided individual services or outreach to 1,466 Newtown residents.

The Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard is hosting an open house this Sunday, October 23, at the headquarters on Wildlife Drive (off of Wasserman Way). From 11 am to 2 pm, the public can meet members and horses, with a riding demonstration scheduled at 1 pm. If you find you are enamored of the Horse Guard, I’ve got good news: The Second Company is currently seeking new troopers. A new recruit open house will take place Saturday, December 3, from 10 am to 4 pm, at the headquarters. For details, contact 1SG Mazzara at 203-410-7334, or visit www.thehorseguard.org.

Dental Associates and Dr Baum’s Orthodontics have popular candy buyback programs here in town, following the Halloween holiday. But down the road in Monroe, Dr Mark Schwartz is participating in a buyback program, as well, to benefit Operation Gratitude. This program provides items to troops overseas who may not otherwise have the opportunity to indulge in a Snickers candy bar or a bag of M&Ms. Anyone bringing in candy on Tuesday, November 1, to Dr Schwartz’s 501 Main Street office in Monroe will receive $1 per pound for his or her goodies. The treats will be forwarded to an Operation Gratitude distribution center in California, where the treats will be packed into care packages being sent to military personnel overseas. Talk about cool cats, Dr Schwartz has taken part in Operation Gratitude since its creation several years ago.

Speaking of Dr Baum, I’ve been mulling over a name for the monster hay person outside of his Church Hill Road office, in hopes of winning the naming contest. So far, I’ve come up with HAY-ley the Hay Lady or HAY-den the Hay Man. If you think you have a better name, be sure to stop by the orthodontist’s office before October 31 and enter the contest. The winner will win a gift certificate. Hay! That sounds pretty good to me.

Get out your top hat and tap shoes. Newtown Congregational Church is looking for volunteer performers interested in sharing their time and talent on Saturday, November 5, when the church hosts a coffee house with open mic. The event will start at 7:30 pm, and organizer Rich Collins is accepting requests now from those who would like to sing, dance, perform music, recite poetry or other short readings… whatever. Send Rich a note at RCol-linsPCU93@gmail.com if you would like to sign up. If you forget to get in touch with Rich before November 5, there will be a signup sheet also available at the coffeehouse, so you won’t be left out. Meanwhile, if you want to mark your calendar for the evening, it is a public event and the only admission being requested for the gathering is a canned good or other nonperishable food item for FAITH Food Pantry. The church is at 14 West Street; call NCC at 203-426-9024 for additional information.

Local musician Roger Sprung received a shout-out from Tom Chapin last Sunday evening during a Chapin Family Concert in Tarrytown, N.Y., that honored the 30th anniversary of the death of singer-songwriter Harry Chapin in an auto accident in July 1981. As Tom picked up his banjo, he mentioned that Harry was the first banjo player in the family and that he had recently had the privilege of meeting Harry’s first banjo teacher, none other than our own Roger Sprung. He added that Roger apparently keeps pictures of all of his students and he got a big kick out of the copy of Harry’s picture as a teen that Roger sent to him.

Fans of bluegrass music should keep in mind that Roger and friends play at the Newtown United Methodist Church Coffeehouse conducted on the first Saturday of every month from 7:45 to 10:30 pm. Admission is $5, $4 if you also attend the spaghetti dinner that precedes the coffeehouse.

The library received a special donation this week. Hank Banville of Monroe, who tutors a number of students at the library, has provided the C.H. Booth Library with a copy of his recently published math book, Your Personal Math Tutor: An Engineer Looks at Math. An engineer, Hank has tutored students in math for 51 years, using tricks that make it easier for students to understand the subject. He has also presented his program “Math Magic Presentation” at 59 different area schools, including St Rose, over the years. “It’s very user-friendly,” Hank says of his book, geared for students in grades 7 through 12. “It explains math in less technical terms, that makes it more accessible to students,” he says. Your Personal Math Tutor covers math from decimals and fractions to precalculus and AP prep, in just 247 pages. The book is available through amazon.com, or better yet, suggests Hank, call him at 203-268-3368 and he will gladly ship out a copy — or even drop it off at the library for you.

I don’t need a book to tell me that the events are multiplying around town as we creep toward the holiday season. I keep “adding” to my list of places to go and things to do, but I feel “divided” with so many interesting things taking place, and knowing it is only possible to attend a “fraction” of them. Whatever you do, or wherever you go, I hope you won’t “subtract” my column from your list next week, and leave time to… Read me again.