Volunteers fortified the roof of the main lodge at the not-for-profit Cullens Youth Association on Taunton Lake Road last weekend. Cullens lodge is a popular spot for meetings, ceremonies, and activities for local youth groups. Cullens Youth Association board members are grateful to Dan Fedorchek of Heritage Roof Renovations, LLC, who donated his time and that of three of his employees, and to Rich Broccoli and Charlie DeSantis from Metro Roofing Supply Co. of Danbury, who donated high-quality new shingles and other materials, and to Fred Pendergast, who donated a dumpster. The old roof was ripped off and the new one installed in a matter of hours. Assisting in the effort were many scouts from Troops 70 and 270, and many adult volunteers, including Jim Wruck, Roo and Catherine Simonds, Greg Meyer, Jerome Meyer, Steve Taylor, George Boncek, Tim Boncek, Paul Mangiafico, and Gene Cox.

I should mention, too, that Jim Loring has been elected president of the Cullens Youth Association. Jim will follow in the footsteps of longtime president Gene Cox, and hopes to work with the other board members to continue improvements to Cullens. Congratulations and good luck, Jim!

I hate to see a good neighbor go, and Jessi Zeigler, who has been program director at Newtown Youth & Family Services for roughly two years, has been a great one — just down Church Hill Road. She announced her upcoming departure for warmer climates at last Thursday’s Newtown Prevention Council meeting.

Our Associate Editor Shannon Hicks has been singing a lot of that folk song classic, “My Darlin’ Clementine” this week. That’s because Shannon has recently adopted a lovely calico cat named (you guessed it) Clementine. The kitty is a playful 15 years old, and according to Shannon, is truly a “darlin’ Clementine.”

I had a couple of What The Furball moments this past weekend. I had to question whether Halloween had come and gone, or not, when I spotted dozens of young ladies dressed for a masquerade at Edmond Town Hall Saturday night. It wasn’t All Hallow’s Eve that they were celebrating, though. The girls were gathering to honor the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouting, at a special masquerade ball. Best wishes to Girl Scouts around the world celebrating this milestone.

Then there was a moment of panic when I spotted colored lights twinkling on the Ram Pasture Christmas tree, Sunday night. Had I missed out on the annual Tree Lighting ceremony? It turns out, the Tree Lighting committee was just testing the lights, so the light display should not be seen again until Friday evening, December 2, according to committee member Janet Woycik. Whew. That’s one holiday kick-off event I hate to miss.

The five fire companies collected truckloads of food this past Saturday to deliver to the local food pantries, and Women Involved in Newtown filled and delivered dozens of holiday baskets late last week. I’m feeling pretty grateful to be part of a community that can rally around the less fortunate, month after month, and year after year.

NYFS is getting ready for its big Holiday Festival, Sunday, December 4, including a new event — The 1st Annual NYFS Decorated Door and House Contest. So, this weekend would be a good time to decorate your house or the front door, because contest entries need to be submitted to NYFS by Thursday, December 1. There are two categories: the whole outside of your home, or just the front door. You can’t enter in both categories, by the way. Bring a 4x6 or 5x7 photograph to the NYFS office, 17 Church Hill Road, or submit a .jpg file to KJohnson@NewtownYouthAndFamilyServices.org. Photos will be displayed at the library during the Holiday Festival, and the public will vote for their favorite. Winners will be announced at 4 pm, and will receive gift certificates from local businesses — so get busy.

Main Street will glow with The 26th Annual Newtown Savings Bank Holiday Festival To Benefit Newtown Youth & Family Services, Sunday, December 4. The family-friendly festival will run 11 am to 5 pm. Festival tickets are $15 per person, $30 for a family four-pack, with tickets for additional children $5 each. Tickets are available at Everything Newtown, 61 Church Hill Road; C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street; and Newtown Savings Bank’s two Newtown branches (39 Main Street and Sand Hill Plaza), and the 68 Stony Hill Road Bethel branch. The Booth Library will host the door contest, Festival of Trees (Saturday and Sunday, with no Festival ticket required), and a Gingerbread House Contest. The Edmond Town Hall will be home to The Teddy Bear Tea, and a Best Dressed Bear Contest, as well the Mix & Match Free Throw Tournament, the Nutcracker Suite Ballet by Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet, at noon and 2 pm, and the debut of The Stray Kats Theatre Company at the Holiday Festival, with a trio of one-act plays at 4 pm. Town Historian Dan Cruson will lead 45-minute Historic Walking Tours of Main Street at 11 am, and 1 and 3 pm. For information, call 203-270-4335 or visit www.NewtownYouthAndFamilyServices.org, or NewtownBee.com and click on the Features tab. Newtown Bee Associate Editor Shannon Hicks has done two preview stories about the festival, each with plenty of details.

There is also the Annual Winter Walk sponsored by the Friends and Neighbors of Putnam Park and the State Park DEEP, led by Dan Cruson, Saturday, December 3, at 11 am. Dan will detail the Revolutionary War winter encampment. Reenactment soldiers will accompany the group. The walk starts at the Visitors Center, at the junction of Routes 107 and 58, in Redding. The Visitor’s Center opens at 10 am, and the commissioner of the DEEP will arrive at 10:30 for a meet and greet session. The event is free, with donations accepted. Refreshments and a book signing by Dan, of his recently published historical book, Putnam’s Revolutionary War Winter Encampment, will follow the walk. (Dan has promised to share the details of his new book with me next week.) For information call 203-742-0089.

It’s the season of feasting, and I’ll be feasting not just on turkey, but on tidbits of news, so be sure next week to… Read me again.