Our story in last week’s Bee about bears marauding bird feeders brought forth a rash of responses from residents reporting similar sightings. The Bee is featuring another photo taken at the birdfeeder in Arnie Mauer’s yard on Echo Valley Road. Jim Wright is also reporting in with another sighting off Tamarack Road. Jim wrote to say, “My bird feeder bear gauge registered a suspicious hit last week. No squirrel or raccoon can bend that metal arm down. It seems a bit early in the year to be seeing bears. It must be the mild weather.”

I guess we’re going to have to rename our birdfeeders as bearfeeders. Now that it’s turned cold again, we hope the bears will take their cue from the groundhog and go back into hibernation.

Even though there aren’t any cat photos at this show, I recommend you stop by the Booth Library to view all the wildlife and scenic photographs on exhibit there taken by Art Anderson, Bob Berthier, and Frank Gardner. Their subjects range from the familiar (male cardinal sitting on a spruce branch) to the exotic (six zebras drinking at a watering hole during a South African sunset) and extreme closeups (smiling bullfrog with duckweed stuck to his eyelids) to long views (far mountain range in Denali Park, Alaska). These three Newtown photographers have logged a lot of miles and endured all kinds of weather to capture these images, and all are worth a closer look. The exhibit will remain up until the end of February.

I’m keeping my furry little toes on all my paws crossed that the daffodils sprouting up in all the flower beds around town survive the rest of the winter. It would be a sad scene if Ram Pasture and the other colorful gardens were devoid of the swathes of yellow flowers that paint the town in spring.

While visiting the police station this week, I had occasion to stop by the lieutenants’ office where the police department’s two lieutenants handle their law enforcement duties. Lieutenant Jim Mooney oversees police operations for the department and Lieutenant George Sinko addresses administrative matters. The office is tastefully appointed with attractive furniture and decorative items, giving it a casual, yet elegant air. Until several years ago, that office space had been occupied by the town’s detective unit, which eventually outgrew the area and moved into larger, renovated quarters elsewhere in the station.

While walking along Church Hill Road this week, I spotted a huge puddle in a turfed area lying between Newtown Convenience Store and the former Grand Union supermarket. This puddle was so big, approximately 30 feet across, that it might draw waterfowl away from Hawley Pond as an alternate spot to spend some time in the winter sunshine. If it gets any bigger, I think the town may have to come up with a name for it. How about Lake Inferior?

Who says kids don’t do good deeds these days? Max Eckert, who turned 13 recently, will be having a belated birthday party next weekend. His dad mentioned that Max has been so inspired by the efforts of other people trying to raise money to build a new dog pound in Newtown, he told his parents that he doesn’t want his friends to bring presents to his party. Instead, Max has asked that friends and family offer donations for the dog pound. “We were stunned, and thrilled, when he approached us about this,” Joe Eckert said of his son’s special request. “He decided on this on his own, and his mother and I are very proud of him.” I’m proud of him, too, even if means that dogs, and not cats, get a higher station in life.

Newtown firefighters have been enjoying the new town-owned land down at Eichler’s Cove, and it’s still the middle of winter. No, they haven’t been swimming, but their recent weekend activities with hoses and tanker trucks have made place look a little like a water park. They have been burning down some of the small structures there that are slated for demolition by the town. The fires help them hone their firefighting skills. They should be back out there one last time this weekend to finish up the demolition by fire.

Speaking of fires, it’s time for me to return to my spot on the hearth, but I’ll be back next week all fired up with more news and views, so be sure to…

Read me again.