Do you watch CBS This Morning? I mean do you really watch it? Chris Licht, who is now the show’s executive producer (as well as being the vice president of news programming for CBS), offers a tip of the hat to his former hometown each morning if you’re looking for it. When the screen displays weather and current temperatures of big cities across the country, Newtown pops up each day at 7:20 am. I guest that’s Chris’s way of saying Hello to mom and dad, Susan and Peter, who still live in town and are very proud of their son. We are, too.

As any young lady will tell you, it’s never too early to start planning your outfit for a big event. For those who would like a preview of what some of next spring’s predictied prom fashions will look like, mark your calendar now: Newtown Junior Women’s Club will host a fashion show of 2013 prom gown and eveningwear fashions at Newtown High School on Sunday, December 2. Showtime is 3 pm, tickets are $15, and the event will feature fashions, refreshments, and plenty of raffle items. Proceeds will benefit local community projects through NJWC including its annual Tag-A-Gift during the holidays, the backpack program to give school supplies to Newtown kids in need, and the Science Workshops (a day of science, free of charge, to Newtown’s K–4 students). Additional details will be announced in upcoming weeks.

If you have young ones looking forward to Halloween, the Sandy Hook Organization for Prosperity (SHOP) is — hot off last weekend’s very successful Second Annual Passport to Sandy Hook — ready for them. For three hours on Saturday, October 27, children of all ages are invited for safe trick or treating. Businesses in the Church Hill Road-Glen Road-Riverside Road-Washington Avenue area will be handing out treats from 10 am until 1 pm. Costumes are definitely expected. Meanwhile, Stone River Grille will host pumpkin carving, face painting, and raffles.

Newtown Relay For Life 2013 is still eight months away, but local organizers are continuing their efforts to fundraise and have fun at the same time. A statewide movement — The Relay For Life Wacky Wednesday Dress-Up Day — is a way for everyone to have a bit of fun while supporting the life-saving mission of the American Cancer Society. Businesses are being encouraged to sign up for any or all three dress-up dates proposed for this fall: October 31, November 21, and December 19. Based on these dates it will be time to don your best (work appropriate) Halloween costume, tackiest Thanksgiving sweaters, and most blinged-out holiday attire. ACS is asking for a $5 donation per person for those who will be dressing up on any of the Wednesdays, or a $10 donation from those who participate on all three days. Companies are invited to contact CTRelay@cancer.org to register their company. In return, each group will receive a Dress Up Day Kit that will include posters and stickers to help promote Wacky Wednesday Dress Up Days, information about American Cancer Society services in Connecticut, and a self-addressed ACS collection envelope for donations to be sent to ACS. For those who are planning on participating in Relay For Life next year, the fundraising done on each of these days can count toward team fundraising. And of course, if you decide to participate in any of these special days we would love to hear from you as well. Call or e-mail Shannon Hicks (203-426-3141 or shannon@thebee.com) if your office/business/store, etc has a photo-worthy showing.

My paws are trembling with anticipation for this year’s Newtown Middle School My Favorite Scarecrow Contest entries to go on display, as always. on the front lawn of the Queen Street school. Each year eighth grade student groups are challenged to create a larger-than-life scarecrow, designed to frighten away a demon of their choice, that can withstand inclement weather. The creations are then put on display and voted on by the public for $1 per vote, and the top three winning scarecrow groups receive the profits to donate to a charity of their choice. This year’s collection will be going on view Saturday, October 20. Ballots will be available at the school, online at www.newtownbee.com, and in the October 19 print edition of The Newtown Bee. Votes can be submitted with the accompanying payment to either NMS or dropped off at The Bee’s 5 Church Hill Road office. I know the students in this year’s contest are hard at work, and I can’t wait to paw my way down to see the creations before they are taken down on October 28.

A mission, close to my feline heart, has been taken up by the Newtown Varsity Cheerleaders, who will be selling homemade dog treats to raise money for causes in Newtown, including the Spay and Neuter Association of Newtown (SNAN). The treats will be sold for $5 a bag at Blue & Gold Stadium during home football games. From what I read on the Newtown High School blog, there will also be a collection bin set up during home games for anyone wishing to contribute canned dog or cat food, which will be delivered to one of the food pantries to assist Newtown families in caring for their pets. The team has a game this Saturday at Oxford, but will be home next Friday night, hosting Notre Dame-Fairfield for a 7 pm kickoff.

Speaking of which, The Bee is about to embark on a two-week undertaking in honor of October being Adopt A Shelter Dog Month. From October 19 until November 2, there will be a collecting bin in the front office at 5 Church Hill Road for donations of Nutro Max mini chunk dog food, IAMS dry dog food, freeze-dried liver treats, toothpaste (poultry flavor), pigs ears, large rubber Kong toys and air Kong toys, large rope toys, Frisbees, squeak toys, tennis balls, choke chain collars, and sturdy slide leads, all of which will be delivered to the recently opened new Newtown Animal Shelter. The shelter will also gladly accept pet store gift certificates, and cleaning supplies such as bleach, ammonia, paper towels, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, towels, and large black garbage bags. Items can be delivered any time the office is open (Monday through Friday from about 7 am until at least 6 pm).

Talking about my fellow Bees… There is one lovely lady I want to say a loud (and belated, with apologies…) Happy Birthday to. Bridget Seaman, I wish you many kisses from your canine buddy Leo in the next year of your life. While I won’t share her age, I’ll offer this hint: If it’s hip to be square, Bridget is square, seven times over.

Joanne Brunetti is also hoping for a good response to a collection she is about to begin again. Joanne has long been a volunteer with the organization Soldiers’ Angels, which offers many opportunities to help soldiers and their families. Joanne recently received notice that they are “in dire need of socks,” she said in a note she quickly sent around to friends and their friends. Soldiers’ Angels would like to include socks packages that are being put together for Christmas, which means we need to get some to Joanne right away. The organization is requesting men’s and women’s crew socks, in white, olive, green or black only. “I know we can do this. The last time we did it, we were able to collect over 1,800 pairs of socks,” said Joanne, who has once again placed a large plastic pin on her front porch at 77 Butterfield Road for donations (call her at 203-948-0584 if you need to arrange for a pickup, which she is happy to do, or for additional information). And don’t mind the barking dogs you are likely to hear when you roll up. “They can’t get out,” she promises. Socks need to reach Joanne by October 26.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will be in Danbury next week, the culmination of a year of events leading up to his visit. The Dalai Lama will be visiting Western Connecticut State University to talk about “The Art of Compassion” on Thursday, October 18, at 1:30 pm, and then he is scheduled to offer “Advice for Daily Life” on Friday morning at 10 am. While tickets for these two public events have been unavailable for months, the university will be offering live streaming for both events, at www.WCSUdalailama.org (click on Live Stream in the banner along the left side of the page). The talks will be streaming in real time, and will then be available on YouTube 24 hours after each one is completed. Additional events continue until the lectures, including an exhibition of WCSU faculty works called “Creativity and Compassion,” on view at Higgins Gallery/Higgins Hall until November 29; the premiere of an original six-song cycle composed by WCSU Professor of Music Eric Lewis during a chamber music concert on October 15; and a recital by WCSU music faculty members featuring selections by J.S. Bach, representing the theme of compassion, on October 15. Visit the same website mentioned above, and click on A Year of Events for details about those.

You don’t need a computer to keep up with what I have been up to, although it’s an option for my online followers. Just remember to check this space again next week if you want to … read me again.