Happy Earth Day! The official Earth Day takes place Sunday, April 22, with celebrations to honor our planet happening all over the world. Here in Newtown, Earth Day is falling a few days later. Look for lots of fun and education activities and vendors at the Newtown Earth Day Festival, at Newtown Middle School, Saturday, April 28, from 10 am to 4 pm. The Lions Club is once again taking on trash with the annual Lose The Litter Walk that day or call Glenn Nanavaty at 203-426-2116. There are many miles of road to clean in this big town.gnanavaty@nndcpa.com. If you did not already register for a particular area or road, contact the new building on the grounds of St Rose of Lima Church is formally celebrated on Sunday, April 29. Parishioners of St Rose will have their own open house, but the public is invited to visit on April 29 between 2 and 4 pm. A new sign announcing the food pantry's new permanent home has been added to the church's sign at 46 Church Hill Road. The first clients were able to visit FAITH's new location on Tuesday, March 27.Troop270newtown@gmail.com, and should include your name and the year you earned your Eagle Award. In addition, past and present members of Troop 270 are reminded that organizers are seeking photos for a massive slide show that night. Even new Scout families are encouraged to share their images. Photos can also be sent to the e-mail address above, with a note in the subject line indicating Photos for Troop 270 Celebration Slideshow.this summer's Camp Creativity were filled. If you missed out on that program, RCN continues to offer others. Visit resiliencycenterofnewtown.org or call 203-364-9750 to find out what events and programs are coming up, all offered free of charge for Newtown residents.nwf.org/garden to find out about needed food and water support for creatures great and small, as well as using natural shrubs, fallen trees, and other vegetation to provide shelter from predators and to provide a safe space for wildlife to raise its offspring. And, if you want, you can apply to have your garden become a Certified Wildlife Habitat.her latest novel, Beneath the Apple Leaves. You'll also find Bethel author Sharon Sturth there, from 1 to 2 pm, signing her book, Willow's Way. Byrd's Books' owner Alice Hutchinson has also sent us info that Libro.fm, a site for audiobooks, will be giving away 25 digital downloads to folks who visit the store throughout the day. It's the perfect outing for people who love books - and who doesn't?The Newtown Bee is planning a special presentation to salute our service men and women, in time for Memorial Day weekend. Purchase a business card-size space for $57.60, and offer a brief message to honor soldiers. Relatives and friends currently or formerly serving in any branch of the Armed Forces will also be honored. Please contact Sandy Tannone, our receptionist, at 203-426-3141 for details or to create one of these ads. Deadline is Friday, May 11, and all ads will run in the print edition of Friday, May 25.

The Commission On Aging (COA) is on the move. Readers may have noticed last week's paper had the town's COA meeting on Monday, April 16, taking place at Newtown Municipal Center. According to COA Chair Anna Wiedemann, the commission has begun meeting at 3 Primrose Street, as of this month. It plans to meet there, she said, until the new senior center opens. There is one exception already on the calendar, however: for COA's regular meeting of Monday, May 21, the group will convene in the lower meeting room of Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street.

A reminder that the Third Annual Pancake Breakfast hosted by Dodgingtown Volunteer Fire Company is coming up this weekend. Firefighters will be serving breakfast Sunday, April 22, from 7 to 11 am, at the company's station, 55 Dodgingtown Road. Donations will be accepted, and fire company T-shirt sales will be sold during the fundraiser for one of the town's volunteer fire companies. For additional information call 203-270-4386.

The volunteers at FAITH Food Pantry are ready to open the doors of their new building to everyone in the community. FFP President Lee Paulsen said she hopes to see plenty of people when

April is Autism Awareness Month. In Newtown, it's also the beginning of fresh ice cream season. Ferris Acres Creamery has wasted no time combining the two into its first fundraiser of the year. Each person who donates 50 cents to the growing collection at 144 Sugar Street this month will receive the Creamery's triple blend of blue-hued sprinkles on their ice cream. All donations will go directly to Newtown Youth & Family Services, to support their related social and educational programs.

Boys Scout Troop 270 is celebrating its 60th year of scouting, and its 100th Eagle Scout. Scouts and Scoutmasters are planning a troop spaghetti dinner on Saturday, May 5, and are looking for any past Eagle Scouts from Troop 270 to attend as guests of honor. E-mails are requested by Sunday, April 22, to

Congratulations to the Resiliency Center of Newtown! In less than 20 minutes last week, all 55 spaces available for

The National Wildlife Federation wants to help you create a sustainable garden to help wildlife. Visit

Independent Bookstore Day takes place at indie bookstores across the country on the last Saturday in April. In our neighboring city, Bethel's Byrd's Books, located at 126 Greenwood Avenue across from P.T. Barnum Square, will throw a book bash on Saturday, April 28, from 10 am to 6 pm. Newtown author Harmony Verna will be there at 3 pm for a book signing of

You have all of your gently loved books, CDs, DVDs, LPs, games, and puzzles all set to drop off at the library on Sunday, April 29, right? That's the Friends of C.H. Booth Library's Spring Book Donation Day, and volunteers are ready to help you however they can, from noon to 5 pm. Drop off is behind the library, rain or shine. Friends volunteers are able this spring to help you nourish body and soul, through a generous donation recently received. Sean Harrington, the owner of the Subway sandwich shop in Plaza South, South Main Street, has given the Friends 30 coupons for a free 6-inch sub to give to people when they donate to Spring Book Donation Day. The first 30 cars that drive up behind the library to make a donation will receive one coupon per car for the free sub sandwich. The coupons can be redeemed at the Plaza South Subway.

Is there someone who served in the Armed Forces, and who made the greatest sacrifice, whom you would like to honor on Memorial Day?

Congratulations and best wishes to Sarah (Hemingway) and Billy Taylor, who learned recently that they are expecting their first child. While the first question most couples face upon sharing that news is "Are you having a boy or a girl?" anyone who knows Sarah and Billy know these two have an additional conundrum. Sarah is a diehard New York Yankees fan. Billy loves the Boston Red Sox. These two are waiting to find out who will finally have the majority in the house once their child starts rooting for a team. (Of course, there's always that other tri-state team that Baby Boy or Baby Girl Taylor could end up rooting for...)

I'll be rooting for the best news to be found around town. Be sure next week to... Read me again.