If you missed hearing the voices of Reed Intermediate School students on World Wrestling Entertainment’s holiday special Tribute To The Troops this past Saturday, you still have a chance to hear them. Students who wrote 66 letters to servicemen to be brought overseas with WWE stars and employees were featured in part of its holiday special this year, and a video has been posted on YouTube that includes some of the students reading excerpts from their letters. Just go to YouTube.com and search for “WWE Tribute To The Troops: Letters,” or type http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FIFBvRbCe4 in your browser to hear some of Newtown students read their letters wishing the troops happy holidays. 

Chet Hopper tells me he is pretty sure it is his house on Boggs Hill that was mentioned in the December 12 “Way We Were” column. The Hopper home was once owned by Hobe Erwin, who designed the interior and exterior sets for the 1933 film version of Little Women around the rooms of the Palestine District summer home he then owned.

Former Newtown resident Rose Bergen has had her book Fathers At Birth published by Ringing Bell Press. Fathers At Birth presents concepts and hands-on practices to enhance the labor and birthing experience for the woman and her birth partner, resulting in a positive birth experience for all involved. Visit FathersAtBirth.com for a more in-depth look at Rose’s book — just in time for the First Baby of the Year contests.

Which reminds me. The Bee has its own Newtown First Baby of the Year Contest coming up. The first baby born in Newtown-Sandy Hook who enters our contest is going to win tons of great gifts, lunches, dinners, certificates, and wonderful freebies for baby and parents from local merchants who have generously contributed to the winning package. Don’t forget to let us know if your special package arrives after midnight on December 31.

Boxing Day, or St Stephen’s Day, is celebrated on December 26 in Britain, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, and according to snopes.com (which would never lie to me) its origin is in long ago days when equals exchanged gifts on Christmas Day, but those of lower classes were given gifts of money or goods the day after. And here I always envisioned tidy Britains cleaning out their homes of holiday detritus, with piles of opened boxes heaped on the curbside… No boxes are harmed in the celebrating of this day, it turns out.

Hip! Hip! Hooray! for our local Stop & Shop supermarket. The Sand Hill Plaza store raised $2,917 as part of The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company’s “Food for Friends” program. The campaign, during which shoppers had the opportunity to purchase paper turkeys for $1, $3, or $5 each, ran from October 31 until December 11, raising money to help fight hunger in the community. One hundred percent of the funds raised were donated to local and regional hunger relief organizations. The majority of the funds raised in Newtown, plus a supplement from Stop & Shop Corporation, will support FAITH Food Pantry. The remainder will be distributed to state and regional food pantries.

FAITH Food Pantry also got a boost from the Lions Club recently, as did several other organizations. The Newtown Congregational Church group that is heading off to Biloxi to rebuild hurricane-damaged neighborhoods received a generous donation from the Lions, as did the World Help Foundation, and Shelter of the Cross adult transitional housing in Danbury. This season, as is true the rest of the year, the community is proud to be home to the philanthropic Lions Club. So many needy groups have benefited from its members’ efforts.

That reminds me that it is time to issue another Good Egg Award. Two people nominated Newtown resident Howard Lasher for his many community outreach efforts, and particularly for his involvement in Dream Come True of Western Connecticut. “I have known Howard a long time for his generosity, caring, and kindness,” one fan wrote to me. “Through his selfless efforts, many children have enjoyed fulfillment of their dreams, which include trips to ‘Give Kids The World,’ ‘Disney,’ and other dreams,” said another writer, who felt Howard is deserving of a Good Egg Award from Top of the Mountain. We can’t deny that Howard does a lot of good in Newtown and the greater Danbury region, so Howard, here’s to you! You’re a Good Egg!

Don’t forget that I am always on the prowl for nominations for the Good Egg Award. If you know someone who works quietly to better the lives of others, with no intention of reward, please let the cat know at Nancy@thebee.com, “good egg” in the subject line.

We got our first real taste of winter over last weekend when the North Wind huffed and puffed and the snow came down — several inches of it on Friday, followed by more on Sunday, and some bitterly cold temperatures. That’s what we get for dreaming of a white Christmas….

I’m dreaming that everyone has a safe and happy holiday season, and that next week you find time to… Read me again.