Newtown Meals On Wheels (MOW) provides a hot, midday meal for shut-ins or people temporarily or permanently unable to get out, thanks to the many volunteer drivers. But due to retirement or other time conflicts for drivers, the organization is currently in great need of additional drivers, said driver coordinator Colleen Honan. Volunteers are assigned a route consisting of several meal recipients. Most drivers volunteer just once a month, one day of the week. Drivers pick up the prepared meals at Masonicare of Newtown, off of Toddy Hill Road, around 11:30 am, drop off the meals, and then return the coolers and food warmers to Masonicare. To volunteer with Newtown Meals On Wheels, call Colleen at 203-426-0714.

You don’t have to chicken out if driving is not up your alley. Women Involved in Newtown (WIN) is in great need of people to “adopt” families for Thanksgiving baskets and provide food through the holiday season. At least 25 families have yet to be adopted, said WIN member Mandy Monaco, and Thanksgiving baskets will be assembled and delivered next Friday, November 22. Please consider helping others who might have not a lot to be thankful for without some assistance. Mandy says that participants can expect to spend approximately $50 to $80 for food for a family that is adopted. To find out more, contact Mandy at 203-426-5600. Monetary donations to set off the cost of supplemental foods can be mailed to WIN, PO Box 236, Newtown CT 06470.

Eddie Jensen sent this note to us, too, and is hoping Newtowners might be able to lend a helping hand. “The Jensen Tire & Automotive family of Monroe and Trumbull will be donating 100 turkeys to the Monroe Food Pantry for families in need of Thanksgiving Day dinner. We would like to ask our customers and the community to help us raise the rest of the fixings to help the families in need, so we can make their Thanksgiving Day better. We will have donation boxes at both locations for drop off, 242 Route 34, Monroe and 6746 Main Street, Trumbull. Please consider helping the families being supported by the Monroe Food Pantry. Thank you in advance for your support, Sincerely The Jensen Tire & Automotive family.”

Have you heard what all the noise is about? This Thursday, November 14, through Sunday, November 17, the Newtown High School Drama Club will present Noises Off, written by Michael Frayn, and both student directors Brittany Pearson and Kylie Gallagher promise it is a comedy filled with laughs for the whole family. Show times at NHS for the production are at 7 pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; a matinee performance will be held at 2 pm on Sunday. Tickets are general admission and will be sold at the door starting one hour before each performance. Tickets will be sold for $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $7 for students and faculty.

Clever and appealing watercolors by Newtown artist and illustrator Jennifer Thermes populate the pages of the storybook There Are No Moose On This Island. Written by Stephanie Calmenson, and inspired by a trip to Isle Au Haut off of Maine, the book was published last month by Islandport Press. Jennifer has illustrated numerous children’s books, a middle-grade novel, and is the writer and illustrator of Sam Bennett’s New Shoes and When I Was Built, historical fiction for young readers.

This event is a little out of the way, but I know you’ll want to jump in your car (along with your dancing shoes) and head to Prospect when you hear about it. “Zumba For A Cause” supports the Dawn Hochsprung Memorial Fund and takes place next Friday evening, November 22, at the Community School, 12 Center Street in Prospect. The high-energy dance event is sponsored by the Live Love Dance Fitness Studio in Prospect. Doors open at 6 pm, and Zumba gets underway at 6:30. There is a charge of $20 in advance to participate, or $25 at the door. To register and for more information visit www.DawnHochsprungMemorialFund.org.

Congratulations to Beryl Harrison, who was named acting director of the C.H. Booth Library, Tuesday evening. Beryl is a familiar face to anyone who has visited the reference department in the last several years, and more recently has served as the assistant library director. I’m sure that as the Board of Trustees gets underway with the search for a permanent library director, they can count on Beryl to continue lending her experience to staff and patrons of the library.

I was meandering around Sandy Hook Center last week when I stumbled upon the Migrant Salon, a new art gallery located beneath Subway, on Church Hill Road. NHS 2005 graduate Allison Hornak, an artist herself, has opened the gallery that will feature works from area artists. The current show, “Purpose,” runs through November 30. The gallery is open Thursday through Saturday, from 10 am to 5 pm, and is worth the few steps off the main road.

Small works of art are the focus at both Koenig Frameworks, 97 South Main Street, Newtown, and at Newtown resident John O’Sullivan’s shop in Danbury, Art & Frame of Danbury. “Inside the Box” is the small works show at Koenig’s, where you can browse or buy original art, in just the right size and price. That show runs now through December 24, and you can visit during store hours, Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm. At 60 Newtown Road (Route 6) in Danbury, “Small Works Show” runs through January 4 at Art & Frame. More than 100 small pieces are on exhibit and for sale. John and staff welcome art lovers between the hours of 10 am and 7 pm, Monday through Friday, or on Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm.

I’ve been trying to wag my swishing tail, ever since I learned the date for the 3rd Annual Kids Lend a Paw (KLAP) dog walk. The event will be held this Saturday, November 16, rain or shine, at Fairfield Hills. Reed Intermediate School sixth grader Maddie Stites began Kids Lend a Paw three years ago to raise money to support the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Maddie says she hopes to raise $1,000 this weekend for the cause. A donation of $5 per student is asked for, but Maddie said participants could also choose to donate dog supplies — like toys, treats, towels, food, detergent, blankets, or leashes — in lieu of the $5 donation. Maddie also said dogs are free to walk. She also has a website set up at www.kidslendapaw.webs.com. The walk will kick off at 10:30 am. I wish I could show up, but a cat at a dog walk may turn it into a dog run!

I’ll be running around town to gather the news next week. You can find it here, if you… Read me again.