Oops. My apologies to last week’s Good Egg winners, Zach DeLoughy and Brady Eggleston, who were accidentally deprived of their Good Egg graphic in my column. So, here goes:

You are Good Eggs!

As part of her quest for a Girl Scout Gold Award, NHS senior Alyssa Rodriguez has organized String Jam-Fest, a night of “string jammin’-fun” where NHS Orchestra members and faculty will be performing music “from Beethoven to Zelda.” The event is Friday, May 21, from 7 to 9:30 pm, in the school’s lecture hall. Admission is free, but Alyssa is asking attendees to bring along nonperishable donations for the food pantry at Newtown Social Services.

Sandy Hook resident Bill Palladino has seen some hard days recently. While he was in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery, his wife, Janice Ann McClenathan Palladino, passed away. While Bill has been as independent as possible through his treatments and recovery, his ability to remain living independently has been compromised by his health issues. Family members and friends have gladly provided him with assistance through this recent period. But in preparation for selling his home, the assistance of a few more Newtown neighbors is required. A group of volunteers being coordinated by John Voket here at The Bee, and resident Terrance Ford, with the help of local businesses supplying materials, are planning a “Painting & Planting Party for Palladino,” on Saturdays May 22 and May 29. Because of the relatively small size of the residence and tight quarters in which to work, along with a limited amount of materials and supplies, organizers hope half-dozen local volunteers can offer a few hours of time this Saturday to complete the exterior painting, trim, and gutter work. On May 29, another six to eight volunteers are needed to help complete the exterior sprucing up, planting, and staging. Contact John here at The Bee (203-426-3141), on his cell phone at 203-509-2246, or send email to john@thebee.com. Volunteers should plan to be on hand by 8:30 am this Saturday, and count on putting in three to five hours of time.

Happy Birthday, YouTube! That’s right, the YouTube video website celebrated its fifth anniversary on Monday, May 17. Where else can you watch a video of a cat making pancakes, pianos that sprout wings and fly across the sky, or a group of walruses playing poker? Or my favorites, by far, the LOLCats and The Newtown Bee’s “Little Lessons” series?

We’ve always been proud of our literary Newtown residents, but Suzanne Collins finds herself in some pretty impressive company this month. Along with actor Ashton Kutcher, President Obama, Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow, Steve Jobs, and 96 others, Suzanne was named to Time’s 100 most Influential People in the World for the magazine’s May 10, 2010, double issue. The creator of the popular Gregor the Overlander series of books for young adults and, more recently the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne is highlighted with a brief essay by fellow author Lizzie Skurnick, who calls her “a natural ... [with] a powerful, innovative oeuvre … [and possessing] literary dexterity.” Mockingjay, the finale of the Hunger Games series, is due out August 24.

Forget dogs. It seems Newtown is going to the birds! Peacocks, to be more specific. A few weeks ago we heard about a group of six that were making their way around one Sandy Hook neighborhood (“Peafowl On The Prowl In Sandy Hook,” May 7, 2010). Last week, we had a concerned call from another lady who had seen the birds in that area again. Then on Monday we got a note from Antiques and The Arts Weekly assistant editor Anne Kugielsky, who saw four peacocks and one peahen on Orchard Hill Road, clear across town from Sandy Hook. Then last Thursday we received a note from Jim and Beverly Tevnan: “Each Mother’s Day since we moved to Newtown, ten years ago, we have celebrated Mother’s Day with the return of several families of hummingbirds who visit with us for the summer. Last Sunday the high winds brought us a twist: four proud peacocks presented themselves and caused quite a stir as neighbors, including Mark and Jennifer Kirkham, grabbed their cameras and recorded the start of a new decade of tradition? The lovely birds roosted on our back deck, strutted down the driveway, then moved on to other commitments in Newtown.”

I hope all of the Bee birthday cake hopefuls have noticed that baker Tony of Andrea’s Pastry Shop, who is so kind as to donate the winning cake each week, has asked that the winners bring in a copy of The Bee Birthday Cake column in which he or she was featured when picking up the cake. If you don’t win a cake, don’t be too sad. Any of the kids featured on the Birthday Cake page can bring in the article to get a coupon from Tony, making him twice as nice.

Lois Barber tells me that entries into the 2010 Beautiful Baby Contest are a little slow. Don’t be shy if you have the most beautiful baby in Newtown — let everyone know. You and your baby will win a gift basket, and best of all, you’ll get to ride in a convertible in the Labor Day Parade on Monday, September 6, and have that beautiful baby’s photo printed in The Newtown Bee. For more information contact Lois at baby2010@gmail.com. By the way, add a thank you note to Lois when you get in touch — she was responsible for arranging last week’s World War II veterans visit to NHS.

Music is a beautiful thing and Christina LaValla of Newtown, a sophomore majoring in early childhood education at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania, was one of many making beautiful music at the school’s spring concert on May 2. Various ensembles presented a variety of song styles from different time periods. The University Choir, of which Christina is a member, performed five songs, including Mozart’s “Veni Sancte Spiritus” and Irving Berlin’s “Alexander’s Ragtime Band.”

Word from Save Mocha Now! Community Challenge organizer Ben Roberts is that Newtown Youth & Family Services leads the contest, Park and Bark is in second place, followed by Donate to Skate, and Merryhill Child Care is in fourth place, followed by Relay For Life, and The Pootatuck Watershed Association. Meanwhile, Save Mocha Now! button sales have raised $151. Adding that to the initial $500 donation pool plus Mocha’s matching contribution brings the current pot to $715. When the contest ends May 23, the pot will be divided up between the local charities. Mocha supporters had hoped the contest would help stimulate sales at the Glen Road coffeehouse, which is slated to close at the end of this month. I’ve lapped up my share of cream at Mocha, and wish Scott and Rob the best of luck, whatever happens.

I’ll be around town lapping up the news for next week. I hope you’ll make time to… Read me again.