The Newtown Cultural Arts Commission has revamped its newsletter, “Vibrant Arts for a Healthy Community.” You can subscribe to the twice monthly, free, arts newsletter at www.newtownartscommission.org/newsletter, where you will also find out how you can promote your art event in the newsletter. The newsletter serves the arts organizations in town, as well as individual artists, and Newtown youth artists.

There is nothing like a good lullaby, and now the poetry of Margaret Brown Wise has been set to music, in Goodnight Songs. The author of the iconic children’s book Goodnight Moon, Ms Wise’s rediscovered poems are equally sweet and enhanced by gentle tunes. Goodnight Songs is a book and CD set, and I stumbled upon it at www.amazon.com.

The library is back in full swing, and The Little Book Store on the main floor is fully stocked and ready for business. Located near the main circulation desk, The Little Book Store offers gently used, gift quality books at attractive prices. Shoppers of all ages and interests can find a large selection of fiction and nonfiction books, with children’s books organized by grade reading level. And the Little Book Store sells more than just books —  CDs, DVDs, and jigsaw puzzles are also available for purchase. The store, sponsored by Friends of the C.H. Booth Library, is open during library hours. You’ll be happy to know that all proceeds benefit the C.H. Booth Library.

With spring springing up all around, there should be lots of opportunities for photography. Flowers, budding trees, rushing rivers, lambs, rams, horses, people, and playgrounds are all waiting to be immortalized. And don’t you want to share your photographic discoveries with the community? Post your photos from Newtown on Instagram, and if you tag them with #viewfromNewtown, they will automatically be included in our Instagram feed on our home page. 

While you’re at it, make note of the people who quietly go about doing good for others and our town. Let me know who it is, and I will see that they are honored with the coveted Good Egg Award, right here, in this very column. Send your nomination to Nancy@thebee.com.

I’m told that Snowbird Tom Evagash “shot his age” at the Hacienda Hills Golf Course in The Villages, Florida, on February 11. The score was 77, but I refuse to divulge his age.

You might notice ETH Board of Managers is hanging on to The Hunger Games: Catching Fire for a few more days. Rumor has it, that will be the final movie using the theater’s 35 mm film projector. After months of upgrades and renovations, the theater will finally have a digital projector installed. The theater is scheduled to be dark March 24 to April 4, and will show its first digitally formatted film — still TBA — presumably on Saturday, April 5. Stay tuned!

Last week, The Bee introduced readers to Joseph “Jo-Jo” Doherty, a St Rose student who did a Penguin Plunge for Special Olympics Connecticut on March 8, and raised just over $1,100. As part of his fundraising campaign, the fifth grade student had also received permission from the school’s faculty to host this week’s Dress Down Day. Students of the Church Hill Road paid $2 in order to deviate from wearing the traditional uniform and wear some green on Monday, St Patrick’s Day. Jo-Jo raised nearly $500 this week, bringing his fundraising effort to the $1,600 mark.

The Sandy Hook 5K (née The Sandy Hook Run for Families at its debut last year), will be at Fairfield Hills on Saturday, March 29, and Race Director Katie Blake mentioned last week that there are still a number of spots available for Newtown residents who want to be part of this year’s run. The race will begin at 8:15 am, on the campus of Fairfield Hills, and will feature a 5K run/fitness walk, as well as a fun run for children ages 2–11. Runners and walkers of all abilities and families with strollers are welcome. Registration fees ($26 per runner) from the event and fundraising will be donated to The Newtown Memorial Fund. Visit www.5krunforshf.org for registration details and other information.

Movoto, the real estate research blog, published a ranking of the ten best places in Connecticut, populations 10,000-plus, on Monday. Newtown is not number one (except in the hearts of those who live here), but it did make the number 10 spot. Rankings were based on amenities, quality of life, crime, weather, and so on. Who beat Newtown? Find out at www.movoto.com/ct/best-places-in-connecticut.

Work From Home Newtown-CT will host its next lunch gathering on Friday, March 28. Remote workers, home-based business owners, sole proprietors, jobseekers, stay-at-home parents, retirees, et al, are invited to join Newtown resident Greg Pategas for networking and socializing beginning at 11:30 am, at Sweet Mango. The restaurant is at 266 South Main Street, within Plaza South. Call 914-414-5163 or send an e-mail to Greg at Greg.Pategas@att.net for details or to let Greg know that you’re coming, so that he can reserve a large table.

Live at The Edmond Town Hall presents Low Anthem in concert, Friday, April 11, at 7 pm. For all of you Brown Bird fans (one half of which is made up of Newtown native MorganEve Swain), the event will raise money to help Dave Lamb (the other half of Brown Bird) in his battle against leukemia. The fundraiser is called “Drink for Dave” and here’s the deal: the money that the Edmond makes off sales of beer, wine, liquor on the night of the show will be donated to Dave and MorganEve. Drink responsibly for two special musicians.

Newtown’s Beautiful Baby Photo Contest is seeking photos of children and babies for 2014. Run single-handedly by Sandy Hook resident Lois Barber, the contest is open to parents who would like to enter a photo of their children into the competition that raises money for charity. The public will be invited to vote, at $1 per vote, June 6-7 at the Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue LobsterFest. The money raised through votes that weekend will be donated to the fire company. For two weeks after that, the voting booth will be set up at Stop & Shop in Sand Hill Plaza. Money raised through that voting, and the $10 entry fees, will all be donated to The Newtown Labor Day Parade Committee. To enter a photo, send a $10 check made payable to Newtown Labor Day Parade and a nonreturnable 4 by 4-inch photo (cut to size) with the baby’s name, contact phone for parents, and e-mail address to Baby Contest c/o Lois Barber, 33 Zoar Road, Sandy Hook CT 06482. Space limited to first 56 contestants. The child whose photo raises the most amount of money rides in the Newtown Labor Day Parade in a chauffeur-driven convertible as the Beautiful Baby Winner. All contestants are invited to march in the parade with their families as the Beautiful Baby Contestants. For additional information, contact Ms Barber at babycontest2010@gmail.com or 203-270-8017.

I feel an idea percolating. But to find out if I’m starting my own Beautiful Cat campaign, you’ll have to… Read me again.