Eleven-year-old Jack McDonnell had some company for his 11-11-11 birthday last Friday. It turns out that another young man in town, Beau Arend, also celebrated his golden birthday, turning 11 years old on November 11, 2011. I’d like to wish Beau a belated, but heartfelt, Happy Birthday! (Speaking of which, how could we forget to mention Carol Fenn, of The Bee’s production department, who also celebrated a birthday on 11-11-11??! She didn’t turn 11 last week, but we still offer belated birthday wishes.)

Now that Dr Baum’s office on Church Hill Road is done shipping the more than 600 pounds of Halloween candy collected in recent days to troops overseas, they are on to collecting something new — toys, that is. Dr Baum’s orthodontics office, located at 23 Church Hill Road, at the intersection with Queen Street, is taking part in the US Marine Corps Toys For Tots program. New, unwrapped toys for children ages newborn to teen can be dropped off at the office during regular hours, now through December 19. The office is also collecting holiday cards for troops, through December 8, or stop by and add your wishes to the troops on the big card posted in the office.

Heard some very good news from Mackenzie Page this week. Mackenzie is the young lady who organized The Great Pumpkin Challenge, a beautiful display of carved pumpkins that debuted on Main Street for Halloween and served as both a holiday event and a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society and a young family friend who is battling brain cancer. Mackenzie received a total of 149 jack-o-lanterns for her display. The other good news? As of Wednesday, November 16, her donations total had reached $3,718. Well done!

I’ve been feeling a little blue since the Sandy Hook Organic Farmers’ Market closed for the season. But a press release that came across my desk last week lifted my spirits. The Danbury Fair Mall has joined with Fresh Nation to bring an indoor farmers’ market to the Backus Avenue site, each Saturday and Sunday, now through the holiday season and into 2012. The market takes place in the Lord & Taylor wing, lower level, Saturdays, from 10 am to 5 pm, and Sundays, from 11 am to 5 pm. The market will feature seasonal produce, with a special emphasis on gift giving and holiday entertaining from artisan food purveyors. Fresh cheeses, pies, meats, pasta and sauces, dairy, breads, jam, honey, and maple syrup are just a few of the items that will join the top quality produce for sale. My mouth is watering already.

If you don’t already think fresh and local is best, maybe this will change your mind: while pussyfooting around the Internet, I came across an Eatocracy CNN article that reports on rogue honey on the shelves. It seems that some of that honey sold in chain stores, in the cute little squeeze bears, for instance, comes from sources that do not meet the international standards of quality. Honey smuggled in from foreign countries, with most of the pollen filtered out, can be tainted with heavy metals and other undesirable elements. (Pollen helps determine the country of origin, plus it is one of the beneficial qualities of honey.) Suddenly, that locally produced and packaged honey looks pretty sweet to me.

It’s going to be another busy weekend around town, including the annual Fill The Fire Truck Food Drive. Firefighters from all five of Newtown’s companies will be set up outside two of the three supermarkets in town on Saturday. Members of Hawleyville, Hook & Ladder, and Sandy Hook will by at The Big Y on Queen Street, from 9 am until about 1:45 pm, collecting food and financial donations, all of which will be delivered to FAITH Food Pantry that afternoon. Meanwhile, members of Botsford and Dodgingtown’s companies will be over at Stop & Shop in Sand Hill Plaza, doing the same thing. Anything you can donate to the food drive will be appreciated, whether for Thanksgiving (this drive often results in a few dozen turkeys being given to FAITH just before Turkey Day) or any other day. If you don’t get a chance to help stuff the trucks, FAITH accepts donations Tuesdays, from 9 am to noon, and Thursdays, from 6 to 7:30 pm. Donations to the Town Hall South town pantry, also in need of assistance, can be dropped off during regular office hours, Monday through Friday.

Get into the mood of the season with The Connecticut Master Chorale annual Holiday Prelude Concert, Sunday, November 20, at 3 pm, at St Rose of Lima Church, 46 Church Hill Road. This is a change in venue for the group’s holiday concert, but the quality of the performance will no doubt remain as good as ever. The chorale, under the direction on Tina Johns Heidrich, will perform an eclectic program to celebrate the season, with Joseph Jacovino accompanying on piano and organ, and the Connecticut Master Chorale Holiday Brass also performing. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Call 203-743-0473 for ticket purchase and visit www.CMChorale.org for more information.

Sometimes, you just have to find an excuse to celebrate. When Tracy and Peter Van Buskirk realized how many friends they had who were equally gaga over their Volkswagen vehicles as were they, they invited everyone to a Volkswagen Get Together, last Sunday. Pictured here alongside three gasoline and six diesel Volkswagen sedans, from left, are Maryjane Wood, Peter Reich, Laura Craighead, Jeff Roeder, Barb Roeder, Ted Welsh, Tina Welsh, Peter Van Buskirk, and Nick Wood. Doesn’t look like VW needs to advertise “Drivers Wanted” around here.

Members of The Garden Club of Newtown are getting ready to put all the greens and dried plants they have been putting aside all year to use. The ladies will be decorating wreaths, creating swags, and putting together other nature-based items in the next few weeks for their annual Christmas Greens Sale, which returns to Newtown Meeting House on Saturday, December 3. Club members plan all year for this special fundraiser by drying plants from their gardens and collecting pinecones and other items to use in decorating wreaths, swags, and table arrangements for the holiday season. Holly, winterberry, rose hips, boxwood, and a wide assortment of evergreens will be incorporated into the designs. The event will run from 9 am until 1 pm, and proceeds are used for a number of projects, including a Newtown Scholarship Association award and continued maintenance of gardens at The Matthew Curtiss House and around the Blue Star Highway Memorial Marker at the VFW Post.

The Friends of the C.H. Booth Library have scheduled the annual Holiday Book Sale for Saturday, December 3, from 9:30 to 5 pm, and Sunday, December 4, from 11 am to 5 pm, just outside of the children’s department of the C.H. Booth Library. Gift quality books, CDs, and DVDs will be sold at a fraction of the shelf price. You get a bargain holiday present — and you get to support the library.

I’m looking for your support, too, so remember next week to… Read me again.