The warm weather has not only people out enjoying the early spring, but wildlife, too. Last week, Bobbi Burns had a bear visitor on Farrell Road, and now I hear that Danica and Sean O'Brien observed a bear near their Great Quarter Road home on March 3. Danica was chatting with a friend when she looked out and saw what she thought was a dog, swimming across Lake Zoar. "It took me a while to realize it was not a dog. I walked over to a neighbor's yard to get a better look," she said. When the animal exited the lake into the yard of a house further down, she started shouting to Sean, "It's a bear! It's a bear!" It was the last thing she ever expected to see, she tells me. They hopped in their car to see if they could track where the bear was going; turning onto Andras Road, a car ahead of them suddenly stopped, to allow the bear to cross, they assumed. "We turned around then, and as we headed back on Great Quarter, we saw the bear in the sand pit there. I was so excited," Danica says. The bear stood up for a moment, then ambled off into the Lower Paugussett State Forest, she said. Sean gave Animal Control a heads up, but hikers in the area might want to keep their eyes peeled for bear activity. Skunks, raccoons, and other creatures are shaking off winter sleep now, too, and looking for food. It might be a good idea to pull in bird feeders temporarily, and not leave snacks outside for Fido or Fluffy.kelleymmichael@charter.net.newtown-ct.gov, under the Parks and Recreation Department tab. Littler egg hunters, ages 3 to 9, are invited to the traditional Egg Hunt, Saturday morning, March 19. Participants for this free event should also register online, and meet beneath the Dickinson Park pavilion at 10 am, with a bag or basket for collecting the eggs. I hear that a special guest bunny will be hopping about on Saturday, as well.

There was no Pi was in the sky on Monday, March 14, at Newtown Middle School, but there was Pi on the lockers. NMS celebrated 3.14, the mathematical constant of Pi (Pi represents the ratio of circumference of a circle divided by its diameter, and has an infinite number of digits beyond the decimal point) with special decorations. Students stayed after school on Friday to help decorate lockers in the school's C-Wing with numbers in the Pi sequence, a nice discovery for students arriving on Monday morning. Here's a math fact about this year's Pi Day: if Pi is rounded to four numbers past the decimal point, it comes out to 3.1416, matching Monday's date - March 14, 2016. Pretty cool.

A contest among employees at Dental Associates was recently held to name a Butcher's Best sandwich, and come up with the ingredients for it. The winning name? "The Mighty Molar," a pesto, mayo, eggplant, smoked gouda, arugula, and roasted pepper sandwich. Butcher's Best is now selling the sandwich, and once a week through the month of March, Dental Associates will offer a sample sandwich for patients after they visit. (And floss, I wonder?)

Things were hopping at the Dere Street Restaurant at 33 Main Street, for the very first time, Tuesday evening. Owner David Cooper and Chef Iain Sampson hosted an invite-only soft opening, and lucky guests sampled appetizers like smoked salmon tart, main courses that included lamb, cod, or potato gnocci, and a dessert sampler. Diners also got to put in their two-cents worth regarding room temperature ("Just right!") and music volume levels - but David reserves the right to select any and all music. The restaurant opens to the public this coming Saturday, March 19, and if reactions on Tuesday are an indication, I'd be thinking about making reservations for any date in the near future, if I were you.

The public is invited to the Middle Gate PTA Parents Night Out Fundraiser, April 2, from 6:30 to 11:30 pm, at Rock Ridge Country Club. A DJ, dancing, and the school's annual silent auction means fun for everyone. (Attire is dressy casual, so I'm pretty sure a tuxedo cat is properly attired.) If you want to support the Middle Gate Elementary School community, send a check for $60 per person (includes appetizers, dinner, dessert, and two drink tickets) to Middle Gate Elementary School, 7 Cold Spring Road, Newtown CT 06470, attention: PTA/Parents Night Out. Please include your address and phone number. Questions? Contact

Hop to it - Easter is around the corner, and that means it's time for the Parks & Rec Spring Egg Hunts. Gather at Dickinson Park pavilion, this Friday, March 18, at 8 pm, if you want to have some after-dark egg hunting fun. The Flashlight Egg Hunt is for ages 9 to 18. Bring your own flashlight, and be sure to register online at

If egg hunting is not up your alley, the Third Annual First Selectman's Game, a basketball contest between Newtown's and Monroe's seventh/eighth grade boys' basketball champions, will take place at Monroe's Jockey Hollow School gymnasium on Friday, March 18, beginning at 7 pm. Suggested donation for admission is $1 plus a canned good. All donations go to the Newtown FAITH and Monroe food pantries.

I found proof this week that Newtowners paused to celebrate the legacy of Dr Seuss and Read Across America Day on March 2, at C.H. Booth Library. INSERT CAT IN HAT PHOTO The library created a life-sized "Cat in the Hat" for library patrons (young, small, old, and tall) to pose for photos with and share the photos on Instagram using #newtownreadsacrossamerica or #chboothlibrary. Some of the photos are also printed and decorating a board at the library. You don't have to wait until March 2 next year to do as the board reads, "Grab your hat and read with a cat." I'm here every week, so be sure to… Read me again.