Since the first month of winter was so unseasonably warm, there has been a lot of pent-up energy in those people who normally are out burning calories at a furious rate in various winter sports. This week, the ice on Hawley Pond finally thickened up enough for skaters to replace the resident geese on the pond. I’m not a big fan of the cold. I’m more of a hearth-hugger. But I sure do like to see those skaters against the scenic backdrop of the Ram Pasture. To me, it’s the perfect picture of January.

You might think someone who has answered thousands of ambulance calls would never be surprised by anything. But Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps Chief Liz Caine was caught off guard by well-wishers at a surprise retirement party held recently at the Hawleyville Fire Department headquarters. Ms Caine will have loads of time to brush up on her lifesaving and volunteer management skills now that she is officially retired from her full-time position with the state Department of Corrections.

Anyone seen a plywood cow grazing in the vicinity? The wooden bovine that formerly graced the front of South Main Pizza and the cellphone store next door on South Main Street was recently relocated to an adjacent private yard after local zoning officials deemed the decoration an illegal sign, according to the property’s owner. But much to the dismay of its new caretaker, the wooden cow disappeared sometime last weekend. Anyone who may know the whereabouts of what has now become a missing piece of yard art is asked to contact Robin at 426-5105. And if anyone is in a position to mooooove the plywood cow back to its former home, no questions will be asked!

American Kennel Club communications director and Bee dog columnist Lisa Peterson stopped by the office on Wednesday with Minx, a 6-week-old Norwegian elkhound, one of a litter of two that represents the seventh generation of elkhounds raised by Lisa over the past 20 years. Despite her unfortunate species, Minx sure is cute. Too bad puppies have to grow up to be dogs.

Chef Patrick Wilson will stop at nothing to add to his culinary talents, it seems. He recently returned from a working vacation in Tokyo where he worked in the Sushizanmai Training Kitchen and its restaurant at the Tokyo Fish Market. Some techniques he picked up there were easier to master than others, he said, but if you need a live sea eel filleted, Chef Wilson is probably the one to go to in Newtown.

Whenever I need to make myself heard, I usually just purr loudly or wrap myself around someone’s legs. For those of you who don’t feel this is the best approach, visit info@westconntoastmasters.org or call Anne at 203-438-3393 to get a free pass to a Toastmasters introductory program at Wooster School Library, Miry Brook Road, Danbury, on Wednesday, January 31, from 8 to 10 pm. The Toastmasters organization helps build self-confidence and sharpens public speaking skills. My feline friend, Leonardo, tells me that his person can call, “Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty,” far more clearly since taking part in the program.

Seven churches participated in the 2006 CROP Walk and totals are finally available for Newtown’s efforts. The 50 participants who walked a 2½-mile circuit at Fairfield Hills in late October raised a total of $5,312. The Golden Sneaker Award went to Newtown United Methodist Church walkers, who raised more than $2,300. Participants included walkers from Christ the King Lutheran Church, Community Presbyterian Church, New Hope Community Church, Newtown Congregational Church, Newtown United Methodist Church, St Rose of Lima Church, and Trinity Episcopal Church. The CROP walk raises money for international food projects, and the local pantry will also receive a percentage.

At long last, the new traffic signals are up and running at the heavily used intersection of Main Street, Sugar Street, South Main Street, and Glover Avenue. The new signals, which went into operation a couple of weeks ago, better organize and control traffic traveling through the intersection. Instead of two signal phases, there are now three signal phases, making for safer travel. Also, automatic controls measure the traffic flowing through the intersection from all directions to minimize waiting times for motorists who have red signals.

That’s it for now. I hope you have all green lights in the coming week, but only if you agree to stop and...

Read me again.