I think it’s kind of a cruel joke that National Spay/Neuter Day, which occurred on Tuesday this week, was scheduled so close on the heels of Valentine’s Day. Nothing takes the romance out a feline’s many lives like spaying or neutering. It’s a shame; we cats are the Barry Whites of the small animal world. I know rabbits have a huge reputation for their robust reproductivity, but the prowess of cats in this regard just might leave those hares in the dust with the tortoises.

Consider what the Newtown Spay and Neuter Association (SNAN) told me this week. Are you ready for this? Two unaltered cats and all their offspring can number 420,000 in seven years. Imagine how life would be around that household. Talk about a seven-year itch! If that ever happened to me, I’d volunteer to be SNAN’s next poster boy.

Patty Graves is an enthusiastic, longtime member of the Newtown Historical Society who is on a mission to increase society membership. “Here is it our Tercentennial Year and we haven’t even got 300 members out of a town of 25,000. I am determined to top 300 this year,” Patty vowed. Watch for more publicity coming your way from this marvelous organization that is dedicated to preserving Newtown’s past through newsletters, illustrated presentations, publications, and “living history” demonstrations at its Main Street museum, the Matthew Curtiss House (built in 1750). For more information, or to join the Newtown Historical Society, call 426-5937.

Mandy Monaco says Women Involved In Newtown (WIN) will be making up Easter baskets for area children in need again this year and is looking for donations of candy and new or “gently used” stuffed animals. Donations may be dropped off at The Little Green Barn on Washington Avenue in Sandy Hook or Bob Tendler’s office on Church Hill Road. Or call Mandy at 426-5600.

Members of the Newtown Woman’s Club are collecting items for a silent auction that will be held at the Booth Library from 4 to 7 pm on March 19. There will be lots of auction items including two nights’ stay for two couples at the Maples Inn bed and breakfast in New Canaan and dinner at the Roger Sherman Inn. The bed and breakfast is owned by Mary Ruffles’ daughter, who donated the auction item.

Marie Lederer called from her home in Monroe to inquire about a photo of the students at the one-room Hattertown Schoolhouse that appeared in Way We Were recently.  She said her mother, Mary Leibold Perkins, who is celebrating her 103rd birthday this weekend, might have been the teacher.  Mrs Perkins couldn’t remember for sure, but she was able to name all but one of the 19 students in the photo. 

Pastor Greg Wismar is planning to hit the road again with his entourage of pilgrims. He has lined up the tenth in a series of trips, this one to Ireland in November. The eight-day trip is $1,698. There will be an informational meeting on the trip at Christ the King Lutheran Church on April 9 at 7 pm or call the pastor at 426-0651 or email him at wismar@prodigy.net for more details.

If the next movie listing in this week’s Bee for Edmond Town Hall seems different, it is… and that’s OK. Tom Mahoney has decided to keep The Polar Express for an extra day next week, so the animated feature will be running from Friday, February 25, until Friday, March 4 (instead of closing on Thursday, which town hall movies usually do). The Fraser-Woods School has rented the town hall’s theater for a special presentation on Saturday, March 5, so the town hall’s next movie will open on Sunday, March 6.

Newtown’s version of a Hollywood Oscar Party will no doubt be taking place this weekend at the home of Bob and Josie Schmidt. When the 77th Annual Academy Awardsare handed out Sunday night the Schmidts will have their fingers crossed and eyes focused on their television set, especially when the award is handed out for Best Documentary. On the West Coast, their son Eddie and his business partner Kirby Dick — who are the producer and director, respectively, of nominee Twist of Faith — will be inside the Kodak Theatre, hoping to hear their names read after the famous line “And the Oscar goes to…” Let’s all help the Schmidts by keeping our collective fingers crossed, too.

Of course to find out what happens you can stay up into the week hours on Sunday night, or you can…

Read me again.