He had to wait nearly 50 years, but "Stretch" Forbell finally got his wish. Working for the telephone company, back in the 1960s, Stretch was on the job at The Newtown Bee. Among the numerous antiques and whimsy, he spotted a little clock made by the New Haven Clock Company. A clock collector himself, he nearly got his hands on it, publisher Scudder Smith recalled, when then-editor Paul Smith suggested it could be given up. But knowing that his son - Scudder - also had his eye on the clock, it stayed in the Bee family. Eventually, the clock ended up in the "garage collection." Never having forgotten, Stretch jokingly mentioned the clock to our publisher on a recent visit to The Bee. Lo and behold, the clock was unearthed from the pile in the garage, and presented to Stretch. The wait was almost worth it, I hear. PS - Happy birthday to Stretch, as well!Shrek, the Musical, being presented July 22-24 at Pomperaug High School, 234 Judd Road, in Southbury. You might spot Charles Romano (playing Farquaad), Olyvia Shaw (Dragon), and Jane Shearin (Young Fiona/Three Blind Mice/Duloc Dancer). Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm. For ticket information visit newburymusicaltheatre.org.The Newtown Bee begin training next week for a new computer system. It is a sorely needed upgrade, but as you can imagine, there will be a bit of chaos as our worlds of training and the regular gathering and preparing of news collide. Please be kind during the next few weeks of transition.

There are some very small scarecrows in the Castle Hill Farm field near Route 302. I haven't seen any crows, though, so I guess they are doing a very big job, despite their diminutive sizes.

Looking for some summer fun, or a rainy day activity? The Ben's Bells Connecticut studio - which launched as Ben's Bells Newtown before moving to its current location at 32 Stony Hill Road in Bethel - has extended its summer hours. All are welcome to participate/volunteer during any open session Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, from noon to 8 pm, and Saturdays between 10 am and 2 pm. All sessions are drop-in; no reservations are needed. All ages are welcome. Tasks can include forming clay into pieces that will be strung into the Ben's Bells, painting those beads, painting Kindness Coins, or anything else the studio needs help with. For additional information call 203-501-9999, send e-mail to ct@bensbells.org, or visit facebook.com/BensBellsCT. Entry to the studio is around the back of the building, from the upper parking lot.

If you are inclined to help the wildlife in your backyard, the National Wildlife Federation has some tips to share. To attract butterflies, create a puddling area. Fill a shallow dish with soil or sand, and then top it with water so butterflies can land to extract water and minerals from the soil/sand. For songbirds, place a bird bath within 10 to 12 feet of shrubs and trees that offer birds cover from predators as they drink and bathe. Frogs will be happy if you make a container water garden. Fill an 18- to 24-inch deep pot or plastic pond liner with water, up to the brim. Plant a mix of aquatic plants such as water lilies, rushes, and wetland wildflowers around it. Find out if your garden can be a Certified Wildlife Habitat at nwr.org. (PS - As much as I hate to suggest it, be sure to bell the cat if you are planning to attract songbirds, or you might be creating a songbird buffet…)

Dodgingtown resident Howard Lasher would like everyone to keep in mind that the 15th anniversary of 9/11 will be upon us in less than two months. Howard, who lost friends and has hosted a special event to remember everyone who died on that terrible Tuesday morning in American history, will again be hosting a memorial event this year. All are invited to join him, and other invited guests, for a simple ceremony on Sunday, September 11, at 8 am. Howard's home is pretty easy to find. It's the one with the six trees that have a large American flag painted across them, at 68 Dodgingtown Road (Route 302).

Congratulations to Katherine Wolff, a Newtown resident who was accepted into this season's Shakespeare Academy @ Stratford. Katherine, who studies musical theater at University of Hartford's Hartt School, is one of 14 college students from across the country participating in this summer's program, which began classes June 27. Shakespeare @ Stratford will be presenting Richard III (directed by SA@S Associate Artistic Director Tia James) and Love's Labour's Lost (directed by SA@S Artistic Director Brian McManamon), in rotating repertory. Five performances of Richard III will be offered between July 30 and August 6, and four performances of Love's Labour's Lost are scheduled between July 31 and August 7. All shows will be on the grounds of the former American Shakespeare Festival Theatre, 1850 Elm Street, in Stratford. Tickets are free, donations are welcome, and reservations are suggested; visit shakespeareacademystratford.org for full details and reservations.

Keep your eye on this show, too: three Newtown students are featured in

Get your calendars ready to mark some upcoming days that you won't want to forget. Tuesday, August 2, is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day. There are at least two places locally that I can think of, off the top of my head, that might be able to help you celebrate this summer-themed day of recognition. If too many ice cream sandwiches are devoured on Tuesday, you can take a tummy break with National Watermelon Day on Wednesday, August 3 (seed spitting contest, anyone?). Here's another day not to be missed: National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, which falls on Thursday, August 4. Fans of the raspberry can celebrate on August 1, with National Raspberry Cream Pie Day; August 7, with National Raspberries n' Cream Day; August 11, with National Raspberry Bombe Day. The list goes on, but other than National Lazy Day, on August 10, I'll leave it to your imagination.

Staff at

Training a cat is never an easy task. But training or not, I will still be on the lookout for the news you most desire. Be sure next week to… Read me again.