Tom and Dot Dwyer just want to clarify that their Obtuse Road home is not the old Turner Mill, as may have been surmised from the caption under the February 6 Way We Were photo in The Bee. The Turner Mill was actually down the road at what would be 18 Obtuse Road, according to Dan Cruson’s book Newtown 1900 to 1960. Tom and Dot tell me that while it is certainly their 1800 home in the Way We Were photo, it was a dairy farm for most of its existence. The pond in the foreground of the older photo is actually Pond Brook, say Dot and Tom, not the former Turner Mill Pond that was drained in 1950, and as can be seen in this photo, it is still flowing. I guess a lot of information can get mixed up in a hundred years, so it’s always nice to be able to set things straight!

It’s a little bittersweet, but the reference librarians tell me that they have had a run on the job-hunting packets they offer at the library, with 29 packets being given out between last Friday and Tuesday morning. The bad news is, there are a lot of people unemployed. The good news is, C.H. Booth Library has a lot of resources available for job hunting and staff who are able to assist in that search. The library continues to print out the packets full of useful information for those who are back in the job market, maybe for the first time in a long time. Ask at the main circulation desk for the packet if you can use some new ideas for finding employment, or see one of the reference librarians on the third floor.

Reporters at The Bee were the recipients of a Random Act of Kindness earlier this week when chocolate bars from the Newtown Youth & Family Services mysteriously appeared on desks. I’ll be paying mine forward, but it is pretty hard to pass up taking a bite first. Funny, though, a tiny gesture really does go a long way toward brightening the day. Maybe the president could pass these out to members of the Senate and Congress....

A battle more easily won than any going on in Washington, D.C., is the upcoming Battle of the Books at C.H. Booth Library. Young adult and children’s librarians Margaret Brown and Alana Bennison are pretty excited about the March 28 event for young readers in grades five to eight. Kids form teams, read four selected books, create their own trivia questions, and then compete in a Jeopardy-like atmosphere for some great prizes. Want to know more? Call either Ms Brown or Ms Bennison at the library at 426-4533, or visit the yawebspot at chboothlibrary.org.

Ann Marie Mitchell and I had a chat this week. She’s the powerhouse behind the Save Hawleyville Post Office committee that has finagled a promise from the USPS for a new Hawleyville facility by the end of the summer. Ann Marie says she is so thankful for the support received from Congressman Chris Murphy and the many volunteers, but is particularly thankful for a special effort by committee member Elizabeth Talian. Elizabeth took it upon herself week before last to mail over 200 flyers to area residents asking them to collect signatures protesting the closing of the Route 25 branch office. “This was at complete cost to Elizabeth’s company, Communications Managers, LLC. We are so proud of the initiative she took, especially during a time when her business is being challenged by the postal move. That kind of generosity has made the difference in this outcome,” says Ann Marie.

Ready for Lent? The St Rose Knights of Columbus are getting ready, which means the men are buying fish and potatoes and everything else they need for the annual Friday Knight Fish Fry. This year’s dinners will be offered in the brand-spankin’ new St Rose Gathering Hall on Church Hill Road. They’ll begin on Friday, February 27, and continue for the next two Friday nights — that’s March 6 and 13 — from 5 to 8 pm each week. Admission this year is $10 for adults and $5 for children, with a $30 cap on families, which means parents and their children only. Speedy drive-up/takeout service will again be available, so there’s no excuse for missing out on some of the freshest fried fish in town. Mark your calendars now — I’m licking my chops already.

Speaking of St Rose, the church’s Women’s Club is also hoping to fill the Gathering Hall when it hosts a night of Bingo on Saturday, February 28. If you haven’t been to the new building yet, this would be a great time to check it out. And if you like Bingo, that’s another bonus. Doors will be opening at 5 and the games will begin at 7. Admission is $5 for 12 regular Bingo games; special and bonus games will also be called during the evening. Cash prizes will be awarded for each game, and food will be available for purchase.

While not as elaborate as the decorations displayed for the Christmas holidays, the town clerk’s office in Edmond Town Hall was ready this week for the upcoming St Valentine’s Day on Saturday. Those decorations are some simple cut-paper red hearts displayed on dark green backgrounds that really stand out. Town Clerk Debbie Aurelia points out that the displayed hearts serve a dual purpose — not only are they symbols of the lovers’ holiday, but they are supporting National Heart Health Month, which is observed during February. Who says town hall has no heart?

Maybe some of those heart crafters who decorate town hall were taking lessons from Sally Lynn MacDonald. Local craft artist Sally Lynn finally heard from HGTV last Friday that the segment she filmed for the cable network’s program That’s Clever! will be aired Friday, February 13, at 8 am. That’s Clever! is a weekday show that profiles three “fun and charismatic independent crafters,” with one crafter also featured in a second segment showing a quick-to-make project. The HGTV crew visited Sally Lynn back in December 2006, and she was tapped to be the crafter doing one big project and one smaller project. So set your TiVo (does anyone set a VCR anymore?) for Friday morning at 8 if you can’t be home to tune in to channel 49 and find out what she came up with.

As always, I’m hoping you’ll tune in next week to… Read me again.