Newtown Middle School Principal Thomas Einhorn tried to fool some people last week at Newtown Middle School's Celebration of the Arts (highlighted in this week's Education section.) One of the art projects was ceramic doughnuts, all painted and deliciously decorated to reflect the inspiration of a master painting. Could one of them have been real, like Mr Einhorn said? Board of Education Chair Keith Alexander was certainly paying close attention to this particular display, but I suspect he wasn't fooled.Daughter of Australia, a James Jones First Novel Contest final round selection by Newtown author Harmony Verna. Harmony will be at Barnes & Noble, 15 Backus Avenue (Danbury Square) in Danbury at 2 pm to personalize copies of her debut novel. Now there's a great Mother's Day gift idea!The Newtown Bee will once again be collecting donations in honor of all service men and women during the month of May. Since Newtown's VFW Post 308 currently has no active members serving, donations this year will go to FAITH Food Pantry on Washington Avenue, in Sandy Hook, in honor of our soldiers. Donations of nonperishable food items (please check the expiration dates!) and home and personal products are welcome. A donation box is set up in the lobby of The Newtown Bee, 5 Church Hill Road. Donations can be dropped off between 8 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday.The Virginia Pilot reports that Girl Scout Troop 66 in Virginia Beach has taken over maintenance of a special garden there. Evelyn Flengas, founder of Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge, established a garden in 2013 to support butterflies and other animals to honor Catherine Violet Hubbard, who was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School 12/14. Ms Flengas had the blessings of Catherine's parents for this project. Created through the efforts of volunteers, this spring the Girl Scout troop saw where they could be of help. In addition to weeding and raking, the girls also made habitats for squirrels and raccoons, knowing of Catherine's love for animals.Vince Giordano - There's a Future in the Past as a special event in its popular "Jazz in July" series Sunday, July 10, at 6 pm. The 90-minute film will be shown on the big screen, followed by an intermission. Then, Bill Charlap, the artistic director of "Jazz in July," will do a brief Q&A with Vince. Amber and co- filmmaker Dave Davidson will also take part in the Q&A, followed by a live set by Vince and The Nighthawks. Why am I giving you so much warning? The Y uses so-called "dynamic pricing," which means that ticket prices may rise as it sells out - and Amber is pretty sure that will happen early on. Tickets start at $40. Ticket info and a trailer can be found at www.92y.org.www.gofundme.com/ctom2016nhs, and her team is hosting a tag sale this Saturday, May 7, from 8 am until 2 pm, at 14 Overlook Drive. Coach Kristina Tartaglia's Newtown Middle School team's website is www.gofundme.com/getnewtowntoworlds. Coach Robin Fitzgerald's NHS team's website is www.gofundme.com/nhsootm. Ms Fitzgerald's team will also be outside Sandy Hook Deli & Catering, 102 Church Hill Road, this Saturday, May 7, from 9 am until 1 pm, collecting donations. Odyssey of the Mind is the largest intellectual educational competition in the world, with teams of up to seven students working together to solve problems.

The Ladies Auxiliary of Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company will present the second of its two annual flower sale events this weekend. Members will be at the company's main station, 18-20 Riverside Road, Friday and Saturday, May 6 and 7, selling hanging baskets and potted flowers. The ladies will also be selling tickets for a basket to be raffled. In addition, the auxiliary is asking the those stopping by the station also remember neighbors in need, and bring with them a donation for FAITH Food Pantry. Each person who brings a monetary or food donation for the food pantry will be given a ticket for the Mother's Day basket. The sale will be conducted on Friday, from 10 am until 6 pm. On Saturday it will open at 10 am and will run until 6 pm, or while supplies last.

On Mother's Day, May 8, you might want to take Mom out to get a specially autographed copy of

The April 29 Mother's Day supplement featuring local "artists" drawings of their mothers was of less interest to 1-year-old Grace Taylor than the sports section, it seems. Looks like little Grace has a sports career in mind.

The public is invited to attend an ice cream social sponsored by Rallying For Ryan, Saturday, May 21, from 5 to 8 pm, at the Newtown United Methodist Church, 92 Church Hill Road, Sandy Hook. The event takes place rain or shine. All proceeds benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for research.

The Bee received a cute note of cheer this week, a Random Acts of Kindness. Thank you to the anonymous message sender!

I have to admit it; I snuck a sneak peek of Hawley Elementary School's upcoming art show for parents and family members, scheduled for May 10. Artwork is already starting to line the walls at the local schools for all the elementary school art shows, and while I was at Hawley this week I noticed some cats staring back at me in a hallway. This is just one of the works on display, and it is signed by Malakai. The "Cat With Bird" works were created by first graders and were inspired by the work of artist Paul Klee. I'd like to think I inspired this cat by Malakai. It perfectly catches my grin when I hear good gossip around town.

Looking way ahead to summer, I hear from local filmmaker Amber Edwards that the 92nd Street Y will present the New York premiere of

Newtown's three Odyssey of the Mind teams that qualified for World Finals, which will be held at Iowa State University at the end of this month, are continuing fundraising efforts. Attending World Finals can cost more than $1,000 for each team member, and the teams have been working hard to gather the needed funds. Each team has an online website for donations. Coach Carol Shuman's Newtown High School team's website is

The only problem I'll be trying to solve is what good news to share next week. Be sure to… Read me again.