In its compilation of all things great in our state, it looks like Connecticut magazine reporters made a swing through Newtown. What did they discover? That one of the best ice cream places in our little state is right on Sugar Street. Congratulations to Ferris Acres Creamery for being selected as one of the top six places to get that frozen dairy confection, as appears in the September 2016 issue of the magazine. www.newtownplayers.org.matttassiello@gmail.com or call 203-803-9117. Checks should be made to BSA Troop 370, and mailed or dropped off at 11 Hedge Meadow Lane, Newtown. Matt tells me that any leftover funds when the project is completed will be given to the high school. www.eventbrite.com/e/the-three-wordsmiths-tickets-27182259871 to get your free tickets - quickly! It has become a very popular Arts Festival happening. stonyhillfourcorners@gmail.com.

FAITH Food Pantry has found a new home at Tier One, 31 Pecks Lane, where they will continue to provide emergency temporary help for any resident in need of food and related home supplies. The pantry is open 10 am to noon on Tuesdays, and Thursday evenings, from 6 to 7:30. Call 203-837-0816 if you have questions.

We were excited to host the Brennan family at The Bee, last Friday. Mom Laura and Kevin, Justin, and Kelsey toured our office as part of their annual personal Tour of Newtown. The family spends a week each summer exploring different aspects of Newtown, which has ranged over time from a visit with the town historian to plein air painting out front of the Matthew Curtiss House on Main Street. What a great way to connect to our community, and discover the wonderful things there are - right here in our own backyard.

Speaking of "right here in our own backyard," paraphrased from the famous Dorothy speech at the end of The Wizard of Oz, you do have plans to attend Monday's Annual Labor Day Parade, don't you? Mark your spot (I know some of you will have your lawn chairs in place along Main Street by Sunday evening), wear green, and get ready for another stupendous event as the 55th parade steps off from the head of Main Street at 10 am. Hunting for a parking spot? The Trinity Youth Group is offering a parking fundraiser at Trinity Episcopal Church on Monday morning, and there will be refreshments at 9 am out front of the Main Street church. Or, wander up West Street to Newtown Congregational Church, where they are offering parking and pancakes before the parade. "There's No Place Like Home" is this year's theme, and I'm excited to see how that is interpreted by the many float entries. Grand Marshal Dr Bob Grossman will lead the way, and you'll find longtime favorites and brand-new entrants in the line of march. See you there!

"Summer Shorts," a collection of plays written primarily by two former Garner inmates and a still-incarcerated playwright, continues this Friday and Saturday night at The Little Theatre on Orchard Hill. Tickets for the 8 pm performances are $10 per person. I'm hearing that the plays have been well received by the audiences, in case you are on the fence. Ticket information is found at

Help a Scout! Troop 370 Boy Scout Matt Tassiello is working on his Eagle project. Matt is planning to build planter boxes to beautify the Newtown High School faculty courtyard, and is in need of materials and funds to do so. "Donations to the project are donations to Newtown High School," says Matt, "therefore they are tax deductible whether they are of supplies of monetary donations." If you want to find out more about his project, contact him at

Looks like anyone planning to be a part of Newtown Choral Society this fall gets an extra week to warm up. Rather than starting rehearsals on September 14, as previously announced, NCS rehearsals for the winter concert will commence on Wednesday, September 21, at 7 pm, in the choral room of Newtown Middle School. Any singer who wants to join in the fun is welcome to attend. Contact Laura Lerman at lel@se-ltd.com or call 203-426-3769. Why the delay? All for a good reason - in order to not conflict with the popular Newtown Cultural Arts Commission's "Three Wordsmith" event on September 14, featuring local humorist writer Kate Mayer, Danbury schoolteacher and columnist Robert Zupperoli, and Newtown fiction writer and columnist Wendy Wipprecht. Visit

Autumn brings out that desire to purge the home of all those unnecessary trappings of life that have accumulated. Hawleyville Fire & Rescue Company is ready to help - that is, help you help yourself. Vendors are sought for the HVFD "Fire Sale," a community craft and flea market, Sunday, September 11, from 9 am to 3 pm, at the firehouse at 34 Hawleyville Road - rain or shine. Get rid of your treasures by renting a 10-by-10-foot space from the fire company; $25 if reserved by September 4, $35 if you wait until after September 5. If treasure hunting is your thing, there will be plenty to pick from - as well as food and drink for sale, and children's entertainment. Questions? Contact Terry Laslo at 203-426-5301 or

On a solemn note, please remember that Howard Lasher will host a 9/11 memorial service at his Jolly Hill property (Route 302 - you'll know it by the flag painted on the maple trees...), beginning at 8 am, Sunday, September 11. The public is invited.

How sweet it is! National Honey Month, that is - and it takes place the month of September. Did you know there are more than 300 different kinds of honey, depending on which bees go where to collect the nectar? While they collect the nectar, bees are also busy pollinating plants. Commercial crops like apples, berries, and almonds rely on bees to pollinate, and without them, our food supply would be in big trouble. Honey is a delicious addition to recipes and, with cold season sneaking up on us, it also has a reputation as a cough suppressant. So, dip into the honey jar this September. I bet you'll keep on dipping in every month thereafter!

Dip in to this column next week for more exciting updates. Be sure to... Read me again.