Here it is, 2012. Now is that “Two-thousand twelve,” or “Twenty-twelve”? Whichever you prefer, we are into a new year and who knows what it will bring?

If you have not yet disposed of your Christmas tree, let Boy Scout Troop 270 take care of that task. For a donation of $10, made out to BSA Troop 270, and attached to the tree, or your garage or front door, members will pick up your used fir and get rid of it. E-mail your street address, and choice of pickup on either this Saturday, January 7, or next Saturday, January 14, and instructions on where they boys will find the tree, to troop270@charter.net. Ty Coleman was happy to be part of the tree pickup team, last year.  By the way, the scouts will not be taking the decorations off or hauling it outside. There is some post-Christmas work you just have to dig in and do yourself.

For anyone who has been wondering what NHS 2010 graduate Andrew Nichols has been up to recently, here is at least a partial answer: Duelly Noted, an a cappella group, was founded at Hamilton College in the spring of 2008 by eight freshmen and has since grown to 16 members, freshmen through seniors, including Andrew, now a sophomore at the Clinton, N.Y., liberal arts school. In its first four years, the group has already performed in several unusual venues, including the streets of Venice, Italy. Now the group is taking its show on the road, just briefly, and the good news is that the limited winter tour will include a stop on Friday, January 6, at Newtown Congregational Church. Duelly Noted’s repertoire runs, they say, “from doo-wop to Disney, rap to Rhap(sody), from Beach Boys to Britney.” NCC is at 14 West Street, with plenty of parking available. There is no charge for the 45-minute performance, which begins at 7 pm, but the group will be donating anything collected during a freewill offering to FAITH Food Pantry in Sandy Hook. Stop in, warm up, drop off a donation to help other residents keep food on their table, and say Hello to Andrew and some of his new friends.

I’m sending out congratulations to three Newtown restaurants, which were voted “Best Of…” in the January 2012 issue of Connecticut Magazine. Sal e Pepe Contemporary Italian Bistro on South Main Street walked away with four Readers’ Choice awards, for Best Italian Statewide Runner–up and Best Italian Fairfield County, Best Value Statewide Runner-up, and Best Value Fairfield County. Pub 25, located in the new Plaza South on South Main Street, earned recognition for Best Pub Grub in Fairfield County. The Best Hidden Gem in Fairfield County is right here in Newtown, too: Figs Wood-Fired Bistro on Church Hill Road in Sandy Hook Center. That’s great news with which to start the New Year, I say.

Along with incredible restaurants, Newtown also harbors some incredible young talent. Newtown High School Junior Yossi Kohrman-Glaser will perform a classical guitar recital, Sunday, January 8, at 2 pm, at St John’s Episcopal Church, 5 Washington Avenue in Sandy Hook. You may have heard Yossi perform during the holiday weekend tea, in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall, in which case, you know you are in for a treat. The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are being asked to bring nonperishable food donations for FAITH Food Pantry, which is situated in the basement of the church. The snow date for the classical guitar recital is January 15. If you need more information, or if the weather is questionable on January 8, please call 203-426-3112.

A reminder this week that the annual blood drive sponsored by Newtown Lions Club will be taking place Monday, January 9, at Newtown Congregational Church, at 14 West Street. Members of the club will be on site all day — from 8:30 am until 6:15 pm — and they hope to see a lot of familiar faces. Donors need to be at least 18 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in generally good health. Appointments are still available, but you can also stop in to donate blood. Just be sure to leave yourself some time to get through the paperwork and information gathering, in addition to the time that it will take to actually donate blood. For additional information visit www.RedCrossBlood.org and search for the January 9 drive, or call 800-733-2767.

The Bee’s own Bill Leibold in layout was able to put a name to the driver of the mysterious horse and buggy photo that was featured in the Way We Were on December 30. Bill says that the driver of the horse and buggy appears to be Richard Haas, and that was confirmed by a call I got from Andrea Haas, who also identified the whip as her former husband, Richard. The horse was Maple Corner Don, says Andrea, a Morgan gelding, and the first of many Morgans bred and raised at Maple Corner Farm, Inc, on Hattertown Road, where she still lives. She believes the photo was taken sometime in the 1970s, and from what she recalls, the two other people in the cart were running for some political office. “The hats were of the same period as the cart,” Andrea tells me, and were donned as part the gimmick. Maple Corner Don is long gone, but there are still some of his equine relatives living on the farm. Does anyone else care to take a peek again and guess at who the other two in the carriage might be?

Following last week’s Bee article on the local effort to send valentines to troops serving overseas, Valentines For Troops project chair Donna Monteleone Randle shared this: While no Newtown adults stepped up to volunteer, she did receive notes of interest from residents of Ohio, Colorado, Illinois, and Arizona. Ms Randle says anyone (more local!) interested in volunteering with the effort or signing up to write a Valentine’s Day card or creating a personalized package can contact her at ndrandle@charter.net. To our out of state readers who did volunteer, I say thank you; maybe you can start another Valentines For Troops project, closer to home.

Find out about wild birds’ favorite “tweets.” It’s a little short notice, but if you are as much of a bird lover as I am, then the Wild Bird Seminar with bird feeding pro Tom Young, this Saturday, January 7, at 1 pm, at Benedict’s Home and Garden Center, 480 Purdy Hill Road, Monroe, may be of interest to you. Registration is required, so give them a call at 203-268-2537. Here birdy, birdy, birdy…

A little birdy did tell me that 2010 NHS graduate Molly Nostrand is on her way to study in France this next semester. Bon Voyage, Molly!

Strap on your skates. Youth hockey players from Newtown and Sandy Hook are invited to skate with members of Newtown High School’s hockey team at Danbury Ice Arena from 7:10 to 8:10 pm, Sunday, January 15. The Skate With The Nighthawks event is free and offers up-and-coming players a chance to meet the high school varsity players and coaches. It will feature fun shooting, passing, stick-handling, and skating drills, as well as games. Prizes and free tickets for upcoming varsity games will be given out, and old Newtown High jerseys will be for sale. Players are asked to come in full equipment. Registration flyers are going out to all of the elementary schools this week, and skaters may also register online or print out forms at www.newtownhockey.com. The event is sponsored by the Newtown Ice Hockey Booster Club and Danbury Ice Arena.

I may be skating on thin ice, but I presume that next week, you will pick up the paper and… Read me again.