The folks at Newtown Community Center’s Better Day Café are offering their annual Valentine’s Day treat. Literally, you can support the café by purchasing a Valentine’s Cookie Decorating Kit before 11:59 pm Friday, February 6. Each $6 kit includes three large heart-shaped cookies, Valentine’s Day themed sprinkles, and icing. Visit the community center at 8 Simpson Street or call them at 203-270-4349 to have the ordering link sent to you. Better Day Café is using Zeffy for this fundraiser, which means they will receive 100% of each purchase.

My thanks to two readers this week. Christine Miller and Joan Brand both reached out with an answer following the publication of last week’s Way We Were, which included a photo of a very unhappy boy in a raincoat. We didn’t have any notes on the back of the photo, so we had no idea who was looking so forlorn in the rain gear. Christine sent an email saying it was her brother, Robert Ball. Before I could respond with a quick note of thanks, a voicemail was received from Joan Brand with the same information. Joan often drove the Ball children to school, she said. Thank you ladies, both of you. I am grateful for your time. We’ll update the notes on the reverse of that photo.

This week’s Way We Were photo is another challenge. The 60-year-old photo shows three Scouts standing in front of five men, clearly all lined up for a photo. Who they are, where the photo was taken, and why the photo was taken have all been lost, however. The only notes on the back of the photo are a date and the word “used,” which indicates it ran at some point in February 1965.

The Friends of the C.H. Booth Library have canceled some scheduled bi-weekly donation days recently because of snow or because it has been too cold for volunteers to work in an unheated building. They urge donors to check for closure notices on boothbooksale.org or the Friends’ Facebook and Instagram pages before heading out to their storage site near the dog park. I heard from my favorite Friends of CHB contact this week, who apologized for the inconvenience to donors. Like all of us, they are eagerly looking forward to spring and returning to their donation room in the Booth Library.

I understand last weekend’s snow may have finally tipped the scales for Shannon Hicks. Long a strong proponent of all things snowy and wintry, our Managing Editor was leaning toward “winter is my fourth favorite season” by Monday morning. I don’t know if it was the latest round of shoveling or this week’s nasty head cold that turned the tide for her, but I’ve been giving her a wide berth for the past few days.

For those looking forward to warmer weather — and truly, after these past few weeks, who isn’t? — Newtown Lions Club shared some very encouraging news this week. Steve Stohl dropped a note to let me know it’s time to mark my calendar for this year’s Great Pootatuck Duck Race, which has been scheduled for Saturday, June 13. Steve says the Lions have penciled in June 14 as a rain date, but that’s just in pencil. “We don’t anticipate another rainout this year because all of our ducks want to float down the river this year,” he said. Duck Race Committee members are also putting together their list of 20 prizes, and are offering their thanks to local restaurants and businesses who have already donated toward that effort.

The Lions already have the vehicle for this year’s Mustang raffle too! I understand Gary Fillion has found a beautiful Atlas Blue Ford Mustang with low mileage for the 2026 fundraiser. Steve said the car “will be a real hit” in helping to raise funds for all the charities the local Lions support.

Before they know it, Sandy Hook’s firefighters will also be counting the days until June. I’d say it’s a safe bet to add Friday and Saturday, June 5-6, to your calendar if you’d like to attend either or both days of this year’s LobsterFest.

This isn’t quite that far into the future, but I’d like to remind everyone this week that local planners are mobilizing efforts to observe the 250th anniversary — or semiquincentennial — of this country’s founding. An initial planning session was held recently, but it is not at all too late to get involved. The next meeting of the Newtown 250 Committee is scheduled for Thursday, February 5, at 6 pm, at Newtown Community Center, 8 Simpson Street. All organizations planning — or considering planning — semiquincentennial events are encouraged to participate. Those wishing to attend may contact Matt Ariniello at matthew.ariniello@newtown-ct.gov.

Editor Jim Taylor gave a nice shout-out to the local Public Works department in his editorial last week. I’d like to continue that praise. I know the men and women in that department put in a lot of extra work this week, and I thank them for doing everything they do to make and keep our roads as safe as possible. I understand snow is being predicted for the approaching weekend, which would be the third consecutive weekend if that happens. Buy your milk and bread early, my friends. Go to The Little Book Store and stock up on some books! We live in New England — we should all understand what happens to roadways when temperatures and precipitation drop at this time of year. Please don’t go out unless you absolutely must, don’t leave your vehicle on the road, don’t plow or shovel into the road, and don’t be rude to the folks running the plows.

The weather led to the extension of submission dates for Art & Frame’s “Love” show. Due to last weekend’s storm, many artists had difficulty getting work to the framing shop and gallery at 77 Main Street. Organizers announced on Tuesday that the original deadline of January 28 has been extended to February 4. Artists are welcome to submit up to three pieces following that theme, any size, for a $20 submission fee; triptychs are considered three pieces. Those who wish to submit 3-D pieces must provide their own pedestal unless the piece is intentionally a floor-standing sculpture of hip height or taller. The exhibition’s opening reception is still scheduled for Saturday, February 14, from 4-6 pm. For more information, contact Art & Frame at 203-270-0222.

We forget sometimes how old some of our local communities of faith are, and then — ironically — an email provides a reminder. A note arrived this week reminding me that not only did the annual parish meeting of Trinity Episcopal Church need to be rescheduled following last week’s weather, but it will be the 294th annual parish meeting of the historic church on Main Street when that group convenes (they hope…) on February 8. Trinity is second only to Newtown Congregational Church in terms of longevity, by the way; NCC was founded in 1714.

I hope you’ll remember to collect happy thoughts, enjoy the season, and even take stock of your soup supply before next week, when it will be time to … read me again.