The Newtown Action Alliance had a pretty high profile actress at its February 20 fundraiser at Stonewall Inn in lower Manhattan. Among the performers was Cate Blanchett, who appeared with fellow cast members from current Broadway production The Present. Proceeds from the night supported the local grassroots organization devoted to legislative and cultural change to reduce gun violence in the United States.stonehill.edu/news-media/snapshot/details/chapel-choirs-italian-pilgrimage/.FCGives.org on that day, with prize money available "to amplify charitable donations," according to the website. Visit the site to find out more about Giving Day.classes4classes.org, is a crowd-funding website that connects classes to fulfill educational needs and encourage kindness and compassion. "Be sure to tune in to see how we did! It was an honor to play for our mission," the February 20 tweet read.bornthisway.foundation/choose-love.

Speaking of high profiles... our own First Selectman Pat Llodra will be honored this coming April with the Distinguished Public Service Award from the Connecticut Bar Association at its annual awards celebration. Congratulations, Mrs Llodra!

Congratulations, as well, to Newtown Bee Sports Editor Andy Hutchison and wife, Mary Beth, who are the proud parents of a little girl, born February 15. Kelsie weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces at birth and all are doing well. Andy reports that diapering is a breeze. Swaddling the baby... practice makes perfect....

Stonehill College in Massachusetts tells us that several students, including Newtown native Marina Renzi, recently sang for Pope Francis as part of a seven-day pilgrimage to Italy for the College Chapel Choir. The honor of singing for the Pope came as part of a weeklong pilgrimage to Italy. In addition to their performance for the Pope, the choir provided music for Mass in St Peter's Basilica and at a concert at the San Lorenzo International Youth Center. To see photos of the pilgrimage, visit

Your Healthy Pet at 61 Church Hill Road wants to alert pet owners to some recalls of pet foods. The Triumph Premium Cat Food Ocean Fish Formula Canned 13.2 oz can, UPC 0-73657-00289-5 is among those recalled that our local pet store has stocked. All cans have been pulled and anyone who has previously purchased this cat food is asked to return to the store for a refund. Evanger's 12 oz Against the Grain Grain-Free Pulled Beef with Gravy; single lot manufactured and distributed in 2015 with an expiration date of December 2019, lot number 2415E01ATB12, the last 5 digits of UPC code 80001 is another one, and while Your Healthy Pet has been notified this was distributed only in New Jersey, Delaware, and Colorado, all Against the Grain Grain-Free Pulled Beef has been removed from the store shelves.

Other pet foods with recent recalls can also be returned for refund if they have been purchased at Your Healthy Pet:

*Wellness Canned Cat 12.5 oz Chicken & Herring 08/04/2019.

*Wellness Canned Cat 12.5 oz Chicken 08/03/2019 & 08/04/2019.

*Wellness Canned Cat 12.5 oz Chicken & Lobster 08/04/2019.

*Wellness Canned Cat 12.5 oz Turkey & Salmon 08/05/2019.

*Wellness Canned Cat 12.5 oz Turkey 08/04/2019 & 08/05/2019.

*Wellness Canned Cat 12.5 oz Beef & Chicken 08/05/2019.

*Wellness Canned Cat 12.5 oz Beef & Salmon 08/05/2019.

There can never be too much pet-related information, I say - so you'll want to know that the Newtown Board of Realtors Donation Day at the Pound is underway, and donations will be accepted through March 25. The pound is most in need, I'm told, of Dave's chicken and rice wet can food, Froom dry dog food, treats, pig ears, knuckle bones, milk bones, soft chewy chicken treats, chicken tender treats, chew stick, and bully sticks for dogs - but no rawhide anything, please. Cats at our animal shelter are in need of litter, toys, and wet cat food. Donations of blankets, paper towels, laundry detergent, dish soap, and contractor bags are also welcomed. Please drop off items at Newtown's Coldwell Banker office, 45 South Main Street. The realtors will then deliver the donations to the animal shelter to celebrate its Donation Day.

Fairfield County Community Foundation's Giving Day, a 24-hour online event, takes place on March 9. The one-day event supports hundreds of organizations, from shelters like Danbury Animal Welfare Society to EverWonder Children's Museum to Planned Parenthood to Housatonic Habitat for Humanity. You can choose your favorite charity - or charities - and make a minimum $10 tax-deductible donation at

The thimble is out, but according to CNN, Hasbro is not saying which - if any - of the other classic Monopoly pieces were voted in or out. A January contest allowed voters to select eight out of 64 pieces, 56 of which were brand new: a computer? a hashtag? a camera? The final results will be revealed after March 19... surely, it's not the cat - the iron's replacement just three years ago - that will no longer find its way about the game board?

Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis, the executive director and founder of Classes 4 Classes and a former Sandy Hook Elementary School teacher, will be on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire's May 1 show, according to announcement from the organization on Twitter. Classes 4 Classes,

A little bird has been tweeting about some other news. It seems the Born This Way Foundation, co-founded by Lady Gaga (Super star of the Super Bowl this past month) has recently added support for the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement to its site. Born This Way supports "the wellness of young people and empowering them to create a kinder and braver world," according to its website. Choose Love was established to honor Jesse, one of the 20 first graders killed 12/14, and works to create school-based educational programs to spread - love. You can donate through the Lady Gaga site

Organizers of Newtown Historical Society's Annual House and Garden Tour are already working on this year's event, which is scheduled for Sunday, June 11. At this time, the group is still looking for homeowners interested in opening their homes and/or gardens to the event, which serves as a fundraiser for the historical society. A lead docent is also being sought. "We have a good list of people who will be docents in the houses, but we need someone to head up that committee," mentioned Gordon Williams, one of the event chairs. If you can help with either part of the tour, reach out to Gordon at 203-405-6392.

Thanks, to Warren Seavey. He has identified the February 17 "Way We Were" column photographs as having been taken when firefighters were on location at the back of the Batchelder building in Botsford. (The Batchelder plant was a smelting facility that operated on Swamp Road in Newtown from 1947 to 1987.) "I should know," said Mr Seavey, who worked at the Charles Batchelder Company from 1977 until it closed. Of the building, he said, "I know it well. They used to drop the dross out in the back," and occasionally have to put out fires with foam, not water, because of the material's magnesium content.

There's no magnesium content in this column, but there's plenty of content. Be sure to... Read me again.