This column is always a repository for good news, but from my perspective the best news of this week was the return of Hector.

The Milatano family, who will be the last family to leave from the several single family houses at Fairfield Hills, had a scare when it appeared that Hector, their beautiful gray, part-Siamese cat, had decided to leave without them. Hector went missing from the family’s house around dinnertime last Thursday. He finally made it back to the house Wednesday afternoon after what appears to have been a harrowing adventure outdoors. He had a broken leg. Hector’s on the mend, however, and he promises not to start moving until the rest of the family is ready.

Newtown High School girls’ basketball coach Gregg Simon seemed to be testing out his legs during last Friday’s South West Conference (SWC) championship game at Pomperaug High in Southbury.  For a while there, he looked like he was ready to leap-frog out onto the court. As it turns out, the team didn’t need any additional leapers on the court, as they hopped past New Fairfield, 46-45 for the school’s first-ever girls’ league title.

Things didn’t go so well for the Newtown High School boys’ basketball team February 23 during a road loss at Foran of Milford. As the team boarded the bus after an emotionally draining 42-41 loss, the driver announced that they weren’t going anywhere. The bus’ engine had failed. Fortunately, a handful of parents still remained and the majority of the players were able to cram into cars for the 45-minute drive back. However, coaches John Quinn and Jason Arnauckas, along with players Glen Stiewing and Colin Anderson, had to stay and wait for a second bus, which, by the way, got lost as it made its way from Newtown. The long night finally ended when the four arrived home around midnight – nearly three hours late.

The women’s basketball league at the Newtown Health & Fitness Club was back in action Tuesday night. In one game, Sharon McCarthy of the Italian Pavilion-sponsored team dominated one portion of the contest, pulling down one offensive rebound after another. Only problem was – she couldn’t seem to get her shot to fall. Finally, after pulling down her sixth straight rebound, Sharon passed the ball off to a teammate. “You try,” she playfully yelled. Her teammate missed the basket, too.

Health District Director Mark Cooper’s aim was a little off this week, too. He thought he was sitting in on the Legislative Council’s administrative subcommittee meeting Tuesday night in the middle school library. But after 15 minutes went by, he finally realized he was at the Fairfield Hills advisory committee meeting – an interesting meeting to say the least, but not his meeting. That was taking place down the hall.

Public Works Director Fred Hurley announced this week that his crew will assist in the construction of the Dickinson Park bathroom later this month. Next week, he said, holes will be dug in the area around the pavilion to determine “the load capacity of the soil.”

Hank Hjerpe, who sells newspapers in front of The Bee every Thursday, loves to square dance. He says he dances Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and even on Sundays if there is a dance that day. Hank belongs to two clubs, the Rocking Roosters in Newtown and the Mad Hatters in Danbury. “I call myself the Mad Rooster,” he quips.

It’s going to be a busy weekend at the Sandy Hook firehouse on Riverside Road. The company is holding an estate sale with lots of furniture, lamps, lawn care tools, and other household items. The sale will be on Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to 3 pm.

John Reed was busy toward the end of last week and over the weekend. The superintendent of schools is in the middle of moving to a house in Brookfield. This week he gave me an update that all has been going well with the big move, though he admitted that he had a few more weeks of moving ahead of him.

The Newtown High School Markettes were not the only ones enjoying last week’s trip to the New York Knicks basketball game. Principal Bill Manfredonia and his son had the chance to walk around Madison Square Garden during the hours before the game. They toured the players’ locker room, watched as the garden’s floor was transformed from ice to hardwood, and bumped into Jeff Van Gundy. After exchanging a few pleasantries with the Knick coach, Mr Manfredonia and his son bumped into Patrick Ewing, on his way to shoot a round. Mr Manfredonia said that Patrick gave his son a high five, though for it to be a true high five, Mr Manfredonia concluded, his son would have needed a boost.

If you need a boost next week, be sure to…

Read me again.