Doris Dickinson, wife of the late first selectman Fenn Dickinson (for whom Dickinson Memorial Park is named), visited the new town hall last Wednesday afternoon, I hear from Carlen Gaines. Carlen, who works in the town tech department, gave the nearly 99-year-old Mrs Dickinson a tour of the new facility. “She was very pleased,” says Carlen, “to meet our First Selectman Pat Llodra while she was touring the building.”

I’m always sad to report on the passing of a fellow feline, but this one lived a long and wonderful life before passing on to the great mouse field in the sky. Boots, the cat rescued from the woods in back of the library in 1995 as the expansion was being planned, died last week, C.H. Booth librarian Beryl Harrison tells me. She was about 17 years old, and lived with the Harrisons, their three border collies, and two other cats since her rescue. “She had many adventures in her long life, from foraging in the woods to hiding in the heating system ductwork, but after five years of coaxing she became a people-friendly feline who loved the attention showered on her by our grandchildren, Tyler and Morgan,” says Beryl. Rest in peace, kitty cat.

Happy Birthday Earth Day! (I like the rhyme…) Earth Day turns 40 on April 22 and there are all kinds of celebrations taking place, locally and statewide, this coming week. You’re sure to find one that suits you and if you don’t, throw your own Earth Day party. Hand out gloves and trash bags to your guests and go on a trash walk together, then raise a toast to each other and Mother Nature. Cheers!

Mrs Rabbit sent a message my way from The Pleasance this week. It seems someone decided to do some unsightly redecorating of her home at 1 Main Street recently, and she was unable to do anything about it (rabbits being helpless when it comes to moving furniture). Bob and Lynn Morrison discovered the house with items moved around, and other items broken, and decided to help the poor dear get her home back in order. The Morrisons often take their grandchildren to The Pleasance, and they were saddened to find the house in such disarray, so they helped clean up as much as they could. Mrs Rabbit would like to publicly thank the Morrisons for their help.

The Friends of C.H. Booth Library have astutely scheduled their Spring Book Donation Day just as everyone gets in the spring-cleaning mode. From noon to 5 pm, Sunday, April 25, rain or shine, volunteers will be in the rear parking lot of the library, at 25 Main Street, to receive donations of used books, DVDs, CDs, VHS tapes, and LPs. The donations will be used for the 35th Annual Friends of Booth Library Book Sale, which will be presented at Reed Intermediate School, July 10–14. As much as I hate to part with my books, I can always use more shelf space. Plus, I like the idea that someone else gets to enjoy my favorite stories. Don’t forget that if you can’t make it to Book Donation Day, you can drop off donations at any time that the library is open. Call 203-426-4537 for more information.

Springtime always seems ideal for field trips, and I guess I’m not the only one who feels this way. The Society of Creative Arts of Newtown (SCAN) is sponsoring a bus trip to New York City, Saturday, April 24. Cost is $35 per person, the trip is open to SCAN members and nonmembers, and the bus will leave Newtown Middle School at 9 am. First stop is SoHo, then the American Watercolor Society’s annual exhibition at The Salmagundi Club, and then a stop in Chelsea. The group expects to return to Newtown around 7 pm. To reserve a seat, send a check for $35 made out to SCAN to Theresa Caputo, 33 Main Street, Newtown CT 06470, or call 203-426-2816 or 203-814-2413.

Now we all know that cats and water do not mix well, but I’m nevertheless excited to learn that Newtown Lions Club is getting ready for its tenth annual Great Pootatuck Duck Race. The big event returns to the park at 3-5 Glen Road in Sandy Hook Center on Saturday, May 29 (the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend), and this year’s top prize is nothing to yowl at: $2,000 cash! Twenty prizes will be awarded this year, and tickets are still just $5 each. Lions Club members have begun selling Duck Race tickets. The guys will be found most weekends between now and the day of the race at 12 different locations around town, so it won’t be difficult to find someone who will sell you a ticket. In addition to that, tickets are also available at 17 locations in town and from any Lions Club members you may know. Proceeds from the duck race, as always, will allow the Lions to continue supporting local charities and causes, such as recent donations made for disaster recovery efforts in Chile and Haiti. Bob Schmidt is this year’s Duck Race chairman, and he can be reached for additional information at 203-426-1222.

Speaking of ticket prices that are staying the same, I hear the folks at Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue are also thinking about one of their big annual events. The 23rd Annual LobsterFest will return on Friday and Saturday, June 11 and 12, and for the third straight year tickets are $22 in advance or $24 at the door for a full steak or lobster dinner. Kids’ meals and a raw bar will be available again, and live music will provide the tunes to go with the biggest annual party in Sandy Hook.

Also speaking of Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue, you may remember that the company’s EMS captain, Karin Halstead, was part of the special series of episodes of Deal or No Deal that were taped last fall at Mohegan Sun. Karin has finally heard from the show’s producers and the five episodes that feature firefighters holding the briefcases — as well as some lucky ones who were selected as contestants — will be airing next week, April 19-23. The daytime episodes of the game show can be seen on WNBC (Channel 4) at 3 pm Monday through Friday at 3, and WVIT (channel 6) runs the new episodes at 4. Does Karin show up during any of the episodes? Did she get to be a contestant? Did she win anything? She hasn’t been able to anyone any of these details all this time, but come next week we’ll all know the answers to those questions.

I sauntered past The Dana-Holcomb House on Main Street this week and noticed a band of little white Invisible Fence flags surrounding the bed and breakfast property. Is there a pup in training, or are John and Jane Vorous encouraging their guests not to leave?

I don’t have any flags to post, but I’m hoping you’ll stick around next week, anyway, to… Read me again.