This cat is feeling a bit thirsty, and just in time to support some of our volunteer firefighters. A wine tasting fundraiser will take place at the Newtown Country Club, April 25, from 7 to 10 pm, to benefit the Newtown Hook & Ladder Co’s new firehouse project. A few tickets, each at $40, are still available, for wine and refreshments. The evening also includes a silent auction, music, and if the samples of wine don’t quench your thirst, a cash bar will be available. Funding by town and private donations will support the roughly $2.5 million project for a new firehouse to be located at 12 Church Hill Road. Hurry over to LRM, Inc at 57B Church Hill Road, or call 203-426-4383, to find out if you will be lucky enough to get one of the remaining tickets.

High school students looking to boost their community volunteer credits can do so by offering to take tickets for the upcoming Newtown Choral Society spring concert, the afternoon of Sunday, April 26, at Newtown Meeting House. Volunteers can contact Laura Lerman at lel@se-ltd.com. And if ticket takers ears perk up when the group bursts into song, young singers are always welcome to join. This is particularly true for the upcoming autumn season, as Choral Society members will bid farewell this spring to Nunnawauk High School senior Leanne Golembeski, who has added her lovely soprano voice to the NCS since she was in eighth grade.

Artsy high school seniors might want to take note: Each year the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission awards two $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors who live in Newtown, who attend public, private, or parochial school or are home schooled, and who are going on to postsecondary education in the arts. The deadline this year rapidly approaching: Wednesday, April 22. For more information visit www.newtownartscommission.org/grants-scholarships.

There’s still a day or two to give a shout out — and my Good Egg Award — to that good staff at the Newtown Emergency Communications Center at 3 Main Street (a/k/a “dispatch”). April 12-18 was designated National Telecommunications Week, and I’m happy to hand out the Good Egg Award to Director Maureen Will and NECC staff members Jen Barosci, Jason Chickos, Ryan Doyle, Jamie Nisbet, Bob Nute, and the newest team members, Mary Beres, and Claudia Ibarra.  These folks are the ones keeping fire, police, and ambulance personnel in the loop 24/7/365, and we thank them for being the calm voice at the end of the line when we need to call 911.

Newtown Woman’s Club and the music of ABBA will be taking over the Alexandria Room at Edmond Town Hall for a few hours, Friday, April 24. An “ABBA Wedding Party Blast” will be hosted by the local club, a proud member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. Beginning at 7 pm, guests are invited to sing, dance, or just enjoy the music of the celebrated 70s band. Food will be included in the $25 tickets, and guests are welcome to BYOB. Tickets are on sale now at C.H. Booth Library, Queen Street Gifts & Treats, and from any Woman’s Club members. Tickets can also be reserved by calling Marilyn Alexander at 203-426-6340.

Here’s some cushy news from Ethan Allen Road: Beginning May 1, the Newtown Transfer Station will be accepting mattresses and box springs for disposal, at no charge. Used bedding will be accepted during regular transfer station hours (Tuesday through Saturday, 7 am to 3 pm), and is for Newtown residents with transfer station permits. If you need additional information, call the transfer station’s office at 203-270-4307.

I understand congratulations are in order for Newtown resident Thomas McMorran, assistant superintendent and head of Joel Barlow High School. He has recently been appointed to the position of superintendent for Easton, Redding, and Region 9 schools. His new position will take effect after the end of this school year.

The robins may have returned a bit too early this year to have been the harbingers of spring, but my ears perked up this weekend when I heard the peepers singing their love songs from the woods. Now that’s a true sign of spring! There are also a few daffodils opening their sunny faces, and just in time for you to pick a bouquet for your favorite administrative assistant. That’s right: Administrative Assistant’s Day is coming up next Wednesday, April 22, and you want to be sure to take a moment to let him/her know how much the work they do is appreciated.

April 22 also happens to be the traditional Earth Day. What will you do to keep our planet healthy? The newly exposed ground is pushing up plenty of trash left in the snowbanks this winter (why, I wonder?), so maybe devoting an hour to collecting cans, bottles, and debris from just one little spot can be your contribution to Earth Day.

In case you like to plan ahead, the American Nurses Association’s National Nurses Week is Wednesday, May 6, through Tuesday, May 12, this year. Perhaps you know a nurse who deserves some recognition. Here’s a thought: find out his or her favorite charity and make a donation in honor of your favorite Florence (or Frank) Nightingale; send a bouquet; or drop a note to tell her/him how much you appreciate the difficult job they do with such grace.

Pet owners will want to know that Your Healthy Pet is making a move to 61 Church Hill Road, next to Newtown Hardware. There will be a small gap in business as Tom, Mary-Kay, and Ryan complete the closing of the South Main Street store and settle into the newly renovated space (formerly Everything Newtown). The last day of business for Your Healthy Pet at  224 South Main will be Sunday, May 17, closing at 2 pm. The store will reopen in its new location on Wednesday, May 20, with hours on Church Hill Road the same as before: Monday through Friday, 10 am to 7 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm; and Sunday, 10 am to 2 pm.

What I miss most about the old Dickinson Park pond is the Kids’ Fishing Derby that used to take place there, each spring. Thank you to the DEEP, though, for kicking off the angling season earlier than usual. The April 11 opening date was set with the thought in mind that kids out of school for spring break might enjoy casting their lines in rivers and lakes around the state. I’m ready to paw around in the water, although it might be “catch and release” for me.

Of course, you can expect that I will catch and release as much news as I come across, next week. Be sure to… Read me again.