HOMETOWN PERSON: Rachel Basch

In case you missed the article at newtownbee.com earlier this week, a very generous offer is being put forth: An anonymous donor would like to sponsor a restaurant prepared meal from a local eatery to benefit a family that may not be able, in these difficult times, to afford a restaurant meal. Anyone wishing to nominate a family in Newtown or Sandy Hook to receive a meal — one family style meal per day would be delivered — can e-mail angisan1964@gmail.com with the name, address, and a phone number for the recipient family, or for more information. There is no cost to the individual nominating a family, nor is there any cost to the family receiving the meal. All deliveries will be kept in confidentiality.

Don’t forget that many of our area restaurants are bending over backwards to provide take-out meals, curbside service, and even delivery. Check out https://www.newtownbee.com/04172020/restaurants-offer-alternative-services/ to get in touch with your favorite restaurant and give them some support. Many other businesses in town, food focused or otherwise, are also working out ways to get you what you want, safely. Give a call to a business you’ve been missing, or check out their social media sites to find out what’s up.

If you are at all handy with needle and thread, it may not be too late to take part in the Dress-A-Girl virtual event hosted by Newtown Congregational Church, this Saturday, April 25. Registration was requested by April 20, but I have a feeling that if the organizers still have kits for creating the simple dresses, they will not turn you down. For more information call 203-257-7174 or e-mail dressagirlsouthernct@yahoo.com.

Louise Zierzow has been busy with her camera and sharing some “around town” bits of info. Thanks, Louise! She reports that the Newtown Garden Club had to postpone last Saturday’s work at the Victory Garden at Fairfield Hills, due to inclement weather. But on Sunday, Vicky Boccuzzi and Peggy Townsend joined Louise to plant “peas, beets, onions, Swiss chard, spinach, carrots. Wintered-over Brussels sprouts were harvested for the Faith Food Pantry. Garlic bulbs are coming along well, planted last fall.”

Despite the snowy-rainy weather that kicked off last Saturday, Louise also tells me that friends and family members of a young neighbor drove by “with posters, smiling and waving best wishes to her for her 15th birthday.”

Not yet finished, Louise has shared that “Sandy Hook resident Rick McGuire — in addition to being an outstanding member of the Spanish class at the Senior Center — he is a techie extraordinaire, he can bake sourdough bread, he quilts… and now he’s made dozens of colorful cloth coronavirus masks! He’s what we could call ¡Qué chico! (What a guy!)”

Taunton Lane resident Martha Friar was surprised by a birthday parade of cars, April 22, organized by her friends who wanted to respect social distancing while letting her know her day was special. Lead car, driven by Cliff Kraich, was topped with a “box cake” topped with (just a few) tissue paper candles. The very special cake was then deposited, contact free, on Martha’s porch “for calorie-free enjoyment,” as one participant put it. Happy birthday!

St Rose School wants to give a warm welcome to prospective students and families —vitually, that is. The school is hosting a Virtual Open House, Sunday, April 26, at 10 am and 4 pm. To register visit https://www.stroseschool.com/admissions/register-for-open-house. Questions? E-mail admissions@srles.com.

How do you feel? You can anonymously provide scientists with critical health information needed to understand the spread of COVID-19 by downloading the free How We Feel app in the Apple App Store and the Google Play store. It is supported by a nonprofit organization and does not require logging in or the sharing of any personal details, such as name or e-mail address. In addition to being available to download to mobile devices, you can also complete the survey through a web version available at howwefeel.app.For more information, visit www.howwefeel.org or contact info@howwefeel.org.

How I feel is heartbroken, to read on Facebook that the Bethel Cinema in our neighboring town is permanently closing: “...due to the current pandemic and economic strife that goes with it, the continued operation of Bethel Cinema has become impossible. As a regrettable outcome of this, we have to shut the theater. It is with both sincere regret and sadness that we write to let you know that Bethel Cinema is permanently closing our doors as of [April 20].” Independent theaters such as this provide a sense of community, as do independent bookstores (like Bethel’s Byrds Books). We wish the best to owners Ken and Pam, and do hope someone will take them up on reopening the theater in the future.

If I had to give out a Good Egg Award to all of the people and organizations that have stepped up to assist neighbors, feed friends, support emergency and other front line workers, and offer good cheer, I would run out of space and Good Eggs! Newtown: what a wonderful place to live, even in the toughest of times. Thank you, all of you Good Eggs out there.

Off the back of a successful live streaming series OpusYou, in cooperation with the Music Ministry of St. Matthews, Wilton, Connecticut, offer K-12 music classes for at home learners. As local school districts moves to distance learning, Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Wilton Connecticut is pleased to offer online learning, centered around music appreciation, in partnership with OpusYou, a leading K-12 Music Education Platform. The program is open to all students studying within Fairfield County Public Schools with immediate effect where a 40 minute weekly session is offered. Thursday, K-5 - 2:30pm - 3:10pm; Thursday, 6-12 - 3.20pm - 4:00pm. Should a parent wish their child to participate then they should contact Nancy Johnson, Parish Administrator, to register interest via e-mail office@stmatthewswilton.org.

With the print edition of The Newtown Bee taking a break, Bee Lines have been on vacation, as well. But the last Bee Lines interview has been waiting for this chance to appear online. Earlier in April, kids answered this question for features reporter Alissa Silber: If you opened a store, what would you sell? Here are the answers we received.

Lia Spremullo: I would open a hockey store and it would have an ice cream factory.

Shayna Clark: Desserts like cupcakes, doughnuts, and cakes.

Adeline Meadows: Candy like taffy and lollipops.

Ciara Whitmore: A sports store that would sell things for soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, and basketball.

Evangeline Diorio: Books that you can jump into that take you to places in the book.

Sadie Singlak: Whatever you imagined or wanted it would pop up at the store.

There are lots of visuals for you to enjoy with this week’s column. What I’m visualizing, though, is next week when you... Read me again.