Lathrop School of Dance owner/teacher Diane Wardenburg was having coffee early Monday morning, getting caught up on all the news, when she was startled by “Hi! We’re the Lathrop School of Dance dance team from Newtown.... Good morning, Connecticut!” Talk about a wake-up call. Kara Clement, representing the school, had the awesome idea to send a statewide morning greeting through WTNH Channel 8. She organized the LSOD dance team for a video session on the front steps of the Edmond Town Hall this past weekend. The video was edited and sent in to WTNH, and was accepted and aired within less than 48 hours of submission, delighting the LSOD dancers. The dancers will be highlighted on the streets of Sandy Hook at the Duck Race, Saturday, May 26.

I was remiss in not mentioning Jeff Haylon last week, but I want to make up for it by saying it was great to see the Newtown High School freshman on Jeopardy! last week. Jeff was a contestant in this year’s Teen Tournament, and he competed in the episode that aired on Monday, April 30. While he did not advance beyond Monday’s episode, take note that he was one of only 15 students from across the country who qualified for this year’s two-week tournament. Jeff gambled the maximum allowed at one point in the first round, and then risked most of his money during Final Jeopardy, a strategy that failed. As he told The Bee a few weeks ago, regardless of where he placed in the tournament, Jeopardy gave Jeff and his parents a great adventure during the past year. (It’s just too bad the Jeopardy research crew fell into the same boat many others seem to when it comes to the name of Jeff’s hometown. He was introduced as being from Newton, Connecticut. Sigh.)

Move over Betty Christensen and Ruth Newquist — you’ve got competition. I may be biased, but Hawley second grader Kendra Guovela shows quite some talent with her colorful tempura painting of this fishy-looking kitty cat. As a cat, I can say that Kendra has captured the nuances of fishing from a cat’s point of view. Kendra’s painting was part of the recent Hawley School art night exhibit.

Speaking of cats, and I do, The Animal Center is holding a cat food drive at Stop & Shop in Sand Hill Plaza, through May 13. Every donation of Friskies brand cat food, wet or dry, is a welcome contribution.

Newtown blogger Elissa Altman is feasting on happiness this week. Her blog, PoorMansFeast, a blog about food, family, and “sustenance in the face of pretence,” won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Individual Blog at the annual ceremonies held Friday evening, May 4, in New York City. This makes the second year in a row that Elissa has walked off with that honor. Congratulations!

The Ladies Auxiliary of Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company will host their Mother’s Day Flower Sale at the fire company’s main station, at 18-20 Riverside Road, Saturday, May 12, from 10 am to 5 pm. They will have plenty of hanging baskets and a nice selection of annuals and perennials. Proceeds from Saturday will help the auxiliary with their support efforts of the fire company. Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms out there!

Paula Brinkman will be among other local artists celebrating the opening of a spring show at Barn Hill Studio & Gallery this weekend. Works by local artists including Paula, Joe DeMarco, Florence Dohanos, Jessie Mackay, Ed Ross, and others will be on view in the beautiful antique barn on Route 110 at the intersection of Barn Hill Road in Monroe, from May 12 until July 29. The gallery will host an opening reception on Saturday from 1 to 5 pm, and all are invited. To see some of the works that are being presented in the show, visit BarnHillStudio.com.

Before this week’s rains returned to bring May flowers to the area, 20-month old Alyssa Savina and her grandmother Georgia Barry had a wonderful visit with Mrs Rabbit at The Pleasance. The very proud Grandma stopped in with some photos of Alyssa after the visit to 1 Main Street, where she and her granddaughter also walked around the garden area. Alyssa loved the public garden owned and maintained by The Bee Publishing Co., but it was Mrs Rabbit who she really took a shining to, as one of Georgia’s photos shows. Alyssa gave Mrs Rabbit lots of hugs and kisses before she left for the afternoon, reported Georgia, who lives here in town. Alyssa’s parents are former Newtown residents Kaitlyn (Barry) and Nick Savino, and her paternal grandparents are Julie and Dom Savino of Newtown.

Longtime Bee readers may remember the Newbury family of Fairfield, Vt., who passed through Newtown on their custom Santana 27-speed bicycle built for four back in April 2002. The family — dad Gilbert, mom Peggy, and sons Anders, age 9, and Eric, 7 — had departed from Plymouth Rock on April 1 and were pedaling their way across the country. Bee Associate Editor Shannon Hicks happened to see the Newburys as they were pedaling up Mt Pleasant from Main Street on April 14, took their photo, and talked with the family. A short story appeared that week in The Bee, and that was the last we heard about the Newburys… until recently. Gil Newbury has published Pedal To The Sea, which chronicles his family’s cross-country adventure. The book features “a very well-written narrative by Gil,” says Shannon, who was tickled to be asked for the use of one of her photos for the project. Copies of the book ($25.95 paperback) are available through Northshire Publishing (Northshire.com), or they can be ordered directly from Gil by sending a check for $29 to Gil Newbury, 522 Rugg Road, Fairfield VT 05455.

It’s not too soon to sponsor a table at the annual Newtown Chapter Regional Hospice and Home Care breakfast that is quickly coming up. For the past 22 years, the local chapter has hosted this breakfast as a means of thanking the many volunteers, and as a way to raise funds to support Hospice programs. Buy a table for eight for a $100 donation, or a corporate table for 12, for $500, and enjoy a delicious breakfast at the Waterview in Monroe, Wednesday morning, June 6, from 8 to 9 am. For information, call 203-426-3651. I’m already licking my whiskers in anticipation of the morning feast.

I can sense more news in the air already, so be sure next week to… Read me again.