Cub Scout Pack 270 is conducting a supply drive for Kind Works, the nonprofit organization that grew out of the closing last summer of the Ben’s Bells CT studio in Bethel. Volunteers there, including many Newtown residents, continue the mission of fostering a culture of intentional kindness. Requested items for the drive include paper towels, glass cleaner, disinfectant spray, contractor size garbage bags, toilet paper, printer paper, small paint brushes, toothpicks, straws, painter’s tape, mops, clean buckets, brooms and dust pans, and Swiffer dusters. The collection continues until May 23 and donations can be dropped at Newtown Community Center, 8 Simpson Street; Hawley School, 49 Church Hill Road; Head O’Meadow School, 94 Boggs Hill Road; Middle Gate Elementary School, 7 Cold Spring Road; and Sandy Hook Elementary School, 12 Dickinson Drive.

We had some exciting wins for Newtown High teams during the past week: The boys’ lacrosse team scored in the final seconds for a dramatic 11-10 win at Bethel on May 8 and the softball team came from behind to score two runs with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to shock Brookfield 2-1 on May 10. Read about all of the highlights in Sports.

Speaking of exciting, judging from all the balloons and other decorations hanging from the porch — not to mention the big Happy Birthday sign running parallel to Queen Street — I’d say someone at Newtown Center Pediatrics had a big birthday Tuesday. I hope it was a good day for whoever was celebrating on May 13.

The public is invited to join Newtown Forest Association members on Sunday, May 18, from 10 am-1 pm, as they clean the barnyard at Deep Brook Farm Preserve. With nearly three centuries of agricultural activity on this land, who knows what will be found on the recently-acquired property at 32 Deep Brook Road! BYO gloves; NFA will provide all the necessary tools and equipment, and light refreshments. Registration is requested and can be done by sending a quick note to trent.mccann@newtownforestassociation.org.

Sunday afternoon, readers can learn about Newtown's connection with the rubber industry, which began nearly 200 years ago. Charles Goodyear was born in New Haven, his sister married a Sandy Hook resident, and Goodyear spent many years experimenting with rubber in his brother-in-law's factory in the Glen — the former Fabric Fire Hose Company. During the 1850s, the Goodyear Rubber Company developed the process for the vulcanization of rubber, or treating crude or synthetic rubber or similar plastic material chemically to give it useful properties such as elasticity, strength and stability. Goodyear himself never became wealthy from his work, but he benefitted his fellow men tremendously and was one of the first to put the Glen of Sandy Hook/Newtown on the map. If you’d like to learn more about Goodyear and his long quest toward commercially useful rubber, Seymour Historical Society has the program for you. John Cilio, who regularly lectures for C.H. Booth Library, will lecture on Sunday at 2 pm at Seymour Historical Society, 59 West Street in Seymour. Requested donation is $5 per person. Reservations aren’t needed but additional information may be available by calling 203-888-7471.

The Newtown VNA Spring Outdoor Tag Sale being planned for May 24 is on hold. I heard last week from one of my VNA friends, who mentioned the schedule at Edmond Town Hall — where the VNA Thrift Shop is located, and where the tag sale will be staged — is very busy, so they’ve decided to choose another date for their special event. My friend has promised to let me know when the new date for the tag sale is selected, at which time I will make sure to share that information here as well.

When is a postage scale not a postage scale? When it becomes a canine scale, of course. We have an old postage scale within our collection of folk art here at 5 Church Hill Road. As readers learned a few weeks ago, we also have a new puppy. Last Friday morning Co-Publisher Sherri Baggett used the postage scale to find out how Banks Baggett is doing. Turns out she’s doing just fine. Banks weighed in at 16 pounds, a solid increase from her initial arrival weight last month. Just don’t try to put this ol’ cat on the scale.

You know who else didn’t jump on the scale last week? Christian Ferris, that’s who. The newborn son of Crystal and Chad Ferris — and the newest grandson of Terry and Charlie Ferris — made his Bee office debut last week. He and Mom visited Friday morning, and many people stopped what they were doing to say Hello to them.

The following morning was a big one for Jenna Visca. Our reporter worked much of the day, but ended up having fun during at least one of her assignments. First she visited the third annual fishing derby at Christ the King Lutheran Church Saturday morning. While there she not only met many young anglers and their parents, she was also encouraged to try her hand at the popular sport. With some careful guidance and encouragement, Jenna ended up just as happy as many other participants that morning when she caught her first fish! I thank Christ the King Pastor Rob Morris for not only inviting Jenna to try fishing, but also making sure he snapped a photo of her happy moment. (I just want to know one thing: why wasn’t this cat invited??! I love fish!)

A few hours later Jenna was enveloped in the sights, sounds and tastes of cultures from around the world, having gone to the inaugural International Food & Music Festival in Sandy Hook. While there, she had a few minutes to speak with Festival Chair Sattie Persaud, who was not only keeping an eye on everything happening that day, she was already talking up a few of her next events. Sattie shared there will be a Second Annual EmpowHer Awards, and nominations will open soon. She also said she’s planning an autumn 2026 presentation of the inaugural Sandy Hook International Film Festival.

The countdown is definitely on for The 2025 Great Pootatuck Duck Race, returning to Heritage Park in Sandy Hook Center in just two weeks. Tickets continue to sell briskly for Saturday, May 31. This year’s race will again feature 20 prizes, with first place a weekend getaway and Sunday brunch at the lovely Saybrook Point Resort & Marina in Old Saybrook. Tickets are $10 whether purchased ahead or the day of the race, and all proceeds will go to charities that support vision and blindness prevention. Newtown Lions Club members plan to sell tickets Friday, May 16, from 5 to 7 pm, at Hawleyville Wine & Liquor and Yankee Wine & Spirits; at the Saturday from 9 am-1 pm at Newtown Hardware, and 11 am-3 pm at Tractor Supply Company.

According to a few calendars in the office at 5 Church Hill Road, next Tuesday is World Bee Day. May 20 is marked for that observance because it coincides with the birthday in 1734 of Anton Janša, a pioneer of beekeeping from Slovenia. The purpose of the international day is to acknowledge the role of bees and other pollinators for the ecosystem. According to Rutgers University (and others, I’m sure, but Rutgers gave me this nugget), the vast majority of bees nest in the ground. My nest is at 5 Church Hill Road. I hope you’ll keep me in mind with the approach and observance of World Bee Day 2025. Soon after that it will be time to come back and … read me again.