I’m going to open this week’s column with an apology to my friends in Newtown Lions Club. One of their largest annual fundraisers — The Great Pootatuck Duck Race — returns to Sandy Hook Center in just a few weeks, and last week I gave you bad information. Tickets are now $10 for that fundraiser. I gave the outdated price last week, and I apologize to anyone confused by that.

The good news is, they still trust me with their schedule, so I’ll remind you that members plan to be outside My Place Restaurant, 8 Queen Street, from 5:30-7:30 pm May 29; in front of Bagel Delight, 30 Church Hill Road, on Saturday, May 30, from 8 am until noon; and then in front of Dunkin, 6 Queen Street (where I clearly need to go for a little extra caffeine!), on Sunday morning from 8 am until noon. Next weekend the club will have sales at Carminuccio’s Pizza & Subs, 76 South Main Street, on Friday, June 5, 5:30-7:30 pm; and My Place Restaurant, 8 Queen Street, also 5:30-7:30 pm. On Saturday, June 6, club members will have tables outside each entrance of Stop & Shop, 228 South Main Street, from 10 am until 2 pm.

Final pre-event sales are then planned for Friday, June 12, 9 am-noon, back at Bagel Delight and Dunkin. If you miss all of those opportunities, or if you decide you’d like an additional ticket or two — for $10 each, have I mentioned? — the final sales will be done Saturday, June 13, in Sandy Hook Center. This year’s prize package is again filled with goodies from dozens of local clubs, organizations, and businesses.

Congratulations and best wishes to the folks at Newtown Christian Church, who recently called and ordained Daniel W. Tucciarone as pastor of their church. The news comes after nearly two years of searching for a permanent leader at the Sugar Street community of faith. I look forward to meeting and working with Pastor Tucciarone.

Members of that church on Sugar Street will have an easy opportunity next Friday, when the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics travels through town. Law enforcement officers will once again spend three days covering different areas of the state, all ultimately heading toward New Haven and the opening ceremonies on Friday night for the 2026 Special Olympics Connecticut (SOCT) Summer Games. The routes look very similar to previous years, and organizers again expect as many as 1,500 active and retired law enforcement personnel to participate in what has become the largest grassroots fundraiser for SOCT. I’m very proud to see the torch will again travel right through town next week, and I fully plan to be somewhere along the route to cheer those wonderful men and women on.

The torch will again arrive by way of Route 302 from Bethel. It will follow Route 302 (Dodgingtown Road, then Sugar Street) all the way into the center of town, through the four-way intersection near Ram Pasture, onto Glover Avenue. Runners and their vehicles will turn left onto Queen Street, heading north for just about 450 yards before turning right, onto Church Hill Road/Route 6. From there it’s about six-tenths of a mile, mostly downhill, to their finish at the Blue Colony Diner parking lot. Spectators are always welcome, as are patient drivers. This event takes over the travel lane of the roads the torch is traveling in, so if you need to drive in the area that midday, please plan accordingly. Vehicles cannot pass this group. Organizers are planning for the group to cross the Bethel-Newtown line around 11:30, and it usually takes about an hour for the torch to reach the diner’s parking lot. Weather, traffic, and other conditions can change that pace, however. I know St Rose School students often gather to watch the Torch, and others have regularly made it part of their routine. It may take extra time for it to arrive, but the runners seem to appreciate the acknowledgment from the sidelines.

A reminder this week that State Representatives Mitch Bolinsky and Martin Foncello, with Newtown BSA Troop 270 and VFW Post 308, are conducting their annual collection of American flags ready for retirement. The following locations are available through June 13 in Newtown: C.H. Booth Library Circulation Desk, 25 Main Street; Edmond Town Hall lobby, 45 Main Street; Newtown Community Center main lobby, 8 Simpson Street; and just inside the southern entrance of Newtown Municipal Center, 3 Primrose Street. Additionally, a collection location is available in the lobby of The Brookfield Library, 182 Whisconier Road, Brookfield. A final drive-up flag donation event for worn and tattered flags is also planned at C.H. Booth Library on Saturday, June 13, between 10 and noon. All flags collected will be given to VFW Post 308 for a proper retirement ceremony.

I will also remind you that we collect flags year-round for the same reason. A box is always available in our office at 5 Church Hill Road for flags of any size that are ready for retirement. The box is just inside our front door, so it’s available any time we’re open. If you miss us, leave your flag near the front door with a note and we’ll still be happy to make sure it’s included in the next collection given to Scouts and the local VFW, who make sure they are properly retired.

Speaking of flags, the beautiful summer flag returned to the Main Street flagpole on May 16. Joan Alexander was one of the fortunate people to witness the lowering of the 16- by 20-foot winter flag and the raising of the 20- by 30-foot summer flag. “It was a meaningful event that brought together members of our community in support of our local fire department and the important work they do as well,” Joan said in a note. If you’re not already aware, members of Newtown Hook & Ladder Fire Co #1 are generally the ones who take care of actually raising and lowering the flags on that magnificent landmark. The flagpole is within their district, so the honor is theirs.

According to Joan, among those also in attendance for the changeover were Keeper of the Flag Chris Gardner, First Selectman Bruce Walczak, members of Newtown Lions Club, and Ann Scaia, “who shared she has attended for the last five years!” The local Lions often provide financial donations toward a new flag and/or flagpole upkeep as well as physical assistance, with members making sure the flag coming off the pole and the one going up are both kept from touching the ground. Joan added it was “wonderful to see neighbors and community members come together in such a positive way” for the brief but inspiring ceremony.

In just a few weeks, Newtown Poet Laureate Lauren Clifford will share her inspiring words. First, Lauren will join retired Newtown Bee Editor Nancy K. Crevier for a shared night of readings, June 9. The following week Lauren will present “American Mettle: Original Poetry Capturing the American Spirit During the Revolutionary War.” Planned for April 21, Lauren and her collection of poetry focusing on heroes and heroines that impacted Connecticut 250 years ago, including signers of The Declaration of Independence, women, slaves, indigenous people, and children, have been rescheduled to Wednesday, June 17. The event will still begin at 7 pm and registration is requested; visit chboothlibrary.org. Meanwhile, look up the story Shannon Hicks wrote about Lauren and the work she’s been putting in on this impressive project.

That’s it for me. I’m going to wave my little flag of surrender because I have nothing left to share for this week. I promise to return next week with more fodder, however, and I hope you’ll remember to come back as well, when it will be time to … read me again.