Local Swifties have one week from this week’s issue date to post a video of themselves singing their favorite Taylor Swift song — with the #EdmondTownHall hashtag — if they’d like to enter a contest the town hall is currently hosting. One lucky fan will win four tickets to Taylorville, the tribute band scheduled for the main stage at 45 Main Street on August 21. The prize also includes $50 gift cards to Good Olde Days Pizza and Ferris Acres Creamery. Videos need to be uploaded to Facebook or Instagram by August 15, and the winner will be selected and announced August 17.

It didn’t take long for the competition to launch. Within hours of ETH formally announcing the challenge a few weeks ago, the cast of Newtown Stage Co’s Seussical the Musical uploaded a collection of videos. Cast members sang a few very popular Taylor Swift songs and I have to say each was very buzzworthy. Judges will have a tough time making their decisions. Best wishes to all Swifties who enter the content, and I hope everyone enjoys the show.

Congratulations to Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue, who picked up another win last weekend at a Connecticut Parade Marshals Association parade. Company and Ladies Auxiliary members were in Thomaston on Saturday, when they won Best Overall following their appearance in Thomaston Fire Department’s annual parade. It was the second win in less than a month, and third straight this summer. Sandy Hook VFR has held the statewide CPMA title for two years straight. They look very good for a three-peat.

Newtown Lions Club and Flagpole Photographers are working on an updated edition of A Tour of Newtown, Connecticut. First released in early 2019, the book offers full color photographs taken around town, with brief notes sharing history, highlights and other interesting facts. The third edition will be expanded, with new material including additional photos. Producers hope to have it fully edited and published in time for distribution during the Newtown Arts Festival next month. Rumor has it a release party is in the works. As with the first two editions, all proceeds from sales of the book will continue to benefit Lions Club charities.

The art department for Jaws had legendary challenges when working with the mechanical sharks featured in that classic film, but our art department had no issue creating this month’s costume for Bruce the Spruce. Jill, Lynn and Susie once again put their creative minds together and the result is this celebration (see photo) of the 50th anniversary of the summer blockbuster that was shot primarily in Martha’s Vineyard and continues to make people think twice before stepping foot into the ocean.

Despite the fact there was only four minutes of screen time for “Bruce” (the name the crew gave to the mechanical shark in the film), his impact clearly lives on. We celebrate Bruce and his 50 years of scaring us silly with this month’s costume, Bruce the Blockbuster Spruce.

It is the dog days of August and I don’t mind saying Monday’s comfortable temperatures were a very welcome relief from last week. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the end of this year’s dog days will be August 11. Governor Lamont recognized our canine friends last week, when he called August No-Kill Shelter Month in Connecticut. Many loving and healthy animals — including fellow cats — are waiting for homes in shelters and rescues, and many of the state’s shelters have already implemented programs and policies to provide alternatives to the killing of pets, the governor noted in his statement. Of the state’s 92 shelters, in fact, 75 are fully no-kill.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac is also where I was reminded this week that the highlight of this year’s Perseids Meteor Shower is expected on August 11. Best viewing will be predawn, with up to 50 of the fast moving meteors possible every hour. The Perseids move at approximately 37 miles per second. They are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere during the pre-dawn hours, though at times it is possible to view meteors from this shower as early as 10 pm. Each can be seen for just a second or two, so experts suggest not only finding a place away from other lights, with a large viewing area, but also laying on the ground and just staring up at the sky rather than just glancing upward on occasion.

Weather folklore says if we see many falling stars during a clear summer evening, expect thunder. If there are none, we can look forward to “fine weather,” says the Almanac.

Last week may have been the first time this season the Tuesday Tunes Concert Series needed to use its alternate location. Due to the heat, Lynn Lewis & Friends performed indoors at The Hawley School rather than from the bandstand at Dickinson Park. Judging from the photos Bill Glass took last week, it looks like the audience had no issue with the indoor setting. I’m guessing moms and dads and caregivers were very pleased with it too.

August 3-9 was recognized as National Farmers Market Week, and Newtown continued its current season with another presentation of The Farmers Market at Fairfield Hills on Tuesday. Did you know there are more than 100 certified markets in Connecticut where shoppers can purchase locally grown products designated with the Connecticut Grown logo? Not only that but there is a market somewhere in the state every day of the week. According to the office of the governor, Connecticut’s agriculture industry generates an impact of $4 billion on the state’s economy and fosters more than 30,000 jobs. The state has approximately 5,000 farms working 372,000 acres of land. If you’d like to continue supporting our local farmers market vendors, the weekly event is presented Tuesdays from 2 to 6:30 pm until mid-October.

I have a few housekeeping items before closing up for the week. If you visited our office last week to buy tickets for the Botsford Summer Bash raffle, please check your tickets. We were left with the wrong ticket section — we need you to please come back with your upper sections, where your name and contact information should be filled in, and leave those with us. Winners don’t need to be present when the winning tickets for Pete Blomberg’s Harley, a Jewel of Himalaya gift card, or the two Amazon gift cards are drawn on August 23, but raffle organizers will need to know how to reach their winners.

If you’re not the person we’re looking for but would like to get in on the raffle, tickets will continue to be sold at our office, the Office of the Fire Marshal, Napa Newtown and Newtown Hardware until at least Friday, August 22. Tickets are $25 each, and will also be sold this Sunday in front of Bagel Delight between 9 am and noon. Botsford Summer Bash returns Saturday, August 23, 2-10 pm, at Botsford’s firehouse on South Main Street, with fun for all ages.

The other housekeeping item this week is a Lost & Found notice: someone else visited our front office within the week and left a pair of sunglasses behind. If you think they’re yours, stop back in and claim them.

With that, I’m going to focus on closing up for this week. I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s collection of news and notes and know you can look forward to next week, when you can come back and … read me again.