I’ve got a new roommate here at The Bee as of this week — well, only for a few hours at a time. Newtown Bee intern and Newtown High School senior Sarah Walton hopes to go into the field of law, but for now she is trying her luck as a reporter. Sarah has a knack for technical writing, and applied for the position because, she said this week, she thought it would “be nice to work with The Newtown Bee.” I’m pretty sure she meant, “Because it would be nice to work with Mountain…” Sarah has been busily typing nearby, so I’ll have my keen eyes on the lookout for her byline in the paper over the following weeks — and you should, too.

Jo Anne Klopfenstein, the right-hand woman in the Social Services Department at Town Hall South, has retired, I’m told, as of last week. Anyone who has had reason to call the Social Services office has probably heard Jo Anne’s cheerful voice on the telephone, or seen her welcoming smile when entering the office. She will be missed by many, and we all wish her good luck as she enjoys a well-deserved break from the work world.

There is news of another Joanne in town, as well. Artist Joanne Keane (who does paintings, sculpture, mixed media, and wire works) has a very busy weekend ahead of her, and she’s hoping that more than a few friends and fellow Newtown residents will find her for at least one of the two events she is involved in. On Friday night Joanne will be at Urban Hair-Art Gallery, 58 Post Road in Fairfield (203-292-9121), for the opening reception of a group show “with many groovy artists,” Joanne said via e-mail this week. Refreshments and live music will be offered for the opening, which is within Raymond and Micheline Fung’s new salon. On Saturday and Sunday Joanne will swing open the doors of her work space at West Cove Studios, 30 Elm Street in West Haven, during the city’s 13th Annual City-Wide Open Studios (CWOS). Hundreds of artists living and working in New Haven will be sharing their work and sharing ideas during the festival, which runs from 11 am until 5 pm each day this weekend. For a full presentation of artist profiles, maps, and schedule (CWOS actually opened last weekend, and will continue next weekend, October 9–10), visit www.cwos.org.

“October being breast cancer month, this old hippie is going pink again to help in the fundraising process,” Jacki Zvon tells me. The Raveis realtor put bright pink highlights in her hair last October, and has an appointment to do it again. And despite the fact that pink is not her favorite color, she has a whole selection of pink clothes ready to wear this month, too. She’s not alone in her support of breast cancer research, though. “I’ve got lots of tickets to sell for the William Raveis Charitable Fund for Breast Cancer Research,” says Jackie. “The agents in my office will be out in force selling tickets all around town. All the monies raised go to the charity, and prizes are all either donated or purchased by William Raveis.” If you don’t see one of the Raveis agents around town, or somehow miss Jackie and her brilliant new hair-do, give her a call at 203-512-7757 to find out about buying a chance.

Nothing pink in your closet? Maybe you can come up with something at the Newtown Congregational Church swap party, Friday, October 1. Ladies who would like to trade out some of their clothing or jewelry and accessories for something new (“new to you”) are invited to attend. The event will be right in the church’s Great Room, and begins at 7 pm. Bring up to five items, and you will be given a ticket for each item you bring, which will allow you to trade for that number of items. There will also be light refreshments, entertainment, a raffle, and a door prize. Call the church at 203-426-9024 with your last-minute questions.

Don’t forget that Kindness for Kim is this weekend. Please support local hairdresser Kim D’Amico while she is out of work, due to a diagnosis of stage three breast cancer. Sponsored by Sandy Hook Wine & Liquor and Kim’s friends, the October 2 event runs from 7:30 to 10 pm, at the St Rose of Lima Church Gathering Hall. Enjoy a silent auction, wine, and finger foods. Dr Nicholas Boccarossa and Karissa Bergeron with Dental Associates tell me they are two of the donors for the evening, having donated a basket for the silent auction. Dental Associates’ Dr William Labella with Pat Zachman also donated another basket full of oral hygiene supplies for the Women’s Center of Greater Danbury recently. (I wonder if they added any fish-flavored toothpaste into the baskets? Personally, that’s my favorite!) Tickets for the October 2 event are $25, and are available at Sandy Hook Wine & Liquor, Berkshire Motors, Club NewFit, Newtown Color Center, or the tax collector’s office.

Another charitable event will take place earlier that day at Caraluzzi’s Newtown Supermarket, at 10:30 am, on the corner of Queen Street and Church Hill Road. Resident Rich Greenawalt is collecting food and items needed by those relying on the Bridgeport Rescue Mission — this is the guy Kendra Bobowick just wrote about in last week’s Bee (“Resident Starts Local Food Collection For Rescue Mission”; September 24, 2010). Meet him there and help fill his car with goods. Rich plans to hold monthly collections on the first Saturday each month, just in case you miss him this week.

It’s a little early, but Lia James Spremullo, 4 months old, and her kitty, Elliot, want to wish everyone a Happy Halloween. Lia and Elliot, a picture perfect Halloween cat if I say so, with his jet black fur and deep green eyes, have already posed for a Halloween card this year.

Lia is the daughter of Cayenne Spremullo, who is a certified tax collector in the office of town tax collector Carol Mahoney, and Lia’s father is Jonathan Spremullo, who works for LRM Landscape Contractors in Newtown.

Until now, assistant town clerk Ann Benore has been happy to ride on the back of her husband’s large Honda Gold Wing motorcycle, but after receiving a motorcycle certification on her driver’s license recently, Ann decided she was ready to spread her own wings. Safely garbed in her leathers and with a helmet secure on her head, she is now dreaming about the miles of pavement that she’ll be covering, riding her recently-acquired 1986 Honda Rebel 250 motorcycle. She plans to practice piloting her motorcycle on some little-traveled roads at Fairfield Hills and then she’ll take to the open roads. Look out world, here she comes!

There is more and more activity as we charge forward into October. But I am trusting that you will still make time next week to…. Read me again