Newtown High School (NHS) Art Portfolio students have artwork on display at Newtown Municipal Center, 3 Primrose Street, through January 4. We joined NHS Art Teacher Carol Skolas and three of the four featured students — Scott Douglas, Lily Mindenhall, Leah Rojas, and Megan Turco — for the installation this week of their exhibition. Read about the collection in next week’s paper, and make time to view it in person, weekdays between 8 am and 5 pm.

If you caught a recent WTNH report about how the Fairfield hockey community and other supporters welcomed Fairfield resident Charlie Capalbo, who has beat cancer three times, home from the hospital with a parade and decorations at his home, I hope you also caught the Newtown connection among the decorations on the property’s front lawn. I’ll give you a hint first: it was yellow and wearing square pants. Newtown Middle School (NMS) Art Teacher Leigh Anne Coles shared with us that the “SpongeBob” scarecrow created by students Noel McLeod, Grace Newsome and Julian Bonasera for this year’s NMS Annual Scarecrow and Painted Pumpkin Event was shared with family in town after the event concluded in October. The scarecrow was then passed on to help welcome Charlie home in Fairfield. As the annual scarecrow contest is already a way to support the community, we could not be happier to hear about this scarecrow’s journey. Truly, welcome home Charlie.

Middle Gate Elementary School third grader Aiden Iszczyszyn, pictured, was so inspired by a recent Kindness Project, assigned to all third grade students at the school, that he delivered over 40 coats and lots of hats, scarves, and gloves, to the Dorothy Day Hospitality House in Danbury on December 11, according to his mother Ella Iszczyszyn. She also shared that Aiden happened to have the idea for the coat drive a week before the school assignment. The donations were collected December 1 to 10, all mostly in a bin at the school. And Aiden received a tour of the Dorothy Day Hospitality House for his efforts. Great job Aiden, Middle Gate school community, and the family and friends who supported the effort! To see a photo highlighting more projects by other third grade students see this week’s Education section. What a pile of kindness.

As we continue to move through this holiday season, we want to offer a Good Egg Award this week to a group of people who helped fill Thanksgiving prayers and wishes last month. Angelo Marini and Gary Peters led an effort that provided meals to local families through FAITH Food Pantry and Bridgeport Rescue Mission. According to Gary, Angelo — the owner of Sal e Pepe Contemporary Italian Bistro on South Main Street — arranged for 188 frozen turkeys to be picked up in Cheshire from Bozzuto’s/The Hometown Foundation ahead of Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, members of Newtown Congregational Church also responded to a request from Gary for holiday meal donations. The week before Thanksgiving, Angelo and Gary coordinated deliveries to the two locations, making the holiday much happier for countless people. It’s never too late to thank people for their kindness, which is why we are still making note of these efforts with the Good Egg Award now.

Mark your calendar: January 3 is expected to be a big day in the Rochambeau Bridge Reconstruction Project. That morning, according to announcements from the reconstruction team, westbound traffic on I-84 will return to the northern span of the two bridges that cross the Newtown-Southbury town lines. It’s been a long run since mid-June 2020, when the work on the project began. For many, the project really became noticeable about a month later, when all traffic began going over the southern bridge, which until then had been only carrying eastbound traffic on the interstate. All traffic has been operating over the southern bridge for over a year, but now enough work has been completed on the northern bridge that it will resume carrying westbound traffic in just a few weeks.

Don’t get too used to that, however. The eastbound traffic pattern will eventually be shifted, just like its counterpart was for nearly 18 months. That will allow construction workers to then focus their attention on that second bridge for the second half of this $52+ million project. We’re about halfway through the update on those spans. The project is slated to continue for another year, until just about the end of December 2023. Continue to be careful out there. The shifting traffic patterns brought about some accidents last summer, and it would be a shame to see that happen again next month.

Speaking of calendars, have you seen the oversize Advent calendar in front of Newtown United Methodist Church? The lovely construction was reportedly the brainchild of an NUMC member, who saw something similar on Home & Garden TV and decided to build one. With help from another NUMC member, the two constructed it from scrap wood. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s on the grassy area just east of the church’s front door, and easily viewable from Church Hill Road if you take an easy ride down the hill one day soon. If you miss it this Advent season, fingers crossed we all get to enjoy it again next year, and beyond.

Congratulations to Brian Amey and Bob Hall, two Rotary Club of Newtown members who were recently honored with Paul Harris Awards. Each was honored for their significant contributions to the organization during the local club’s holiday party. Special guests included District Governors Rick Bassett, Christine Freedman, Robert Friend, and Santa. During the celebration, Christine also inducted Newtown’s newest Rotarian, Jason Hart.

Kudos this week to all three Newtown supermarkets and other business owners who followed suit in not being open on Christmas Day. Bucking a longstanding trend of businesses being open on holidays, Big Y World Class Market, Caraluzzi’s Newtown Market, and Stop & Shop all announced they would close at 6 pm Christmas Eve. All three then remained closed for Christmas on Saturday, December 25, one of the biggest days of the year for families to gather. We understand how difficult it is for people to gather again this second COVID Christmas, but we salute those who put family over finances for at least one special day.

Following a few weekends with special events, movies return to Edmond Town Hall this weekend with screenings of Elf. There are six opportunities to take in a viewing of the 2003 comedy co-starring Will Farrell and Zooey Deschanel. Screenings begin Sunday, December 26, and will be at 1 and 7 pm daily through Tuesday, December 28. Tickets are $3.50 each and can be reserved through edmondtownhall.org, where the latest COVID-19 guidelines can also be found before heading out to 45 Main Street. Tickets can also be purchased at the box office prior to each show. Town Hall employees are encouraging everyone to continue the holiday spirit by wearing their ugliest Christmas sweater.

Don’t forget the special light show that will also continue through this weekend and into next. St Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church is offerings its second annual light show. That ongoing event runs from 5:30 to 10:30 each night, until January 1. Admission is free, donations are welcomed and used toward equipment and energy costs for the ongoing offering at 46 Church Hill Road.

I won’t forget you, dear reader, especially if you return next week to ... read me again.