Laura Lerman wants everyone to know that if they find an orange blouse somewhere along Main Street, it’s probably hers.

 Not that Laura has been playing Lady Godiva. It seems that she was in her kitchen one snowy evening last week when she noticed that her big orange tomcat, Orange Pippin, was playing inside with a bag from Target. Also inside the bag was an orange blouse that Laura had just bought. Within a few seconds Pippin got his head through the bag’s handle. But, before Laura could help him get free, Pippin did what so many animals do when they think they are trapped… he ran. Except that Pippin ran out the cat door and into the night. Fifteen minutes later he was back, but without the bag or Laura’s blouse. (Good thing it was from Target and not Talbot’s.)

So, if anyone comes upon an abandoned orange blouse on Main Street, please call Laura. Of course, if you see a female cat wearing an orange blouse, that might explain a lot. Otherwise, Laura notes, she hopes that birds can use parts of the blouse in their nests this spring.

On Saturday afternoon, Marie Sturdevant treated Dick to a houseful of friends and family to help him celebrate his 70th birthday. Great food, drinks, and frivolity abounded. Dick was surrounded by his three grandchildren and their parents, and the friends who came from afar such as Liz and Bill Meyer, who now live in Rhode Island; Nancy and Scott Conover, from Gilford, Hilary Edmondson, David and Barbara from New Jersey, and Gay Stahley, brother and sister-in-law from Pennsylvania. A very special button was presented to Dick by the lady in red that stated, “For President 2004” so Dick immediately turned his birthday bash into a campaign fundraiser. Not too many takers, however. Marie says that all in all it turned out to be a wonderful afternoon.

A busload of about 40 senior citizens found out recently how important our public servants can be during an emergency. The seniors were returning from a St Patrick’s Day celebration at Gavin’s Resort in Durham, N.Y., and their bus was unable to make it up the second Mt Pleasant Road hill. It was approximately 5 pm and the late afternoon snowfall had suddenly turned to ice, and cars were sliding all over the place. Their driver had decided to get off at Exit 9 instead of Exit 10 because of a car fire on I-84. Marilyn Place, who is the director of the Office of Senior Services, called 911 and the Newtown Highway Department and Hawleyville Volunteer Fire Company assisted in finally guiding the big bus safely up the steep hill. Newtown police made sure that the seniors got safely to their cars at the Senior Center.

“They even cleaned their car windows for them, and checked on the condition of their streets to see if it was safe to drive home. They were very professional and calm,” Marilyn said. Ann Doherty was on the bus and her daughter is a Brookfield police officer. She was off duty at the time so she showed up to take anyone home who needed a ride. “By 10 pm the last senior finally got home. They all saw how great this town is when everyone works together,” Marilyn said.

Lance Corporal Douglas Snow, US Marine, Third Battalion Fourth Marines, India Company, was deployed to Iraq out of 29 Palms Marine Base in California in February and is serving there now as part of the security forces. “He was there once before when the first wave went over, when they took the statue of Saddam Hussein down,” said his mother, Susan Snow. “Then he came back and went out again on the second rotation.” Lance Corporal Snow enlisted three years ago, in February 2001. He was a 1998 graduate of Newtown High School and will serve with the marines until February 2005. “It’s very difficult sending mail to him, there are so many security checks,” she said. His father, Glenn Snow, was also in the marines. We send you our best wishes, Lance, and look forward to your arrival home a year from now.

When Bee reporter Jan Howard arrived downstairs at the C.H. Booth Library Monday to do research in the vault, she found that someone had apparently locked it. After seeking help at the circulation desk and the combination for it was finally located, the vault was unlocked by Director Janet Woycik. The door, however, still refused to open.

After repeated attempts, and weight training to the contrary, Janet was still unable to get the stubborn door to open. At that point, Janet said she was going for help. After searching the library, she returned to the lower level vault with a patron she had recruited. The man, on the second try, successfully pulled the door open.

No one could figure out why the door stubbornly insisted on staying closed. But when Jan left, after researching a story in Newtown Bee volumes, she was careful to leave the door open to prevent a repeat performance.

Carole Ross, the town’s human resources administrator, had a problem Monday — how to remove a young Canadian goose that had taken up residence at her home. Apparently the young bird, affectionately named Hank, had decided that Carole’s home, complete with bird food from a feeder and a nearby brook, was an ideal place to take up residence.

He’s very tame and comes right up to Carole or other members of her family and honks at the door wanting to be let in, she said. Because of that, Carole thinks Hank may have been domesticated by someone and has wandered away.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal questioned how the bird had come by the name Hank, noting it might be Henrietta. “If it lays an egg, you’ll know,” he said.

Dog Warden George Mattegat tried to catch the bird with a net Monday but failed to do so when it flew into the brook. Carole said she doesn’t think George should try again, because the goose is now afraid of him.

But Hank is not afraid of Carole. He was on the deck to greet Carole when she arrived home from work that afternoon.

Some people have pictures of children or grandchildren to show around the office, but Carol had pictures of Hank on Tuesday.

Mary Kelley’s take on Carole’s predicament: “Just call Carole Mother Goose.”

Workers were busy this week on the grounds at Canaan House at Fairfield Hills. They were doing site restoration work intended to reestablish the greenery that was eliminated during the recent cleanup of a massive heating fuel spill that occurred in December. As the seasons change and it becomes warmer, Canaan House’s grounds again will grow vernal, leaving just bad memories of the massive fuel spill and ensuing soil excavation project that was so annoying to the people visiting the municipal and school district offices in the building.

Far be it for me to be annoying, so I’ll close for this week. But this time next week be sure to …

Read me again.