Well, June is busting out all over. While technically we have another three weeks to wait for the summer solstice, the sunshine that finally emerged after a rainy weekend last weekend has put a little summer color in the cheeks of Newtown. I’m thinking in particular of The Pleasance on Main Street, where something new seems to be blooming every time I look at it.

Some of the most striking colors to emerge at The Pleasance recently, however, are the good old red, white, and blue of Old Glory, which has taken its place atop the new flagpole there. Scudder Smith, Scott Baggett, and Jim Fletcher had quite an adventure erecting the pole in a downpour on Saturday, with lightning licking the sky ominously. But they got it up okay, and now Newtown is proudly showing the colors at another important intersection on Main Street.

Anyone who might have spotted a man prowling around the outside of the Cyrenius H. Booth Library Tuesday night need not worry. It was only Don Studley. Don showed up a little late for the Legislative Council meeting and found himself locked out of the building. Unable to find an unlocked door, he knocked on a window, startling the entire council a bit. Lisa Schwartz of the Board of Education jumped from her seat to let Don in.

Speaking of the council, members may want to get their watches in synch after Pierre Rochman and Peggy Baiad had a good-natured discussion over the actual time. Peggy’s watch said 8:03 pm, Pierre’s said two minutes ‘til.

 Peggy and Pierre continued their discussion a few minutes later after Peggy took exception to a sentence in a letter to the editor that had been penned by her friend, Pierre. The letter was in reference to next week’s town meeting and Pierre was hoping the entire council would agree to sign it. But Peggy, along with Will Rodgers, took exception to the letter’s reference to love and other sentiments. Pierre refused to make changes and while most agreed to sign it, Peggy and Will declined. They teamed up for their own letter to the editor.

Caroline Stokes tells me the Cyrenius H. Booth Library plans to display all 100 books read by the Benvenuto Cellini Book Society, a local men’s book club which recently hit the century mark for books read. The group, which was formed in 1989, was recently featured in The Bee after it had dinner at the Manhattan home of the Barnes & Noble CEO. There they met the author of Book #100, entitled Icarus.

Yvonne Grimes caught the attention of the Associated Press wire service this week after she bought 10,000 US Postal Service commemorative stamps featuring the lovable beagle Snoopy of Peanuts fame. Yvonne’s house is full of Snoopyabilia, from the wallpaper to the cookie jar. In addition to her $3,400 worth of Snoopy stamps, Yvonne’s friends have donated another 2,000 of the stamps to her collection. The postage stamp, which was issued May 17, displays Snoopy in his familiar role as a World War I flying ace. The stamp is a tribute to the comic strip’s creator, Charles Schulz, who died last year only hours before the final Peanuts strip appeared. “I figured out that I will never have to use another stamp for the rest of my life,” Yvonne told the AP.

It was an exciting day for the students at the Newtown Congregational Cooperative Nursery School on Tuesday. Not because they were back to school after a long weekend either. Instead it was because the fire trucks came to their school. There was a strong odor of gas in the building on 41 Main Street after someone accidentally left the gas stove on. But the kids did not mind, since the fire trucks came.

Newtown Middle School Principal Diane Sherlock was just like a student again in Mr Girard’s science class, where eighth graders were dissecting cow’s eyes. Ms Sherlock had her face right up to a pan, investigating the specimen. She was not fearful at all of the cow’s eye. In fact I think she wishes she had been able to dissect one herself.

Missing your mouth retainer? One was found near the soccer fields at Fairfield Hills earlier this week and can be claimed at the Health District office at Canaan House. The owner need not worry. No one in the health office has expressed interest in keeping it for his or her own use.

Steven “Bones” Bardelli turned 30 on May 27. His mother, Mariette Bardelli of Southbury, emailed The Bee recently to tell us about a 1971 pool at the former Borodenko’s Market to guess Steve’s birth weight.

His father, James, worked at the market at the time. Mrs Bardelli said when Steve was born he weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces.

She said, if she remembers correctly, Jeff Elliott won the pool, but she doesn’t recall how much was won. Jeff Elliot did win the pool with an estimate of 8 pounds, 11 ounces, which was reported in a column, “Let it Bee Known That,” in The Bee on June 4, 1971.

Mr Elliott’s guess was pretty close. The Bee was silent on how much was won. Mrs Bardelli wrote that Steve was considered a “big” baby, “but now is a skinny father of twin 8-month-old sons, Kyle and Ryan.”

Finally, I want to remind everyone about the Rabies Vaccine Clinic this Saturday from 1 to 3 pm in the Edmond Town Hall gymnasium. The cost is $10 per animal. There are no residency requirements, but written proof of prior vaccination must be presented for a three-year certificate (all others will receive a one-year certificate).

I’ll be there rolling up my sleeve. And once I get full immunity, I’ll be back here testifying once more about the latest news in Newtown, so be sure to…

Read me again.