We spoke a few times recently about Newtown Woman’s Club participating in this year’s 2025 GFWC International Day of Service. In September the club organized several service projects, including collecting donations for Maderas Home for Women Veterans, and decorated the town with purple ribbons and wreaths. Residents were encouraged to display purple symbols throughout October to show solidarity.

Last week The General Federation of Women’s Clubs, of which our local club is a very proud member, announced the results of this year’s efforts around the world. GFWC clubs had 17,469 people volunteer over 37,000 hours for International Day of Service on September 27. Additionally, $377,285 in donated items was provided for women’s shelters, food banks, and other locations supported on that day, and $215,928 was raised to support survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence.

On Tuesday night, Reporter Sam Cross expanded her dance repertoire by going to an Argentine Tango event at Aquila’s Nest. Sam does a lot of salsa dancing, but was curious when she heard about the November 18 demonstration-dance class program. She told me while petting me in the sunspot Wednesday morning that she had always wanted to learn tango but never had the opportunity to do so. Here she is dancing with instructor Alonso Guzman, one of the hosts of the event. She told me she also got swept across the floor by Dardo Galletto, the other tango instructor! That’s probably why she woke up late on Wednesday morning, she was too busy dreaming of dancing tango instead of listening to her alarms go off. Dardo and Alonso also invited her to go to their studio, at 170 Flood Bridge Road in Southbury, where they do tango parties every Saturday night. Maybe I will have to venture a bit farther out of the Main Street area, readers. This tango thing seems perfect for a mysterious black cat like me. Do you think you can dance tango with four legs?

The annual Food Drive Can-paign continues at Newtown Community Center. According to NCC’s 2025 Fall Catalog, the community center and Around Town Real Estate will continue to fight food insecurity and support FAITH Food Pantry with a special collection through November 24. Readers are invited to offer donations of nonperishable food at either location, 8 Simpson Street and 17 Church Hill Road, respectively.

Readers are also reminded that the 23rd Annual Fill the Fire Truck will be November 22. Always timed for the weekend ahead of Thanksgiving, firefighters from all five of our hometown’s volunteer fire companies will be staging in two locations Saturday morning. Members of Hawleyville, Newtown Hook & Ladder, and Sandy Hook will be in front of Big Y World Class Market, 6 Queen Street, while members of Botsford and Dodgingtown will be in Sand Hill Plaza, 228 South Main Street. This year’s collection will run from 9 am until noon — concluding one hour earlier than previous years. Everything collected will be immediately delivered to FAITH at 46 Church Hill Road.

Launched nearly a quarter of a century ago by SHVFR EMS Captain Karin Halstead, the annual event is one that helps the longstanding food pantry provide just about anything a person, couple or family living in Newtown could need for the holiday, and then some. Donations have also included cleaning supplies, pet supplies, personal hygiene items, and other necessities that can be difficult to afford.

Bravo to parishioners of Christ the King Lutheran Church, who were very generous in a recent undertaking. Last Sunday, 84 boxes were received and dedicated at the Mt Pleasant Road church for Operation Christmas Child. Samaritan’s Purse, an international organization, operates the program that sends Christmas boxes and a message of the gospel to children in need around the world. The program launched in 1993, when 28,000 shoe boxes were filled and delivered to children in the Balkans. Operation Christmas Child has since extended to more than 170 countries and territories, and more than 232 million children have received the special gift-filled boxes.

Meanwhile, Newtown Congregational Church’s Global Community Ministry helped coordinate another Bridgeport Rescue Mission Thanksgiving Collection. Members of the West Street congregation have coordinated with a few local businesses and organizations in recent years to provide turkeys and fixings for the lower county organization’s Great Thanksgiving Project. The Newtown donations were combined with items received across the region, and then part of a three-day distribution that began this Wednesday in Bridgeport.

While the 2025 Thanksgiving collection has concluded, a BRM Winter Clothing Collection has been launched. Donations of coats, jackets, and socks will be collected at the church until December 14. If you can’t visit the church on Sundays during worship service time, call the office (203-426-9024) to arrange a time to drop something off.

I heard about a local group over the weekend and I have such mixed feelings about their mission. Newtown Trash Troopers took it upon themselves to pick up trash along Edmond Road, and quickly filled multiple bags with windshield wipers, bottles and cans, metal shelving (!!!), a wristwatch, and of course a lot of Styrofoam and plastic wrappers. Thank you Lisa Shirk, Dawn Handschuh, and Kevin Corey, who did that work. It’s too bad it needs to be done, however. Therein lies my hesitation. It’s shameful that anyone feels it’s OK to throw anything out a vehicle window or purposely stop and unload garbage along the side of the road. Preaching to the choir, I know, and I fear it will only get worse. So I’ll circle back to my original thought: Thank you Newtown Trash Troopers.

Ahead of next Thursday morning, I’ll also remind everyone that roads in the center of town will be closed for approximately 90 minutes during the 2025 Turkey Trot. Runners and walkers will be heading toward Newtown Middle School for the 7:45 am start of this year’s fundraiser for C.H. Booth Library. The route goes over sections of Queen Street, Church Hill Road, The Boulevard, School House Hill, Wendover Road, Glover Avenue, Meadow Road, Elizabeth Street, and Grand Place. To ensure the safety of participants and spectators, portions of those roads will be closed between 7:35 and 9 am, so please plan any early morning travels accordingly.

Bruce the Spruce, the three-foot-tall artificial tree in our Production Department, is ready for Thanksgiving. He’s keeping it simple this season, with a simple message: Give Thanks.

I hope you have something to be thankful for, my friends. Even if it’s as simple as putting two feet on the ground each morning, enjoying a breath of fresh air, or being on the receiving end of a smile from a stranger, I hope each of your days has at least one thing you are thankful for.

I give thanks for all of the above. And catnip. And sunny spots to sleep in on otherwise chilly days. The laughter of little children. Happy memories. Heart-filled prayers. Those who do good, even when no one is watching.

I will also be thankful for those who remember to come back again next week, when it will be time to … read me again.