Well hello Spring! Welcome back. You have been missed.

Last week there was a lot of talk about the beautiful weather that opened the work week. This week was a little darker and chillier, but I know spring fever has taken hold and a lot of people were ready to start weeding, cleaning, and taking care of other seasonal tasks. Newtown Youth & Family Services is looking ahead to next month, when spring will be firmly planted and some of our local residents will be looking for a helping hand with some of the chores they can no longer do for themselves. Independent Living Day 2026 has been planned for Sunday, April 26. That’s the day volunteers will visit Nunnawauk Meadows to assist senior citizens and disabled residents of that community with spring projects. A light breakfast will be served during volunteer check-in. Tasks will include spreading mulch, planting flowers, organizing closets and cabinets, cleaning patios & porches, cleaning patio furniture, washing windows, cleaning refrigerators, discarding expired food & newspapers, and other household chores. Projects will be completed by 1 pm if not earlier.

As the event’s name implies, all of this is to help residents continue to live safely and independently in their homes. If this sounds like something you’d like to participate in, contact NYFS Youth Coordinator and Staff Therapist Madison McColl at mmccoll@newtownyouthandfamilyservices.org or 203-270-4335. If you hear of any Nunnawauk Meadows felines looking for some company, do let me know, won’t you? I’d be happy to offer my assistance.

I have another Good Egg Award to offer this week, to the anonymous man who donated the 50-50 raffle winnings to NEWS last weekend. I’ve waited a week to mention this because I wanted to have this happy news correspond with our coverage of that fundraiser. As mentioned in the story Shannon Hicks wrote for this week's paper, the event followed its traditional schedule of breakfast, a few testimonials, and a huge raffle. The final prize of the morning was the 50-50 raffle, which this year already had $458 going to the workcampers and $458 to the one lucky ticket holder. When Jay Edwards called the winning number, however, the gentleman stood up and indicated he wanted the money he’d just won to go right to NEWS. Jay immediately thanked him on behalf of the teens, chaperones, and board, saying the funds “will make a great difference.”

Jay’s a pretty good egg himself. A former chaperone for NEWS, he mentioned last weekend that he’s been emceeing the fundraising event for the workcampers for more than 20 years. He predates some of the adult chaperones and board members, and even the event’s location. The annual NEWS breakfast has been held at Newtown Congregational Church since 2010. It was presented at the former longstanding Monroe restaurant Roberto’s before that. Between bites of his own breakfast and showing plenty of love toward his wife of nine months, Jay kept last Saturday’s event right on track. He knows most if not all of the students involved in the workcamp program, and made a point of acknowledging them during their testimonials and/or while they helped with the presentation of raffle prizes. As in previous years, some of this year’s prizes contained alcohol, allowing Jay to joke a few times that it’s “’always great when one of my students bring me a basket of booze.”

Ironically, a fellow educator in the room was able to say the same thing when he was the happy winner of one of those adult prizes last Saturday morning.

The young guests at last weekend’s 5/6 St Patrick’s Day party were treated to games, seasonal treats, and all the green clothing you can imagine. In addition to the DJ dance party, some of Friday’s attendees also reportedly had a blast trying a new offering at The Garage: a recently restored piano donated by Rita Powers that has had quite the transformation in recent months. Rita donated it to Newtown Parks & Rec last year. Local artist Julia Provey then coordinated a community project around the piano during the Newtown Arts Festival in September, inviting attendees to paint the musical instrument. “It came out beautifully, bright and vibrant, very much in Julia’s style,” Parks & Rec Director Amy Mangold mentioned this week.

After the festival, the updated work of art found its permanent home at The Garage. Amy said the piano is now being used for piano and singing lessons. Between those sessions, it’s there for visitors to play just for fun. When the young leprechauns were celebrating St Patrick’s Day early last week, she said, “the kids had a blast trying it out and even learning a bit about how a piano works by looking inside the top.”

Tuesday was St Patrick's Day, and most people made a point of working at least some green into their outfits to celebrate the holiday. Inside 5 Church Hill Road Managing Editor Shannon Hicks and reporters Jenna Visca and Sam Cross were a perfect symphony of pleasant green shades as I strutted through Editorial on my way to the sun spot in the front office. Jenna admitted she had totally forgotten that it was St Patrick's day, but sported velvet green pants with a sage and white ombré sweatshirt. Shannon had a nice pear green turtleneck with a black vest to accent it. Sam wore a soft green shirt with a matching cardigan, and gold pants. She went the extra mile with her snake earrings. Editor Jim Taylor, however, was the lonely man out. He seemed to have missed the memo. Jenna and Sam even got me in on the action with a nice bright green satin ribbon around my neck. I didn't have the heart to tell them it totally clashed with my black fur.

Sam and Jenna decided to take advantage of a local merchant’s St Patrick’s Day food special. With the sun promising warmth (it lied), they decided to walk to pick up their lunch. On their way back to the office they noticed this guy hanging out on a tree. It seems someone has missed the memo that Halloween is over — though for some of us it is observed year-round. He has held tightly to this tree even through all the snow, wind, and now rain we have had. He seems friendly enough, but arachnophobes should be wary around the Queen Street area. A spider that big can cover a lot of ground pretty quickly...

I have a lot of ground to cover if I’m going to deliver another collection of happy news and notes in seven days. I hope you’ll remember to come back again next week, when it will be time to … read me again.