Hey honey, how you doin’? Saturday is National Honey Bee Day, celebrated annually by some on the third day of August but celebrated every day, of course, at 5 Church Hill Road. The observance is an opportunity for beekeepers, beekeeping clubs and associations, and other enthusiasts to celebrate honeybees and recognize their contribution to the lives of humans and plenty of other creatures. If you’d like to do something locally, consider buying local honey; planting a bee garden filled with native, pollinator-friendly flowers to provide essential food sources for honeybees; or contacting or even attending a meeting of The Backyard Beekeepers Association (backyardbeekeepers.com), the Weston-based association that offers mentoring, events, and workshops.

Movie Night Under the Stars 2026 at Fairfield Hills is unfortunately a bust. A few weeks ago organizers needed to postpone the event — which was going to be a screening of the 2004 film Miracle — from its original date due to inclement weather moving into the area. The July 30 event was bumped out one week, to last Thursday, and while much of the day was crazy hot and humid, there was still hope for the weather to break so that all ages could enjoy the local Semiquincentennial offering. The weather broke, alright, but not the way the folks at Newtown Community Center and Newtown Parks & Recreation had hoped. A little birdie told me about 25 people were spotted in various vehicles, waiting for word on the event as the skies darkened. Instead of the temperatures and humidity dropping, however, rain started to drop. Hard. Lightning and thunder joined the mix, forcing the technicians who had been setting the event up to instead break things down very quickly. We received confirmation last Friday morning that Movie Night Under the Stars this year will not be rescheduled.

Having visited the former Caleb Baldwin Tavern about six weeks ago, Ezra the Rooster is well rested and feeling up for another journey. I promised his handlers I wouldn’t give away the itinerary as the mascot of Newtown Historical Society continues his Semiquincentennial tour of town, but I can offer a hint at where he can be spotted this weekend: Ezra plans to visit the former home of a man twice married (to women who shared the same first name!), whose wives bore him a combined total of six children, and who served as a member of the Connecticut State House of Representatives, among other life points. If you think you know where I’m talking about — or if you’re just curious and want to see where Ezra went — watch the historical society’s Facebook page and Instagram feed (both @NewtownHistoricalSociety) to find the answer.

We’ve had special guests at the office in recent weeks, both planned and unplanned. Last Thursday and Friday and again this past Thursday and Friday, we hosted tours for the clients of TransitionCT. The program for individuals with special needs to get support during the day has a beautiful space just down the hill from us, so we often see employees and clients when they’re walking toward Edmond Town Hall and other local destinations. We recently received a request to visit our building, and because so many people were interested in that opportunity, we actually broke the TransitionCT folks into eight groups. Two groups walked through the morning of August 6, two more followed on August 7, and the pattern was repeated August 13 and 14.

Heather Pellagrino, a data licensing specialist for FactSet Research Systems, Inc, was an unplanned guest that we loved meeting. Heather was participating in a Company Bingo Treasure Hunt sponsored by FactSet’s US Remote Culture Committee. She was one of 31 participants spanning 19 states plus Washington, D.C., competing across ten rounds — quite the competitive undertaking!

The bingo “card” was a very challenging list, and Heather had a great round. She found everything from sidewalk art, a famous landmark (she used the Main Street flagpole) and community art (a lovely work by a neighbor) to a state product (Ferris Acres Creamery ice cream), a historic landmark (Ram Pasture) and even local media, which is what brought Heather and a friend into our building last Thursday morning. The “card” had 24 challenges, and Heather found 23 of them. The only thing that stymied her was the state flower. As a bonus, however, she also took a photo of our bumble bee door knocker, which she used toward the company photo contest. If only she’d needed a picture of a handsome black cat, I could have put her right at the top of the Win column.

The special guests who will serve as judges for the Labor Day Parade in just a few weeks have been selected. Grand Marshal Bill Glass confided recently that the invitations were extended to and accepted by five people and I must say: Bill has made great choices. I’m not going to reveal their identities now because I want their work on September 7 to be without any outside influence. I want them to focus on all the fun, creativity, talent, and hoopla that will be unfolding in front of them that morning and early afternoon.

Bill and everyone else will be celebrating the theme of “Picture Perfect Parade” when this year’s parade follows its traditional route, stepping off from Main Street at Currituck Road; following Main to Glover Avenue; and then taking the turn onto Queen Street. The longtime resident accepted the invitation in June from the Labor Day Parade Committee to serve as its grand marshal, and I can’t wait to see what he and others do to bring that theme to life. Applications are still open for those who would like to march, sponsors are still being welcomed, and volunteers are still being accepted for committee openings and parade day logistics. If you’d like to learn more, send a note to NewtownLDP@gmail.com.

An impromptu homage to Frank Sinatra fell into place on the steps of Edmond Town Hall Monday morning. Mitch Bolinsky started the trend, putting his spin on Frank Sinatra’s very classic “Theme from New York, New York.” The state rep was so excited to be part of the group announcing the approval of Newtown’s application to create a state-recognized Cultural District (see related story) — with three subdistricts, it turns out — that Mitch adapted part of the opening verse of the Ol’ Blue Eyes song to say “I want to be a part of it \ Newtown, Newtown!” His ad lib went just a little further, but it was the attempt that counts.

Martin Foncello literally followed in Mitch’s footsteps, being the next to offer comments during the press conference and continuing the unplanned tribute. Martin offered his own congratulatory comments before closing by saying “The best is yet to come.” Meanwhile, Jim Allen and his guitar were to the right of each state politician, quickly playing a few chords to punctuate each moment.

In closing this week I’ll leave you with the following question: Why did the bee go to the dermatologist? It had hives.

Sorry (not sorry!). The irritation will subside in seven days, I’m sure, just in time to … read me again.