I must start this week’s column by eating some crow. Yuck. I deserve this, however, considering I was wrong last week when I tried to take Michael Morgan to task for curating an exhibition for The Ely Center of Contemporary Art in New Haven dedicated to dogs. It turns out “Deus Ex Bark-ina” is the sequel/canine counterpart to something beautiful and wonderful and fun Michael did last year. Mike (Cornell University MFA ’26) and fellow Big Red student Elina Ansary (MFA ’25) did celebrate cats first! Mike — yes, we’re on a first name basis now that he and I are conversing via e-mail — gently corrected me after my August 21 column found its way in front of his eyes. Mike and Elina curated “Magnum O-Pspsps,” installed for a brief presentation in the university’s Olive Tjaden Gallery last autumn, and I missed the whole thing. More than 45 artists had their work selected for the exhibition, and from what I was able to find online after Mike so kindly sent me a link, it looked like a purrfect presentation. Mike also mentioned that as a cat lover and owner, he “had to make sure cats came first.” I bow my head in shame, Mike. I hope you’ll scritch between my ears when I remind everyone that “Deus Ex Bark-ina” is still on view and will have its closing reception from 3-6 pm on Sunday, September 13.

I’m not hanging my head in shame for long, though (because what cat does?). Monday morning Mike Caravakis walked into the office and it was time for me to do a happy dance. We’ve missed Mike in recent weeks. Our sales rep needed a knee replacement. He’s far from the first at Bee Publishing to have that done, but he’s the newest member of the local Bionic Knee Club.

Ahead of my absolute favorite holiday, my friends at C.H. Booth Library are already planning for Halloween. A Halloween Costume Drive is being conducted at 25 Main Street. Gently used and clean costumes for all ages are being accepted, along with accessories like wigs, hats, masks, and treat bags, until Saturday. I missed the initial announcement for this last week but hope some readers might still be able to pull things they won’t be using again out of storage and drop them at the library.

The good news is, the second half of this event is going to be just as much fun. During the next few weeks CHB Library staff will organize everything for a Costume Selection event on Saturday, September 12. Readers are invited to visit the library that day — regular hours are 9:30 am-5 pm — to select from the collection. If you have questions about either part of this event, contact Jordana Bloom at jbloom@chboothlibrary.org.

Well before Halloween, however, Sandy Hook Organization for Prosperity (SHOP) will present its annual Rockin’ the Hook event, which this year will include the installation of what organizers are hoping will be the first of many murals in that business district. SHOP issued a call for designs earlier this year, and there are now four unique illustrations the public is asked to choose from. Voting is open until Tuesday, so don’t wait much longer if you haven’t made a selection yet. Visit facebook.com/SandyHookVillage and click on the featured post that announces Voting Is Open (or find the press release about this on our website and click directly through the link there). Each person is granted one free vote, which can be used by Liking the illustration of their choice. Additional votes are available for $1 each, with Paypal links added as comments under each illustration. Funds raised through the contest will go directly toward efforts to replace the pedestrian bridge over the Pootatuck River that was removed in March 2024 after it fell into disrepair.

I’ve spoken recently about Kevin Corey, and I feel the need to do so again this week. Kevin surprised his friends at Newtown Senior Center last week with a cake to celebrate National Senior Center Month. The observance is in September, but Kevin got the jump on that by arriving with the cake on August 21, just before the annual week-long closure of 8 Simpson Street. Kevin gets a Good Egg Award for that kindness.

According to a note from the ladies at the senior center, National Senior Center Month is a time to celebrate the important role these centers play in creating connection, promoting wellness, and enriching the lives of older adults in communities. Senior centers are places where people can stay active, learn something new, build friendships, access valuable resources, and feel a true sense of belonging. Newtown’s is a beautiful center. I’ve been with people as they walked into that wing of the building for the first time and many are very impressed with all the amenities, along with the bright open spaces available at the center. The note mentioned the local senior center plans to recognize and celebrate the many older adults, volunteers, staff, and community partners who make NSC a welcoming and vibrant place for everyone. I look forward to those highlights. There are a lot of people who make our local senior center a very special place.

I like to think of myself as a pretty cool cat, but the folks at CBIA may have me beat for at least a few weeks. Connecticut’s largest business association is conducting its third annual Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut competition. Sixteen products by Constitution State manufacturers are facing off in a single-elimination, bracket-style challenge that concluded its first round this week. The good news is, if you missed the first round, there are three additional opportunities to vote for your favorite item. While the event is single-elimination, CBIA Media Relations Manager Scott Beaulieu told me this week that this year’s competition has a new option: you can vote once a day during each round.

The second round/quarterfinal opened Thursday, August 27 and will continue until 11:59 pm Wednesday, September 2. The third round/semifinals will be conducted Thursday, September 3, through 11:59 pm Wednesday, September 9. The finals will give everyone a few extra days to get those votes in, running Thursday, September 10, to 11:59 pm Monday, September 21. Voting is done at CBIA.com/coolest-thing. Details about each item can also be found on that page. The winner will be announced October 1 at the Made in Connecticut: Manufacturing Summit, and all items will be featured in a “2026 Coolest Things Made in Connecticut” exhibition scheduled to open at Connecticut Science Center on November 5. As with any election, I’m not going to tell you how to vote, I’m just encouraging you to do your research and then make sure you do vote.

Thanks honey! Or should I say Thanks Honees? I didn’t have enough space last week to share the good news that Honees, the honey-filled drops made in Italy and imported and distributed through Andre Prost, Inc in Old Saybrook, has awarded a $10,000 grant to PHIRA-Science, to support research focused on protecting honeybees from a nasty parasitic mite. Tropilaelaps is an emerging mite raising concern among beekeepers and pollinator health researchers around the world.

Beekeepers have managed pests and diseases for thousands of years, but Tropilaelaps presents a new and urgent concern, according to a release last week from Honees. Chuck Landrey, vice president of Honees and himself a beekeeper, said the new little buggers take things to “an entirely different level.” Tropilaelaps can kill a hive in just weeks, vs previous mites that weaken colonies over longer timeframes. Tropilaelaps is primarily found in Asia, and has spread into Europe. Tropilaelaps could reach the Americas through international travel, shipping, the movement of bees and equipment, or any other form of transportation invasives have utilized to invade new areas.

PHIRA-Science, or the Pollinator Health International Research Association, based in the United Kingdom, already does research, fieldwork, and training to improve pollinator health around the globe. The organization is already studying Tropilaelaps in regions where the mite is affecting honeybee colonies. Chuck Landrey said the Honees grant reflects belief that preparation matters. “If we don’t have a strategy in place before Tropilaelaps reaches the Americas, we will already be behind,” he said, adding, “this is about supporting the science now, while there is still time to learn, prepare, and respond.”

As we say at the end of each week’s Editorial meeting, “Go bees!” Thank you to Honees for being proactive, and thank you, dear reader, for sticking with me for another full column. I hope local honeybees stay safe, and I hope you remember to come back again this time next week, when it will be time to … read me again.