Mark Dennen was so excited Saturday after he found an old piece of equipment atop a discarded washing machine at the metal collection site at the town dump. He didn’t know exactly what it was when he hauled it home, but he was intrigued by the machine’s wooden rollers, which worked much like an old wringer washer. Then he had an inspiration: the machine might work to roll out the dough for the fried dough booth operated each year by the Knights of Columbus at the St Rose Carnival.

Mark, who is a former grand knight, called up fellow knight Chris Locke to accompany him to the Pizza Palace to pick up some dough. They set up the machine, rolled out the dough – and it worked! The machine just may be able to take the place of the many volunteers who toil each night of the carnival to prepare the dough for frying.

Mark was delighted that he found such a good use for the machine, although initially his wife, Susan, told him that when he went to the dump, the objective wasn’t to bring things home. He said he wasn’t worried anyway, because the transfer station attendant had assured him that the dump had “an excellent return policy.”

Even before Harvey Sellner and his World Help Foundation volunteers left Newtown to bring water purification systems to the victims of the El Salvador earthquake last weekend, they learned from AmeriCares that the project was much bigger than they realized. Instead of 10 units, 50 were needed. That will cost the nonprofit charity $50,000, so many donations are needed. In their rush to get the information about, the WHT office made a mistake in the address to which donations should be mailed. The correct address is World Help Foundation, 255 South Main Street, PO Box 500, Newtown, CT 06470.

If you need a haircut, mark Monday, February 5, on your calendar. Ricci’s Salon, The Spa on South Main Street is planning a cut-a-thon to benefit the Eckler family of Sandy Hook. Ten-year-old Joey Eckler is battling a brain tumor. The cut-a-thon will be from 4 to 8 pm. Call 426-1611 for an appointment.

I think it’s fair to say that former Newtown resident Evan Reynolds has filled out a little bit since his high school days in the late 80s. He’s now got a role on Fox’s reality television show Temptation Island. Several Newtown residents recognized him on the show and called us to see what we knew. A couple of calls later it was confirmed. The muscular 1989 NHS graduate is indeed a “tempter” on this controversial show. Ah, another Newtown kid makes it big.

Newton strikes again? Someone always manages mispronounce the town’s name every time it gets referred to on the national scene. The latest blunder came during MSNBC’s broadcast of the inaugural parade last Saturday in Washington. The Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard was passing the reviewing stand – where George W. Bush was sitting – when the television anchor referred to it as being from “Newton, Connecticut.” The incident went unnoticed by Mr Bush, who knows a thing or two about mispronouncing words.

Speaking of “Newton” slights, I ran into 1989 NHS graduate Jerry Reidy this week. He recalled the time the NHS baseball team got new uniforms, which read across the front, “Newton.” It was apparently too late to fix them so the team had to play in them all season. If I recall correctly, “Newton” ended up winning the title that year.

Everybody’s talking about all the dancing going on at last Saturday’s Chamber of Commerce dinner dance at Stony Hill Inn. Dick and Marie Sturdevant were impressive on the dance floor as was Pat Linnell and her husband, Jim.

The town has a new fire marshal in Bill Halstead. In ceremonies Monday at Edmond Town Hall, Bill took his oath of office from Assistant Town Clerk Sue Shpunt, as family and friends looked on. The ceremony was conducted in the Mary Hawley Room, a prominent room in the building that overlooks Main Street. On hand was George Lockwood, who has retired as fire marshal, but remains a deputy marshal.

The town health department is making the big move. The move isn’t from Canaan House at Fairfield Hills to somewhere else, but is a move within that sprawling building. The health workers will be occupying office space adjacent to the offices now occupied by Tunxis Management in the building.

The snow piles in the rear parking lot of Edmond Town Hall are so high that the town might consider building a ski lift. It would bring is some extra revenue to help finance public projects.

I know where Mary Kennedy will be Sunday night. The Newtown resident will join millions of others across the country as she roots on her beloved New York Giants. Mary is especially enjoying this year’s Giants Super Bowl run because she was one of very few who predicted a Super Bowl trip way back at mid-season. If the Giants win, you will probably see Mary next Friday night on Wall Street Week giving stock market tips.

Here’s a tip you can’t go wrong with …

Read me again.