I expected to find an extra bowl of cream and at least a bag of catnip on my favorite chair this past Monday, but alas. It seems The Bee staff forgot that April 11 was National Pet Day. I just hope this was not a problem in too many households around town.Spamalot at the UConn Connecticut Repertory Theatre may recognize more than one familiar face. Along with Richard Kline (remember Larry from Three's Company?) in the lead role of King Arthur to his Lady in The Lake (Mariand Torres), Newtown High School 2014 graduate Kirsten Liniger is a member of the show's ensemble. Kristen put plenty of time into the NHS theater program while a Nighthawk, and also portrayed Dorothy, waving to passersby and welcoming attendees for the first Sunday Cinema Series program, screenings of The Wizard of Oz for full ticket and performance details.www.crt.uconn.edu, in May 2014. Performances will be in The Harriet S. Jorgenson Theatre, Wednesday through Saturday evenings, with matinees scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, April 30 and May 1. Call 860-486-2113 or visit Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Road Chip will be featured from April 15 to April 21, but the 7 pm screening on Saturday night is being offered free of charge. Just show up at the box office prior to the show and tell the attendees how many people are in your party. Ingersoll Auto, owned by Todd Ingersoll of Newtown, will cover the cost of all tickets for that show. If you miss the early show that night, tickets are still just $2 for any of the other screenings this week.info@cvhfoundation.org.Newtown Choral Society spring concert is Sunday afternoon, April 24, at 3:30, at Newtown Meeting House on Main Street at the flagpole. The choral group has been hard at work this winter, under the direction of Mary Andreotta.www.newtownaction.orgMembers of Newtown Action Alliance, along with The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, and Say it to Our Faces, will be in Washington, DC, this week to join with members of Congress and gun violence victims, encouraging the passage of sensible gun laws in this country. Find out more at departure for and safe arrival in the nation;'s capitol, as well.)www.earthday.org. From small actions to huge efforts, Earth Day brings awareness to the fragility and wonder of Earth. It's the only planet we currently can live upon, so let's do what we can to make it a pristine and pleasant place to dwell. On Saturday, April 23, you can honor Earth Day with music, kids' activities, a "Lose the Litter" walk, and more at the 9th Annual Newtown Earth Day celebration, at Newtown Middle School on Queen Street. The festivities run from 10 am to 4 pm.

It's not too late to celebrate National Library Week, which this year started on April 10 and runs through April 16. According to the American Library Association website, "National Library Week is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and library workers and to promote library use and support. The theme for 2016 National Library Week is "Libraries Transform.' It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support." No one needs to tell me the many ways the C.H. Booth Library helps transform lives, and not just through the great collection of books. Our library offers programs for all ages on myriad subjects, e-book borrowing, a Young Adult Council, magazines to browse, special collections to view, and a little coffee nook, to boot. Take time to visit the library this week, or any week.

Have you been wondering what to do with all of your beloved but unneeded books? Do you have stacks of CDs, DVDs, and LPs that you don't know what to do with? Spring Book Donation Day, sponsored by the Friends of the C.H. Booth Library, is just around the corner. This Sunday, April 17, from noon to 5, rain or shine (or snow), please consider donating those items to support the library. Donations can be dropped off with volunteers at the back of the library, 25 Main Street. If you need assistance to unload your car, volunteers will help you with that, and provide tax receipts for the donations. For more information, call 203-270-4537.

Newtown Forest Association is planning a major beautification project on Mt Pleasant Road near Blackman Road. Members will be transforming the open grass field into a meadow of wild flowers and are looking for donations of wildflower seeds from local gardens and garden centers. Seed collection baskets have been placed at C.H. Booth Library (25 Main Street) and Parks and Recreation Offices (on the lower level of Town Hall South, 3 Main Street). All are invited to be part of this project, which will be good for the birds and the bees, and will bring joy to all. (Might I suggest that you select wildflower seeds that are native to our area? That will make our local bees and butterflies extremely happy.)

Residents making the trek to Storrs for one of the April 21 through May 1 performances of

Ingersoll Auto of Danbury is continuing the ongoing Free Saturday Movie Nights program at Edmond Town Hall this weekend.

For anyone looking to learn about chickens, the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary will offer a "Backyard Chickens" workshop Sunday, April 24, from 1 to 2 pm. Kimberly McClure Brinton, DVM, of Country Companions Vet Service, will share the fundamentals of caring for chickens. The workshop is free and open to all ages. It will be held at the animal sanctuary property, located at the end of Old Farm Road. To register, just send an e-mail to

Mark your calendar - the

. (Be sure to read this week's stories on the Team 26

Next Friday, April 22, is National Earth Day. First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day is now celebrated by a billion people worldwide, according to

While you ponder which of the many activities in town you will attend, I'll be on the lookout for more news to share. Be sure next week to… read me again.