Share your thoughts on a variety of subjects. The Newtown Bee is seeking residents to take part in semi-regular conversations throughout the year. Five to six people will be selected for each session of The Community Buzz, responding to a single-subject question selected by our newsroom and sharing thoughts on that subject with each other. The conversation will be moderated by staff of The Newtown Bee. Just so you know, conversations will be recorded, the group may be photographed, and portions of conversations may be used in subsequent articles in The Newtown Bee. We hope to hear from enough residents to hold the first Community Buzz on April 12, 2019, from 3 to 4 pm, at the office of The Newtown Bee, 5 Church Hill Road. To be considered for an upcoming Community Buzz, please contact editor@thebee.com, subject line Community Buzz, by March 26, and include your full name, any areas of interest, availability, and daytime contact information. You will be contacted by April 5 if you are selected to take part in this first conversation. Hope to meet you!

Bee reporter Alissa Silber spotted these small sprouts of yellow croci stretching their petals to the shining afternoon sun near the entrance of the Matthew Curtiss House on March 18. The flowers were some of the first signs of spring found this week throughout Newtown.

Wendy, a soprano, called Newtown Choral Society President Laura Lerman, asking to join NCS. It was too late for the spring May 18 concert, but Wendy was invited to attend a rehearsal. Given travel directions, the soprano checked her map. Then came the final e-mail. “I owe you an apology because, in my enthusiasm to find a choir near Newtown, I omitted to check where your choir is based. I am near Newtown in Wales, UK.”

We hear from The Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) that there is still time to enter the Dream Big! competition. Teachers, parents, and guardians can access entry materials at chetdreambig.com, and make sure entries are postmarked by March 29 in order to be eligible to win. Contest winners will be announced in late April. The competition features two entry categories: Students in grades K through 3 may submit an original drawing that answers the question, “What do I want to do after I go to college?” Fourth through eighth graders are asked to write a 250-word essay that responds to, “How will I change the world after I go to college?” Forty-eight students will be awarded a contribution to a CHET 529 college savings account of either $1,000 or $500. Schools will also have the opportunity to win — $500 for the school that has the highest percentage of participants in each county.

Even though I usually have to share the space at The Bee office with an array of canines, I count myself lucky. This cat is never going to have to move out of my cozy home due to financial issues. For many people, however, the idea of not being able to afford to take care of their dog or cat is a real concern. Fortunately, The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary has created a program called The Senior Paw Project, which works to keep animals out of shelters by assisting senior citizens when they may need to spend time in a hospital or need help paying for pet food or veterinary bills. Learn about the program next week when the sanctuary presents a Lunch & Learn program at Newtown Senior Center. There is no charge for the March 29 program, which will begin at noon, but registration is absolutely required because space is very limited. Call the senior center at 203-270-4310 or send an e-mail to info@cvhfoundation.org. Tell ‘em Mountain sent you.

The Newtown High School Wind Ensemble is scheduled to play at Carnegie Hall on May 24 in the Isaac Stern Auditorium as part of the Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) concert series. The event will feature performances by the Great Bend Center for Music’s Great Bend Chorale and Alexander L’Estrange, according to an announcement from DCINY to NHS Bands Director Kurt Eckhardt. Having the students play at the concert will cost $13,000, and the Wind Ensemble is raising money to cover the cost. A website, snap-raise.com/fundraisers/newtown-wind-ensemble-2019, has been set up to raise money. The website’s goal is to raise $6,000 of the total $13,000 cost. A video of Wind Ensemble students performing is also available on the website, and in it students explain being chosen to perform at the event included “a strenuous selection process.” Tickets for the May 24 event are available online at carnegiehall.org.

Sparky the Fire Dog celebrated his 68th birthday on March 18, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) tells me. The mascot keeps bringing his fire safety message all over the world. “Sparky is synonymous with fire safety, and his messages are just as significant as they were when he was born...” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy for NFPA. The organization adds, “For the past 68 years, Sparky has done a great job at accentuating the importance of being vigilant about fire safety... As Sparky blows out the battery-operated candles on his birthday cake, consider these key safety messages:

*Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement;

*Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button;

*Make a home escape plan. Draw a map of each level of the home. Show all doors and windows and point to the two ways out of each room;

*Plan and practice your escape drill with everyone in the home.”

Happy birthday, Sparky, and thanks for the good reminders.

Not only was March 20 the first day of spring, but Governor Lamont proclaimed March 20 as “Fresh Air Fund Day.” Thousands of volunteer host families open their homes to children from New York City’s low-income communities through the Fresh Air Fund, and the organization is seeking new host families in Connecticut. The fund brings boys and girls, from 7 to 12 years old, who live in New York City, to rural communities to enjoy summer fun. Contact Doug Fannon at 203-984-7800 or visit freshair.org to find out how you can be a host family.

Next Friday, March 29, is National Vietnam War Veterans Day, honoring all who served in active duty between November 1, 1955 and May 15, 1975 — whether in-country, in-theater, or elsewhere. It is a day meant for thanking the veterans and families for service and for sacrifice. Nine million Americans served over that 20-year period, seven million of whom are still living. You’ll find the names of 58,000 who made the ultimate sacrifice during this war engraved on the memorial on the grounds of our nation’s capital. More than 300,000 service men and women were injured in this conflict.

Don’t forget that if spring means travel time, The Newtown Bee wants to go with you. Take a photo of yourself with the paper, in an identifiable location, and submit to The Bee Abroad contest. You could win $50 for traveling the furthest north or south in 2019 or $100 for traveling the most miles away from our town. In January 2020, The Bee will award three lucky travelers. Send your vacation photo to editor@thebee.com, subject line Bee Abroad, before the end of the year. Bon Voyage!

You don’t have to travel far to get the best of my news, though. Be sure next week to... Read me again.