Big thanks to Pet Supplies Plus for sponsoring the first-ever Connecticut Buzz Mutt Madness. They’re helping make the whole thing even more fun by putting up a $100 gift card for the winner and a $50 gift card for second place.

If you’ve been to Pet Supplies Plus, you know the deal: friendly staff, all the pet essentials, and plenty of reasons to spoil your dog a little more than you probably should. We’re pumped to have them backing a community contest built for local dog lovers, proud pet parents, and some very photogenic pups.

Huge thanks to everyone who entered the first-ever Connecticut Buzz Mutt Madness. We got more than 40 submissions, which is awesome, but it meant we had to cap the bracket at the first 32 pups entered.

Voting starts now for Round 1 and runs through Monday. Then we’ll drop the next matchup round in next week’s newsletter, so get those votes in and let the dog madness begin.

🐶Adopt-a-pal: Meet Willow and Winston, a lovable bonded pair of Pembroke Welsh corgis (ages 4 and 6) who come as a package deal, bringing double the goofy energy, walks, and couch-cuddle time to their future home.

🏡House of the week: This one has classic colonial bones and real elbow room, with 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2,416 square feet, a fireplace, and nearly an acre of land. Built in 1966, it feels like the kind of place where somebody definitely hosts Thanksgiving and somehow still has room for everyone. Check it out!

🔭Sky report: If you step outside after sunset this week, the big bright “star” hanging in the evening sky is actually Jupiter, and it’s one of the easiest planets to spot with the naked eye right now. Later in the week, early risers might catch a few sporadic meteors before dawn, especially if you’re somewhere dark out here where the sky still remembers how to be properly dark

Dinner Club is back in West Hartford on March 19th at 6:30 pm, and it’s the easiest way to meet new people without doing the awkward “so… what do you do?” thing in a loud bar. Take a quick personality quiz, get matched with 5 others, then show up to a surprise restaurant and get the after-hours location texted out later. You cover your tab, and it’s $16 to lock your seat. Come hungry, leave with new neighbors.

Back in March of 1900, the Stafford Springs Press was advertising the Franklin Typewriter, confidently calling it “the best typewriter on Earth.” You could rent one for $1 a week and apply the rent toward the purchase, which sounds suspiciously like the early version of rent-to-own. The full price was $75, which in 1900 was a serious investment for a machine whose entire job was basically helping you write faster.

Tolland High School Presents The Phantom of the Opera
Thurs-Fri 7pm, Sat 1pm & 7pm $

This is not your average school musical. Tolland High School’s production of The Phantom of the Opera is going big with a self-moving boat scene, dramatic chandelier drop, elaborate costumes, haunting music, and the kind of technical ambition that makes you do a double take and say wait, a high school did this? If you’re into live theater, local talent, or just want to see students absolutely swing for the fences, this is one worth grabbing tickets for.

In last week’s trivia, 30% of you got it right with the self-regulating windmill, which is a pretty good hit rate for old-school Connecticut invention trivia. The inventor was Daniel Halladay of Ellington, who patented the design in 1854 after working on the problem with local businessman John Burnham. Halladay’s big breakthrough was a windmill that could automatically adjust to shifting wind speeds and directions, which kept it from tearing itself apart in strong gusts and made it the first commercially successful self-governing windmill.

That one Connecticut invention ended up having a much bigger footprint than you’d expect. Halladay’s windmills helped pump water across farms, ranches, railroad routes, and settlements in the American West, which made them a quiet but hugely important part of frontier life. Not bad for an idea that started in Ellington and wound up helping shape the Great Plains.

In Connecticut, the "Spring Market" isn't just a season; it’s a high-stakes sport. Inventory is finally blooming, but so is the competition. If you want to win the keys to your dream home this year, you need a playbook that goes beyond a basic pre-approval.

Step 1: The "Local Edge" Pre-Approval
Generic online lenders often miss the nuances of CT property taxes or local closing customs. Get a verified pre-approval that looks like cash to a seller.

Step 2: Offer Strategy
With market volatility, timing is everything. As you attend showings and open houses, we will underwrite your file to mortgage approval. Send along those properties that you love for the best monthly payment options.

Step 3: Fast-Track Closings
In a multiple-offer scenario, a 21-day closing guarantee is often more attractive to a seller than a slightly higher price tag.

The market moves fast, but with the right strategy, you move faster. Let’s get your financing "Spring Ready."

Ellington | Trivia Night | Tuesdays 7-8:30PM - This is a nice little midweek excuse to get out of the house, grab a drink, and prove your brain is still firing on all cylinders at JRego’s Gathering Place.

Rockville | History of Huskies Hoops: Legacy of Greatness | 6 PM - Explore UConn basketball history at this special presentation at Rockville Public Library (52 Union St). Register

Storrs | Artist Talk: What is Here? | 2:45-4 PM - Join Ray DiCapua for a talk on his work featured in the 2026 Studio Art Faculty Exhibition at William Benton Museum of Art (253 Glenbrook Rd).

Andover | Youth: Kids Art Class with Kim | 3:15 PM | ($) - Kids explore their creativity in this art class at Andover Public Library (25 School Rd).

Coventry | The Forever Flower DIY Experience | 6-8 PM | ($) - Design your own wood flower arrangement, wreath, or bouquet at Wood & Word Blooms (21 Bread & Milk St). Create

Hebron | Meet the Author | 6:30-8 PM - Meet local author and get a signed copy of The Shrouded Truth at Douglas Library of Hebron (22 Main St).

Storrs | Three Musketeers: 1941 | Multiple Showings Through March 14 | 7:30PM | ($) – Catch this powerful original production at the Nafe Katter Theatre in Storrs, where a group of young women in the French Resistance take on Musketeer code names and fight back against Nazi occupation in WWII-era Paris.

Ellington | St. Paddy's Celebration | 12-1:30 PM - Celebrate St. Patrick's Day early at Ellington Senior Center (40 Maple St).

Vernon Rockville | Yoga Nidra & Sound Bath | 6 PM | ($) - Experience deep relaxation with this restorative yoga nidra and sound bath at The Mindfulness Studio (927 Hartford Tpke). Relax

Willington | Build Some Bites Event | 6 PM - Learn to make delicious protein bites with guidance from the experts (Phelps Way).Yum

Stafford Springs | ARTS ON MAIN at Stafford Cidery | 6 PM - Enjoy art, snacks, and cider at this creative evening at Stafford Cidery (68 Main St).

Stafford Springs | Artist Showcase with Alex B. Ranniello | 6 PM - Experience the work of local artist Alex B. Ranniello at Stafford Cidery (68 Main St).

Somers | The 60’s Experience Live at Joanna’s | 6:30-9:30PM - This one’s built for anyone who hears a little Motown or classic rock and suddenly starts acting like they were absolutely at Woodstock.

Vernon Rockville | 80's Night with The Pop Rocks | 8:30 PM - Dance to your favorite 80's hits performed by The Pop Rocks at Rocking Horse Bar & Grill (57 Hartford Tpke).

Ellington | Ellington Penguin Plunge | 10:30 AM | ($) - Take the plunge for Special Olympics Connecticut at this annual fundraiser. BRRRR

Ellington | The Hidden Still | 8:30-11 PM - Live music and good vibes at this local spot (87 West Rd).

Hebron | Chris Marolda at Blackledge | 6:30-9:30 PM - Enjoy live music from Chris Marolda at Blackledge Country Club (180 West St).

Somers | Union Jack – British Invasion Night at Joanna’s | 6:30-9:30PM - If your playlist still leans heavily toward The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin, this one’s right in your wheelhouse.

Stafford Springs | Trivia Night at Stafford Cidery | 6:30 PM - Test your knowledge on Pi Day at Stafford Cidery (68 Main St).

Stafford Springs | LAFFS on the Lake | 7 PM | ($) - Comedy night featuring Peaches Rodriguez, Peter Bales, and Gerald Kelly at Four Seasons by the Lake (51 Old Springfield Rd).

Tolland | Meet the Ancestors | 1 PM | ($) - Explore your ancestral connections at Resonance Healing Arts (60 Hartford Tpke). Interesting

Vernon | St. Patrick's Day Family Event | 11:30 AM - Family-friendly St. Patrick's Day celebration hosted by The Learning Experience and Tolland County Chamber of Commerce (420 Talcottville Rd).

Vernon Rockville | St Patrick's Edition - Band, DJ, Linedance | 7 PM - Live band, DJ, and line dancing for St. Patrick's Day at Rocking Horse Bar & Grill (57 Hartford Tpke).

Willington | Kevin Hadfield Clinic | 9 AM | ($) - Equestrian clinic with Kevin Hadfield (34 Cemetery Rd).

Andover | Introduction to Sourdough Class | 4 PM | ($) - Learn sourdough basics with Marissa from Long Meadow Farm at Over AndOver. Bake

Bolton | Bolton O'Polar Plunge | 1 PM - Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a plunge into Bolton Lake at Indian Notch Park (60 Tolland Rd).

Bolton | Saint Patrick's Day Brunch | 10:30 AM - Festive St. Patrick's Day brunch at Villa Louisa (60 Villa Louisa Rd). Call 860-646-3161

Coventry | St. Patrick's Day Games | 10 AM | ($) - St. Patrick's Day themed games and activities (577 Babcock Hill Rd). Register

Stafford Springs | Kevin Howard at Four Seasons by the Lake | 2 PM - Live acoustic music from Kevin Howard at Four Seasons by the Lake (51 Old Springfield Rd).

Storrs | Selection Sunday Watch Party | 4:30 PM | ($) - Watch the NCAA Tournament bracket reveal with fellow Huskies fans (625 Middle Tpke).

Vernon | Gelli Plate Prints: Abstract Collage | 10 AM- 4 PM | ($) - Create abstract collage art using gelli plate printing techniques at Arts Center East (709 Hartford Tpke). Nice!

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