With St Patrick’s Day coming up this weekend, lots of people are scratching around for some green, since much of theirs went south with the stock market this week. I had a little green I took south to Philadelphia last weekend, and I intend to keep tabs on it. Let me explain.

Last week, after ordering a grande vanilla latte at Starbucks and paying with a ten dollar bill, I got back a peculiar dollar bill in the change. Someone had stamped on the front of it www.wheresgeorge.com. I know what they say about curiosity and cats, but I couldn’t resist, and when I got back to the office I went the above Web site to see what was going on. The Web site turned out to be a place where people can submit the serial numbers of paper currency and then track the progress of that currency through society when others notice the Web site address on the bill and check in to see what it’s all about. I found out that my particular dollar bill had started in Manchester, N.H., and after more than 250 days made it to Starbucks, where someone in Sandy Hook got the bill in their change. Evidently, they spent that same buck at Starbucks, because that’s where I got it. To rescue that particular dollar from spending the rest of its natural life changing hands at Starbucks, I took it with me and tipped the coat check girl with it at the Philadelphia Museum of Art last Saturday. So far, no one has updated the whereabouts of my “George,” but I’m hopeful that it will happen soon.

Marilyn Alexander, who apparently has somewhat more of a life than I do, is back in town after a wild time at Mardi Gras in New Orleans last week with her daughter, Kathy, and her family. Marilyn also went to Times Square on New Year’s Eve as a teenager, so she feels as if she has now done just about everything on her agenda… save for maybe a little bungee jumping over the crocodile-infested Nile River.

Speaking of Marilyn, she made a rare appearance at a Republican Town Committee meeting Monday. She was there as an alternate filling in for GOP secretary Cindy Simon who was out sick. As acting secretary, Marilyn was requested to take the roll call. Not a regular member, Marilyn had trouble pronouncing some of the more unusual names on the list. No worries, though, since most of the members weren’t there or showed up late.

At Monday’s meeting, Owen Carney was nominated as the Republican’s candidate for first selectman. After a brief speech, Owen closed with a bit of humor. “There will be a box at the door for blank checks,” he said with a laugh.

The new surveillance camera in the vault at the town clerk’s office is designed to catch people stealing valuable public documents. So if you’re ever in the vault, watch where you scratch; you’ll be caught in the act.

The Legislative Council Tuesday agreed to transfer another $50,000 from contingency into the town’s winter maintenance account. It did so despite the fact that the Board of Selectmen, who were snowed out last week, did not yet act on it. First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said he did not have a problem with the council’s move, nor did Selectman Bill Brimmer, who was also present at the meeting. “I want my street plowed,” Bill said, giving the thumbs up sign.

A special thanks goes out to NHS kitchen manager Karen Dickenson, who braved the nasty weather March 6 to cook lunch and dinner for the Newtown highway crew which worked night and day to clear the roads. The food was provided by Sodexho-Marriott, according to Karen Cook, the school system’s food service director.

When Samantha Lerman married Dr David Bernstein last October they had no time for a honeymoon.  So, while we were battling snow, no mail delivery, and a total shutdown of the state a few weeks ago, they were sailing in the Caribbean.  Samantha and David were so removed from any news that, when they returned and everyone regaled them with terrific tales of snow, they thought everyone was kidding.

UConn men’s basketball fans have been going through withdrawal this week after their team failed to get selected for this year’s NCAA tournament which started late this week. And fans of the women’s team are a little apprehensive as well, now that Svet and Shea Ralph have been lost for the season with injuries. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed.

Bee typesetter and Newtown resident Mary Kennedy has been bowling for years, but last weekend marked a new game plan. Mary, along with her mother and her two sisters, competed at Brookfield Lanes on Sunday afternoon in a tournament sponsored by Greater Danbury Women’s Bowling Association, and when all the pins had fallen, the Kennedy girls had taken first place. It’s the first time Mary’s team won a first place honor, and the fun isn’t over yet. By winning last Sunday, the Kennedy team has qualified to continue to a statewide bowling competition. Good luck!

Finally, beware of the Ides of March. And, oh yeah…

Read me again.