It may be the sweltering first week of August, but all pistons are firing as volunteers go into the final stretch preparing for the Newtown Youth Services 5K Road Race and Kid’s Run. The inaugural event is happening September 2 of Labor Day weekend, and it’s shaping up to rival our historical Labor Day parade with runners and supporters coming in from all over to help christen what may become Newtown’s official 5K. Anyone interested in participating as a runner, a walker, a vendor, sponsor, or volunteer needs to run, not walk to the NYS Road Race website at www.newtownroadrace.com, call 364-0201 or visit the organization’s office on Glen Road in Sandy Hook to be certain of getting in on all the action. The next general meeting of the Road Race committee is August 5 at Dickinson Park from 9 to 10 am, or if you want an insiders “training session,” show up at 8:15 for a run along the official course with Steve Meeker.

Speaking of friendly competition, the hard-working Charter Revision Commission seems to be locked in a contest to determine how much heat the panel can generate. It’s not that they are shining bright lights on anyone, or focusing intense criticism, just that the commission has been meeting in successively hotter quarters in Edmond Town Hall during recent weeks. From the oven-like conditions in the Mary Hawley Room a few weeks ago to the frying pan heat of the lower courtroom last week, this kitten is certainly glad — with record high temperatures scorching us this week — that the group has taken a much deserved week off. The Charter Commission will be back at work next Tuesday at 7 pm, however, with First Selectman Herb Rosenthal discussing the duties and responsibilities of his office and the board of selectmen.

It looks like Father Bob Weiss of St Rose Catholic Church will have to serve up his own cup of tea while the Sandy Hook Diner is on summer hiatus the next couple of weeks. A note on the diner’s white board this past weekend, though, noted that they have left daily breakfast regular Father Bob in charge of the keys. Breakfast, anyone?

Ginger and Joe Humeston were among the several guests at the home of Nancy and Ed Belanger in Sandy Hook for a special pizza party on July 21. Instead of Nancy and Ed sweating over a hot oven, though, they brought in The Big Green Pizza Truck, part of the Douglas Coffin catering company from New Haven. When the 1946 International Harvester truck pulls up at a party, it transforms into a prep area, a covered workspace, and a wood-fired pizza oven. Ginger reports that the personal pizzas, prepared in front of all of the guests, are fabulous, as are the cappuccinos, espressos, and gelatos the traveling pizzeria provides, as well.

Summer might be sliding into the dog days, but there are still plenty of things to look forward to, including the 45th annual Labor Day Parade on September 4. Check out their website, newtownlabordayparade.org, for information and history about this highly anticipated event, as well as to get the details on how to be a part of this year’s parade. If dog days have left you gripped in a stupor and you have forgotten to mail in your donation to support the parade, a coupon and address to do so can be found at the website with very little effort on your part.

The slow, smooth moves senior citizens in Newtown are practicing are not related to the hot, humid weather. The 1 pm Tai Chi and Chi Kung class taught at the Senior Center on Riverside Road by Steve Kurimai is so popular that a 2:15 class has been added every Tuesday to accommodate the more than 60 seniors who have shown up to practice the art of gentle movement. That’s the word from Senior Center assistant to the director, Gale Whitford, who has a ringside seat to all of the goings on at the center.

He put in time serving as Newtown’s top elected official, but today, former first selectman Robert Cascella is serving his new hometown of Ridgefield. The man who just last week was written up in The Bee as the listing commercial real estate agent overseeing the sale of The Fireside Inn catering hall, was recently appointed to Ridgefield’s newly-created Economic Development Commission. Mr Cascella will serve alongside Paul Levine, who was the first deputy administrator for economic development under New York City Mayor John Lindsay. Fans of America’s team may know Mr Levine as the person heading up the historic renovation and expansion of Yankee Stadium in the early 1970s. Here’s to Mr Cascella and company hitting a few economic grand slams for Ridgefield in the coming years!

While I was in the town clerk’s office in Edmond Town Hall, I caught sight of a striking elegant flowering plant now on display on the main counter there known as a peace lily. It’s quite the conversation piece, no pun intended. The sleek, linear tropical flowering plant, also known as spathiphyllum floribundum, adapts well to low-light conditions and exhibits glossy deep green leaves and brilliant white blossoms. It thrives in the deep shade found in jungles.

On visiting with Police Chief Mike Kehoe this week I was surprised to see the chief in a bright red sports shirt. I thought perhaps he was working undercover and did not want to draw attention to himself. He explained, in fact, that these 100-degree days we’ve been having are the reason he opted for casual clothes.

You know? He’s right. I’ve got to go do something about this black fur coat. But I’ll be back next week, so be sure to…

Read me again.