Date: Fri 03-Nov-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

Mountain-election-Halloween

Full Text:

Mountain for 11/3

You've gotta love our democratic society, where everybody gets to have a say

in who's running the show. If the show is good, then you keep the act. If the

show's no good - give 'em the hook.

I've got to say, however, that the election show this year wasn't exactly

exciting. Don't get me wrong, I don't like all the name-calling and

mud-slinging that voters get in other towns and in state and federal

elections. And I think virtually all the people running in Newtown this year

are pretty classy. It's just that there aren't any hotly contested issues

being batted around this year. Everyone agrees that Newtown's a pretty nice

town and it ought to stay that way, so the candidates have been debating

nuance, which doesn't generate a lot of fire-in-the-belly, stem-winding

speeches that keep crowds on the edge of their seats.

In fact, while we were reviewing pictures that were taken at this week's

Rotary candidates' debate, it was hard to find one that in which the

candidates didn't look bored or sleepy. Oh well, if we have to choose between

good government and exciting government, I'll vote for good government every

time.

Thank goodness we have Halloween as an exciting warm-up to the election. There

was a lot of Halloween spirit at Edmond Town Hall on Tuesday particularly in

the Tax Collector's Office where Beryl Merrill had donned a clown costume and

in the Board of Manager's Office where Edie Tschorn was a wonderfully

frightening skeleton. I'm not sure how many skeletons wear socks but Edie did

and hers had spiders crawling all over them! Edie, dispatcher Carol Mayhew,

Mike Zelnick and Edie's husband, Bob, provided donuts, cookies, candy, coffee

and tea upstairs behind the Alexandria Room for everyone who stopped by. Carol

supplied a witch decoration which could be considered quite authentic since it

came from Salem, Mass.

I was a bit disappointed to see so many kids wearing pre-fab costumes this

year. Do you remember the anxiety of wondering whether or not the tail (which

was quickly sewn on at the last minute) on the devil costume would hold

through the night? But the "thank yous" and other good manners of those coming

to the door more than made up for the lack of homemade creations this year.

I know Halloween is over, but fall decorations still abound. And I've gotten

it from a very reliable source that there is one house worth viewing on

Buttonball Drive. If you turn off Glen Road, it's five or six houses up on the

right. The porch is a showcase of mums, pumpkins, gourds and other harvest

items. I don't know who lives there, but if you find out - let me know.

Even though the seasons are changing quickly, there are some who are slow to

give up their warm weather habits. Harold Schwartz gets up very early Sunday

mornings and races over to the Heritage Golf Club to sign up for a tee time

for his foursome. Sooner or later, Ken Adams, Gene Rubino, and Russell

Strasburger show up and safety on the course becomes quite questionable. In

any case, Russell was on Cloud Nine recently when he hit his age after

eighteen holes. It is just too bad that there is such a spread between the two

numbers. Oh, by the way, Harold doesn't stop rushing around after eighteen

holes. He races off to his real estate office right after the game since he is

trying to sell more houses than his wife, Irene. I hear Harold has a lot of

catching up to do on that score.

Elmer and Ellie MacDonald of toy store fame returned home from Florida

recently, a flight that took three hours. That was not bad, but the drive to

Bethel for dinner at the Stony Hill Inn took another three hours what with the

weather.

And I must mention that Ginny Lathrop and her crew dine weekly at Stony Hill,

and recently she was seen kicking up her heels to the piano music in the

lounge. When she hit eighty, I thought that gal might slow down, but she's

showing no signs of it.

I think I will go to Hawley School between noon and 2 pm Monday, November 6,

and paw children's book illustrator Paul Meisel to sign a book for me. I think

I will also look for some Cat In The Hat books at the Hawley book fair going

on then too.

I overheard something... well, mouthwatering while I was enjoying a smackerel

at My Place Restaurant this week. Chef Paul Gallo will actually create a

"birthday pizza" on request. Using pepperoni, peppers, onions, sausage,

olives, or other toppings, he will "write" out "Happy Birthday" plus a name.

For the holidays, he said he can take toppings (red and green ones are

favorites, of course) and decorate a pizza with a Christmas tree. If you ask,

I'd bet he'd even add a few "ornaments." But just in case there's a sudden

rush on personalized pizzas, be sure to call a day ahead if you want one on

Friday or Saturday night. Paul doesn't want to see anyone disappointed on that

special day.

I want to remind everyone to be careful now that Eastern Standard Time has

returned. It gets dark early, and it's hard to see black cats and other

innocent beings on the road. After all, I want to be sure you all get a chance

to...

Read me again.