It used to be that the spooky things around Halloween time were black cats like me. But no more.

All of us have been a little on edge lately, with the world spinning as fast as it is. A hiker marking a trail with flour draws a full response from emergency crews and even an FBI agent, who are pretty touch about powdery substances these days.

A Newtown couple I know woke up at 4 am Monday morning to discover that their power was out. Immediately they feared the worst. They wondered if some sort of terrorist attack had knocked out the electricity along the entire eastern seaboard. What a mess that would be, they thought. No TV, no radio, no computers…. Fortunately, they soon learned the power outage was caused by faulty wires and power was quickly restored.

It’s a good thing we’ve got an election going this year to provide a little relief from all the tension. Republican first selectman candidate Owen Carney has been seen campaigning on Saturday mornings at the landfill. Owen said the cool breeze of October sure beats the swarming bees of this past summer.

Speaking of Owen, he and incumbent First Selectman Herb Rosenthal will be going head-to-head next Monday night at the annual Pizza & Politics at the Fireside Inn. That morning, the two candidates will be stopping by The Bee for a Q&A session. The meeting of the two should provide them with a little practice sparing before the big event at the Fireside.

Dot and Duane Baumert are hosting an exchange student at their home this year. His name is Durucan Baltas and he hails from Turkey. He is a member of the NHS boys’ soccer team this fall. I remember way back when the Baumerts hosted Faari, the exchange student also from Turkey. He played basketball for Newtown back in 1981.

Speaking of basketball, I spoke to NHS boys’ basketball coach John Quinn this week. He sounds excited about the winter season rapidly approaching. John can only hope that junior Mike Troy can score baskets at the rate he’s been scoring goals for the boys’ soccer team lately. In just 11 games this season, Mike has already broken the school’s single-season goal scoring mark. With at least eight games still to be played, Mike has 30 goals.

Our best wishes go out to Dan O’Handley, who has spent much of this week in bed with a case of Lyme Disease.

Josephine Watkins stopped by The Bee to sign up to use the bocce court at The Pleasance and was happy to take a flag poster as well. She confided, however, that she has been flying an American flag on her automobile for years. She does it to be patriotic, of course, but it also helps her find her car in the parking lot. Now that so many cars are flying flags, she is back to searching.

Dave and Maryellen Harris went fishing on Taunton Pond last weekend, and Maryellen came away with bragging rights, three trout to one.

David Merrill celebrated his 66th birthday on October 18 after finishing work on the flag that he was commissioned to paint on trees on Howard Lasher’s property on Route 302. David’s wife, Beryl, took the day off from her job in the tax collector’s office as well so that she and David could enjoy the day together.

 Contrary to what was written in the October issue of Fairfield County Magazine, Sandy Hook’s Suzuki Talent Education School has not gone out of business. Readers familiar with the Church Hill Road school may have had a bit of a scare while reading Michael Jessee’s article called “Mini Maestros,” which concerns Suzuki Music School of Westport. The article made the startling statement that the Westport school is “the only one of its kind in Fairfield County.” Helen Malyszka, who co-directs the Sandy Hook school with Andrew Lafreniere, stopped in the office this week to assure us she and the school are indeed up and running. The school’s student roster, in fact, is completely full right now; prospective students are being put on waiting lists.

Castle Hill Farm on Sugar Lane in Newtown was packed with patrons Saturday who took the hayride to the corn maze. One little boy wasn’t shy about telling the next group that it was a great ride. If you head out to the corn maze make sure you are up on your cow facts or you might be lost in the maze for a while.

Nate Downes was selling The Newtown Bee last week outside the office on Church Hill Road when he had an unexpected visitor – a bee. The insect wasn’t so nice either. It had a message it wanted passed along to publisher Scudder Smith so it gave Nate a little zap. Nate wants to keep his job, so he only paraphrased the message in relaying it to the boss.

I want to keep my job too, so I better wrap this up so I meet my deadline. But I’ll be back next week, so…

Read me again.