Halloween always brings out a special kind of lunacy in people, but this year was extra loony in that for the first time in 46 years the full moon fell on All Hallows Eve. Too bad it was cloudy. As a black cat, I always thought I look my best when silhouetted by the full moon. The next Halloween with a full moon won’t be until 2020, at which time I expect I will be more of a gray cat than a black cat.

The full moon on the 31st was also a Blue Moon, which is to say the second full moon of the month. That only happens… well, once in a blue moon.

Flags are everywhere, and there will be more of them if the members of the Newtown Junior Woman’s Club have their way. The Juniors are holding a flag sale from 10 am to noon at the Newtown Middle School on election day. The minimum donation for a flag is $1, and all proceeds will benefit the World Trade Center victims’ fund.

Artist David Merrill says that several days after he finished painting the American flag across six trees on Howard Lasher’s property, Howard told him an interesting story. A car drove onto the property and a couple got out. The man explained to Howard that he wanted to take a photo of his girlfriend in front of the trees. After Howard agreed, the man took the photo, then quickly brought out a ring and proposed. The young woman accepted. 

The students at Children’s Adventure Center took a trip to Shortt’s Farm last week. Representative Julia Wasserman joined some of the students on a hayride. She instinctively pulled some of the hay from one of the bails and began smelling it. “Good hay,” she opined.

Mae Schmidle also took the hayride with the students. She was decked out in her usual red. When she got back she boasted about all the exercise she got going up and down the steps, all three of them, to get on the wagon. She said that was all the exercise she would be doing for the year.

Sam and Shathy Chowdhury are pleased to report that they raised $3,000 for the World Trade Center victims at their fundraising dinners at Mona Lisa and Sunderban restaurants last week. The wait staff donated $450 in tips and Sam and Shathy contributed 50 percent of the dinner proceeds. One group couldn’t make it on the fundraising night, so they asked Sam to let them come on another night, and still be counted as part of the fundraiser, and he did.

The office of Dr Scott Bialik is collecting towels, washcloths, and nonperishable food items for a Newtown family of a five-year-old girl with a rare brain disorder who needs around-the-clock care at home. Donations will be accepted through November 9 at Dr Bialik’s office, 246 Federal Road, Suite D-13, in Brookfield.

I hear there was a faint smell of smoke in the air down at Canaan House last week. Upon closer inspection, Fire Marshal Bill Halstead discovered a faulty computer monitor in, of all places, the fire marshal’s office. The smoking monitor belonged to Nancy Kokowski.

The big crowd at Tuesday’s boys’ NHS soccer game at Blue & Gold Stadium got a real treat when the game went into overtime. Unfortunately for the spectators, both the men’s and women’s bathroom were out of order.

Bill Sheluck was spotted down at Madison Square Garden Tuesday night, where the bathrooms are almost always in working order. He was there to watch the Knicks play the Wizards in Michael Jordan’s return to the NBA. Bill and his family have season tickets, but he says the seats are not close to Spike Lee, who is often seen whooping it up with players from his courtside seats. Still, Mr Sheluck, who chaired the now-disbanded Charter Revision Commission, says residents should “do the right thing” and vote in favor of the proposed changes to the town government next Tuesday.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal showed off his Boy Scouting skills last week as he hoisted the United Nations flag to the top of the Edmond Town Hall flagpole.

Bow, one of The Bee’s official Golden retriever greeters, turned six years old this week.

October 27 is a popular day (or maybe January 27) in the Riebe family. William Riebe, Sr, was born October 27, 1940, and his first grandson, Jack Riebe, was born to proud parents Mark and Lisa Riebe on that same day in 1999. Then, on Saturday, October 27, 2001, Mark and Lisa welcomed their second child, Emma Elizabeth, into the world.

Don’t forget to vote on Tuesday, November 6. Flying the flag is one thing, but voting is the real sign of a patriot. And don’t forget to root for the Yankees – even you Red Sox fans. This year it wouldn’t hurt to show a little solidarity with New Yorkers. Oh yeah, and don’t forget to…

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