With the Presidential campaign working itself into a frenzy these last few days, most of us won’t be able to wait until Halloween to go out and howl at the moon. It’s even making cats barking mad.

I used to love Halloween because, as a black cat, it was a season when I was truly appreciated. But frankly black cats aren’t all that scary anymore, what with all the politicians running around. I think even the witches are getting depressed. I spotted this poor witch in front of the Century 21 offices on South Main Street.

The sign above the witch says, “This is what happens when you fly and drink.” It’s a sobering thought.

Maureen Berk’s faith in her fellow man was tested and reaffirmed this week. Mrs Berk said she left her purse in her unlocked car in the driveway at a friend’s house, and when she returned all the money she had in it — $9 plus an envelope with $300 for her son’s tuition at daycare — was missing. “I’ve been going thorough some tough times lately and it might as well have been a million dollars,” she said. “But something happened later that was incredible — something that showed how people really care about each other in this town.”

Ms Berk reported the theft to the police, then dropped another son off at the middle school, where she mentioned the theft to one of the staff members. The news apparently spread quickly, because two hours later she got a phone call at home, telling her that there was something waiting for her at the middle school. When she went back to the school, there was an envelope with her name on it and $300 inside.

“Before the phone call, I had already told myself that it was my fault, it was only money, and we would get through this,” she said. “I still have a job and four wonderful kids. But we are especially lucky. We have been blessed so often by having so many caring people in this area. I just want to say thank you to all of them.”

Last Saturday, October 23, members of the Newtown High School Class of 1964 gathered for a 40th-year reunion at The Inn at Newtown on Main Street. Among the many former class members who attended were First Selectman Herbert “Herb” Rosenthal, and Police Commission members Richard “Fuzzy” Simon, and Robert Connor, Jr. Back in those days, Earl Smith was the class adviser for the Class of 1964. Those present reminisced, recalling that when the class held its school government day 40 years ago, Herb Rosenthal was “elected” as the group’s first selectman.

You never know who you’re going to bump into when you’re shopping for a bridal gown. Melanie Mattegat, the owner of Julie Allen Bridals, was in New York City earlier this month and she bumped into a few Apprentice contestants. Melanie was in the city for Bridal Market, along with her daughters Lauren and Jacey, plus Jessica Durno, who works at the Newtown bridal boutique. They were at the Waldorf-Astoria, visiting dress designer Matthew Christopher, when they met Sandy and Ivana, both of whom were picked to be on the second season of Donald Trump’s show The Apprentice. Sandy, a wedding and event planner, was helping Ivana — who is engaged to be married to her fiancé, back in Boston — pick her wedding dress.

Records show that here in Newtown we usually have our first killing frost (the one that blasts the impatiens plants into oblivion) between October 22 and 25, and the average first light frost date in Hartford is October 10. Well, we’re feeling a bit smug these days because here it is nearly Halloween, and we’ve still got sunflowers and chrysanthemums blooming. No hard freeze yet to ice over the birdbath.

Speaking of seasons being all out of kilter, what can you say about Christmas cactuses that bloom before Halloween? Bee reporters Jan Howard and Larissa Lytwyn both have Christmas cactuses on their desks with more pink blossoms than you can count coming out each day. Could this early and untimely bloom have something to do with the semitropical microclimate in that corner of the editorial department, where Jan and Larissa maintain dualing space heaters permanently set on “High”? We suspect it might be so, because a friend who keeps his cactus in an unheated bedroom upstairs reports no sign of any buds yet.

Now that it’s gotten colder, a mouse — not the computer variety, but a rodentine type — has found its way into the town clerk’s office at Edmond Town Hall. While people are away at night, the little intruder finds its way into any stores of goodies on hand and feasts on them. I think they need an office cat.

Maybe I’ll stop by on election night to see if I can solve their mouse problem. Wish me luck, and, of course…

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