Bits’n’Pieces

Welcome back to Bits’n’Pieces, a weekly look at some of the interesting, funny, comical and sometimes outright weird things that happen in and around Montgomery County. Have something you think should go into Bits? E-mail it to us at [email protected], won’t you please?

* * *

HAPPY EARLY Halloween! And please remember that the little ghouls and goblins will be out and about this weekend so please drive extra safely!

* * *

WE NEVER said the boss was the smartest guy in the world – and it’s a good thing or we’d be eating those words. Publisher Tim Timmons handles sending out the Online Edition bright and early at 4 a.m. each day. Maybe he was still half asleep, but one day last week he sent all our Montgomery County readers our daily newspaper over in Hamilton County, the Noblesville Times. After, oh, a few gazillion e-mails, he corrected the error and re-sent that day’s Paper of Montgomery County. Just for the record, we try to train him right, but sometimes he just zigs when he ought to zag.

* * *

ONE OF THE nicest comments out of that SNAFU came from longtime reader Janice Clauser who e-mailed that she thought seeing the Noblesville Times was interesting and forgave Timmons for being human. Mrs. Clauser, you are an absolute gem, and we appreciate people like you who are so kind and polite!  

* * *

SPEAKING OF Timmons, he wrote a column recently about Sheriff Ryan Needham and his plans to run for a second term. That brought a lot of reader reaction – and it was kind of odd. Normally, no matter what we write, we get good and bad comments. We could say the sky is blue and bears do their business in the woods and someone or someones would take exception. But every bit of feedback that came in on Sheriff Needham was about what a good job he’s doing. That kind of says

something, don’t you think.

* * *

OR IN THE immortal words of Warren Peace . . . “Don’t you think, or don’t you?” (And you get two brownie points if you remember who Warren Peace is and – here’s a hint – what radio show he came from.

* * *

ADVERTISING really is important, and pardon us for an unadulterated commercial, but we kindly ask that you not only patronize the businesses you see on our pages, but ask those you don’t see to advertise here as well. We are the only media that is locally owned and that means all our money stays right here instead of being sent out of state. That means something in today’s world. We appreciate your consideration!

* * *

HAVE YOU noticed how many businesses are having to change things because they can’t find employees? From restaurants to retail stores and more, it’s becoming more and more of a problem. For those of us of a certain age, we can remember a time when the norm in this country was that someone would dig ditches if they had to in order to get by. Boy have we come a long way from that!

* * *

DID YOU HEAR last week that Bill Nelson, the head guy over at NASA, said that those UFO videos from Navy pilots might well be extraterrestrials?  “I’ve talked to those pilots,” he said in a published report. “And they know they saw something, and their radars locked onto it, and then all of a sudden it was here,” as he looked down, “on the surface and then it’s there,” as he pointed up. “And they don’t know what it is, and we don’t know what it is.”

The truth is out there . . . maybe.

* * *

WE FEEL sorry for the Lords of Kenyon College. That’s because they play host to the fightin’ Little Giants of Wabash football fame Saturday – and after losing two straight we figure the men of Wabash are primed and ready to take out their frustrations on somebody. Since Kenyon has only won two games this year, it seems likely they fit the bill.

* * *

SPEAKING OF sports . . . let’s hear it for our two county schools, North and South! Both won their first-round sectional games on the gridiron last week and face semifinal contests. North plays Brebeuf in Sectional 28 and South meets Lafayette Central Catholic is Sectional 37. No offense to the Vatican, but we’re definitely not rooting for the parochial schools this week!

* * *

SADLY, THE season for the CHS Athenians came to a close when they fell to powerful Western Boone. That marks the 14^th consecutive year of losing seasons for the once-proud program. We know there are good coaches and kids involved so we are rooting for a turnaround soon!

* * *

IS IT JUST us or do more people seem to be running red lights and stop signs?

* * *

THANK YOU kindly to the self-described voracious newspaper reader who told us last week that Bits’n’Pieces is far better than the “Let it Out” section of the Indianapolis Star. We are humbled.

* * *

WE TALKED last week about potential adjectives in describing Montgomery County, and one of the options we mentioned was “courteous and countrified Montgomery County.” That prompted a long-time reader to e-mail with this: “Countrified? Maybe. But courteous? Apparently you don’t know the same people living here that I know.” Hmmmmm.

* * *

MUMOCO! Mask Up, Montgomery County!

* * *

VUMOCO! Vax Up Montgomery County!

* * *

WE keep reminding everyone that we live in a free country and everyone is free to make their own choices. The Paper is not at all in favor of government mandates forcing everyone to be vaccinated. But neither are we in favor of others continuing to infect the rest of the population. If you don’t want to get the vaccine, that’s fine. Just stay away from everyone else. Remember, all of our rights only go as far as the line where our neighbors’ rights start.

* * *

FOR OUR riddle this week we thought it was a perfect time to do a little trick or treating! How do you spell candy with only two letters?

* * *

BEEN TO any fall festivals yet? Here’s a reminder to send us any festivals or outings you or your group are involved in. We have already published a bunch of these wonderful fall events and will continue to share schedules and details as we get them. Heck, send us a selfie from any festivals you go to and we’ll put your smiling face in there, too. Just text it to [email protected]           

* * *

OK, CONTINUING the knock-knock jokes (and getting in the “spirit” of the season . . .

Knock knock.

Who’s there?

Ivan.

Ivan who?

Ivan to dress up like a vampire . . . and then Ivan to read The Paper of Montgomery County!

* * *

HERE’S A CHUCKLE that seems appropriate for the season – what do you call a ghost with a broken leg? A hobblin’ goblin.

* * *

HERE’S AN interesting and timely tidbit from one of our favorite publications (besides The Paper of Montgomery County, of course), the Farmer’s Almanac. Apparently candy corn, a Halloween staple, was invented in the 1880s and was soon picked up by a company under the name of Goelitz Confectionary Company. Those folks are still in business today, but under a different name – the Jelly Belly Candy Co. What is it Paul Harvey says? And now you know . . .

* * *

CONTINUING our official countdown . . .

Halloween – 4 days

Party Night – 31 days

First Day of winter – 55

Christmas – 59 days

First day of spring – 144 days

First day of summer – 237 days

* * *

A COUPLE of you asked where the picture came from of the two crying boys we had for the caption contest. That’s an easy one. Those are two of our own Tim Timmons’ grandsons and he took the picture when they were getting a little tired after a long day of swimming.

* * *

THE ANSWER to our riddle: C and Y!