.. We received a really nice note from Janet Fox Smith from Greendale, WI with her renewal for her Chronicle and also for her sister Julie Marnoha of Fort Myers, FL. They are daughters of the late Ken Fox, Dodgeville FFA instructor and good friend for many years while I was in school and before. Janet wrote: “I would like to let you know how much a Community Newspaper means to . those of us who have physically left that community, but still feel part of that community. Pat, yes – Community Newspapers still matter – even after we have left. We recognize the value of staying in tune with the community of our youth. I guess in many ways we never totally leave. The Opinion & Editorials help us get a feel for the thoughts of that community. Thank you Reilly Boys, for keeping the local news & opinions coming our way.’
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With Halloween being not too far down the road, first comes Dodgeville’s “Trunk or Treat” that is held at the Iowa County Courthouse Parking Lot (behind Chronicle office) on Saturday, October 24 from 1-3 p.m. It’s sponsored by In the Beginning Child Care & Learning Center of Dodgeville. There will be a lot of games for the kids and some costumes that are out of this world. Make sure you stop by and check it out!
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I have been frequenting Subway in Dodgeville, just north of the YZ 23 stoplight, a few times a week. When they did that intersection on the north side, they forgot about people turning into Subway. There is a turn right lane by Subway when coming from the north that people going east on YZ use and there is a turn north lane when coming from YZ. When there’s traffic in both spots, that leaves no room for a vehicle turning into Subway. Several times I have had to stop short of the turn-into Subway spot, leaving traffic behind me having to go around me or stopping in the middle of that YZ/23 intersection! Also, I have had vehicles coming from the north stop short of the Subway turn-in to let me turn into the business, but sometimes another vehicle behind them goes around them, almost causing an accident! There needs to be something done there!
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Since Halloween is on a Saturday (October 31) that means the almost every area will have Trick or Treating going on at pretty much the same time on the same day. It probably would be good to keep an eye out of the little ghosts and goblins running across streets in your area! Another thing happening that day is the WIAA State Cross Country Championships in Wisconsin Rapids. hopefully we have a good representation at that huge event!
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I had a chance to go to the retirement party for Mary Thomas at the Mineral Point Ben Franklin Store last week. Mary had been a Ben Franklin employee for 46 years. She started with Phil and Mary Bossert, who I remember well. I used to sell ads there and drop off newspapers on Wednesdays. She said that there was a nice young man dropping papers off recently until they closed. I told her that was my great-nephew Grant (Shelly’s son and Pat’s grandson). She was happy to hear that!
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Saturday morning was an adventure for the four of us – Bob, Terry, Potsie and me. Tom and Dave had commitments as did Royce, who is back on the circuit with us this next week. We headed out from the Chronicle at 7:15 to go to Mazomanie/Black Earth and Rookies. We got just outside of Arena and the fog was so bad you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. We were going to stop at Grandma Mary’s, but right there the sun came out and the fog lifted so we kept going. We got to Rookies and there were no cars anywhere. It was closed, with no sign anywhere saying why, just the hours of open at 7:00 a.m. on Saturdays. So we went back to Arena, but Grandma Mary’s is now “Arena Diner”. I think they have new owners. We looked over the menu and Terry started it by ordering “Monkey French Toast’ and Potsie and I followed suit. Bob ordered an omelette with American Fries and an English muffin. Oh, the Monkey French Toast had sliced bananas, nuetella, strawberry glaze, cream cheese and whipped cream – yum! Jenni was our waitress and kept Bob and me with coffee. The price was very reasonable too!
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My Special Day backs up one day from the normal Thursday to Wednesday. It is an unofficial holiday observed annually on October 21 called “Count Your Buttons Day”. It is a lighthearted, quirky occasion to inspect, count, and appreciate the small fasteners and decorative items on your clothes or in a button jar. The exact creator and founding year are unknown, making it a playful day to invent your own way to celebrate. Ways to celebrate include: Count Your Clothes: Literally count how many buttons you are wearing on your shirt, jacket, or pants. Check Your Wardrobe: Inspect garments for loose or missing threads, and sew on replacement buttons. Crafts & Collecting: Sort through a button jar, start a collection of vintage or material-specific buttons (such as shell, wood, or metal), or try a button-art project. Believe it or not, I have a button jar that my mother kept for sewing, but I’m probably
