It was awfully quiet around town this week. Amazing what happens — or doesn’t — when the schools are closed. With all of the town offices, post offices, and the library on sabbatical on Monday to honor Presidents’ Day, as well, traffic moved so smoothly around the flagpole you would never know what a nightmare that intersection can be.

Poking around, I discovered that several of our lesser feted presidents had nicknames, particularly those of the 19th Century. Martin Van Buren, president from 1837 to 1841, was known as “The Little Magician,” a nickname he picked up as a senator. Apparently he was able to work the spoils system of the time with the skills of a wizard, and the name stuck with him right through his presidency.

“Young Hickory” was the moniker given to the president from 1845 to 1849, James Knox Polk. He was a big follower of Andrew Jackson, known as “Old Hickory,” whose attitudes — as tough as hickory wood — as a military commander and politician earned him the nickname.

William Henry Harrison, who died in office in 1841, was known as “Tippecanoe” following his fame as the leader of the American forces against the American Indians in the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe. His brief presidency was followed by that of “His Accidency,” John Tyler, whose nickname is self explanatory.

Another “Hickory” was Franklin Pierce, who held office between 1853 and 1857. The president from the Granite State, New Hampshire, became known in newspapers as the “Young Hickory of the Granite Hills.”

From 1881 to 1885, the country was governed by “The Gentleman Boss” Chester Alan Arthur, who stepped into the presidency upon the assassination of President Garfield. His nickname derived from his well-known love of fashionable clothing and furnishings, to the point that he redecorated the White House while in office.

I wonder if we will come up with any clever handle for George W. Bush when his day in office is done?

Much more interesting to me is the list of purr-fect kitties that have occupied the White House. The Lincolns’ cat, Tabby, was the first feline to live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, followed by President Hayes’ kitty, Siam. Theodore Roosevelt had Slippers and Tom Quartz in residence at the White House, while Coolidge owned Smokey, Timmy, Blackie, and Tiger, the latter frequently draped around his neck. Jack Kennedy’s cat, Tom Kitten, got his obituary printed in the paper when he died in 1962 (but not his own newspaper column, I have to mention). Shan was President Ford’s White House cat and Misty Malarky Ying Yang belonged to the Carter family. Cleo and Sara were among several cats that resided with the Reagans, and who could forget Socks, owned by the Clintons? Last but not least, Ernie and India “Willie” Bush have taken up the post at the White House with the George W. Bush family. It appears that not only will every dog have his day, but every cat, as well.

I hear that C.H. Booth librarian Jae Douglas is posting poetry in the second and third floor restrooms. Her first selections will focus on happiness, which I guess is as good a thing to ponder as any while in the potty. The poetry will feature original works from local poets as well as classic pieces, I’m told, so there should be something for everyone. I hope this doesn’t mean long lines while the occupant lingers over literature….

I’m hoping the poems will be shorter than The Charge of the Light Brigade. Anyone who went to school in the first half of the 20th Century probably had to memorize, or at least read, the epic poem by Lord Alfred Tennyson. But who ever gave much thought to it beyond that? So what a surprise when Dan Cruson, our town historian, stopped by The Bee and dropped this new bit of historical news with us: It seems that the last survivor of the Charge of the Light Brigade, that doomed British cavalry charge during the 1853-1854 Crimean War memorialized in Tennyson’s words, lived in Newtown. Thomas Kenzie somehow made his way across the ocean following the war and ended up in our own quiet village. Who knew?

 Have you heard about fair trade? As one local merchant explained, fairly traded goods form a complete circle of business from the consumer to the merchant to the artist, farmer, or craftsman supplying the goods. After overhearing that coffee and chocolate were part of a fair trade market, I felt a little catty and needed to know what was in this for me. Adjusting these paws to the computer keys wasn’t easy, but I was able to hunt down some treats, biscuits, toys, grooming gifts, and other items for pampering your pets with products “changing the world one purchase at a time,” according to Taraluna.com, which touts gifts for the “eco-conscious” shopper.

Now, back to me — these winter months are tough without toys to get me through to spring when the birds and mice really get moving. I think I’ll order a Hemp Catnip mouse with a tail. Shop wisely, and remember next week to… Read me again.