The political season blew into town this week with both Democrats and Republicans conducting caucuses and generally carrying on in the way only politicians can. And while they were sizing each other up for the great biennial contest at the local polls, along comes a new kid on the block demanding a spot on the playing field. Even though he doesn’t have a lot of nice things to say about the status quo in Newtown, Barry Piesner announced this week that his new party would be called the NICE Party.

Members of the press were forced to sweat it out Wednesday morning outside Hot Shots Restaurant as they awaited a press conference put on by Barry, who was there to unveil the formation of the NICE Party. On what was one of the hottest days of the summer, a group of about 10 people sat in the heat as the doors were locked. Mr Piesner finally opened the doors 15 minutes after the event was to begin.

“I didn’t know you guys were out here,” he said. “I was wondering where everyone was.”

Newtown native Jim Shpunt was among the Democratic nominees for the Legislative Council and Tuesday he joked that while he has dozens of family members in Newtown, few of them actually live in District 3. Too bad, his daughter, Jessica, noted; otherwise, he’d be a shoe-in. No doubt, they’d all vote for Jim if they had the chance.

Republican Selectman Bill Brimmer was looking especially dapper Monday night at the GOP caucus. His new haircut was quite striking, especially being so short.

“I told the barber to take a little off the top. He sure did,” Bill joked.

At Monday’s caucus, former selectman Mike Snyder took a moment to speak out in support of Mr Brimmer, a two-year minority member of the Board of Selectmen.

“Bill does a great job and having been in the minority [on the Board of Selectmen] for eight years, I think he ought to serve another six.”

Amy Dent will not be running for the Legislative Council this year… She’ll be walking. Amy showed up at Tuesday’s Democratic caucus in a cast after tearing the ligaments in her ankle playing tennis last week at Treadwell Park.

Speaking of tennis, Kathy Favreau of the town’s finance department is suffering from tennis elbow. Only problem is, she doesn’t play tennis.

The Newtown Bee finally got its Bomanite sidewalks put down this week after a three-week delay. But just as the job was completed someone unknowingly walked through the wet cement, leaving some rather large footprints in his wake. I was so glad, when I saw the boss’ reaction, that they weren’t cat paw prints.

Hawleyville Post Master Mark Favale is sporting quite a shiner under his left eye this week after being hit with the ball during a softball game in Danbury this past weekend. Mark was pitching when the ball was hit right back up the box, catching Mark in the noggin. Without flinching, Mark picked up the ball and tossed the runner out at first. His eye still throbbing, Mark stayed in the game and led his Brookfield team to victory.

No, this is not a photo of Jeff Gordon. It’s Jennifer Brokaw. Jennifer raced a stock car on the Devil’s Bowl track in West Haven, Vt. She did so well the first time she raced, placing second overall, that she has gone back two more times. During one of the races, Jennifer spun out on the track, but finished the race back in the pack. When she is not racing, Jennifer is a captain operating a Navy ship in the Caribbean. Who knows, Jennifer may be steering her life in a different direction, hitting the stock car circuit.

Susan and Mark Dennen were determined to attend the wedding of Carrie Valenta and Tim McMahon in Aspen, Colorado, last weekend. Susan, vacationing on Cape Cod, needed to get to Boston’s Logan Airport, so she took a commuter plane that was so small the pilot weighed each passenger and the luggage, too. From Logan, Susan took a plane to Minneapolis, where she met up with Mark, who had flown from California, where he was on a business trip. They flew the last leg to Aspen together, arriving just in time for the rehearsal dinner.

The town health department’s new office suite is quite impressive. Compared to the quarters which the department formerly occupied just across the corridor, the new facilities are worlds away. Mark Cooper, the town health director, this week provided a guided tour of the office suite, which formerly was unoccupied space in Canaan House at Fairfield Hills. The new quarters provide plenty of room for the health department now and in the future.

Town police have just received several brand new 2001 Ford Crown Victoria police interceptor sedans for patrol use. The vehicles have yet to be equipped with police gear and striped and lettered with police insignias. When they are, police will be cruising local roads in sleek new machines. Although the new cars are blue, like the previous cars, they are somewhat bluer. The new vehicles are midnight blue and appear black from a distance.

In ceremonies Tuesday at Town Hall South, Town Clerk Cynthia Curtis Simon gave the oath of office to new police officer Andrew Stinson, 25, of Danbury. After several months of training at the municipal police academy, Stinson will return to Newtown for patrol duties. Stinson is the brother-in-law of Phil Hynes, a longtime member of the town’s police patrol unit.

Jason Benson, who rode in the 2001 Northeast AIDSRide that made its way through Newtown last Thursday, finished the 350-mile ride successfully. He says he doesn’t have any problems walking, but boy if I had to pedal there could be an issue of walking after the four-day trek. The event raised $6 million to help organizations that provide services to HIV and AIDS patients. There are rides across the United States. All the riders seemed to be impressed with Newtown, even after climbing Mount Pleasant Road on bikes.

Two softball teams, Emmett & Glander and Bresnahan Wagner Painting, played against each other this week at Dickinson Town Park. Complaining that she hasn’t been hitting the ball very well, Emmett & Glander’s player, Joanne Cullinan, started a rally of homeruns during the sixth inning of the game. Joanne sent the ball into left center field far enough for her to round the bases in one lap, touching home plate for a homerun. Next up to the plate, Paula Newbury, impressed by Joanne’s play, decided to hit her own homerun, banging the ball into left field. Not to be outdone, Natalia Kerler, up next to the plate, followed Newbury with a shot to center field that seemed to land on Deep Brook Road, but actually stayed in the park for an easy homerun trot around the bases. All three players were looking for the oxygen tank on the bench, but settled for water instead.

That’s enough to make me want to sit down for a rest. But I’ll be back next week, so be sure to…

Read me again.