For the first time last Sunday at Fairfield Hills, it finally felt like Newtown residents owned the place.

After a rainout Saturday, every flea market fancier in town ventured forth on a sunny, dry Sunday to stroll the sidewalks that rim the old hospital campus off Wasserman Way that the town has recently purchased from the state. They chatted with friends beneath the big maple trees planted some 80 years ago, and took their time looking at all the attic treasures on display at the Congregational Church sponsored event.

Rescued greyhounds added variety to the scene as their handlers demonstrated how well they could behave in a crowd. But not everyone was drawn to the giant garage sale atmosphere near the Fairfield Hills entrance. Sandy Hook resident Steve Nichols preferred to head for the High Meadow and escape the crowd. While his wife shopped, he “walked” his 5-month-old son (asleep in his arms) up the paved road at the end of the cul-de-sac off Mile Hill Road, and followed the loop around the reservoir. Then the two of them returned by way of the old access road leading down through the woods behind Litchfield House. “I never knew all this was here even though we’ve lived in town four years,” Mr Nichols said of the northern hilltop that has become a favorite destination for dog walkers and picnickers. Meanwhile the baby slept on, oblivious of it all.

The Bee’s King and Queen Dog Contest has brought scores of “voters” to the office casting thousands of 25-cent votes for their favorite hounds, raising more than $9,000 so far for the four beneficiaries of the event: Spay and Neuter Association of Newtown; Canine Advocates of Newtown, The Newtown Fund, and the Newtown Tercentennial Commission. That’s more than 36,000 votes, which are more votes than Newtown will cast in this year’s Presidential election.

I, for one, will be glad when all this dog adulation comes to an end on Labor Day, when the newly crowned King and Queen will present themselves to the community. And I don’t believe I am alone in this sentiment.

My good friend Scooter Jones, the loyal yet sometimes indifferent cat of Lorrie Jones, has taken all the canine kerfuffle in stride — or should I say lying down. Scooter was paging his way through The Bee, as he always does in his weekly quest to read my column, when he came upon the dog contest section, which he found so stultifying that he nodded off right on the spot, waking only when he heard the dinner bell several hours later.

Clark Kathan, who operates Edmond Town Hall for its board of managers, is getting ready for some big changes at the local seat of government. Work crews will soon report to the site to build a new elevator on the north side of the building to replace an antiquated elevator inside the structure. Portable chain-link fencing has been set up around the work site to isolate it. Also, an elaborate new temporary wooden handicapped-access ramp has been constructed in front of the building. That ramp and balustrade has more lumber in it than some homes.

Now that Steve Driver has retired as the town’s conservation official, the land use department at Canaan House at Fairfield Hills just isn’t the same anymore. Before too long, however, someone else will take Steve’s old post, ensuring that local wetlands and watercourses are in proper working order.

Town police had their new radar speed trailer in place on the east side of Main Street, across from Edmond Town Hall, on Wednesday. When driving by, you just can’t miss those foot-high brightly lit numerals that compare your speed to the posted speed limit. The speed limit there is 30 miles per hour. The placement of the radar device presented the proprietors of The General Store with a perfect opportunity to quantify the potency of their coffee by measuring the difference between the speed at which their patrons drove in for their morning cup of joe and the speed at which they departed after their first big gulp. Perhaps they could market their large-size coffee as “The Accelerator.”

Well, it’s time for me to accelerate on out of here, but I’ll be back again next week, so be sure to…

Read me again.