The nice thing about Newtown’s festive Labor Day weekend celebrations is that everyone is invited, and in recent years everyone shows up, even the clouds and rain. While it was a little damp for last Monday’s parade, at least it was not coming down in buckets the way it did last year on Labor Day. Whether or not there’s weather or not, however, Newtown is the place to be on Labor Day.

The parade was everything anyone could want, except things might have been a little more exciting with Mike Fitzsimons flying overhead in a B-17. The flyover had been scheduled for the parade and was scrubbed because of the weather. The rain also kept Brendan Baker out of the sky in his powered parachute. Brendan had hoped to get some good photos of the parade from overhead for his website www.newtownfromtheair.com. Let’s hope for good weather next year.

It’s always dry over in Bridgeport Hall at Fairfield Hills for the Booth Library Labor Day Book Sale. Joanne Zang was asked which category she would choose if she were a first-time visitor to the Labor Day Book Sale she helped start 28 years ago. “I’d head straight for Mysteries,” Joanne replied. “And I’d go to the Ellis Peters section and see what was there. She wrote the Brother Cadfael mysteries. Ellis Peters actually had the nerve to die on me recently, so now I’m looking for new mystery writers. After that, I’d go to Science Fiction.”

The Sandy Hook Organic Farmers’ Market at St John’s Church, held every Tuesday morning, continues to delight those who appreciate the taste of homegrown vegetables and homemade yeast breads, muffins, and pastries. Market organizer Mary Fellows urges everyone to check out the latest attraction at Guy’s Eco-Garden –– homemade millet bread. Guy calls it his “favorite, a real man’s bread with a hearty, crunchy texture.” His wife, Pat Beardsley, who makes the millet loaves from an old family recipe, said she uses whole-wheat flour and lots of fresh millet seeds, “and it’s very popular.” We’ll know it’s a hit when the customers start chirping.

 I thought I was in the police station, but for a while there I thought I’d wandered into the Land’s End. The police department’s detective division has gotten some spiffy new garb for their police work. The division now has both navy blue and light gray sports shirts, which bear a police badge insignia and the words “detective division.” Detective Sergeant Robert Tvardzik sported the navy blue model this week and Detective Robert Koetsch was wearing the light gray version of the shirt.

The police department also has a new “speed trailer” for speed enforcement work. The five-foot-tall white steel box is stationed along roadsides. When motorists approach the device, it indicates their travel speed in tall white electronic numerals based on radar readings. It also indicates the posted speed limit for that given area. The device can be programmed to flash a warning beacon when a motorist is traveling well above the speed limit. When its work is done, police tow the speed trailer to the next spot where it’s needed.

 The only way Bee reporter Jan Howard can get in under the speed limit when passing the speed trailer is to pass it while it’s being towed. Maybe you’ve noticed Jan’s hot new electric blue Dodge Neon –– to most people it appears as a blue blur, except when it happens to be parked. Why, you might ask, does Jan walk slowly and drive fast? Obviously, she has heavy feet.

Lorinda Larson of Sandy Hook was the lucky winner of a Persian rug, valued at $2,000, during the open house and dedication ceremony of Kevin’s Community Center on August 9 at Canaan House on the Fairfield Hills campus. Hers was the last raffle ticket purchased, according to Sue Stockman of the center’s advisory board.

Speaking of Kevin’s Community Center, volunteers for various tasks are still needed to help out at the clinic. For more information about the clinic, which provides free primary care for Newtown’s uninsured and needy residents, write to Kevin’s Community Center, Inc, PO Box 0037, Newtown, CT 06470.

I noticed bit of beautification at the Eaton Centers shopping center this week. Someone has painted the large sheets of plywood in the former Grand Union storefront windows a nice autumnal shade of barn red. It’s small touch, but it sure improves the appearance of the area. It’s important for Newtown to make a good impression with its boarded up buildings.

I guess I’ve made enough of an impression for one week. But I’ll be back, so be sure to…

Read me again.