Election news roused me from a catnap around 9 pm Tuesday. If you heard the rumble, too, it was the sound of shifting political winds in Newtown. Although I may grumble if you try to change things around me like where my favorite pillow sits, or the spot where I look for my dinner bowl, I have to admit that the curiosity in me is ready to see what Newtown’s boards and commissions are about with a host of new faces following Tuesday’s elections. Before welcoming newcomers to public service, I first want to thank those who may have lost a race for reelection for the time they have spent holding the town’s welfare in their hands.

Few realize that as they settle in for their favorite TV shows, or at last get to the waiting laundry pile, residents sitting on the Board of Selectman, Board of Education, or Planning and Zoning Commission, for example, have just left home to spend a few hours discussing budgets, classroom space, building lots, or development options for a vacant store front. Sometimes members of the public will attend, waiting to voice a complaint or ask a question. Most often, however, the members hash out issues with their best efforts and intentions. These volunteers field criticism and complaint, are often scrutinized, and rarely thanked, but our town moves ahead, school budgets pass, development projects crawl ahead, the streets are plowed, and the years pass. I’ll remain here at my favorite sunny spot by the window and nod my thanks to those leaving office, while welcoming new faces to town offices.

There is other news at town offices though, beyond the elections. Town Conservation Official Rob Sibley and his wife Barbara, of Sandy Hook, are the proud parents of twin boys born October 25 in Bridgeport Hospital. The new arrivals are Stephen William Sibley and Brian Peter Sibley. Stephen was born 20 minutes before Brian, so he will always have bragging rights as to being the older brother. Stephen and Brian join brother Daniel James Sibley, who is 3½ years old. The one thing the conservationist is not conserving since the twins’ arrival is sleep, Rob said. Congratulations to the whole family.

I have my own bragging rights — to sharp eyesight in the dark, and with the time change this past weekend, that has come in pretty handy in the evening. I have noticed that the early dusk has not dissuaded many people from their postwork walks along the sides of the road, so I hope drivers are being extra cautious. Lots of wildlife are lurking at the darkened roadsides as well, and from the sad array at the sides of the road in the morning, nighttime road crossings are not always successful. I would hate to think a speeding car is going to ruin someone’s evening.

Dog owners know that Airedales are a barrel of fun; so seven-plus Airedales must be a whole Hummer of fun. At least seven Airedales and their owners took part in the MetroNewYork Airedale Club walk and luncheon this past Sunday on the Greenleaf Farms property where Airedale owner Shelby McChord lives. Shelby is always happy to host the gregarious group, and with the area having dodged a nor’easter on Saturday, it was nice to have a dry, crisp day for canines and pals to enjoy the great outdoors.

And outdoors was where one Girl Scout troop was on their day off from school on Tuesday. Enterprising Girl Scouts set up a cookie sales table outside the Newtown Middle School gymnasium and enjoyed a brisk business from the many townspeople stopping in to cast their votes at the town election. Door to door sales for Girl Scout Cookies won’t start until January, so I stocked up on enough Tag-A-Longs and Trefoils to get me through the early days of winter.

One of the early winter events that Newtowners look forward to each year is the Annual Tree Lighting in Ram Pasture. That reminds me: don’t plan your tree lighting party for the first weekend in December this year. Because the annual Ram Pasture event always piggybacks with the NYFS Holiday Festival weekend, this year’s tree lighting will be Friday, November 30.

A little bird — or was it a bee? — told me that November 15 is the day to wear purple, even if it is just a purple ribbon or necktie. November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and November 15 has been designated by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network as a day to commemorate the more than 37,000 Americans who will be diagnosed this year with pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the US, yet it gets the least amount of federal research dollars of all of the cancers. For more information or to donate, visit pancan.org.

Veterans’ Day is this Sunday, and although many of us are thinking about Vietnam or World War II, we should remember that our town flag at the top of Church Hill Road was again at half-staff recently for a Connecticut soldier who was killed in the ongoing war overseas. Each time a state soldier falls in the line of duty, the flag is dropped and does not return to the top of the staff until he or she has been interred. Many of us will express appreciation on Sunday for a father, grandfather, sibling or spouse who has served in this country’s military, but others will nod to a son or daughter either currently overseas or who has returned from active duty. Take a patriotic moment on Sunday, November 11, at 11 am, and remember the men and women who have literally stood in the line of fire for the United States.

When the dust has settled from the elections and thoughts turn to upcoming holidays, I hope you will remember next week to… Read me again.