OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

Because the movie Halloween (1978) was on such a tight budget, they had to use the cheapest mask they could find for the character Michael Meyers, which turned out to be a William Shatner Star Trek mask. Shatner initially didn’t know the mask was in his likeness, but when he found out years later, he said he was honored.

The first Jack O’Lanterns were actually made from turnips.

Halloween is the second highest grossing commercial holiday after Christmas.

The word “witch” comes from the Old English wicce, meaning “wise woman.” In fact, wiccan were highly respected people at one time. According to popular belief, witches held one of their two main meetings, or sabbats, on Halloween night.

Fifty percent of kids prefer to receive chocolate candy for Halloween, compared with 24% who prefer non-chocolate candy and 10% who preferred gum.

The owl is a popular Halloween image. In Medieval Europe, owls were thought to be witches, and to hear an owl's call meant someone was about to die.

According to Irish legend, Jack O’Lanterns are named after a stingy man named Jack who, because he tricked the devil several times, was forbidden entrance into both heaven and hell. He was condemned to wander the Earth, waving his lantern to lead people away from their paths.

The largest pumpkin ever measured was grown by Norm Craven, who broke the world record in 1993 with a 836 lb. pumpkin.

Stephen Clarke holds the record for the world’s fastest pumpkin carving time: 24.03 seconds, smashing his previous record of 54.72 seconds. The rules of the competition state that the pumpkin must weigh less than 24 pounds and be carved in a traditional way, which requires at least eyes, nose, ears, and a mouth.

Trick-or-treating evolved from the ancient Celtic tradition of putting out treats and food to placate spirits who roamed the streets at Samhain, a sacred festival that marked the end of the Celtic calendar year.

The first known mention of trick-or-treating in print in North America occurred in 1927 in Blackie, Alberta, Canada.

“Halloween” is short for “Hallows’ Eve” or “Hallows’ Evening,” which was the evening before All Hallows’ (sanctified or holy) Day or Hallowmas on November 1. In an effort to convert pagans, the

Christian church decided that Hallowmas or All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2) should assimilate sacred pagan holidays that fell on or around October 31.

Black and orange are typically associated with Halloween. Orange is a symbol of strength and endurance and, along with brown and gold, stands for the harvest and autumn. Black is typically a symbol of death and darkness and acts as a reminder that Halloween once was a festival that marked the boundaries between life and death.

Ireland is typically believed to be the birthplace of Halloween.

Scarecrows, a popular Halloween fixture, symbolize the ancient agricultural roots of the holiday.

Scottish girls believed they could see images of their future husband if they hung wet sheets in front of the fire on Halloween. Other girls believed they would see their boyfriend’s faces if they looked into mirrors while walking downstairs at midnight on Halloween.

According to tradition, if a person wears his or her clothes inside out and then walks backwards on Halloween, he or she will see a witch at midnight.

Halloween is thought to have originated around 4000 B.C., which means Halloween has been around for over 6,000 years.

Children are more than twice as likely to be killed in a pedestrian/car accident on Halloween than on any other night.

The Village Halloween parade in New York City is the largest Halloween parade in the United States. The parade includes 50,000 participants and draws over 2 million spectators.

This October, is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. About 1 in 8 women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point during her life. After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common kind of cancer in women.

The good news is that many women can survive breast cancer if it’s found and treated early.

If you are age 40 to 49, talk with your doctor about when to start getting mammograms and how often to get them.

Women ages 50 to 74 need mammograms every 2 years. You may choose to start getting mammograms earlier or to get them more often.

Talk to a doctor about your risk for breast cancer, especially if a close family member has had breast or ovarian cancer. Your doctor can help you decide when and how often to get mammograms.

Christopher Columbus is often portrayed as the first European to sail to the Americas. He is sometimes portrayed as the discoverer of the New World. However, this is controversial on many counts. There is evidence that the first Europeans to sail across the Atlantic were Viking explorers from Scandinavia. In addition, the land was already populated by indigenous peoples, who had 'discovered' the Americas thousands of years before.

Columbus Day originated as a celebration of Italian-American heritage and was first held in San Francisco in 1869. The first state-wide celebration was held in Colorado in 1907. In 1937, Columbus Day become a holiday across the United States. Since 1971, it has been celebrated on the second Monday in October. The date on which Columbus arrived in the Americas is also celebrated as the DÃa de la Raza (Day of the Race) in Latin America and some Latino communities in the USA. However, it is a controversial holiday in some countries and has been re-named in others.

Columbus Day celebrations are controversial because the settlement of Europeans in the Americas led to the deaths of a very large proportion of the native people. It has been argued that this was a direct result of Columbus' actions. It is clear that the arrival of the European settlers led to the demise of a large proportion of the history and culture of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It has also been argued that Columbus should not be honored for discovering North America, as he only went as far as some islands in the Caribbean and never got as far as mainland America.

Some fun days recognized in OctoberOctober 1st - Let's bake a lot of homemade cookies today, as it is Homemade Cookies Day . Baking any kind of cookie will do. Put on your apron and get baking. The more cookies you make the better. You get extra points, if you are a mom. That's because everybody knows that mom makes the best cookies! What qualifies as "Homemade": Making cookies from scratch is certainly homemade. And, it's the best way to celebrate this holiday. If you use a box mix, it still qualifies as homemade. There is some disagreement, as to whether using pre-packaged store-bought cookie dough, where you slice the cookies and then bake them, is considered homemade. We will let you make that call. It is okay to bake the cookies the night before this holiday.... only if you bring them to work or a party on this holiday.

October 5th - Today is Do Something Nice Day. Go ahead, do something nice, anything nice. And, do it to, or for, another individual. It won't hurt......we promise. Doing something nice for someone almost always evokes a very pleasant response. At the very least, it results in a smile. More likely, that person will do something nice to, or for you. And, best of all, doing something nice just might be contagious. In keeping with the spirit of this day, set a goal to do something nice for someone. Perhaps, you can do this for several people. Then, sit back and watch the results!

October 9th - Fire prevention week is during the week in which October 9th falls. According to legend, on October 8, 1871, Mrs. O'Leary was in her barn, milking her cow. The cow kicked over a lamp, which started the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The fire burned for over 27 hours. When it was over, more than 300 people were killed, 100,000 people were left homeless, and over 17,000 structures were destroyed. The Great Chicago fire sparked major efforts in fire prevention.  Forty years later, the Fire Marshall's Association of North America (FMANA) held

the first Fire Prevention Day. In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Fire Prevention Week. The Saturday during Fire Prevention Week is Fire Service Recognition Day.

October 22nd - National Nut Day is today. It's a little kooky and crazy if you ask me. One can go a little bit batty contemplating the meaning of this day. Our research came up empty on information about this day. So, we can't be certain as to the meaning of this very nutty day. There are two very obvious possibilities: 1. This day honors (???) all of the nutty people in the world. It gives recognition to all the kooks, loony birds and daffy people in your life. Show them you care today. 2. This day celebrates nutritious and healthy nuts (food) of all kinds. Celebrate today by eating lots of nuts, either as a snack, or in baked goods.  May we suggest Chocolate Almond Ice Cream?  Of course, it is always possible that this day celebrates the "Nut" that screws onto a bolt for fastening things.

A couple of nutty facts:

Peanuts are not really nuts. They are Legumes, a member of the "Pea" family. The center of seeds, like pumpkins and squash, is called a "nut".

October 24th - National Bologna Day is a full of baloney! Properly spelled Bologna, it is sometimes spelled "Baloney". It is pronounced like the latter spelling. Bologna is a sausage. It's commonly used as a luncheon meat. Mom and kids know it well. When it comes to bologna, there definitely is variety. There is what you and I would call regular Bologna, German Bologna, Beef Bologna, Kosher Bologna, and more. Depending upon the kind of Bologna, it could include pork, beef, chicken, and spices.  It's easy to enjoy National Bologna Day. Have a Bologna sandwich.  Try fried bologna. And, don't forget the mustard. We certainly hope that at the end of National Bologna Day, that you are "full of Baloney"!

October 30th - National Candy Corn Day is today. Enjoy a handful of this sweet Fall treat. And, what perfect timing. National Candy Corn Day comes just a day before Halloween. That means you can eat plenty of it, before you go out Trick or Treating. Candy corn is enjoyed all year long. Place it in a candy dish any time of the year, and watch it disappear by the handful. By far, the vast majority of candy corn is consumed during the fall months, with both Halloween and Thanksgiving being the biggest times to eat it. Candy corn was invented in the 1880s by George Renninger, and first manufactured by the Wunderle Candy Company. The Goelitz Candy Company was the first to manufacture mass quantities around the turn of the century. Candy corn consists primarily of corn syrup, honey, and sugar. There's lots of carbs (sugar), but its fat free!?

EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 1, 2019 THE CITY WILL NOT MAIL OUT THE RED PAST DUE CARDS.

YOU WILL NO LONGER RECEIVE A DOOR TAG REMINDING YOU OF YOUR PAST DUE ACCOUNT.

YOUR UTILITY BILL IS DUE ON THE 15TH OF EACH MONTH, AFTER THAT A LATE FEE WILL BE

ASSESSED.

IF YOU FAIL TO PAY BY THE 25TH YOUR UTILITIES WILL BE DISCONTINUED AND YOU WILL BE

NOTIFIED WITH A RED DOOR TAG THAT UTILITIES HAVE BEEN SHUT OFF.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS UPCOMING CHANGE PLEASE CALL CITY HALL 620-

496-2241.

LOCAL NEWS Are you in need of grocery delivery service? Call 620-228-5570 for more

information on this new service.

La Harpe Days T-Shirts available at City Hall.

Sign up for Weight Watchers at City Hall.

Citizens; I have had a lot of phone calls of whistles that won’t drain, when I reached out to the Fire Department to clean them out, they were unable to get the water to flow because of the high ground or debris at the end of the whistle. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to keep ditches cleaned out so that water can flow properly. Before calling with a clogged whistle please make sure the ends are cleaned out. Thank you!

FREE Blood pressure & blood glucose clinic at La Harpe Senior Center – 111 S. Main St, La Harpe on Wednesday, October 23rd from 1:00-1:30. Sponsored by Senior Life Solutions.

Have you noticed the new due date on your City of La Harpe utility bill? You know have until the 15th of each month to pay before the late fee is added!

If you need assistance after-hours please call the Iola Dispatch Center at (620) 365-1437, they will notify the proper personnel.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL LAHARPE CITIZENS CELEBRATING A BIRTHDAY THIS MONTH!!!! MAY YOUR DAY BE AS SPECIAL AS YOU ARE TO US!

Dates to remember:

October 8th: Weight Watchers informative meeting at City Hall at 6:00pm

October 9th: COUNCIL MEETING AT CITY HALL AT 7:00 P.M.

October 14th: City Hall closed in observance of Columbus Day

October 17th: Planning Committee meeting at City Hall at 6:30pm

October 21st: PRIDE Meeting at 7:00 p.m. at the City Hall

October 25th: Past due Utility shut off date.

If you can’t pay your account in full at this time then you must submit your reasoning to the City Clerk BEFORE October 25th.

Mayor: City Attorney: Ella Mae Crowell (496-6219) Fred Works

City Municipal Judge: Police Chief: Patricia Miklos Michael Jewell

Fire Chief: City Clerk: Marc Waggoner Michelle Altis

Assistant City Clerk: City Treasurer: Penny Ebert Teresa Driskel

Maintenance Staff: Code/Animal Control Marc Kobold, Zach Culbertson Penny Miller & Randy Melton

City Council Members:

David Lee (496-2333) Danny Ware Jr. (496-2156) Cynthia Carr (496-7500) Sharlyn Thompson (496-3348)

Ron Knavel (496-2508)

Laharpe City Hall Hours: Monday-Friday

902 S. Washington 8:00-12:00 & 1:00-5:00 P.O. Box 10 Ph. (620) 496-2241 Laharpe, KS. 66751 Fax (620) 496-2240

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE; CITYOFLAHARPE.ORG

Tater Tots Breakfast-Time Casserole1/2 lb. ground sausage

4 eggs, scrambled

1 pkg. (2.52 oz.) OSCAR MAYER Fully Cooked Bacon, heated and chopped

2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion

3-1/2 cups ORE-IDA TATER TOTS, thawed

1 can (10.5 oz.) condensed cream of potato soup

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. black pepper

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese, divided in half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large casserole dish, combine all ingredients, leaving ½ cup

of the cheese for topping, to ensure even spread of ingredients around the TATER TOTS.

Cover and bake 35 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top and bake uncovered an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melty.

Fabulous Fruit Salad

Ingredients 1 red apple, cored and chopped 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped 1 nectarine, pitted and sliced 2 stalks celery, chopped 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1 (8 ounce) container nonfat lemon yogurt

Directions1. In a large bowl, combine red apple, Granny Smith apple, nectarine, celery,

dried cranberries, and walnuts. Mix in yogurt. Chill until ready to serve.

Bats and Cobwebs

Ingredients 1 (8 ounce) package farfalle (bow tie) pasta 1-pound ground beef 1 small onion, chopped (optional) 1 (28 ounce) jar pasta sauce 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).2. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water, bring to a rolling boil over high

heat. Stir in the bow tie pasta and return to a boil. Boil pasta, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain well.

3. Cook and stir ground beef and onion in a large skillet until beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain fat. Stir in pasta sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer.

4. Stir cooked pasta and half of the mozzarella cheese into the sauce; toss to combine. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

5. Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.

Zucchini Sauté

Ingredients 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 red onion, diced salt and pepper to taste 4 zucchinis, halved and sliced 1/2-pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 tomato, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion with salt and

pepper for 2 minutes. Stir in zucchini and mushrooms. When zucchini begins to soften, add tomatoes, garlic and Italian seasoning. Cook until heated through.