A little bit about a lot of things:

• It wasn’t exactly night and day, but it could just as well have been.....sweltering heat Saturday gave way to a beautiful late summer day with temperatures in the 80s on Sunday, creating the perfect day to enjoy Newman Fall Festival activities.

Kathy and I were among those braving the heat as we made the Fall Festival rounds on Saturday, and attended the Miss Newman Contest that evening.....our congratulations to new Miss Newman Mallory McLaughlin and her court!

I am always amazed at the amount of work that goes into the pageant. The contestants and the organizers devote countless hours of preparation for one whirlwind day that starts with the private interviews and continues with the contest that evening.

It can’t be easy getting up in front of all those people to introduce yourself, explain why you want to be Miss Newman and then come up with an instant, captivating answer to the question posed by the master of ceremonies.

Shoot, I get nervous working on stage in front of all those people and all I have to do is take a few photos!

Great job, everybody.....from the pageant crew to Festival chair John Fantazia and his dedicated volunteers who delivered another wonderful celebration for the West Side to enjoy!

• So.....seems as though even police officers have those moments they would rather forget.

One of Newman’s finest would probably like a “do-over” on his Friday afternoon drive into work.....but no such luck.

The police department confirmed that one of its K-9 officers, Jason Hutchins, had a run-in with a mail truck in Gustine while heading to work in one of the department’s Chevy Tahoes - literally.

The officer apparently took his eyes off the road momentarily and rear-ended a parked postal vehicle, pushing the mail truck onto the sidewalk and into a light pole.

Chief Adam McGill said the officer suffered a slight hand injury; damage to both vehicles was moderate. The mail truck was not occupied at the time.

Stuff, as they say, does happen....and police officers are not immune. I’m guessing we’ve all been guilty of allowing ourselves to be distracted behind the wheel.

The good news is that nobody was hurt seriously.

But it probably wasn’t a lot of fun having to make that call to the boss.

• With the Fall Festival behind us, our communities turn their attention to another long-standing tradition on the West Side, Gustine’s upcoming Our Lady of Miracles Celebration.

A series of novenas begins Friday, leading up to the events of next weekend which will draw thousands of visitors to Gustine.

The Celebration is special time in Gustine, bringing people together to honor both their faith and their Portuguese heritage.

Each and every year I learn something new about the many traditions and events that make up the Celebration; I am sure this year will be no different. The more I learn, the more I appreciate the importance of the Celebration to those who gather each year.

The heartfelt devotion of so many people makes the Celebration the wonderful event that it is.....truly, a celebration of faith which remains at the very heart of the many traditions which will take place in Gustine in the days to come.