Chris Mattingly has my respect as one of the more solid, unsung, and definitely underrated running backs in Norwich history. Mattingly joined a select few Norwich backs to race past 2,000 career rushing yards last week against Windsor, and he nudged past the 1,000-yard mark against Ithaca in a 42-12 season-ending win for the Tornado last Friday. He wound up with just over 2,360 career rushing yards – not a shabby total and easily a top-five mark in Norwich history. Still, how will history remember Mattingly? It is quite possible he won’t be mentioned in a discussion of all-time great backs in Norwich history. He isn’t the fastest, strongest or most elusive runner Norwich has had – in fact, he may not be the strongest, fastest or most elusive runner on his own team this year. But he has that special something that you cannot put a finger on. “He just has that knack,” said Tim Mattingly, head football coach of Bainbridge-Guilford, who is also Mattingly’s uncle. “He twists and spins, falls forward…and he runs with a physical style.” When I think of Chris Mattingly, I notice how he gets the most out of each run. If there is just a yard to be gained, he’ll get two; two yards available, he’ll get three. The other glaring statistic that I noticed is Mattingly’s success running the ball the past three years coincided almost perfectly with Norwich’s game success. When he ran the ball effectively, the Tornado were usually winning games or at the least in the hunt. When Mattingly was shut down, typically the entire Norwich rushing offense stumbled. Ten other guys were on the field supporting his running efforts, but as a rule, as Mattingly went, so went the Tornado. Next month I will unveil my 2007 football all-stars, and I’m letting the cat out of the bag here: Mattingly will be on that team.

Anyone else have Halloween parties to go to?

I’ve got one tonight and another Saturday.

Per usual, I didn’t figure out what I am going to be until last night.

I’m sure there are others in the same last-minute boat.

My recommendation: pick a costume that is simple and offensive.

If you’re short on time and money – and you still want to be the talk of the town – then you’ve got no other choice.

Why simple? Because it’s cheap – not a lot of shopping or expensive costumes because you can probably make something with the stuff you already have.

Why offensive? Because you need to stand out. Make a few waves. You can’t be just simple, that’s boring. You have to add a twist (plus, being offensive doesn’t take much work).

Remember: think simple.

A good starting place: make a list of famous and infamous icons.

Or (what I like to do): make a list of all the local weirdoes and crazy people in the town where you live. They make great and easy-to-do costumes.

Next, go through all your old clothes and household items to see what you’re working with. Then, pick the character you could best match with what you have.

Note: before you pick someone, famous or local, make sure all your friends would be familiar with. That makes it funnier and saves you a lot of explaining.

Also, think about who’s going to be at the party. Look out for any potential guests that might get overly upset by your display and adjust accordingly. And it while it’s probably not necessary, make sure the person or a person you’re dressed like won’t be there.

Don’t limit your search to people, either. You can be anything. Just look at stuff around your house and imagine something else it could be. Get the creative juices flowing.

Remember to be shocking.

To do this, you have to give your costume a twist. If your character is nice, give them a not-so-nice touch. If they’re evil, sweeten them up a bit.

For example, if you have a club-size piece of wood, a few white sheets and some imagination, you could become the star of the new hit movie, “Walking Tall: The Mother Theresa Story.”

The possibilities are endless (I’d tell you what I’m going to be, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise, or get fired).

It’s Halloween, so feel free to push the envelope. The more taboo, the better.

Preparing for disaster is one thing many of us North easterners do not really have to lose sleep over. However maybe in light of the numerous natural disasters our country has witnessed in the past couple years we should be more aware of what we would do in times of emergency.

How many of you have a back up plan to keep you and your families safe?

How many of you have fire safes for all those important papers that in most cases are close to impossible to replace.

What would you bring with you if you only had 10 minutes to grab and go?

After reading this same question asked on another news outlet this morning it got me thinking and I for one do not know what I would grab.

After ensuring that my children, husband and cat are safe I would have to determine what I really care about. Here’s what I would bring.

A handful of clothing for my kids
blankets
I would send my kids upstairs to pack one stuffed animal
I would grab snacks for the kids
The painting my grandfather did before he passed away
The doll I got when my grandmother passed away and maybe one of my own paintings.
It would be hard to determine what is easily replaceable, what is just the stuff you really like, stuff that is sentimental and what items in your home would be worth as much as your life if you were to stay.

The most important items would be my family of course and although it would be tough leaving behind everything but the bare necessities for survival it is a sacrifice I would have to make.

When facing disaster the above material items mentioned would more than likely the last things I remembered to bring. If you were facing disaster what would you bring?

Being a journalist professionally for over a year now I am surprised to find out that there are still “rules” that I was not aware of. One being exactly what I am allowed and not allowed to put in the paper.

Ok now you are saying to yourself “What? She didn’t know what she could put in the paper?” Well yes and no. First of all when I encounter an issue there is always the question whether it is the papers policy or an actual law that prevents us from publishing certain information.

Here are examples of stories I have encountered that we could be held liable for and get in severe amounts of legal trouble.

A law suit against wal-mart
A law suit against a neighbor, a school and a teacher
A heated dispute between two people that I did not personally witness
and most of all political heads that keep butting heads.

Anyway the topics listed above concern private matters that like it or not, are just none of our business.

Now another type of situation that I only recently learned about was that there are certain issues that legally as in the “law” forbids it. One being, we are not allowed to cover modified sporting events. Why you may ask? I don’t know will be my answer.

I thought this was just company or paper policy up until two days ago.  I was going to mention that a modified team had a good season. NOPE! The State education department does not allow it.

I would think that congratulating or at least publicizing that these children did good would be a good thing not something to hide. Since when is it a bad thing to say a team won.

So whether it be a modified sporting event, a law suit or a complaint sometimes there are things that like it or not the media does not have a say in. So instead of getting worked up at the reporters and the publication, look deeper and think smarter and see who is really at fault.

Sometimes the media can not decide what the media can report on.

Every family has there own brand of special traditions. In my family, the tradition is to be as spacey and forgetful as possible.

I don’t want to imply that we’re careless. It’s not that so much as the fact that there are always a million things going on, and you’re bound to forget one or two. Generally speaking, I like to think I do this less than the rest of our family, but every now and then I slip and realize I might just be the worst of all.

On Friday, I laughed as I recounted a story about the time my mom went 3,000 miles past when she was due for an oil change and found out when she dropped the car off that her car was due for an inspection six months ago, not good for another six months as she had thought.

I giggled and snickered as I thought of how silly it was to let these types of things get so out of hand.

Until Saturday morning that is. Saturday, I took my car in for an oil change. I’m not going to tell you how far over I was, because if my husband saw this he would cry himself to sleep, but I will say it wasn’t good. When I returned to pick my car up, I was informed not only that my inspection had expired, but also that the car would never pass inspection without new tires, because I was basically driving on the belts. (I have no idea what that means, but it sounds pretty bad.)

I guess from now on I should try to  refrain from picking on my family about the crazy things they do, because it’s probably only a matter of time before I inherit another family tradition.

“Who cares about oncoming traffic? As long as you can see, that’s all that matters.”

That’s apparently the attitude headlight makers have these days.

Unless you’re in an SUV or a vehicle with some clearance, there’s no doubt you’ve noticed the blinding intensity of the newer beams.

They even have commercials that demonstrate how much brighter and wider these upgraded versions are.

So it’s like we’ve turned our low beams into high beams, and high beams into spotlights.

Wow, really smart.

What good is it having lights that can bring down an airplane if the cars coming at you have them too?

We’ll all blind each for the sake of seeing better.

People are lucky there are guys like me out there that fear change and technology. Our dimmers give you a quick window to get a grip over the road again before descending back into hallogen hell.

We’re what’s keeping all you fancy-pants from going off the road.

Headlights we can artificially tan or call on Batman with – another well thought out, and necessary, American innovation.

Those of you who picked up the print edition of today’s Evening Sun probably noticed a subtle change in the paper’s layout. At least I hope you did, ‘cuz I spent a whole lot of time putting it all together.

I’ve redesigned the look of The Evening Sun quite a few times over the past couple decades, some representing more wholesale changes than others. Sometimes the change is born of a physical or technological need; other times it’s simply because I’m easily bored.

The biggest change you’ll notice is right at the top … our Evening Sun “flag.” That’s what has changed the least in the past few redesigns, the last time being about ‘95, I think, when we switched to the Stoneprint Roman font and added the striated setting sun motif behind.

After a dozen years, I got a little tired of that, so the Venetian blinds are gone, replaced by the full-version sun seen on this very website for the past year.

Not too many other changes typographically – most of what you see different inside is in terms of page order and content.

• Page 5 is now “Viewpoints,” a second editorial page or reader’s forum. We’ve added a new daily column from NEA, “Frugal Living,” and a daily sidebar that refers to content found exclusively on evesun.com, in addition to more room for letters to the editor, guest columns and other local content.

• Page 7 is now Calendar, a full page of The Evening Sun’s events column, with a special feature photo each day.

• Page 10 is now “Hot Topics,” a colorful page of entertainment news, celebrity gossip, news of the weird and the weirdest of all – the new home of “30 Seconds.”

We’ve shuffled around the state and international news pages, and moved comics and the TV grid pages to the second section. And, perhaps the most sweeping change of all – we ditched “Peanuts” for a new comic strip called “Cow and Boy.” It sounded pretty Chenango County to me. We’ll see how it goes. For those who lament the loss of Charlie Brown and company … well, folks, Charles Schulz died a long time ago. It’s time to let go.

So that’s a quick overview of the cosmetic nip/tuck The Evening Sun went through over the weekend. More changes and new features will be popping up in the coming weeks. Let me know what you think.

Has anyone else had their cat stolen recently? Well I have and not once but TWICE since July.  First my 8 year old cat was taken but after posting fliers all over town, I paid the reward to people who thought my 20 pound cat looked homeless, picked him up and intended on keeping him until they saw he was someone else’s.
Then in August I decided my cat was lonely and it would be nice for my three young children to help raise a kitten.  I brought home a little kitty and my kids all fell in love of course. The two cats were buds and the kitten just recently began to act like an animal I was willing to keep.
Until Friday when someone stole my cat. AGAIN!! This time it was the baby. OK, so he was little, so he liked to play outside, he had a collar on and not once in well over a month did he run away. He knew where he lived and he loved being outside. Now, I am not saying where he disappeared from because in all honesty he is their problem now. The kitten had fleas and Friday night in all reality was the very night he was due for his flea medicine, he used my house plants as litter boxes, he’s a bob tail and he needed to be bathed at least once a week and he claws anything that moves included shoes, feet and pants, he eats like a horse and is due for all of his shots and needs to be fixed. So as much as I thought he was a little cutie, he was troublesome to say the least. Now if no one had taken him sure, I would have kept him, taken him to the vet and shaped him up into a good boy but now that’s he’s gone my headache seemed to also have disappeared.
So whoever you are that thought it would be a good idea to walk away with my, or should I say my kid’s cat, congratulations you saved me about $200 and gained yourself a flea bag complete with a a big vet bill. The cat is just 12 weeks and is due to get to the vet within the next couple weeks. Hope you like the cat.. but maybe next time you may want to think twice before stealing something that is not yours.

“I can’t grow facial hair that looks cool so I’m selling these cards and flag pins to make a living.”

If I crept up on you in your office and handed you a card that said that, would you give me money?

No?

Well, apparently I probably would.

I fell for a similar scam a few days ago.

Except the guy didn’t suck at growing a beard. Instead, he claimed he was deaf.

Ironically, I didn’t even hear him come up behind me. I was typing at my computer and he tapped my shoulder.

“Can I help you?” I said, a little startled, no idea who this guy is or what he wants.

No response.

Just staring, and silence.

It was awkward.

I was scared.

Then he hands me a card.

“Let’s Be Friends,” it read. “I am a deaf person selling these cards and flag pins for a living. I love you.”

The card had a chintzy American Flag pin attached to it. On the back was the alphabet for the deaf.

At the bottom it said “Donation, any price you wish.”

“Oh, you’re deaf and you need money,” I say out loud. “Now I understand. That makes perfect sense. Here.”

I handed him $3.

“Sound good?” I asked.

He thanked me in sign language and took off.

Only a real idiot says “sound good” to a deaf person.

I felt pretty stupid.

But, I felt even stupider the more I thought about the whole thing.

What did him being deaf have to do with selling pins for a living?

I actually got kind of mad.

This guy ambushes me at work, ignoring the “employees only” sign and receptionist’s desk, and startles me into forking over a few bucks – just because he’s deaf?

But I realized, the shame was all on me.

If a beggar who wasn’t deaf walked into my office unannounced and asked me for money, I would have told him/her to hit the bricks.

But this guy was “deaf,” so I didn’t. Instead, I gave him money, because, on instinct, I associated not being able to hear with needing a handout.

I don’t know many, but I’m guessing a handout is the last thing a deaf person needs or wants.

Lesson learned, hopefully.

Ahh… It’s autumn in Chenango County. What a magical time of year, but after spending some time traveling from one end of the county to the other, there are a few things, I can’t help but wonder about.

1. Everywhere I look, I see pumpkins. I love pumpkins. In fact carving them is one of the most fun activities of the year, but I swear here and now, I will never buy a pumpkin from someone who can’t spell the word pumpkin. It’s only Oct. 11 and already I’ve gone by countless signs advertising the sale of “pumkins” or “pumpkens.” This is one of my biggest pet peeves. I know it might seem harsh, but if you are currently one of the many people selling “pumkins” I hope your house gets egged on Halloween!

2. I know it’s fall and the time has come for many area farmer’s to mow their corn and harvest their crops. I accept that, but can anyone tell me why the farmer who planted corn all around my house has to wait until 10 p.m. before he starts mowing. If there is some agricultural explanation for this, I’ll stop complaining, but at the moment it seems he was sent by some evil demon to make sure that every time my sick and grumpy baby falls asleep, he will be woken up the the loud roar and bright lights of a tractor.

3. Why is it if you give someone a deadline, they will wait until the last possible minute and become extremely unpleasant with you, if they miss said deadline. Personally, I do this all the time, because I am a horrible procrastinator, but apparently I am not alone. In the last few weeks, I have been increasingly worried about the lack of scary story submissions I had received for The Evening Sun’s Ghastly Ghost Stories competition. However, apparently I worried for no reason, because the day of the deadline, and in the days since, I have received more stories than I did in all of the weeks leading up to the deadline combined. (Thanks to everyone who participated, and look forward to seeing the finalists’ stories on the web site soon.)