As the countdowns to Halloween and the Nov. 6 election continue, the time is ripe to note some of the area people and entities helping us all stay engaged this fall.

Kudos to Huntoon Hill Grange 398 in Wiscasset for debuting a trunk or treat event that came off fun and well-attended. That wind was stone cold and persistent but failed to deter event-goers after an already windswept week in our towns.

Kudos to Wiscasset government for promoting absentee ballots on the municipal building sign.

Kudos to the reporters who have been covering the election leadup locally and nationally and all the other important news they gather year round. Keep on keeping on.

Kudos to those giving us all something to smile about with their festive lawn decorations, and something to think about with all the political signs. I've never based my vote on a sign, but those plus the letters and ads on our websites and pages reflect interest in the outcomes and hopefully portend a strong turnout.

And kudos to Wiscasset Elementary School for its impressive turnout of about 200 for its math and reading literacy night. A showing like that for anything on a Wednesday night in fall can be a feat. Well done. Kudos also to the busy families who took the time to bring their children.