I hope a lot of Bellevue residents are planning to attend the budget hearing on Monday. Bellevue Council needs to hear your voices when it comes to their plan to increase property taxes by a quarter-mill and raise the sewer surcharge.

The fiscal situation in Bellevue was summed up quite brilliantly by council president Kathy Coder at the last meeting: "It's like having cable t.v. when you have no food on the table."

She was referring to Bellevue financing a swimming pool while not having money for the necessities.

She gets it.

Some others clearly do not.

I checked to see if there was a full moon on Wednesday. Given the jaw-dropping displays that occurred in government settings across the North Boroughs, I was sure the moon was exerting some major influence.

Nope. No full moon. Not even a new moon, or even a quarter moon. The moon could not be responsible.

There must be something in the water.

Let me just say up front that I have no problem with events at which alcoholic beverages are served and/or imbibed.

I also do not have a problem with adults using alcohol as a means of fund-raising for youth-related activities. I have been to any number of nights at the races, octoberfests, oldies dances, etc. to support a variety of community organizations, including such youth programs as football, cheerleading, bands, etc.

There were, however, no youth present at any of these fund-raisers.

The fourth annual Summer Solstice Spectacular will be held June 23 - 26.

The “Pampered Pooch Promenade” will lead the way at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 23, from the YMCA patio at 629 Lincoln Ave. Registration for pooches to participate is $5. Proceeds will benefit The Bellevue Dog Woods.

Friday, June 24 is the “meet and greet” in Bayne Park. Residents can pack a picnic basket and meet their neighbors at street signs in the park.

I have never laid claim to being a math whiz, but sometimes it just comes down to common sense. Sometimes -- no matter how fast you talk -- things just don't add up.

The proposed Bellevue vacation policy is one of those things -- just doesn't add up.

Right now, if you get hired full-time by Bellevue Borough, you get two weeks of paid vacation after you have worked for a year. So if you are hired on June 1, 2011, on June 1, 2012 you can take off for two weeks.

Avalon officials showed their appreciation this week for two police officers injured during the pursuit of a suspected drug dealer earlier this year. Working in plainclothes along with Police Chief Tom Kokoski, Officers Sean Khirley and Walt Johnson pursued the fleeing suspect through a 20-foot jump and over a fence, finally nabbing him and recovering a quantity of suspected heroin. Both officers and the suspect were hospitalized after the chase. While Khirley has returned to duty, Johnson remains off-duty with a leg injury.

In case we need reminded -- and many of us do -- starting a new year makes us stop and think about the fact that we all, on a daily basis, make choices about how we will live our lives and see the world around us.

With all the emphasis on resolutions right now, we can't help but think about what we'd like to change in our lives. It's really not so much about being successful in attaining your particular resolution, but just the fact that you recognize that you possess the power and ability to make changes in your life.

There are some places that politics just do not belong.

Not many such places exist in today's United States, and I can handle most of that. I can accept that health care decisions are being made by doctors and politicians who are (heavily) influenced by pharmaceutical companies. I can even live with the fact that what I eat and what I pay for it are controlled in large part by which government regulations or subsidies we're enforcing this month.

But there are some places that must remain sacred, untouched by politics in any form, or humanity as a whole is threatened.

They say it's fairly easy to teach a dog to roll over. I haven't tried it yet with Arthur because, let's face it, at 150 lbs. I'm not sure I want him rolling all over the place. Sometimes he lays on his back with his eyes looking wild and his paws bent -- I call it his "Thriller" pose. He doesn't roll all the way over though.

So, how hard is it to teach people to roll over? And why are so many rolling over and letting the Northgate School Board increase property taxes by 3.1 mills?

I have sort of a superstition. When I find myself thinking things can't get worse, I stop myself immediately. "Don't tempt the Fates!", I remind myself. Because almost always, things really can get worse.

Even though I am a vegetarian, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.

No, it's not because we get a day off in the middle of the week. That just causes more problems than it's worth when you work for a newspaper with a weekly deadline.

Thanksgiving provides me with what I like to consider a "reality check."

A laptop computer was reported stolen during the burglary of a North Avenue home on Jan. 21.

A Bellevue man reported Jan. 26 that gift cards had been stolen from his wallet.

On Jan. 18, a woman reported that fraudulent charges had been made on her bank card.

Shoplifting incidents were reported at Rite Aid, Pit Stop Express and Family Dollar, with an employee of the latter nearly struck by vehicle as the suspect fled the scene on Jan. 23.