The Gadfly is a series of letters offering commentary on local issues and published in the Warrensburg Gazette.

Kids get a valuable lesson this week. Those who attended the CMSU Homecoming parade will have barely recovered from their sugar high when they get another dose of more on Halloween. The lesson? Begging and extortion pay.

Weather was absolutely perfect for the Homecoming parade; jackets weren't needed for the first time in quite a while. All the local politicians were there (at least those whose parties have a student affiliate – which leaves out the Libertarians, Greens and Constitutions). Since the event conflicted with the MU homecoming up in Columbia, Warrensburg drew only one of the statewide candidates and the sister of another. The candidates have started passing out more stickers than literature, which certainly helps the trash problem.

Other changes noted over the years have included the vast amounts of candy tossed by virtually every parade group, and the disappearance of the really big high school bands from the Kansas City area; Warrensburg High's was the largest high school band there. At least all the county schools were represented. Another positive point was the number of downtown businesses that were open. As usual, the Chamber missed an opportunity to pass out local information to out-of-town visitors.

Friday night, throngs of kids, wearing costumes bought at Wal-Mart, will flood downtown Warrensburg looking for handouts from our independent merchants. For many, this is the only time all year they or their parents will have any contact with downtown Warrensburg businesses. They'll have a day off before the main "trick or treat" day, so they won’t have to hurry back to their neighborhoods for some more door-to-door activity, ending up with a huge stash of candy, most bought from "big box" stores. We get mixed signals: greed is good for the economy – but not necessarily for our small businesses. The candy season should help one type of small business – it will keep our local dentists busy.