HIT: To the return of the Fright Night Mansion at Fingerlakes Mall. For the 20th year, a dedicated group will celebrate the coming of Halloween.

A.P.E. Productions puts on the haunted house at Fingerlakes Mall and the $5 admission charge will be donated to Matthew House, Finger Lakes Hospice and other charities.

The attraction isn't for young children but for teenagers and adults, and it's a fun way to get in the Halloween spirit.

MISS: To a winter of more mice - at least in the Adirondacks. A larger seed and berry crop, fewer predators and an easy winter mean more mice in the mountains.

Will that mean our area will also see a larger amount? We'll find out soon when winter forces the varmints to seek the indoors.

HIT: To the opening of the new Cayuga County Sheriff Office's substation in Cato. Now northern county residents will have to wait less time for responses to emergencies.

Also, the substation will save fuel costs and improve efficiency. It makes a great bookend with the Moravia substation that opened over the summer in the southern part of the county.

Residents in the north and south part of the county can feel safer.

MISS: To the burglary of two Union Springs businesses this week. Food items were taken, including some stored by local Boy Scouts.

Fortunately, an arrest has already been made in this case.

HIT: You can't say U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri, D-Utica isn't persistent. The local congressman continues his efforts to keep Auburn's Social Security office open.

Arcuri wrote a recent letter to the agency's commissioner arguing the office isn't using an increase in funds as anticipated.

Considering the size of Auburn and the distance to the closest SS offices in Syracuse and Geneva, we hope Arcuri's plea doesn't fall on deaf ears.