Editor's Note - October 2021

Joni Hoffman

What is that noise? Michael and I first noticed a strange buzzing sound around midnight shortly after relocating from Portland to Houston in 1996. It was a hot August night. We thought it was electrical, possibly a transformer on the power pole in our yard. Michael walked around the house and even drove around the block in search of the mysterious noise. We tried to go back to sleep, but the sound kept us up. Finally, we called the non-emergency number for the Bellaire Police Department. An officer soon arrived and said, “Welcome to Houston. Those are cicadas.” I grew up in Houston but didn’t recall ever hearing them. Fast-forward 25 years, and Buzz writer Cheryl Ursin is digging deep to help us better understand the critters living in our backyards. Also this month, meet our 2021-22 School Buzz correspondents, who create their own buzz online at our School Buzz blog, where they tell us what’s happening in local high schools. [email protected]