Dear Felicia

Well honeybunch, it’s been quite the week — back in the saddle as they say, with the memories of the holidays and the vacation fading. Of course, for Cobina, things were not quite so pleasant over the vacation as she came down with a bug and was laid up for most of it. Got sickt he day after Christmas and am still feelin’ a bit under the weather.

Speakin’ o’ weather, it hit 70 here cuz of the nutty pattern we’re in in these parts. We’ve had January thaws every year, but usually there is something to thaw. Excep’ for a couple o’ flurries, we ain’t seen any snow to speak of – yet. November was cold, December warmer than usual, and January is follying the pattern – something about the Jet Stream, I guess.

Tennyrate, here in the Asylum by the Sea things are getting into the normal winter flow. The Town Committees are havin’ their biennial caucuses to see who will fill the seats on the 60-member town committees. So far, we ain’t heard about any primaries, but that don’t mean they won’t happen.

The majority party is still segmented into three major factions and the big win by herronner in November doesn’t seem to have made a dent in the enmity that the factions have for one another. The Rossi faction is in control of things for the present, but we’ve seen that change in a hurry. For now, Rossi is in charge and can do perty much what she wants. Let’s hope that somehow or t’other people can be brought on board to do what is right for the city – but we ain’t holdin’ out much hope.

I never understood the whole power politics thing here. I guess it was once about controlling jobs and who got ‘em. But, let’s face it, there ain’t any to pass around much anymore. We can’t afford it.

Over on the Republican side it’s gonna be very interesting over the next little while to see what happens. I don’t have to tell you about the split in the ranks the RTC had during the last election. It’ll be interestin’ to see just how things play out with the new town committee being seated, and whether there will be a showdown. It can’t hurt the party, it might even create some interest. I know effen I was a young person trying to git into politics, I’d choose the Republicans cuz they have a place to move and grow. The Demmies seem to be set in who they have and who they support.

~~~

We got the follyin’ letter, and we disagree with our writer’s premise. We don’t think that historians are as relative about decades as he seems to indicate. Tennyrate, I thought’ yew’d by interested:

With all due respect to Cobina, I must provide a correction.  ‘A new decade or century starts with “1.”‘  While it’s true that we call our current century The 21st Century, and it began on 1 Jan 2001, and will end on 31 Dec 2100, we just don’t number our decades in the that way.  If we actually called it The 202nd Decade, then yes we could claim that it ran from [1 Jan] 2011 thru [31 Dec] 2020, and in that sense Cobina would be right.  I’m sorry, but I’ve never heard anyone call it that.

A century is any period of 100 years, however you happen to define its starting point.  Likewise, a decade is any period of 10 years, however you happen to define it.  While the 20th Century ran from 1901 thru 2000, the [century of the] 1900’s did run from 1900 thru 1999.  Likewise, the 21st century runs from 2001 thru 2100, but the 2000’s will be from 2000 through 2099.  In the same way, the decade of the “Roaring Twenties” ran from 1920 thru 1929, ending with the beginning of The Depression.  (I’m not commenting as to whether or not Cobina is as “old as dirt” and actually remembers the roaring twenties.)  Therefore, in this current century of the two thousands, the first decade may still be the “aughties”, running from 2000-2009, the “teens” from 2010-2019, and this decade will be the “twenties” from 2020-2029.  It is up to history (starting sometime after 2030) to decide whether our decade of the twenties will be roaring or some other moniker.  

— Scott Tietjen

The only thing I hafta say is thanks for writing. Methinks yore wrong cuz a set of 10 is complete at “10.” But we appreciate that someone actually thinks about this stuff. Thanks, Scott.

~~~

Nelly Nuthatch tells me that the City Council is gearin’ up for the “forums” that it’s gonna support in order to tell people about the Charter Revision isshews and how the question is gonna be presented when it is voted upon at a date still to be determined.

Before the council broke for the holidays it decided that the residents would be given an opportunity to review the changes. It’s perty much the same presentation that was put forth before the council voted, and is probably tweaked a bit now that things are lookin’ a bit more promising, but it’s still a question as to when or how many will show up to learn about this.

Cobina has visions of the same activists and gadflies that appeared at the previous presentations will be at the new ones. They might even have the same questions. We hope that John and Jane Q. decide to go to the events, cuz as we have noted in the past, these changes are the largest structure changes we’ve had since this community went from Selectmen to Mayor-Council.

Yew know as well as I do that once the changes are voted on there is gonna be a certain segment of the community that is gonna be perplexed that something happened and they weren’t informed. Then they’ll take umbrage that someone tried to pull the wool over their eyes – even though there were several attempts to tell them what was going on.

~~~

As I mentioned to yew last week, it’s the beginning of the budget-making process. And we’re gonna start hearing about the wish lists that the department heads and the Bored of Ed will present. Of course, these things will be pared down and the Municipal Accountability Review Board (MARB) will be the elephant in the room whilst all this is contemplated.

The mayor has to send her proposed budget to the council in March, and then the council gets its turn to look it over after the annual public hearing. Like I said last week, the only given on the budget this year is that there will be a tax increase. The MARB has dictated that we should have an increase in the mill rate up to 40 mills during the term of the five-year plan. We are in year three, methinks.

So, don’t be surprised when the tax bills go out in late June and have an increase, it’s all planned. Of course, once the MARB leaves town – sooner rather than later, we hope – things will git back to normal and the city can chart its own course. Still, without any appreciable increase in the Grand List, we’re still in a fix.

~~~

Is it me, or do I think Gov. Ned Lamont is gonna push through his toll on truck regardless of what the public thinks? And make no mistake and this is the plan: they get the trucks to pay tolls, and then the rest of us will be brought into it. It’s a backdoor measure to get tolls into the state.

We have a spending problem in Connecticut, not a tax problem. They tax just about everything, but they spend it quicker than they get it. People are leaving the state in droves, and we might lose yet another Congressional seat when the census comes out. The only good thing about that will be one less tax-and-spend Democrat elected.

~~~

With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next mitt luff und kizzez,

Well here we are honey bunch, a New Year, but not a new decade. We went through this with the year 2000. A new decade or century starts with “1.” We don’t have a year until it’s complete. The decade isn’t complete until we end 2020. It’s that simple. But the media seems to want to have decade stories and setch, so they tell the great unwashed that we’re in a new one. Sorry, not so. Never has been, never will be. Jest hype.

~~~

Before we start getting into the nitty gritty of our fair city, Cobina has to say goodbye to a new old friend. Over the Christmas shutdown we received news that our reporter, Josh LaBella, was able to secure a position with Hearst Newspapers. That means anything that appears in this edition is the last we’ll see from him.

Josh was with us about a year, beginning in January of 2019. It was his first gig as a reporter, and he had some growing and learning to do. He did. He became a good friend to Cobina, and a pleasant change around the office. We wish him well in his new position, and hope to see his by-line often in the publications that go under the Hearst banner – which are quite a few in the Nutmeg State.

Best wishes, Josh!

~~~

Tennyrate, here in the Asylum by the Sea, the New Year doesn’t mean things around here have suddenly changed and all is hunky-dory. Nope. It jest means we’ve turned the calendar to another page. What is on that page is yet to be writ, but given we’ve been doin’ this for almost half a century, methinks we both know the writing is the fun part.

The wag was here t’other afternoon and he had a great observation and thought. Y’see we found out a few weeks back that the Haven Group, the developers’ consortium that is supposed to erect the Haven Proejeck down there on Elem Street, was promised funding by the state from the former administration – at least that is what they say.

Of course, this all kind o’ puts into focus why things have been glacially slow down there to develop. Somebody was waiting for oodles of greenbacks from the state in order to get things underway. Methinks they call it “corporate welfare.”

What the wag wants to know is the details o’ the conversations betwixt the developers and the city in years past. That ain’t a bad idea. We got a smattering of some o’ the promises, but not much o’ the details. We would really, really like to hear, read or see the notes that were took durin’ the meetings with the developers. It could answer many, many questions.

Word is that something is gonna happen “by spring,” but we heard that in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. The question before the house is: How seriously are we supposed to take these projections as opposed to the ones we’ve heard in the four years previous?

Whilst all that is going on, the houses that remain on the site – the many of them – are starting to fall apart. It’s been rat-infested, and drug-infested, and for a while fire infested. We jest wonder when it’s gonna be store-infested.

The Rossi administration has its work cut out for it. The foist term they could place all the blame on the last crew that was in the Actors Colony. Now that they have a “new set o’ downs” so to speak, they hafta come up with some answers, or, better yet, some solutions.

~~~

Sammy Bluejay is ready to perch his feather outside the Board o’ Education room at the Actors Colony Thursday night (tonight) to see what happens with the GOP Town Committee. The 60-member group is set to meet tonight to figger out weather the party will stay status quo or have a new set o’ members. Each districk of the current 10 will have a set of six reps. Effen the six are accepted, we are all done. Effen there is s challenge, there could be a town committee primary.

Cobina tried to think back to the last time that happened, and we think it might’ve been way back in the late 1970s. Al Conte was the chairman at the time, and the party was a force in city politics, even boasting a few mayoralties, like Al Zarnowski.

The party was strained during the last election cycle as they like to say today, and there is some talk that changes are on the way. But, we’ve hoid that before. We will wait to see what, if anything happens. There are sure to be a few new members of the RTC, but what happens after that is anyone’s guess.

If there does happen to be a primary, all bets are off, and it’ll be an interesting thing to watch. Effen the GOP wants to git back in the game here, it has to present itself as a viable alternative. It ain’t done that since Bill Clinton’s first term.

~~~

What we don’t expeck to see is a Demmie primary. Two years ago the Rossi people swamped would-be challengers, and swamped those same would-be challengers in the primary in September. Democratic voters have, at least for a time, said to party regulars we want stability.

Weather that translates to the sometimes tone-deaf minions that populate the party, Cobina ain’t sure. We’ll find out in the next few days when it has its own caucus. Effen a primary is called for, it’ll be the latest in a string of them that goes back to the mid-1990s. We shall see what happens.

~~~

Nelly Nuthatch happened by the most recent City Council meeting, and sez that the new members o’ the council are showing that fresh off the rack exuberance that most of ‘em have in the foist few weeks. That is a good thing. We just wonder when the bloom is gonna come off the rose.

In the next few weeks we start the budget-making process. In fack, we are sure that the thoid floor of the Actors Colony is in the process of getting the annual wish list from the department heads from which they can pare down the frills and inject a bit o’ realism into the requests.

The Board o’ Finance does a lot o’ its work during the next five or six weeks, reviewing with the mayor – at least on paper – the requests made and makes its own recommendations before herronner begins the closed-door process of trying to put the budget package together. The focus of it all is the budget presentation in March.

Of course, all of this is under the watchful eye of the Municipal Accountability Review Board (MARB), who has the final say on all things budgetary.

The only thing we do know is that there will be a mill increase as the MARB has mandated that the mill rate be increased in each of the five years of the five-year plan. I think we are entering year three. So, we have a ways to go before we are done with the plan and the MARB.

It amazes me each time we get to this pernt in the year. It seems like we were jest here, and here we are again. Another year has passed and another year is upon us. Before we know it, the budget will be presented. It’ll be March, and we’ll be lookin’ forward to spring. Hard to believe.

With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,

Before we git onto the pre-Christmas gift list to the politicos around town. Cobina has to correct something. Last week, yores truly said one Andrea Tallamelli was chairman o’ the Bored of Ed. It is, in fact, Cebi Waterfield. Cobina made a mistake in what she hoid when she was told that said Tallamelli was being considered one of the contenders. We got it wrong, and we’re correcting it.

Of course, the Society for the Perpetually Enraged, otherwise known as the social media crowd went bonkers, and had some cherce things to say. Hey, I got it wrong. The only thing Cobina took umbrage to was some yahoo calling and saying we were like CNN. Nope. The difference betwixt us and CNN? We correct our mistakes, they just do rewrites.

~~~

As is the custom in our last isshew of the year, Cobina makes a list of gifts she thinks should be under the trees of local politicos and celebs. She’s been makin’ a list, just like the Jolly Ole Elf, and makin’ sure things are right.

Mayor Nancy Rossi – Herronner has two things under the tree this year. The first is an abacus so she can bring it to the opening meetings of the Finance Commission and begin the budget process. With the computers going down on occasion in the Actors Colony, she’ll need it. Second under the tree will be an Erector set. She can build all the projecks that seem to be stalled around the berg.

City Council Chairman Ron Quagliani – We’re gonna give the council chief some coloring books and crayons with the hope that he clears out a space in the caucus room next to the council chambers and gives the members a “time out” effen they get outta hand.

New members of the Council in general, and Democratic new members in particular – A year’s supply of their favorite headache medicine. They will need it to survive the palaver and the late nights.

GOP Council members Colleen O’Connor and Barry Cohen – Matching “I’m with Her/Him” t-shirts. Just to remind the council a GOP motion can now be seconded and discussed.

Democratic Town Committee Chairman and City Treasurer Mike Last – A framed quotation: Sic transit Gloria mundi (Thus passes is the glory of the World). It is what they used to tell Roman emperors. Last ain’t an emperor, but he is on top o’ the party heap right now. The way things go around here, that could change on a dime.

Republican Town Committee Chairman Pat Libero – A sewing kit. She’s going to need one to close up the fissures in the party after the last election.

Chairman of the Charter Revision Committee Ed Granfield – Pruning shears to cut through the red tape that might come his way leading up to the charter vote.

Majority leader of the Charter Commission John Carrano – A glossary of legal terms so the barristers don’t try to dazzle with bovine fertilizer.

Ed O’Brien and Deborah Collins, losing Dems in the last election cycle – A list of all the people who said they voted for them. We’re sure it’s gonna come out larger than the actual number that did.

GOP mayoral candidate Michele Gregorio – More business success. The best revenge is living well.

The Municipal Accountability Review Board – Each member will get a vintage recording of ‘Yakkitty Yak, Don’t talk back.” That’s the way they conduct their business with our officials.

The WHHS Building Committee – A gold-framed copy of the American Federation of Teachers report on air quality in the new building. It was a stunner.

Superintendent of Schools Neil Cavallaro – An uptick in city reading and math scores.

BOE Chairman Cebi Waterfield – A copy of Roberts Rules of Order, also the whip and chair that we gave Ron Quagliani last year…just in case things get boisterous.

Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal – New running shoes so he can get in front of those cameras faster.

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy – An original idea. I don’t think he’s ever had one.

Third District Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro Greenberg – A “Where’s Waldo” game. Rosa has been conspicuously absent from the cameras recently. One wonders if her time as a big voice in the fortunes of the majority party are gone now that the “Squad” has taken over.

General Assembly majority leader Martin Looney – A tax he doesn’t like. We haven’t found one yet, but we’re going to continue to try right up to the big day.

Reps. Dorina Borer (D-115) and Mike DiMassa – The chutzpah to vote against one o’ Martin Looney’s tax proposals…just once.

Rep. Charles Ferraro (R-117) – A resole of his best shoes. He will be targeted once again by the Dems, looking to flip that seat. He’s one by going door-to-door, and he’ll probably have to do that again.

Voice Publisher Ken Carney – A 1929 Underwood typewriter like our editor has. Nothing like getting your hands inky when you’re trying to type.

Voice Reporter Josh LaBella – A list of profiles for 2020. It’s not as easy as you think.

Voice Director of Advertising Alan Olenick – A big contract that will put the publication on the map.

Columnists Eleanore Turkington and Dan Shine – Those special things they told the Jolly Ole Elf they wanted this year.

Photog Russ McCreven – An album of some of his greatest shots.

Editor Bill Riccio, Jr. – Those Lionel engines he has his eye on.

To all our readers – The best of holiday seasons. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah!

It look as if we’re gonna have a bit o’ the white stuff on the ground by the time yew git this missive, honey bunch. Whilst we’ve had two big days o’ rain – someone said about two inches were expected – it looks like it’s gonna git cold quick and about 3 inches o’ snow are expected. That’s a good thing, Cobina likes snow at this time o’ the year.

Here in the berg, things are settling into the pre-Christmas lull. It’s always been my suspicion that the politicos try to get on the “good” list just before the holidays, whilst making the “naughty” list the rest o’ the year. I guess nobody wants the Jolly Ole Elf to put coal in their stocking. Soooo, each year things slow down jest a tad.

Last week the Bored of Ed and the City Council had their chairman elections, and it looks like a famous political name is back in the news. This time, the chairman of the BOE is a Tallamelli. Over the years, the name, going back to old Will Tallamelli, has been a political force in the area, mostly in the second districk from whence it hailed. They were part o’ the Johnson strain of the party in the old days – Freddie Johnson. Of course, Wayne was chairman of the party for a looooong stretch.

I guess, according to Sammy Bluejay, with the sweep o’ the Rossi wing o’ the party into party – like I said, we can’t call it the Picard faction anymore – they wanted one o’ the ir own in the chairmanship, and Rosemary Russo isn’t one o’ their team. Everyone knew going in what was gonna happen, and the usual posturing came about.

We’ve seen these things before. The people making the biggest bellyache about Russo losing the chairmanship and what a great job she did (which she did) would have thrown over a supporter of any other faction effen the show was on the other foot, make no mistake about it. So the feigned outrage was jest a bit hard to take.

Meanwhile, over in the City Council, Sammy sez that things went on perty much as expected. Ron Quagliani was re-elected chairman of the council. He attempts to stay outta the factionalism, and seems to keep things on the straight and narrow. The last council session, though it had one or two hiccups, was probably the least contentious two years we’ve seen in some time.

That ain’t to say the next two years are gonna be a piece of cake. This berg has a way of making simple things hard, and hard things unbearable, politically speaking. The Haven projeck is gonna be coming up for scrutiny in the next little while, and it should be interesting to see how that progresses through what legislative hurdles are left. Stay tuned.

~~~

Nelly Nuthatch was by t’other afternoon, and said that whilst Ed Granfield has been chomping at the bit waiting for something to happen with the Charter Revision and its going before the voters, something, in fact, did happen. Nelly sez that a question was put together by the barristers that work for the city, and that, though it is filled with the legal-ese that one would expeck in setch a thing, the thing feared most ain’t gonna transpire.

The chairman and John Carrano, his Democratic counterpart, were worried that the barristers were gonna do damage when the question came out, and maybe even succumb to the politicos attempts to make it a multiple-question ballot. Whilst the barrister were against that, yew know how politics plays around here.

Tennyrate, the question that will go to the voters will be single and it will be an up or down vote. That is a good thing. Just reminding yew, the big fear was that pulling it out and making three or four questions, could spell the end of it all. All the voters had to do was reject one of the questions and the entire thing would be deep-sixed. The committee wove together a charter that is so interdependent on itself that ripping out one section would do damage to the entire document.

Well, that seems to be something that is not going to happen.

~~~

Iva Lootey had another part o’ the charter revision story. It seems the City Council will cobble together a “charter revision education effort” it was called by Iva. This will be some type of town hall, q and a session that will give John and Jane Q. the updates they might want concerning the draft document. There have been some people on the council who’re somewhat concerned that the public don’t know enuff about the draft.

This effort will allay some o’ those fears, Iyam told, and it will give some of the members of the council the assurance that the due diligence was handled correckly.

When Iva told me this, I must say that Cobina was blunt. Effen I were the members of the revision panel, I would stay alert, this berg has a history of mucking things up, and this caper is primed to be mucked up by the politicos. We shall see.

~~~

Madame Olga rang up Cobina t’other day, and we got to talking about things that might happen after the foist of the year. With the election of candidates in the odd year, the new town committees are elected the next even year. Well, that’s what we talked about, and Olga said her crystal ball wasn’t givin’ any secrets thus far.

On the Demmie side, the election gave the Rossi faction full control of the wheel of state, if yew will, and it’s thought that it will perty much lock up the Democratic Town Committee when those selections are done in February. The caucus is held, and effen there are contested seats in the various districks they go to primary. Over the last few years, we’ve had a citywide primary virtually every two years since the 1990s. That’s how segmented the Demmies are.

Come that caucus, we wonder effen there will be a primary come March. Who knows? With things the way they are and people still not talking to each other, it’s always a possibility. However, this time it’s with Rossi and her people fully in control of the throttle.

~~~

Olga had some things to say about the Republican Town Committee, though. She’s fully seeing that there will be some intramural high jinx between those supporting Pat Libero, the current chairman, and those who were supportive of Michele Gregorio, the defeated GOP mayoral candidate.

As yew remember, there was a close vote in the July caucus betwixt Gregorio and Steven Mullins. It perty much split the 60-member panel, and led to the foist GOP primary for mayor in memory. Gregorio took the vote, but that didn’t mean that everyone made nice afterwards. There are still some perty ticked off individuals.

How this plays out after the New Year is anyone’s guess. Olga seems to think things ain’t gonna smooth over jest yet, and that, probably, there will be something that might lead to a primary in March. Won’t that be interesting? Our reporter Josh LaBella uncovered some real distrust betwixt the sides, so it’ll be interesting to see effen that distrust lasts. We shall see.

~~~

With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,

Thanksgiving is over for another year, and now we move onto the Christmas season. No, not holiday season, Felicia Navalance: Christmas. Season. We don’t say Happy Holidays for any other season, and we shouldn’t do it here. If people feel like they’re being treated as “second-class citizens,” I’d say they have more problems than whether it’s Christmas or not. In fact, I’d say it’s their problem, not anyone else’s.

Tennyrate, here in the berg the fack that Thanksgiving was about the latest it could be, it butted up against the biennial rite of passage that this city has every odd year: inauguration of the new administration. The charter calls for the inaugural to be the foist Sunday in December. That happened to be Dec. 1. By the by, did you say “rabbit!” on Sunday. Nope? Neither did Cobina.

And the activities of the weekend were setch that not only was it Turkey Day, the tree-lighting took place on the Green on Saturday night as well.

That was a big success by the looks of it. Gabby Murrillo did the honors in lighting the tree, and there was an afternoon-long festival on the Green until the honors were done. Cobina happened by there Saturday night and there was quite a throng out there, with most of the Green cordoned off for the hayrides and other features. So, that was checked off the box of things to do.

Sunday, at the new WHHS auditorium, the new administration was sworn in during the only event that even comes close to pomp and circumstance around here, with the exception of graduation. With all the color and ceremony we could muster, the new administration was sworn in.

Sammy Bluejay was perched near the dais, and had a few pernted commints to make.

~~~

Sammy noted that this year’s crop o’ council people had that look of excitement that he sees all the time. That gleam will probably turn to glaze once the tedium of the job begins to set in on them. The City Council does some interesting things, but, really, most of what it does is perty humdrum. The job has its share of late nights and there’s always the fun of dealing with John and Jane Q. They can be nice neighbors or real terrors, depending on the issues.

Of course, the foist thing the council will set out to do is elect a chairman. Ron Quagliani is, at this writing, expected to be tabbed for the title. He had it last term, and as chairmen go, he was known for being rather fair and easy going. There was little of the in-fighting that one has seen over the years, where the chairmen hafta be boxing referees and gameshow emcees at the same time. Ask some former chairmen, they’ll tell you.

One of the biggest and most interesting thing that has happened is the fack that the GOP will have two, count ‘em, two, members of the council outta the 13 on the list. They elected Barry Lee Cohen in the Tenth Districk, and Colleen O’Connor – the former GOP Town Chairman – as the at-large. One at-large seat goes to the minority under the current charter, and Cohen was able to get by Louise Martone in that districk by sacrificing the soles of his shoes. He won the old-fashioned way, hard work.

In fack, Cohen is gonna be an interesting individual to watch on this panel. To say he doesn’t “suffer fools gladly” is an understatement. He’s smart, cagey and analytical. At least that is the impression Cobina has. And a bit of caginess is not a bad thing when working with the other members.

Sooooo, over the next two years it’s gonna be very interesting to see jest whot transpires on the council and how it reacts or interacts with the new GOP reality. In the past the GOP had one seat, and that perty much meant the member had to sit down and twiddle his or her thumbs whilst the Demmies fought. Sometimes it was comical. The minority member would be sitting all alone at the table whilst a caucus was called, and there was screaming in the back room.

Now the GOP can have its own caucus. It’ll be interesting effen they call a caucus and leave the Demmies out in the big room. We shall see. But keep yore eyes on Cohen. He could provide the grist for our ever-grinding mill.

~~~

Of course, the GOP is a bit of a topic of conversation, regardless. Iva Lootey sez that the wounds that occurred during the election betwixt those working for Steven Mullins and those working for Michele Gregorio have yet to be sutured. In fack, there is still a bit of suspicion betwixt the two factions…factions, would’ve thunk it.

Whatever happens, the GOP did some good work during the last election, and shouldn’t let what should be friendly opposition turn to difficulties. The story writ last week by our own Josh LaBella perty much pernted out the problems the party has to overcome before it could begin to get back into the city’s mainstream.

We’ve been sayin’ it for years. The party has to do an outreach, get rid of dead wood and then move toward being an opposition organization. Some of us are old enuff to remember that Larry Minichino, who eventually became a Repubican mayor, built an entire organization of young folks that led the party to victory.

There were some problems later on, but for the most part, the New Turks, as they were called, did a perty good job, and helped the city during some boom years. The only thing the party needs is a leader it can rally around. The old-timers had the late Ted Adams. They need another.

We’ll keep watchin’ to see what transpires. The ball is in the GOP’s court and what they do with it is important.

~~~

Herrronner, meanwhile, will certainly have a more friendly City Council this go-round. Nelly Nuthatch pernted that out when she visited here the other day. Gone are the hold-overs from the Ed O’Brien ticket, and certainly, the Morrissey faction is only represented by one or two. This means that for the most part the mayor should be able to have more cooperation and less opposition – but we don’t wanna see the council become a rubber stamp.

That is one of the reasons it’s good to have to GOP-ers. With the GOP and the one or two opposition in the Demmie camp, there should be some very interesting debates about issues. The mayor will have the votes should she need them, of course, but the combination of Republican votes and a couple of opposition Demmies will help spur some real debate and real action, not just an easy vote. That’s a good thing, we think.

~~~

Finally, ole Cobina wanted to note that the generosity of our fellow citizens is one o’ the things that makes this berg so special, despite its politics. Several churches, organizations and groups made the holiday special for many from turkey distributions, to the Community Thanksgiving Dinner, to what we know will be special toy collections toward Christmas. It’s a nice thing to see.

Finally, we forgot a bit name in last week’s list o’ turkeys: Patrick Morrissey. Pat has been named in that colyume just for fun for almost 20 years. We somehow forgot – old age, probably. Don’t worry, there’s still Christmas gifts to be given out.

With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this week till next, mitt luff und kizzez,

Here we are in the last week o’ November, and all thoughts are starting to turn toward the big holidays, with Thanksgiving being the beginnin’ in some ways. Here at the papyrus, we’ve noticed that the usual hullaballoo around the political scene has begun to do what it always does around this time – go into a lull.

Especially cuz we have the inaugural coming up wherein the new administration is sworn in – that being this Sunday, oddly enuff, there’s been a bit of an hiatus in matters politic around the berg. Those who were not re-elected for whatever reason are emptying out their desks, getting together whatever mementos they’ve collected and are going off to greener pastures.

One o’ those is Deb Collins. Collins has been a big part o’ the political scene in the berg for the better part o’ two decades. Ensconced in her office as City Clerk, she was able to pull a lotta weight when it came to politics, sometimes for one side, sometimes for t’other. She was always linked with a faction in the tripartite organization that is the Democratic Party here in town; so, gettin’ into fracases concerning the interplay betwixt those factions sometimes got dicey.

It was surprising to many when she determined to thrust herself into the mayoral race, going against a one-term mayor. She had the support of at least one o’ the factions, and possibly the bulk of one other, but she didn’t pull off the tight race we all thought the September primary would be. Instead, she was handily defeated, and she couldn’t even claim that former Mayor Ed O’Brien’s entry into the primary was the source of the plurality that defeated her. Nope. The margin was so big, even that was no excuse.

Still, she has served the city for more than 20 years, and there is always a bit of nostalgia when someone that long serving leaves office. We wish her well, and somehow figger than she will be courting political issues sooner rather than later.

~~~

The Mystick Maidens of the Marsh are ready to celebrate the holiday and have had a general meeting scheduled for the Cove River marshes on Thanksgiving Morning. Tina Peckingham will preside, and the gals are all waiting to see her. The MMMs, one of the longest running organizations in town – and also one of the most disrespected – plan to have a great time before we all trundle back to our homes for dinner.

~~~

As is usual for Thanksgiving, Cobina is ready to give her annual turkeys to the many politicos around town who for one reason or t’other have made life interesting in the place we call the Asylum by the Sea:

Mayor Nancy Rossi – Herronner has certainly deserved this year’s turkey if for no other reason than surviving the slings and arrows that is politics in our little corner of the universe. Still, it’s interesting how the use of phrases can be interpreted. She did have a surplus in the last budget cycle, but, truth to tell, it was enhanced by the Municipal Accountability Review Board’s gift of state dollars. So, her turkey gets a thesaurus attached to a wing. There are many ways to say the same thing, and she’s seemed to master it.

The MARB – The members of the state review panel get their birds plain and without any garnish. The members don’t seem to have any “garnish” when it comes to dealing with the city’s financial problems. They just plow ahead, not thinking about how some of their decisions might affect real people. The “just the facts” attitude means they get their dinners bland, and without anything to make them tasty.

City Council Chairman Ron Quagliani – Foist off, let’s just say that there is no way we’re gonna call him a “chair.” He’s a chairman. Tennyrate, Quags is gonna get his turkey with a set of knives. Try as he might he still can’t figger out how to slice and dice the new charter revisions into several questions. Maybe the cutlery will help.

The outgoing members of the City Council – These guys and gals have only days left in their terms and the new council will come in on Sunday. There turkeys will be dressed according to their willingness to serve the public. Some will get bitter kale to go along with their turkey, whilst others will get apple stuffing to sweeten it.

The Democratic Town Committee – The members of this august body will get their birds with earplugs attached. It seems that whether one is a member of the “right” faction or the “wrong” faction is a big decider of whether one gets heard –same thing when it comes to party. Tennyrate, seein’ as they don’t listen to each other for the betterment of the city, the earplugs might come in handy.

The Republican Town Committee – The recent estrangement on the 60-member committee will mean that their birds are gonna be sent with boxing gloves. It’s amazing how a party that hasn’t seen the mayor’s office since George HW Bush can get itself entangled is setch a squabble. Fight it out and then get to work. The city needs a vibrant second party.

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro Greenburg – Our little lady of the halls of Congress seems a bit silent lately – not something we’re used to around here. We are especially interested since the Demmies are working their impeachment nonsense. Rosa has been almost silent. Soooo, her bird gets a gag. Let’s hope she continues to use it after the holiday.

Congressman Jim Himes – This guy is getting like Dick Blumenthal, our senior senator, he can’t stay off the TV. He needs a bird with running shoes, so he can dash to the TV cameras quicker, not that he has anything interesting to say.

Rose Majestic and Bill Ewry – These people aren’t political, but they do more good than most politicos. Rose is the director of WHEAT, and Bill runs the annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner. Their birds will come with a little adult something or other to enjoy later in the day.

Reporter Josh LaBella – Of course in Italian “la bella” is “the pretty one.” Nope. We’re not making a judgment as to his comeliness. His bird gits a visor to look like an old-time reporter. He’s been around most of the year, and has really become part o’ the scene.

Mike Walsh – The city’s PR maven gets a turkey with a bypass over the city’s quirky email system. If that doesn’t work, there’s a bottle of aspirin with the package.

The Voice owners, staff, columnists – The best for a Happy Thanksgiving.

We are one week to Thanksgiving, honeybunch, this time next week, the Mystick Maidens of the Marsh will be convening under the direction of Tina Peckingham at the Cove River area to celebrate the day with everyone else in the berg. Mama had it right, get by May and the year just flies by. It seems like the weeks are just moving along at a speedy pace.

I hoid a great line t’other day. Remember the great Kitty Carlisle, a socialite who used to be on quiz shows? She lived to about 99. They asked her on her 90th what it was like. Sez she, “It feels like I’m having breakfast every 15 minutes.” Cobina knows the feeling.

Tennyrate, here in the Asylum by the Sea, we’re getting ready for the Turkey Day festivities as we always do. Next week, the WHHS and ND football teams will grace our front page as they have done for publications in this community for almost 50 years. It’s a tradition that we will keep up for as long as we are around.

Of course, with the coming of Thanksgiving in an odd-numbered year, we get ready for the inauguration ceremony of a new administration. As yew recall – and effen yew don’t, we have problems – the election resulted in herronner getting a second term, and bringing in all of her slate. The only Demmie who didn’t win was Louise Martone, whom the Rossi people are quick to pernt out was not one of theirs.

So, the foist Sunday of December by the current charter means they all convene – this time in the new WHHS auditorium probably – and get sworn in for the new administrative year. The council and other boards have been meeting, but not much gits done in these meetings, excep’ of course, effen it can stick it to the incoming people. So far nothing, but yew never know.

The plans for the inauguration ceremony are still being worked out, but in past years it’s been a big do with speakers from the state or fed’ral governmints coming in and giving a rousing oration. It’s the only time we git real pomp and circumstance around here, so it has a bit of pizzazz. As things git announced, we’ll let yew know what is happening.

~~~

With the inauguration, of course, comes a new council. And like I tolt yew before, this is gonna be different for one very big reason: there will be two Republicans on the council for the foist time in many a decade – three to be exack – and that could be a good thing for debate on that body. For too long the GOP had only one person due to the very small consideration minorities are given under the current charter. So, with only one member, effen the Republican had a pertinent pernt about what was being discussed, or had a motion, thing usually died for a second to the motion.

Now, there will be a second to any GOP motion and the body will hafta discuss it. It’s a small thing, but over the years, it’s been a pernt of frustration. Republicans sometimes see the problems in the trifurcated Democratic Party and the in-squabbling they are known for. They can dissect the problem, but are ignored, cuz yew know as well as I do, effen yew have anything but a “D” after your moniker, you are just whistling in the wind. No longer.

~~~

Sammy Bluejay fluttered by and sez that Bill Ewry and his group over at the First Congregational Church are moving apace to present the eighth version of this Community Thanksgiving Dinner. Whilst it is the eighth under this iteration, it goes back to the 1990s. This current group has it cuz the previous group, under WHEAT, had to get back to basics. Luckily, Bill and his entourage took it over in a seamless transition, and people in the berg are able to have a nice dinner at the Fellowship Hall. Sammy sez he will be perched outside come the big day.

~~~

Whilst all the planning is going on for Thanksgiving, remember that another big event happens on the weekend – the Christmas tree lighting. No, it ain’t a holiday tree, it’s a Christmas tree, and those bleeding hearts who don’t like it can allow it to ruin their holiday – whatever it is they are celebrating.

Also Hanukkah starts just a few days before Christmas this year, on Dec. 22, so there is something to look forward to that week. It’s always a nice celebration for our community.

As I told yew last week, the boys and girls of the DPW have been workin’ on the Green for days trying to git things ready for the tree lighting. Cobina traversed by there a day or two ago, and noticed that things weren’t finished but they will be.

~~~

Iva Lootey, meanwhile, came over for tea t’other day, and as we are wont to do, we began discussing politics. Iva had some interesting observations. He noted last week’s discussion of the GOP and the in-fighting that seemed to be happening therein during the last campaing – infighting that certainly did not help its candidates.

It’s Iva’s speculation that the 2020 Town Committee elections could be interesting in both parties. Foist the GOP: it seems that whom the party should endorse was a pernt of contention to the point that the losing side – those who really wanted Steven Mullins to run – kind of backed off a bit, according to members of the GOP, those who supported eventual candidate Michele Gregorio.

Well, with the tensions bubbling up, Iva seems to think that when the Republican Town Committee meets after the foist of the year to determine the new committee, there might be some fireworks and maybe even a primary. You’d hafta go back many, many moons to determine when the last primary for GOP seats on that panel was held – maybe in the time of Al Conte?

That could set the stage for something. There has been talk of overhaul of the town committee, but as Iva pernted out, that’s talk we’ve all heard before. Still, effen there are fireworks over who the next leaders are, there might be reason to believe fireworks are on the horizon. Gregorio for the time being IS this party leader by virtue of her candidacy. It’ll be very interestin’ to see what happens.

Iva had things to say about the Demmies, too. Back in 2017, the Rossi faction – that’s what it should be called, not the Picard faction anymore – perty much swept into the majority o’ seats on the Democratic Town Committee. It was a primary effen yew remember, and it didn’t go anywhere near what people – including Rossi’s own people – thought it would. She parlayed her election win into a big majority on the 60-member committee.

Here we are two years later, and she not only beat a primary challenge by two candidates in September by goodly margins, she got 60 percent of the vote three weeks ago. That puts her faction in the cat bird seat for this go-round. One wonders effen there will be a primary for the DTC this time. Effen the two other factions, Morrissey and Borer, don’t primary, it will be the foist time in almost 25 years that setch a thing hasn’t been attempted. It seems like every other March we’re having a primary for primacy on the DTC.

We shall see.

With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close mitt luff und kizzez,

The month is rolling and we’re gettin’ closer to Turkey Day. That is exhibited by the fack that Sammy Bluejay was flutterin’ about the Green t’other afternoon and the angels and toy soldiers are out and the preparations for the annual tree-lighting on the center square are proceeding as usual. Whilst that is goin’ on, the cold weather is comin’ perty much the way we thought it might – with a vengeance. The forecasters say we’re gonna be in the midst of a cold snap by the time yew git this missive, and we should expeck frosty weather for the next lit’le while. Before yew know it, snow will be on the ground, and the holiday season will be in full force.

The election last week, dearie, went perty much as the professionals thought. That is, herronner won a second term from the voters by a 60-40 margin. Things went off well, but there were a couple surprises. For the foist time in almost three decades, the GOP will have more than one voice on the City Council, and be able to second a motion. That’s something that we ain’t seen since George H.W. Bush’s term.

Louise Martone, who the Demmies supporting the incumbent will tell you wasn’t one o’ their people, got beat in the Tenth Districk by Barry L. Cohen. Of course, we suspeck the Rossi people helped along the way. Still, it was a special feat we’ll discuss below.

How this recent election fits in the balance o’ power in the Demmie house is still to be seen. This is the most recent time the so-called Picard branch of the Party – witch I guess we now hafta call the Rossi Branch – completely smoked the two other appendages. These things are cyclical as we know from past history, but still, it’ll be interestin’ to see how things play out over the next couple o’ years.

~~~

With the publication in last week’s papyrus of the changes in the City Charter, the move toward a vote becomes more apparent. Until last week, the talk about the charter was all abstract. This made it real. The thing to remember is that last week’s election might very well be the last of its kind. The new charter calls for a total reorganization of the city’s government, and makes the mayor a member of the City Council as foist amongst equals. The day-to-day administration of the city would go to a city manager.

Some of the other changes are more by attrition. The new charter, if passed, would mean that credentials would be needed for city department heads, getting rid of the spoils system we now have – eventually.

When this thing is gonna be voted on is anyone’s guess. I know that the April Presidential Preference primary is the date some people on the council are pushin’ for, but it remains to be seen if that can be done under the state’s regulations. We shall see.

~~~

The wag wrote Cobina a missive, and she thought she’d shre it with you:

“The West Haven Republican Town Committee (RTC) continues its attempts to hide or heal wounds that have been exposed after an election season that witnessed only modest gains. Instead of unifying after a contentious primary, some noted that the pent-up hostility of Chairwoman Pat Libero spilled over into deeper divisions between the party’s factions. After months of tension between Libero and GOP mayoral candidate, Michele Gregorio, both put on a good front the last couple of weeks of the campaign. However, the die had already been cast, as the party had been crippled from what is now acknowledged by many as a primary that caused irreparable divisions within the RTC.     

“Barry Lee Cohen and Silvanna Apicella received virtually zero support from the Republican Town Committee (RTC). As some may recall, Cohen, RTC Vice-Chairman, and now also Councilman-elect of the 10th District, supported the endorsed candidate, Michele Gregorio, while Libero backed Steve Mullins in the primary. Apicella ran an energetic, yet unsuccessful bid for 8th district councilwoman.

“Some RTC members are quietly calling out Libero’s lack of leadership and poor management of the under ticket which has added more flames to the fire of discontent. Furthermore, some candidates were disgruntled and dismayed with the delayed and often inadequate support provided. Line cards of the under ticket WITHOUT including its top of the ticket, Michele Gregorio? Lawn signs that subjugated the district council candidates in small type on the bottom of signs? A good number of candidates refused to use these materials, while voters scratched their heads as to why the GOP had limited exposure on the streets.

In the meantime, we are wondering why the chairman of what some call the Pity Party has yet to publically congratulate Cohen for his hard-earned win. It’s the first time in 28 years (thereabouts; since Clem Engeliste left office) that a GOPer has won a district seat outright. Reviewing his social media, Cohen is thankful and looking forward to serving every neighbor in his district.

Make no mistake, Gregorio’s gallant attempt at being elected mayor also brought to light the critical need for the RTC to clean house if they ever stand a chance to expand its footprint on the Asylum by the Sea.

~~~

With the new slate of council people coming into office in a couple o’ weeks – remember, the inauguration of the new administration is the foist Sunday in December — one wonders effen our Gripe Vine gal, Eleanore Turkington, will get more — or less – cooperation from the membership.

It must be remembered that whilst most of the members were very cooperative after the Rossi administration punted the responsibility of districk complaints to the various council seats, there was a stubborn minority that felt it didn’t need to answer to anyone – and it didn’t.

With new voices and new people on the council, one would hope that the woik that Turkington does with the people who read this papyrus will be a shared responsibility by those who asked the voters to come out and support them. Yew’d think so, no?

~~~

Iva Lootey came by and opined that it might be his imagination, but there seems to be more For Sale signs out this fall than at any time in the last few years. One o’ the reasons, he averred was the fack that the city is now undergoing revaluation again, and that, with the guaranteed tax increase under the five-year plan, people are lookin’ to get out. There could be something to that.

Cobina has been traversing the berg in the gassamobuggy and has noticed more and more signs are up. The last time that happened this way, the city was the worse off for it. Most of the new owners don’t live here, they buy the properties as investments, and don’t care who comes in. Over the last several decades the city’s residents have been poorer, less educated and more transient. That means that they don’t have a vested interest in there domiciles. That spells more trouble for those of us who have stayed in the berg.

We hoped gentrification would happen a while ago, but it hasn’t. About a decade ago many people from Westchester County were coming into town, they saw our high taxes as lower than what they were used to, and it looked like things were gonna change. They didn’t.

~~~

With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,

Well sweets, by the time yew git this missive, the Election of 2019 will be in the books. As I scribe this week’s installment of this almost-50-year communication we’ve had with one another, I am struck by the fack that things in the berg are perty quiet for the days before an election. It ain’t that I’m pining for the days when we had primaries that weren’t decided until Election Day – like in 1980, but it is that there jest wasn’t the excitement that we had for elections.

As I said, I ain’t sure who is winning this go-round. I hafta give Michele Gregorio credit, she was a good candidate, and really tried to take it to the Demmies. Whether that was enuff is to be seen, and you’ll know when you git this.

As an aside, let’s hope – and I know I’ve said this before – that this election was a springboard for the resurgence of the city’s Republican Party. Since the 1990s – with the debacle that was the Clem Evangeliste years – the party has been perty much an after-thought. One would hope that, regardless of this year’s results, the party does something that will boost its numbers and its visibility in town – and not just at election time.

Sammy Bluejay did perch himself outside GOP headquarters and did say that there was some activity. He did indicate however, that all was not well with the party, and that there was some in-fighting going on. Why that would be in a party that hadn’t won an election in almost 30 years is beyond Cobina’s comprehension, but there it is.

The party has to do something to get a presence in town. For too long it’s been a word we’ve used before “moribund.” Gregorio gave it a bit of oomph, and the Oomph Factor is a big deal in trying to rebuild something. But in this case, the term “rebuild” means that maybe it’s time to start from scratch.

Meanwhile, Sammy did indicate that there is some Demmie support for Gregorio, and effen that translates into votes, this thing, which I have a feeling is closer than we think, could be even more interesting.

The unions ain’t a friend of the incumbent cuz they think their perks are in jeopardy – perks, setch as they are. The unions, meanwhile, should know that Gregorio is more aggressive on cutting spending. So, it might be the “devil you know,” rather than the challenger. At the pernt of this writing, who knows.

The Demmies, meanwhile, are as split as they’ve ever been, and that was borne forth in the primary in September. There ain’t any way these boys and girls are ever gonna get along. That in itself is a story to be told. But it still is a matter of somehow or t’other the politicos in that party fight with each other for some kind o’ power. The only power is in hiring, and that has to be where the attraction is, I guess.

Meanwhile the city is near bankrupt, the infrastructure is fallin’ apart and the city’s neighborhoods are getting seedier and seedier.

Here endeth the rant.

~~~

Didja hear the wind last week during that storm? Cobina did. In fack, a dead tree jest the next yard over from Cobina’s domicile crashed in the middle of the night. Honey bunch, m’self as lived at the same spot for a long time. That was some o’ the worst wind I’ve ever witnessed. I made sure the feline was in for the night, though she wanted out, and we battened down the hatches. The house actually shook a couple o’ times.

Whilst that is going on, Iva Lootey told me that the city perty much withstood a lotta the wind, but there were some big trees that came down after we had about two inches o’ rain. The leaves too have been fallin’ at a better-than-steady rate, and effen yore lookin’fer color, forget about it. It’s over. That gray sky is becomin’ more and more common and the furnace has been hummin’ for the better part o’ two weeks. I know that Iva likes to hole himself up in the livin’ room of his own domicile at these times, and he probably watches Hallmark Channel and all those Christmas movies that have started up.

Meanwhile, it’s jest about the time that Mikey Walsh sends out his reminder about snow parking rules. Once that happens, it’s time to get the winter coats outta mothballs.

~~~

With the new election, there is gonna be a new crop o’ council people. Some o’ the people now sitting on the panel will be leavin’ with the inauguration of the new administration – which as yew remember is the First Sunday in December, so it’s not far away.

One of the people who’ll be happy with the new faces is our own Eleanore Turkington. She is the scribe that pens the Gripe Vine colyume, and there have been one or two officials who have been rather….slow….in responding to constituents’ complaints or gripes. The administration put in the dictum two years ago that instead of the Actors Colony answering gripes, the individual council members would handle them. It started off a bit rocky, but it got better with time.

That is, excep’ for a couple o’ the membership, who jest could not be bothered to answer. Well, one or two of the major culprits have lost their seats and won’t be around to ignore the voters. Somehow, that seems like a bit of poetic justice.

~~~

The wag did come in again this week, and did mention – yet again – that with a little luck this will be the last election the city will have under the current charter – and the current form of government. As I told yew last week, the current mayor-council form of government was altered when West Haven became a city back in the 1960s.

The new charter, effen it is approved by the voters of this fair city will forever alter the makeup of the way business is done – and change the way politics is done as well. And, that m’lady is the reason that the power-brokers in this berg are none too thrilled with it.

It’s still up in the air how this whole thing is gonna be voted upon. There is some talk about using the Presidential Preference Primary in April, but there has been rumblings that setch a thing is prohibited by law in the People’s Republic of Connecticut. We shall see.

And, of course, there are fears that the length of time betwixt the council approval – which was weeks ago—and the actual ballot could give the politicos time to deep-six the entire venture. Again, we shall see.

With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt my usual luff und kizzez,