The summer is trooping along, honey bunch. A certain acquaintance let Cobina know that in other parts o’ the country school is starting at the end of the month, particularly down south. And a sure sign that summer is heading into the Dog Days is the Savin Rock Festival coming next week. It jest seems like yew and I were hailing the fack that June 1 was rolling around. Before yew know it, the leaves are gonna start turning and we’ll be complaining about how cold it’s getting and not that it’s hotter than Hades outside.
Nelly Nuthatch reminded me that this is the thirty-sixth festival, and it is hard to believe that many of the good people who made that opening pitch for the event have gone onto “a farther shore and greater light,” as they say.
Tennyrate, things will start percolating down at the Grove with rides going up and stands and tents popping up like mushrooms all over the grove. Yew and I aren’t gonna be around 36 summers from now, that’s for sure, but in the 40-odd years we’ve been corresponding back and forth, we’ve seen a lotta changes around here. Some were good, most not so good. But the festival was one of the good ones.
~~~
As Iyam writing this week’s missive, I have before me a letter writ by Vic Hogfeldt to the persona who is supposed to be the arbitrator of his case against the school system. In it, he’s letting the arbitrator know that in no way does he accept the fait accompli of an arbitration hearing cuz he never asked for nor approved one from his attorney.
The school system, believing the school bored is incompetent to know the extent of the issues involved in Vic’s case has been pushing for the arbitration cuz the powers that be wanna git rid o’ Vic yesterday. He’s been a canker sore on the persons of the powers, particularly since he brought up all that dirty laundry that seems to be part of his union’s history…or so he sez.
Vic wants a hearing before the entire Bored and in an open setting. That’s especially not what is wanted by the powers. Hogfeldt can bring up things that will buffer his case. Remember, as I’ve been saying for a while, look at the time line.
Hogfeldt was a good teacher according to his observations before he had the run-in with the teachers’ union. After the teachers’ union kerfuffle things started to go south, with his case being put into some type of remediation program cuz all of a sudden he’s a lousy teacher.
A jury looking at that bit of evidence is probably gonna look askance at powers saying they were jest doing their job getting rid of bad wood. That begs the question of how he stayed so long and with such good reviews.
Stay tuned, it’s gonna get even more interesting.
~~~
But there is more controversy outta the school system. It seems that more money than was necessary was taken outta salaries for heath care, and that teachers are owed some overages. Well, there seems to be a snag in the reimbursements, and more than a few teachers are getting annoyed.
Cobina doesn’t have all the info yet, but what we’ve been able to cobble together is that not a little pile of kopecks is owed to the teachers, and the delay came after some assurances were given that the matter would be handled in a prompt manner. When I git more info, I’ll let yew know.
And lest yew think it’s not a matter of discussion, the high school renovation project is in prep work we are gold by Nelly, and things are supposed to start over there. No one is sure when the infamous G-wing is supposed to git the wrecker’s ball, though. The news has been all over the lot for weeks on that score.
Effen I hear anything definite, I’ll let yew know.
~~~
Sammy Bluejay sez that a real difference of opinion is occurring betwixt members of the opposition and the O’Brien administration concerning last week’s MFAC meeting on the city’s financial health. The 45-minute meeting of which our esteemed editor heard the entire tape recording, had the MFAC people liking the fack the city went into debt to pay off the debt.
They also liked the fack that bond for the high school was done and the City Council put in a balanced budget ordinance. We shall see effen that works this year, I guess as it’s the first budget it’s under.
The controversy comes as to what was said regarding the state’s financial condition and the fack that the state still don’t have a budget, and some are figgering we’re gonna go through July without one. The city derives about 38 percent of its total revenues from state sources.
The opposition in the form of Mike Last, who is running on Nancy Rossi’s ticket, is that the state was concerned and not so sanguine about the city expecting so many dollars. The city give the impression, he says, that all is hunky-dory cuz it’s only put in about two-thirds of what it was told to expeck.
The fack the state don’t have a budget, means the city better be looking for ways to cut expenses and doing it now, the MFAC panel did say. We hoid it. Better to make contingency plans now than get caught with one’s bloomers down later.
There is reason for concern, and Sammy seems to think that despite the happy talk and the positive spin the city seems to be putting on the meeting (they did like the fack the city bonded for the debt, etc.), he’s willing to bet that city officials are getting more and more worried as the budget debacle continues in Hartford. I dare-say our guys and gals ain’t the only ones. The matter of state funding has probably turned into a crap shoot with the standoff in the Capitol. Stay tuned.
~~~
Meanwhile, Iva Lootey has let it be known that he has failed in trying to find out when the Haven projeck is gonna begin. Iva has hoid about the possible coming to agreement concerning the final properties over there, and that it might actually jump-start the projeck, which the city needs desperately effen it’s gonna show some progress for anything.
Once again, the third floor of the Actors Colony has that matter on its plate whilst it is concerned with other matters. The Haven could be a rather tetchy subjeck come the primary in September effen nothing happens over there. So far, no backhoe has been placed near the spot as has happened elsewhere in the past, but effen it languishes, it ain’t beyond the realm of possibility.
Effen anything happens, I’ll keep you posted.
~~~
Cobina hasn’t mentioned Beach Street in a while, but it’s still there, and it’s still got the same vacant buildings for sale. The Debonair, the former Chick’s and the former Captain’s Galley are still vacant and still going to seed. As I’ve said before, I am surprised Chick’s didn’t go faster. In the year-and-a-half since it closed I thought some restaurant type would build on the business of the late businessman, but instead it jest stands there.
The Debonair was bought more than four years ago and is no closer to having something done with the property than it was before it was sold, and the Captain’s Galley building is starting to show damage from being vacant for so long. Nature does have its way with setch locations.
Iyam glad I didn’t hold my breath waiting for things to happen.
With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,