Well honeybunch, here we are in fall, autumn, after summer, whatever you wanna call it. Before yew know it, the leaves are a gonna be on the ground, and we’ll be takin’ the winter coats outta moth balls. Trees are already showin’ color. We’re getting some cool nights. But enuff about the weather, there are some interestin’ tidbits going on in the berg. And, Cobina will tell yew about somethin’ very unusual – but somethin’ that makes yew wonder who it didn’t happen before.
The youngsters at the high school had a gridiron game t’other night – the foist one o’ the year. Iva Lootey sez that things were going along when the coach for the visiting team came out to the center o’ the field and yelled something like, “Your lights are on fire.”
Up in one o’ the light towers there was, in fack, a little blaze erupting. That kind o’ put the halt to the contest, and brought members of the fire brigade to put out the flames.
For years a momma osprey has been setting up her nests in one o’ the light towers at Ken Strong Stadium, according to Iva. This has been going on for a decade or more. Well, once momma has her chicks, and they leave the nest, the remains of it are left until next year.
When she comes back in 2020, she’s gonna hafta start from scratch. But the postscript is that the school was told the lights had to be inspected to see what damage was done, and played the Friday night contest at Veterans Field. Yew can’t make this stuff up.
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Nelly Nuthatch was in and thought it was very quiet on the campaign front. Some three weeks after the primary, one would think that now we’re headin’ into October things would be heating up. Nope. It’s been quieter than an English gentlemen’s club. Nary a word has been exchanged betwixt the two gentleladies in the race.
From Cobina’s perspective that ain’t a good thing for the challenge candidate, Michelle Gregorio. Effen she wants to unseat the incumbent she’s gotta start doing it like the death of 1000 cuts. Each week, two or three times a week, she’s gotta come up with positions and polemics that are gonna make her different, and she’s not done it so far.
Meanwhile, as the barristers say, “Silence means consent.” The more silent things are the more it plays in the favor of Herronner as we git closer to the big day. That ain’t the way these things are supposed to go.
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Sammy Bluejay has been surveying the way the two parties are knitting back together – or not – follying the primary. Over on the GOP side to start, there is still a lotta angst betwixt the two factions that worked for votes.
Sammy sez that the charges and counter-charges, threats and setch, were not good for the group, and have many people wonderin’ what in blazes they signed up for. Remember, politics in our burg is a blood sport. So, it’s gonna be interesting effen the GOP can put itself back together and back the one candidate. In this regard history is kind o’ against it.
Meanwhile, Sammy sez that the primary, while it seems to have settled the question as to where the voters want the party to go, ain’t necessarily resolved the internal squabbles that the group has been known for since the place separated from Orange.
The factions still don’t like each other, and the supporters of Collins and O’Brien are shrinking back. But, don’t git the impression they’re over it. Nope. Effen history is any indicator, they are just licking their wounds, and getting ready for the next go-round. The more things change, the moret hey stay the same.
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Last week I made mention o’ the council members who seem to disregard the complaints made by their constituents in our Gripe Vine colyume. It seems that Eleanore Turkingon has taken up the gauntlet as well. Some members of the council are jest ignoring each and ev’ry isshew that is brought their way. One wonders effen they care if they git re-elected?
More to the pernt they probably think their re-election is in the bag, and why should they be bothered with the complaints of people who put them into office? It’s an old story. Then when people have had enuff and decide it’s time for a change, the politicos act as if they’ve been blindsided. Our experience is setch that yew can always see why the voters git angry…it jest takes ‘em a bit o’ time.
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The wag came in t’other afternoon, and wanted to talk about Charter Revision. I guess it’s gonna be a few months before the question goes before the voters, and that gives the local political establishment time to marshal their forces and look to torpedo the whole thing.
Whilst the council seems perty upfront and OK with the recommendations made by the Charter Revision Commish, there are some politicos who are really upset the game rules are gonna be changed. They like the way the game is played now.
Effen the city goes to a manager-council form of government, the chicanery and “spoils” that the leaders are used to will probably change. Yew can’t pressure a city manager to hire a trusted hack the way yew can in a mayor-council form of government.
But the bigger question is even more interesting. We hoid from one o’ the meetings that effen the city goes to a manager, the council is really intent on getting rid of the mayor’s position. Why put in another elected official, when you can make the chairman of the council the de facto chief elected officer. There is something to be said for that position, one just wonders effen the Charter Revision Commish will take it under consideration.
Some think the commish is being hard line. That really ain’t the case. What it is trying to do is make the case that the city needs a fresh start in order to get its house in order, and that to make too many “tweaks” might bring up things that no one expected, and could have a ripple effeck.
As one commish member said, everything is inter-related, touch one thing and it has an effect on something else.
We can’t wait to see how this all plays out.
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And to keep our observations going, it’s another week and we still ain’t seen anything over at the Haven site. There has been some talk that things are gonna start until after election cuz the politicos don’t wanna make it an isshew – or play the old “backhoe in front of the sign” routine.
That shouldn’t happen, though, cuz the Haven developers are marching to their own drummer, and are tone deaf to what goes on here. That’s why we’re wondering when something will happen. They play things soooo close to the vest we wonder effen they are even thinking about when to start.
We’re headin’ into October, and a letter went out to businesses in the area at the first of the year, saying that demolition would happen in March. The DOT put the kibosh on that, but did approve the traffic plan later. Since then we woudn’t want to hang as long as we’ve been waiting for the next move.
With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,