Well sweetie pie, effen I was a bettin’ kind, I’d say we are finally gittin’ out of this lockdown, which a local cleric termed, “Covid-tide,” and might actually be going back to normal. I hafta say effen traffic on the I-95 corridor betwixt Greenwich and New Haven is any indication, the people have decided the lockdown is over – regardless o’ what His Excellency, the Governor decides.
In fack, the Wag was here t’other afternoon for tea – don’t worry we kep’ our distance – and sez he watched one o’ the Gov’s pressers regarding the Wuhan Flu and said the only thing that came to his mind was a song from the early 1950: First you say you do, and then you don’t; and then, you say you will, and then you won’t; you’re undecided now. So, whattaya gonna do?
It fits, the guy has gone back-and-forth so many times, he’s like an oscillating fan. He wanted the job, but yew can tell, he’s a bit outta his ken on this. He wanted to tell people how to live their lives – that’s what guys like him do – but, when push came to shove and it didn’t have to do with money, he was and is at sea. Meanwhile, don’t git the Wag started on the abdication of responsibility on the part o’ the General Assembly. Those people should be docked their pay.
We see barber shops and salons are no open, and most are taking appointments to get a trim or a perm to keep the shops “socially distant.” And, the restaurants will be open soon with outdoor service. Let’s jest hope the weather, which can’t decide effen it’s March or June, gets warm for good.
Interestingly, whilst the Memorial Day Parade was axed, and the July 3 fireworks canceled, the one event that we ain’t hoid about, so far, is the Savin Rock Festival. That was supposed to make a return this year, and it is usually toward the end o’ July. Nothing definite seems to be coming out – yet. Somethin’ tells me they are trying very hard to keep one event open for the public this year. People are getting very restless.
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Sammy Bluejay perched himself on the window t’other afternoon, and said he’d been breezin’ by the Haven Project to see exactly what – if anything – is going on over there. Well, effen you think it’s demolition, think again. Maybe it’s cuz o’ the lockdown, but nothing is really happening over there.
Now, Water Street was closed off as was the last block o’ Main Street, which is gonna be part o’ this shopping mall when and if it ever gits built. The street was closed off a few weeks ago, and a chain-link fence surrounds everything, whilst the street is blocked by concrete bumpers.
There is no demolition going on, but it seems the local fire brigade is using some o’ the structure for some on-the-job training. Sammy saw some members of the brigade climing ladders and walking a roof or two.
We’ll give it the benefit o’ the doubt and say that the COVID-19 lockdown is the reason for this delay, but we’ll see.
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Of course, one o’ the big happenings last week, was the announcement of the Beach Street rehab funding that came via the General Assembly. About $5 million smackers are gonna be put toward the projeck, which will raise the roadbed of the thoroughfare about seven feet. It’s an attempt to protect it from the erosion that happens over there constantly.
You remember in 2012-13, erosion had almost wiped out the road, and undermined some drain and sewer pipes that happen to be placed over there. It was a dangerous situation. The beach was rebuilt, but here we are some years later, and erosion over the winter has begun to expose the rebuild, and the beach sand that was put down has been cut into perty badly. Soooo, this comes at a good time. It’s been three years since the project was announced. Mayor Ed O’Brien was in office then.
Let’s hope the whole thing goes off without a hitch. Still, it’s gonna be interesting how this is gonna be constructed. That is a major ingress to the city shoreline, and the ripple effecks during construction will be something to watch.
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Iva Lootey came in last week and was reporting about the graduation ceremonies the local high school kids are gonna have. You couldn’t blame these youngsters effen they feel somewhat snake-bit. The year starts off OK, but before you know it, West Nile Virus and mosquitos become the first problem. Things that should be standard fare for after-school hours had to be either canceled or rescheduled for sunlight hours cuz o’ the outbreak.
Then we git by that and before you can say Happy New Year, this Chinese Virus comes along and all the plans the class had for itself going into the final months of the school year were put on ice, and then perty much canceled…or so they thought.
I guess the prom is gonna be a bit later, and is scheduled for August, which is nice, they don’t hafta miss that. But I gotta say, whoever came up with idea for the drive-in graduation ceremony June 29 and 30, kudos. That was thinking outside the box.
The kids are gonna have a “virtual” graduation on the correck date, which is June 12. It will have pre-recorded speeches and the things one associates with similar events. Of course, the passing of diplomas can’t happen. That’s where minds got together and came up with a good plan. It ain’t the best, but it’s making lemonade outta these lemons.
The kids will have a drive-in graduation, with cars going in procession along the perimeter of the high school, and the kids will be allowed to exit their vehicles and git their diplomas. The details of it are in today’s papyrus, but like I said, kudos. It certainly is something these youngsters can tell their own kids some dqy.
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One more thing, I see is the Gripe Vine someone was talking about the deplorable condition of the portable facilities along the Boardwalk. Our editor, who jogs by there now that it is again open, saw for himself the filthy condition. But, with the reopening of the park, the potties must have been put back on schedule, cuz they were cleaned, and two more were added – maybe until they out building over there can be open. Soooo, there was a letter in this week about it, and it was taken care of. Things seem to be somewhat back to normal.
People are using the park, and others we see. How about reinstalling the hoops on the basketball courts? The kids do need something to do, yew know. Effen they ain’t sick by now, they probably aren’t gonna be. We hafta get back to real life sooner or later.
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With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,