Howdy, sweets. As October winds down, and November is ready to kick in, the final stages of this year’s “election cycle” as the talking heads like to call it these days is also winding down Until the polls close next week, however, we’re gonna be bombarded with all kinds o’ ads and phone calls. Cobina still has a land line in her domicile, and why she keeps it, I don’t know.
We went with a cell phone a while back cuz we had to, but kep’ the phone number and phone we’ve had since 1980. Tennyrate, the only calls that have been comin’ over the old apparatus are campaign calls, and, of course, stuff for power source companies and the like. Only two people Cobina knows really use the land line anymore. She is considering getting rid of it, but there’s something quaint about it…but not the price.
So, besides the usual litany of candidates in this year’s election, including for Prexy, the residents o’ this community have a big decision on the charter. And like a bold outta the blue, there comes a group that is against the changes proposed. That’s fine, but why can’t they be more honest about what they really object to. This is Cobina’s gripe with most campaigns, and it ain’t one that Eleanore Turkington can figger out.
The changes proposed by the Charter Revision Commish are big, very big. Why didn’t these opponents make their objections known during the process? No, they wait until later. But, that ain’t the big gripe. The big thing seems to be the bumper sticker about saving one’s vote, or saving democracy, or some setch folderol. No one is losing a vote, and no one is losing democracy. People actually get to vote for more people.
The biggest difference is that the mayoral slot will be diminished to the role of chairman of the City Council, whilst the day-to-day stuff goes to a city manager. One can debate the ins and outs o’ that, but why the bumper sticker? We know why. It’s better to scare people than get into the weeds.
Whether the charter revision is passed or not really ain’t the point anymore. It’s the fack that a real debate on the isshew was never had, and opponents really don’t – at least not that we’ve seen – put forth more than a scare-tactic argument. Although, the lawn signs are more honest. They don’t want the city manager.
As I said before, the only difference here is the political establishment in this berg don’t wanna learn new rules to a new game. They figgered out long ago how to game the system, and are very happy with it. The fack the city has been a mess for the better part of 30 years don’t seem to faze them. They still think there’s power to be wielded, though for the life o’ me, I can’t figger out where.
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Sammy Bluejay came by to give an update on two things going on in the city. Over at the Haven, two buildings have been torn down, the former gas stations, one that was a convenience store in its last years. That’s all so far, but we’ve been told that more things are gonna be seen.
We said a few weeks back, we’re glad the city is holding its right to abandon Water Street over the heads of the developers. That will give the powers that be a bit more clout than effen they didn’t We shall see what’s what as far as future demolitions. Nobody’s heard of any stores being rented, but that don’t mean it ain’t gonna happen. The developers have played their cards very close to the vest, and don’t wanna give out too much info. We shall continue to monitor over there. Sammy takes a flutter that way every day.
The second thing he mentioned was the work that began on Beach Street near the Wastewater Plant *that’s what we used to call the “sewer plant,” but such direct titles are not in vogue anymore. It’s considered “declasse.” Sammy reports that the roadbed is being raised over there cuz that’s where the swamp and the road seem to sink. Many a heavy rain as caused the street to be closed.
Well, the roadbed is not several feet above where it used to be, and we can see that new piping has been included. The rest of the project should be interesting cuz, effen mem’ry serves, this is supposed to move west toward the Morse Park area to raise the road there about seven feet. Flooding there, and erosion from various storms has made it a top priority.
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Nelly Nuthatch came in t’other afternoon and wondered effen the usual suspects are gonna have a Community Thanksgiving Dinner this year of Covidtide. The committee usually puts something together around this time for Thanksgiving, and people who have nowhere to go, or just people who want to have a community event are invited.
Bill Ewry and group have handled the thing over the last several years, and it’s always held at the Fellowship Hall of First Church. Iyam sure we’ll hear, yay or nay, about the dinner. Most things have been postponed or outright canceled, and we wouldn’t be surprised effen this is give a deep-six. Who knows, it might go virtual!
We do see that several groups are collecting for the West Haven Emergency Assistance Taskforce, known in these parts as WHEAT. That is good to see. We should be collecting for things and trying to help our neighbors even in this time of pandemic.
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We saw an interesting joke around. Evidently, some of the medical experts are saying dinner gatherings should be limited to six or less, even for Thanksgiving, but funerals can be 60 or more (effen this joke is to be believed). Tennyrte, the meme is: Dinners limited to six; funerals up to 60. On Thanksgiving Day I am having a funeral for my pet turkey. Refreshments will be provided.
Gotta keep yore humor, honeybunch.
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Iva Lootey came in the other day and sez that things in the local system seem to be better than in most places. We’ve seen schools in the state closed for a couple o’ days or closed for weeks due to outbreaks of the virus. This area seems to be seeing a rise in some cases, but not a big “spike.”
The school superintendent, Neil Cavallaro, mentioned that the schools are even looking to expand their day from four hours to more. After about two months of the current schedule, one would think that the day could be expanded without too much trouble. Effen they ain’t getting sick in four hours, why would they get sick in six?
It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out. Of course, the cynic in Cobina makes me wonder effen after Tuesday next, whether a sharp decrease in cases will occur overnight. Remember, there are two forces here: the more cases places have, the more fed’ral money gets pumped into their coffers. So, a lotta people are noticing that effen a person passes away for some other reason, and has COVID, the reason given is COVID. Also, the politics of it can’t be discounted. Yes, I think some of this has to do with the election. Doesn’t everything?
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With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this week till next, mitt luff und kizzez,