Before we start with the description of all things city, I jest wanna tell yew that effen yew try to contact the office, or have tried, this week, it will be hit or miss. Our esteemed editor will be outta the office for a few days as he is at a conference on Long Island. Let’s hope he comes back well rested.
Another reminder, we’re pushing the next issue back to July 22 to keep with our two-a-month schedule. This might hafta be revised later on when school bus schedules come out, but the next issue will be July 22, and then we go every other week from there.
Well honey bunch it’s amazing around these parts. The Centennial Celebration, so-called, is underway and things really got cookin’ over the last week or so. A big shindig was held over at the Old Grove Park and our little papyrus has the story and photos to go with it.
In fack, it seems everything that we are gonna be doin’ over the next little while is putting a “centennial” moniker on jest about everything. As we were scribing this week’s missive, what should our wondering eyes appear but diaper bags for the centennial. There seems to be joke in there somewhere, but Cobina ain’t gonna be the one to bring it up.
The July 3 fireworks won’t happen this year cuz the Centennial Celebration is gonna have them later in the summer, but the good news is the Savin Rock Festival might be making a comeback as well as other things that will be going on. We printed a long description of the events, and as they come about we’ll commit space to them Iyam sure.
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Effen you didn’t see it in the last issue, the city is gonna up the conveyance tax on property sales from .25% to .50% cuz of the enterprise zone designation it would seem. The fack that they’re gonna give developers a tax break effen they come into town means that the city is allowed to double the conveyance tax. The city giveth, the city taketh away, blessed be the name of the city.
We were interested by the responses we got to the matter when we sent out – or our editor sent out – questions regarding it. Y’see with the age of the internet, it is best to have the politicos and setch send back responses. It does stop ‘em from sayin’ they’ve been misquoted or taken outta context. It’s all in black and white on a screen for us to lift and insert into the story.
Tennyrate, the thing that got us chucklin’ was the folly up that was sent. Our query was “we know the city CAN increase the tax, the question is SHOULD it?” The foist response we got was that we are doing what other cities do. Cobina read the quote and was brought back to her childhood of so long ago. The gist of the answer was, “Well, my friends did it.”
As yew can remember, there was the pat answer than every mother had when that statement was a defense, and, in effeck, that’s what the politicos here are saying: others did it, why can’t we? Yew almost wanna say, “If the other cities jumped off a bridge, would you do it, too?” The fearful thing is, maybe they would!
Let’s jest face facks, when it comes to having the ability to raise a levy here or there, no politician is gonna say no. Heck the city, according to herronner, already knows what it’s gonna do with the kopecks collected. So, the real answer is: we can, we did, and we’re gonna spend the money. Full. Stop. Politicos are soooooo predictable.
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Nelly Nuthatch happened to be fluttering by the Beach Street area to get a gander of things, and noted that the beach that was built up in front o’ the former Chick’s restaurant has been eroded away to a fraction o’ what it was. Nelly seems to think it’s almost as exposed as it was after Hurricane Sandy about nine years ago.
That was when the city had to make emergency repairs so that the pipes running along the street didn’t get exposed. Nobody wanted the elements to git to the sewer lines. Tennyrate, Nelly seems to think that somebody might hafta take a look over there. It’s a perty popular area for locals to perch whilst on the shore. It’s one o’ the most active when it comes to swimmers and sunbathers. Let’s hope we don’t have a replay of what happened before.
The area is supposed to git rebuilt – up to seven feet higher than now – in the next few years, but with the state you have to think almost in geologic time. Things aren’t exactly done in a timely fashion.
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As Sammy Bluejay pernted out, this is the calm before the political storm that will brew over the summer until the primary in September. With the turn of the calendar, the political parties are gonna be scheduling their caucuses for the purpose of putting together candidate slates. Of course, we know already that the Demmies will be participating in a three-way primary. Herronner made it official three weeks ago, thus ensuring a three-way race.
Before she announced, former O’Brien Executive Assistant John Lewis announced his intention to seek the nod, and ole Ed O’Brien himself determined that he wants to take yet another run at the office.
No one expecks that there will be an upset when the Democratic Town Committee meets later in the month. That means that petitions and petitioners will be out in force lookin’ for signatures to get the other two on the ballot. Even though the outcome is perty much assured, yew know surer than shootin’ something is gonna happen that will give drama to the event. Happens every time, and Cobina wouldn’t be surprise if it happens, she’d be surprised effen it don’t.
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Sammy also pernted out that the Republican caucus will happen and we’re all still waiting to see or hear effen the aethereal Mr. X will come outta the shadows and become a challenger or the only announced candidate, Barry Lee Cohen.
As I’ve told yew before, when Cohen announced there was talk of another candidate coming down the pike. That hasn’t happened yet, and some are wonderin’ effen it ever will? We’ve heard some names being thrown around, but don’t think it’s right to make those names public – at least not at this pernt.
Well, we’ve only got a few more days to wonder, and then it’ll either happen, or it won’t. I jest have a feeling there is more to this episode than we’re being led to believe. Call it a hunch – or experience on how things happen in this burg.
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Before we forgit, the youngster over at West Haven High had their graduation ceremony jest before we came out with our edition last time. The weather had forced it to be postponed until after press time. So, we have some pics here and hope that the grads find life a bowl o’ cherries. You’ve go a lot ahead of you. Let’s hope all the decisions you make are the right ones, and all the dreams you have come true.
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Cobina found herself pining for the good ole days, when the fire districk budget meetings were more volatile, and the budgets subjeck to referendums. Remember that, Felicia? It seems like yesterday, but was more than that. Over the last few years, probably more than a decade, things have been rawther quiet concerning the fire districks. Of course, the worst one was Allingtown, and those people determined to come under the city. But the other two used to be fun, too. Not so much, anymore.
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With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,