To say this has been quite a week or so, honeybunch, wouldn’t be the half of it. Since last week corresponded much has happened and is still going on. Usually after an election most places settle back down and get to the usuals of everyday life, not here in our little corner of the universe. Nope. There was a recount of last week’s election – witch is kind o’ like something that happens around here a lot. I can remember at least three in the last decade or so.
Tennyrate, by the time you git this missive, we might have a better idea of who won, but one wonders effen that’s gonna be the end of it. We shall see.
What Cobina wants to talk about, though, was the fack that whilst no one seems to be talkin’ about it, one has to wonder – and Sammy Bluejay did – as to whether herroner was hampered by the ongoing fraud investigation concerning the federal money. We know that jest days before the voting, Barry Lee Cohen, who seemed to resonate with many, put out yellow signs to go along with his team’s signs, “Stop the Corruption,” sayeth them.
That was a bit of genius from a campaign pernt of view. There are some who aren’t convinced that things are as they are being told concerning the funds that were laundered. Herroner says she found them whilst looking through the requisitions, there are some – including a former State Central Committee Chairman – who wonder about that. Until setch evidence comes to the contrary, we hafta take her word for it.
As yew probably saw, a second arrest was made in the case, the same name that has been bandied about the Actors Colony since the mayor made her Youtube announcement four weeks ago. John Bernardo was arraigned before a federal judge last week, and it was the same name that everyone was talking about.
His arrest has been the topic of a lotta speculation around the berg cuz, whilst it wasn’t much of a secret, it was two weeks after former City Hall worker and former State Rep. Michael DiMassa was arrested. That has led people to think that something is afoot one way or t’other.
Bernardo has been a cog in the Democratic machine these last years, and has supported candidates across the tripartite spectrum that is city politics. What he knows and who can play something in this probe, that’s for sure.
Still, people are reeling from all this, and many are angered – thus, one could make the argument – circling back – that what has happened over the last little while had an effect on the way people voted. Herroner must be thankin’ her lucky stars that the arrest of Bernardo was after the election and not before. It could have meant something in the close count.
The recount took place in the Actors Colony and was, as it usually is (we’ve been through this once or twice) it was an all-day affair. The original count on Election Day was 24, it was upped to 29 before the recount and ended up to be 34. So, herronner is herroner for another 24 moons.
Cohen was stoic about the outcome, Sammy told me that he didn’t expeck the outcome to be different with the recount, but is concerned about absentee ballots. Absentee ballots have always been a source of concern, and will be until they git rid o’ them or find some other way to do it. We can remember many times ABs were contentious – in fact, every time.
Barry has about a fortnight to figger out what he’s gonna do, so we hafta wait and see. The Republicans, meanwhile, did OK in getting two people on the City Council, so we can have opposition motions gain and second and be discussed. That’s a plus.
Maybe, just maybe, this showing will give the GOP the kick in the pants its needed for the last three decades. Like him or not, Cohen might be the feisty person people were lookin’ for from the city’s opposition party. We shall see what happens come the Town Committee elections in ’22, but before they trash a losing candidate, they might wanna consider that he’s got something people seemed to like.
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Lost in all this, was the fack that MARB upbraided herroner in the most recent meeting for not follying what they see as markers they want the city to show. Now they’re talking about withholding the funds the city would git from the MARB, which I thought weren’t even counted in this year’s budget – according to the post-message hype.
Tennyrate, the online publication the Connecticut Mirror has found through its investigation of purchase orders that a marching band was hired for the Memorial Day parade, and other things were bought as well. The questions now about the COVID dollars that come to the city are multiplying.
Rumors are flying about the berg that new indictments are gonna be issued by the feds and could go into double digits. Then there is the revelation that those purchase orders were paid toot-sweet, whilst regular vendors with the city wait upwards of 120 days to git paid. Some vendors don’t even allow the city to use a credit card, and some stopped doing business unless its COD.
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Cobina happened out in the flivver the other day, and was traversing around the Beach Street area. Iva Lootey told me a few weeks back that some people are balking at the raising of the roadbed over there to prevent floods.
From whot Cobina saw the people who talked to Iva should go take a gander at the sidewalk – it’s being chewed up. It was obvious the recent Nor’easter had a bad effeck on the walkway, and once the walkway goes, the road is soon to follow.
We went through this a few years back and ‘twas that incident, follying Hurricane Sandy, that brought up the idea of raising the road. We shall see. Luckily, we don’t have the same problems about sewer lines and storm drains, cuz they remedied that situation with big rocks and concrete. But, the roadbed is still a problem. Stay tuned.
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Whilst all that is going on, regular people are starting to think about – and probably save up for Thanksgiving. According to the local press, this year’s dinner is gonna be the highest it’s ever been thanks to the yokels in DC. But that’s another story.
And like clockwork Bill Ewry has sent woid that his committee is workin’ hard to git this year’s Community Thanksgiving Dinner up and running. It’s been a long tradition in town to have a community dinner at the First Congregational Church – since the 1980s. It’s been under different committees and with different people, but it’s still a concept to git people together. Yew can read more about it elsewhere
Along with it, the holidays nearing has brought out a bunch of food drives and soon there will by toy drives. People are thinking along those lines, and with some still reeling from the pandemic, there’s probably gonna be a need like the past couple o’ years.
It’s a sign we’re at least getting back to some normality around these parts. Heck, we’ve seen an increase in the number of club notices that wanna git into “Around Town” in the papyrus and online. That hasn’t happened in about 22 months effen my math is right. Club notices are returning, the IA Club Auxiliary brought back the Pizza Challenge a couple weeks ago, and things are getting back to the way they should be – much to the consternation o’ some who want us to be in a constant state of pandemic mania. But, the regulars know better than those who claim to be their betters.
With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,