By the time yew git this missive, sweets, we’re supposed to be outta March and into May. No, I didn’t forget April – April forgot April and stayed as March, and it’s been March since March with cold, damp and windy weather with wind chills. It ain’t been great for Cobina’s lumbago, but we are hopin’ the season will finally feel like it supposed to feel this time o’ year. I’d certainly like to shut off the heat for a time.
Tennyrate, before we start, old Cobina made a boo-boo in her last note to yew, saying Patricia Bollettieri was running for City Clerk. That ain’t right, it’s treasurer. I jest got things mixed up in m’head. Needless to say, people pounced on that error straight away.
Meanwhile, just as people expected the mayoral race got a bit more interesting. Barry Lee Cohen filed for candidacy and becomes the thoid person looking for the nomination on the GOP side o’ the aisle, newcomer Paige Weinstein was the foist, Steve Mullins was number two, and Cohen fills out the triumvirate. Sooooo, expeck some interesting machinations on that side come the primary season. It should be very interesting.
Weinstein hasn’t done much, and Mullins has begun his campaign with town hall-format meetings. He and Cohen have name recognition, so the early money is probably on them; though I hear Weinstein might have support of some of the Town Committee. Who knows. The problem there ain’t the primary, and is what happens thereafter.
Republicans ain’t like Demmies. Demmies come together after a primary and work for the winning candidate. Republicans tend to take their ball and go home effen they don’t win. In a city like ours, where the Demmies have ruled for more than three decades, it might be time for the GOP to change the playbook. No matter who wins, they hafta come together. That would be bucking history, but maybe it’ll happen.
The Demmies haven’t had anyone new enter the race of late. Former Mayor Ed O’Brien is seeking the nod, and Victor Borras the Eighth District rep have announced. Still out there is whether Herronner is gonna seek a fourth term. There are a lotta naysayers in the party, who believe she won’t go for number four. Still, others say the fack she hasn’t announced is more of a question of her being the incumbent and she has the option to wait as long as possible.
Whatever, it looks like at least a two-way primary is possible in that party, but it could become a three-way race effen Herronner announces. The big fly in the oatmeal is Dorinda Borer. Cobina ain’t sure she’s gonna wanna get into the morass that is West Haven when she’s got a good gig in Hartford, but effen she does decide to run, the “calculus” as they say changes. All bets are off after that, and there is word that at least one of the candidates said to supporters effen that happens, he’s out. We shall see.
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The City Council passed a budget last week, but as yew know that ain’t the end of it. With Tier IV status with the MARB, it hasta be given an imprimatur before it can become law. The vote last week, which had to be done on the foist Thursday of May by charter, was the end of that seven-week exercise we go through every year.
Sammy Bluejay who sat outside the chambers listening to the debate so Cobina wouldn’t have to, sez that an attempt was made to pare some costs down, and the number he hoid was $600,000. That is part of a mill, maybe half. The hope is to pare down the .97 mill increase to something a bit more manageable. This has been attempted before, but the MARB has shot it down, and kep’ the tax increases in the last few budgets. Many in the council are hoping they won’t this time, but I wouldn’t bet the mortgage on it.
Speaking of the council, Chairman Peter Massaro didn’t let anyone misunderstand where he was coming from last week when he demanded an apology from the MARB. Sammy was there as well, and sez that Massaro, who is a black-and-white kind of a guy, took umbrage at the way the council has been treated by MARB.
It has been suggested the council be brought into discussions with the MARB, and that is a definite change in the modus operandi of the MARB. Massaro wants a letter of apology before he invites the members. He’s right to be outta sorts with the way MARB has treated the council and the city taxpayers.
Sammy thinks, however, after the bluster and bitterness is over, the MARB will meet with the council. This probably should’ve happened five or six year ago. Instead, didtat and condescension were the means the MARB used to git its way. So, there will be resentment. Keep yore eye on this one.
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Well, whatta ya know? After much angst and some slowness, it was announced this week that Beach Street will be raised about seven feet as promised more than two years ago. Nelly Nuthatch was in t’other day after the announcement was made, and sez that work is expected to begin in a few weeks.
Remember, that area is particularly susceptible to flooding during big storms, and we’ve had incidents where the flooding and erosion was so bad, storm drain and other pipes were bared by Mother Nature. The new roadbed, being higher in elevation, will hamper that type of erosion.
The people most affected by the news are the new owners of the former Chick’s property. Whilst they are building a new set of high-end condos as we speak, the plan for a new restaurant on the location really couldn’t happen until the raising of the roadbed was assured.
We wonder effen the two other properties on Beach Street, the former Debonair and the former Captain’s Galley site are also affected by the project. Once those properties are worked on, some of the unsightliness of the much used thoroughfare will be eradicated. Still, one wonders how the closure o’ the road is gonna affeck travel throughout the city. Think Third of July night!!!!
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Effen we don’t have enuff drama in the Asylum by the Sea, here is an unforced error on the part of Herronner that, effen handled right would’t be the problem it has become. Yew probably hoid that in lieu of a raise, Corporation Counsel Lee Tiernan was given the right to ousdie work, which was handled by his wife in the private law firm. It is legal.
The problem is no one seems to have been told of the arrangement, and, of course, it was found out and made into a semi-scandal. Effen people were told and the City Council signed off on it, there might have been some hooting and hollering, but it would have died down with the next psycho-drama. There seems to be one a week.
To make matters worse, Tiernan is then suspended for not disclosing it on his financial statements or something. That really just made things worse. It made it seem like Herronner was playing a game of CYA after the arrangement was made public. This ain’t a way to run a railroad.
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The Wag came in and wondered, Herroner put together an Energy Commish, one that has not sat for eight years. Ray Collins IV, a name from the past, is the chairman. What is this commish gonna accomplish that hasn’t been done without it? The layering of boards and commissions is a product of modern life. It jest seems strange this would be reconstituted after so long and outta the blue.
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With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,