Well whatta ya know before we even had a chance to bask in the vacation season, it is fast waning away. In another 10 days from the time yew git this missive, the kiddies will be back to school, with classes starting right away. No half-days anymore, just get right to it. As is usual the number of “back to school” sales are on the telly and effen yew go by a shopping mall, that’s all there is. The message: time to get back to normal after a summer break…there are those of us, though, who never seem to get one. Wonder why?
Here in the Asylum by the Sea, things are shaking out for the mayoral campaign. The prospective candidates showed their countenances at the Savin Rock Festival – shortened as it was by the rain. Then came the petitioning process, where candidates were supposed to git their signatures and were seen in front of grocery stories and other places where people congregate or mill to git them to sign on the dotted line.
Sammy Bluejay was perched in various places, and there was an interesting back-and-forth betwixt the candidates and the public for the most part. In the end it was all about the numbers of signatures. The results were interesting in some way, especially on the Democratic side. Ya see, Victor Borras the Eighth District Councilman was looking to primary Dorinda Borer in September.
That was an uphill battle, and Borras didn’t git the required number of signatures to make it, so there will be no primary in the city’s majority party. Sammy hoid there might be an attempt by Borras to come in as a candidate with another party, but that seems a long shot. Still there is a lotta time left, and it might happen.
Over on the GOP side, it was perty certain the three-way primary everyone thought was gonna happen was certified. Both Barry Cohen and Steven R. Mullins got the required signatures to git on the ballot. Some on the under-ticket did not, Sammy was told. But then Mullins threw a monkey wrench into the works
He pulled outta the primary and decided ‘twas better to go the write-in route. Now, write-ins don’t have a great track record in town, though some have collected enough votes to make a difference in the race over the decades. But, Mullins indicated the fack that both Paige Weinstein and Cohen have bigger war chests than he does, means he has to allocate money for the general election, ergo the write-in route. And, his sentiments were pretty much on track
Almost the day after the endorsement came out Paige Weinstein, the endorsed candidate, had billboards up. She seems to know that of the three candidates she is the one with the least name recognition. So, off she went trying to get her face and name out to the public.
Barry and Steve, meanwhile, as we’ve said before, are two people perty well known in town, and one jest lost the last mayoral campaign by a handful of votes in a vote that had more than its share of irregularities. Whilst Steve might not be in the primary, his name recognition is still out there as is Cohen’s. So, we’ll see.
Sammy was wondering effen some of the watering holes around town were running a pool on this fight – they seem to bet on most things. How this tallies out will be one thing of interest since it is now a grudge match ‘twixt Weinstein and Cohen. T’other will be effen the party can rally around the eventual winner. The GOP doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to setch matters.
Ya see, we have hoid that at least one candidate might determine to run a campaign for mayor anyway on a minor party line. Effen that happens, the only person who will suffer will be the primary winner. He or she will be fishing out of the same pond for votes and split the total. That means that Dorinda Borer, who has to be considered the odds-on favorite in this race right now will waltz into the thoid floor of the Actors Colony.
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Nelly Nuthatch was around and she was sayin’ that after assuring everyone the new fields at the Frank Fitzgerald Sports Complex – particularly Ken Strong Stadium – was gonna be ready for the Sept 14 home opener, it seems that might not be the case. We hear-tell games are being moved out of the complex, and some local venues are being scoped out for use until the fields are put down.
That is interesting, cuz Nelly was talking with the Wag a few days ago, before all this came out, and he was saying he didn’t believe the field would be ready. His reason was interesting, “Did you ever see a short-term project in this city get done on time?
So, Nelly hears the field will be ready some time in October instead of September, meaning any home games will be switched to other locales. Nelly heard UNH as one possibility for the football team.
We shall see, but it makes you wonder how something that was assured jest a few weeks back, could be so up in the air now? ‘Tis a question.
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On a more serious note, the parade of incompetence seems to continue in City Hall without end. For the second year in a row Moody’s has not been able to get all the information it needs to assess our fair city’s financial structure, and has put us on “review.” Like I said this is the second year in a row, and one would think that with it coming up again this year, things would be a bit more, I dunno, ready?
Not here in the Asylum by the Sea and not in the Actors Colony. It seems getting information to organizations, committees and rating companies is a task not suited to the suits in City Hall. Lack of information got us audited by the feds, state officials looked for information in the MARB and elsewhere, the list goes on and on.
The excuses are always the same and can be listed by rote it’s happened so much. Sooo, here we are, embarrassed, again, by our fearless leaders, who can’t seem to meet a deadline. Remember charter revision? It was supposed to get rid of some of the ‘baked in” incompetence in City Hall. It got shot down by the politicos. And here we are years later, and the story is always the same.
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Iva Lootey was perched around Morse Avenue last week to peek at the progress made on Beach Street. As we reported last time the roadway was dug up and the crews over there seem to be putting in the new grades. Whilst all that is going on, the condominium complex is continuing with two of the four buildings looking complete The rest are jest getting started it seems.
The restaurant that is supposed to go on the rest of the property is held up until the new grading is put it. Remember, the idea is to put the road up high enough it doesn’t get flooding during major storms. Until that is done, the develpers can’t git their restaurant started.
Iva was of the opinion things are running according to schedule, but who knows, things can change as we mentioned above. Let’s hope not in this case.
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Madame Olga came to tea t’other afternoon and she, being an Allingtown gal, was wondering when the final piece of the Allingtown puzzle was going to be announced. With the building of the two sides of the Post Road with new constructions and new businesses, she was wondering what was going on with the lot that had been the site of the Forest Theater.
Cobina had to admit she ain’t heard much about that. The area was a staging facility for the new constructions over the last little while, but with all that done and gone, nothin’ has been said about that lot. Effen that was completed, the overhaul of the Allingtown Center from what it was to what it is will be complete, and one would have to admit the before and after pictures would be stunning.
We’ll poke the bushes to see effen anything might be planned over there. But what we’re really interested in is the progress – or lack of it – for a new Allingtown library branch. There are spurts of info, the last being a shared building between the library and Fire Department, but we ain’t hoid much since last winter.
So much to find out…
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With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,