We have had Leap Day and now, sweetie pie, we are in March…already! They say the older yew git the faster time flies. That reminds me of an anecdote someone told me. Kitty Carlisle, the actress-turned-radio personality-turned quiz show panelist (she and Arlene Francis seemed to be on every quiz shows in the old days) lived to a ripe old age of nearly 100. She was once asked about time and her life as a nonagenarian, and she said, “Things are fine, but it seems like I’m having breakfast every 15 minutes!”
Well, that’s the way this year seems to be flying, and as I tell you a lot, once yew git past May the year really flies. So, we should be having Thanksgiving in a week or two….
Things here in the Asylum by the Sea are a bit quieter after the flurry of a new administration coming in and a special election, and the clamor and reshuffling that goes on with it. I still am chuckling about Herronner Mayor Borer havin’ the boys and gurls of City Hall – or as we like to call it, The Actors Colony – take ethics classes a few weeks back. We all know why it was done, but the horse was already outta the barn. Still, and methinks some members of the bar might have had something to do with it, they can say they did it, and are off the hook effen anything untoward takes place. Though, one would hafta be really dumb to try anything that could be unethical or illegal at this juncture – not jest for the usually moral reasons, but cuz everybody is gonna be on high alert for anything outta the ordinary.
Speakin’ of that, it seems there was a blurb Cobina saw that city officials are looking into a tourist slogan for the city and hoping that it’ll help rehab the city’s image. On the face of it, not a bad idea on the face of it. But people can have fun with it as well. Hmmm. Here’s a fiew jest off the top of m’head:
“West Haven: come for the beach, stay for the people.”
“West Haven: Making friends since 1648.”
“West Haven: Tammany Hall’s little sister.” (Reference to famous Walter Winchell quote, 1943).
“West Haven: There’s more to us than you read in the papers.”
“West Haven: Divided into three parts. Find one that fits you!”
We are sure many people can come up with their own contributions as could some of our business owners. Cobina could come up with more, some nice, some cheeky, but she has to push onto other things that are happening in the burg.
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We see via Sammy Bluejay that our state’s primary is gonna be March 19, effen we see things correckly. Cobina needs new cheaters, so some things aren’t as clear. The only thing that’ll be interesting in this vote is how many people actually show up. Let’s face it, primaries aren’t known to bring out a lotta people, and with the way the two major party candidates are already stacked to win, some people might decide it ain’t worth it.
Soooo, effen Cobina was a betting gal she’d be surprised effen the vote statewide was at 30 percent and would put some kopecks down that way. But, Cobina works hard for her shekels, and don’t see it clear to waste them on wagers.. Here in God’s Li’l Acrre, I don’t see more than that coming out, and probably fewer than that. Like I said, there ain’t much choice, the rules are perty well stacked in favor of the favorites. As I like to say, we shall see.
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The Wag was in t’other afternoon and mentioned that whilst Rep. Bill Heffernan was jest sworn into his seat in the General Assembly a mere 5 weeks ago, he will be on the campaign trail faster than you can say Jack Robinson. Whilst the frosh rep was jest elected, it was only to fill out the term and seat left vacant when Dorinda Borer took the reins of city government.
That means come Labor Day or thereabouts, Willy and the other candidates looking for Assembly seats will be trooping the streets looking for votes yet again. Let’s hope Heff has comfortable shoes or has resoled the ones he has. Campaigning whilst a necessary chore is a chore, nonetheless. He is an affable sort o’ fella, and can be quick with bon mot. But campaigning hasta be the worst and most necessary part o’ the job…jest my thoughts.
And as I told yew the last time, Ray Collins III is looking for the seat in 117, the seat his father had. It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out. Parts of Milford and Orange are in that districk, and West Haven has had more than its share of people representing the districk. Collins probably has done the ground work, getting support from the other two towns, but one wonders effen there are people in those venues who would like to run. I guess we’ll find out as tspring progresses.
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Nelly Nuthatch was by t’other afternoon and traversed around Beach Street to see how things are progressing over there. She said that sidewalks were being put in and figgers the paving of the new roadway will take place sooner rather than later. Word got out around Christmas time that the road would be finished in March. Well, here we are. The contractors or officials didn’t want things going during the dead of winter for fear of storms and setch that could inhibit the projeck. So, the decision to wait to finish it was made when spring was in the offing.
Let’s jest hope that March, which hasn’t come in like a lion, get’s more lamb-like as we move through the month. I know that whilst the residents on Beach Street are enjoying the relative quiet of the neighborhood, not having a main artery available has made travel somewhat more tedious around the city than usual.
So, when the barriers come down ain’t been announced officially at this writing, but one would think by Easter Week travel should be back to normal. Stay tuned.
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Iva Lootey came to tea and we were discussing the long expanse that was once called the Haven, and is now jest a long view into New Haven Harbor. Where once was discussed a large high-end mall, and later, after that fell through, selling it to some movie company in toto, now we are hearing rumors the land will be divided into parcels and sold to various bidders.
While there has been no official announcements from the developers that still own the property, these things don’t usually appear out of the ether. Somebody hoid something. Herronner we hear is a bit frustrated with the developers as they are still stonewalling as to what they plan on doing.
Still, the word is that instead of one buyer, there might be a few, and who knows what will be planned, but effen yew think there will be commercial development with no residential component, that seems to be the crux of the reports about the burg.
What goes around comes around is the old bromide. Eighteen years (2006) ago, a committee looking into the area, which had been on the block for redevelopment since the fall of 1997 determined high-end condos might be the best option for the development. Remember, this started out as a commercial projeck that was gonna stretch from Main Street to North Street – a distance of half-a-mile. That fell through.
Then-Mayor John Picard determined that was not the best use of the land, and taxing on the city’s infrastructure and pushed for commercial development. It languished for eight years, and then the Haven was announced. That languished for another eight years-plus before that plug was pulled.
So, we might be back to 2006 with high-end condos the building of choice. And at this point, they might jest be approved cuz people have had enough with the no-go zone that is that area. And I can hear it now, high-end condos will put more into the tax base, and won’t take out as much in services. Be ready, it might be coming. Who knows, but they 30th anniversary of the announcement of redevelopment, there might be brand new buildings down there…
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We see the Municipal Accountability Review Board okayed the teachers contrack. One wonders effem the threat of court action by the teachers might have had something to do with it. It seemed within days of the threat, the contract was given approval.
Still to be given an imprimatur is the constabulary’s contract. There are some snags in it, but we hope the repositioning of a pension plan stays. We think the Police Board and union have made a good case for – and recent history has shown – our problems retaining people have to do with the financial and benefits package, specifically the pension. Let’s hope this can be completed in the next little while.
With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzes,