We have lots to talk about, honey bunch, but ain’t it something! We’re already in the month of May, and as I tell yew often, Granny used to say once we git past Memorial Day (she called it Decoration Day), the rest of the year just flies. Well, it’s been flying right along, so the run from Memorial Day to the end of the year will be on an SST, I guess.
The big news in these parts was that April 15 was more than Tax Day. The day was bright and sunny, the temperatures were in the 70s, and the breezes were warm. Not a bad day to go to the beach! Well, that’s what a lotta young people thought, and the social media notices started goin’ up. Soooo, thousands of young people hit the beach from all over the area. Some estimates put it at 2,000 or more.
Tennyrate, the group for the most part was havin’ fun, but then the high jinx turned sour. Some fights broke out, problems arose, and things spilled over into the streets. Eventually, part of Campbell Avenue was turned into a crime scene as the aftermath of the beach party got dangerous. An attempted shooting took place on Campbell Avenue, and then all Hades broke loose.
That’s Cobina’s neighborhood and she was in her gassamobuggy trying to git home. That took quite a while with streets blocked off, traffic backed up and a phalanx of police vehicles from various towns and the State Police blaring their sirens and investigating the scene.
Whotta mess.
Of course, Cobina was clueless (don’t say it!) about what had transpired as Iyam sure most people were. ‘Twasn’t until the next day that the whole episode came into view via the fluttering of our birdie friends wanting to know effen the ole gal was okay.
Now we are dealing with the aftermath of “the incident” as it is being called in some circles, and city officials are going to make plans to make sure something like this is scotched before it happens. We shall see what happens in the next lit’le while. We have what some laws call an “attractive nuisance” in the beach, and when we have events, this is always a thought in the back of people’s minds. Think July 3 fireworks, for example.
That is covered by a police presence all over. This recent happening was something that happened outta the blue. How you prevent happenstance I dunno. Better minds than Cobina’s will be on it, Iyam sure.
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Here we are about three months after the last properties were demolished in the area once called “The Haven Project,” and we still don’t know what is happening. Madame Olga has been staring into her crystal trying to glean what the “Haven Group” is planning for the large expanse. Ironically, the cleared space offers some rawther interesting views of New Haven Harbor.
The buzz about the berg is that the property, once thought to be sold in one piece, might hafta be parceled out and sold piecemeal. That could mean almost anything, and probably means that – at least in some regard – the possibility of high-end condominiums going along that area are a good bet.
Remember, that was the issue that nixed the project about 17 years ago. The idea was for $1 million-plus condos, but the Picard administration wanted something that would generate kopecks in tax dollars that won’t tax services. Well, that didn’t work, and some people have said all along it was gonna be a waiting game to see when condos would actually be put down there…a type of War of Attrition.
Olga is still staring into the glass and hoping to hear something. Let’s hope the word comes down from on high soon – “on high” being the developers.
Goodness knows they have kept things perty close to the vest when it comes to whot’s happening. Heck, they ain’t even telling City Hall, or doling it out in dribs and drabs. I guess we hafta sit and wait.
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The big news outta the Actors Colony is Herroner has made more hires. In fack, a slew of hires were announced this week. When she came into office in December more than 20 staff positions – mostly of the upper echelon type – were unfilled. That was a way to keep the budget down, I guess.
Tennyrate, it was announced that a new Personnel Director, or whatever they call those people nowadays, has been put on board along with a payroll person and a bunch of other offices. The MARB has been harping ‘bout these positions, and getting them filled, and it seems we are almost there.
I know a couple of elected officials are very happy about this turn of events, ‘cuz things were being handled by others by shifting the burdens to the left. Well, you can only go so far to the left before there is no one left to handle the shift.
Yew can read about the individuals elsewhere. Let’s jest say some people’s jobs in City Hall got a little easier and a little more on point.
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Meanwhile, Sammy Bluejay is saying the long-awaited reopening of Beach Street is jest days away. Paving is supposed to happen and may be in process or completed by the time yew git this missive. Natchurly, once it’s paved and lined and lookin’ perty, the politicos and their entourage will need the necessary ribbon-cutting or other ceremony to git their mugs on camera.
That means a big “event” has to be planned and all the dignitaries invited that has a scintilla of credit in making this thing happen. Soooo, we are hearing that something might be done next week with all the smiling faces in the frame.
Whilst all that is happening, the developers over at Beach Street and Morse Avenue are looking to start the second phase of the development – the restaurant. A bistro of some type has been planned all along, but nothing could happen until the roadway was elevated to prevent the floods that became so common over there, particularly after the beach gits eaten away.
Sooo, now that things are on track to open, the developer can git on track to build his new eatery and make some of his kopecks back. We shall see what happens, but one would expeck things will be completed by Memorial Day weekend the latest…traffic really starts to increase that weekend.
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Lost in all the other commotion is the fack that by the time yew git this note, the City Council will have completed its review of Herroner’s first budget and made whatever changes it might have deemed necessary. By the charter, the meeting to approve a budget ordinance is the foist Thursday in May, which is today.
So, a special session is gonna be held and the spending package will be passed or not; but, one way or another, there will be a budget ordinance in place before the clock strikes 12. As the Wag is always more than happy to point out, this is the deadline come Hades or high water.
Effen the council passes the ordinance all is right with the world. Effen it does not – as has happened more than once – the mayor’s budget defaults into passage. Any alterations are voided, and it goes in as is.
That usually happened when the council wasn’t happy with the plan. Given the fack the mayor’s people control the council, Cobina would be very surprised effen there is a revolt…especially on the first budget.
Still to be considered, however, is the MARB, that panel of dour faces that have the final word on what happens to our money. Remember, the mayor looked to lower the mill increase that was planned and only went to a bit more than a mill-and-a-half. That might not fly with the suits that control the MARB.
In the past they have been very strick when it comes to making sure mill increases go as planned. There ain’t no indication what will happen, but the MARB doesn’t tackle that question until the council does its part tonight.
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With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,