Dear Felicia

Here we are hon, at the end o’ the summer for all intents and purposes, lookin’ smack dab into another Memorial Day. Whilst the calendar gives us all a few more days of Awgus, with school starting for the kiddies next week, Labor Day – and the “unofficial” end o’ summer is upon us. In fack, effen you’ve been payin’ attention, the mornings are jest a bit brisker and the crickets have started their chirping along with locusts making their presence know. So, the sum of it is, things are moving toward autumn and all that comes it it.

Speaking of school starting, this isshew of the papyrus has the annual bus schedule inside. I was looking at it, and was somewhat amazed at the times the kiddies hafta get their posteriors outta the sack and to the bus stop. It’s a long way from when we were in school, starting around 8:30 and then going home for lunch cuz the school was right in the neighborhood. Now they all have lunchrooms and setch, and the kiddies git lunch served. Truth to tell, methinks I liked the way it was done in our day.

We see that Superintendent Neil Cavallaro has done the principal shuffle that seems to happen every four or five years, give or take. Jest a couple weeks ago it was mentioned that all the principals in the elementary system will be headin’ for new digs, and by this writing have happily (or otherwise) ensconced themselves into their new surroundings.

One has to wonder about the faculty, though. Yew know the way systems like that work, the grapevine talks about this one or that one, and how good – or bad – said person is. It has to be something to know yore either getting one of the good ones or one of the not-so-good ones and will be with them for the next little while. It could be a good or not-so-good experience, one would guess.

On another note, the construction of the new Washington School seems to be going like gangbusters. Whilst I was not happy with the demolition of such a stately piece of architecture as was the old school, Cobina is impressed with the modern methods of construction. Things seem to snap together like building blocks.

One wondered whether the construction would meet its May 2025 deadline, but seeing the way things are going, they might even beat that date. It’s quite something to watch.

Getting back to Labor Day, the Mystick Maidens of the Marsh will be meeting at the edge of Painter Park in the high grass long the river there. We’ve invited the usual high mucky-mucks and expeck the oldest ladies group in the city will continue our long tradition of spoofing the powers that be. We will be looking for a new Grand Dame of the Marsh this year as terms have expired. One wonders who will be interested this time ‘round.

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Sammy Bluejay came in and told me about the decision by Herroner to install background checks for incoming Police Commish appointees. That’s a good idea, but it might be wise to expand that requirement to all appointments in the future. It’s a good safety measure for a city to make sure everything is up and up. When Sammy told me about the decision. I couldn’t say that I’d disagree with it. Anyone who has any position of authority should have things checked out.

Of course, the decision came on the heels of a very unfortunate incident with Ray Collins III, who was the chairman of the commish and a member for as long as one could remember. He forgot himself and did what a lotta people in the berg probably hoped they could do.

Back a few weeks ago, after that scoundrel who tried to drown his children got arrested and put in the slammer, Ray, whom Cobina has known since his high school days, let his emotions run wild, He went into the lockup and decided to confront the man. He said something like he hoped the guy would “rot in hell.”

Again, methinks he had the same emotions that a lotta residents had at the time. One could quibble about anyone hoping anyone would be in Hades forever, but that’s another topic for another day. The fack is he used his position and not in a good way.

He did the honorable thing and resigned, saying his emotions got the better of him. We get that, but it’s not a good look or a good thing.

Ray is running for the 117th assembly districk seat – the one his father held for many years. It’ll be interestin’ to see how this recent incident affecks that campaign – or if it does. Again, there will be some people who will condemn him, but there might be more who are glad he did it. We shall see.

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Effen yew were expecting a short hiatus in the attempt to git a tenant for the Savin Rock Conference Center site, I hope yore not holding your breath. The recap, NEBCO, or the New England Brewing Company, pulled outta its project to put a facility in the building. Originally, the developers were gonna build a new building, tearing down the 70-plus-year-old structure. That became the subject of a lawsuit by Jimmies, Inc. and the plan was scaled back.

Suffice it to say nothing was gonna happen in regards to getting the lawsuit dropped, so the company is looking for other venues. It’s a good business decision, but a bad one for our little corner of the universe. What could have been a nice attraction down there goes the way of a lotta proposals. They die a slow death.

Nelly Nuthatch and I were at tea t’other day and we were talking about the city putting out a Request for Proposal or RFP as they call ‘em. This is to find another business to occupy the building, which has been vacant since the city closed the Conference Center in 2019.

When it was announced a few weeks back, Cobina noted that getting another developer might be as possible as finding a hen’s tooth. Like it or not, the fack that a lawsuit was filed, and thousands were spent in court costs and attorneys’ fees, it might be a long while before we find someone with enough gumption to try.

A new developer would hafta look very long and very hard on the ramifications of putting together a plan for some type of eatery or setch, and figger in the mix that he’s gonna be on the business end of a summons to appear. It makes the whole parcel toxic, and one wonders effen the city will ever be able to unload the property. I have a feeling some of the honchos in the Actors Colony on 355 Main St. are wondering the same thing.

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Iva Lootey came by and wondered what was going on with the café that is supposed to happen in the former bait shop on Beach Street. Yeah, it’s our review of Beach Street again. The new restaurant at the former Chick’s site got its final approvals and will be starting soon, so that part of the area seems ready for a new look.

The café was announced a month or so ago, and it was the talk of Iva and m’self. One wonders effen that will be a short-term application and approval or it will drag on like other things seem to. Iva was talking to a local who said he is waiting for the day the place becomes a café so he can enjoy his walks along the shore even more. But, he fears like most projecks in the berg, things are gonna git bogged down in red tap.

New administration, new ideas. Let’ hope the processes can be somewhat overhauled and things will get “timely.” Is that too much to ask, one wonders.

Meanwhile, we hear-tell that a projeck has been proposed for some type of construction at the former Debonair property. Word is a proposal for some type of construction has been proffered. The question is how wide and how tall from what is being talked about. Effen those things can be worked out, the site may actually have a different look after laying fallow for the last decade-plus. We shall see.

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And jest to make it official, we have seen three more weeks go by and nothing happening at the former Haven site. Everything is down, the view of the Sound is a good thing, but the Haven Group has not done anything as far as getting a new buyer. It’s about a year since the Haven Projeck was pulled – as we all knew it would be.

When or how they dispose of the property is anyone’s guess, cuz they jest don’t bother to let we people in the provinces know what is going on. We know it is a burr in the saddles of Herroner, but the former developers don’t seem to care. So, they’re consistent.

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With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,