Well sweetie pie, we had a big storm blow through these parts over Sundee night into Monday, and it was quite somethin’. A few times during the night Cobina’s domicile was shaking with the wind and the howling through the trees gave it a “Hitchcock” feeling, effen yew know whot I mean. I dunno how much rain we got, but effen we ain’t outta the drought the weather people were warning us about, we ain’t ever gonna git outta it.
Cobina went out Monday morning to git some things and drove by the Green. Most of the trees withstood the wind, but there was one old oak that gave up the ghost during the night. Like these ole bones I guess it knew when it had had enough. There was no loss o’ power methinks, at least not around here, but I guess there was in other parts.
Whilst that Big Wind was the topic of the conversation all around during the weekend, the other Big Wind that everyone is hoping will pass quickly is the one that ends on Nov. 7 with the municipal elections. As yew know we don’t have a lotta money in this berg, but we are blessed with a wealth of candidates this time around.
Hizzoner, who lost the primary in September, thinks he should be given another term and is running by way of the write-in route – the same way his predecessor wanted another term some four years back. Nobody knows how that is gonna turn out, but people are interested.
His opponents are Nancy Rossi and David Riccio (as we’ve said before, no relation to our esteemed editor). Rossi and hizzoner have been going at it tooth and nail for the last several weeks and things have not gotten any nicer. The hammer and tongs are out, and any which way they can land a blow they are both trying – to the ultimate exclusion of Riccio.
Rossi and hizzoner are parrying about the possibility the city will git $8 million from the state, following the fack the General Assembly passed the budget almost 120 days beyond the legally required date. Cities can git the money they were supposed to get, but with strings attached. Hizzoner is saying it’s no more than the advisory bored that the state has with MFAC, but this new thing the legislature has come up with seems to have more teeth.
Those of us who were around when the city was under state control see a large – make that very large – relationship betwixt the two. The state ain’t gonna give up $8 million it really don’t have and just say, “By the way, do you think you can maybe possibly pare down your costs a bit – if you want to – just to make ends meet?”
Nah, they’re gonna say, “Our money — our rules.” Hizzoner still has to make the final decision on that deal. Once he does, no matter who wins Tuesday will be saddled with the results.
Whom do I think will win? Honey, at this pernt I ain’t makin’ any predictions. If it’s a rainy day, though, anything can happen…and probably will.
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Sammy Bluejay went to the two forums last week and came away saying most people were impressed that it went perty much the way they thought. Of course, hizzoner was in for the brunt of the night as he was the only one with the record. When you have a record, it’s easy to pick.
Tennyrate, Sammy sez that when it came time for the candidates to speak – and in both cases there seemed to be an equal number of supporters – it went perty much the way everyone thought. Each candidate said what they were expected to say. There was not gotcha questions and no gotcha answers.
Sammy did say that the sniping betwixt Rossi and O’Brien was something to watch. They took every opportunity to put the digs in when they could.
Meanwhile, Davey did perty much was he was expected to do. In the woids of one GOP-er, “Dave was being Dave.” Now, that’s a good thing one would think. Effen yew can’t be yoreself, who in blazes can you be? So, Riccio did the “We should all work together” schtick, and did well with the crowd.
I guess the biggest take-away was the Haven demolition that’s going on. Nobody, but nobody is buying that this was all a planned exercise and “just happened” around election time. We’ve read this short story before.
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Nelly Nuthatch was in t’other afternoon, and she said that the dreaded words, “Absentee Ballot” was coming into the conversation. She didn’t git very specific, but there is talk – ain’t there always – that one or t’other campaign did something untoward with absentee ballots. Already we’ve had one situation that caught the attention of the local press, but Nelly seems to think that there is more to come in that regard.
We got to talking about previous elections and we all think this is really looking like those years where the GOP has a good shot at getting the nod from the voters, who are showing signs of being tired of the same-old same-old from the majority party. Now, that may or may not happen, but it’s got more than a few people in the majority worried.
Nelly sez that behind the scenes they Demmies know that Rossi and O’Brien are fishing outta the same pond and might be splitting the vote to the pernt that a couple hundred one way or t’other could decide the race. That can’t be setting well with the powers that be nor those looking to be the powers that be.
The GOP hasn’t held office in this berg in almost 30 years, but this is a strong showing. There are a bunch of lawn signs indicating that people are looking for a change, and maybe The time IS now” and people will be looking for newer faces. We shall see.
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Speaking of the Haven, just in case you’re keepin’ score, there are two houses down now, and I hear-tell the total number of permits is for three demolitions. I don’t know effen that’s enuff to sway people to vote for the incumbent but I guess it’s worth a shot.
But the wag was in last week and he still wants to know what is going on with the shopping center. As we’ve been saying and he reiterated: over-the counter sales are down, stores are closing all over the place, with the loss of the Kimberly Avenue exit getting to this location is harder than ever, and there is no guarantee this thing is gonna look the way it was advertised.
As I said above, we shall see.
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Meanwhile over at the high school, I’ve been tellin’ yew about the new attempts to get at a couple o’ instructors that have been in the cross-hairs of the administration for a while. This is being looked at very carefully by the rank-and-file over there, not only as to the way it is handled by the powers that be, but also the union local. There is a lotta distrust amongst the staffers that the union 1) isn’t really caring about the high school membership; and 2) the union leadership is more interested in protecting their cushy assignments than worrying about protecting the rank-and-file.
There are a lotta eyes looking at what has transpired, and a lotta eyes wondering what is gonna happen next.
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With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,