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Dear Felicia

October 3, 2024 By whvoice

Howdy sweets! Here we are in October already, and the leaves are starting to show they won’t be around much longer. In fack, many of the trees on the main drag – that Campbell Avenue – have already started to shed and are doing it in fine fashion.

The annual Apple Festival was last weekend, a sure sign that fall is here, and the winter coats are the next thing on docket. Here in our little corner of the universe things are gearing toward the November election as is the rest of the nation, but things around here are quite unusually quiet. None of the inter-factional rivalry we are so used to seeing.

Herroner has been in office for about 10 months and seems to be solidifyin’ her hold on the local machine. It don’t seem like the other factions are willin’ or able to do any mischief. But this is West Haven and politics is hardball around here. Soooo, don’t be surprised effen something happens here sooner rather than later. It’s jest the way they play the game.

As you can tell, from what’s in this week’s papyrus, the constabulary is investigating some nefarious personae who seem to preying on our locals. It seems they see a house that might need some work jest from the outside, and call upon the owner, saying they can do it for a song…in fact, not even the whole song jest the refrain.

Then, they git to work, find something else wrong with the domicile, and scare the residents into pouring more kopecks into the project. Then, after a time, they jest fly the coop, leaving the homeowner with a big mess, less money in the bank, and trying to fix the unrepaired sections of the house that are exposed to the elements.

The constabulary is lookin’ for leads, and possibly other residents who may have been scammed by these frauds. Everything looks on the up and up until they decide to vacate the jobsite and scram. Wow!

Granny used to say it takes all kinds to make a world, but it seems the people who do harm are the majority of the “kinds” in these parts.

~~~

Sammy Bluejay came to the window t’other day to tell me about the city getting a $250,000 grant from the state to do a look-see and plan for the center o’ town. That’s a lotta money, and will be used for the preliminary planning or investigating as to what – if anything – can be done in our Center.

We know that a lotta people wanna see the entire area blown to smithereens and started over. In fact, that was talked about a couple decades back. We do know that people seem to avoid the center like the black death cuz getting through that area can be a time-consuming event.

In announcing the grant, ‘tiz said that the plan will include the vision Herroner has for the downtown area. It would be nice to see jest what that is, and, I guess, the plans drawn up via the grant will give us an inkling or two.

One o’ the problems down there, of course, is the dogleg that is at Campbell Avenue and Main Street. That little juke is a problem, and also, the lights ain’t synchronized so things can get slower than slow.

This ain’t the foist time somebody tried to tackle downtown. Mayor Bob Johnson back in the mid-70s did a study that was gonna make Savin, Washington and Campell alternate one-way streets in hopes of getting rid of the congestion. That plan, like so many others, was talked about and then put on the shelf to collect dust.

So, it’ll be interesting to see jest what comes outta this latest foray into downtown redevelopment. By my count this is at least number 5.

~~~

A lit’le farther down the main drag is the railroad viaduct that likes to flood after a heavy rain. Something new has been added and given a lotta hoopla. The powers that be have put gates up in various locales where the viaducts have dugout roadways, and there are quite a few o’ them.

We’re old enuff to remember when the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad used to be at street level, but that ended around the time o’ the Armistice. The rails were raised up and the bridges built, but underneath the bridges the road had to be dug away, and are lower than the rest of the pavement, making it a natural basin for water.

Over the years cars have got stuck in those places cuz you can’t gauge how deep ‘tiz. There was even one fatality a while back, and though that caused a stir, nothing ever came about. Well, gone are the sawhorses and police tape.

The new gates will be swung into place and traffic will hafta detour to other locations…that in itself can be quite a problem when things git nasty. Heck, once Cobina was in her gassamobuggy and had to swing all the way over to the Kimberly Avenue Bridge to git where she was going.

~~~

Speaking of “getting where one is going,” it’s been about two months since the State DOT announced plans to start reconstructing the First Avenue Bridge and the bridge that goes over the tracks on I-95. Supposedly, the plans were in the works and were gonna start sooner rather than later. Iva Lootey and I both agree we are now in the “later” part o’ the discussion.

The announcement was accompanied by town meetings, adverts and other ways of getting John and Jane Q. on board with the plan, which, once begun, will take about 27 months. Well, here we are in October and no sign that things are gonna git off the ground. Not that Cobina is looking forward to this situation, not by a long shot.

For more than two years it’s gonna be Hades to get around here, and traffic, which is not great shakes on a good day, will be a hassle and a half. Nope, not lookin’ forward to it, but wondering when in blazes the thing will git off the ground.

~~~

Well, well and more wells, now we’re thinking about the former Lincoln School/John Blake Building is being considered for the new home of the Allingtown Library. I have one question: effen that happens, is it gonna be the Louis Piantino Library at the Blake Building? Or, like Steve Mullins wants to see, the place gits a name change? Just wonderin’.

Nelly Nuthatch is old enuff to remember when the Blake Building was in the mix of new venues for the Allingtown Library, but the idea was scotched before it even got off the ground. I guess this just shows that a change of administrations brings differing thoughts.

The library has been closed for four years or more and it was floated that the Blake Building would be the best spot. That idea got shot down and the thing has been languishing ever since.

Whatever happens, I know the people in the borough will be very happy to see something take place. But, I guess the shared building with the Fire Department of West Haven—Allingtown (say that five times fast) is a dead letter. This might be a cheaper and easier way to get that issue put to rest.

~~~

By the by, speakin’ of the fire brigade, the fire and police departments are getting together for their annual Fire Expo this weekend. This is another sure sign that fall is here. It looks like there will be good weather and we know that a lotta people go out and see this over on Rock Street.

The thing seems to git bigger every year, and they have a list of things to do. I does two things: let’s the public know what is involved in fire and police work, and also is a recruiting tool for those who might be thinking about becoming members of the Finest or the Bravest. Not a bad thing, when you think about it.

~~~

Finally, Cobina went traversing on the new Beach Street, coursing her way over the speed bumps, when she caught a look at the forlorn spot that once housed the Captains Galley. Now seven or more feet lower than the road, the place was a hot spot for years. Now there is an outline o’ where the building once stood.

One wonders effen anything is ever gonna be able to go over there again. The new roadway makes it less accessible, but more than that the entire area has seen houses removed cuz of flooding, and with it being in a gully, that might be a possibility there as well.

Quite a puzzlement if you ask me. It seems that the area will just be another memory of what once was, and Mother Nature will take over the land space. That seems a bit sad.

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

Filed Under: 100324, Column, Dear Felicia

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