Wow, dearie, jest wow! As Iyam scribing this missive to yew we are in the Dog Days of Summer and the final weeks before things go back to … normal. Not that normal is a bad thing, but when yew look forward to the summer and all it has to offer, it seems like the shortest of the four seasons. Before yew know it, we’ll be stringing up lights and lookin’ for an elf in a red suit!
I know, it ain’t that bad yet, but it jest seems like we were saying, “It’s June 1 and we have a whole summer to look forward to.” Now, not so much. With the festival weekend now past us jest as our editorial this week sez, we are looking toward the end of summer. It’s depressin’.
Tennyrate, the Festival was a big success judging from the crowds we happened to see there. The thing missin’ from this year’s event was the the rides. Sammy Bluejay sez there was some kefuffle betwixt the operator and the city and that it was determined not to go with rides. That’s a shame for the kiddies who look forward to them, and, frankly, for the editor who likes those types o’ pics for the papyrus.
All in all, it was a successful two-day event. We hope some day it becomes more of a mixed event. Right now it jest seems to be a rock concert without the hippies. But that seems to be what the public wants these days.
Jest a heads-up, this beging the foist missive of Awgus, the next one will be (hit the sad violins) the bus schedule, which will hit jest a week before school starts. That’s not a happy sign to most of the youngsters in these parts, Iyam sure. But it does mean things get past the summer slump, and matters do pick up once we git past Labor Day.
~~~
Speaking of Labor Day, the two political parties had their July caucuses two weeks back and it has to be said that not much was a surprise. In fack, the Demmies had to have a perty quick confab cuz they really didn’t hafta do much. As expected, Herronner was handed the endorsement for a second term. In the history of mayoral politics in this town, losing an endorsement by the town committee after yore first term is perty much an impossibility.
The only one-term mayor to lose the endorsement—and that was after a primary – was Bill Heffernan back in 1973. He was the endorsed candidate going into the intramural fracas that year, upended by Bob Johnson. That was the era when the triad that was the Demmie party (Freddie Johnson, Harold Allen and Billy Roper) leaders were constantly tussling for domination. Not much has changed in the recent decades, excep’ Herroner has been able to quell, and even bring about a bit o’ peace in the party. Of course, that’s cuz she’s perty much unbeatable at this juncture.
Effen she somehow loses this go-round, you’d better be looking for porcine beings with wings cuz that’s the reality it would hafta be. The party is united, she has done a good job so far and is perty popular, and we have put the Municipal Accountability Review Board (MARB) in the rear-view mirror. Somehow or t’other one can expeck at perty uneventful campaign season as we get outta the gate after Labor Day.
~~~
Meanwhile, Iva Lootey has been lookin’ fer anything from the GOP, and has been comin’ up short. Word has gone out to party leaders to send a list of who is on the ticket, but as of this scribing, nothing is happening. There has been some talk, however, and I will give yew what I have.
According to what Iva has been able to cobble together, perty much as expected, the minority party will not run anyone at the top of the ticket, making the mayoral run an unopposed affair for (methinks) the thoid or fourth time in city history. The last time it happened, another Borer was on the ticket and at the height of popularity as well.
The GOP seems to be putting its eggs in the underticket basket, running people for City Council and Bored of Ed, where they will at least some representation. Effen nothing else, the City Council must have at least one at-large member from the minority party (that has happened quite a lot over the years, ask Neil Cavallaro when he was jest a young educator), and it must have three on the nine-member Bored of Ed, which is certainly a better situation. With the one-person rep on the council, getting a second on a motion was as common as hens’ teeth.
Sooo, effen yew were looking for a bang ‘em up type of election this fall, look elsewhere. It ain’t gonn happen in this berg, that’s for sure.
Cobina could be catty and say that’s what happens when yew don’t have a candidate with a bankroll and a lotta time on one’s hands, but she won’t go there.
~~~
As I mentioned to yew the last time, Riva has opened up – they called it a “soft opening” a few weeks back. The eatery, which stands where Chick’s once held forth, has been perty busy. In fact, effen this is a “soft opening” one wonders what’ll happen when the “hard opening” takes place.
Traffic on that part o’ Beach Street has been interesting with cars jockeying in and outta the parking lots, and many patrons either inside or outside…and with the weather we had up until late last week, the outside was the place to be for many.
Tennyrate, it’s nice to see the new business taking off and gaining a following. As far as the old bromide about “location, location, location,” this bizz has it in spades. Whilst it was a few years ago, when it was an over-the-counter edifice, it was perty popular and got a lotta traffic from the passers-by. Remember, Beach Street – even with the speed humps every 1000 feet or so – is an artery that is used by a lotta people.
Soooo, after a long wait, the Riva proprietors must be very happy with the way things turned out.
~~~
Cobina has been trying hard not to mention it, but the Wag came in t’other day and mentioned it, so here we go. It’s been several weeks since we talked about the former Haven property. It’s still there. It’s still overgrown, and it’s still unsold. Does that about cover it in a nutshell? Getting back a time when pigs fly as stated above, methinks when the final sale happens, we should be lookin’ skyward.
~~~
Is the state DOT looking to make life even harder fer us here in the berg? One hasta ask that question when it is now being said that the Route 1 bridge betwixt the Elm City and the Asylum by the Sea is gonna be up for a rebuild. Excuse me, but at the same time the I-95 bridges are being worked on? That limits access to and from the city even more.
Granted, the projeck on Route 1 won’t be the purgatory that the highway projeck will be – a pin prick as opposed to a thorn in the side – but when that highway projeck begins people are gonna be lookin’ for alternative access. That’s gonna git harder effen “alternatives” are sliced away cuz of new projecks.
Meanwhile, people are beginning to discuss the Kimberly Avenue Bridge as the next in a series of upgrades. As we’ve said before that was a “temporary” structure not expected to last more than 20 years – back in 1969 when it was built. Here we are 56 years later, and it’s still carrying the weight of lotsa cars each and every day. Let’s hope they put that off for at least until the Route 1 projeck gits done.
~~~
We see thee former American Buckle Company property developer has been given an extension to determine effen a new projeck can be secured. That’s a good thing. The property has been closed for a long time, and we always thought they were gonna make apartments outta it, and a new restaurant where the former CJM’s used to be.Let’s hope something comes of that extension as Campbell Avenue needs a booster shot of something nice.
Meanwhile, hearing about it, it’s hard to believe the city was once the buckle capital of the world, with American Buckle and West Haven Buckle (at the junction of Wood Street and Washington Avenue) within a mile of each other. Now those jobs went like most after the Energy Crisis and NAFTA – oversees.
Whatever happens over there, the area needs something besides vacant buildings. That is for sure.
~~~
With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,