Here we go, sweets! Summer is all but over as far as the lazy, hazy, and crazy and things are hankering to git back to “normal,” whatever that is. Here in the Asylum by the Sea, the kiddies return to classrooms next week, and judgin’ from the bustle of activity down the street from the offices here on the Post Road, things are moving over at the University of New Haven as well.
An aside: each year with the incoming students at the Uni we see gaggles of young people motoring or walking to a local emporium for used furniture, and it can be quite interesting to watch some of the purchases, and what the youngsters think is impowtant.
As far as those still in the city’s school system, the bus schedule publication this week perty much pernts to the reality that summer is over, and it’s time to hit the books again. Whilst it seems far off, yew and I and anyone over a certain age know that time goes at a rawther brisk pace. Before they know it the youngsters will be in a groove, vacation will be a fading memory, and Halloween and Thanksgiving will be in their thoughts.
And whilst it’s been hot and humid for most of the summer – witch has some of us wondering if this will be a hurricane year – there is evidence the August cooling is jest around the corner. Once the locusts start making their presence known with regular buzzing, and the crickets start chirping, summer is in its waning stages.
Cobina is gonna start off this missive’s info with a hat tip and “well done” to a youngster. Y’know, we oldsters like to gripe and cackle about today’s youth and what we think they should know and don’t. But every once in a while, there is a story that shows there are more good kids out there, who are willing to do their jobs.
Take Jack Miklos, the head lifeguard this summer. He was recently cited for a rescue, doing that for which he was trained, and doing it flawlessly. He’s only a youngster, and deserves all the kudos that can be sent his way.
You can read elsewhere about his heroics, let’s jest say, people like Jack give oldsters like Cobina hope that the world is in better hands than we wish to believe sometimes.
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Sammy Bluejay came in t’other afternoon and was noting that a lotta activity is going on in the berg as it relates to paving and trees. Honeybunch, now that he mentioned it, I hafta agree. Whislt traversing the city in the flivver over the past week or so, it seems every block seems to have tree people either trimming or taking down some very ancient lumber.
Now, I know that the people at the United Illuminating Co., are trimming our arboreal crop that sits along streets and avenues where wires and poles are located, but there seems to be even more activity. Corner trees, trees that seem to be OK otherwise, are getting haircuts or jest taken down altogether.
Then there is the paving. It seems there is a large swath of streets that have been milled – even Elm Street up to the Kimberly Avenue Bridge has been milled and was being paved, but there were others as well.
Getting around town is somewhat of a chore in spots cuz of manhole covers now six inches above ground as well as storm drains and the like. One false move and you’ll need a new front end.
But, I guess there is money to spend, and it has to be done before the leaves turn to dust and the white stuff starts fallin’ from the sky. Still, it’s been a busier year than a body can remember.
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Nelly Nuthatch happened to mention that she was on social media after our story came out two weeks ago about Herroner running unopposed this go-round. Evidently, it got a lotta play not only on our own website, but elsewhere, with many a voter congratulating her on the job she’s done.
Whilst it’s all well and proper, and a testament to her ability, it is not good. This city is not the better for having a one-party monopoly on power. Sorry, but no. Recent history has shown that having one party in power for too long makes for laxity, entitlement and just bad governance. No one is sayin’ Herroner is going a bad job, but it don’t help the city effen there is no meaningful opposition and discussion on what might be done, and how things can be improved.
I’ve been on this saw before, but the GOP really has to git its act together somehow, some way. The people in the ninth district have tried for the last six months or so to drum up interest, but that is being scaled back.
I don’t know effen we need a new opposition party, or can resurrect the Republican Party, but something has gotta give. Competition breeds competence, and for a long time in various ways, that has been lacking in our little corner of the universe in many ways.
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Cobina happened out on the parkway a few days ago, and the dreaded change of exit numbers, which has found its way on connectors, is now on our venerable highways. It’s only a matter o’ time before it hits I-95, and probably has something to do with that infrastructure boondoggle that was past under the Biden Crime Family.
Tennyrate, back about 25 years ago or so, some fed’ral bureaucrat thought it would be nice if interstates numbered their exits not in sequential order – which makes sense and is logical – but in the number of miles the road stretches, and effen there are several exists within a certain area or mile, they would be labeled A, B or C.
Soooo, now take the parkway, what was once Exit 40 and B in Norwalk, is exit 16 A and B, cuz it’s 15 miles from the border, and so it goes. The Milford exit to the connector to I-95 has been renumbered as well.
Of course, the former numbers are listed, as “old exit 40,” for example. And don’t expeck those signs to only be temporary. Pennsylvania was one of the foist to succumb to the tyranny of Washington and still has the old numbers up some two decades later.
They can’t close down these bureaucracies any faster for Cobina. What a waste of time and money, not to mention confusion.
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Speaking of things motor-related, it think I mentioned this to yew the last time, but it bears repeating. It looks like the DOT ain’t gonna close lanes when it starts work on the Foist Avenue Bridge on I-95, just shift lanes over to the “breakdown lane.”
Cobina was traveling here and there a few days ago, and saw that barriers are up in the former left-hand lane, and the traffic on the Northbound Lane has been shifted over. Effen that is the way the 27-month ordeal of rehabbing that bridge and the one over the tracks is to be handled, we might actually survive.
We know that First Avenue’s on-ramp is closed and is being used as a staging area, and that has created a crimp in traffic – jest try to get over the aforementioned Kimberly Avenue Bridge into town at rush hour. It’s not for the feint of heart.
Still, maybe the people in Hartford have paid attention for once – unlike when they got rid of the cloverleaf exit from I-95 ten years ago, making a bigger bottle neck at the Boulevard exit – and seen that Long Wharf is a horror and is taking steps to make it hurt less whilst work is ongoing.
We shall see.
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I hear-tell now that Riva is up and running, work start to focus on the “Kelsey,” the new operation at the former West Haven Conference Center-Casino-Harbour Mist-Phyllis’. I told yew a couple weeks back that banners have been put out, but Nelly Nuthatch reminded me that the people involved in Riva over on Beach Street (former Chick’s site), are the same for the Kelsey.
I hafta reiterate my thoughts from last time, they are very busy over there on Beach Street, and continue to have a steady flow of patrons whenever I happen by, which is at least twice a week. Sooo, effen they can make things successfully like that a three-quarters of a mile away at the Conference Center, more power to them.
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The Wag showed me an article wherein the Constabulary wants to put speed cameras in place to get people not conforming to the posted limit. Seeing as in most places traffic is congested, especially at certain times of the day, speeding is not possible. Yet, here we are. I guess on big arteries like Bull Hill Lane and elsewhere it might be a problem, but the bigger problem is red lights.
Sweety, I wish I had a quarter for each car I see run red lights during the course of a day. I’d be able to retire to Bedlam. Effen that is part of the package, I think I might be in support of setch a move.
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With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,