Honey bunch the area was hit with a snowstorm over the weekend, and it reminded any and all that whilst we’ve had good weather lately, Ole Man Winter is getting closer and closer to making his official appearance. Here in the Asylum by the Sea we got about five inches of the white stuff, and it came a bit later than they thought.
Of course, getting into any kind of supermarket or place where food was sold meant yew’d hafta dedicated a couple o’ hours. It’s always amazing to me how people who hear about snow stampede to the market as if they’re gonna be snowed in for days. Then two days later, you might see the same people at the local emporium buying more stuff.
And as usual the local weather mavens made it sound like snowmageddon when it was only 3-5 inches max. I know it leads if it bleeds, but why is it any “weather event” is made to sound like an adventure or disaster film? By Monday, most of the snow had been moved or gone, and things were about as normal as yew might think. Now, by the time yew git this missive, there is supposed to be very cold weather. That will cinch the fack that winter is upon us.
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Meanwhile, Sammy Bluejay came in t’other afternoon and sez that effen the foist few days are any indication, newly elected City Council chairman Ron Quagliani is gonna need a whip and chair to keep the boys and girls in line. To say that there is a lack o’ trust amongst the members is not to scratch the surface.
According to Sammy, the back-biting has begun with those who supported Rossi on one side and those who were from the O’Brien camp on t’other. As yew know, there was little love lost betwixt the factions during the election, and when the former hizzoner decided to go write-in and some of his candidates went with him rather than supporting the endorsed slate, things went from bad to very ugly.
Well, Sammy sez that the split seems to be 7-5 with the O’Brien squad having a two-man advantage over the Rossi team. That means that the new herroner might have tough sledding on some things effen she has any kind of legislative agenda. But, what most people are looking toward is the “budget cycle” witch begins after the foist of the year.
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The wag was in t’other day and was weighing in on what he hoid concerning the factionalism that just won’t go away. He, like a lotta others are just confounded by the way all these politicos think they actually have “power” over something. What it really boils down to is patronage – and there ain’t that much to go around anymore. We don’t have the kopecks to pay our bills, the last thing we need are people looking for make-work jobs.
But that’s been the thing around these parts for a long time going way back. When we were a bit more flush in the financial department, one could understand the lure that politicos used to git their supporters jobs. But here we are with (as the wag sez) nary a pot nor a window, and the boys and girls who are of the political class still think we have loads of money.
And this thing about power, what’s power? Over who? For what? Sweetie pie, it’s jest like the guys and gals in Hartford. They spend money like water, and acts as if it’s not real. Just the other day the wag was watching the state assembly channel on the boob tube and the State Bonding Commish was on. They didn’t disapprove anything. Methinks we’re bonded into the next millennium.
Setch is life, and setch is the way things go in this Asylum by the Sea.
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Manwhile, Iva Lootey was traveling by the high school and sez that the G-wing of the high school looks like it’s been enveloped in a circus tent. What it really is wrapped in is plastic. Evidently, the abatement of asbestos must be taking place. That’s the only time we’ve ever seen buildings wrapped like that.
As I told yew weeks ago, the plan right now is to get the wing ready so that it might be demolished over the Christmas break. The equipment and furniture were removed weeks ago, and the work of building a barrier betwixt it and the rest of the building was begun. It wasn’t anything like the “blue wall” that was put up a couple years ago, which was nothing but plywood.
The word around is that once the evil G-wing is demolished, don’t look for too much more going on, at least not in the short term. Y’see honey, the city still ain’t sold the bonds to finance the rebuild, witch has to be stickin’ in the craws of more than a few. The north side of the Actors Colony for sure can’t be too happy about it.
There are more than few people who think that whilst there might be a pause, that pause could become permanent. Effen the city don’t sell the bonds (and with the new administration looking over every jot and tittle of the books that might slow it down even more), there ain’t no way the building is gonna be rebuild, except to get rid of those things that the higher-ups have been trying to git rid of for years.
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Nelly Nuthatch, meanwhile, is telling me that the kerfuffle that erupted about two years ago over asbestos might be ready to explode. There are people asking questions about the fack that the kiddies are still in the building whilst abatement is going on in the G-wing, albeit whilst it is air locked.
Queries have been put to those in charge, and the answers got back haven’t exactly been what was expected by those posing them. The persons in charge are saying everything that is legally required and more is being done, but there are some parents who know something about these things and aren’t so easily convinced.
One would think this would be a cause for the new administration to look into, but also one that yew’d think the school administration would get in front of. Asbestos ain’t something to fool around with, and when kids are involved full transparency would be a wonderful thing.
This might be a good issue for the new school board to hold a parent forum on so that the evidence can be laid out in front of the parents and interested parties. After all, the new administration did promise transparency.
Nelly knows of at least one parent who is on this thing like white on rice and wants answers from those in charge. She ain’t being put off, and she ain’t quieting down. People like this cause more problems if they’re ignored than if they are dealt with. It’ll be interesting if the powers that be engage or try to act like nothing is happening.
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Just a few housekeeping things to munch on, sweets: Our last issue of the year will be next week, Dec. 21. We will then be off for two weeks with Jan. 11 being the foist issue of the New Year. I keep telling yew this cause of all the rumors that go around whenever we shut down.
Eleanore Turkinton, then will do her year-end columns, and we will give our annual Christmas gift list to the various politicos around town.
With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,