The cherry and apple blossoms – and whatever else blossoms there might be around here – are sprouting despite the cold we’ve had in these parts, honey bunch. That means that despite our lying eyes and cold hands, spring is actually here! The trees on the Green are blossoming as are the trees on the Avenue, and it looks like leave shoots will be seen any day now. If only the warm weather will come permanently….
Around these parts, things are percolating as usual. We hear-tell that Vin Landisio the former New Haven and North Haven fire chieftain, who came to our fair city after his retirement has left the friendly confines of Allingtown to go back as fire marshal in West Shore. This has a few people in a fluster as the West Haven Fire Dept. – Allingtown has been a problem of sorts over the last year or so, and not cuz of Landisio’s doings.
Sammy Bluejay was over when the announcement was made, and whilst he didn’t have any definite info regarding Landisio’s departure other than the “personal reasons” that were given, the atmosphere around the way the department has been politicized may be part o’ the scenario. Once yew git the politicos in this town involved in anything, and given the way the ruling party is divided, one gits the sensation that politics in some form or t’other might have something to do with it.
Landisio ain’t from here, but he probably got a good dose of the behind-the-scenes stuff that has turned the stomachs of many a persona when they come into town. We’ll have more info as we git it.
~~~
Interesting. As we talked about last week, Ed Granfield got the chairmanship of the Charter Revision Commish mostly cuz of the factionalism in the Democratic Party and the fack they couldn’t agree on which way to go down a one-way street. Well, effen the party thinks it’ll be able to have undue influence on the panel, Iva Lootey sez that Granfield has politely told the politicos to keep their distance.
That was clear in his statements to the press follying his election as chairman. Sweetie pie, he knows that their gonna wanna git their oars in as far as ideas, but he’s gonna stop any pressure that the local yokels might wanna put on the members.
Effen yew remember the last two charter revision attempts – the last being ten years ago – were rife with the powers that be trying to influence things. It got to the point that a lotta good stuff that was gonna be proposed never even got outta committee cuz the politicos didn’t wanna upset their apple cart.
Granfield has served fair warning that he’s intent on naming names effen anyone tries to peddle their political wares before the committee’s members and attempt to pressure votes. Let’s hope that happens. There are some good ideas being passed around for charter revisions, but ideas hafta make it to the floor and be discussed and voted on. Too often in the past, these things were never even brought out.
~~~
Cobina is glad to see that Nick’s Luncheonette, a popular eatery around these parts, is able to git into the old Pizza Hut location on Sawmill Road. That’s good for Nick and his customers and good for the fack it occupies a building on a major thoroughfare. He’s leaving his famous locations, of course, because of the Haven project, which is looking to demolish the block of houses on First Avenue.
We’re being told the projeck is alive and well and ready to go. There are people who still have their doubts, and goodness knows whilst they want the thing to be true, until the construction starts, doubters are gonna be doubting. It’s jest the way things are, given the history of our fair city.
Effen Nick’s is going, one would expeck that the gas stations along El-em Street will be the next to be seeing the wrecking ball, though the legal status of that situation is still a bit unknown. We’ll see when it happens, I guess.
~~~
Nelly Nuthatch was over t’other afternoon, and she’s hoping some major queries are gonna be answered concerning the budget, the Municipal Accountability Review Board, the City Council, and herroner. To say that there are mixed signals is not to tetch on the problems.
The budget was presented to the council. The MARB supposedly saw the thing before it was presented, the council is now reviewing it, but herroner wants to make more cuts or have the council make more cuts. Add to this the MARB statements concerning “supplemental” taxes, “structural changes” and it dangling $8 million on a stick effen it don’t git its way, we’re all wondering howinell this is all gonna work.
Does the council hafta pass the budget then make changes? Does the mayor hafta make changes? Is the budget process all in limbo regardless cuz the MARB supercedes the charter? There are a lotta questions surrounding how all this is gonna take place, and some of the queries are coming from the council itself. Effen the MARB is gonna do its own changes on the budget in the form of forcing a supplemental levy or changes to what can be spent, why go through this six-week review?
The logistics of the situation we’re in have some people confused, including yores truly. Effen somebody has an explanation, we wish they would let us in on it.
~~~
Whilst all that is going on, the wag came in and pernted out that the General Assembly seems to be repeating the mistakes of last year, and can’t come to terms on how to put together the state’s budget. Effen yew’ve got the feeling we’ve all been here before, you ain’t wrong.
Last year, cuz the General Assembly bickered over money we didn’t have for more than six months, the budget wasn’t finalized until late summer. Cities and town didn’t git the money they were told – including our little corner of the universe, and budgets were overhauled – at least in those bergs where they had the money to do the overhauling.
It looks like we’re gonna be in that merry-go-round again, and these aren’t the types of circles that most people want to be in. We shall see.
Meanwhile, the wag pernted out that the State Bonding Commish met recently, and, once again, approved every request for bond with no discussion. I don’t wanna seem crude, but in a state that don’t have a pot nor a window, how in blazes do we bond for all these millions and millions. We’re gonna be in debt until Dooms Day, it seems and nobody seems to care.
It’s all Monopoly money to these people, sweetie. That’s the only thng that makes any sense.
With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,