Well sweetie, the kiddies are outta school, and summer is in full swing with the solstice. Believe it or not in another couple o’ weeks we’re gonna realize that the days are getting shorter and that means the long slog toward winter – again. And jest to put a cherry on top o’ this lit’le parfait, as of Monday it’s only a half a year’s shopping days until Christmas. Effen that don’t put the fear o’ somethin’ in you, nothing will.
Speakin’ o’ fear and tremblin’ is it me or are the politicos all over the place jest goin’ a bit over the top, especially those who wear a Demmie pin on their lapels? I don’t know how they do it, but they’re constantly angry and constantly in a tizzy. For the past year and a half it has been just a continual temper tantrum. I jest wonder when the citizenry is gonna have enuff of the foolishness. Of course, this being “blue” country, we see the nonsense more and more – especially with Rosa DeLauro Greenberg as our local yokel in Congress.
Rosa and Cobina ain’t got along in many a decade – and for good reason. The lady is a good example o’ the shallowness of most of the people in Congress.
Meanwhile, here in our Asylum by the Sea, things seem to be ramping up for the November elections effen yew can imagine it. Of course, before that – again, believe it or not – there’ll be a primary in August of this year to determine yet to be determined candidates for various state posts.
Remember, cuz this is a year when national-type elections are gonna be held – Congress and setch – the primary is moved to August. Normally, these things are in September, but it was thought that even winning candidates needed a couple extra weeks after long, hard primaries.
On the local front, the incumbents are starting to talk about state isshews, but, of course, national isshews are involved in the state isshews. We see that the local GOP has put up candidates in the 115th and 116th Assembly Districts, and there is one GOP incumbent in Charlie Ferraro in the 117th. Interestingly, Cindy Boynton, who used to work with two of the owners of this papyrus when they worked for the old Milford Citizen, is running for the 117 seat as a Demmie. It’s interesting how things change and people meet up. Regardless, we’re glad to see there will be candidates in all the districts. There were years setch wasn’t the case.
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Of course, the big news this week is the run up to the July 3 fireworks next Wednesday. As yew are aware, about 100,000 people come into the berg for that event each year, and the beaches and thoroughfares are tied up most of the day because of it. Cobina puts away the gassamobuggy and makes sure that her feline is happily ensconced inside on that night. The booms and blasts do not set well with felines, and our little friend is no exception. Soooo, we put up with the meowing of her wanting to go outside. In a few hours, she’ll be glad we didn’t.
Cobina remembers getting stranded on one night where she had to go out on July 3. Jest trying to git around was bad enuff, and she came back a couple hours before the fireworks. It took nearly an hour jest to get from the town line to home, that’s how snarled the traffic was.
Of course, our editor, who likes to take a jog now and again, runs around Bradley Pernt on his route. Effen he don’t hit it quite right, he and others hafta detour cuz the Pernt is sealed off for the fireworks display. Still, it’s a big night in town, and is fun for many thousands o’ people. Thank Goodness we didn’t hafta cancel that even the way we canceled the Savin Rock Festival cuz of the city’s financial difficulties.
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Sammy Bluejay was in t’other afternoon and brought up the fack that the Municipal Accountability Review Board – MARB for short – rejected herroner’s Five-Year Plan. Politicos around the berg were expecting all or part of it to be rejected – and that included herroner herself. This is a plan to see how and when the city will get itself picked up and solvent again. Of course, as far as the people on MARB are concerned just keep raising taxes or go into bond debt to fix things.
As I told yew last week, whilst they might see themselves as dispassionate and being totally analytical, the truth is they don’t live here and don’t see that people can’t afford what they’re peddling.
Tennyrate, many politicians hereabouts said that the plan presented by herroner was dead on arrival cuz it kind of zeroed out any types of increases over the next five years. That was seen by them, and probably seen by MARB, as not being too realistic. There are gonna be increases in things. Prices go up, expenses go up, and one must plan for those increases.
Methinks we are, once again, in the realm of “political cover.” Herroner doesn’t wanna make decisions that will come back to bite her unless she can claim “MARB made me do it.” It’s a defense that certainly has worked in the past.
Effen she came up with a plan that was more “realistic,” it would mean that she owns whatever happens. Effen MARB gives its guidance or, better yet, gives “directives” as to how it wants things put together, once the fall of 2019 rolls around, she can put the blame on outside forces and be perfeckly truthful in doing it.
It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out over the next few weeks or months. But don’t be surprised effen there is a bit of stark political calculation in the entire process.
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Jest a note: We ain’t heard much about Merlie Mae and how she’s doing. Yew remember she got injured in a house fire about a month ago, and was put in a burn unit. Well, she’s outta the burn unit, but there were other complications. We hear-tell that she’s doing better, and that her family and friends are keepin’ her upbeat as far as they can. We hope so. Cobina’s been thinkin’ a lot about her lately.
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We ain’t mentioned it in a few weeks, but Beach Street is still laying fallow as far as any movement o’ properties on that stretch. The former Chick’s is still closed and still lookin’ for a buyer. The former Debonair Motel is still fenced off and looks the worse for wear with boarded up windows and a generally rundown appearance, and the former location of the Captain’s Galley, which supposedly had a plan for a new restaurant is now up for sale again. So, the plan must’ve fallen flat.
Effen there is a stretch that bespeaks the travails of this berg it is Beach Street. Nobody seems interested in making that entranceway to the shore more inviting.
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With that bit o’ chatter, we’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,