Well sweetie pie, the berg is still comin’ to terms with its fiscal problems, and last week was a good example. I don’t know whether it was the fack that we had our foist real heatwave of the summer or people are jest more ornery than in the past, but a lotta pusses were sour last week, even though there was a holiday and a nice midweek break to go along with it.
It was hotter than somethin’ around here last week, with the temps hitting the 90s and the humidity feeling about the same. Needless to say with those types o’ conditions even people “along the shore,” as the weathermen like to say, were not above a grouse or three.
The foist thing to git things goin’ was the fack that herroner determined that parking was gonna be charged for on Tuesday night – the night of the fireworks. Sammy Bluejay was perched a safe distance from the noisemakers, but heard plenty o’ noise from people who obviously didn’t get the memo. The city had said it was gonna charge for parking.
Tennyrate, according to Sammy the charge kind o’ put a damper on the merriment of a more than a few people in these parts. Of course, there are always those who are never happy. Grannie used to say those types would see the creation with the original cast and not be satisfied (“That tree over there, dontcha think you can move it a bit to the left…”).
Nope, there were some who let the parking thing drain all the joy outta the night. That’s all Sammy seemed to hear, the parking vig really got under people’s skins. They better git used to it, cuz until and unless this lit’le part of the world starts to build its tax base, we’re all we got.
The second thing that went wrong on fireworks night – by the way, I guess the show was good for the most part, I stayed at home – was a group o’ “youth” found a way to git in trouble over by Lake Street. Sammy buzzed over there to see what was going on, and found out that some swells from a nearby town (not to be named, but their high school team goes by the Green Dragons), decided they were gonna find a place to park and make trouble. They did, and, they did.
Members of the constabulary were heard to say that the culprits who started the fracas over there were not residents of our fine town, but people who came from outside jest to see what trouble they could cause. Of course, that lit’le tidbit – the fack they weren’t from here – didn’t make the newscasts, jest that there was a fracas. Setch is the life in the Naked City.
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As you saw in last week’s papyrus, the city’s financial woes mean that those who use city parks on Sundays – not only the beach area – will find somewhat curtailed services. Effen yew jest want the park and bring yore own barbeque, I guess you’ll be OK.
Effen yew want the grills the city provides, like at Painter Park, don’t expeck much, we can’t afford the overtime. Same thing with lavatories (I was always taught not to call them “bathrooms” as there was no “bath” attached). Effen yew need to use the portables that are provided all well and good. The regular facilities will be locked.
It’ll be a bit of an adjustment fer most of the people around here, but overall it ain’t the end o’ the world and people shouldn’t treat it as setch.
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One of the things the new mayor did when she took office was cancel the Savin Rock Festival. But as yew learned through this papyrus and other places, Marenna Amusements, the company that furnished the rides for the Savin Rock Fest, was putting up some o’ its own money to provide a festival beginning July 19 and running for ten days.
Nelly Nuthatch was in t’other afternoon and said the company is looking for groups to git involved with the “Shoreline Festival” much like they did with the Savin Rock Fest. I guess arrangements have been made to provide space for the groups, and I guess some other festivities are planned. We’re hoping that somebody gives a rundown of any and all festival activities, we’d like to publish them.
Of course, the Mystick Maidens of the Marsh have offered their services in the help of the community, but were once again toined down flat by the organizers. I keep tellin’ them we’re one of the oldest groups in the city, going back to the crossing of the West River in 1648, but they don’t wanna listen to li’l ole me.
Well, they can keep their festival. The MMMs will find something else to do that weekend – jest like with the Savin Rock Fest.
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Iva Lootey stopped over t’other afternoon and sez the city seems to be working on some infrastructure projecks here and abouts. The topic under discussion was sidewalks and curbing. Iva mentioned this to me, and I seem to remember that when the City Council OK’d the bond for the payment of the deficit way back in December, there was some extra money – 7 or 8 million more kopecks – earmarked for paving and sidewalks. That’s the way I remember it.
Tennyrate, with the weather turning steamy there’s nothing that sez summertime like the acrid smell of asphalt being spread over a surface or made into curbing. It is jest one o’ those seasonal things we all look forward to, like Christmas Lights, or Valentine Cards.
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With the kiddies out of school going into its thoid week (hard to believe), the work at the high school seems to be going apace. Cobina was out in her gassamobuggy and happened by there. Not sure where in the project they are, but it seems like things are moving along. One wonders what things are gonna be like once the real construction begins.
I don’t envy the students a teachers one bit effen the sounds of jackhammers or cranes and other machinery are to be hoid whilst school is in session. At least there won’t seem to be pile-drivers. They jest seem to drive yew nuts.
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The city said early on that it was lookin’ to unload the Savin Rock Conference Center on some managerial firm. Since the announcement was made, nothin’ more has come over about it. That leads one to believe that there are no takers so far. With the work that has to be done on the building – it hasn’t been updated since Clinton’s first term – there are probably no business types who want to take on setch a task. It won’t surprise me effen the place doesn’t git a firm to run it. That’s too bad. It’s a prime location.
With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next , mitt our usual luff und kizzez,