Well, honey bunch, here we are in the beginnin’ of August already. Jest seems like yesterday I was saying it was the foist o’ June, and the summer was just before us. Here we are and the end of summer and beginnin’ of the school year are happening at warp speed. The older Cobina gits, the faster things seem to go. Heck, the acorns are falling from the trees, I hoid my first locust over the weekend buzzin’ around, and in a day or two I expeck that crickets will tweet at night. That’s a sure sign summer is moving to its end and before we know it, the leaves will be turnin’.
Here in the Asylum by the Sea, things are moving along, and the foist Shoreline Fest ended. As our editorial this week shows, some o’ those involved were not ready for the small crowds that showed up. Unless last weekend was more successful than the foist, vendors were hoping jest to break even on the event.
One guy told Sammy Bluejay that he “lost his shirt” the foist weekend, and was hoping for big crowds on the last few days of the festival. There’s no tellin’ effen Georgie Marenna, the guru of the amusements, will attempt a second Shoreline Fest. We here at the papyrus have our own ideas, witch yew can read in the proper place on the editorial page.
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Cobina did hear from Merlie Mae. Herself was out when Merlie Mae called, but she left a message saying that she had done like Lazarus and returned from the dead. When Cobina tried to git her back, Merlie’s phone was either off the hook or, more likely, she was yappin’ to someone else. Several attempts have been made since, but the buzz-buzz-buzz of a busy signal keeps sounding. Merlie, Git off the Phone!!!!
By the way, school is startin’ and one wonders effen Merlie will be happily ensconced in her classroom teaching the classics the way she has since Johnson was President – No, not Andrew Johnson.
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About a decade or so ago, a person named Northam writ Cobina a few times via the Internet, mostly, I think, concerning speeding on Shingle Hill. Said scribe has found a new place to send his commints, as he sent the follying letter to Cobina via the papyrus’s website. Cobina thought it a hoot, and passes it along fer yore pleasure…especially since it’s sent to yoreself.
Dear Felicia:
“I have finely found out what CPA means; “can’t plan anything.” Some people thinks it means “can’t please anyone.” Take your pick!
“I have a fairy tale to tell you: once upon a time a very rich lady who lived near a very big city but she did like shopping there for her Dior gowns, Winston jewelry because it was so dirty and crowded. Then she heard of this wonderful new place to the north which had everything she wanted. So, she called for her coach and began the journey there. Alas, the trip was not easy! In fact it was horrible! Stop and go the whole way amid angry drivers and huge trucks. Finally, after several hours (it should have been 1) she reached her destination. But wait! It hasn’t been built yet!! So, she had to make the same awful trip back. The moral: don’t count your havens before they’re built!
Finally, Felicia i have been reading your column for many years and as near as I can figure you and Cobina must be around 115. I think your gassymobile should be out of gas by now. Your letters were “cute” ten years ago but are getting a little outworn. How about letting one of the grand kids taking over??”
Well, I can always take a bit o’ snark. By the way, we ain’t 115 yet, but we’re getting there. As with his missives 10 years ago, he duz what a lotta scribes do over the Internet – or don’t do: capitalize. Too lazy, I guess.
Tennyrate, I thought it would be interestin’ for yet to git yore letter, and see what people are sayin’ about us almost 50 years after we started writing these weekly missives.
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Meanwhile, with the end o’ summer, the construction at the high school is continuing from my traversing in the gassamobuggy. With school starting in about three weeks, the respite the construction workers have had since June is almost over, and the daily jockeying of cars and busses will begin once again. Also, the wag, who happened by t’other afternoon, wondered how the noise was gonna affeck the “education process” as the big-wigs in the school system like to say.
I dunno about the “education process,” but Nelly Nuthatch was perched thereabouts in the last days of the school year in June and said it was quite somethin’ watching all the cars and busses as they attempted to drop off their human cargo each and every morning. Add to that the kiddies who have their own modes of transport and it could get rather congested over there. It’s a good place to avoid.
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A couple o’ things on the city and its financial situation came into discussion this week. The foist was with Iva Lootey. It seems Iva was interested that the city this week send out a press release concerning tax bills now being under “interest” now that July is over, and turned to August – or will once yew read this missive.
We’ve read about delinquent taxes, but to Cobina’s mind this is the foist time she can remember a late notice of this type going out this early in the process. One wonders how successful the July collections were or were not.
I know Iva heard that in the last City Council meeting residents came up to the podium and complained about the city raising the mill rate by one. Many came up to say they couldn’t afford it and were looking to live elsewhere. Effen yew’ve looked, For Sale signs have shown up like dandelions.
The council can’t do much about it as the MARB has perty much told ‘em what they hafta do. No, we ain’t at Tier IV yet, but as our editorial last week pernted out, it probably ain’t far behind.
Speaking of that editorial, we don’t git much feedback concerning our opinions, but this last week we got more feedback than we’ve had in a while cuz o’ last week’s editorial. I guess people are paying attention.
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Madame Olga came over for tea and let it be known that she’s been lookin’ in her crystal ball and noticing that the Charter Revision Commissioners are doing some interesting work at their meetings. Olga is of the opinion that when the report comes out next summer, there’s gonna be some interesting things for people to masticate on and maybe even change when they get a chance to vote.
Like with most things, Olga was long on predictions and short on details, but she said that people might be very pleased by what they do. Still, one never knows what the politicos in this berg will do. They never were very happy with commishes that actually do that which the commishes were set up to do.
Like I said, we’ll see when the report comes out. Still, effen I find out any juicy tidbits concerning the panel’s deliberations, yew know that yore gonna be the foist to hear about it.
With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,