Well honey bunch, here we are skittering toward the holiday break. December has come and the Christmas decorations are out. By the way, didya notice how when New Haven had its tree lighting last week it was for its “Holiday Tree”? Jest think o’ that a minute. There ain’t any group that politicos would do that to but regular taxpayers. Those of us who celebrate Christmas don’t expeck other groups to change things around for us when a holiday rolls around – and jest try it. It’ll start a major battle in the culture war. Nope. This is the usual fol-de-rol from the usual suspecks in the political establishment. They should be ashamed in the El-em City, but that presupposes they understand the problem. They don’t.
~~~
Meanwhile, Sammy Bluejay noted that a new layer of wrapping – not Christmas wrapping – has been put on the Savin Rock Conference Center’s roof. During the summer a plastic tarp was put on the roof. As we all know it needs a new one and the city ain’t gonna spend the kopecks to get it fixed. That, m’dear, will be the buyer’s or lessee’s task if and when the building is sold or rented. The city ceased operation of the venue because it is not making any money, just costing.
Hopes are that a new operator can make the venue the event place it was intended to be when the city acquired the property almost three decades ago. Hard to believe it’s been that long since the building was purchased. It was quite the controversy up to that pernt effen yew remember. The place opened as Phyllis’, then was sold and became a restaurant which name escapes this ole gal, and then it was the Casino through the mid-1980s.
The city took it over as part of the move to save the stretch of beach from getting over-built with condos. In some ways it seems like a lifetime ago, whilst in others it seems like yesterday.
~~~
Nelly Nuthatch was in t’other afternoon, and the talk on the political street is still the announcement by former Mayor Ed O’Brien that he is “considering” a run for his old office against the gal who beat him the last time, current Mayor Nancy Rossi.
While the announcement about two weeks ago was in the “maybe,” “thinking about,” “possibly” category, the truth of the matter is that he will, in fack, run according to Nelly. No, she ain’t been to Madame Olga’s to read tea leaves or anything like that. What she is watching is the fack that a fund-raiser has been scheduled by O’Brien, and those types of events usually presage a certain decision that’s already been made, not one that is still in the ether somewhere. So, effen yew think the various factions of the party are standin’ pat, think again.
Nelly sez that the Rossi people and the faction or factions aligned with her are expecting and planning for a primary in the summer next. Yup. As far as the political establishment is concerned, the city’s ruling party will see yet another primary to determine who will be the nominee come next November, and unless there is a total sea-shift in the political fortunes of various and sundry, that nominee will most likely be the next mayor.
Now, like I said to you before, neither Mizz Nancy nor Mr. O’Brien is on each other’s Christmas card list. They are both on a list of sorts, but not a Christmas card list. And effen there was any doubt, these two really don’t like each other and took every opportunity to snipe when the sniping was good.
Take for example herroner’s answer to O’Brien’s announcement. It was drippin’ with contempt. So, as I also said recently, to quote Bette Davis, “Buckle your seat belts, it’s going to be a nasty ride.”
The only thing that needs to be determined is which way the three factions making up the Demmies will split. There are a lotta people who have a lotta resentment cutting all kinds of ways. Sooooo, just figgerin’ out who will align with whom may take Madame Olga. Somebody’s gotta read those tea leaves.
~~~
Iva Lootey stopped by, and he was interested in the fack that the Dept. of the Interior give its imprimatur on the sale of Bayview Park at the end of Main Street in order that the Haven-West project can proceed apace –whenever that is. The announcement was made just before Thanksgiving and was a big piece in the puzzle that makes up the land footprint now that the properties have all been purchased. Supposedly, the demolition process will begin sometime after the foist of the year — no, they didn’t say which year.
Tennyrate, whilst that is a good move and might even be a big hurdle that’s been overcome, what is interesting Iva and others is still what the traffic pattern or accommodation for traffic is gonna be made for the high-end mall that is supposed to be built. One of the things the O’Brien administration kind o’ stumbled over was the decision to close the former Exit 44 clover leaf that emerged on Kimberly Avenue in New Haven and led people over the bridge into our corner of the universe.
Well, with the reconstruction of the viaduct over the West River, the cloverleaf was demolished and the new Exit 44 spills onto Ella Grasso Boulevard, with a circuitous route into our fair city. No one has actually looked at the traffic matter, which some are wondering about.
It gets perty congested over there now with the lights and all, and putting in an attractive thing like a shopping mall will attract more gassamobuggies than maybe the current pattern was meant to handle.
Iyam sure the Actors Colony has thought about it, the mavens therein, however, ain’t exactly been forthcoming on what they envision as the solution to what could be a BIG problem. Maybe, just maybe we’ll find out sooner rather than later. That would be different.
~~~
The wag, of course, was in on the conversation concerning the Haven, and mentioned that once that is solved, maybe the city can concentrate on getting things straightened out on Beach Street. As a major thoroughfare into the city, one would think it would have been a priority over the decades, but no.
Right now, there are empty lots where businesses were, empty businesses where businesses were, and a promise to raise about a half-mile of the roadway up about seven feet in order to prevent further flooding like we saw during the hurricanes of a few years ago.
Thankfully, despite the bad weather and the two or three Nor’easters we’ve had hereabouts, the beaches seem to be holding their own. No exposed pipes have been seen of late, which is a good thing.
The fack that Beach Street is facing the sound, and there is a lotta good land over there, one would hope that the bigshots in the Actors Colony will turn their attention thereto, but we’ve been disappointed in the past, and expeck to be disappointed here as well.
~~~
Finally, jest another reminder that come the Dec. 20 isshew, we will be shutting down for two weeks as is our custom, to return on Jan 10 in the new year. So, two more isshews before a much-needed break.
With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,