Welcome to Cold Central, honey bunch. As Iyam scribing this week’s missive, Momma Nature has decided to put these parts in a deep freeze. It’s only supposed to last a couple o’ days and then get back to normal, only to git cold again. It is winter, I realize, but a body has no time to git used to the difference in temps from one day to the next. And that goes for the gassamobuggy as well.
Cobina thought the family auto would kick and scream, but it did turn over despite the wind and cold. Jest like Cobina, it decided that the old bones needed to git outta the house, or in this case outta the yard, and take us where we needed to go.
Of course, over the weekend, we had yet another fizzle of a snowstorm or as they like to call it now “winter event.” For days leading up to Saturday night, we were regaled with talks of about eight inches o’ snow follyed by up to three-quarters of an inch of ice. Then it all changed. Sunday went off in these parts without a hitch, but in the interior, it was perty bad.
Needless to say, the supermarkets were rather busy. On Friday, Cobina went into a local market’s parking lot and decided she could wait a day or two. People were coming outta the place with two carriages of groceries. When was the last time we were snowbound for two weeks? I can’t remember any, but people were stockin’ up.
Here in the Asylum by the Sea, things are getting back to normal somewhat following the abrupt departure of the former Finance Director. Remember, he determined he was leaving our fair city without so much as a “by your leave,” and the job was immediately taken by the guy whom, I guess, was supposed to be the second in command.
Tennyrate, the transition is ongoing, but seems to be smooth. Sammy Bluejay seems to think that the former man in charge got a good taste o’ the way things are in this burg and determined he could do better elsewhere. Like I told yew last week, the rumor was that he was looking for digs hereabouts so his family could reunite.
Nobody leaves a job like that unless a) they realize things are sooooo bad they don’t want any part of it; b) a new and better job came about; or c) Both. I don’t know fer sure, but effen I was a bettin’ gal, I’d put my money on c.
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By the time yew read this missive, the high school will have an old new principal. The acting principal, Dana Paredes, will be confirmed as the new head of the place. That meeting of the Bored of Ed is scheduled as of this writing for Tuesday. Usually they meet on Mondays but the holiday pushed it to Tuesday. Our pages will be in production for the most part, so we can’t have a verification, but it would take something untoward to keep her outta the post, and that ain’t happening. She’s got a pristine rep.
For the kids and staff at the school, the appointment is a good thing. They had a rough couple o’ years dealing with the illness of Pam Gardner and her loss last fall. This give ‘em all the continuity they need. It’s always better to have the devil yew know, whether it’s at work or school.
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Nelly Nuthatch showed me that herronner is planning a “town hall” on Jan. 29. That might be an interesting event. She’s had ‘em in the past, and, quite frankly, things have not been as busy as one would think. With the five-year plan now calling for higher taxes and the paring of the budget that took place, it’ll be interesting to see effen there is a push back from taxpayers.
It’ll also be interesting to see how it all transpires. With taxes scheduled to go up every year during the five-year plan, that usually is not a good omen for the incumbent in the Actors Colony. But, as we’ve said in the past, the installation of the MARB (Municipal Accountability Review Board), she’s got the political cover she needs. “The MARB made me do it” is a great cover for a politician who has to raise taxes – usually a no-no, especially in an election year.
Rich Borer, Jr. had to do the same thing after he was put under state review back in the 1990s, and he survived to tell the tale. One would expeck that since it is her foist term, and she really had the MARB imposed on her by the actions of her predecessor (Ed O’Brien bonded to pay the deficit, which imposed the panel), she’s got exactly what she needs to win in November.
Still, November is an eternity away politically speaking. A lot can happen. O’Brien is looking to run against her. He has some support, but we ain’t seeing the big guns of the Democratic Party (at least some o’ them) coming out and lending a hand.
It’s gonna be an interesting year.
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HMMM. Just a week or so ago, Mikey Mercuriano was going to mount an assault on the Dept. of Transportation to get it to build the garage that it had planned for the choo-choo station. As yew remember, he was miffed about five years ago when the garage was abandoned, and has been further miffed that buses that were supposed to drive into the station don’t.
The El-em City was scheduled to git two new garages for Union Station, but I guess the Harp administration ain’t sure it wants two. The money is there, and Mikey thinks it’ll be a new draw for our little corner of the MetroNorth circuit.
Well, now we see the DOT is gonna re-impose parking fees for the lot. When the station foist opened that was the case, and then it went to free parking. Now the agency has said fees will be put into effect. The question before the house is how that is gonna affeck use of the station? Lotsa people have got used to the no-fee parking. Will they go elsewhere, or stop using the station. I guess we’ll find out.
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Meanwhile, in our neck of the woods, yew’ve noticed, no doubt, a new name in our pages. That would be Josh LaBella, our new Jimmy Olsen. The youngster is learning the ropes around here, and methinks is getting quite an education in the ins and outs of the political world as it relates to God’s Li’l Acre. It’s one thing to study civics and the theory of things. It’s quite another to see the actual human interaction.
Josh is getting to be known around town, and is getting to know the players. That should be an education unto itself, effen yew ask me.
Meanwhile, I see that Pam McLoughlin is back on the city beat for the local papyrus. My, my, my everything old is new again, jest like the song sez. We hope she’s enjoyin’ her new go-round in the Asylum.
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With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,