Well honeybunch, it seems that the weather might have finally cracked around here. After weeks of cold nights and colder days, we’ve seemed to get a bit warmer. As our friend George “The Coach” DeMaio said a few years ago when he moved back into his hometown, “You realize what ‘Cooler at the Shore’ means when you live along the shore.” Truer woids yew ain’t ever gonna hear. Whilst there might’ve been 70-degree weather elsewhere, we were lucky to hit 60. It’ll be that way for about another month, unless thing warm up real fast.
Here in the Asylum by the Sea the verbal jousting match that Eighth Districk Councilman Tracy Morrissey and Mayor Nancy Rossi are havin’ is heatin’ up somewhat. Herronner and Morrissey mixed it up at the most recent City Council confab – or its aftermath – over the buyback isshew concerning vacation time for elected officials. Morrissey and Rossi used to be allies on the council at one time, but like many things in these parts, alliances are here today and gone forever cuz of the factional nature of the city’s ruling party. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” is the operative principle here.
Tennyrate, last week herronner determined that she was in the right and gave her reasons as to why she’s right as rain, and Morrissey is all wet. Well, not to be out-argued, Morrissey has come back with a letter to the editor, published herein on the appropriate page, and lays out her arguments. There is no doubt that this item is gonna be a pernt of departure betwixt Rossi and the person whom most people believe Morrissey is supporting, City Clerk Debbie Collins.
Now, I ain’t saying that Morrissey don’t have a point to her concern. Effen there is a City Council resolution to the effeck that elected officials shouldn’t do this, she is right to point it out. But, as it is an election year, there is also the contention – made by some – that this is jest a pig in a poke that is trying to make an issue for the fall election. Of course, both can be true.
Iyam sure of one thing: this issue is not over. There will be more. Both ladeez like to git the last word in when they’re in political kerfuffles. I don’t think this is the last we’re gonna hear by a long shot.
~~~
It is very interesting and was pernted out by Sammy Bluejay. Here we are in the middle o’ April, and the budget ordinance is expected to by passed in two weeks. That means the Council of the Whole, which is lookin’ at the spending plan, has been at it for a while. Yet, unlike other years, there ain’t been too much outta this year’s deliberations.
Iva Lootey made mention o’ that fack jest this week, and Cobina had to think about it. Usually, we’d git tidbits about the deliberations and what are now called “leaks” as to what the council people are considering. Methinks the reason we ain’t hearin’ much is there ain’t much to know. Whilst we are still on the current city charter it takes nine votes of the 13 to make changes in the line items. That has been a high hurdle fer the council over the last two decades to the pernt that everyone is hoping the Charter Revisions Commish has a new outline that can be implemented.
Soooo, effen the council is considering any changes they hafta make sure they have all their duckies in a row and the votes to pass them. Still, the other hurdle is the MARB or Municipal Accountability Review Board. It has a sorta veto power over the budget and effen the council makes a move it don’t like, it probably ain’t gonna fly.
We’re still tryin’ to figger out how herronner got the budget to balance without making the tax increase that the MARB seemed to want. Remember, the five-year plan expecks the mill rate to jump to 40 by the end of the plan in order to give the city the kopecks needed to have cash on hand.
It’s a puzzlement, but, then agan, what in this town ain’t.
~~~
Effen yer lookin’ for ghost town material, look no further than the Stop & Shop in the berg. As yew might’ve hoid the workers have gone on strike over wage and health benefits, and the stores, though open, are perty empty. Of course, having picket lines near the entrance would give the willies to anyone who might have an inkling to go in – unless, of course, they don’t care about the union.
Tennyrate, things around the stores have been perty quiet, and the parking lots have been perty empty. It’ll be interesting to see how long the entire thing lasts. Nelly Nuthatch has perched herself near the action and sez things are perty quiet.
~~~
Meanwhile, speakin’ o’ quiet, we were interested to see that jest before press time last week the Actors Colony sent a release talking about the final sale of one of the last properties for the Haven project. The whole thing confused us around here cuz we were under the impression that the whole thing was a done deal as far as properties. I guess we were wrong.
Now, we ain’t sure how or why this was sent, but there is some speculation the release, which came from City Hall and not from the developers, was an attempt to take some o’ the heat off the fack that not much is happening over there. As I have been tellin’ yew rumors have been flying all over town concerning the project and whether it is gonna happen as advertised.
The current reason things are not happening, we are told, is cuz the state Dept. of Transportation has not given the go-ahead on new traffic patterns on Elm Street. Those will be needed if and when the project is completed cuz of the traffic flowing from the highway and over the Kimberly Avenue Bridge. It was hoped the DOT was gonna have an answer by now, but those gears need a bit o’ grease, cuz they’re actin’ as if they’re rusted shut.
We shall see what’s happening as it unfolds, but the unfolding is takin’ a heckuva lot longer than anybody was thinking. We’re coming up on five years since it was announced by the O’Brien administration. Effen this comes out the way it’s supposed to, we wouldn’t be surprised. But, effen changes happen to it, we wouldn’t be surprised about that either.
~~~
Lemme tell yew, Madame Olga came in t’other afternoon and was very talkative. She wanted to talk about Beach Street and the fack that now the Debonair Motel was up for sale. I told Olga that we knew about that and that I made mention of it in last week’s missive to you. She was a bit miffed cuz she’s been sayin’ all along that the purchase of it five years ago was a canard. Remember that Sam Gadjensen’s wife purchased the property, and then went through the effort o’ askin’ neighbors what they wanted to see there.
The whole purchase looked like a phony from the start. City Hall was takin’ a lotta heat, and this seemed to be a pressure valve. Well, after the “poll” of neighbors, nothin’ was ever heard from again. The only exception was that the place was inundated by squatters and had to be fenced off a couple years ago.
Meanwhile, what should be a very attractive area for speculators or developers languishes with three major properties up for sale and nary a purchaser in the mix. I know, yew think I’m focusing on that area, and maybe Iyam, but there have been no answers despite the posed question.
~~~
With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,