January 5, 2022 By whvoice Leave a Comment
Here we are honey bunch, a new year, who'd o' thunk we'd still be going at it in 2022 way back in 1971. It's been a long haul, but yew and me have had some perty good high's and some perty lowdown lows over the decades, yet, we're still here. Still snarking on the ruling class, and still seeing that politicians, bless their hearts, are willing to say and do jest about anything.
Here in our lit'le corner of the universe, or as we call it, the Asylum by the Sea, things in 2021 were about as well as could be expected. We got somewhat back to normal, despite the protestations of the usual hair-on-fire types, and things were about normal with the political situation. We've ain't heard much about Barry Lee Cohen's court case concerning irregularities in the November election, but yew and I had this conversation before. As we git further and further into this administration, the courts ain't gonna be willing to overturn things.
But…and it's a big but…methinks Cobina is not far off the mark when she sez that it's about time the courts take a stand on absentee ballot problems. It would be nice effen the legislature does something, but they are too concerned with how much money they're gonna dole out to this or that group. The largesse of the assembly is what is important to these characters, that and making silly laws about school mascots and setch. We are in a blue state, so the lunacy persists cuz the people have been "educated" in the gulags of the various universities.
Tennyrate, with the New Year, one hopes things will git better with various and sundry issues, but this being the Asylum by the Sea, we shouldn't hold our breath waiting for setch things.
Jest before the holiday, Cobina had a call from an old friend – someone we'd heard had vacated our berg. Russ McCreven, retired photog of our and many publications, called to say he's back in town and back in his local domicile. It was great to hear his voice, which was perty strong. Russ, it should be remembered was a top-notch teacher in his day at the high school, when setch things mattered.
He took up photography as a sideline and had one o' the best eyes of anyone in the bizz. He took snaps for all the local publications going back to Bob Joyce and the West Haven City News of fond memory. And he did what editors really like – he had some action in his shots, not jest what they call in the bizz "grin and grabs." He excelled at sports, but mostly had a good eye for news shots and other things.
Tennyrate, it was good to hear his voice at the end of 2021, and we hope to continue to do so as we git further and further into 2022.
Sammy Bluejay fluttered by here the other day and said that the work over on Beach Street is moving along nicely. It's been going on for the better part of three weeks at this writing. Effen yew remember, I told yew the sidewalks over near the former Chick's had been washed out by storms and high tides. That was the second time that's happened in the last eight years or so.
Well, to make a long story longer, Sammy sez the beach area, which was built up over there had perty much been eaten away over the last three or four years. It's now back to a larger sand area, with earth-moving vehicles carting in tons of sand – a lot of which, it must be admitted, will end up in the Sound. However, with the pipes that are over there, including sewer pipes, there has to be some protection against the elements or there will be a bigger problem in the long run.
The raising of the roadbed is supposed to be a priority this year, so we shall see what happens. The road is supposed to be lifted about seven feet higher than currently to fight floods that happen on occasion. What that will do with the beach situation is still unclear, but there is general consensus the road has to be raised.
We shall see what happens. Sammy is keepin' an eye on the situation, and sooo is Cobina.
Cobina was out in her gassamobuggy over the holiday and noted that the final work at the high school is moving along at a perty good pace. Someone even noted they might be finished ahead of time. What seems to be on the docket now is a retaining pond of some sort – they needed one a few months back effen yew remember, when the gym floor got an unwanted bath.
The retention pond is supposed to help with water seepage, I guess. There's plenty of it around there with the Cove River and the salt marshes right in the neighborhood. Cobina remembers when there were little farms and gardens over there. That was a loooong time ago.
Once it's done, the vista over there will be kind o' interesting. Some yokels are saying that's the real reason the trees over on Ocean Avenue were cut down, so people will see the new building. Things like that don't happen around here, do they?
Nelly Nuthatch was in t'other afternoon and wondered what in blazes is happening over by the West River. No, nothing is happening – that's the pernt. It's been more than a year – in fack we announced it in our last isshew of 2020 – that the city was asking for an Enterprise Zone at the West River corridor on Front Avenue, betwixt the Post Road and Spring Street – about a mile or so. 'Twas quite an announcement with the usual fanfare we git around these parts.
But, as usually happens, the fanfare dies down, the permits are accepted as they were by the state some weeks later, and then…crickets. Felicia, how many times have we seen this in this berg. Big announcements followed by years of nothin'. Yew can go well back into the 1970s, 1980s and into the 90s and 2000s to see more than one instance in each decade where this happened. Remember Sursum Corda? It took 30 years for something to happen over there, and it was nothin' like what was announced. And that's only one example.
So, do we expeck 2022 to be any different?
Speakin' o' fanfare, the Assembly delegation has made a big thing about grants comin' into the city. Yew can read about it elsewhere in the papyrus. But, this is an example o' what we're sayin' above. One o' the projects to git finds is the Arts Center on Center Street. It's the former Masonic Temple for the Annawon Lodge, built more than 100 years ago.
The press release sent out by the assembly delegation noted the plan for the center was announced 18 years ago. Cobina had forgot about that. Yep, it's been that long, and we're no nearer the completion of it than we were then, but boy was it a grand announcement with tents and speeches and (effen I remember aright) rain. The projeck has had fits and starts, mostly fits. Nothin' has been done over there in a dog's age, and that pup is getting long in the tooth.
Soooo, money is got from the state, we shall see what happens here, but, again, let's not put too much hope in things getting completed. It jest don't happen in this gown very often.
Iva Lootey came int t'other day to say the rumor mill about the fraud scandal in the Actors Colony, wherein two people have been booked already, is moving along, and there's still talk of others being implicated. I always marvel at these rumors, hon.
The feds don't usually talk to anyone, and once they git their evidence, the most you hear is someone is turning themselves into the constabulary. Now, there might be some fire in all this smoke, but City Hall being City Hall means that talk and rumors are part of the everyday lifeblood o' the place.
We shall see what happens, but once again don't hold yore breath waiting for something.