Mount Trashmore, Ganim’s Déjà Vu Moment In East End

In the week since his resounding primary defeat for governor, Mayor Joe Ganim hasn’t gone to political sleep, or travel to parts unknown, perhaps a nod to those urging him to pay attention to home cooking with his reelection poised in 2019. In recent days he’s appeared for back-to-school events, economic development announcements as well as a nostalgic moment where he earned his stripes as a candidate for mayor in 1991, a promise to clean up the mountainous demolition-debris disgrace Mount Trashmore in the East End that wreaked environmental havoc on the neighborhood. All these decades later Ganim on Tuesday returned to the scene of his political youth with a promise of something better for that very same remedial location.

When a 32-year-old Joe Ganim became mayor in 1991, he had a governor sensitive to his urban challenges. Lowell Weicker said you help me and I’ll help you. For Weicker it meant one thing: Ganim must withdraw the bankruptcy appeal his Republican predecessor Mary Moran had placed in federal court. Bridgeport, as a child of the state, scalded the credit worthiness of Connecticut. So Weicker said I’ll do this, this and this to Ganim. Weicker was true to his word. The “this” included $500,000 to help clean up Mount Trashmore. Ganim kicked in about half that amount in city funds and the deed was done, that rat-infested nightmare was carted away. But not developed.

On Tuesday Ganim returned with a new declaration, a city councilman who remembers those days, Ernie Newton, at his side. Newton, then a state representative, pushed for the state money to clean up the site.

From Mike Mayko, CT Post:
“I expect by late autumn we’ll be ready to issue a request for proposals. We’ll be looking to the community leaders, the religious leaders and the East End residents for suggestions on what they want to see here.”

Full story here.

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15 comments

  1. Well, isn’t that Special?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msDcShv_r20

    This is the launch for Joe Ganim for mayor 2020 and again he’s using the East End to unofficially to make his announcement.

    East End Baptist Tabernacle Church located at 329 Central Avenue is just one block from Mount Trashmore—a 35-foot high mountain of rotting wood, broken bricks, flaking sheet rock and twisted aluminium stretching across 2 1/2 half acres. The 35,000-ton dump served as a testament to the demolition prowess of Geno and Russell Capozziello and their now defunct. The state Department of Environmental Protection agree to take the mountain down in 1993. Now remember Joe Ganim, who was elected mayor in November 1991, well what the hell has Joe Ganim 1 and Joe Ganim 2 done for the residents of the East End. Here it is 2018 and Joe Ganim was elected mayor and twice he has been involve in running for governor in that time frame and now August 2018 Ganim wants to something. Again, Joe Ganim is using the hardship of this black community to advance Ganim.

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    1. Ron Mackey,you really nailed that one. Btw,these PR events usually have a Ganim gaggle of City Council members but I only see CCperson in the picture. Maybe other CC’ers were in the crowd.

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      1. Frank, nothing has really change in the East End since Mt Thrashmore, most of the same elected officials with a few changes but the quality of life is the same. Drugs, crime, liquor stores, it’s business as usual with vacant lots all over. But Joe Ganim the savior has returned again to the place of the crime and expect the same results, nothing but please vote for me.

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  2. JUST A FEW SUGGESTIONS IF THE LAND IS LARGE ENOUGH…..DOES ANYONE REMEMBER TONY’S FRUIT STAND ON HOLLISTER AVE? HAD A GROCERY /MEAT DEPT AS WELL AS A COMPLETE VEGATABLE AND FRUIT SIDE

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  3. Lennie mentions all the events that Ganim has done since his embarrassing gubernatorial bid. How about if The Mayor of The City of Bridgeport,namely Joe Ganim,hold and attend community meetings in the different sections/neighborhoods of Bridgeport where he can squarely face and talk directly and spend some quality time with the people of Bridgeport. Ganim goes to these quickie events and he’s in and out. Reminds of the time when he boasted about the shortest City Council meeting in history. I don’t remember Mayor Ganim holding any community meetings but I am ready to be corrected if need be.

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    1. If Joe Ganim is getting advice or strategy directly or,indirectly through OIB,does this advice/strategy for another “comeback” include community meetings?

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  4. Joe is hoping and praying Ned wins and offers him a job in Hartford,but look for Joe to finally take an interest in Bpt related events for the next few months anyway, he has to cover his bases just in case Ned loses.. Joe get re-elected in 2020???, laughable at best, we have had enough.

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