There’s something in the water in Black Rock and that’s a good thing for the waterfront hamlet loaded with community activism, folks who care for one another even if they disagree sometimes. Black Rockers have had a pretty good give and take this past week over a beach clean up along St. Mary’s-by-the Sea at this Facebook page that even included threats from nudist interlopers. There will be more disagreements and more fighting over Black Rock improvements, and so it goes, but neighbors came together Sunday largely to clean up a sand spit instead of spitting at each other.
Derek Brown, the guitar and word slinger known to OIB readers as The Bridgeport Kid, summed up the day this way:
It was a great experience, seeing all the folks down there at Saint Mary’s with their children, raking stones and hundreds of generations’ worth of seashells from the spitting sand, or sanding spit, or whatever the darned thing is called. There was no interference from anyone or anything, just a cloudless blue sky, a good breeze from Long Island Sound and an ebbing tide to mark the time.
It was a great day. I weighed in on the Great Dispute last week because of all the opposition, most of which was generated by three people. virtually all of it was obfuscation, disingenuousness and outright bullshit. Even after the organizer, Bill Pelletier, had secured permission from the city to rake the beach there was a feeble attempt by a ranking member of the Ash Creek Conservation Association (AKA The Beach Nazi) to intimidate, implying the city could (and the operative word is COULD) incur sizable fines if the work were performed. This came from the same woman who was opposed to a permanent structure to house the snack bar and restrooms at Ellsworth Field. (She claimed it would decrease property values. No surprise there, she’s a real estate agent.)
Final score:
Black Rockers: 1
Flat Earth Society: 0
As a bona fide sinner, I must state I was very disappointed at the paltry number of naked people who showed up. I am much more impressed with the number of folks in the urban areas in Bridgeport who are pulling naked shenanigans, coveting and generally breaking commandments.
First, thanks for contacting me on this story, Lennie. Good nose for news. As promised, I’m here to make a special guest re-appearance on OIB to comment on this tale of woe and ego in Black Rock.
Folks, please check out the link Lennie provided to the Black Rock group’s Facebook page to get a flavor of their behavior and the means they use to achieve their goals. Unfortunately, you’ll see a highly scrubbed and selectively deleted version. The group leader, Bill Pelletier, local brake job businessman and Old Battery Road multiple property owning millionaire has removed the juicy bits to hide the vile and untrue statements made by him and many other of the Black Rock cool kids in regard to their multi-year fight to “reclaim St. Mary’s Beach as their own.” Their repeated quote, not mine. I like to make things up, but in this case, the truth is worse than fiction.
Let me sum this up in a way even a lowly Kool-Aid drinker can understand. One rich Black Rocker hates another rich Block Rocker. Territorialism ensues. The territory in question? A lowly, seemingly unimportant sand spit at the base of Ash Creek in Black Rock. One wants a beach of golden sand and blond kids playing with “How to play at the beach” apps on their baby iPhone. One wants to create a protected area to allow sea grasses to grow to protect the total environment–and hey, maybe just raise property values on those unsellable million-dollar homes with $20,000 in annual property taxes. It’s a sluggish market. Both have personal agendas. Both use their power to convince people of their correctness. I don’t want to go to lunch with either one of them by the way.
Both claim to want to open up the area to “all Bridgeporters.” Yeah, sure they do. Both sides claim the other as elitist and … how shall we put this … um, unaccepting of those who don’t look like them. Ego. And personal agenda on both sides, pure and simple.
So why do I give a shit? I am asking myself that question as I type, believe me.
Because I live in Black Rock. Because I live in Bridgeport. Because I’m stupid enough to live here and stupid enough to admit I will continue to live here with all the political bullshit of the town and elitist backstabbing bullshit of the Black Rock neighborhood.
Please go to the Facebook link provided in Lennie’s story and read for yourself. Yeah, it’s a seemingly small issue among the rich, arrogant pasty white folks of Black Rock. I get it. I live here. I hate most of us, too. Their little blond boys named Colin and their little blonde girls named Sophia. Mom is addicted to Pilates and closing massage parlors. Dad is addicted to his 23-year-old dental hygienist who knows how to give a bad boy a good spanking, and going to massage parlors (when they’re open). I get it. But for whatever reason, I love Bridgeport and especially love Black Rock. Color me stupid. The only thing Black Rockers bitch more about than taxes is those neighbors who disagree with them.
But we have one environment, damaged and fragile from storms and human abuse, and it’s not getting any better. I live by the water and pay the price.
A couple of egos are out to control a fragile piece of our environment, and I have concerns about the kid with the most Facebook friends–or the kid with the most political or organizational connections–running the system and claiming the course of the future as their own.
Okay, my rant is over. Thank God I’m naked while I type this.
And now the real story. Today marked the opening of the Black Rock Bareback Nudist Club reclaiming the sand beach at St. Mary’s. As you all certainly know, that randy socialist Jasper McLevy was a proclaimed nudist. In his first year of office, McLevy declared the sand beach at St. Mary’s to be a nude beach. This is documented. I’ve posted proof. It’s also documented old Jasper had the rock-hard thighs of a 15-year-old trampoline artist. I haven’t posted proof.
Today was the first gathering of the nudists at St. Mary’s. How was the turnout? There were more butts than in an argument by Joe Ganim why he should get his law license restored. The nudist group has obtained all the necessary city permits and has taken up residence at the beach for the season. They’re there, they’re bare, get used to it. Oh, and a guy named “Bill” was in attendance. Unfortunately he was evicted for failure to maintain eye contact with the female nudists.
Thanks to the Bill Pelletier-led FaceBook group and their lapdog Derek for this great unintended advancement in nudism in Bridgeport! And especially thanks for raking up those rocks. Nudist butts are very tender and require a super-soft sandy surface. Thanks to the pricks, boobs and asses of Black Rock for making the beach more comfy for a whole new generation of pricks, boobs and asses.
Here’s the link to the Facebook page for the Black Rock Nude Beach event held today. Judge for yourself.
www .facebook.com/events/365644950204289/
What’s better for Bridgeport? Naked people without pockets or rich Black Rockers? At least nudists have nothing to hide and nowhere to hide it.
Thanks for the forum, Lennie.
PT
Got an awful lot to say about a community Facebook page you were unceremoniously banned from after a popular vote. If all you can come up with are personal attacks against me (a person you have never met face to face), that is a good indication you actually have nothing to say and no knowledge of what you speak. I’m guessing Madeline must not be up for playing hide-the-weenie with a shriveled-up old geezer any more. Maybe it interferes with the illusion of “youthful beauty” she believes about herself. You were the one who brought up the nudity, you are the one with an obsession with my colorectal facilities. If you have anything of substance to communicate, by all means share it with us. If not, sit back, sip your prune juice.
I think you both are great writers and I follow you both on FB. I really enjoy satire but this Mr. Barnum teeters on being a little mean. Still funny though, and I know all players personally (with the exception of both of you!) and much of what you write is hardly true or a very long stretch to the truth. Anyway, I hope all can enjoy it for the creative writing and not personalize anything.
Does not play well with others, could replace the Scarlet Letter for some people living in The Rock …
Mr. Barnum was publicly banned from a Facebook Black Rock community page because of his foul behavior and repeated personal attacks on other members. But it’s alright, his meds are being updated …
Black Rock Nude Beach Party Version 2.0: “Re-Rocking The Rock!”
www .facebook.com/#!/events/543488429046003/
Be Bare and Be There.