Perfect day for a parade and to harass politicians.
Our day started at Julian’s on Madison Avenue for a sweet wood-fired brick-oven pie. Julian’s is a jewel. Check it out.
Ms. Mo, stepdaughter Taryn and I walked out of Julian’s and watched the Columbus Day Parade on Madison Avenue. I had a chance to catch up with Elaine Ficarra, Mayor Bill Finch’s communications director, who had camera in hand. Elaine and I worked together at The Telegram, predecessor of the Connecticut Post, in the prior century.
Bridgeport’s first family; the mayor, wife Sonya and the kids waved from a convertible. The mayor, of course, worked both sides of the avenue to greet the peeps.
Probate Court Judge Paul Ganim was in good spirits working the crowd. Not far behind Judge Ganim waving full throttle from his ragtop was City Council President Tom McCarthy, just hours removed from his Saturday marathon visiting a Miami location of the Steel Point developer. Hey, Mac, how was the trip?
“Fantastic, great!”
Gee, Mac, wasn’t sure you’d make it back in time. Mac had to make it back. The parade runs through part of his district. Smart politics.
U.S. Marine Band, floats, The Shriners, circus acts. A cool time.
Ran into a bunch of OIB friends, including Anna. She wanted to know if that was Yahooy running the street sweeper behind the mounted patrol. Yahooy, I think Anna likes you.
Post It
News release from Mayor Finch and Congressman Himes:
Mayor Bill Finch and Cong. Jim Himes Urge Postmaster to Keep Noble Station Post Office Open
Oct 10: Cong. Jim Himes, D-CT, and Mayor Bill Finch today called upon U.S. Postmaster General John E Potter to reconsider his plan to close the Noble Station post office at 934 East Main St.
In a joint statement the two leaders said, “We’re happy to see that the Postmaster General heard our plea regarding the Barnum Station post office, but it’s equally important that the Noble Station post office remain open. These two post offices provide vital services in the neighborhoods in which they are located. Closing the Noble Station post office would be problematic to many of the City’s residents, causing them to spend more of their valuable time in transit to perform basic postal functions. The closing will also contribute to a higher unemployment rate in the City and the region at a time when the federal government is trying to avoid this by providing federal stimulus money to create jobs. We urge you to reconsider plans to close the Noble Station post offices.”
Mayor Finch added, “All of our post offices are important to our neighborhoods, provide convenience for our residents and jobs in our region. For many Bridgeport residents, particularly the poor and the elderly, a neighborhood post office is an essential part of the community.”
Congressman Himes added, “As we work to shore up budgets and save taxpayer funds in these challenging economic times, we must be sure to maintain vital services,” said Congressman Himes. “I’m pleased the Barnum Post Office will continue to serve as an anchor for economic activity Bridgeport , but I strongly urge the Postmaster to reconsider the decision to close the Noble station. The livelihoods of neighborhood families and businesses depend on these services.”
Closing the Noble location would leave Bridgeport, the state’s largest city, with only the Main Post Office at 120 Middle Street, the Barnum Station Post Office at 2253 Fairfield Ave., and Bayview Station at 115 Boston Ave., to serve more than 140,000 residents and businesses.
Julian’s was featuring a Crisco Columbo pie yesterday for all of the pols. It was called a “Pizza d’Action”!
Whatever happened to that Fat Cat Pie that was supposed to open downtown? I forgot they ended up with a Bridgeport yeast infection and couldn’t rise to the occasion.
Did that Miami trip violate any FOI Laws, or consitute a ethics violation for ex parte discussions?
Pizza d’Action–city pols’ favorite pie. I wonder what toppings go with that?
Breaking News!!! This afternoon when I was pulling out of my driveway I saw two guys walking around. By time I came back from the gym I saw a paper in my mailbox with a sample ballot that said sorry we missed you ________ family. Then when I saw what else was there it said vote John Slater and vote John Weldon. I like the message these guys have and I am really thinking about voting for them. This will be my first time voting Republican. Lennie has not informed us of this question on the ballot “shall the findings of the Bridgeport city council authorizing the city to exercise powers granted in the state of CT city and town development act be approved.” What the hell is that about!!! (Vote Nate Snow Juan Hernandez Raul Quiroga for Board of Education. Vote Garrett, Moretti, Smith for city sheriff. Vote Weldon and Slater for city council. Martin McCarthy thinks he’s got this sealed … I urge all Democrats from Black Rock School and Longfellow to vote for a change this year like we did last year. The local Democratic party does not care for its voters. Only Joe Ganim was the best Democrat from Bridgeport. Like I say I vote 100% Democrat when it comes to president, senate, congress, but I will not vote for local Democrats in Bridgeport until they clean up their act.
John Weldon on safe neighborhoods. I’m voting for this guy he is not only for Black Rock School but for Longfellow too. Well over a thousand people voted at Longfellow in 2008.
A Safe Neighborhood–Our neighborhood is safer than most–for the most part–depending on what part of it you live in. But it could still be better. Black Rock has become somewhat of the red light district of the city, with one strip club and four massage parlors. And when was the last time you were coming home at night and stopped at the gas station off Exit 25, or at Krauszers, and got approached by a drug addict asking for change or, if you’re a guy, by a prostitute? If you live in P.T. Barnum Apartments, do you feel you have to have eyes in the back of your head when you go out at night? If you’re one of the seniors or disabled people in Twin Towers, do you think twice about going outside at night because of the illicit activity going on there by people who either don’t live there or are living there illegally? What has the state of our city come to when the elderly or the handicapped have to be shut in their homes?
The city should establish in what areas of the city adult entertainment venues can operate. Such establishments should only be allowed to operate in nonresidential areas of the city. If you go out with your spouse or significant other to one of the restaurants or bars on Fairfield Ave., you shouldn’t have to think about where and worry about seeing some illicit activity going on. Black Rock is a family-oriented neighborhood and it should be free of adult-oriented activity.
Along these lines, the Police should specifically target certain areas that are conducive to panhandling and prostitution–gas stations, convenience stores, places with payphones, etc. No one who is getting home late from an extra-long day at work should have to think twice before stopping off to fill up their gas tank or pick up a carton of milk because it’s 11:00 at night and they might get accosted by someone who’s just hanging around.
In terms of public housing, the City’s Housing Authority should have its own Police Department, dedicated to securing the safety of the City’s public housing resources. Just because a resident’s economic circumstances force them to live in public housing should not mean that they have to feel unsafe or limited in terms of what times of day they can venture outside. Having regular police assigned to each complex, who get to know the residents, will cut down on the degree of crime in these complexes and force out the people who are living there but shouldn’t be.
Yo donj, do us a favor pleeeze, if you have to run on forever in Bridgeport Kid mode, pleeeeeeze make your posts interesting at least, ok, pleeeze?
That makes sense. Anna focusing on the rear end of a horse.
www .voteweldon.com