Shays’ Chalet, Let’s Chip In! Plus: New Himes Hire

Chris Shays’ waterfront colonial in Black Rock is on sale for a cool $1,950,000.

The house on Beacon Street will be officially listed in a few days. It’s been a rough few months for the former congressman, the last New England Republican standing in the House of Representative until his defeat in November by Jim Himes. Within a few weeks of losing he learned that $200,000 was missing from his campaign account, accusing his once closest political adviser Mike Sohn of the misappropriation. Sohn disputes the charge.

Shays is trying to raise the $200K to pay vendors and satisfy other campaign expenses.

Why sell? When you’re out of work facing an annual property tax bill of close to $30,000, there are not a lot of choices. Shays is not a man of wealth. His home on Beacon Street, nestled inside Grovers Avenue, is a beauty, with spectacular vistas of Long Island Sound. If Yahooy wants to loan me the money, I’ll buy it. Yahooy, how about it? Yahooy?

Click.

Shays would like to direct the agency of his roots, the Peace Corps, but his finances dictate that he cannot wait much longer for Barack to make a decision. Shays is more than disappointed with his Bridgeport performance in the general election–just 20 percent of the vote–by far his poorest showing since his move to Bridgeport in 1998, when he purchased the home from David Carson, retired CEO of People’s Bank, who had bought the colonial from Betty Pfriem, former publisher of The Bridgeport Post, predecessor of the Connecticut Post.

Shays left Stamford for Bridgeport and regrets he was unable to spark a lasting connection with the city electorate. The prior worst performance by Shays in Bridgeport was 30 percent, a number that would have been enough to keep him in office.

Where will he end up? Probably not staying in Bridgeport. But in this market who knows how long it will take to move his house for that amount, even that gem along Black Rock Harbor.

Mark Your Calendar

Monday’s snow-canceled City Council meeting has been rescheduled to March 9. The March 16 meeting will take place March 23 to keep the meetings in their traditional staggered schedule.

And don’t forget March 12, the OIB first anniversary party at Matty’s Corner at Fairfield Avenue and Brewster Street at 6 p.m. For entertainment, I’m still working on that mud wrestling match between the blonde banshee from Black Rock, State Rep. Auden Grogins, and the man she defeated last year rapid Robert Keeley. Big Bob is a schoolteacher now so he’s on his best behavior. So let me hear some potential replacements for Keeley? What do you say, the Troll Bob Walsh? I don’t know if Judith will go for that.

Maybe the Fabulous Moolah will come out of retirement.

News release from Congressman Himes

Rep. Himes Appoints Shante Hanks Recovery Director

Director will ensure transparency and accountability for Recovery allocations

BRIDGEPORT, CT – Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) today appointed Shante Hanks Recovery Director to provide a central point of contact for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for Connecticut’s 4th District. Ms. Hanks will work with local governments, the governor’s office, and federal agencies to ensure transparency in the application and disbursement of Recovery funds and coordinate the application process for Recovery funds available through competitive grants. The Recovery Director will be responsible for handling inquiries about the Recovery Act, following up on projects, and overseeing the implementation for those projects.

“Connecticut families deserve accountability and transparency in how their tax dollars are spent, so I am appointing a Recovery Director to ensure Connecticut’s 4th district’s projects are funded efficiently and appropriately,” said Congressman Himes. “Shante’s wealth of community development experience makes her the ideal person to lead our effort to connect Recovery dollars with Connecticut projects.”

Ms. Hanks is a community development professional with extensive grant writing and community organizing experience. Most recently, she served as the director of student life and coordinator of special projects for Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport. In this role, she connected students with community resources and was a member of the Beacon Hall Project Steering Committee, which was responsible for securing funding for the college’s downtown expansion. Ms. Hanks is a member of the Bridgeport Housing Authority Commission and serves on the city’s Green Initiative Advisory Board. As the Recovery Director, she will split her time between the Congressman’s Bridgeport and Stamford offices.

“Congressman Himes is serious about accountability and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely,” said Ms. Hanks. “I will be working aggressively with local governments and community organizations to put Recovery funding at work to create jobs and repair the crumbling infrastructure in Connecticut’s 4th District.”

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11 comments

  1. We’re back live tonight, no reruns.

    “Bridgeport Now” LIVE Tuesdays at 8pm on Ch 77.
    No cable … then see on the net:
    216.41.34.230/svorg/svtheater.html

    Tonight’s guests:
    Charles Walsh – The Connecticut Post
    Charles Brilvitch – renowned historian
    Bob Wash – Bridgeport City Council
    Bob Halstead – former Bridgeport city planner

    Show Rundown:

    8pm open and news/monologue including Black Rock Library sneak preview and comment from head of city library.

    8:05 to 8:30pm
    Historian Charles Brilvitch: see and learn about some lovely historical houses from Bridgeport’s 24 historic districts; then the Barnum house found in Lordship which was in CT Post last Sunday.

    8:30 to 9pm
    Steel Point – What’s the latest?
    Charles Walsh – The Connecticut Post
    Bob Wash – Bridgeport City Council
    Bob Halstead – former Bridgeport city planner

    “Bridgeport Now” is a live weekly local-access TV show, highlighting the rich history of the city, free from influence of vested interests, and seeking to reduce local property tax mil rates.

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  2. Chris Shays will be missed. Unfortunately he got swept away by the Obama whirlwind. I don’t think any Republican running in Bridgeport was going to survive the hysteria of Obama. Himes will be a one-term congressman; he will not be able to ride in on Obama’s coattails.
    BTW where are the Obama supporters? We had them taking up space during the campaign and now not a word as he drives us towards socialism. The sick, lame, lazy and dumb are rejoicing–more government giveaways.

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  3. Yahooy

    Based on Shays’ purchase price of $490k and about $150k in renovations over the years, what will his capital gains be on a sale of $1.9 million?

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  4. I could have told you that Shays was going to sell his house. In the past few weeks of my Black Rock walks, his driveway has been filled with dumpsters.

    Times being what they are, I did a little dumpster diving, and guess what I found?

    His spine–in perfect condition and unused for many years.
    Also, I found airline tickets stubs from 18 Iraq trips–round trip, first class. But 4,255 US troop airfare ticket stubs–all one-way trips–cargo class.

    Peace Corps??? Fuck him and good riddance.

    PT
    Mr. Barnum’s Bridgeport To Nowhere
    bridgeportintheknow.com/wordpress/

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  5. Now sure what Shays did for Bridgeport and Himes was wise to highlight the Congress Street broken bridge. I think Shays may be focused more on building bridges in Iraq than in his own city, and that strategy did not pay off for him.

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  6. I hope Shays pays Rick Porto for the paint job Porto had to sue for–tsk tsk, Republican vs. Republican.
    And Chris thanks for all the help you gave Bridgeport, between your commutes to Iraq.

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  7. The latest on Obama’s new rules for people who earn more than $250K. They will not be allowed deductions for charitable contributions. The Office of Budget & Management estimates charities will lose $1 Billion. Obama when questioned on this stated that he put $100 million in the budget to cover this loss. Having learned math at Harding High that shows a shortfall of $900 Million. Good job, we are well on our way to nowhere.

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