Growing up in New Britain and attending NB schools, as the date approached Dec. 25th., ALL students - regardless of religious faith, if in fact their family practiced one - anxiously awaited and looked forward to, “Christmas Vacation.” Nobody called it anything else. If your home had the room and your family could afford one and the decorations, you had a “Christmas Tree” under which there was a “Nativity Scene.” For me and for most of the kids I knew everybody celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ. In school we all sang Christmas Carols and made Christmas decorations and there was even a Christmas Tree in main hallway of the school. Nobody objected. All the stores downtown proudly displayed Merry Christmas greetings. Most of the stores were owned by non-Christians.
Fast forward to “modern times”; now, everything is different because some folks object to the outward public celebrations of one Christian Holiday, Christmas, especially in public places. To me, it seems that the objectors are playing “dog in the manger”, i.e., “I can’t get any enjoyment out of Christmas so I don’t want you to either.” The politically correct language nowadays calls for a “holiday tree, holiday music, a school winter vacation, holiday shopping, etc.” Imagine, these folks would have you forget Charles Dickens‘ “Christmas Carol”, Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” all of the Christmas Carols, etc. Who would deny children hearing, “Dominic The Donkey” or, I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas? ONLY A SCROOGE WOULD DO SUCH A THING! There actually appears to be a “war” on Christianity.
I’ll end with a little story that I feel sums up my feelings and those of many. I retired from my public school teaching career many years ago. My last assignment was at Hall High School in West Hartford. Hall is located in the northern part of town, an area known locally as “the reservation.” Many of the streets have Indian names. Also of note is that a large number of Jewish families live there - there is a large population of Jewish students at Hall. Also of note, Hall is famous for its Music program. It was my last year of teaching and we were approaching the Christmas vacation. It was the last period of the day on a Friday and as was the tradition at Hall, members of the Choir roamed the hallways singing many well known Christmas Carols. Without missing a beat, one of my students remarked, “where else but at Hall High School in West Hartford could you see and hear 14 Jewish kids roaming the hallways singing Christmas Carols?” The whole class applauded, teacher included - of course they applauded the music. I rest my case, Merry Christmas everybody!!
Lou Salvio
Friday, November 30, 2012
A Gift That Keeps On Giving!
A FRANKSMITHSAYSNB EDITORIAL:
A political comment was passed on to me when referring to Mr. Sherwood as being "a gift that keeps on giving." I immediately asked if this was referring to Christmas. The reply referred to Sherwood's clowning approach to everything he does or touches to the point of telling city managers to not talk to certain newspapers.
This happens to be beyond the open policy promised by his boss Mayor O’Brien, during his campaign for the office of Mayor.
With the month of December upon us, I mistakenly misunderstood my friend to be referring to Xmas when he really was mentioning the typical shenanigans Sherwood is well known for by his being nasty, arrogant, and underhanded when he doesn’t get his way.
That mannerism was well expressed in a recent local newspaper article enough to be the main subject of discussion during the morning breakfast with some of the residents.
Mayor O’Brien by allowing this dismal attitude towards the public his office is supposed to represent will certainly make himself a one term Mayor.
A political comment was passed on to me when referring to Mr. Sherwood as being "a gift that keeps on giving." I immediately asked if this was referring to Christmas. The reply referred to Sherwood's clowning approach to everything he does or touches to the point of telling city managers to not talk to certain newspapers.
This happens to be beyond the open policy promised by his boss Mayor O’Brien, during his campaign for the office of Mayor.
With the month of December upon us, I mistakenly misunderstood my friend to be referring to Xmas when he really was mentioning the typical shenanigans Sherwood is well known for by his being nasty, arrogant, and underhanded when he doesn’t get his way.
That mannerism was well expressed in a recent local newspaper article enough to be the main subject of discussion during the morning breakfast with some of the residents.
Mayor O’Brien by allowing this dismal attitude towards the public his office is supposed to represent will certainly make himself a one term Mayor.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
The O'Brien Administration Has Done it Again.
FRANKSMITHSAYSNB EDITORIAL:
Naming a street honoring a tax scofflaw who happens to owe back taxes as reported in the tax collector's records dated Friday November 16,2012.
Alton Brooks is a nice gentleman however, his politics is very socialistic, which leads one to recall the old saying "that birds flock together."
The administration would have made a much better selection if they had considered naming the entrance road to the Pinnacle Business Park after a man that worked there, as New Britain's Housing Authority's Executive director, Mr. Arthur D'Amato.
Or after another great individual as deserving to be honored, Mr. George Springer Sr., a well known educator.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Freedom of Speech Allegedly Denied for City Employees.
FRANKSMITHSAYSNB EDITORIAL:
A gag order has been issued stopping all telephone communications by city employees instructing them to not return telephone inquiries from Robin Vinci of the New Britain City Journal including all department heads and the Mayor’s office. Dwight Blint quoted Phil Sherwood who “allegedly stated that he would be limiting his contributions from the mayor’s office and would have to see day by day if he deemed the paper worthy of comment.”
Apparently, the Mayor’s office is showing its disapproval of the paper’s content that may have offended his or Sherwood’s “likes” being a cheap attempt to control the paper’s editorial choices.
Public scrutiny being squashed through this dictator style edict should cause every New Britain citizen grave concern regarding the Constitutional freedoms of speech and the press as they related to our New Britain Gulag.
A gag order has been issued stopping all telephone communications by city employees instructing them to not return telephone inquiries from Robin Vinci of the New Britain City Journal including all department heads and the Mayor’s office. Dwight Blint quoted Phil Sherwood who “allegedly stated that he would be limiting his contributions from the mayor’s office and would have to see day by day if he deemed the paper worthy of comment.”
Apparently, the Mayor’s office is showing its disapproval of the paper’s content that may have offended his or Sherwood’s “likes” being a cheap attempt to control the paper’s editorial choices.
Public scrutiny being squashed through this dictator style edict should cause every New Britain citizen grave concern regarding the Constitutional freedoms of speech and the press as they related to our New Britain Gulag.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
NJ Hurricane Victim Gets Nothing but "Empty Embrace" and "Worthless Promises" from Obama: Fox & Friends video
video courtesy of Fox & Friends, Fox News Channel
Monday, November 26, 2012
CPOA's President is Correct
FRANKSMITHSAYSNB EDITORIAL:
Mayor O'Brien states that the Reevaluation of city real estate will see lower taxes, however, Nick Mercier, the President of the New Britain's CPOA, states that the grand list will be smaller. Therefore, we will have to raise taxes or cut spending as Mercier further states.
Now Phil Sherwood, O'Brien's Deputy chief of Staff, is on the attack by claiming Mercier has it wrong again.
Nick is correct that with property values plummeting down twenty to twenty five percent, the mil rate will have to be increased or drastic spending cuts will have to occur.
One cut should be made right away when many are asking why the need for an assistant Deputy chief of staff that draws $86,000 per year--a cut the taxpayers would save happily.
Another attack that surfaced came from the Democratic party Chairperson, Mr. McNamara, citing that absentee landlords are fighting the two new ordinances and the party chairman claiming that the landlords are making outrageous lies about the ordinances and who would be effected by it.
The imposed $150 annual fee per apartment for absentee landlords will affect the tenants adversely and please note that many of the so called absentee landlords do live in the city.
The Mayor calls it a fee and not a tax since he had promised to not raise taxes, when he was campaigning but, opted to impose this fee on a selective group of taxpayers and to not all taxpayers--------Unconstitutional ???
That is why the city is facing two court injunctions costing the city's taxpayers large amounts of dollars that could have been avoided if the common council had approved two legal resolutions instead.
If Mayor O'Brien is completely sincere to do what is right for the electorate then he should order a repeal of these two adverse ordinances by the city's common council membership.
Mayor O'Brien states that the Reevaluation of city real estate will see lower taxes, however, Nick Mercier, the President of the New Britain's CPOA, states that the grand list will be smaller. Therefore, we will have to raise taxes or cut spending as Mercier further states.
Now Phil Sherwood, O'Brien's Deputy chief of Staff, is on the attack by claiming Mercier has it wrong again.
Nick is correct that with property values plummeting down twenty to twenty five percent, the mil rate will have to be increased or drastic spending cuts will have to occur.
One cut should be made right away when many are asking why the need for an assistant Deputy chief of staff that draws $86,000 per year--a cut the taxpayers would save happily.
Another attack that surfaced came from the Democratic party Chairperson, Mr. McNamara, citing that absentee landlords are fighting the two new ordinances and the party chairman claiming that the landlords are making outrageous lies about the ordinances and who would be effected by it.
The imposed $150 annual fee per apartment for absentee landlords will affect the tenants adversely and please note that many of the so called absentee landlords do live in the city.
The Mayor calls it a fee and not a tax since he had promised to not raise taxes, when he was campaigning but, opted to impose this fee on a selective group of taxpayers and to not all taxpayers--------Unconstitutional ???
That is why the city is facing two court injunctions costing the city's taxpayers large amounts of dollars that could have been avoided if the common council had approved two legal resolutions instead.
If Mayor O'Brien is completely sincere to do what is right for the electorate then he should order a repeal of these two adverse ordinances by the city's common council membership.
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