The Thames not the Danube

We spend a great deal of our lives waiting. We wait until we're old enough to go to school, we're old enough to ride a two-wheeler (have my fingers crossed this year; makes it hard to ring the bell), until we grow up and then, suddenly, we're waiting for God and somehow we've missed the Main Event.

It can seem like that around these parts, as well. You just wait until we have the money for the infrastructure upgrade or the new police station or the expansion on the school (you're waiting for a pony rides reference, aren't you? Hope you're happy). And we wait right to, and, sometimes, through our moment. Let's try to do that a lot less as we start toward Spring.

This morning at 8:30 in their offices in the Norwich Business Park, it's a regular meeting of the Executive Committee of the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Government whose website gets a little goofy after you try to click on the February meeting minutes. The Regional Water Committee meeting scheduled for later in the morning is cancelled however, the Southeastern Connecticut Water Authority (I don't get the difference, either) is having a special meeting at 5:15 in their offices on Route 12  in Gales Ferry.

The City Council meeting at 7:30 in City Hall, looking at the agenda, would seem to be a straight-forward and relatively swift meeting, which some, especially those who sit in the back row, always find refreshing.

If you saw Thursday's newspaper article on the search for a site for a boat launch in the City, then Tuesday morning's special meeting of the Harbor Management Commission will be of interest to you. But "Shipping Street Area" as the meeting location? That's it, seriously? Judging from the agenda, 'evaluation and review of two potential...locations' I have to wonder if in the interest of negotiations, the HMC won't be headed for executive session and if so, will that, too, be in the 'Shipping Street Area?'

Tuesday afternoon at 4:30 is the start of this iteration of Norwich School Governance Council meetings beginning in the Uncas School library at 4:30. There's a whole raft of these on Wednesday and Thursday; a quick look at the city calendar will give you the rundown for Mahan, Wequonnoc, Thames River Academy, Moriarty, Veterans Memorial and Kelly Middle School.

Wednesday afternoon at 5:00, in Room 210 of City Hall, it's a regular meeting of the Emancipation Proclamation Commemorative  Committee (no idea where any meeting minutes are as they're not on the city's website).

At 5:30, it's a regular meeting of the Norwich Public Schools School Building Committee as the myriad of details in the construction of the Kelly Middle School dwindle down to a manageable million or so.

And at six, in the Greeneville Fire House Community Meeting Room it's a regular meeting of the Greeneville Neighborhood Revitalization Committee, whose last meeting, based on the draft minutes posted on the city's website, was in December 2011.

Thursday night at six, in Room 210 at City Hall it's a regular meeting of the Mohegan Park Improvement and Development Advisory Committee, though I suspect that's of moot import to Doug McIntyre. I'd urge everyone driving on Union and/or Broadway during the Committee's meeting to drive within the posted speed limits or we could end up with a walking downtown faster than you can jump to a conclusion, which some would argue we already have and with an alacrity that is stunning.  

Saturday morning at nine, in the Yantic Fire House (I think the most beautiful fire house in Norwich but I imagine I'd like any fire house where the firemen came from to rescue my house from a blaze), it's a One City Forum meeting. Rumor has it Tom Sawyer is offering a presentation on paint brush rentals as a form of economic development, but any number of topics can surface at these forums.

One City is an opportunity to take the heck out of the hectic tempo in which we sometimes all get caught up. We've had folks who've inhaled, why not exhale and unwind a bit. You've got your passion, you've got your pride, but don't you know that only fools are satisfied? Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true. When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?
-bill kenny