By David Fortier
Come Sunday morning, I will be waiting for the freezing rain and sleet with some trepidation, and when it doesn’t arrive on time at 7 a.m., I am a little relieved because, if there is one thing about winter that I fear, it is frozen roadways and sidewalks. (FYI: I rely on the Natiional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website (noaa.gov) for my weather reports. It’s the best source of weather information that I have come across.)
Give me snow, anytime, and what a nice snowstorm Thursday into Friday. It didn’t matter how much. It cleaned up nicely, it looks nice (if not beautiful) and reinvigorates the soul—at least, my soul. But that other ice stuff, ugh. On Wednesday, with the quick hitting freezing rain and untreated streets, it took me an hour and a half to get to school, typically a half-hour drive. For Mary, it took two and a half hours in what is typically a 35-minute drive.
If there was anything good that came of these storms, it is that school was called off Thursday night for Friday. Waiting for that wakeup call at 5 a.m. and wondering just makes things worse. And, I get it, teachers get snow days while the rest of the world has to work.
Two things about this situation: 1) if we have learned anything from our experience with COVID-19, it is that we do not have to do everything the same as before, in other words, maybe everyone would benefit from the occasional snow day and 2) it’s not such a bad thing for everyone to benefit from lousy weather by letting the state and city workers clear the roadways for safer travel even if it cuts into the work day.
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Word came early last week via Facebook that Tommy’s Place has opened on Stafford Ave. Tommy, is Tom White, who used to run the food truck on Broad St. I used to rave about his chicken cutlets and sausage and peppers, and I often asked him why he hadn’t set up in a brick-and-mortar place downtown somewhere.
Of course, the answer was funds, dollars. Until now. His kids came to the rescue and helped set him up at the former M&M Market & Deli on Stafford Ave.
Jack Krampitz and I headed over on Friday afternoon for a sandwich and hot dog, respectively. (I took advantage of the daily special, meatloaf and pasta and cheese and New England Clam Chowder by ordering two for dinner.) The place was crowded. Apparently, others have discovered Tommy’s Place, which is great, and most likely, only a matter of time.
Most fun for me is that Tom has the recipe for meat sauce from the family that ran Pete’s Luncheonette, a Bristol institution on West St. for many years. The meat sauce is a little bit of heaven, and Tom has brought it back in one of the favorites at Pete’s: The Tasty Treat sandwich, featuring a healthy dollop of the meat sauce.
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There was a terrible incident on Saturday afternoon when a city meeting, offered both in-person and via Zoom, was hacked, more accurately savaged by an individual ranting racial and religious slurs and writing them across the screen. I was online so I was cut off when the session was cut short.
Aside from the hack, it is interesting to note that the workshop, primarily, for members of the city council as well as the public, dealt with economic development of retail spaces and came on the heels of the city council decision to kill the Wheeler Clinic project. We will have to wait and see if there is a connection between this presentation and resurrecting the project. Tuesday is a city council meeting. Stay tuned.
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And, if you haven’t, set aside some time for Rit Carter’s two-part article, “Truth, Lies, and Lust: How Bristol’s Rev. Theodore Beussel Was Led to Sedition.” Click here for Part I, here for Part II. This deep dive into the political climate of 1918 contains some rich reporting and a glimpse into some of the harsh realities of war-time tensions. Rit would love to hear what you think of his work. Contact him at rcarter@bristoledition.org.
Of course, Jan. 6 brought last year’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol to the fore, and there were plenty of news reports on the anniversary. For this week’s listening, try this episode of On The Media, which investigates communications among some of the people and groups leading up to the attack. For the report, entitled “The Road to Insurrection,” click here.
The New York Times ran an interesting story in its Metro section this weekend. It covers people who have, during the time of COVID-19, created a sacred space in their homes for worship or meditation. Anyone of our readers who have set up a space and would like to share their story, please email editor@bristoledition.org.
Enjoy the week!
“Come Sunday morning” is intended to be a weekly review, a recounting of the past week and an anticipation of week to come. Among its features will be reviews of old and new books, sharing of favorite podcasts, some family news, Bristol events and happenings and issues surrounding education, work and community journalism. He can be reached at dfortier@bristoledition.org.