School daze and it hasn't a prayer

Hi. Now that you asked, Sue and I had a wonderful holiday, although it was a bit hot to walk.

Speaking of holiday, when the discussion was going on at Davis Street School, one of the seemingly endless list of schools to be renovated, rebuilt or replaced during the past few years, some of the neighborhood's residents were around the corner, praying.

The day of the meeting was also a major Jewish holiday, Shavuos. The holiday ended at 9:15 Tuesday night, about three hours after the meeting was scheduled to start. I don't know if the men and women praying around the corner would have had any good ideas, or any complaints. They didn't get the chance to attend because the Board of Education, the same board that has been talking about fairness, scheduled a meeting at a time when they could not attend.

Here's the meeting story in the Independent: http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2008/06/davis_street_sc.php

Here's what this blog had to say about the subject last week: http://mindoflen.blogspot.com/2008/06/back-again-and-still-whining.html

Enough said. Catherine Sullivan-DeCarlo, the schools' spokeswoman, said she would get the word out about making sure a potential meeting date doesn't leave anyone out. She's one of the good ones, and I can only feel that this is the last we'll hear of that, at least as far as the schools are concerned.

Page 2

You know, walking to synagogue on a Saturday is one thing. There's not a lot of traffic, only the occasional full-sized bus with a maximum of two people on board.

Walking to synagogue along Fountain Street and Forest Road on a weekday is another kettle of fish.

It was hot. People were commuting to and from work -- mostly one to a car, air conditioners blasting, yakking on phones, not knowing that pedestrians have the right of way. One guy, yakking on his phone, passed by and a few seconds later, a city cop drove by. I figured, ha, this guy's in trouble. Nah. The cop never noticed.

Another thing few people noticed is that pedestrians have the right of way at most intersections. That's the law in Connecticut. It's the law in Massachusetts as well, and there, if you don't stop, you get to realize what it felt like to be a defendant at the Salem witch trials.

Maybe someone can answer the question: Where in the drivers' guidebook does it say that when a driver puts on his or her right signal, it's obligatory to pass that driver on the right. SUV driver, of course.

My wife had a great idea. Cars should carry signs indicating the kind of driver: "Fast Driver" or "Timid Driver" or "Control Freak". At least, you'll be warned.

Page 3

There are a lot of graduations going on this month. My daughter, Esther, is graduating from Touro College in New York with a master's degree in mental health counseling. Perfect complement to her father, you say. Probably true, I say.

I also say I'm so very proud of you, Esther. Top of her class, by the way.

Page 4

Remember I mentioned the lawyer who bought a Moped because it gave him 75 miles to the gallon. Well, that story took a sad turn. Moped drivers have the same challenges as bicycle riders.

This fellow, on a mission for his wife, no less, encountered a patch of sand a gravel. Down he went and the bike went down on him. Cracked rib. He's fine otherwise. A casualty of the greed of the oil barons.

Until next time...