By David Fortier 

Come Sunday morning, Mary and I will have ventured out for another production at Hartford Stage, and Christmas preparations at 163 Goodwin St. are well under way. The tree is in the stand, watered and waiting for decorations, the Christmas music is on 24/7, and the Advent candles are no worse for wear. 

And, while the demands (and the joy) of the season are primary, it is difficult to ignore some of the developments surrounding the last city council meeting. On Tuesday, in their second meeting, the new council shot down the Wheeler Clinic proposal for Center Square, as well as rescinding a Project Labor Agreement involving city hall renovations. 

The Hartford Stage requires audience members to wear masks and bring vaccination cards to each performance. We had already rescheduled once, since I had been exposed to someone at school who tested positive for COVID. But, a favorite, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the movie being presented as “A Live Radio Play,” called, and so we headed out, with our masks and cards and tickets, and, well, it happened. I didn’t see how Hartford Stage would pull it off but cast and crew did—and there I was in the audience choking up when George decides he wants to live again. 

To get there Mary had to navigate through a Hartford in the midst of the crowd leaving a UConn basketball game—the men’s team had its Big East opener and drew a huge crowd. It took us longer to get through Hartford than it did to travel up I-84. (A car crash by the exit we ordinarily take diverted us, so that is why we ended up on the streets of the capital city. ) 

Note: The audience at the play was about half its usual size, which isn’t good for the bottom line, however, for me, it was comforting knowing that we all weren’t packed in. 

As for the city council meeting decisions, I am thinking at least one will be brought back to the council soon—that would be the Wheeler decision. This is a non-profit with a long track record of service, making a valuable contribution to society at large and filling a void in our downtown—by their very nature, non-profits address important issues in our society that for-profits are reluctant to take on for obvious reasons.

Aside from addressing these needs, the project also brings a respected organization, its workers and presence to our downtown, benefiting area residents and businesses.

Regarding the Project Labor Agreement, it’s a shame that Bristol missed an opportunity to follow through on its first such agreement that would guarantee union jobs, jobs for local workers and apprenticeships for local workers who would begin careers. Again, this is another shortsighted decision with repercussions that will last for years. (And of course, these PLA’s have a proven track record to bring in their projects both on time and without cost overruns.) 

For this week’s reading/listening, back to the Ezra Klein Show, for a particularly appropriate podcast, “Timeless Wisdom for Leading a Life of Love, Friendship and Learning,” that features a conversation between New York Times columnist David Brooks, hosting for Klein who is on paternity leave, and ethicist Leon Kass, who taught Brooks years ago when Brooks was an undergraduate at the University of Chicago. Click here. 

Until next week, happy days, and the hope that we all will benefit from a break from the routine. 

“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.