By David Fortier
Come Sunday morning, it will have only been a week since President Joe Biden stepped back from his presidential bid and Vice President Kamala Harris stepped in as the presumptive Democratic nominee. This has made the race more interesting, to say the least.
On Friday, the Summer Olympics kicked off, which made watching the opening ceremonies a necessity. We set aside time to watch the athletes being introduced as they sailed down the Seine in the first opening ceremonies that were held outside — and in the rain.
Mary and I were joined by Child No. 2, her spouse and three of our four grandchildren. The grandkids had no patience for anything on the television screen that wasn’t “Bluey” or truck-related or “Seabeast.” Most of the time I ended up wrestling with the two boys. Baby girl is only a three-month-old–but very attentive from her perch in mom or dad’s arms.
Saturday morning, we all — Gaga (Grandma), Papa (your truly), Mom, Dad and three grandkids–made our way to Firehouse 1, where we were treated to a tour and the kids got to sit in the cab of the firetruck, turn on the lights and operate the steering wheel. The middle child got to hold the hose and spray water. For a 2-year-old, this was a bit of heaven.
Note: At one point, he asked when we were going on a call–not exactly in those words, but pretty close.
Seeing their reactions–and the wonderful welcome of the firefighters–was, well, priceless. We have a video and photos to boot.
Before the gang arrived, we had one other momentous event–during a water meter change, the valve in our basement broke and water sprung from the main into our basement. The heroic efforts of the Bristol Water Dept. and our plumbers made what might have been a truly disastrous and traumatic happening into a mishap. We are forever thankful for the professional and quick response.
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By way of reminder, come July 30, Bristol residents in Council District Three will head to the sole polling place at the Bristol Arts and Innovation Magnet School on Memorial Boulevard to cast their votes in a special election for City Council. Typically, residents would also be voting at Green-Hills and Bristol Eastern. Not this time.
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For listening, there is the podcast, The New York Times’s “The Book Review,” which features an interview with Colson Whitehead. Whitehead spoke in Bristol at the invite of the Bristol Public Library and the Friends of the Library recently, as in, perhaps, the last two years. He is the author of “The Underground Railroad,” a terrific and timely book. Click here.
For reading, there is, of course, more to read about the presidential race, after the ascension of Harris as the Democratic candidate.
But I found myself turning to a different kind of book, “The Sellout,” a satire on race upon the recommendation of a friend. I don’t think I would have found this novel, even though it made the New York Times top books of the new century list, without the recommendation.
In it, the main character decides to combat racism by reintroducing segregation in a section of Los Angeles that has lost its designation as a city onto itself. The novel starts with the main character before the Supreme Court for his efforts. If that sounds totally insane, well, it is–and for good reason: it sets the tone for what follows.
And if what follows does not make a reader uncomfortable, while making its point, then, I suppose, the author Paul Beatty, misses the mark. For my part, Beatty not only hits the target but hits the center of the bullseye.
And, did I mention, the main character is African-American?
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City meetings this week include the following:
On Monday, July 29
- No meeting posted online.
On Tuesday, July 30
- No meeting posted online.
On Wednesday, July 31
- No meeting posted online.
On Thursday, Aug. 1
- Insurance Committee, 8:30 a.m., Meeting Room 3, city hall. For a virtual meeting link, click here.
- Economic and Community Development, 5 p.m., council chamber, city hall. No meeting notes posted as of Saturday, July 27.
On Friday, Aug. 2
- No meeting posted.
TBE will do our best to update meeting times and locations, but it’s a good idea to check the agendas ahead of time for cancellations. Click here for specific meetings and times.
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We are seeking reporters to cover sports and city meetings, neighborhood news, people and entertainment–book reviewers and movie/tv streaming reviewers–take note. Contact editor@bristoledition.org to for next steps.
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Consider becoming a member by signing up for monthly recurring donations of $6, $12, or $24 or making a one-time donation of $60 or even better donating more. It might seem outrageous, but 5,000 members paying $6 a month would allow us to hire editors and reporters who would do a great job covering Bristol.
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Enjoy!
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