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They Might Be Gypsies

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing They Might Be Gypsies perform at the Bethel Town Hall. They Might Be Gypsies is a gypsy jazz band, the cornerstones being father and son Greg and Aidan Ryan.

The Ryans are each very accomplished guitarists, but Greg went out of his way to display the talent of his teenage son on several occasions throughout the evening as they performed. The band included a standup bass and drummer, and I’ve been told they will arrange themselves in various configurations, performing as a duo or up to a quintet, depending on the venue.

The concert, which was sponsored by the Bethel Historical Society, featured covers of songs by Django Reinhardt and others, as well as original tunes. I especially enjoyed the guitar work, which reminded me of Mexican Mariachi style music.

The band will be recording their second studio album later this year, and I’m looking forward to it’s release.

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Park Here. No, There. No Wait, Here!

Several years ago (I forget how many, maybe five), I received a letter from Bethel’s Town Manager. It stated that people who parked overnight in the public parking lot (myself included) were to park their cars on one side of the lot on specified nights, and on the other side of the lot on other nights, e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday, the east side, other days the west side. This made perfect sense to me and, being a good law-abiding citizen, I did just that.

Two winters ago, I found a note on my windshield from the Town Manager, asking for my help. It requested that I always park my car on the west side of the parking lot during the winter to make snow removal easier. While this did not make sense to me, being a good law-abiding citizen, I did just that.

This week, the head of our town’s road crew requested, through a verbal conversation with a third party, that I move my car and not leave it in the same spot overnight after a snow storm. Being a good law-abiding citizen, I am confused.

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Bethel Votes to Withdraw from Windsor Northwest Supervisory Union

Here’s a summary of the highlights of this week’s school budget meeting:

  1. The chair of the school board announced that the superintendent has been put on administrative leave.
  2. The school board asked if the taxpayers would borrow $480,000 to pay back, over a period of three years, the debt that has been accumulated.
  3. Townspeople attempted to get details on both of these points, which was like pulling teeth without Novocaine.
  4. The board informed the taxpayers that audits have not been complete for at least three years.
  5. Many people griped, loudly. Included in this crowd, I informed them that, while I realize they are volunteers, the board has a responsibility to look after these things.
  6. The two board members whose terms were up for renewal were unanimously re-elected.
  7. The taxpayers voted to withdraw from the Titanic known as Windsor Northwest Supervisory Union. Continue reading “Bethel Votes to Withdraw from Windsor Northwest Supervisory Union”