New Year, New Post
Well, it's been two and a half weeks since your scribe has posted; put another way, he's been absent from the blogosphere since last year. Time, therefore, to rev things up a bit and get back in the groove.
In the news today, local schoolboy 12-year-old Aidan Murray Medley has set a Florida state record by landing an enormous bull shark over 4 1/2 times his own weight. The exact stats: Aidan weighs 120 pounds, and the shark 551.
The shark, you see, kept eating the amberjack and barracuda that Aidan was trying to catch, and that got his dander up. So he used a leftover barracuda head the shark had tauntingly left on his line as bait, and declared war on the shark. "I went after it, because it was a burden to me. I was so angry with it."
The shark took the bait, and after a 45-minute ordeal that pitted the boy's not inconsiderable skill against the shark's, Aiden reeled in the largest shark specimen ever recorded in the state. "You have to tire it out. It's about technique," he explained. Since he managed the whole thing entirely on his own, he is likely to become the world record holder as recognized by the International Game Fish Association.
"Me and my mates have done lots of big fish, but this kid was incredible. It's the highlight of my season. And it is the biggest bull shark I've ever seen." Thus the captain of the charter boat that took Aidan and his parents out on their adventurous outing two days ago. Aidan plans to have the shark stuffed by a taxidermist and to hang it on his wall at the Eagle Hill School here in Town. Y'know, gentle reader, your scribe would be among the first in line should Aidan decide to open his room to the public and charge admission. Or if school rules don't allow that, perhaps he could loan it to the Bruce Museum for a month or so to give us all a chance to gawk at it.
In other fish stories - er, news, that is - the perennial saga of the rebuilding of the Hamilton Avenue school stumbles from bad to worse. Way behind schedule, plagued with design flaws, and hopelessly over budget, the project was voted an additional $545,000 by the BET and the RTM last June. That's it, we were promised.
Hah! Later this month we will likely to be forced to appropriate another $550,000 lest the project "grind to a halt." (Some would say it already has.) Betty Sternberg, the ineffable Superintendant of Schools, will once again get up on her hind legs and promise us that things are under control and there will be no further delays. It's a speech we have all heard before, and your scribe, for one, would not believe Betty if she said the sun rose in the east. Her credibility around Town is non-existent, but she continues to draw one of Greenwich's highest municipal salaries in recompense for her woeful record of non-accomplishment. But hey - our Town has a long and blemished record of suffering fools and incompetents; why should that change just because we've entered a New Year?
Nay, gentle reader, do not expect old patterns to change in 2008, or local leopards to change their spots. Ham Ave will continue to be a boondoggle, soon to be followed by Glenville School. And meanwhile Betty seems to be trying to undermine the neighborhood school system that has been one of our Town's strengths for over a century. Can you spell D - U - N - C - E, dear reader?
Well, that's enough for today. Your scribe's New Year's prediction is that folly and misfeasance will continue to be the hallmarks of daily life in our Town, and that little if anything will be done to bring about constructive change. And while your scribe hopes he may be proven wrong, he is not holding his breath in the meantime....
In the news today, local schoolboy 12-year-old Aidan Murray Medley has set a Florida state record by landing an enormous bull shark over 4 1/2 times his own weight. The exact stats: Aidan weighs 120 pounds, and the shark 551.
The shark, you see, kept eating the amberjack and barracuda that Aidan was trying to catch, and that got his dander up. So he used a leftover barracuda head the shark had tauntingly left on his line as bait, and declared war on the shark. "I went after it, because it was a burden to me. I was so angry with it."
The shark took the bait, and after a 45-minute ordeal that pitted the boy's not inconsiderable skill against the shark's, Aiden reeled in the largest shark specimen ever recorded in the state. "You have to tire it out. It's about technique," he explained. Since he managed the whole thing entirely on his own, he is likely to become the world record holder as recognized by the International Game Fish Association.
"Me and my mates have done lots of big fish, but this kid was incredible. It's the highlight of my season. And it is the biggest bull shark I've ever seen." Thus the captain of the charter boat that took Aidan and his parents out on their adventurous outing two days ago. Aidan plans to have the shark stuffed by a taxidermist and to hang it on his wall at the Eagle Hill School here in Town. Y'know, gentle reader, your scribe would be among the first in line should Aidan decide to open his room to the public and charge admission. Or if school rules don't allow that, perhaps he could loan it to the Bruce Museum for a month or so to give us all a chance to gawk at it.
In other fish stories - er, news, that is - the perennial saga of the rebuilding of the Hamilton Avenue school stumbles from bad to worse. Way behind schedule, plagued with design flaws, and hopelessly over budget, the project was voted an additional $545,000 by the BET and the RTM last June. That's it, we were promised.
Hah! Later this month we will likely to be forced to appropriate another $550,000 lest the project "grind to a halt." (Some would say it already has.) Betty Sternberg, the ineffable Superintendant of Schools, will once again get up on her hind legs and promise us that things are under control and there will be no further delays. It's a speech we have all heard before, and your scribe, for one, would not believe Betty if she said the sun rose in the east. Her credibility around Town is non-existent, but she continues to draw one of Greenwich's highest municipal salaries in recompense for her woeful record of non-accomplishment. But hey - our Town has a long and blemished record of suffering fools and incompetents; why should that change just because we've entered a New Year?
Nay, gentle reader, do not expect old patterns to change in 2008, or local leopards to change their spots. Ham Ave will continue to be a boondoggle, soon to be followed by Glenville School. And meanwhile Betty seems to be trying to undermine the neighborhood school system that has been one of our Town's strengths for over a century. Can you spell D - U - N - C - E, dear reader?
Well, that's enough for today. Your scribe's New Year's prediction is that folly and misfeasance will continue to be the hallmarks of daily life in our Town, and that little if anything will be done to bring about constructive change. And while your scribe hopes he may be proven wrong, he is not holding his breath in the meantime....
posted by Bill Clark | 1/03/2008 12:55:00 PM
9 Comments:
"I went after it, because it was a burden to me. I was so angry with it."
I loved that line when I read it, especially coming from a 12 year old. Reminded me of something my J would say.
Yes, Aidan has quite the vocab, doesn't he? "Angry with" instead of "angry at", and that wonderful use of "burden". Let's hope his current 15 minutes of fame give him a boost in his future endeavors, whatever they may be!
That's amazing! How he could do it on his own is beyond me. Maybe he will allow you to get a picture of it. :)
I too, lovd his vocab, and the line.
Glad to see you are back blogging. You have been missed!
Thanks, Vicki! Since I was getting so many hits without lifting a finger, it was kinda fun just to sit back for a while. Also, like our English friend Leigh, I wanted to see how many comments came in by leaving the same post up for a couple of weeks. Last I looked, she had over 40 comments!
I doubt there are any pics of the actual landing of the fish, but there was one of him on the dock with the monster afterwards. If I can find a pic, I'll post it.
Thanks for posting the pic. I'm still in awe of his fishing skills.
Totally get the not blogging and still having hits, but I'm glad you're back anyway. :)
Oh, and I just re-read my comment...should be loved instead of lovd, talk about vocab??? LOL
Enjoyed the fish, Bill - good photo!
Glad you enjoyed the touch of nostalgia re old England....pleasant pub, that one...
Is it weird if I feel bad for the shark?
Heeeyyy, who're you calling a truant?!
(Oh. Me.)
Geez, E, don't tell me you're really a lawyer in disguise! ;-)
As to your truancy, your attendance is finally beginning to improve. I will cross-post these comments on "January Thaw", which is where I think you meant them to appear.
Sympathy for the shark, indeed! Don't expect me to pull you out if you fall overboard! :-)
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