(UN)RELIABLE SOURCES: 049

THE YEAR IN REVIEW IN REVIEW

by FRANK O'DONNELL
December 27, 2007

I love hearing from readers.

Some email just to say hi or to say they enjoy reading the column.  
 
Others grab my sleeve to let me know that I’ve missed something.

And it looks like I did just that in last week’s column, which explored the top stories of the past year. Tops in my estimation, that is.

So thank you, dear readers, for helping keep me honest.
           
LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD

One reader pointed out that I forgot how powerful a single complaint has become in our little town. Like the resident who complained about the noise at the skateboard park when it was at the High Service end of Stephen Olney Park.

Kids making too much noise?

Make the call, and the skateboard park gets moved.

Bam!

Let’s hope the same resident doesn’t complain about the ambulance sirens across the street at Fatima.

I need that Emergency Room once in a while.
           
SPEED HUMPING

I commented early in the year that I hadn’t seen many of them.

Other than the ones in front of Birchwood Middle School, I’d only been able to spot two around town.

I’m told that at least one of the ones in front of Birchwood didn’t survive the late fall snow storm.

Apparently, the plows were able to get down to the pavement there.

Maybe I should keep a speed hump in front of my house.

WHOSE FACE IS IT, ANYWAY?

This one I missed completely.

The removal of the facial images from the 9/11 monument at Evans Field.

Sure, I heard about it, but I never wrote about it.

Probably because I don’t know the face of either of the gentlemen formerly sculpted there.

When I saw the memorial, the faces were merely representations of the firefighters and police officers who serve all of us with little thought about their own well-being.

So maybe these two gentlemen weren’t the best choices as models, but was grinding them away the best solution?

I hope our new mayor doesn’t ever become president.

I like Mount Rushmore just the way it is.

A TIP OF THE CAP

Here’s another one that slipped through the cracks.

The 2,000 North Providence caps the mayor ordered to boost town pride.

Robin’s Egg Blue, if the picture was accurate, with “North Providence” printed in yellow, either on one line or two.
 
Some were passed out to town employees, including police and fire personnel. Some will be passed out to school kids visiting Town Hall as part of a school function. Others will remain in a box in the mayor’s trunk, to be passed out as warranted.

Other than the one in the picture, I haven’t seen a single one.

Maybe we need a Town Spirit Week like they have in the schools.

Monday is Messed-Up Hair Day. Tuesday is Crazy Hat Day.

Right.

Like anyone in North Providence would participate in Messed-Up Hair Day.

NO, REALLY, LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD

Someone told me a parent complained about the smell of urine in the boys’ room at Whelan Elementary School.

Bam!

The urinals were scheduled to get fixed over the Christmas vacation.

Will the boys’ room now sport a lovely lavender scent?

If so, it will disappear by January 3.

Time to make another call.

***

Think I missed something important? Have you noticed something going on around town that I could have some fun with? Then send me an email and join the North Providence Gang. All contributions to frankocomedy@cox.net are kept anonymous, unless you say differently.