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Vanishing Acts

My car can do magic, if I could just figure out how to control its power I might be happy about it. But I can't, so I'm far from happy!

I have come to the conclusion that my car went to Hogwarts School of Wizarding and Withcraft. Either that or it stole the Invisbility Cloak from Harry Potter.

I’m not going crazy, I have had this feeling for a long time that my car has the ability to make itself invisible. Before you start thinking this is a great thing and how it must be great to speed past state troopers on the highway, it’s actually a huge inconvenience.

Here’s an example; so I drive back and forth several times a week. Fridays are a nightmare; she finishes at 6pm so I have to merge onto the parking lot that is I95. I put my turn signal on just in case someone does not realize what I’m trying to do, but without fail every week I end up creeping along the shoulder. Several cars will pass me by before I can squeeze my way in. Surely my car must be invisible then, why else would those cars not let me in?

My car pulls the same trick in the morning when I am dropping off my kids at school. It must be invisible; there can’t be that many people that don’t know how to act at a stop sign? Not even the turn signal is visible, otherwise when they saw me indicating they would let me take my turn. I have to run the gauntlet and make the turn fast. Some days my car cuts me a break and loses the invisibility cloak and I get to do drop-off without incident.

The other morning my car pulled its magic trick at a dangerous time. I was driving along Route 80 when I had to stop because the traffic was backed up at a light. This time though it must have reappeared at the last second because the car that was flying up behind me had to hit the brakes sharply and swerve into the other lane to avoid hitting me. I’m sure the driver was paying attention and not really talking on his cell phone, I’m sure he had an itch on the side of his hand and that’s why his hand was there. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad my car suddenly reappeared, but I wish it had done it a few seconds earlier to give the driver behind the heads up.

I have no idea how the car pulls its Houdini act and I wish it would stop, it’s just not funny. In the meantime I think I will install giant speakers and play loud music so at least if people can’t see me coming, they will hear me. Now where did I put my Harry Potter soundtrack?

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Russ Best May 4, 2013 at 05:09 pm
Vincent: first..let me commend you for doing an excellent job! I have a couple thoughts I wouldRead More like to bounce off of you: 1. How about a proposal for property tax breaks for seniors? Pick an age..62 or 65. The majority of retirees are on fixed incomes, some of which are on the razors edge right now and are looking at having to move from the area even though they don't want to. Its a shame that people who have lived their whole lives here cannot afford to stay on for retirement. 2. The current property tax credit for veterans is $1000 and has been stuck there since the '60s if I'm not mistaken. It really doesn't amount to a hill of beans given current property values and needs a serious upgrade/higher value. As a combat veteran (Viet Nam) I would be really grateful if this could be improved.
Tom Scelfo April 29, 2013 at 09:40 pm
Vinny - you obviously understand both the problem and the solution. As a general rule, all ourRead More elected officials are intelligent people, so I just don't understand why the Majority party doesn't seem to "get it." Please keep focusing on the problem AND the solution. At some point in time, perhaps other elected officials will finally understand the problem we are in, and realize that we really need to get serious about fixing it. Thanks for your service to the Connecticut's tax payers!
Russ Best May 4, 2013 at 12:42 pm
Audrey: welcome to the world of state and town contracts, unions and piddly regs that must beRead More quibbled over. There are power plays between city and state civil engineers,etc.All this is done in the name of "progress"..something I had hoped to see slow down when I moved to Northford. Progess nearly always means ever escalating taxes and rules that eventually push out folks of lower income, turning it into yet another elitist Connecticut town. It's sad the town managers and council can't seem to put their foot down and reign in spending.
Audrey Fitting May 2, 2013 at 11:08 am
I agree, it seems as though they are more worried about putting in fake grass, and spindly trees,Read More and are not working fast at all. The beautiful center of our town has been ruined. I cannot see it ever looking good again. I think it is a bigger bottleneck than we had. Whoever they hired as an engineer should be ashamed to take any money. Very poor planning...or may be plans in the works. The two ugly houses we have to pass when we go from 139 towards RT 80, its sure ugly, and that dentist office should be to torn down. Give it up. We now have an ugly town center. The shopping center at Dairy Queen, is dying for stores, but who would move in? I wish I could move out of town. This is atrocious.
John Fontenault May 2, 2013 at 10:03 am
Other than some work being performed at the Notch Hill Road and Rte 80 intersection and some workRead More under the Tilcon Overpass there has been little to no activity for months. Other than the equipment needed in these two areas there is no longer any large equipment in the area. Clearly crews have picked up and moved on. Is there a funding issue? An updated schedule should be posted to the Town's Website so we can all understand what progress will be made this spring. Please comment if you have details.