Andy Rooney –Everyone’s Mentor

<a href=http://www.cbsnews.com>CBS NEWS 60 Minutes</a>

Remembering with fondness the man who became a NONAGENARIAN.  He may have expected Centenarian Status, but that was out of his hands.  Never met the man, but he became a familiar intimacy with my household; anywhere, thanks to CBS NEWS 60 Minutes.  He really was terrific.  I’d even say SWELL!  He’d have liked being called SWELL.  It was and still is a fine adjective and adverb.  It hails from my father’s day as did Andy Rooney.  Then everything, even the good war was swell.

I wrote Andy Rooney only a couple of times.  On one occasion I was in San Francisco, Ca.  I explained that I watched his program almost every week, especially enthused for his post.  Also told him that I am a CBS baby –“ from Keeshan to Cronkite, since Walter was “15” “.  Don’t know if he got it or liked that. Acknowledgements to me are big trouble sometimes.

Truly enjoyed the man. 

To borrow from another journalist San Francisco Chronicle’s Herb Cain .. Andy Rooney was a GENT!   Know what I mean?

 

God Bless, and really Rest & Return.  You were really SWELL!

Weather Emergency Open Services of Merit WX_01089

Big Y SuperMarket BIG Y-Memorial Avenue West Springfield and WestGate Plaza on Springfield ST (US 20) in Westfield. Open throughout the storm aftermath. Memorial Ave store proceeded with lessened light and full cashier operations.
HarborFreight Harbor Freight -- Not fully opened, but limited customer intake for known items (no shopping) primarily generators and power inverters etc. CASH ONLY due to power failure and hand written receipts. They also kept to their pre-storm goods sale as much as possible.

West Springfield's FOODBAG on Westfield ST serving/selling CITGO at Chestnut ST .. full gasoline service with civil lines and good service.

HESS Gas on Westfield's US 20 across from WestGate Plaza good service and civil lines.

WalMart in CHICOPEE Mass and its Plaza neighbors - a turnpike stretch away, across the river.
Home Depot at Westfield and West Springfield
DICK's Sporting Goods on Riverdale West Springfield, Ma.

StarBuck's Coffee -for constancy in the brown elixir combos and FREE WIFI continuosly it seems.

Several Friendly Ice Cream Shop-Restaurants also with free WIFI

The West Springfield Public Library for opening and by Civic Center access offering internet services and wifi

The KMART Plaza on US 5 Holyoke ST with its Dollar Store and batteries

The entire Ingleside Holyoke Mall - including the Halloween Fest (despite the traffic)

Phipp's at WestGate Plaza and other liquor Stores

The Small Strip Mall at Westfield ST & King's HighWay in West Springfield with its power up -serving full services at First Niagrara Bank, and the Cumberland Farms Store, Sorrento's , the Thrift Bakery & LEE's Laundry/Laundromat -an all important power outage facility.

The fine coordinated work of utility companies and the Town Safety & DPW crews.

Disaster Declarations

FEMA and Disaster Assistance - the Obama Administration like the Bush Adminstration know that Disaster Declarations can be speeded by preparation and advanced declared in anticipation. States need to show a damage greater than their resources can bear in help/remedy. Get the paperwork in!

New England’s Early Storm

WMECO Power Outages

Western New England like the North East suffered a severe early winter storm last weekend.  Well, we’re expectedly coping, and well. Power outage s abound, and this must be a nearer record for customers and expanse.  What this blogger has been seeing is heartening.  Town and city DPW crews working in advance of WMECO and other utility companies , likely by arrangement, to not only plow and clear roads that way, but clearing trees falls and relieving stresses on utility poles and lines.  This is wonderful coordination; and by good public accounting will not be a free ride.  That unity of operations restores this community, and lets the professional recovery effort work.  Power for us in 01089 will be back to normal by Friday night.  That’s almost 6 days. 

Tonight, with this household’s portable power, it has media and internet connection by COMCAST TV cable & broadband internet service.  That utility is up and running and simply needed electricity.

Others need that readiness and should acquire it.  Other benefits include options in home heating as here, so that there is no severe cold nor ablution problem.

Hearten and coordinate – that’s the best any American community can do. – The weather provided a break also.  Of course if can be done faster and better it will be.  Usually those trees bear this storm without that weight.  and most of us would bear or give a week for the trees rather than remove all of them .