The start of the silly season in Stratford

It's the end of July, August is about to begun, the start of the wind down to the the fall season.
Already the people who want to sit in the chair now occupied by Mayor John Harkins are forming a line to remove him from that seat.
The mayoral election is this November.
Beth Daponte,  the chosen one from the Democratic Party is hard at work and Joe Paul is beating the bushes trying to get a shot at Harkin's seat.
According to my spies about a week ago, Daponte approached Anthony Fidaleo, the owner of the Station House Wine Bar and Grill at the northbound railroad station to ask if  she could bring a group to the restaurant.
Fidaleo, a New York style businessman agreed, and the date for last Wednesday was set.
Democrats, Republicans, liberals, Tea Party and U.S. Marines are all welcome at the restaurant as long as the behave and pay their tabs on time.
Unlike some restaurants in town who do cater to certain political types.
 Fidaleo is willing to seat one and all, it's good for business, New York style.
There was a famous New York restaurant, who's owner, Elaine, operated in the same manner.
Sitting at the bar, with a friend by the name of McDonald, who used to work on the third floor of the Post Publishing Co., and knows where as many of the bodies are buried in Bridgeport, Fairfield and Stratford as I do, was keeping a set of eyes on the Daponte crowd with me.
Fidaleo was allegedly given a large number of people expected to attend, but only 11 persons were seated at the table.
He assigned one expert bar person/waitress, Hilary to provide service to the table and that table only.
This was a business meeting, with much conversation about tactics, money, and how to run a campaign took place along with drinks and food.
This was not a meet and greet the public by Daponte.
No flyers, no handouts and no walk of the restaurant to check out the voting public.
McDonald and I both wondered why???
Daponte worked for the United Nations according to some of her press.
A very good friend of mine, of the opposite sex, who works as head of security for a friendly foreign power consulate, had no knowledge of Daponte.
When one runs for mayor, working at the U.N. which does nothing but spew hot air into the area of the East River, does not come over as a good aggressive leadership bullet on your resume.
Harkins has been accused by some of hiding under his desk while in office.
The mayor has been in the restaurant several times, and is more then willing to do a meet and greet while he and his staff have lunch or dinner.
He can be at times a slow mover, he received an E-Mail three weeks ago about a tree condition in front of the Camelot Apartment's on Main Street.
No response from the mayor's office yet.
He does have friends in the fire union and the brass in the Fire Department see to like him.
Which is a good sign if your are trying to keep your mayorial seat.
There is also a battle over primaries that will begin shortly.
Primaries cost the town money.
 They draw as many voters, less than two percent, and in my opinion are a total waste of time.
The poll workers, (I have been an official checker for  ten years and passed the state moderator's exam last year,) are usually board to  death as the sit and wait, and sit and wait and sit and wait for a voter to show up on primary day.
Daponte's people stayed through happy hour and then fled the scene.
Hint to Daponte!
Leave an excellent tip for the person who was your server the next time you enter the restaurant.
Fidaleo, according to my spies, has already made some enemies in the town among the old guard.
If you do not do it their way in the restaurant business, in this town they will do many things to make your life miserable.
There are people in the restaurant who have close ties to the town's Toma's de Torquemada (STFD PD.).
There have been cases where the Torquemada have been undercover in the restaurant looking for whatever the Torquemada think is not within the bounds of their idea of law and order.
Fidaleo spray painted a sign on the parking space next to the restaurant.
Parking for owner only.
As we say in the city he was ratted out to the Torquemada and the sign was painted over.
If I was Fidaleo, I would have purchased a large day glow orange sign, nailed it to the side of the restaurant above the parking space.
 "Space reserved for the Capo of Restaurant."
To  paraphase a line from a famous New York writer "Only in Stratford, kiddies."