Sharon Leary's father Bill Leary and his grandson Ruari Leary [submitted photo]
Dads should have a day to call their own because their parental job includes:
1) Making the tough calls -and bearing the frequently hurtful fallout no matter how much it breaks his heart. Dads are always on the lookout for bad influences in your life. And just because he won’t let you go to that concert with your slightly older cousin doesn’t mean he is out to ruin your life.
2) Dads are adept at turning conversations to focus on something other than the question you asked. "Because I said so" is a standard used by parents everywhere. Its' value becomes apparent when you become a parent!
3) Surviving the teen years. Let’s be honest here, teenagers can be AWFUL! The mood swings, the clothes, the music! But these are the times for which Dads have the best stories. Because they know whatever they do, it will irritate the hell out of you. Just ask your Dad for his favorite teen torture story, I’m sure you’ll get an earful and a laugh.
4) Enforcing the “eat your veggies†rule. But hey, why doesn’t Dad have to eat his salad and beets? Perhaps that is why Dad may sometimes ignore the fact that you hide your food in a napkin by your plate.
5) Pretending to enforce the bedtime curfew even though he knows you're in there listening to a late Red Sox game on the transistor radio under your pillow, or reading comic books by flashlight.
6) Telling the same story over and over again. Most of these stories begin with “back when I was your age," and conclude with a snowy 10-mile walk, uphill both ways.
7) Embarrassing the hell out of you at family functions or in most public places. This could be as simple as talking to you (see number three above) or delighting in telling a story to a perfect stranger about how your daughter was a fan of the Bay City Rollers.
8) Being your Valentine when no one else seemed interested.
9) Doing whatever is necessary to make your kids dreams come true. Working overtime to pay for music lessons or to help save for college.
10) Sharing your experiences good and bad.
11) Standing up for their children; even if they may be at fault.
12) Continuing to make the popcorn with extra butter because you know that your kids like it that way, even though the doctor told you to watch your cholesterol.
13) Assuring the presence of half eaten carrots and notes from Rudolph every Christmas till all of the kids have moved out. (And some stayed till they were in their mid-twenties!)
14) Encouraging the kids to try something outside of their comfort range. It could have been something as simple as encouraging your daughter to go to a dance instead of stayng in her room and sulking all weekend again (see three above) or trying a sport or activity that you thought you’d never like.
15) Teaching your kids to believe in themselves, stand strong for their beliefs, and take pride in who they are as individuals. Even if it means bright pink hair, tattoos, and piercings located in places Dad doesn't like to think about!
16) Leading by example: assisting an older neighbor with shoveling out their driveway and actually placing trash where it belongs.
17) Assuring the kids that they can call Dad any time of the day or night whenever trouble, be it emotional, physical or financial, strikes.
18) Wearing “dad clothes†with a big smile. This may include the standard can-you-see-me-now Father's Day "Best Dad in the Universe" t-shirt or the big ugly tie someone gave him ("I picked it out myself, Daddy!") at the age of six, or it might be that favorite chamois shirt your daughter keeps stealing from you.
19) Demostrating to your kids that it's OK to have faith. Plus after church, maybe your Dad will get your Mom to sing “Gonna Buy Me A Bluebird†at a restaurant and the family will never let her forget it for as long as she lives.
20) Being able to BBQ anything, anywhere, at any time, and make it taste good! Especially those pork ribs!
Happy Fathers Day to all Dads everywhere!
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I thought this list was pretty cool and here's one of mine, number 21: when you were 8 years old and wet your pants at a school concert that your mother made you go to, it was dad who wrapped you up in his coat and carried you the car, telling people you were sick so that no one would know!
Pittsfield Seeks Public Input for Draft CDBG Annual Action Plan
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City of Pittsfield's Department of Community Development has released the draft Annual Action Plan outlining how federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds will be used to address housing and community development needs in Pittsfield for the city's 2025 fiscal year.
The Community Development Office, in conjunction with the City Council's subcommittee on Community and Economic Development, will hold a public hearing on May 21 at 6:00 p.m. on the proposed CDBG program budget and draft 2025 Annual Action Plan. The public hearing will be held at City Hall, 70 Allen Street, in the Council Chambers.
The hearing is part of a 30-day public review process that is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that provides an opportunity for public input on the draft plan. Through what HUD terms an entitlement grant, HUD provides the city with CDBG funding on an annual basis. The 30-day public review and comment period runs from Tuesday, April 23, 2024 until 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 22, 2024.
The draft 2025 Annual Action Plan proposed budget of $2.2 million consists of $1.3 million in estimated new CDBG funds and $140,000 in expected program income and reprogrammed funds as well as an estimated $470,567 in carryover funds.
Community Development has proposed using CDBG money during the upcoming 2025 fiscal year for projects that include public facilities, removal of architectural barriers, public services, housing rehabilitation, economic development, clearance, planning activities, and administrative costs.
If residents are unable to attend the public hearing, they may submit their written comments to Community Development at any time during the 30-day comment period via email at njoyner@cityofpittsfield.org or by mail to the Department of Community Development, 70 Allen St., Room 205, Pittsfield, MA, 01201.
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