The Next 30 Years

Saturday night Ashtabula Chamber of Commerce Czar, St. John football head coach, and local restaurant critic James Timonere celebrated his 30th birthday. He started the party early in the day for me when I read his letter in the Opine section of the Saturday Star Beacon, defending the campus style schools and reminding our City Solicitor it is his job to write and review legal language, not to decide where schools are built.

It was a fun night a lot of politics were discussed and then argued, freakin' Republicans ruin everything. We discussed JT mistakenly calling Bruce the server from "our" Applebee's the wrong name. Bruce had quite the man crush, and not the friendly kind, on him. If I remember the story right this led to him taking a picture down of Jim, Rob, and others down and stabbing it with a steak knife. I only know this tale second hand, I believe it happened after I left Akron, .

At one point early, which is how I remember it, Jim was talking about having a roller and if someone wanted to borrow it before their yard dried up to come get it. I looked at him, and when I had his attention, I nodded and said, "elbow marks!" He asked what the Hell I was talking about, I replied, "I was wondering why you needed a roller, why you didn't just go out there and roll around on the ground, but I realized you'd leave divots with your elbows."

The night took a turn for the worse when I typically spent 30 minutes telling a story about someone, because I was asked what they were up too. Couldn't help it there was a lot to the story, problem was it was like a river with many tributaries flowing into it, rather than just being linear with a definite beginning and end. Sorry for putting you all through that.

After being formally invited to Donut's house at least twice a year for the last 5 years, we finally made it. I have to say and not unexpectedly, Jim and Janice were excellent hosts. Thanks for keeping us on the guest list, and remember that 30 is the new 21, (only I am glad you didn't treat it the same).

Here are some other photos from the star studded gala...I know people in the back are hard to make out but starting with Karen's hair in the bottom left and moving clockwise you have: Will Anderson, Ticey, Tony Petrochello, Jim, Jamie, Mandy, Meghan, Janice, Justin, and Nardu.

Here you can see the chamber prez as he and Ward 4 councilman Matt Perry cutting a back room deal. Actually it's more likely Matt was just hiding from Narducci's inquisition into his street being paved, "I told him it's one Damn pothole, whaddaya want from me? Try filling it with pastina."

****Editor's note Jim is trying to give this bar away so he can build a smaller one in the opposite direction, Some have suggested it is only fair that he build 5 smaller bars throughout the basement, making it fair for those who like to stand by the pool table or sit on the couch. Rob you may want to inquire about this before you take out a support beam.

Retraction Matt Perry is the Ward 1 councilman.