This afternoon, the City Council’s Public Health and Safety Committee will take up again the question of regulating food trucks in the city.
You’ll remember that the issue (which, frankly, seemed mostly like a non issue) was all over the news a few years ago after city officials went after John Verducci’s Worthington Street hot dog cart, saying he was hogging parking spots by leaving his cart there for long periods of time. Verducci offered a different take: he suggested that City Hall was picking on him because his cart was unwelcomed competition for a nearby restaurant that just happened to be owned by Mayor Domenic Sarno’s cousin.
The dust-up inspired a nickname—“Weinergate,” courtesy of the Republican’s Stephanie Barry—and eventually resulted in some proposed regulations that never went into effect.
In other news, legendary Springfield political consultant Joe Napolitan died earlier this week. This article by the Republican’s Robert Rizzuto includes remembrances by some of the pols who relied on Napolitan’s advice (U.S. Rep. Richie Neal: “For almost 40 years, we’d get together on Saturday mornings for coffee and the occasional cigar, and he helped me map out my political career. He was a gem of a human and a brilliant political mind. He was also one of the most well-read people I’ve ever met.”) plus some great file photos.
