Reflections of Gloucester City Hall
I first started working at City Hall about 1989 , after a short bout with the D.P.W. I was the only City Hall employee that had his own time clock . There are many funny events in my journey of City Hall . My first lovable character and old boss was the short but giant of a man Fred J. Kyrouz . I remember when I got to old to shine shoes in the bars I was forced to look for a real job . First I sat down in front of Nicks Sho Shine Parlor and Pool Room . I remember being chased away by a man with a pool stick. My next challenge was Freddies . I shined shoes in front of his shop for almost a week until it became Friday. Whereupon Freddy came out of the shop took me by the ear and said . Any boy that has guts enough for what you did , your hired . Upon entering City Hall he again became my unofficial boss and you could not gett any better.My next great friend of the Majestic Lady was Louis Palleli. He was indeed a card as was his secretary Ginny . Between him and I we had a secret paper going on . It was called the Pooper Scooper. It was read by all but as in Mission Impossible was vanquished upon the last reading.
Our Grand Lady held many treasures most visable , but hidden . One such hidden treasure was the murals gathering dust under the Fred J. Kyrouz Chamber Stage, which once house the A.F.D.C.Aid For Dependent Children
So I guess we will venture up the Dale Ave Stairway up into the Tower. Starting at the top where the round windows are, in looking out them you could see almost accross to Boston. I remember when my granddaughter was about five years old and she noticed that the Christmas lights were out and we went up there to fix them as the wind roared and blew at the tower.
On our descent we came into the warmth of the inside of the Tower clock , once run by balaces , now run by a small motor, which sits on a once dirty and blackened iron table . After I cleaned it with amonia and degreaser it turned out to be a beautiful green with gold etchings or painting . They represented on each leg a paiting of each season of the year.
When Bruce Tobey became Mayor it became my duty to make sure that either The Halloween Face was right , or that The Christas colors or faces were always lit.
Below the open area surrounding the bell that was gifted to the city by Samuel Sawyer Above the City Hall Chambers during my time at City Hall was the last remnents of The Fisherman's Istitute of which I and my family will go down in history as the last people to have cleaned it before it was torn down
The lights in the Fred J. Kyrouz Auditorium are changed by the Hand crank above the chamber ceiling . It takes one hundred turns for those light to reach the floor or about one hour to change each bulb
One of my happiest moments was the night I changed the positions of Mayor Leo Alpers and Mayor Dick Silvas pictures . It used to be Leo would look down at Dick , and I made it the oppisit , of which Mrs Silva was very happy about.
The clock which is overhead the door as you enter the hall was once in need to be fixed . The man came to fix it and I assisted him in romoving the face of it . He told me not to worry as the face was only tin . Upon removing the last screw it dropped and we mirracuosly caught it . It turned out that it was solid marble. After screaming for some time , The D.P.W came to our rescue. Well I will leave you in susspence for now
Peter alias Huck Finn
posted by Peter Todd @ 4:54 PM
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