Recently the paper's editorial noted that "People say Susan Kniep...the forever gadfly of East Hartford is crazy..."

The paper goes on to cast faint praise on her condemning loud noises in her neighborhood during a charitable affair.

As one would expect, the noisy lady, and former mayor of East Hartford, made just as much clatter in the press as the party at the Elks lodge next door. Kniep has, for some time worn out her welcome at the polls with election losses as local folks decry her pursuit of terminally sour residents, officials and those who want to spend taxpayer dollars for anything.

One interesting change though. For years in the past Kniep has hit at the Board of Education for whatever. That warring area seems to have been dropped. One can only wonder if that coincides with her daughter becoming a teacher. Maybe.

In any case one can also only wonder about the absence of praise for almost anyone or anything from Mrs. Kniep's hyper pen.

In a somewhat related topic, on occasion, a former renegade Democrat now living in his home state of Maine will send an email down this way. Joe Paquette, though now a Downeaster, keeps a close eye on our town. This is related to the above because Joe and Susan maintained ongoing conversations before she entered politics formally.

. Years ago, when Joe attempted to seek office Kniep walked the streets dispensing Joe's political literature, as Joe told me. Registered as Republican didn't bother Kniep in helping a Democrat. Much later when Kniep became mayor and Joe left town the two continued these discussions on a frequent basis, said Joe, via phone calls from his Maine outpost.

Ever helpful, it was Joe's suggestion that Kniep replace the then police chief, as he explained to me, with a friend with a long history of state police service, which she did.

In his most recent tirade, Joe raised questions about the local Republican Party.

"This imitation of an opposition party should take responsibility for the downgrading of the town and they only exist because the law says you must have another party..." Joe also suggested "The party should be completely dissolved...as an opposition party.

In order to understand things from Joe Paquette's point of view, the events which occurred years ago (and most likely have been forgotten by others)still rankle him. By and large Democrats who occupied Town Hall back then chose to ignore the maverick. But some time in the past Joe decided the best way to get back at being ignored would be to work "underground" with certain Republicans That might take his issues and make some progress.

We will leave it to your imagination as to the identity of such individuals.