The Millbrook Falls Town Council voted 7-0 Tuesday night to officially rename the massive pothole on Elm Street in honor of former mayor Gerald Huffington, who served three terms before retiring in 2019 to focus on his koi pond. The pothole, now formally known as the “Gerald T. Huffington Memorial Depression,” has been a fixture of the intersection for eleven years and, according to town records, has swallowed four hubcaps, one mail carrier’s bicycle, and a folding chair.
“Gerald always said he wanted to leave a lasting mark on this town, and honestly, this pothole has outlasted three of his actual policy initiatives,” said current mayor Denise Alvarez during the ceremony, which included a ribbon-cutting performed with a traffic cone instead of scissors. “It’s deep, it’s stubborn, and it fills up with water every time things get rough. That’s Gerald in a nutshell.”
Huffington himself attended the unveiling, appearing visibly moved as a small bronze plaque was bolted to a nearby stop sign reading “Here Lies Progress, 2013–Present.” When asked whether he felt honored or insulted, Huffington paused for a long moment before saying, “I’ve made my peace with it. At least they didn’t name the sewage backup after me like they did with Councilman Petrie.”
City officials say there are currently no plans to actually repair the pothole, citing a $40,000 budget shortfall and, according to internal memos, “a general sense that it’s basically a landmark now.” Local Google Maps reviews have already begun referring to the intersection as “a great place to lose your car keys and possibly your faith in local government.” The town’s next council meeting will address a similarly beloved crack in the sidewalk outside the library, which insiders say may be named after the current mayor while she’s still in office, “just to save time.”
