Lee Whitnum just got on the ballot to challenge Jim Himes in the Democratic primary Aug. 12. In my post "Juicy Political Gossip! Local Candidate Lee Whitnum Doesn't Understand That Internet Leaves a Record, Doesn't Like Immigrants", I made sure you know that she has been far too chatty on the internet and has left a trail of foolish comments. Her campaign website, which should be a professional, mature piece of work, only adds to the impression that she is slipshod and reckless.
Whitnum’s current campaign website is a study in strangeness. There are typos, grammar errors, and bizarre statements. (I have highlighted them in red.) I don’t feel like looking at her whole site right now, because she tires me out with her obnoxiously worded writing. I’ll focus on her intro page and illegal immigration page for now.
Let’s look at the obvious stuff first: typos and ‘sounds-like-your-racist-grandpa’ rhetoric. From Lee Whitnum 2008:
Illegal immigrants must apply for a tax payer identification, and a background check to ensure we are not harbouring fugitives. Many illegals make more hourly than many Americans (waitresses, retail employees, teaching assistants and substitute teachers) but the Americans have to pay taxes. Everyone need to contribute.
We need immigrants but, there has to be limits and respect for the law. Also, society pays in other ways:
Whitnum then lists 14 statements about immigration that include statistics. At the end of the statements, there is an asterisk with “The aforementioned 14 have not been verified.”
Well, then, why are they on her site? Is there any other explanation other than straight-up craziness? Or is she just a really terrible researcher? If she’s too busy to locate verifiable facts for her website, she shouldn’t write anything. Sometimes it's good just to be quiet.
I like 10 and 14, which are followed by a 4th grade level misspelling.
10. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's
two-and-a-half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children, are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the US.
Doesn’t that translate to “Watch out for darker-skinned people who don’t speak English”? As best I can tell, that fact comes from a transcript of a Lou Dobbs show. Robert Rector, a research fellow at conservative thinktank Heritage Foundation, said on the show, "I'll say another thing that can't be said here, which is the fact that Hispanics in the United States have a crime rate that's two and a half times that of white non-Hispanics, and it seems very clear that if you basically bring in a lot of low-skilled Hispanics with dysfunctional family structure from the Central America, that both they and, in particular, their children, are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the United States. The data is very clear on that. But it can't be discussed. We can't really also discuss the fact that, my goodness, if you're bringing in high school dropouts who aren't married and have children out of wedlock, what are they going to do? They're going to be on welfare."
Pretty interesting to see where Whitnum pulls her research, huh?
14. "The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One Million Sex
Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants in The United States ".
Why is that in quotes? Oh, I see, it’s an article. I googled the title to find it. LW’s site seems like a rushed, unprofessional job; why else wouldn’t a computer science major provide a link to an article? The author of the article is a criminal profiler. The one million figure is an estimate based on the 1500 cases she studied of violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants. That author is also quoted in an article called "Illegal aliens linked to gang-rape wave: The crime epidemic no one will talk about?"
Total cost is a whooping... $338.3 BILLION A YEAR!!!
(Double o makes a long o sound: “oooooh.” She means whopping, as in big, not "whooping," as in screaming.)
Second, Whitnum’s statements about herself are awkward. On the intro page she proclaims herself as:
“-Teacher
-Cancer survivor
-Single woman.”
Is this a Match.com profile or Congressional candidate?
Third, further down the page, she writes in bold font, “I am the average American woman.”
If so, this is a good reason not to have her in Congress. I’d like someone at least a little above average to be running this country. However, I don’t think the average American woman acts this oddly. Maybe she writes this badly, but if so, she has the sense to have someone proofread her website. No, I don’t think Lee is average.
Fourth, there are more typos on the intro page. One of her positions:
Take a hard stand on illegal immigration. Enforce existing laws.
Danbury recently passes the Immigration and Custom's Enforcement (ICE).
There’s no apostrophe in Customs. And did she mean Danbury passed it, not "passes" it? I have typos in this blog sometimes, but I work alone. Is she doing this all by herself or does she have a bad copy editor? Or does she get emotional when typing about immigrants? Most typos seem to be in paragraphs about immigrants. There’s only one on her health care page, and it’s a common one:
Governor Rell has threatened to veto the bill in it's current state.
It’s is short for it is; the possessive is an exception and takes no apostrophe.
It’s exhausting dealing with this; maybe that’s one of Whitnum’s strategies: to wear people down. I’m going to bed.
By the way, Whitnum also has a problem with legal immigrants. From a Stamford Times article: Whitnum speaks of repealing laws that allow legal immigrants to come to America for work. A former software engineer for the U.S. Army, Whitnum lost her job after lawmakers passed a law granting more work visas.
Mmm-hmm. I’m sure that’s why she lost her job. It’s those damn foreigners!
Showing posts with label Controversies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Controversies. Show all posts
Stamford Talk Likes the Day Laborer Clinic
Ha! Ha! Ha! YES!
I beat the crazy people to a post about immigrants!!!!
There was a post- I mean, an article- in the Advocate today about a legal clinic for day laborers in Stamford. Workers can go there to get help in suing employers who have not paid them. I actually knew about this clinic a good six months ago because I randomly ran into an old friend from Virginia who happened to be on her way to volunteer there.
Every post that mentions immigrants in the Advocate generates the most annoying, asinine, xenophobic, stupid, lowest level comments you can imagine. To my delight, I was the first one to comment on the day laborer clinic article. I couldn't resist throwing some dirt in the face of the crazy Advocate commenters. Here is what I wrote:
Before a crazy xenophobe rants about how immigrants should go home, I want to say two things: 1. A friend of mine who I've known since high school is a lawyer in Greenwich and does this program. I'm really proud of her for giving her time and skills for this program even though she lives in Brooklyn. The program is obviously needed if they collected that much money. 2. This program could actually be seen as something to decrease use of day laborers. If a scummy contractor knows he can't cheat people out of hard-earned wages, maybe he will hire someone who is in the country legally. Great article, Stephen P. Clark!
And of course, the commment after mine was a generic "Why should illegals even be here" comment. Why do people say the same dull stuff over and over?
I beat the crazy people to a post about immigrants!!!!
There was a post- I mean, an article- in the Advocate today about a legal clinic for day laborers in Stamford. Workers can go there to get help in suing employers who have not paid them. I actually knew about this clinic a good six months ago because I randomly ran into an old friend from Virginia who happened to be on her way to volunteer there.
Every post that mentions immigrants in the Advocate generates the most annoying, asinine, xenophobic, stupid, lowest level comments you can imagine. To my delight, I was the first one to comment on the day laborer clinic article. I couldn't resist throwing some dirt in the face of the crazy Advocate commenters. Here is what I wrote:
Before a crazy xenophobe rants about how immigrants should go home, I want to say two things: 1. A friend of mine who I've known since high school is a lawyer in Greenwich and does this program. I'm really proud of her for giving her time and skills for this program even though she lives in Brooklyn. The program is obviously needed if they collected that much money. 2. This program could actually be seen as something to decrease use of day laborers. If a scummy contractor knows he can't cheat people out of hard-earned wages, maybe he will hire someone who is in the country legally. Great article, Stephen P. Clark!
And of course, the commment after mine was a generic "Why should illegals even be here" comment. Why do people say the same dull stuff over and over?
Rrrrr Stamford Talk Angry at Advocate Editorial
There is a ridiculous editorial in the Advocate today. It's so pointless that I'm surprised it ran. The title was "School closings require good reason” and, after a paragraph of jibberish about how superintendents make a lot of money, it made the point that kids should not have been sent home in the 97 degree heat on Monday and Tuesday.
Well, what a koinkydink, I'm a teacher in a room with no AC, so I whipped out a response. Here it is below. I posted it as a comment on Topix and sent another version (without the Stamford Talk "DUH") to the editor. I hope it gets published.
Dear editor:
You SHOULD have visited the schools before you wrote this.
I teach in one of the un-ACd schools and it was by far the worst in my ten years of teaching. The heat and humidity were nauseating to all of us. You didn't do much research if you only heard a "few reports."
I don't understand your nasty attitude about kids needing to toughen up. If you were in the schools, you would know how nice most kids are and how hard they work. The kids tried to tough it out, but all we could do was sit and look at each other listlessly, and then when it was time to change classes, wade through slick, humid halls with 700 middle schoolers. School is for learning, not for toughening up, and no learning could go on in humid, hot, 100 degree rooms.
It's laughable that you say the "creative" teachers moved to the ACd spaces. I'm going to give you a big Stamford Talk DUH on that. That's what we all did, but there was not enough space for the hundreds of kids who were in the un-ACd rooms. That's why kids were sent home. It was the right decision.
You seem to want kids to suffer. If it makes you feel better, don't worry, it's "uncomfortable" all of June and August. Please, feel free to pick a 95 degree day to come visit and sit in my room for an hour at 2pm. Actually, I'll sit; you can stand and teach.
I think it is so odd that whoever wrote the piece was not even IN a school building on those hot days! It seemed like someone just felt like complaining about schools... maybe that person should toughen up!
Well, what a koinkydink, I'm a teacher in a room with no AC, so I whipped out a response. Here it is below. I posted it as a comment on Topix and sent another version (without the Stamford Talk "DUH") to the editor. I hope it gets published.
Dear editor:
You SHOULD have visited the schools before you wrote this.
I teach in one of the un-ACd schools and it was by far the worst in my ten years of teaching. The heat and humidity were nauseating to all of us. You didn't do much research if you only heard a "few reports."
I don't understand your nasty attitude about kids needing to toughen up. If you were in the schools, you would know how nice most kids are and how hard they work. The kids tried to tough it out, but all we could do was sit and look at each other listlessly, and then when it was time to change classes, wade through slick, humid halls with 700 middle schoolers. School is for learning, not for toughening up, and no learning could go on in humid, hot, 100 degree rooms.
It's laughable that you say the "creative" teachers moved to the ACd spaces. I'm going to give you a big Stamford Talk DUH on that. That's what we all did, but there was not enough space for the hundreds of kids who were in the un-ACd rooms. That's why kids were sent home. It was the right decision.
You seem to want kids to suffer. If it makes you feel better, don't worry, it's "uncomfortable" all of June and August. Please, feel free to pick a 95 degree day to come visit and sit in my room for an hour at 2pm. Actually, I'll sit; you can stand and teach.
I think it is so odd that whoever wrote the piece was not even IN a school building on those hot days! It seemed like someone just felt like complaining about schools... maybe that person should toughen up!
More Falling Objects in Stamford: Oh No You DI'IN'T, Trump Parc!
WHAT- THE- HECK. One of us is going to get killed by Trump Parc.Last week, I took this pic of the busy intersection by TP.
Today's Advocate Headline: Object falls at the site of Trump Parc
The article text: For the second time in two weeks, an object fell yesterday from the Trump Parc construction site and struck a vehicle, police said. A 3-foot-long piece of cable about a half-inch in diameter fell from the 29th floor, said Lt. Sean Cooney, a city police spokesman. Cooney said the object hit the back of a VW Jetta occupied by an unidentified Greenwich man at about 2:50 p.m. The driver was not injured, but the car's roof caved in, and its rear and side windows shattered on impact, he said.
CAN YOU IMAGINE? What if there had been a baby in the backseat by those windows? I am PISSED.
Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy said he will speak with the city engineer, the building department and those in charge of construction at the Trump Parc site. "We're going to have to sit down with these folks, maybe close the job, until we get some level of satisfaction about these procedures," he said. "A second incident in a short period of time tells me people are being reckless."
YES, Malloy, you tell those f#&kers. SHUT DOWN TRUMP UNTIL WE HAVE SOME ANSWERS. Stuff falling 20 stories onto cars below is unacceptable!!!
SHUT- DOWN- TRUMP. No "maybe." Shut it down. And invite the public to the meeting.
For your gawking pleasure, here are a four pictures I took of the TP construction site, which looms over the busiest part of the city. You can see how huge the crane is. The last shot is of a concrete truck blocking traffic on May 1; that's my steering wheel in the bottom left corner. I know- I'm an amazing photographer.
Stamford, NYC, Trump's Looming Cranes
Welcome back from what I hope was a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. I spent Saturday shopping at the Stamford Mall; both my sis and I needed more work clothes. We made a rare voyage to Norwalk (husband's idea) to see the new Indiana Jones (horrible) and eat at Kazu (awesome). On Sunday, my sis moved into her NYC apartment and we spent Sunday and Monday walking around the city. It was lovely to be outside and lovely to leave Stamford only because it makes me love it even more when I return.As I zipped up 95 today on the way home, I caught my first glimpse of Stamford and felt a rush of love- what fun things will I do here this week? Then, I realized I was catching a glimpse of Trump Parc and the teetering crane! You again! I thought. You, hovering over the trees and the roads. You, dropping chunks of metal through car roofs. Anytime I go toward Target or the train station, it's you, totally in my face!
I'm not sure why I have not yet seen angry letters about last week's crane incident in the Advocate. Is the topic just too obvious? Not to freak you out, but click the following link for pics of last winter's crane accident at Trump Soho that killed a worker. Two Trump crane incidents within six months of each other? Not cool!!! I hope Stamford's fearless leaders (who is that? Malloy?) have this under control. Click here to see a pic of the hole the falling metal caused when it crashed through the truck's roof on Broad St. You know, the road where we all drive every single day.
To end on a positive note, I'm going to have a moment of meditation for crane safety: ................ done.
Life in SoFa: Cheap Labor, Traffic, BMWs
There’s an interesting article in the Fairfield Weekly called "White Wash: An artist-housecleaner sounds off on the Fairfield County wealth gap." The gossip Jodi Strmiska dishes on her clients is ordinary, but I liked hearing a personal story about commuting down here to do service-related jobs.
A few things about Stamford jump out at me. First of all, notice how our beloved Stamford is left off her map: In coastal Fairfield County, the line between rich and poor is drawn along a south-north axis. The highest concentration of wealth exists in southern towns like Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan, whereas the highest concentration of poverty and near-poverty exists in northern cities and towns like Bridgeport, Stratford and Shelton.
Stamford, you're an anomaly, and I like that about you. I want you to improve some of your problems while retaining your "I'm different" attitude. Let's work together to be a place in SoFa (oooooooooooh I just made that up!!!!!!!!!) that retains a diverse population. As many readers commented in last week's post "What's the Biggest Issue Facing Stamford?", ordinary people have trouble affording homes in Stamford. Even families making well over $100,000 a year find it hard to buy a home comfortably and are forced to move to Norwalk. Hence another post I have planned, "Can Stamford Talk afford to stay in Stamford?"
I find the rich-poor divisions Strmiska portrays depressing, but I know they're true. It's the nature of the FC: The service economy, which employs the majority of working poor in Fairfield County, insures the perpetuation of the suburban gated-community and the urban ghetto. They have to commute to Greenwich or New Canaan to their jobs as nannies, housekeepers, landscapers or contractors, and come home to underfunded Bridgeport or Stratford, towns that often mean one thing— a bedroom— to the day-laborers who are the backbone of the service sector in Fairfield County.
Yup. We can bitch about day laborers and traffic on 95, but those are natural results of the way this area works. C.R.E.A.M.! ("Cash Rules Everything Around Me," Wu-Tang Clan song) I hate to say it, but sometimes it feels like cash rules a whole heck of a lot down here. I think one of the area's biggest challenges is how to live here and not get
a) too focused on material goods
or
b) too down that you can't afford the beautiful things other people have.
I never thought I was a material person, but now that my Civic and I are getting older, I find myself craving a BMW 6 series. I can't afford that car, but I want that car, because I see some beautiful ones in my gym's parking lot at 6am. That car has started to look normal- and, in my fantasies, attainable- to me. That car is not normal, and this area is not normal. We have some very, very, very rich people around here, and we have a lot of poor people. I'm in the middle and I feel pretty damn lucky about that.
If it's hard for adults to keep perspective, it must horrible for kids. If I were a poor kid in Stamford, I'm not sure how I'd deal with seeing other kids driving nice cars, using their iPhones and talking about fancy vacations. If you have money, this area is awesome; there are so many ways to spend it. If you don't... well, you're stuck on 95, living in an ugly apartment, and unable to enjoy a lot of the activities around here. Thank goodness Stamford has some beautiful parks, the free summer concerts, and... uh, that's pretty much all the free stuff around here, right?
Can you imagine living in this area with no money?
Related Stamford Talk posts:
March 3, 2008-- Illegal Immigrants: Not Job-Stealers, but Subject to Raids and Arrests in Danbury
February 24, 2008-- Stamford Day Laborers= Criminals?
February 22, 2008-- Day Laborer = Illegal Immigrant?
A few things about Stamford jump out at me. First of all, notice how our beloved Stamford is left off her map: In coastal Fairfield County, the line between rich and poor is drawn along a south-north axis. The highest concentration of wealth exists in southern towns like Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan, whereas the highest concentration of poverty and near-poverty exists in northern cities and towns like Bridgeport, Stratford and Shelton.
Stamford, you're an anomaly, and I like that about you. I want you to improve some of your problems while retaining your "I'm different" attitude. Let's work together to be a place in SoFa (oooooooooooh I just made that up!!!!!!!!!) that retains a diverse population. As many readers commented in last week's post "What's the Biggest Issue Facing Stamford?", ordinary people have trouble affording homes in Stamford. Even families making well over $100,000 a year find it hard to buy a home comfortably and are forced to move to Norwalk. Hence another post I have planned, "Can Stamford Talk afford to stay in Stamford?"
I find the rich-poor divisions Strmiska portrays depressing, but I know they're true. It's the nature of the FC: The service economy, which employs the majority of working poor in Fairfield County, insures the perpetuation of the suburban gated-community and the urban ghetto. They have to commute to Greenwich or New Canaan to their jobs as nannies, housekeepers, landscapers or contractors, and come home to underfunded Bridgeport or Stratford, towns that often mean one thing— a bedroom— to the day-laborers who are the backbone of the service sector in Fairfield County.
Yup. We can bitch about day laborers and traffic on 95, but those are natural results of the way this area works. C.R.E.A.M.! ("Cash Rules Everything Around Me," Wu-Tang Clan song) I hate to say it, but sometimes it feels like cash rules a whole heck of a lot down here. I think one of the area's biggest challenges is how to live here and not get
a) too focused on material goods
or
b) too down that you can't afford the beautiful things other people have.
I never thought I was a material person, but now that my Civic and I are getting older, I find myself craving a BMW 6 series. I can't afford that car, but I want that car, because I see some beautiful ones in my gym's parking lot at 6am. That car has started to look normal- and, in my fantasies, attainable- to me. That car is not normal, and this area is not normal. We have some very, very, very rich people around here, and we have a lot of poor people. I'm in the middle and I feel pretty damn lucky about that.
If it's hard for adults to keep perspective, it must horrible for kids. If I were a poor kid in Stamford, I'm not sure how I'd deal with seeing other kids driving nice cars, using their iPhones and talking about fancy vacations. If you have money, this area is awesome; there are so many ways to spend it. If you don't... well, you're stuck on 95, living in an ugly apartment, and unable to enjoy a lot of the activities around here. Thank goodness Stamford has some beautiful parks, the free summer concerts, and... uh, that's pretty much all the free stuff around here, right?
Can you imagine living in this area with no money?
Related Stamford Talk posts:
March 3, 2008-- Illegal Immigrants: Not Job-Stealers, but Subject to Raids and Arrests in Danbury
February 24, 2008-- Stamford Day Laborers= Criminals?
February 22, 2008-- Day Laborer = Illegal Immigrant?
If I Read One More Thing About Closing a School...
What in the schmuck is going on with Stamford school closing/redistricting? I can't keep up. An Advocate ed letter from yesterday says, "I was absolutely outraged with what I read in The Advocate on April 11 regarding the potential closure of The International School at Rogers Magnet." What the- last week it was K.T. Murphy! I don't read articles about the schools anymore, because it's such a clusterschmuck. It's painful to watch, much like the pregnant man on Oprah.Sister: "Did you read anything about the pregnant man?"
Me: "Ugh- no. I just avoided all of that."
"I mean, who decides that? What makes a person a man?"
"Take out your uterus."
"Yeah, but he's legally a man."
"Well, they should probably switch that back."
Doesn't that sound a lot like what's going on with the school board? Every two weeks the school board hints that they'll be closing a different school. Last month it was Toquam, last week it was KT Murphy, now it's Rogers. A casual observer can't keep up. If I ever need to know what's going on with the schools, I email my friend who is a Toquam parent. With all the rigamarole they've been through, they know what's going on better than the school board does. Last fall Toquam Magnet was one of two schools threatened, then it was out, then in January it was back on, but not for sure, then it was sure... and then the mayor stepped in to save the day, which now puts other schools up to be axed. Don't quote me on that sequence, but you get the idea. I'm not even going to bother fact-checking it, because it's absurd.
Note: nothing against the pregnant man. I just avoid things that seem like they're going to be too much trouble to get into, like Stamford school closings, or the Hillary vs. Obama debates.
Lost and Battlestar Galactica once seemed too much to keep up with, but now I am addicted, and that's probably why I don't have time for Obama and the pregnant man. It's much easier to handle things that aren't part of the real world.
Turns Out Chowhound HAS Defeated Stamford Talk, But Not in a Bad Way
Wow. The Chowhound moderators sent me an email I have to admire. It was well-written and, unlike the previous emails to me, didn't sound like the writer was gritting his or her teeth in an attempt to be civil. They made their point and shot me down dead, but in a nice way. I respect that.
Here is the story. I finally had the Napa and Co. burger last month, so when I saw a thread this week about where one can find good Kobe beef in the FC, I posted about Napa and Co.’s burger, hoping maybe this time Chow would allow it. You may recall that last month my post about the burger got rejected and I learned that Napa and Co. is banned from Chowhound for life. That post was the most-commented-on in the life of Stamford Talk, proving that this town loves to eat and gossip.
I went back to the thread later, and my post wasn’t there. I thought maybe I hadn’t actually hit “post my reply,” so I wanted to try it again. I hadn’t gotten an email to tell me to shut my trap, so I really did think I might have quit out of Firefox before my post went through. I made a new account under my other gmail account and posted. I didn’t post it under Stamford Talk, because, if the post had gone through, I didn’t want Chow to think I was being a harasser. When my second post disappeared, I figured the ban must be in effect, and I put up yesterday's post called “Chowhound Cannot Defeat Stamford!”
Well, I got a very long email from Chow today. You can read it, but basically, they firmly told me that they know I posted under a different name and that I should stop because they are trying to do the best job they can. First of all, how did they track me down!?! I used a totally different email, under the gmail account I have in my own name! I don’t see how they could do that- is it my IP address? Do they know my name? Well, now they do, because they knew my fake name was under my email. I have to admire their tenacity, although it does remind me that anything I do on the internet is obviously very easy to track.
Second of all, I think Chow is right. I do need to lay off. Their email gave a satisfying explanation about why I can't post about Napa, and now I will stop bothering Chow. (I'm the type of person that if I don't know something, I sometimes obsess over it.) I respect their hard-line approach, even if it does get my goat a little bit. I appreciate their site and I don't want to screw it up. I also don't want to get banned from Chow, because I have met some great people through it. Also, I don't like getting in trouble. I like pitching fits and being argumentative, but I don't like being reprimanded and punished.
Chow says they have banned Napa because people associated with Napa were doing fake posts. It’s their site, and if that is what makes them ban a resto, fine. I have to guess it was a higher-up that posted fake stuff, because I don’t think Chow would punish a resto if customers posted overly positive reviews. I don’t see how they can tell, but they zeroed in on me, which proves they have superhuman powers.
Chow has defeated me. I’m officially scared of them. It is frightening to me that Chow can hunt down fake people via the internet. Still, I’m impressed with their ruthless moderating, because I’m sure it’s one of the reasons their site works so well. The discussion threads are simple, easy to read, and a fabulous forum to discuss food in the FC and beyond.
I’m still afraid Chow is going to ban me, in which case I’ll have to access the board on my computer at work under a friend’s email (but I won’t post about Napa!). If they find me out, well, maybe they should get a job with the state department and hunt down terrorists.
Chowhound, if you are reading this, touche, and my apologies for riding your hienie so much.
Here is the story. I finally had the Napa and Co. burger last month, so when I saw a thread this week about where one can find good Kobe beef in the FC, I posted about Napa and Co.’s burger, hoping maybe this time Chow would allow it. You may recall that last month my post about the burger got rejected and I learned that Napa and Co. is banned from Chowhound for life. That post was the most-commented-on in the life of Stamford Talk, proving that this town loves to eat and gossip.
I went back to the thread later, and my post wasn’t there. I thought maybe I hadn’t actually hit “post my reply,” so I wanted to try it again. I hadn’t gotten an email to tell me to shut my trap, so I really did think I might have quit out of Firefox before my post went through. I made a new account under my other gmail account and posted. I didn’t post it under Stamford Talk, because, if the post had gone through, I didn’t want Chow to think I was being a harasser. When my second post disappeared, I figured the ban must be in effect, and I put up yesterday's post called “Chowhound Cannot Defeat Stamford!”
Well, I got a very long email from Chow today. You can read it, but basically, they firmly told me that they know I posted under a different name and that I should stop because they are trying to do the best job they can. First of all, how did they track me down!?! I used a totally different email, under the gmail account I have in my own name! I don’t see how they could do that- is it my IP address? Do they know my name? Well, now they do, because they knew my fake name was under my email. I have to admire their tenacity, although it does remind me that anything I do on the internet is obviously very easy to track.
Second of all, I think Chow is right. I do need to lay off. Their email gave a satisfying explanation about why I can't post about Napa, and now I will stop bothering Chow. (I'm the type of person that if I don't know something, I sometimes obsess over it.) I respect their hard-line approach, even if it does get my goat a little bit. I appreciate their site and I don't want to screw it up. I also don't want to get banned from Chow, because I have met some great people through it. Also, I don't like getting in trouble. I like pitching fits and being argumentative, but I don't like being reprimanded and punished.
Chow says they have banned Napa because people associated with Napa were doing fake posts. It’s their site, and if that is what makes them ban a resto, fine. I have to guess it was a higher-up that posted fake stuff, because I don’t think Chow would punish a resto if customers posted overly positive reviews. I don’t see how they can tell, but they zeroed in on me, which proves they have superhuman powers.
Chow has defeated me. I’m officially scared of them. It is frightening to me that Chow can hunt down fake people via the internet. Still, I’m impressed with their ruthless moderating, because I’m sure it’s one of the reasons their site works so well. The discussion threads are simple, easy to read, and a fabulous forum to discuss food in the FC and beyond.
I’m still afraid Chow is going to ban me, in which case I’ll have to access the board on my computer at work under a friend’s email (but I won’t post about Napa!). If they find me out, well, maybe they should get a job with the state department and hunt down terrorists.
Chowhound, if you are reading this, touche, and my apologies for riding your hienie so much.
Praise for Recycling and Trash Bins
Manager Mom has an informative post up about Stamford recycling. I’m not sure where the Katrina Mygatt recycling center is, or if I’m allowed in, but the info is on her blog if I need it, and I appreciate that. I am outraged that MM bashes our new garbage bins, but overall, the woman is a trusted source on many topics.
I had a big problem with our new trash bins when they came out in September, but the bin has really grown on me. I can easily fit pizza boxes in it, and pieces of small furniture. Cool.
Just the other day, I was pleased to see a uniform row of tall trash bins stretching up both sides of Colonial Ave. I felt proud to be in a city that manages its garbage in such an organized, clinical way. It’s like we’re robots, and what’s more organized than a robot?
If anyone hates their Toter bin, let us know, because I love when people go crazy over small things.
Related Stamford Talk Posts:
--Revisiting Stamford's New Garbage Cans- December 2007
--Toter, Toter, Trash and Trouble- October 2007
I had a big problem with our new trash bins when they came out in September, but the bin has really grown on me. I can easily fit pizza boxes in it, and pieces of small furniture. Cool.
Just the other day, I was pleased to see a uniform row of tall trash bins stretching up both sides of Colonial Ave. I felt proud to be in a city that manages its garbage in such an organized, clinical way. It’s like we’re robots, and what’s more organized than a robot?
If anyone hates their Toter bin, let us know, because I love when people go crazy over small things.
Related Stamford Talk Posts:
--Revisiting Stamford's New Garbage Cans- December 2007
--Toter, Toter, Trash and Trouble- October 2007
I Don't Like 'Stuff White People Like'
Two people I respect have sent me a link to a site that I find despicable. Since the subject of the website is pretty much Fairfield County, let’s see what you think.
When the title of the website “Stuff White People Like” appeared on my screen, I felt a rush of humor and “that’s so funny” that was quickly replaced by the feeling “I will not give this site my time because the humor is based on ideas of race and class that I don’t find funny.” The site struck me as something a 19-year old boy would write.
Haha, white people like expensive lattes and North Face jackets. Actually, that’s what people with money can afford, and it follows race lines because most money lines in the US lie on race because of our history and all kinds of other complicated things. I refuse to look at the site again to think more about why I feel so repulsed by it.
Even if the site is really about socio-economics (as in “stuff yuppies like”), I personally don't find it that funny to laugh at rich people. It's not such a taboo subject for me that I have to joke about it. I can just discuss it.
I just found an interview with the author of SWPL (young white guy, big surprise). I find his comments absolutely stupid. This man needs to take some sociology classes and get a clue.
SWPL: oh yes. this site pokes fun at ME. that’s why I use pictures of myself. those aren’t taken out of irony. this is the shit that I do. I need to call myself out for all of the stupid shit that I take for granted. why do I need $300 bike rims? why is a $10 sandwich considered normal?
It’s fine that this kid is working through his feelings about race and class, but he’s not calling himself out. He’s just making a bunch of jokes. Often humor deals with things we find uncomfortable. I guess that’s what’s going on with the author of SWPL, but I find his writing small-minded, mean-spirited, and not very enlightening.
I'm not trashing the people who sent me the link... but I want to know why people who I know are intelligent like the site. Why do people who care about race and issues relating to race and class find it funny?
Maybe it’s funny to laugh at people, like the one about how all white people think their kids are gifted. But I don’t have to laugh at that- I can just talk about it, because I know those people. When I had just moved up here from Virginia, 8 years ago, maybe I would have found jokes about yuppies funnier. Maybe it’s now too familiar to me to be funny. Or maybe it’s just not funny because the SWPL author is saying nothing new. I’m from an area where the majority of people were white or black, and I took a lot of courses on African-American history and lit in college, so nothing that SWPL kid is saying are things I haven’t already heard in a way more interesting format.
Can someone please tell me why smart people think the site is funny?
When the title of the website “Stuff White People Like” appeared on my screen, I felt a rush of humor and “that’s so funny” that was quickly replaced by the feeling “I will not give this site my time because the humor is based on ideas of race and class that I don’t find funny.” The site struck me as something a 19-year old boy would write.
Haha, white people like expensive lattes and North Face jackets. Actually, that’s what people with money can afford, and it follows race lines because most money lines in the US lie on race because of our history and all kinds of other complicated things. I refuse to look at the site again to think more about why I feel so repulsed by it.
Even if the site is really about socio-economics (as in “stuff yuppies like”), I personally don't find it that funny to laugh at rich people. It's not such a taboo subject for me that I have to joke about it. I can just discuss it.
I just found an interview with the author of SWPL (young white guy, big surprise). I find his comments absolutely stupid. This man needs to take some sociology classes and get a clue.
SWPL: oh yes. this site pokes fun at ME. that’s why I use pictures of myself. those aren’t taken out of irony. this is the shit that I do. I need to call myself out for all of the stupid shit that I take for granted. why do I need $300 bike rims? why is a $10 sandwich considered normal?
It’s fine that this kid is working through his feelings about race and class, but he’s not calling himself out. He’s just making a bunch of jokes. Often humor deals with things we find uncomfortable. I guess that’s what’s going on with the author of SWPL, but I find his writing small-minded, mean-spirited, and not very enlightening.
I'm not trashing the people who sent me the link... but I want to know why people who I know are intelligent like the site. Why do people who care about race and issues relating to race and class find it funny?
Maybe it’s funny to laugh at people, like the one about how all white people think their kids are gifted. But I don’t have to laugh at that- I can just talk about it, because I know those people. When I had just moved up here from Virginia, 8 years ago, maybe I would have found jokes about yuppies funnier. Maybe it’s now too familiar to me to be funny. Or maybe it’s just not funny because the SWPL author is saying nothing new. I’m from an area where the majority of people were white or black, and I took a lot of courses on African-American history and lit in college, so nothing that SWPL kid is saying are things I haven’t already heard in a way more interesting format.
Can someone please tell me why smart people think the site is funny?
Stamford's Napa and Co: Information Blackout?!?
Listen to the drama I uncovered recently: You are not allowed to post about Napa & Co., one of Stamford's most popular restaurants, on Chowhound. Why could that possibly be?
People obsessed with food go to Chowhound.com to talk with other foodies. A recent thread asked about good burgers in the FC. I posted, "I heard Napa & Co has a good burger." Within a few hours, I got an email from the Chowhound moderators saying they are “no longer accepting postings about Napa and Co.” HUH????? I can't mention the name of one of Stamford's hot new restaurants? This seemed absurd.
I emailed back and asked why, and if someone at Napa used to work for Chow or vice versa, but Chowhound moderators said, “Sorry, we can't go into details for security reasons. However, we can tell you that no current Chowhound employee or volunteer has any professional or personal association with the restaurant industry.” Da-RAMA!!!!!!!!
I can only think of a few scenarios:
Were Napa friends and family posting fake reviews, so Chowhound axed the resto? I doubt it. Everyone likes Napa. We don’t need fake reviews to convince us to go there.
Did Napa and Co. ask to be taken off the site? Unlikely. I’ve only heard and read good things about the resto. I’ve read those good things in Zagat's and local papers, who evidently are not aware of the information blackout imposed by Chowhound… or perhaps they know about something called "the first amendment."
I can't discuss this mystery with local foodies on Chowhound, obviously. I can only hope some of them find this blog and help me solve this mystery. I recently read Inside the Private Eyes of a PI, a book by successful Stamford PI Vito Colucci. If we ordinary residents can't get the dirt, maybe we should pool our cash and hire a professional PI.
I'm sort of afraid that Chowhound is going to hear me gossiping about them and ban me from the site. Well guess what, Chowhound, I'll just come up with a fake name.
Until then, Napa and Co. fans, consider this blog a safe zone for your comments.
People obsessed with food go to Chowhound.com to talk with other foodies. A recent thread asked about good burgers in the FC. I posted, "I heard Napa & Co has a good burger." Within a few hours, I got an email from the Chowhound moderators saying they are “no longer accepting postings about Napa and Co.” HUH????? I can't mention the name of one of Stamford's hot new restaurants? This seemed absurd.
I emailed back and asked why, and if someone at Napa used to work for Chow or vice versa, but Chowhound moderators said, “Sorry, we can't go into details for security reasons. However, we can tell you that no current Chowhound employee or volunteer has any professional or personal association with the restaurant industry.” Da-RAMA!!!!!!!!
I can only think of a few scenarios:
Were Napa friends and family posting fake reviews, so Chowhound axed the resto? I doubt it. Everyone likes Napa. We don’t need fake reviews to convince us to go there.
Did Napa and Co. ask to be taken off the site? Unlikely. I’ve only heard and read good things about the resto. I’ve read those good things in Zagat's and local papers, who evidently are not aware of the information blackout imposed by Chowhound… or perhaps they know about something called "the first amendment."
I can't discuss this mystery with local foodies on Chowhound, obviously. I can only hope some of them find this blog and help me solve this mystery. I recently read Inside the Private Eyes of a PI, a book by successful Stamford PI Vito Colucci. If we ordinary residents can't get the dirt, maybe we should pool our cash and hire a professional PI.
I'm sort of afraid that Chowhound is going to hear me gossiping about them and ban me from the site. Well guess what, Chowhound, I'll just come up with a fake name.
Until then, Napa and Co. fans, consider this blog a safe zone for your comments.
Stamford Day Laborers= Criminals?
Two months ago I got a police survey in the mail. One section put me in a tizzy: Now please rate the Stamford Police Department on how well you feel they resolve each of these community issues. Please X one box for each. Issues ranged from Assault, Robbery, and Gang Violence to Loitering, Traffic Flow, Litter, Homeless/Vagrants, and Computer Fraud. Two of the last “community issues” mentioned were skateboarding in public places and… day laborers.
That progression seemed odd to me. Parking, Litter, Skateboarding, and… Day Laborers? On the survey, I scrawled: How is that an issue? What do they do that is bad? I added, What do they do that is criminal? Are you assuming they are illegal immigrants?
I understand that many—not all-- day laborers are undocumented immigrants. However, Stamford police have no authority to enforce federal immigration laws. Danbury is the only CT city taking part in the program that gives police that authority. (Read this informative yet delightfully understandable article from the Stamford Times.) If the problem is illegal immigration, that’s a national issue, and Stamford Police can’t do much. So... what is the survey asking?
I don’t think it’s asking how well police are resolving issues faced by the day laborers themselves, such as having unsafe working conditions or not getting paid.
I’m left to conclude that the question means what it says: that the day laborers are an issue. These people are a problem. Why? I’ve only seen day laborers standing off exit 9 acting quite pleasant, so explain to me what the problem is. Are they committing crimes? If so, say, “crimes committed by day laborers” or “public urination off exit 9.” This survey question bothers me because it implies that we all have a basic understanding of why day laborers are a problem in Stamford. I see why litter, assault, and credit card fraud are problems, but being a day laborer is not a crime. Not paying a day laborer is a crime, but I don’t think that’s what the survey is talking about.
I think the survey is asking, Are these people bothering you?
The police have to mention day labor because it’s a hot topic in this city, but they only succeed in implying that all day laborers are criminals. Their vague attempt to address the issue reflects the complicated nature of discussing immigration. At heart, most of us are ambivalent. We can all talk about immigration policy in the abstract, but it’s hard to look at a person standing off exit 9 and declare, You should be back in Mexico.
What is our day laborer issue, and is there anything the police should do about it?
That progression seemed odd to me. Parking, Litter, Skateboarding, and… Day Laborers? On the survey, I scrawled: How is that an issue? What do they do that is bad? I added, What do they do that is criminal? Are you assuming they are illegal immigrants?
I understand that many—not all-- day laborers are undocumented immigrants. However, Stamford police have no authority to enforce federal immigration laws. Danbury is the only CT city taking part in the program that gives police that authority. (Read this informative yet delightfully understandable article from the Stamford Times.) If the problem is illegal immigration, that’s a national issue, and Stamford Police can’t do much. So... what is the survey asking?
I don’t think it’s asking how well police are resolving issues faced by the day laborers themselves, such as having unsafe working conditions or not getting paid.
I’m left to conclude that the question means what it says: that the day laborers are an issue. These people are a problem. Why? I’ve only seen day laborers standing off exit 9 acting quite pleasant, so explain to me what the problem is. Are they committing crimes? If so, say, “crimes committed by day laborers” or “public urination off exit 9.” This survey question bothers me because it implies that we all have a basic understanding of why day laborers are a problem in Stamford. I see why litter, assault, and credit card fraud are problems, but being a day laborer is not a crime. Not paying a day laborer is a crime, but I don’t think that’s what the survey is talking about.
I think the survey is asking, Are these people bothering you?
The police have to mention day labor because it’s a hot topic in this city, but they only succeed in implying that all day laborers are criminals. Their vague attempt to address the issue reflects the complicated nature of discussing immigration. At heart, most of us are ambivalent. We can all talk about immigration policy in the abstract, but it’s hard to look at a person standing off exit 9 and declare, You should be back in Mexico.
What is our day laborer issue, and is there anything the police should do about it?
Whole Foods Mess Might Benefit Tawa
“Planned market is likely to create a mess for traffic” was the title of my November letter to the editor. I opposed the proposal to build a Whole Foods at the Bull’s Head intersection because I anticipated traffic problems. I’m big fan of some of the Bull’s Head businesses: Tawa, Grunberger Jewelers, Hawley-Lane shoes, Four Corners liquor store. Initially, I wanted to protect them by trashing the Whole Foods proposal. Now, I’m not so sure. Maybe a WF will help local businesses by bringing more “traffic”- uh, shoppers!- to the area. Besides the Super Stop and Shop, I can’t see what other businesses the WF complex would threaten.My main concern was Tawa, home of the fantastic, spicy, well-priced lunch buffet. I viewed the Whole Foods prepared food section as a threat, but now I believe that WF parking hell will benefit Tawa.
Update 6/5/08: Whole Foods proposal was withdrawn.
Hungry people will drive toward Whole Foods, see traffic spilling out of the poorly-designed turn lanes, and think, What the @&!*?!? What kind of idiot designed this place? Then they’ll spot Tawa, and think, Indian food! I haven’t had Indian food in a while! A $9.95 buffet is worth a try! I think they’ll be pulled toward Tawa, where they can sit and eat with their co-workers. They will realize that a buffet is quick, too, and much more satisfying than eating bland food out of a plastic container.
I have not completely decided if I’m for or against WF, because I know cities need to change and grow. I’m going to the zoning board meeting tomorrow, because I’m pretty sure the proposal will go through, so I want to hear what plan the developers DO have for traffic flow. The meeting is at 7pm, tomorrow, Thursday Jan. 24, at our beloved yet misunderstood 888 Wash. Fourth floor. See the Smart Growth for Bull's Head website for more specific details on the plan.
Oh- for all you shameless Whole Foods proponents? Let me remind you, because all those organic cheese puffs may have gone to your head, that Whole Foods will be accompanied by a parking garage. I may be able to accept the garage IF parking is free. If I have to pay for parking, and that money goes to anyone besides the coffers of my beloved city, I will be a bitter woman. Not only will my evening ride home be fraught with traffic, traffic made up of aggressive people who want artisanal bread, I’ll know that someone who already has money is making more money with their ugly parking garage and irritating retail complex.
Redistricting: Test Scores, Money, Suspense!
Even if the words “Board of Education” and “redistricting” sound boring to you, keep reading. Stamford’s effort to balance its school population is one of our most important city-wide issues. At tonight’s hearing, parents and residents will have a chance to speak to the Board of Ed about the controversial proposal to close one school. The BOE has yet to choose which school to axe, so you can imagine the tension.
Redistricting involves ensuring schools are balanced in income and ethnicity. That’s cool: complicated, but cool, and in the best interest of the city as a whole. Four Stamford schools scored so poorly that they had to implement government-mandated No Child Left Behind interventions (school choice and tutoring). That’s a problem. Mixing high-achieving and low-achieving students has been shown to work, so let’s go for it.
The meeting also, and more controversially, involves the need to close one of Stamford’s twelve elementary schools. Oops, Stamford committed to building a brand new magnet school in the Cove before realizing our school population was not increasing as predicted. Closing a smaller school will provide kids for the new school, and according to a Jan. 5 Advocate article, save the city $5.4 million.
One of the schools at the top of the "maybe you'll get axed" list is Toquam Magnet Elementary-- one of only four of Stamford Schools that met NCLB standards. (Four out of TWENTY.) Kids apply for magnets in a lottery, and the student body is designed to be racially and socio-economically diverse. It makes sense to ask why the BOE wants to close that school, or any school that is performing well AND is racially balanced. Some Toquam parents suspect the board wants to disband Toquam because it would be easy to send those kids back to their neighborhood schools, and perhaps it wants the Toquam building for something else.
I’ve corresponded with a couple Toquam parents, and their feeling seems quite reasonable: the BOE needs to make a convincing case for whatever school they decide to close. In my opinion, if the BOE disbands Toquam, it needs to explain how the performance of that magnet will be replicated. While test scores aren’t the only indicator of success, it’s one measurement, especially when other Stamford schools are bombing out.
In the end, maybe it all comes down to money. Maybe closing Toquam saves the most money. Public education is always a compromise between cost and the best interests of kids, and choices are never easy. The Board of Finance will meet with the BOE at the end of the week to hear their reasoning and, I assume, decide if they agree with the BOE. Stamford, things are heating up.
School redistricting affects the future of Stamford as a whole. This is a segregated city except for a few areas. Mixing different types of people, again, can only help in Stamford’s quest to become a better city. We want a city whose student population is increasing. We want Stamford to be the place where people want to raise their kids.
I’d like info to be more easily accessible to interested residents. I don’t have kids, but I want to keep up with this issue. I want one place I can go for board notes, newspaper articles, and editorials. I don’t want to have to visit 5 websites (City of Stamford, Stamford Public Schools, Stamford Advocate, Stamford Times, Save Toquam) to find information. I’m not sure if SPS could maintain the site, or if a newspaper could do it, or if an interested resident would do it, but in today’s world, info needs to be online, and we need to be able to find it in less than five places.
I recommend two places for information:
1. At the Board of Ed section of the Stamford Public Schools site, you can read minutes of the 2007 meetings. However, each meeting’s minutes are in a separate PDF. It’s not very user-friendly, but it’s worth clicking around. I stumbled upon October 18 and found some thorough background on the situation.
2. The Save Toquam site is useful because it includes text from old Advocate articles, which DISAPPEAR FROM EXISTENCE after two weeks. The site also has commentary from Toquam parents and letters to the editor. I found Jeff Herz’s "January Situation Update" post helpful. If anyone knows how I can find old Advocate articles, other than keeping stacks of yellowing newspapers around my house, email me.
I’m going to end on a positive note: children are wonderful, children are resilient. We need to do whatever we can to give EACH ONE of them a safe, structured environment and capable, caring teachers. Once we do that, things will work themselves out. Happy, safe kids = good citizens and Stamford residents. Let’s give props to the teachers who work hard every day at a very challenging job.
*Last year the Supreme Court ruled that race can no longer be used as a factor in redistricting, so schools will use socio-economic and first language statistics.
Redistricting involves ensuring schools are balanced in income and ethnicity. That’s cool: complicated, but cool, and in the best interest of the city as a whole. Four Stamford schools scored so poorly that they had to implement government-mandated No Child Left Behind interventions (school choice and tutoring). That’s a problem. Mixing high-achieving and low-achieving students has been shown to work, so let’s go for it.
The meeting also, and more controversially, involves the need to close one of Stamford’s twelve elementary schools. Oops, Stamford committed to building a brand new magnet school in the Cove before realizing our school population was not increasing as predicted. Closing a smaller school will provide kids for the new school, and according to a Jan. 5 Advocate article, save the city $5.4 million.
One of the schools at the top of the "maybe you'll get axed" list is Toquam Magnet Elementary-- one of only four of Stamford Schools that met NCLB standards. (Four out of TWENTY.) Kids apply for magnets in a lottery, and the student body is designed to be racially and socio-economically diverse. It makes sense to ask why the BOE wants to close that school, or any school that is performing well AND is racially balanced. Some Toquam parents suspect the board wants to disband Toquam because it would be easy to send those kids back to their neighborhood schools, and perhaps it wants the Toquam building for something else.
I’ve corresponded with a couple Toquam parents, and their feeling seems quite reasonable: the BOE needs to make a convincing case for whatever school they decide to close. In my opinion, if the BOE disbands Toquam, it needs to explain how the performance of that magnet will be replicated. While test scores aren’t the only indicator of success, it’s one measurement, especially when other Stamford schools are bombing out.
In the end, maybe it all comes down to money. Maybe closing Toquam saves the most money. Public education is always a compromise between cost and the best interests of kids, and choices are never easy. The Board of Finance will meet with the BOE at the end of the week to hear their reasoning and, I assume, decide if they agree with the BOE. Stamford, things are heating up.
School redistricting affects the future of Stamford as a whole. This is a segregated city except for a few areas. Mixing different types of people, again, can only help in Stamford’s quest to become a better city. We want a city whose student population is increasing. We want Stamford to be the place where people want to raise their kids.
I’d like info to be more easily accessible to interested residents. I don’t have kids, but I want to keep up with this issue. I want one place I can go for board notes, newspaper articles, and editorials. I don’t want to have to visit 5 websites (City of Stamford, Stamford Public Schools, Stamford Advocate, Stamford Times, Save Toquam) to find information. I’m not sure if SPS could maintain the site, or if a newspaper could do it, or if an interested resident would do it, but in today’s world, info needs to be online, and we need to be able to find it in less than five places.
I recommend two places for information:
1. At the Board of Ed section of the Stamford Public Schools site, you can read minutes of the 2007 meetings. However, each meeting’s minutes are in a separate PDF. It’s not very user-friendly, but it’s worth clicking around. I stumbled upon October 18 and found some thorough background on the situation.
2. The Save Toquam site is useful because it includes text from old Advocate articles, which DISAPPEAR FROM EXISTENCE after two weeks. The site also has commentary from Toquam parents and letters to the editor. I found Jeff Herz’s "January Situation Update" post helpful. If anyone knows how I can find old Advocate articles, other than keeping stacks of yellowing newspapers around my house, email me.
I’m going to end on a positive note: children are wonderful, children are resilient. We need to do whatever we can to give EACH ONE of them a safe, structured environment and capable, caring teachers. Once we do that, things will work themselves out. Happy, safe kids = good citizens and Stamford residents. Let’s give props to the teachers who work hard every day at a very challenging job.
*Last year the Supreme Court ruled that race can no longer be used as a factor in redistricting, so schools will use socio-economic and first language statistics.
Stamford's Jan.3 Murder: Too Much Info?
1. I'm a sensitive person. Words matter to me. I don't feel too good about this line from an article in the Stamford Times.
"Paoletta, whose last address was 10 Tuttle St., was a long-time Stamford resident who was well known in by the police department, according to Conklin but does not have an arrest record."
I don't have a problem with the Times printing this. I do have a problem with the police captain saying this about someone. It seems to me that if you're going to imply someone is a trouble maker, you need to have some specifics... if, in fact, that's info you should be sharing.
"Was well-known" is pretty ambiguous. A quick skim made me say, "Oh wow, some police staff were his friends?" A second read made me say, "Oh. He got in trouble a lot, or caused trouble." Now I might have a negative view of this person, not based on any real info. I don't like that. I'd like to know more about Marco Paoletta, more than just that he's not the police's favorite citizen. I do appreciate honesty, but I don't think that's an appropriate comment for the captain to share with the entire city.
Here's a little more info from the Advocate about Paoletta:
"Known to friends and his nine siblings as "Chickie," Paoletta was a lifelong Stamford resident and local racquetball champion, his family said...
Paoletta may have been in the area because he played racquetball often at the nearby Jewish Community Center on Newfield Avenue, said his sister, Brenda.
He had recently taken up the game again and was talking about it at a Christmas dinner with relatives.
"He was happy," Brenda Paoletta said of her brother. "Everything was perfect."
He played racquetball often as a child and won YMCA tournaments, she said.
Paoletta earned an associate degree at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven and worked in the credit division of a bank in Bridgeport, relatives said.
Carmella Circell, another sister, said the family cannot think of anyone who would want to harm their brother.
"I'm just in shock," she said. "I just can't believe someone would murder him. I wonder if he was robbed." (Jan.5 article by staff writer Zach Lowe)
2. I am totally freaked out by this murder. I feel so sorry that this violence had to happen to someone. I'm also freaked out that I could be driving along a road that we take as a shortcut to Dunkin Donuts, and all of a sudden see a bleeding person on the side of the road. That's what happened. Motorists saw this and pulled over. They also heard a loud bang. I don't know details, such as if they saw him pushed out of a car or anything.
I really, really hope they find who did this. I hope Paoletta's car, found burning in Norwalk, will provide leads.
"Paoletta, whose last address was 10 Tuttle St., was a long-time Stamford resident who was well known in by the police department, according to Conklin but does not have an arrest record."
I don't have a problem with the Times printing this. I do have a problem with the police captain saying this about someone. It seems to me that if you're going to imply someone is a trouble maker, you need to have some specifics... if, in fact, that's info you should be sharing.
"Was well-known" is pretty ambiguous. A quick skim made me say, "Oh wow, some police staff were his friends?" A second read made me say, "Oh. He got in trouble a lot, or caused trouble." Now I might have a negative view of this person, not based on any real info. I don't like that. I'd like to know more about Marco Paoletta, more than just that he's not the police's favorite citizen. I do appreciate honesty, but I don't think that's an appropriate comment for the captain to share with the entire city.
Here's a little more info from the Advocate about Paoletta:
"Known to friends and his nine siblings as "Chickie," Paoletta was a lifelong Stamford resident and local racquetball champion, his family said...
Paoletta may have been in the area because he played racquetball often at the nearby Jewish Community Center on Newfield Avenue, said his sister, Brenda.
He had recently taken up the game again and was talking about it at a Christmas dinner with relatives.
"He was happy," Brenda Paoletta said of her brother. "Everything was perfect."
He played racquetball often as a child and won YMCA tournaments, she said.
Paoletta earned an associate degree at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven and worked in the credit division of a bank in Bridgeport, relatives said.
Carmella Circell, another sister, said the family cannot think of anyone who would want to harm their brother.
"I'm just in shock," she said. "I just can't believe someone would murder him. I wonder if he was robbed." (Jan.5 article by staff writer Zach Lowe)
2. I am totally freaked out by this murder. I feel so sorry that this violence had to happen to someone. I'm also freaked out that I could be driving along a road that we take as a shortcut to Dunkin Donuts, and all of a sudden see a bleeding person on the side of the road. That's what happened. Motorists saw this and pulled over. They also heard a loud bang. I don't know details, such as if they saw him pushed out of a car or anything.
I really, really hope they find who did this. I hope Paoletta's car, found burning in Norwalk, will provide leads.
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