Section: Editorial
Is Paranoia Contagious and Spreading in Croton-on-Hudson?
June 25, 2006On the evening of September 23, 1944, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave a speech at a dinner of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in Washington, DC. This now-famous address is still referred to as “The Fala Speech,” and helped FDR to soundly trounce his Republican opponent, Wendell Wilkie. After reciting a litany of the hypocrisies of Republican leaders, he said:
“These Republican leaders have not been content with attacks on me, or my wife, or on my sons. No, not content with that, they now include my little dog, Fala. Well, of course, I don’t resent attacks, and my family doesn’t resent attacks, but Fala does resent them. You know, Fala is Scotch, and being a Scottie, as soon as he learned that the Republican fiction writers in Congress and out had concocted a story that I had left him behind on the Aleutian Islands and had sent a destroyer back to find him—at a cost to the taxpayers of two or three, or eight or twenty million dollars—his Scotch soul was furious. He has not been the same dog since. I am accustomed to hearing malicious falsehoods about myself—such as that old, worm-eaten chestnut that I have represented myself as indispensable. But I think I have a right to resent, to object to libelous statements about my dog.”
Last week Crotonblog reported on the unusual and intemperate behavior of Croton resident Richard Pellicci, a resident of 65 Radnor Avenue in Croton, at the Village Board meeting on June 19 (see: An Out-of-Control Richard Pellicci Rages Over “Listening Session”). We reported what could very easily be seen on the accompanying film clip: Mr. Pellicci imperiously demanded that he not be filmed while speaking at the podium to members of the Board, a demand that has never before been made by any speaker. He also peremptorily demanded answers from three board members. And he threateningly accused Trustee Leo Wiegman of “smirking” at his statements. As is the practice on blogs, following the report Crotonblog added its own editorial comment on Mr. Pellicci’s indecorous behavior at the meeting. When Mr. Pellicci is in his “attack” mode, indecorous behavior by him is not unusual at board meetings.
Crotonblog’s June 21 posting touched off a furious exchange of comments between attackers unfriendly to the blog and supporters who obviously recognize that blogs represent the wave of the future in journalism. As we must now learn to live with terror, we are all going to have to learn to live with blogs, despite their frankness and brashness. Allow me to paraphrase portions of FDR’s speech and respond to those unfriendly bloggers:
“These commenters have not been content with attacks on me, or my wife, or on my family. No, not content with that, they now include our poor defenseless cookbook for colitis sufferers that my wife and I wrote a dozen years ago. Well, of course, I don’t resent attacks, and my family doesn’t resent attacks, but the colitis cookbook does resent them. As soon as it learned that these commenters who rose to Richard Pellicci’s defense had concocted a story that I had hurt sales of Susan Konig’s book by identifying her as—get this—a Republican, its literary soul was furious. It has not been the same cookbook since. I am accustomed to hearing malicious falsehoods about myself—such as that old, worm-eaten chestnut that I am unemployed and sit at home in my underwear doing nothing but demeaning hard-working, self-sacrificing types like Maria Cudequest, Susan Konig and Richard Pellicci. But I think I have a right to resent, to object to insulting statements about our cookbook.”
Professionals have praised our little cookbook, as the sampling that follows indicates. Dr. Stephen Holland, a gastroenterologist on the faculty at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, is an assistant professor of medicine and an assistant professor of clinical pharmacology in the department of Biomedical and Therapeutic Sciences at the medical school. His research and clinical interest is in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, that is, Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis. He is interested in clinical studies in patients with Crohn’s or Ulcerative Colitis. Here’s what Dr. Holland had to say about our colitis cookbook:
“I recently had a chance to review a short cookbook for people with active Ulcerative Colitis. Written by Denise and Ross Weale, it is a pocket size cookbook with 100 recipes of low fiber non-dairy recipes. Simple in design and concept, with a cute cover, it is a nicely done book. The strength of it is that there are a variety of recipes, so that it really looks like someone with digestive disease can survive. It is organized as breakfast, bread, soups and sauces, side dishes, pizza, and main course. In the main course part are Grilled chicken burrito, oriental potstickers, lemon chicken, pot roast, shepherd’s pie, veal and potato stew, and many more. It is obvious that the authors have put in a variety of foods and styles of cooking. The strength of the cookbook is that is low fiber and milk free, which can be a benefit for symptoms during a flare. Also, the sheer variety of recipes may make the diet during a flare more enjoyable than when one is on one’s regular diet between attacks. It is not a book that makes any claims on keeping colitis away. Anyway, the recipes are all doable, so check it out.”
And here’s what Peter Waite, courtesy of the IBD Bookstore, had to say about our colitis cookbook: “This is a collection of 100 low fiber, non-dairy recipes compiled by a ‘chef’ couple that are easy to prepare and fit a low residue regimen for people with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Recipes are divided into useful categories: breakfast, bread, soups and sauces, side dishes, pizza recipes, main courses, and dessert. Instructions are clearly written. This cookbook is sure to provide plenty of tasty meal and dessert ideas for people with IBD, and proves that you can eat delicious food and still stay healthy. Very Good, Worth Reading—4 stars.”
And here’s what Insights & Answers, from Proctor & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, 12/98 had to say about our colitis cookbook. “The Culinary Couple’s Creative Colitis Cookbook, by Denise and Ross Weale, Front Burner Publishing (1995): A delight for cooking fans! This cookbook includes 100 low-fiber, non-dairy recipes and is created by a couple with ulcerative colitis in their family who are also culinary school graduates.”
To return to the personal attacks leveled against Crotonblog: We are not defaming Mr. Pellicci if we report that at an earlier Village Board meeting in an outburst of self-diagnosis he acknowledged his previous unusual public behavior by describing himself this way: “I’m the paranoid one in the bunch.” “The bunch,” in Mr. Pellicci’s usage, presumably refers to the small band of single-issue chronic complainers who can be counted on to monopolize meetings and to rail about anything and everything pertaining to a piece of industrially zoned property at 1A Croton Point Avenue.
By any definition of paranoia, Mr. Pellicci is correct in diagnosing himself with that condition. A standard definition of paranoia is that it is “an unfounded or exaggerated distrust of others, sometimes reaching delusional proportions. Paranoid individuals constantly suspect the motives of others around them, and believe that certain individuals, or people in general, are ‘out to get them’.” For example, Mr. Pellicci has complained that a person or persons unknown threw eggs at his house—although Croton Police Department records show that such incidents have never been reported. During political campaigns, Mr. Pellicci draws unflattering cartoons ridiculing political candidates he opposes and submits these to a local newspaper, which dutifully publishes them under the rubric of a letter “to the editor.”
He is not above calling attention to his acts of public service as a volunteer gardener “crawling around on my hands and knees.” He does not hesitate to raise the specter that he will “knock on every door in the Village” to obtain signatures on a petition to influence Village Board actions. It is not clear whether this is a threat or a promise. Crotonblog wonders whether Mr. Pellicci is aware that such solicitation require licensing by the Village in the same way that others making solicitations must first register. And he raises his voice and has made a thinly veiled threat to one board member, “Leo, I’m telling you. You smirk one more time…” Then he added, “I’m serious. Stop with the smirking!”
Even more alarming, Mr. Pellicci’s self-acknowledged paranoia curiously seems to be contagious, a medical first not heretofore reported in the mental health literature. Those who comment unfavorably about the blog and favorably about his actions all seem to exhibit similar clinical signs of paranoiac behavior. Crotonblog wonders whether a particularly rabid form of paranoia is being transmitted throughout this village and whether the phenomenon should be reported to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in Atlanta. Stay tuned. Crotonblog is certain that this latest comment will touch off still another round of paranoiac behavior.
— Ross Weale Jr., Editor
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Taking 19 Away from Sue Kelly
March 30, 2006As Crotonblog is always VERY happy to help fellow bloggers promote their efforts, today, we tip our hat to Michael Morey of take19 (take19.blogspot.com), who helps lead a group of political activists and community leaders from a five county region who formed a group and launched a blog in attempt to defeat Congresswoman Sue Kelly (R) the upcoming Congressional election set for November.
The bloggers use their forum to educate the public about Rep. Sue Kelly’s right-wing Congressional voting record. Though the group is not affiliated with any of the five candidates vying for Kelly’s seat, Take19 is comprised of volunteers from across the 19th district with extensive experience in local politics, public interest issues and the media. In a recent press release, Michael Morey noted “This is the first time that an independent group has formed in the district with the express purpose of defeating Sue Kelly.”
Continue reading "Taking 19 Away from Sue Kelly."
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Of Reference for Gazette Readers...
February 16, 2006Having reviewed several Letters to the Editor appearing in the February 16-23, 2006 issue of The Gazette—from former Temporary Croton Independence Party Caucus Secretary Maria Cudequest (Crotonblog previously labeled Ms. Cudequest as the Independence Party Secretary, and since has corrected her title—as per Croton GOP Chairman Rob DiFrancesco), Diane Wintermeier and Robert Wintermeier—which reference several published articles on the Crotonblog, I thought it convenient to make them easily available to readers “new and old” in this post.
- Maria Cudequest takes offense to a characterization of the recent communter parking lot flooding (see: “Flood Waters Swamp Cars Again in Croton Harmon Commuter Parking Lot”) as “Schmidt’s Katrina” in “Calm Skies Return To Croton After Damaging Storm”.
- Diane Wintermeier reflects on her husbands assertions in “Robert Wintermeier: Crotonblog On The Take?” and denounces rumours of racism in “Bob Wintermeier Utters the N-Word at Recent Board Meeting”.
- Robert Wintermeier speaks out on both “Robert Wintermeier: Crotonblog On The Take?” and “Bob Wintermeier Utters the N-Word at Recent Board Meeting”.
By the way, Crotonblog subscribes to the Gazette. We thoroughly enjoy reading it and look forward to its arrival each Thursday. Why not subscribe yourself? Send a check for $30.00 ($25.00 for seniors) for one-year to;
The Gazette
P.O. Box 810
Croton-on-Hudson, New York 10520
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Rob DiFrancesco Enlists in the "War on Christmas"
December 19, 2005You know, I really thought that Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and John Gibson over at Faux News were the only ones in the world that were taking their self-contrived “War on Christmas” (really a war of distraction) seriously. After all, while these guys were pontificating about an attack on Christmas, Faux News sent out inviations that welcomed employees to their “Holiday” party and sold “Holiday” ornaments from their website. Even President Bush sent “Holiday” cards…
Sadly, the “War on Christmas” seems to have made its way up the mighty Hudson and landed on the shores of Croton. Has the Croton GOP appointed itself as our “Minuteman” in its psuedo-defense? After reading about 18-year-old Croton-on-Hudson GOP Chairman Rob DiFrancesco (see: “Political Cartooning”) in the North County News, at first, I was a little surprised to see that “DiFrancesco began his political education by listening to Sean Hannity’s talk radio show and watching the O’Reilly Factor”. But now it makes sense to me… That might be why the newly redesigned Croton GOP website, is adorned with “Merry Christmas”, just like Bill O’Reilly’s…
Continue reading "Rob DiFrancesco Enlists in the "War on Christmas"."
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A Penal Process Known as Banishment... Explained
December 7, 2005Several readers have written me this morning asking about the details surrounding our decision to ban IP Address 216.179.103.209 from commenting on Crotonblog (see "STB Denies NIR Application Without Predjudice").
Common questions:
1. "What information does Crotonblog know about me when I post a comment?"
Answer: The ONLY information Crotonblog knows about our commenters is their IP address and "nickname". When you submit a comment, you get a copy of it sent to you by email. We get the same thing, nothing more.
Crotonblog uses a highly-respected 3rd-party comment authentication system, called TypeKey, so we avoid ANY and ALL conflicts of interest with our readers. Plus, we cannot become the keeper of privacy, a responsibility we choose to avoid at all costs.
The best practice for complete anonymity is to not share your email address with us when you login to TypeKey to post a comment. Sometimes, email addresses contain a person's name or company name. The only drawback is that we cannot contact you in reply to a comment you have made. If you do share your email address with Crotonblog while commenting, we do not retain/share it or ever use it for ANY purpose, and we never will.
2. "Can Crotonblog commenters can use multiple "nicknames" to sign their posts?"
ANSWER: YES.
3. "Can I be banned from commenting for using multiple "nicknames?"
ANSWER: NO.
4. "Why did Crotonblog ban this IP Address?"
ANSWER: This IP address was banned because the commenter here clearly intended to purposefully manipulate our readers by posting comments and answering them themself in an effort to discredit others.
This commenter had been warned before about comment spamming and also had a comment deleted for going off-topic. We promised to ban malicious commenters as a policy, so we did. Please play nice, play fair.
Further, it appears that this commenter has gone on record in The Gazette and CCC1@bestweb.net newsletter denouncing Crotonblog while engaging in the very practice the commenter opposes (FLASHBACK: Richard Pellicci in "Entering Bizarre World"). One time, even going so far as to suggest litigation against this publication with regards to this article, "Political Cartooning" about new 18-year-old Croton GOP Chairman Rob DiFrancesco.
Editor's Note:
And, finally, to all readers and commenters of Crotonblog. I personally object to the very notion of having to post your real name on this blog for the very reason illustrated in this post. Here is a commenter who badgered our cherished readers about posting under a "nickname" by urging them to diclose their real names. One can only guess what that commenter would do after knowing who is who...?
With that said, it's no wonder that we consistently get many more comments than The Gazette gets Letters to the Editor... Who wants to disclose their name and risk personal attacks by those with opposing views on issues as contentious as Metro Enviro/Regus...
And by the way, Crotonblog loves, values and is very thankful for our fast-growing readership. In fact, we just celebrated welcoming 2,482 unique visitors, who visited 10,055 times and looked at 82,246 pages (see our stats) to Crotonblog this past November 2005. Wow!!! We can't believe it.
And, also, special thanks to readers for the recent surge in very generous donations, which we ask for in lieu of a subscription or a pesky paygate like the NY Times does...
That's it for now. Please feel free to send other questions regarding this action to me by clicking here.
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Tom and Sue Sitting in a Tree...
September 28, 2005
UPDATED: DeLay Indicted in Texas Campaign Finance Probe
AP: "The grand jury’s finale coincided with a wide swath of political trouble for the GOP. Ethical questions have been raised about stock sales by the Republican leader of the Senate, Bill Frist, R-Tenn. And President Bush, an uneasy ally of DeLay, faces the lowest approval ratings of his presidency."
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(Originally published on July 14, 2005) Tom Delay is the current House Majority Leader and self-appointed savior for the late Terri Schiavo. He is also under investigation for possible laundering of campaign funds and other alleged misdeeds that might lead to federal indictments in Texas. Sue Kelly represents New York's 19th Congressional District in the United States Congress.
Many New York Republican members of Congress have taken money from Tom DeLay's political action committee including Sue Kelly, in fact she tops the list.
Continue reading "Tom and Sue Sitting in a Tree...."
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Hurricane Cindy
September 25, 2005Cindy Sheehan with New York’s Reverand Jesse Jackson, singer-songwriter Joan Baez and over 100,000 other peace activists in Washington, DC on Saturday, September 23, 2005. Related: Continue reading "Hurricane Cindy."
Tools: In case you missed this in the New York Times Westchester section, here’s the part of the article about us… Westchester Finds It, Too, Can Fall Prey to Blog-orrhea Four of the seven founders of Crotonblog.com, from left: Jeff Thornton, Karen Thornton, Ross Weale Jr. and Denise Weale. Photo: George M. Gutierrez for The New York Times By DAVID SCHARFENBERG EXCERPT: …Somers, Greenburgh and Edgemont are also the subjects of political blogs. In Croton-on-Hudson seven friends, including a pair of married couples, have combined public affairs reporting with slice-of-life columns on crotonblog.com. A recent visit to the site, which went online in February and claims more than 1,600 individual visitors a month, found an homage to the Ossining Farmers’ Market, a debate between a pair of columnists known only as Mr. Red and Mr. Blue over the term “war on terror” and some discussion of the fate of a local garbage transfer center. “It’s almost like a reality show,” said Ross Weale Jr., 40, a co-founder whose day job is as an Internet product manager. David L. Perlmutter, an associate professor of mass communications and senior fellow at Louisiana State University who is writing a book on political blogs, said locally focused sites like crotonblog.com can be even more influential than national ones because they “have a smaller circle to effect.”… Full article from The New York Times.
Tools: A recent feature on Crotonblog in the New York Times Westchester Section on August 28, 2005, helped to fuel our eighth consecutive month of reader growth with 1,924 unique visitors. If you didn't get to see the article in print, it can be found online here. Thanks to all of our readers! Continue reading "Crotonblog Stats for August."
Tools: Crotonblog is funded by advertisements and reader contributions. Please give thoughtfully to keep this community blog online as a fresh, independent voice for Village news and opinion. You can make contributions online with a credit card through PayPal. If you would prefer to send a check by mail, please send your contribution to: Front Burner Publishing Please make all checks payable to: “Front Burner Publishing”. All contributions are greatly appreciated. Thanks, the Crotonblog Staff.
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NYT Westchester Features Crotonblog
September 19, 2005
Published: August 28, 2005 Print
Crotonblog Stats for August
September 6, 2005
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pls giv 2 crtnblog thx
August 5, 2005
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