Section: Editorial

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The Case Against Mayor Schmidt’s Scheme to Add Chemical Additives to Croton’s Water

October 7, 2007

The suddenness and lack of meaningful discussion of the Mayor’s scheme to inject chemical additives into Croton’s water has alarmed many residents. Historically, so-called “brown water” in certain Harmon and Croton neighborhoods has been a problem in this village for as long as we can remember.

In part, it is the result of faultily designed dead-end water lines that limit active flow of water. But we were always assured that it posed no problem to health. Suddenly, it has become a threat as serious as bubonic plague—the “Black Death”—that swept across Europe and Asia in the 14th century.

Croton residents deserve better treatment at the hands of its elected officials.

Crotonblog questions the headlong rush to attempt to correct this condition precipitously and without careful study. Simply stated, our concerns are that chemical additives could be injurious to the health of residents, particularly infants and growing children, and to the elderly with weakened or compromised immune systems.

All the assurances of the safety of this scheme by the contractor who stands to profit from a no-bid contract with the Village count for naught.

Continue reading "The Case Against Mayor Schmidt’s Scheme to Add Chemical Additives to Croton’s Water."

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Pardon Us for Preening

October 6, 2007

When the prestigious New York Times asked Crotonblog for permission to reprint portions of our editorial condemning the plan to inject chemical additives into Croton’s water supply, it took us about a tenth of a second to agree.

Readers will find it reprinted on page 15 of the Westchester Section of tomorrow’s Sunday Times (October 7, 2007) and titled “Drink Zinc?” Before, only Crotonblog readers were aware of this nefarious plan to change the character of Croton’s famous water. Now all of Westchester County is aware of what’s going on in Croton.

We called the chemical additive scheme a “plan” in the two paragraphs above. The quick succession of presentation at one village board meeting, and the attempt to pass a resolution at the very next board meeting makes Crotonblog think that we should have called it what it now seems to be—a “plot.”

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A Narrow Squeak: Croton's Water Supply Gets Last-Minute Reprieve from Chemical Additives

October 2, 2007

Last night Croton pulled back from the brink. At last, cooler heads prevailed. In response to growing health and safety concerns, trustees applied the brakes to Mayor Gregory Schmidt’s headlong attempt to wangle an exclusive, no-bid contract for a Poughkeepsie engineering firm.

His blatantly obvious objective is to allow this company to adulterate Croton’s unique water with a chemical substance so dangerous in bulk as to require special training for the village employees who would handle it. Why he is pursuing this so single-mindedly is a mystery.

Until recently, Mayor Schmidt has managed to conceal his hot temper and vindictive personality from public view. His outbursts in private meetings with staff and trustees, however, are legendary. According to those who have felt his wrath, he rants and raves, curses, pounds the table and throws books around. An old German proverb best describes this: “Ein Engel auf der Strasse, ein Teufel im Hause.” Translation: “An angel in the streets, a devil at home.”

You’ve heard about books and plays that are banned in Boston for salaciousness. Last night Crotonblog was banned in Croton for no reason at all. Bob Wintermeier, Croton’s ever-vigilant guardian of the village exchequer, approached the microphone armed with a thick sheaf of papers intending to discuss zinc orthophosphate. As soon as he voiced health concerns and attempted to present evidence gleaned from Crotonblog’s report on the dangers of the dangerous chemical our Mayor proposes to add to Croton’s water, Mayor Schmidt exploded and openly rejected the sincere, painstaking research of a supporter who has remained loyal to him through thick and thin. The Mayor’s attempt to muzzle a citizen, one of his most loyal constituents, failed abysmally. Undaunted, Mr. Wintermeier had more than enough other research gleaned on his own to make a significant case against a precipitous vote.

The Mayor announced that he would not allow anyone to present information posted on Crotonblog that was not individually signed. This edict, of course, also removes from consideration every report from government agencies that are parties at interest in this crucial public health issue. Hitler’s Third Reich was famous for its frenzied book burning of works that displeased its mad Führer. Last night marked the 21st century equivalent: blog banning. Croton Mayor Schmidt’s refusal to allow information obtained from a legitimate electronic medium to be presented at an open public meeting because it displeases him sets a precedent of dubious legality. That this action violates every tenet of our guarantee of freedom of speech apparently escapes Mayor Schmidt, who piously opens every board meeting with a ritualistic schoolroom pledge of allegiance to the flag—but not to the Constitution.

Continue reading "A Narrow Squeak: Croton's Water Supply Gets Last-Minute Reprieve from Chemical Additives."

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Searching in Vain for Charlie Road in Cortlandt

September 8, 2007

Earlier this year, Crotonblog suddenly received attention from an unusual source. Although we had never mentioned its name, a once well-respected weekly newspaper headquartered in Yorktown Heights began attacking us. The paper was obviously determined to expand subscriptions in communities on the perimeter of its overambitious coverage area. A seemingly defenseless blog that had done nothing to annoy that newspaper seemed like a ready-made victim.

Under the direction of one Bruce Apar, newly robed with the high-sounding but awkward title of “Editor-in-Chief Plus Publisher,” The North County News embarked on a campaign to secure subscribers by courting a few local malcontents unhappy with Crotonblog for following the almost universal practice of allowing anonymous comments signed only with a screen name.

Ugly Rumors
We had heard the many rumors circulating about the wholesale firings and forced resignations at The North County News after Mr. Apar’s arrival. These were accompanied by almost unbelievable reports of meetings, pep talks, and morale-building e-mails where before had been only the good-natured camaraderie of a small business. In the past, rank and title meant nothing, and everybody pitched in to extract something to be proud of from the inevitable disorder of a newspaper’s editorial office.

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The Uses of Anonymity, Part Two: Hazards of the Internet

August 24, 2007

Let’s face it! For the average unsuspecting user, the Internet can be as perilous as a back alley in Baghdad. Creators of the Internet never anticipated it would become a place where danger lurks. In the beginning, it was the province of collegial users in academia and the Department of Defense. In the mid-1990s, however, following the invention of the World Wide Web, the Internet was thrown open to consumers around the globe. They embraced it excitedly, first as a fad, then as a convenience. It is now virtually a necessity.

The Internet has revolutionized advertising, the delivery of news, and personal messaging and will communications, supplanting direct mail and letter writing. We use it to do our information gathering and our buying of everything from groceries to antiques. It is on the brink of changing how we pay our bills and how we do our banking—once a foolproof method of protecting it from cheats and scammers is developed.

But, like everything else of value in this world, the Internet quickly attracted the attention of clever criminals. Yes, we said criminals. Before long, the trusting and gullible who innocently flocked to the Internet like sheep waiting to be sheared, found themselves shorn of everything ranging from their names and identities to the entire contents of their bank accounts.

Continue reading "The Uses of Anonymity, Part Two: Hazards of the Internet."

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The Uses of Anonymity: Everybody's Doin' It

August 17, 2007

What can one say about a so-called journalist who “reviews” a Crotonblog article before it has even been published? Bruce Apar, who lays claim to the self-bestowed title of “Editor in Chief plus Publisher” of The North County News, has done that with the article you are about to read.

Mr. Apar isn’t much of a journalist. He was so mixed-up about happenings in the historic Underhill House in his hometown of Yorktown Heights that in his newspaper he asserted Major John André was French, and claimed the British arrested him there during the Revolution. How confused can one get?

Mr. Apar got just about every fact wrong: Major André was British; Yorktown Heights (then called Hanover) was in American hands; American militia members arrested André later in Tarrytown. On another occasion, Mr. Apar wrote in his newspaper that Indian Point was in Montrose. Anyone concerned about the threat this ticking bomb poses to life and limb knows it’s in Buchanan. So much for Mr. Apar’s abilities as a journalist.

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Echoes of the Past: When Anonymity Was Abused and Readers Were Conned

When Crotonblog began, today’s sorehead critics did not hesitate to embrace anonymity. In fact, they welcomed it and wallowed in it as eager users. Robert Wintermeier adopted the name “Croton Taxpayer” as his cover, and was all over Crotonblog like a bad smell. But anonymity and its protective qualities can be abused. Early in its existence, Crotonblog was subjected to a tidal wave of identity falsification intended to deceive readers.

Maria Cudequest became so enamored of anonymity, she adopted a host of simulated names, each with its own personality and political attitude to match, and then literally flooded Crotonblog with comments. To allay suspicion, when referring to herself she even had one of her cast of characters misspell her name, Cudequest, as Cudaquest in making reference to her. Needless to say, her stable of nonexistent commenters all echoed the party line—hers.

How does Crotonblog know this? The enterprising Ms. Cudequest was obviously unaware that every computer linked to the Internet has an identifying address known as an “I.P. (Internet Protocol) address” whose location can be traced. Within a comparatively short time, Crotonblog was deluged with a total of 109 comments signed with various names. These included culliganman, identified as someone named David Culligan, and another with the attention-getting name of puppuluv, purportedly an individual named Danny Corso Puppuluv. Crotonblog’s diligent research revealed that the family name of Puppuluv (pronounced “pup-you-love,” which alone should have been a giveaway) was nowhere to be found in genealogical records or in the massive Social Security records.

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Freedom of Speech Knows No Geographic Boundaries: Strange Behavior at the Black Cow

August 9, 2007

Our Mayor makes no secret of his antipathy to Crotonblog for exercising its right of freedom of speech in criticizing him and his administration. A disturbing incident that occurred as recently as Sunday, July 29th, in the Black Cow coffee house bears close scrutiny.

We have it on reliable authority—from a person who was very much present when the incident occurred—that Mayor Greg Schmidt, speaking in a very loud voice and obviously agitated, “accused Crotonblog and other blogs of leading to the demise of society.” In high dudgeon, the Mayor added, “Crotonblog was tearing up the social fabric of Croton and ruining people’s lives with libelous statements.” According to our informant, “the Mayor was very loud and fast-talking, and people were staring at him. He continued to yell … even as he was leaving and the door was closed and [he] was walking to his car in the parking lot.”

It ill behooves our politically ambitious Mayor, who refuses to acknowledge Crotonblog’s questions and who does not respond to e-mail messages sent to him, to pretend to be a judge of the effect of blogs and other technological advances upon our society. We would also remind the Mayor that the First Amendment is still in force in the Constitution, although one of his supporters has made the extraordinary suggestion that it does not apply to small-town politics.

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Time to Clean House: Notes on a Rundown, Nearly Empty Blog Cabin

July 27, 2007

We must admit that we occasionally check up on “The Blog Cabin,” the blog set up by the North County News as part of its vendetta launched against Crotonblog. Intended to build that newspaper’s circulation in Croton and describing itself as “the first civilized and sensible blog for the citizens of Croton,” it’’s patronized exclusively by the small group of malcontents who expressed unhappiness with Crotonblog’s policy of accepting anonymous comments to its postings.

There’s an amusing side to this new kid on the block. The people for whom this blog was tailored always insisted on calling Crotonblog a “chat room,” which it most decidedly is not. Yet the blog to which they have transferred their occasional allegiance is exactly that—a chat room of the lowest or most primitive order, with absolutely no input from its sponsors.

It has always escaped us why the identity of the person making a comment is more important to these small-minded people than the content of what is being said. As it turned out, guileless persons who have innocently revealed their names on Crotonblog have often been denigrated with verbal abuse that has bordered on being menacing.

Surprise, surprise! It turns out that the misfits for whom the new chat room was created do not make much use of it. During the month of July, for example, comments have appeared on only about 50 percent of days, rendering it not very useful for average readers seeking new and up-to-date news. Besides, the sporadic Blog Cabin’’s chat room postings resemble a kind of cliquey exchange between insiders. One member’s comment tends to elicit a gushy and insincere thank-you note from another member of the group.

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Roundabouts Reduce Traffic Congestion, Increase Pedestrian Safety

July 26, 2007

In recent studies conducted by the National League of Cities, one of the main concerns facing local governments was growing congestion. Many of these problems were associated with signalized interchanges.

Enter concrete pavement roundabouts. In congested areas, they have been proven to not only reduce congestion but also provide enhanced safety. And, concrete has the durability to take the constant vehicle-turning movements. Formally known as traffic-calming devices, concrete roundabouts enable the movement of heavy traffic volumes during peak operating hours.

Concrete pavement roundabouts provide safety and aesthetic benefits to interchanges while easing congestion.

When properly designed, they can ease traffic congestion by keeping traffic moving at a deliberate and steady pace. A single lane roundabout can accommodate more than 2,000 vehicles per hour from all entry legs. Two- and three-lane roundabouts can handle traffic volumes of 4,000 and 8,000 vehicles per hour, respectively.

Traffic calming is one area that all city officials agree needs to be addressed, especially in areas that must accommodate heavy vehicle traffic, as well as pedestrians and bicycles. Moreover, the intersection of Benedict and Cleveland is in need of being rebuilt as a roundabout, for many reasons. Ask anyone who uses the intersection or has seen it used just how dangerous it can be. Why wait for a major accident or a fatality to fix this obvious and long-standing problem? Ask for the state’s help, and Rebuild the Benedict/Cleveland circle!

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