Inaccurate and False Accusations

Well Bob, once again I am forced to respond to your inaccurate and false accusations. In your May 12th issue of the Chronicle you wrote that the new Brown's dam bridge did not have accommodations for bikers or pedestrians. When I pointed out to you that the plans for the project had been in the Clerk's office for almost a year you started your play on words. Yes, I did tell everyone that the "study" was there for everyone's inspection. Let me ask you this, when an engineering firm does a study, don't you think they would at least need something to study, such as construction plans? Several other people, including Planning Board and ZBA members, understood this and came in to look at the plans (study). Last year you were the one who brought up the issue of the effects of the construction on the integrity of the dam. Did you bother to look at the plans (study) to answer your questions then? NO. Had you taken the time you would have seen the the incorporation of the wider shoulders to accommodate bikers & pedestrians.

    I'm by no means a trained journalist but I do remember my junior high school english classes where I was taught that before you write something you need to verify all your information. When you heard rumors that there was no accommodations for bikers or pedestrians did you verify the information? NO.Did you look at the plans(study)? NO. Did you contact me to ask about it? NO. Did you contact anyone at County DOT? NO. Did you contact anyone at Clough Harbor? NO. You simply wrote your article based on false and unverified information.

    Now let's tell the rest of the story. You attended the May 11th Board of Supervisors meeting in Hudson. At that time I shared with you a copy of a letter that I had just received that the Chairman had sent to our EAB chairman. You read the entire letter. In that letter Chairman Brown pointed out the accommodations made for bikers and pedestrians. Yet when you published your article the next day you made no mention of this information that was shared with you. Why? You did not even, at the very least, include a post script to your article that you had received additional information the evening before.

    On May 14th you sent, via email, a copy of your article to Chairman Brown with the comment to him that it was published before his letter came to your attention.

 That Bob was an absolute lie. You had knowledge of the Chairman's letter prior to the start of the May 11th BOS meeting yet your article was published the next day, May 12th. If and when you ever become Supervisor, is that how you plan to conduct yourself, lying to the Chairman?

    You are correct when you say there was a lack of communication in this matter. It happened when you published another article that was based on rumors, misleading, inaccurate and unverified information. You have once again done a great disservice to your readers.

Reggie Crowley

Supervisor