07/24/08 Joe "Lock Them Up" Jordan: "Why Aren't Wiffle Ball Dads Who Brought A Tractor And Power Saw And Helped Destroy Town Property Being Prosecuted

Those involved in ball field got special treatment

To the Greenwich Time editor:

Let me get this straight. Last year, in a well-publicized case, a small group of women wanted to hold periodic exercise classes on town property at Tod's Point (zoned parkland). The town took immediate, firm and final action and prevented them from doing so.

Yet this summer, a small group of young people, after being told "no" on several occasions, took over a small parcel of town property (zoned utility) that is a crucial drainage system for an entire neighborhood. Then, along with some of their parents, they commenced to clear-cut and haul away needed underbrush, cut down trees, rip off limbs overhanging their ball field, denude the grass that was there to stem the erosion of sand and soil into the drain, erect a replica of Fenway Park and otherwise occupy their new ball field unimpeded for over two months until First Selectman Peter Tesei finally brought some adult sanity to the situation.

It is a sad commentary on our town that so many of our residents support and applaud the young people for their illegal trespassing and destruction and, at the same time condemn the women trying to do what seems to be a good and proper use of park property. Just where was the groundswell of support for the women? What a peculiar bias that loudly favors blatant trespassing by the young people and some of their parents, and harshly condemns the women for a much lesser offense.

In the case of the Wiffle ball field saga, after learning the facts, Mr. Tesei, as chief law enforcer, could not let the defiance continue, and he really had no other reasonable alternative but to close down the field. It was the illegal takeover, alteration and occupation of the town parcel which doomed the tell field, not the opposing residents.

Finally, why is it that the fathers who brought a tractor and power saw and helped destroy town property are not being prosecuted?

Joseph Jordan

Riverside

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