has sparked a controversy in Greenwich.
(Bob Luckey Jr./Greenwich Time Staff photos)
TOP STORY
HEADLINES:
Forget About The Town's Maritime History.
A Bunch Of Busybodies Only Want Greenwich To Have "Fancy Nancy" Yachts
Greenwich Harbor is a federal waterway and anchorage area regulated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, not the town.
Is Sal Going To Get The Town Involved In Another Silly And Embarrassing Lawsuit?
Maybe Sal Should Just Mind His Own Business
QUOTES:
"It's an eyesore to a lot of people. It doesn't belong in our harbor," said Sylvester "I Won't Let That Big Fat Board Of Education Check Influence My Vote" Pecora Sr., co-chairman of the group Friends of Grass Island
"You're allowed to live in federal waters," Ian Macmillan, 57, the vessel's owner and a lifelong sailor said, adding that "there are a number of private yachts anchored in local waters with full-time captains residing on them".
"I think there's a real question about whether he's living out there or not," Joseph "I Failed To Immediately Report A Felony To The Police" Siciliano, who is the parks director and current harbormaster said "We won't give permission to put a (floating dock) in there."
"Unless you have all your permits, you're not supposed to do that," Diane Ray, a senior project manager in the Army Corps New England District office in Concord, Mass., said. "So the DEP can probably go after him as a violator. The Army Corps wouldn't get involved in a local dispute over whether the vessel is being used as a houseboat."
THE STORY:
Town seeks removal of houseboat
It will take more than an anchor to get to the bottom of this dispute. Moored in the protective waters of Greenwich Harbor is a 35-foot vessel that town officials and coastal activists say is being illegally used as a "houseboat" by a local man and represents a blight on the waterfront that they have worked hard to clean up in recent years.
They claim that the vessel's owner is in violation of a municipal ordinance that forbids people from living on boats in local waters and failed to obtain all the proper permits for an adjacent mooring with a floating dock attached to it.
The "houseboat" is visible from The Delamar Greenwich Harbor, a luxury waterfront hotel where multi-million dollar yachts regularly dock....
...First Selectman Peter Tesei said he is inclined to agree with Pecora, who sent him several e-mails complaining about the situation and photographs of Macmillan's vessel....
....For the current boating season, which runs from April 15 to November 15, Macmillan paid $280 for a six-foot slip at the municipally-owned Grass Island marina, $65 for a facilities permit, $35 for a mooring registration and $35 for an additional vessel permit, according to the town.
...A message seeking comment was left Tuesday for state DEP officials. Macmillan said he is still applying for his DEP permit, which he described as an "arduous" process that costs $525 for a single mooring. If the other 75 boaters with moorings in Greenwich Harbor were subjected to the same requirements, he said it would anger a lot of people in the maritime community....
...Macmillan said that those going after him are misinformed about maritime regulations. At the same time, he said the town should focus its energies on dredging the harbor and installing safety ladders on the docks at the nearby marina.
"The town has neglected to have that area dredged for the past 50 years," Macmillan said.
Please Read The Full Greenwich Time Story
By Scott Kindberg
Special Correspondent
JAMESTOWN, N.Y. - Joe Rogers has been coaching baseball for most of his life, but he doesn't remember a three-game stretch quite like the one he's experienced since arriving in Western New York for the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series late last week....
Motherland wants her children back
By Bernie Yudain
The word hasn't surfaced in the public Blabbospehere yet but I suspect it will eventually: Iredenta! Or, in Italian, Irridenta....
Sound is wrong location for biolab
Greenwich Time Editorial
Connecticut has had enough talk of biological weapons lately. Even without the recent resuscitation of the 2001 anthrax attacks, which left a state resident dead, Long Island Sound would be a bad choice for a new laboratory that would study some of the world's deadliest biological threats.
An Out Of Towners Letter Asking Us To "Recycle it"
To the editor:
It's time for the citizenry of Connecticut to join the other communities in the United States leading the charge for a new way of recycling. I have seen how this works in other communities, and we are behind the pace. As our economy evolves and bears the stresses of rising fuel costs and rising prices for the daily necessities of life, there is value in recycling all types of materials.
I believe there will be an initial wave of resistance as there always is when the status quo changes. Please put effort into getting House Bill 5138 passed so our generation and future generations can become thoughtful stewards of our country's resources.
Adam Ramirez
New Canaan=================================================
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