Interesting local story to discuss with chapter on liable and slander

Article about one public official leaving a "bullying" message on another public official's telephone answering machine below.
(See also the following cartoon of the Amherst town manager posted on a local blog called Only in the Republic of Amherst. What are the criteria you would use to determine if this is libelous?)




Amherst Bulletin story with MP3 link.
Excerpt from story follows:

By Nick Grabbe
Staff Writer
and Andrew Horton
Staff Writer
Published on May 18, 2007

One elected official has accused another of threatening political retribution over a comment following last week's failed tax override vote.

Andrew Churchill, chairman of the Amherst School Committee, said a message on his answering machine from Select Board member Rob Kusner "crossed the line" and amounted to "bullying."

The override vote, which failed by 267 votes, would have provided more money for schools and town services. Following the vote, Churchill was quoted in Wednesday's Gazette as saying, "Now what? We have no money, we have no plan, and we have no leadership."

--Hear an mp3 recording of the phone call from Selectman Rob Kusner to School Committee Chairman Andrew Churchill. (Click the link to listen, or right-click to download and save the file.)

Kusner, who like Churchill supported the override, called him at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Kusner left a voice message saying he was "disappointed" by Churchill's "divisive" comment, adding that "I provided the kind of leadership to try to reach out to those people on the fence."

"And I expect you, if you'd like to continue in your role in Amherst government, to talk to the press and to thank me publicly for my support for it," Kusner said. He added, "Because I think there are other things that are going on now behind the scenes that could have a major effect on the School Committee."

Churchill, who transcribed Kusner's message, called it "at best ego-driven and at worst anti-democratic."

"I really don't see this as being about me," he said. "It's about having standards of acceptable behavior for town leaders, and about protecting the authority and autonomy of the School Committee."

When Churchill made the "leadership" comment, he was speaking generally and Kusner took it personally, he said.

Asked whether he had left the message on Churchill's answering machine, Kusner said that he vaguely remembers calling Churchill early the morning after the override.

But regarding any political threat, Kusner said his comments were taken out of context by Churchill. Kusner said he initially called to vent his frustration with Churchill's disparaging comments and to thank him for his support in the override, not to threaten him. Continued...

Queens, NY

For me, home is Queens, NY. Because it is one of the five boroughs that make up New York City, I techinically consider my hometown New York City. But because I’ve lived in Queens my whole life, I’ll focus on that. Queens is the second most populous borough of the five, the largest being Brooklyn. It has a population of about 2,229,379. Queens is considered urban, but is mostly made of urban neighborhoods and business districts. Because it’s urban, public transportation is the main means of traveling for many people. Commuting by way of subways and busses is common.


It’s home to a large immigrant community, with nearly 50% of Queens made up of immigrants. There a particularly large Indian American and Jewish population in Queens. Although this is true, it’s hard to associate Queens with just one main background because there is such variety there. Different neighborhoods are often associated with different ethnic backgrounds. Flushing is known for being largely Korean and Chinese while Astoria is known for having a large Greek population. Because of its cultural diversity, Queens is also known for the many restaurants they offer. The options are wide open.

Queens is also home to the Mets. As we speak, they are building a new stadium in Willets Point, replacing Shea Stadium with Citi Field. Despite New York being mainly associated with the Yankees for the Red Sox fans here, Queens residents are huge Mets fans. For them, there’s more of a Mets/Yankees rivalry than anything else. Queens is also home to the U.S. Open tennis tournaments.
For all the dirt, grime, and urban oddities the city is known for, I love it.

Links:
http://queens.about.com/
www.nycvisit.com/
newyork.metromix.com/

Hopkinton, Ma.

Hopkinton, Ma.

Also known as H-town, Hoe-town, and Hop-town by the local youths, Hopkinton is a quiet suburb about 20 minutes outside of Boston. Predominantly made up of affluent and middle class Caucasians, the population is recorded to be around 13,346.

Once a small farming community, Hopkinton still holds much of its rural charm. If you have any intention if visiting, you better have a friend that you can stay with because there’s not even a motel in this quaint, suburban town. Changes are slowly being made, however, such as the addition of a Dunkin’ Donuts® and a Subway® built off the sides of two rebellious gas stations. Other than that, the town officials try their best to preserve Hopkinton’s country feel.

As far as tourist attractions go, there is not much to gawk at. Generally, the inhabitants bustle about their daily routines with nothing particularly exciting happening except for the frequent flow of gossip that everyone passes on.

There are only two times of the year when the whole town comes out and mingles about on the common: once in September for “Pollyarts” and once in April for the Boston Marathon. Both are traditions that have been going on for decades.

Pollyarts is an annual craft show where various creative locals set up booths of homemade jewelry, quilts, snacks, etc. and sell them. The biggest hits at this festival are the bean bag table and the fresh honey stand. All the children beg their parents for a bean bag animal made from a pattern with their favorite sport or hobby on it. As for the adults, they all line up to get their share of the delicious honey. While their parents examine the various sized jars and bee wax candles, the kids can watch the honeybees busy at work in the portable hive that the town beekeeper has brought for the youngsters enjoyment.

After shopping, the town’s people can grab lunch at the hot dog stand or stroll over to get a treat at the van selling fried dough and cotton candy. Entertainment is provided by Patricia Brosnihan’s in-town dance studio. All the young stars line up on the small wooden stage to show off their new moves. This event may not be overly thrilling, but for Hopkintonians it’s a nice, relaxing get-together that everyone can look foreword to from year to year.

The other major town event in Hopkinton is far more stressful for the town’s people. Hopkinton is the start of the Boston Marathon – a difficult 26 mile race through the various suburbs leading up to Boston. For this occasion, many weeks of preparation must go in to making sure the small town is ready for the plethora of people that will soon be carelessly trampling around. The starting line has to be painted, tents need to be posted to protect the runners from harsh weather conditions, and facilities need to be provided so the runners can use the bathroom, if needed, before the race.

On marathon day the streets are crowded with newscasters, town volunteers, and runners from across the globe. Healthy food and beverage stands cover the common and the middle school lawn. The middle school, at this point, has been turned in to what is called “Marathon Village.” Here, shuttle busses come and go, bringing runners and spectators around town since the roads are closed to all other vehicles. After the race, the whole town pitches in to help remove the trash and discarded clothing from the street. The trash is promptly taken away and all the extra clothes are quickly shipped off to local charities and shelters. All in all, the Boston Marathon is a very big deal for Hopkinton and is a very fun experience for spectators and runners alike.

Click Here to see pictures of how Hopkinton has changed over the years