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Community Corner

CURRAN'S FULL REBUTTAL TO EVERETT LETTER

This week’s Rye City review contains a rebuttal from me in response to a letter previously submitted by Nick Everett, Chairman of the Rye City Planning Commission (a volunteer position appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council) and apparent Consultant to Sustainable Playland.

Unfortunately, my original submission to the Rye City Review was too lengthy, and in the process of necessary editing on their part got watered down and lost some of its original context.

(Click here to Review Mr. Everett’s letter to Rye Mayor Doug French and members of the City Council)

Find out what's happening in Ryewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

(Click here to see the Rye City Review’s condensed version of my reply.)

Here is my rebuttal, in full, with my own editing:

Find out what's happening in Ryewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This is all very interesting. On Saturday November 9th, 2013 I was sick in bed for most of the day with a bad case of fever and chills, not answering any phone calls from anyone (actually oblivious that the phone was even ringing).  Two times that day Mr. Everett called my home phone number trying to contact me, once at 11:42am and again at 1:35pm. When he was unable to leave a voice mail because my box was full, he proceeded to send me the following email at 1:45pm:

On Sat, Nov 9, 2013 at 1:45 PM, Nick Everett wrote:

Deirdre

You have used social media sites to post several statements about me that are untrue and misleading.  I tried to call your number (914)xxx-xxxx but was unable to  leave a message since your mail box was full.  I would appreciate the opportunity to talk with you in order to make clear several issues that you have raised.  My home number is (914)xxx-xxxx.(Curran’s note: I see no reason to print our personal home phone numbers in the newspaper.)

Thank you

Nick Everett

I didn’t feel any particular need to respond immediately, as 1) I couldn’t physically talk on the phone because I was simply too sick and 2) I found it highly inappropriate that never having personally met this man or given him my contact information he would attempt to contact me at home over this issue.  I also found the wording of the above email to be a thinly disguised attempt at intimidation –which doesn’t work with me (newsflash!).

On Monday November 11th, I responded with the following email to Mr. Everett (which I thought was quite reasonable):

Mr. Everett, if you would like to send me links to the specific comments that you have an issue with and explain your concerns to me in writing, I would be happy to review them.

In the meantime, might I suggest that if you are concerned about public comments being made which you feel are spreading misinformation you can and should attend the November 20th SPI "presentation" at the Rye Free Reading Room, 7-9pm where you will be able to publicly/on-the-record clarify any points you feel are being misunderstood and answer any questions that may come up from the public.

 

Mr. Everett never replied to this email from me.

 

He instead proceeded directly with his “open letter” to the leaders of the community which was published in the Rye City Review and the Rye Record, as well as on the LausDeo web site.

(Click here to read Mr. Everett’s open letter, as well as the LausDeo rebuttal)

(Click here to read the original report on LausDeo10580 outlining Mr. Everett’s dual involvement with Sustainable Playland and the Rye City Planning Commission.)

I contacted Leon Sculti to find out if, as the author of the original article on LausDeo that I had commented on, he had received a similar communication from Mr. Everett. Interestingly (but not surprisingly), he had not.  Subsequent to this open letter from Mr. Everett, addressed to Mayor French and the City Council (as if they can make a member of the public apologize for expressing an opinion about something going on in the community)  specifically naming Leon Sculti and Ray Tartaglione as my co-offenders, I also contacted Mr. Tartaglione to see if HE had received a similar communication from Mr. Everett. He had not.

Mr. Everett at no time made any attempt to contact either one of these men privately at their homes to discuss his beef with their comments about him; only me.  It will not be lost on any women reading this exactly what was going on there.  You have the same issue with three people, two of whom are men, one of whom is a woman, and the only one of the three you choose to target personally is the woman.  A classic bullying and intimidation tactic – that doesn’t work with this particular woman.

At no time have I ever made mention of Mr. Everett’s wife or family.

He essentially demands an apology from me, but after being asked to outline exactly which comments it is that he was concerned with and that he thinks I owe him an apology for, he has no response.  How can I offer any apology if I'm not being told specifically what it is that I am apologizing for? I am supposed to apologize for having an opinion?  I think not.

In closing it strikes me that the most interesting part of his whole letter is that Mr. Everett states that when the SPI issue comes before the City Planning Commission he has said from the get-go that he would recuse himself (“As I have stated to anyone who asked, when the SPI plan is on the Planning Commission agenda, I will recuse myself.”).  Seems to me that if you know from the outset that there is something you are being asked by a personal friend to be involved with that will require you to recuse yourself from any decision making down the road as you sit on a city planning commission, that’s your tip-off that you shouldn’t be getting involved with it to begin with. You shouldn’t be touching it with a ten foot pole. Period.

Now I have to wonder just who owes who an apology. Perhaps the apology would be more apt coming from Mr. Everett to myself, Mr. Sculti, Mr. Tartaglione and all the members of the Rye community.

Link to the "Consultant Team" on Sustainable Playland's web site listing AP Construction:

http://www.sustainableplayland.org/consultant.shtml

Link to AP Construction's "Our Team" page showing Mr. Everett as an Executive VP:

http://www.apconst.com/ourteam.html

Don't miss this SPI promotional video from their web site, and make sure you fast forward to minutes 2:56 and 5:13 to catch Mr. Everett's TWO appearances!

http://www.sustainableplayland.org/

Link to Rye City Gov web site PDF page showing members of the Planning Commission, with Mr. Everett as Chairman: http://www.egovlink.com/public_documents300/rye/unpublished_documents/CLERK/BC%20List%20Website.pdf


Conflict of interest?  You decide.

(Please note: The Sustainable Playland community presentation regarding the 95,000 square foot construction they propose for the Playland Parking Lot will now take place on Weds. December 11th, 2013, 7-9pm at the Rye Free Reading Room. The date was changed from November 20th.)

 











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