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By Root 1003 0

“I have reflected on how the newspaper and the development effort can move in more synchronous ways,” she said. “As you probably know, Bill Taylor, retired publisher of the Boston Globe and member of the board of the New York Times, was a trustee of Connecticut College. I have sought Bill’s advice in the past on many issues, including those related to dealing with the press. Bill has graciously agreed to come to New London to a closed meeting with you and the members of the Day staff for a discussion on civic journalism if you would like to invite him to come. He has offered five dates.”

Claire advised MacCluggage to have no one outside the newspaper staff attend the meeting. “I am hopeful that on behalf of the City of New London and its great past, we can move forward as fellow citizens in the new year,” she said. “The Day has played a powerful role in the city’s past. I am looking forward to its playing an equally powerful role in the city’s future.”

MacCluggage could not believe Claire had the nerve to contact one of the more respected names in print journalism and ask him to make a presentation to the newspaper without first checking with him.

He wrote her back:

I wish you had consulted me before asking Bill Taylor to come to the Day for a discussion on civic journalism. I have the highest regard for Mr. Taylor, and you have put me in the position of turning him down. I don’t like that. Had you contacted me first to ask whether I would be amenable, I would have explained that the staff and I are already very familiar with the notion of civic journalism. It is apparent you are unaware of the leadership role the Day played in the early discussions of the concept nearly a decade ago.

Please check with me before you ask someone to make a presentation at the newspaper.

MacCluggage copied the letter to Bill Taylor.

Claire got the last word: “I have received your letter and regret that you have turned down Bill Taylor’s offer,” she wrote back, insisting she had been well aware of the Day’s previous leadership role in developing civic journalism.

It seemed appropriate to invite Bill Taylor to engage all of you in moving your leadership forward.

You should also know that I asked Bill if he would consider such an opportunity only after discussing this issue with a number of your staff. It appears that the staff at the Day … are quite enthusiastic about this opportunity, which you may wish to discuss with them in some open format. They have reported to me that they do not know why you made the decision not to invite Bill to join you for a closed discussion on this issue which is after all, Reid, every bit as important as FOI [freedom of information].

22

RUBBER STAMP

As the city’s attorney, Tom Londregan saw it as his duty to do everything in his power to get the NLDC’s municipal-development plan (MDP) passed in compliance with the law. The law, he believed, allowed for the use of eminent domain. But for him, it went deeper than simple legal analysis. Personally, Londregan believed the development being attempted by Pfizer and the NLDC would help New London.

The city had one more legal hurdle to clear before the city council could vote on whether to approve the NLDC’s plan: a public hearing. Judging from the tone of editorials and letters in the newspaper, Londregan expected some real opposition to the plan at the hearing. The threat of eminent domain had become a flash point.

With the public hearing set for early January, Londregan huddled with the city council. In 1998, the council had passed a resolution directing the NLDC to prepare a redevelopment plan. The NLDC’s plan called for the Fort Trumbull neighborhood to be razed and redeveloped. To approve the plan, the council had to say yes to eminent domain. “The question is,” Londregan said, “do you want to do that?”

Mayor Beachy had consistently made his feelings known. “I don’t want to throw anybody out of their home,” Beachy said.

But the idea of taking people’s homes didn’t seem to bother the rest of the council members. They were more concerned