AP’s Kelo-New London June 5 Coverage, Part 1: What Is Their “Thing” with Water?

Here’s the opening paragraph of Stephen Singer’s report on New London’s Council meeting last night (note the link is from the UK Guardian):

NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP) - City officials voted Monday night to evict residents who refused to leave their riverfront homes, signaling that the end may be near in an eminent domain dispute that reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

Now here were the first two paragraphs of the AP’s unattributed May 30 report as Council’s deadline approached last week (Boston.com link requires registration):

NEW LONDON, Conn. –Though facing an eviction deadline Wednesday, the residents whose Fort Trumbull neighborhood has been seized by eminent domain don’t expect anything to happen for nearly a week and expect more legal battles before the case is resolved.

The dispute over the waterfront New London property reached the U.S. Supreme Court last year, when a divided court ruled that the city could take the land for a private development.

What is it with these people and water?

So, let’s look at a couple of definitions:

• Riverfront — The land or property along a river. (along — On a line or course parallel and close to; continuously beside)
• Waterfront — 1. Land abutting a body of water. 2. The part of a town or city that abuts water, especially a district of wharves where ships dock. (abut as a verb — To touch or end at one end or side; lie adjacent.

So would someone help me find what is “waterfront” or “riverfront” about the properties in question? Good luck:

Could it possibly be that AP’s writers want to make the holdouts less sympathetic figures by FALSELY telling us that they are living in “waterfront” or “riverfront” homes?

Y’know, these reports went around the nation and, as you can see above all over the world. Hey, AP — How about demonstrating just a little responsibility and care?
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UPDATE: Water is even seeping into the story’s headlines now — “Conn. City Leaders OK Riverfront Evictions.” Zheesh.