Kelo New London Update: Lots of Reporters Are Already There
The Reporters Are Coming There
It’s obviously a coincidence, but there are lots of reporters in New London, CT this week covering the story of a Coast Guard cadet’s court-martial trial on rape charges at the Coast Guard Academy, which has been located in New London since 1910.
This story is a very big deal. Late last night a story about the opening of proceedings, where the cadet pleaded not guilty and the prosecution began its case, had (get this) 453 related items (essentially the same story carried in hundreds of outlets) at Google News:
The New York Times appears to have a reporter assigned to the story, as does The Associated Press, and I would expect that many other news organizations have reporters on hand.
While there will certainly be no shortage of drama in “the first court-martial of a student in the Coast Guard Academy’s 130-year history,” journalists present for the trial could see if Susette Kelo or Mike Cristofaro, who can’t be more than a couple of miles away, have anything to say about their years of trials and tribulations at the hands of their city fathers and our alleged system of justice. They might consider looking up Neild Oldham, co-chairman of the Coalition to Save Fort Trumbull, who, with the help of the One New London Party and concerned citizens, orchestrated a 12-day petition drive that this past Monday dropped 586 signatures (200 more than needed) on New London’s City Council requesting a referendum on whether or not the city should evict the final two Kelo holdouts. If Governor Jodi Rell’s June 22 settlement deadline is missed, eviction proceedings against the holdouts may begin as early as next week. They should really try to find dissident One New London Party Councilman Charles Frink, who Reason Magazine described thusly (and who I expect would be a great interview):
Frink is a pretty fascinating figure himself: a playwright and composer who made his first foray into politics last year, going door-to-door at the age of 77.
So there’s no shortage of interesting newsworthy material elsewhere in New London this week for the journalists who are already there and willing to exercise some initiative.
