Another dead tree falls in the forest, and no one hears

Profile in Courage: Martin Hersam

Greenwich Post eliminating its print edition. The son of the owner of the rag, Martin Hersam, hired me away from the Greenwich Citizen on the promise of more money and unfettered editorial freedom – “it’s precisely because you’re controversial that we want you”, ol’ Marty said, and he kept his word for 18 months or so, until I offended the (then) manager of Coldwell Banker here in town, who told Marty that either I went or Coldwell Banker’s advertising went. “I don’t run an independent newspaper,” Marty told him, “we’re just a vehicle for cheap advertising – of course he’s gone!” And I was, in mere seconds.

Of course, that was a huge break for me, because I moved to the Internet and went from 5,000 weekly readers, all in Greenwich, to 18,000 readers a day from around the world and my business flourished. So thanks, Marty. Still, I won’t miss your publication – you were running a weekly penny shopper, not a newspaper, and your claims to being an independent newsman were, and are, as phony as your comb-over.

Back country land sale

0 Farwell Lane, in the Partridge Hollow development, has sold for $2.650 after 2 1/2 years on the market. Six + acres. That seems pricey: the  custom built (by Wadia) house,with five acres, that this parcel was spun off of sold for $5.3 or so in July, 2012. I wouldn’t think a buyer would want to spend more than $3 million to build a house here and even then, he’ll be counting on a rise in back country prices to bail him out.

One reason, by the way, this property may have taken so long to sell is that the driving directions on the listing instruct buyers to take:

“NORTH ST TO JOHN TO BUCKFIELD TO PARTRIDGE HOLLOW TO FARWELL.”

North Street to John Street? You can’t get there from there.

This why I keep a fire going 24/7 after traumatic break-ups

Just for the first six months or so

California: woman strips naked and tries to enter ex-boyfriend’s home via the chimney.

There’s hope for the country after all

Oh please, oh please?  Bernie for President, 2016

Iowa Democrat officials resisting Hillary’s candidacy, preferring a more liberal candidate like Socialist Party leader Bernie Sanders of VT or Harvard professor and professional Cherokee, Betsy Warren. If we can persuade the Democrats to nominate either, we can coast to victory in 2016.

Pending contract

HMS Sandy drops in to vist Meadowbank

21 Meadowbank, Old Greenwich, reports a contract. It started off at $2.250 million in March and never budged: apparently the right buyer has come along. A perfectly nice 1932 cottage on a great street, but Meadowbank floods, and that will affect (prohibit) any remodeling/expansion. In fact, I’d guess this property will serve as the foundation for a new stilt house.

Idar Court condo sale

2 Idar Court, just off Field Point near town hall, sold for $1.9 million. When these were built back in 2004 the developer asked $2.9 per unit; he didn’t get it, but did manage to sell two, one at $2.695 in 2006, and this one, $2.2 million in 2008. I’m not sure why they’re unpopular because they seemed to have been well built, and the location’s pretty handy.

Shades of OJ

Bronco busting

Drunken street sweeper leads police on chase at speeds reaching 35 mph.

BROOKLYN – Police say a street sweeper was driving drunk when he led them on a short pursuit Thursday night.

State police say Jerry Mitchell, of Brooklyn, was driving erratically in a street sweeper on the Southern State Parkway east of Exit 17.

State police say a trooper tried to pull over Mitchell near Exit 22, but they say Mitchell fled, leading police on a low-speed pursuit in the street sweeper. They say the street sweeper was driving about 35 mph and continued on the Southern State Parkway for about five minutes. Mitchell then pulled over near Exit 26 and surrendered to police.

Mitchell allegedly told police he was in Brooklyn and wanted to go around the block to get candy, but instead got lost.