Open letter to the community: Councilman Michael Wolfensohn, in his own words
November 19, 2010
by Michael Wolfensohn
Here are facts about what happened on Oct 9, 2010. You can make your own decision on how you might have handled it.
I was finishing up a walk with my dogs in Gedney Park and saw two boys selling homemade treats. I asked them what charity the proceeds were going to, as I was going to buy something to support the cause. They told me it was for “the charity of us.” I said, “Fine,” and headed home with my dogs.
Once home, I started to think about what would happen if a treat made with nuts were sold to a child with allergies? Would the town be responsible? Would the boys and their families be liable? Or, I thought, what if I go to the park next week and there are other people selling all kinds of products, not just baked treats? Is that what we want in our parks?
As a town board member, I was genuinely concerned for everyone’s safety and the peace and well-being of our park. So I spoke with Town Supervisor Barbara Gerrard, who advised me to call the police to see if the boys had a permit, as the permit protects both the town and the vendor.
In hindsight, maybe I should have gotten back into my car, gone back to the park to ask the boys myself if they had a permit and to explain why a permit was necessary, to protect themselves and the town. But a couple of concerns went through my mind.
1. Was it my place or responsibility to be the person to question the boys? I wasn’t sure.
2. Did I want to speak with boys’ parents? It’s not difficult to imagine a situation where there might be a disagreement, which would be counterproductive. If the parents weren’t there, was it OK for me to approach the unattended boys about this without their parents being present?
3. Should I get into my car and drive back to the park to handle a situation I wasn’t sure I should be addressing in the first place?
The answer to the above questions were either “No” or “I’m not sure,” so I decided the wiser thing to do was to notify the police and have them check it out. I believed then and do now that they were the better people to handle this than I.
I understand that one policeman was sent and from what I’m told said: “Guys, you have to pack up; you need a permit.” The boys said, “Fine,” and left.
When government steps in and there is no bad result, people say the government is overreaching. When government fails to act and the result is bad, people say government has been negligent.
I felt I had a responsibility to protect both the boys and the town I represent.
Michael Wolfensohn
I believe Mike Wolfensohn has been portrayed unfairly in the press. I also believe Mike Wolfensohn deserves our support right now.
Make no mistake about it, Mike Wolfensohn is no bully to children. It’s just the opposite. He has been a staunch advocate for the children in our community.
He has served on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls club for years. He serves on the Town Fields Committee fighting for funding for field maintenance. He was a vocal supporter & fought for a controversial plan to build 2 fields at Amsterdam property. He’s coached baseball and
soccer for 10 years. He works with scouts to help them get their eagle badges. He’s started numerous programs to teach kids about finance and banking. He’s worked with community outreach to help kids get free health checks.
And his community work is not limited to kids. He’s involved in numerous other charitable organizations. And, yes, he serves on our Town Board, a thankless job.
Your inability to decide what is your responsibility or your place is the most shocking thing in your letter. Aside from how I personally feel about your inner strength, courage, civility (you can guess), I think we need people in your position who understand how to and exercise good judgement.
Perhaps you should consider finding something else to do where you don’t have such indecision.
Good day and wishfully good riddance.
I’d like to know what happened in Chappaqua and Millwood this week. It must have been a VERY slow news week indeed for NewCastleNOW to assign so much space to such a trivial matter.
The bottom line is that you called the police on two 13 year old boys selling cupcakes. Period. You obviously had reasons and thought you were doing the right thing, but your judgment is really to be questioned. When are you up for re-election? This behavior will most certainly be kept in my mind, and hopefully the minds of other parents in this town. I for one want my elected representatives to use better judgment in dealing with such a harmless situation. Your list of the imaginary horrors (nut allergies, etc.) is certainly an excellent attempt to justify what was an overreaction to a minor situation. If you don’t have the judgment to handle something as minor as this, perhaps you should consider resigning - shame on you. You owe those boys an apology.
I support your actions. Laws, rules, and regulations are ignored too often but are there for the protection of all. Children need to understand this and parents need to help them to do so. Congratulations to you and to the parents of the boy who wrote the follow-up letter.
Michael, thank you for your service to New Castle, for bringing the 9/11 Memorial to our town, for supporting our kids in every charity for which they ask your help, for your fiscal responsibility, your stewardship and for coaching the New Castle baseball team to a championship season. You are a fine citizen and a good man. I am proud to have you represent me as a Councilman.
. . .and sometimes “common sense” ought to prevail. Way too much overthinking going on these days.
It seems that Michael Wolfensohn was acting in good faith with good intentions on October 9, 2010. I agree with others who have written in his defense. I think this whole incident has been blown out of proportion by the media. I don’t know how this media representation on CBS radio, where I heard the story, was picked up, but it would have been good for CBS to have contacted Mr. Wolfensohn as well as the families to verify the story before going with it. It seems we often don’t get the whole story on events in the media. Thank you, New Castle Now, for presenting his side of the story. I also appreciate the parents sticking up for their children, but maybe they could have discussed this more thoroughly with Mr. Wolfensohn and the town to get their point of view before going to the media. It seems there are legitimate public concerns for vendors setting up in the park without permission from the town.
I walk in Gedney Park every day and I very much appreciate Councilman’s Wolfensohn intervention. Yes, it was boys selling cupcakes, a Norman Rockwell scene, but, as the councilman writes, what do we want in our parks? Do we follow our own rules and regulations? If the sellers were older and their product less charming, would we care?
Thank you, Councilman Wolfensohn, for following through with your concerns and taking responsibilty.
The parents and children should examine their motives and behavior. They had a lot of fun from all this, as everyone who knows them knows. They may not have meant it to spin out of control like this, but it did. Sorry, Councilman.
Shortly after this story “broke” I got a call inquiring about the details from my sister - in Los Angeles! I proceeded to tell her about the Michael Wolfensohn I was familiar with. The one who had the passion and determination to get a 9/11 memorial built in town long after most of us would have given up in disgust. I didn’t know any details about the cupcake incident, but it didn’t sound like our Wolfensohn. Or maybe he just was having a bad day.
I suspect that many of us (myself included)would have handled the matter similarly, because we would have had the same concerns that Wolfensohn had. That may be unfortunate, but it is the world we live in.
What we can do differently is try to withhold judgment. We are barraged with news from television and the internet that just sounds hard to believe. We need to trust our own instincts instead of rushing to take sides. Wolfensohn gave thoughtful consideration to the matter before acting - that is what I expect from our elected officials. But we should expect it from the media, our neighbors and ourselves as well.
As usual, members of this town are very quick to find fault. How many of us dedicate our time to either improve or care for this town as Michael does? When was the last time someone thanked this man for his hard work? Thank you Michael!
How many of us have reacted to a situation our kids face thinking there are
two (or more) sides to every story rather than rushing to a hasty judgment?
So what happened here? Mike’s story sounds pretty plausible. Too bad so
many people reacted to one side of the story so thoughtlessly and hastily.
Could Mike have handled the situation differently—maybe? Should he and
his family be subjected to threats, ridicule and a forever tarnished
reputation (remember what we all tell our kids about internet postings)
because he tried to do the right thing? Absolutely not! Parents, grow up
————————-
Mike- this is the line that says it all - “So I spoke with Town Supervisor Barbara Gerard, who advised me to call the police”. Shame on both of you. If you and Gerard had this concern why not start with the boys parents. What next, every little girl or boy with a lemonade stand gets busted? What about the treats and snacks handed out during soccer and tee ball games on our town fields. Are you going to send the cops to make sure there are no nuts in the snacks in case an allergic kid gets sick and sues the town because it happened on town fields? Do you really think a couple of kids selling cupcakes at Gedney will lead to as you say “other people selling all kinds of products, not just baked treats”? Do you really think a flea market will appear? I understand your concern but between you and Gerard neither of you thought to return to the boys and ask that their parents be contacted first before the police were called. There is a reason this made the national news - its absurd and a total overreach by local government. We should be able to handle these things as friends, neighbors, and members of the same small community. There is no reason to law enforcement involved.
To “NotbuyingIT”—and YOU say it all by calling this “an overreach by big government.”
The use of the police was perfectly sensible. It’s the parents who alerted the media who should have thought to contact MW instead. Everyone knows none of those kids were “crying all the way home” after that incident. The cops are SUBURBAN cops and know how to be nice. It’s not “overreach by government” and you’re overreaching by calling it that. The fact is that calling the police to pay a visit is NOT any big deal. I’m a grown man and I’d hesitate before risking having a couple of teenagers tell me to shove off and mind my own business.
AND by the way: Lemonade stands DON’T get busted if they’re in their own yards—as they should be.
I’m glad people are sticking up for Michael. People who have contributed as much as he has to this community deserve more than a knee jerk reaction to a poorly reported news story.
I’m disappointed in CBS 880 for not doing a better job of getting all the facts.
It also sounds like the parents and the New Castle Police handled this thoughtfully and intelligently.
As I mentioned in the comments section of a great letter appearing in today’s edition titled “Letter to New Castle Planning Board: Opposition to rezoning of former Reader’s Digest Proposal”, I disagree with anyone who thinks this media created cup cake controversy should impact future elections.
Our community needs to stay focused on Chappaqua Crossing. That’s what will affect my decision re: future elections. And only that.
I think everyone is missing the real issue here. With once a week garbage pick-up looming, these kids may have been the cat’s paw for a movement to stealthily put household garbage in the Gedney trash bins. Wolfensohn, an advocate for reduced garbage pick-up, was just trying to prevent an end-run around the deeply unpopular change. When the Town Board is up for re-election, I will remember his selfless sacrifice for Sustainability.
First, I agree that the tabloid media has been out-of-bounds in bashing Mike Wolfensohn, who clearly meant well and is a dedicated public servant. The tabloids don’t care about the public interest, but are merely trying to stir up exactly the kind of outrage and indignation—a commotion—that has been aimed at Mike and his family. Nor is it productive for those of us who live in New Castle to launch personal attacks against someone who was trying in good faith to do his job.
That said, as someone who has taught adolescents and young adults for 20 years, I think that both Mike and Barbara Gerrard overreacted. As one poster noted, treats with nuts are distributed at soccer and football games; this is not about nuts. Innumerable times, when my students, or other students at the college at which I teach, have been messing at the edge of the rules, I have walked over and said (as an adult), “Guys, what’s up? You know this is not okay.” I do not call the Dean, and I do not call the cops. Not once have I been greeted with a punch in the mouth—or even a “get lost, old lady,” Moreover, I doubt that our kids in New Castle would be so ill-behaved as to diss a town councilman.
Calling the cops—even one cop—wasn’t necessary, and that should be the message to Mike and Barbara Gerrard. Next time, think different; use common sense; don’t treat every rule violation as though it were the occasion for a town meeting. These were kids selling cupcakes, not Walmart moving into Gedney.
Now that the point has been made, people should remember that “over the top” can apply to criticism as well. The point has been made, and it’s time to let Mike and Barbara off the hook, and put this incident to rest.
While I think this has been so blown out of proportion, the judgment of several involved here (other than the police) leave much to be desired. I have to believe that Mr. Wolfensohn knew the boys didn’t have a permit based on their response when he first encountered them. I also question the refernce to Town Supervisor Barbara Gerrard, “who advised me to call the police to see if the boys had a permit.” Did Mr. Wolfensohn do as he was “instructed”—“to see if the boys had a permit”—or were the police just told to investigate. And frankly the judgment of the parents to have their children interviewed and made into a news story also leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Questionable judgment all around. Let’s move past this and deal with the more important issues facing all of us.
TO What World… and you say “The use of the police was perfectly sensible”. What world are you living on? Our Town Supervisor and Town Board member together thought calling the police on 2 children selling cupcakes in the park was appropriate and you think it is perfectly sensible? Here is sensible…go back to the park and ask to speak with their parents. Tell them and their parents that selling cupcakes in a town park is not allowed. Explain to them the problems created like nut allergies and improper use of town property. Politely tell them that they can move their cupcake stand to their front yard. That is sensible. Calling the police is not sensible. It is not appropriate in a small town of friends and neighbors. So yes, to go to the police overreaches the sensible solution. I accept Mike’s remorse and acknowledgement that he could have done things differently. I wish him and his family peace and tranquility. A mistake was made - lets move on and not defend it. I am still waiting to hear from our Supervisor.
It’s interesting to see how sound bites can distort complex and thoughtful decisions and I was very pleased to read Mr. Wolfensohn’s comments on the matter. I think, given the situation and the specifics of the incident, Mr. Wolfensohn acted in a reasonable manner. I have always found him to be earnest, thoughtful and well-intended. His comments on the matter show restraint and foresight. Certainly, no one wants children traumatized and I hope they weren’t. But I can also understand how difficult it can be for a grown man to handle a situation involving minors in a town full of lawyers.
Some good might still come out of all of this. Has anyone considered opening up a table at the Chappaqua Farmers Market where kids from town can sell their homemade goods? Certainly, there must be a way to facilitate this and encourage entrepreneurial spirit in our kids. I hope the town uses this incident as a springboard, not a lynching post.
To “NotbuyingIT”
Over the course of this week, Mike Wolfensohn has been humiliated, subjected to abuse from across the Country and had his reputation irreparably harmed thanks to the bad judgment of a few parents. He could have bad mouthed those few parents who thought 15 minutes of fame for their childrens’ enjoyment was more important than a public figure’s reputation but he took the high road.
Wolfensohn was a conscientious public servant who checked with his “boss” before taking action. He took responsibility for his actions, and then withstood the humiliation & abuse with dignity & class.
The same cannot be said for his boss, Supervisor Barbara Gerrard. Gerrard was the one who suggested that Wolfensohn call the police. Most bosses in that situation would immediately step forward & take responsibility for their action. Not only to protect their subordinate but because it’s the right thing to do. But, Gerrard did & said nothing.
Supervisor Gerrard could have issued a public statement on behalf of the Board explaining what happened and expressing the Board’s support for Wolfensohn. But, she did & said nothing.
Shame on Supervisor Gerrard only, not Mike Wolfensohn.
IT all about the GAZEBO!!! This is Mike and Supervisors way of justifying the $200k Gazebo they approved. You see, we build this thing at Rec Field and we then sell permits to children so they can use the Gazebo to sell cupcakes. It’s all so very brilliant!
I am sure that Board Member Wolfensohn is a fine man, but there was no reason
for him to call the police. I am surprised to learn that Barbara Gerrard encouraged
him to do so.
This was handled so poorly, by the Town first. All falls from that first overreaction.
While it is interesting to hear the details and nice to see all of the support for
Mr. Wolfensohn, it would be better, in my opinion, for him to have taken more responsibility for his actions.
I agree with much of what NotbuyingIT says. I suspected all along that the Supervisor was behind this situation. She has taught her Board members that like her they can and should essentially do what they want, that they own the Town, that they are not answerable to anyone and need not follow simple norms of appropriate behavior. This will not change unless and until there is more diversity of opinion on the Board with people who are not afraid to call the Supervisor on her lack of judgement and attitude toward governance.
I love love love the passion on this post. It’s very small news..but it IS New Castle news and it speaks to our community ethics. I stick by my original thoughts on this subject. Mr. W tried to justify his poor decision by saying, “what if these kids are selling treats with nuts in it?” So if the money were going to charity and they sold a cupcake with nuts in it.. wouldnt you have the same concern? The problem is so clear! We micro manage the minor stuff and ignore the huge issues all too often. I envy Mr.W the time he must have to walk his dogs and scramble to call the police on some local kids. He’s a real hero. Hey, next week I suggest he don a cape and call the police on people who don’t pick up every drop of poo from their dogs! Sorry, Mr. W, but the support you receive from your friends is all that you deserve on this one.
Rules and regulations are important - but so is common sense. And I am not here to attack Mr. Wolfensohn, who has served the Town and Coomunity well for years. However, I am perplexed that two town officials would RISK sending two police officers across town for this trivial “incident.” Instead of the irrational “risk” of turning Gedeney into Wal Mart or spreading peanuts, whyt didnt they consiuder the real “risk” of taking these officers away from potential emergencies - like the mugging that took place on King St last week?? I am appauled that any adult would think this is a better use of law enforcement’s time.
I really don’t think Mr. Wolfensohn exercised very good judgment in this situation. He is a councilman, not a law enforcement officer. He could easily have ignored the young cupcake vendors and waited to see if this became a continuing problem and not a one off incident—or if anyone complained about it. Mr. Wolfensohn overreacted and ought to have the humility to admit he made a mistake.
parents who would contact the media, five weeks after a minor event took place, would not be people i would want to walk up to and tell to close down a cupcake operation. they have had their fifteen minutes of fame and i wonder if it was all worth it. what kind of lessons are they teaching their children regarding flaunting of the rules? i hope there is no lasting negative impact on michael wolfensohn and his family.
Why show this guy compassion? Just having the article shows the he knows he is wrong. How are two kids supposed to have a million dollars of insurance? Since when is a bakesale a crime?
Sounsd like a lot of bad excuses to me.
I am very disappinted with the parents who called the press. They had time to contemplate their actions, and absolutely made a wrong decision.
But I am most disappointed with Supervisor Barbara Gerrard. She was the one who suggested that Wolfensohn call the police but she has not said a peep. She had time to contemplate her response - either issue a statement in support or take some responsibilty - but she did nothing. She let Wolfensohn take the heat, alone. That is just wrong.
Now I know why the Town Board is afraid of being sued by the developer, it’s because Supervisor Barbara Gerrard has no backbone.
I think we should all put this to rest until he is up for re-election. Let your vote express your dissatisfaction with this knucklehead. And please, please stop citing the 9/11 memorial as a testament to this guys good character. We were all affected by that terrible day, particularly those of us who were there and witnessed the horrow first hand. Enough, already!
Come on Mike,
Do you really want us to believe that nuts were on your mind when you called the cops? The only thing nuts was your reasoning. That being said the whole issue was blown out of proportion. The parents are just as much to blame here and I can only hope they were kidding when they said that “the profits were to be used to buy a restaurant some day”.
A quick apology from Mike and this whole nonsense would have been forgotten.
Now about that stupid gazebo…
Let’s focus on the really important issue this town faces—the residential rezoning of the former Reader’s Digest property.
Let us keep our eye trained on the actions of the planning and town boards who are deciding this matter of rezoning of the former RD property right now.
The cupcake issue will soon fade and disappear. The four story apartment buildiings,improper intensity of land use, the blight on the landscape, higher school taxes, bumper to bumper traffic snarls, formidable school tax increases, loss of property values, among many other problems will not go away as this tempest in a teacup will.
If Supervisor Gerard and Councilman Wolfensohn do their job in protecting this community by denyiing the SG application for residential rezoninng, we will not only vote for them, but work for their reelection as will so many of our fellow residents.
Mike Wolfensohn makes an excellent case of what his thinking was at the time. Serving on a board of any institution or community instills in an individual a different perspective and sense of responsibility. Mike viewed the situation as a board member not as a consumer or father. That is what he was elected to do.
And just how many people who did not have their dogs leashed, did you report to the police. Your argument that you were concerned with the safety and health of the park goers is absurd. There is a greater chance of someone getting bitten by a dog than becomming ill from a cupcake. Man up and take responsibility for you actions.
omt. the newspaper that first printed the story had to file papers to obtain wolfensohn’s identity. considering this non-story happened weeks earlier, it makes you wonder “why”? and, one would really have to stop and think twice before calling the police even when you think you’re doing the right thing. it’s enough to make you want to shut your doors, pull down the shades and forever mind your own business.
@ Rob Greenstein. With all due respect Rob, how can you say you disagree with anyone who thinks this media created cup cake controversy should impact future elections. This “cupcake controvesy” exists because a Town Board member contacted our Town Supervisor asking for assistance and advise on how to handle 2 children selling cupcakes. This is about their judgement. First why even get the Supervisor involved? Second, once involved our Town Supervisor told a town board memeber to call the cops - and he did. Shouldn’t their judgement on how they handle things be concidered when it comes time to vote. Not to mention Chapp Crossing, Gazebo, garbage pick-up, etc
I can’t comment on what the town board did or did not do or how they handled it, but it seems to me that the parents of these kids dropped the ball.
If they were responsible parents, instead of just setting up shop, they should have show the boys how to do the job correctly. Lesson 1. Do your research, bring the boys to the town hall and actually inquire what, if anything (permits), is required to avoid issues like they one they experienced. If they had done this, chances are they would have had permission to be there—problem solved. This would have taught the kids to seek out and then follow the rules instead of taking the lazy/easy way out (common in these parts). Lesson 2. This is what can happen when you don’t do your research and play by the rules. This situation was small potatoes but the lesson learned might help the kids avoid a more serious future issue. Of course the success or failure of this lesson will depend on how the parents handle the post incident, which does not appear promising. Shocking !
This story doesn’t make sense. Something else is going on.
a) All of us have walked or drove by thousands of bake sales, lemonade stands, girl scout cookie stands, etc., in our life. How many of us has ever called the police to shut down one of these activities?
b) A person is about to buy a cupcake from a couple of kids in a local park. He declines once he finds out that the cupcake sale is not for charity. He thinks about it a little more and then decides to call the police to shut down the operation.
This is not normal behavior.
Lawrence Farmseast, yes, their judgment should be considered when it comes time to vote. But, I’m keeping my eye on the biggest issue facing our community and the biggest threat to our community. And in that regard I couldn’t agree more with the comment posted by Betty & Leonard Weitz who wrote “If Supervisor Gerard and Councilman Wolfensohn do their job in protecting this community by denying the SG application for residential rezoninng, we will not only vote for them, but work for their reelection as will so many of our fellow residents.”
Let me say this….if Councilman Mike Wolfensohn protects this community by denying the SG application for residential rezoninng I’ll work for his re-election, too. That’s a guarantee. Cupcakes be damned.
And, in an effort to keep our eyes on the ball, I would encourage everyone to read a great letter in today’s edition titled “Letter to New Castle Planning Board: Opposition to rezoning of former Reader’s Digest Proposal”. http://www.newcastlenow.org/index.php/article/new_letter_to_new_castle_planning_board_opposition_to_rezoning_of_form/
While I do not agree with every position Mike Wolfensohn has taken as a member of the Board, I respect and appreciate his commitment to our community. I believe he has been unfairly vilified by the media, and that this whole “story” has been blown way out of proportion.
For those who may criticize Mr. Wolfensohn for taking the matter to the police, I would suspect that there would be others who would criticize him if he had acted differently. If he had spoken with the children directly about the permit issue, some would say that he should have spoken with the parents. And if he had reached out to the parents directly, others would say that he should have called the police (as it’s really their responsibility to enforce the law, isn’t it?). The bottom line, in my opinion, is there is no action he could have taken that wouldn’t subject him to criticism of some sort. And doing nothing might have the undesired effect of opening the town up to arguments of selective enforcement.
Regardless of whether one agrees with Mr. Wolfensohn’s conduct, he does not deserve the unjust treatment he has suffered in the international media (nor should his family have had to endure what has undoubtedly been a difficult week). Hopefully, we can all move on. In my opinion, the are other, far more serious issues that the residents of New Castle and our Town Board should be focused on.
I agree with Lawrence Farmseast, this is all about judgement (or lack thereof). Once again, this is the same judgement that permitted Mr. Buckley to continue on the Chap Crossing matter even though he had an apparent conflict. One poor decision after another.
Something Wrong Here, correction to “he thinks about it a little more and then decides to call the police to shut down the operation.” If you read his letter, he said he “spoke with Town Supervisor Barbara Gerrard, who advised me to call the police to see if the boys had a permit”.
Michael W.
I would like to thank you for your actions. For years I have been telling everyone that New Castle is a terrible place to try and bring your business too. I tell everyone about all the BS The Town of New Castle puts a wide eyed business start up, and just kills their spirit. Even the people at Town Hall have no idea how destructive and backwards they are in promoting growth.
Michael, what you have done is showcase and reveal for all to see the true spirit that Town Hall imposes on everyone. Do us all a favor, please share with us all the names of everyone else at Town Hall that agrees with you so we can tell you all to stay home and do something else. Individuals like you hurt or Community not just over one incident, but over decades.
I have known Michael Wolfensohn for years and know him to a be a person deeply committed to the betterment of this community, particularly for our children. While Michael and I serve on different boards, we are both public servants for New Castle.
I can tell you that Michael has worked actively to find ways for our boards to work together for our community. He is a constant source of ideas and recommendations with respect to improving and/or enhancing our school programs, facilities, fields and the overall experience for our kids.
He has been a terrific colleague and an outstanding advocate for our kids. I believe it unfair to render a complete personal judgment on Michael based on solely a single decision where he has publicly acknowledged his regrets. Michael has a proven history of commitment and service to this community that warrants recognition, respect and our appreciation.
I am sorry that Michael and his family have had to endure the many uncivil personal attacks directed at him. While we must all be accountable for our decisions, I found the personal nature of the public attacks to be unfair and disappointing.
I don’t know about anyone else but I suddenly have a strong craving for cupcakes.
To “garbage in/garbage out”—
you write “Wolfensohn, an advocate for reduced garbage pick-up”
That’s pretty funny.
He’s been the one board member who has advised against going to one pick up.
If Michael Wolfensohn is “the one board member who has advised against going to one pick up,” he may be the only one on the board with good judgment, after all.
What is interesting to me is that the local police have been given a free pass on this incident in both the local and national media. Are they not obligated to exercise some independent judgment rather than rush to follow the inane orders of our civic leaders?
Wolfonsohn states he asked the boys what charity they were selling for. If the they had said the Boy Scouts, the Cancer Society, the Red Cross, Salvation Army or any other of the many worthwhile charities, he would have bought a cupcake and moved on.
Only when he learned they were selling treats for profit did he become concerned about the content of the food.
As far as nuts are concerned there is only on in this story.
Wolfensohn, maybe you should try to explain yourself again. According to the Journal News, you never brought up the Gerrard conversation in three interviews, AND Gerrard denies that she told you to call the police. This story keeps getting better and better—more amusing than Bill and Monica.
It is quite apparent that far too many New Castle residents are greatly lacking, especially in civility. Parents please read the excellent comments above by ontheoutsidelookingin. You might learn something positive to pass on to your children.
Shame on these parents who clearly think rules don’t apply to them or their precious kids and go to great lengths (calling a newspaper!) to make sure everyone knows. When I first read the report that the boy cried all the way home, it seemed clear that either this was a hoax or this boy (and his parent) have bigger emotional problems do deal with. Now though the grapevine I hear that there were no tears but that the mother told the kid to tell the reporter that. If that’s the case, it’s outrageous and disgraceful.
The councilman, being a democrat, was probably just concerned about them not paying taxes. I mean if they don’t have a permit, I’m sure they don’t pay taxes.
The following was taken from the Journal News website.
‘Gerrard characterized the exchange as a “misunderstanding” while denying Wolfensohn’s account of their conversation, in an e-mail to The Journal News today.
“I will say that I never told Mr. Wolfensohn to call the police, but I didn’t say not to either. There was clearly a misunderstanding because in the 11 years I have been on the Town Board I have only called the police twice — once concerning the terrible February storm earlier this year, and two years ago when my mother was dying,” wrote Gerrard. “The entire conversation was no more than three minutes. I will express my apologies to the boys’ families for any misunderstandings, and I know Mr. Wolfensohn certainly did not intend any distress to them as well.”
Read more about this story tomorrow on Lohud.com and in The Journal News.’
Supervisor Gerrard ought to support her fellow Board member Mr. Wolfensohn. These boys, their parents and the friend who broke the story to the Journal News are the ones who ought to be making the apologies.
I know one of the boys involved. He’s a nice 13 year old that I suspect would be capable of tears after being confronted by the police for the infraction of selling cupcakes sans permit. Mr.Wolfensohn acted absurdly and, unfortunately, is paying the price in this viral internet age. Can’t really believe his spin that it was good judgement to call the police on children selling cupcakes in a park.
Remove the children from this experience and imagine coming upon adults selling food and drinks in our parks for profit?
As a parent of a 13 year old in Chappaqua, I’m not so sure that I would let my son and his friends sell anything in a park to complete strangers…
“Parents Behaving Badly(again)” could be the sub-heading for way too many stories/postings these days: Cupcake story called in to the media with extensive parent quotes and photo credits; “too many” cum laude designations likened to AYSO trophies; “imprecise” NYSMA announcements bringing out even more kneecap-smashing thuggery. All under the banner of “We only want the best for our children” or “We value education.” Parents, please check yourselves.
Thank God there are public servants like Mr. Wolfonsohn.
I only wish my town had a similar guardian against the scourge of uninsured, unpermitted rice krispy treats.
Courage, ladies and gentlemen. You’ve just seen it defined.
I truly believe in public discourse. But spewing nastiness hidden behind the cloak of anonymity is not true discourse. I can’t help but think that the vitriol would decrease significantly if New CastleNOW required commenters to sign their names. The facts in this particular story are far less appalling to me than the unfathomable vituperation that has resulted - and not only in this case, but with so many New Castle incidents and articles. I’m ashamed by the disrespect shown in this forum. If you who are submitting these cruel comments aren’t ashamed, then stand behind your words and sign your name.
Build a cupcake factory @ Chappaqua Crossing & let the kids run it.
Lesson learned & a win for all.
(shaking my head) I find it difficult to believe that the man doesn’t have something more significant to worry about.
This is an interesting story and I can see both sides. But has anyone asked themselves : if the boys were in the right, would the policeman have had grounds to intervene? . Clearly this means there is some merit to MW’s course of action. You as a community have devised a body of laws that people need to abide by. Your code is an expression of your community’s desire. Clearly you do not want just anybody selling anything in your parks and it’s easy to understand why.
Of course the police do use their discretion in enforcing the law (sometimes when I wish they wouldn’t!). Perhaps the police should bear some responsibility for the way this was handled too. It’s easy to play Monday morning quarterback, but here’s what I might have done: tell the boys that they need a license to peddle there, and that they should NEXT TIME sell on their own corner, or in front of a business that allows them to set up shop. Then let them finish their day there, but ask them not to come back. This would make it a teachable moment for the boys- and for their parents.
Last winter, my daughters set up a “Hot Chocolate for Haiti” stand, in front of a local business downtown (in Nyack) They asked permission of the owner and raised a good amount of money which we sent to Clinton’s fund to aid relief efforts. There must be a way to channel the boys’ energy in way that complies with your laws. Or change your law to allow children to sell food in the park.
I just cannot imagine how little courage it takes to write a critical note of Michael on this bulletin board and not be willing to put your name on it. How sad that grown men and women, mature adults, in our community of successful professionals make brutal comments about Michael and won’t sign their names to it. Shame on all of you.
