Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Wrentham Chief Seeks Blog Probe (of Free Republic )
The Sun Chronicle ^ | Friday, February 9, 2007 | Michael Gelbwasser and Stephen Peterson

Posted on 02/09/2007 8:13:33 PM PST by kristinn

WRENTHAM - Police Chief Joseph Collamati has asked Norfolk County District Attorney William Keating to investigate allegations a town police officer may have posted information on an Internet blog critical of selectmen.

Collamati said Thursday the allegations, discussed in open session by selectmen at the end of their meeting Tuesday night, "demeans the reputation of everybody here" in the police department.

The police chief wants the district attorney's office to conduct an independent investigation.

"Quite frankly, I was a little disturbed by the allegations. I don't think they're true," Collamati said. "The officers of the Wrentham police department feel their character has been assassinated."

Collamati said individuals calling themselves "Little Bill" and "Guinness Boy" made the negative comments on a blog on Feb. 23, 2005.

The blog's address, www.freepublic.com/focus/f-news, now leads to MegaGo.com, which offers a "one click search" of keywords.

Collamati said he had done a preliminary look at the text.

"I don't see anything in there that refers to a Wrentham police officer, but politics does strange things," Collamati said.

Selectmen say they heard a police officer had used the name "Guinness Boy," but hadn't confirmed that.

"They were making fun of John Zizza and Mary Dunn and me," said Selectwoman Jennifer Firth, who raised the issue at the selectmen's meeting at the urging of board member Richard Dion. "It was concerning the election" of April 2005, and ideas being bantered about on how to unseat Greg Pazurchek.

Pazurchek ended up being defeated by George Labonte, who has a relative on the police department. Firth, who had been on the board since before 2005, won another term last year. Dunn and Zizza were selectmen during 2005.

Labonte pointed out at the selectmen's meeting that anybody can say they are anyone on a blog.

Firth called the Internet site a "political blog written on a left wing Web site, Free Republic," which included a chat room.

Firth said she has no problem with referral of the case to the district attorney's office.

"We certainly welcome him to do so, and file any complaint he would like to," Firth said of the police chief.

Information about the blog text was left anonymously at the selectmen's office, and that was forwarded by Dunn to Collamati for investigation, Firth said.

The matter was later discussed by selectmen in closed session.

Firth said Dion, who resigned at the end of the selectmen's meeting for personal reasons, wanted the blog issue discussed in open session against her wishes.

"There was no reason to put it in a public political forum," Firth said, adding she questions the credibility of blogs. "I thought it was inappropriate. You don't know who the people are who are actually chatting."

Selectmen and police officers have not had a smooth a relationship in recent years, and that worsened with budget reductions this fiscal year that led to layoffs of two patrolmen, one position of which has been restored.

There has also been controversy over improving public safety communications coverage in the west end.

In recent months, selectmen have discussed accountability and discipline procedures of police officers and firefighters with Collamati and Fire Chief Robert Morrill, but there have been no serious problems with the rank and file.

"I greatly respect the police department and think they are doing a great job for the town," Firth said. "I have nothing negative to say."


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Massachusetts
KEYWORDS: chatroom; collamati; gelbwasser; gregpazurchek; imconfused; jenniferfirth; johnzizza; marydunn; pazurchek; peoplesrepublictown; richarddion; stephenpeterson; sunchronicle; williamkeating; wrentham; zizza
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 121-140141-160161-180 ... 261-270 next last
To: kristinn
I found the District Attorney's web site. Man, it looks like we're in big trouble for making fun of those local politicians -


141 posted on 02/09/2007 11:34:01 PM PST by HAL9000 (Get a Mac - The Ultimate FReeping Machine)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sionnsar

touché


142 posted on 02/09/2007 11:42:24 PM PST by Mia T (Stop Clintons' Undermining Machinations (The acronym is the message.))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: sionnsar
Can we sue for defamation?

I don't know if mind bending stupidity is actionable.
143 posted on 02/09/2007 11:47:27 PM PST by Dr.Zoidberg (Mohammedanism - Bringing you only the best of the 6th century for fourteen hundred years.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: freedomfiter2
They must have clicked onto a Rudy thread.

Now THAT'S gonna leave a mark...lol...

144 posted on 02/10/2007 12:01:10 AM PST by EternalVigilance ("With Republicans like these, who needs Democrats?")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: kristinn
" "They were making fun of John Zizza and Mary Dunn and me," said Selectwoman Jennifer Firth,"

LOL! nay, nay, nay, nay, nay. Call the police! Get the Chief! The Fire Chief too!

What'd they say, "Zizza Dun Jennifer Firth!"?

145 posted on 02/10/2007 12:05:10 AM PST by spunkets
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freedomfiter2
They must have clicked onto a Rudy thread.

LOL! That's < exactly > what I was thinking. ;o)

146 posted on 02/10/2007 12:33:42 AM PST by NRA2BFree (DUNCAN HUNTER FOR PRESIDENT IN 2008! HE IS AN HONEST CONSERVATIVE!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: HAL9000

Is it just me or is that guy flipping the bird in his picture?


147 posted on 02/10/2007 1:01:55 AM PST by Straight Vermonter (It takes a school to bankrupt a village.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 141 | View Replies]

To: Rodney King
Jennifer Firth, John Zizza, and Mary Dunn are a bunch of bucked-tooth morons.

I second the motion... and if they think this is some left wing site... well I triple the motion.

148 posted on 02/10/2007 1:10:28 AM PST by LowOiL (Paul wrote, "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil" (Rom. 12:9))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 59 | View Replies]

To: kristinn

Our ruling class of political elites does not appreciate not being able to control the internet.


149 posted on 02/10/2007 1:13:30 AM PST by mysterio
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kristinn

Copy. On it.


150 posted on 02/10/2007 2:01:26 AM PST by happinesswithoutpeace (You are receiving this broadcast as a dream)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: kristinn

Bump for later


151 posted on 02/10/2007 2:04:50 AM PST by Balding_Eagle (If America falls, darkness will cover the face of the earth for a thousand years.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Straight Vermonter

He is flipping us off dude.


152 posted on 02/10/2007 2:07:28 AM PST by happinesswithoutpeace (You are receiving this broadcast as a dream)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 147 | View Replies]

To: Taichi

I don't know, but if their is something out here that is further right of us I would be shocked. Yes shocked I tell you. LOL. Amen.


153 posted on 02/10/2007 2:17:01 AM PST by gakrak ("A wise man's heart is his right hand, But a fool's heart is at his left" Eccl 10:2)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: HAL9000

you are the bomb


154 posted on 02/10/2007 2:30:40 AM PST by KC Burke (Men of intemperate minds can never be free...their passions forge their fetters.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 141 | View Replies]

To: kristinn
Now the police chief (Joseph Collamati Jr.) who demanded the "blog probe" has announced he's leaving his position -

Wrentham chief set to step down

155 posted on 02/10/2007 2:35:29 AM PST by HAL9000 (Get a Mac - The Ultimate FReeping Machine)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sionnsar
Where is this Worthleness township?

Must be close to that muckdiving Democrat sewer known as the Gansta Paradise New Jerzerzey or up in the Northeast.

Please help me as I have fallen and can not get up and it is obvious these Mongoloid politicians need help.
156 posted on 02/10/2007 2:42:14 AM PST by OKIEDOC (Kalifornia now a certified socialist state reporting to Mexico City for further instructions)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: sionnsar

FR IS a left wing site considering the media keeps telling me about how dangerous the "far right" is.

The people on FR do not pose a threat so I can only imagine how far to the right the dangerous ones must be.


157 posted on 02/10/2007 2:46:26 AM PST by weegee (No third term. Hillary Clinton's 2008 election run presents a Constitutional Crisis.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: nopardons

Reminds me of an article in the Nation claiming that GW Bush owned the Houston Astros and palled with Ken Lay to build the Astros' ballpark.

When they were informed the Bush owned the Arlington Texas Rangers, the article was changed to say that Bush palled with Ken Lay to build the Rangers ballpark.

They finally scrapped the attempt at linking the 2 guys when it was pointed out that Ken Lay worked with the city (Dems) to build the Astros a new ballpark downtown in Houston. And that GW Bush owned a team in another city that did not buld another NEW park, let alone using Ken Lay's influence.


158 posted on 02/10/2007 2:51:15 AM PST by weegee (No third term. Hillary Clinton's 2008 election run presents a Constitutional Crisis.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 118 | View Replies]

To: darkangel82
Appropriately enough, one of the writers' last names is Gelbwasser, which means "yellow water" in German.

And the other one's maiden name was "Votzgesicht."

< };^)

(I try to make up ridiculous names in German, only to find out I've been beaten to the punch 26,344 times.)

159 posted on 02/10/2007 3:04:35 AM PST by Erasmus (Zwischen des Teufels und des tiefen, blauen, Meers.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 123 | View Replies]

To: kristinn

how very, very embarrassing for the journalists who wrote this story.


160 posted on 02/10/2007 3:17:28 AM PST by Int (Sins of the media: exaggeration and oversimplification)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 121-140141-160161-180 ... 261-270 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson