August 26, 2011
Law Offices of Garrett S. Flynn, LLC
Pondview Corporate Center
74 Batterson Park Road, Second Floor
Farmington, CT 06034-0887
Gentlepeople:
The (attached) cartoon illustration appearing in the editorial section of the Ft Myers News Press, August 26, 2011, exhibits terrible ethical judgment on the part of the News Press editorial staff and its parent corporation Gannett, for it is clearly devoid of any and all respect for the individuals (and their families) injured or killed at the Housing Authority of the City of Ft Myers' (HACFM) low-income properties, and furthermore makes light of the safety concerns of the surrounding communities currently in opposition to a pending apartment complex conversion to likewise low-income public housing next to their elementary school.
We reiterate: In May of this year, 2 children (two and five years old) were shot while caught in the crossfire of a shootout at Sabal Palm apartments, a low-income housing project managed by the HACFM, and less than 2 years ago a man was shot and killed there in front of a school bus containing his 2 children. In March a passing car with a baby inside was hit by the crossfire of a shootout. At Palmetto Court, another HACFM property, a man was shot this past February, and a drive-by shooting occurred there 2 years ago. In 2009 a man was shot at Southward Village, the third low-income site managed by the HACFM.
Just last night, Lenin Florian was found guilty of Manslaughter in the August 2009 shooting death of Daniel Hernandez outside Sabal Palm Apartments, referenced above.
These are not isolated incidents, and it is a matter of public record that additional crime such as manslaughter, assault, drug offenses, robbery and beyond also occur at each of the HACFM's low income properties.
Moreover, in light of the above, our communities' concern for the safety of the 700 children enrolled at our Tanglewood Elementary School, directly adjacent to which the HACFM is currently developing another low-income project, can hardly be characterized as founded upon "suspicion."
As such, the communities of Tanglewood, Whiskey Creek, Carillon Woods and Cedar Bend of Ft Myers, Florida request (appearing in equal visibility both in print and the online versions of the Ft Myers News Press) a clarification that our communities' interests are directed toward the preservation of the children's safety at Tanglewood Elementary School and that our concerns are based upon the track record of violent crime at each one of the HACFM's existing low-income properties.
Furthermore, in what appears to represent media bias, a Ms. Martha Hill of the News-Press has repeatedly refused to publish (not to mention failed to acknowledge and advise our community as to the status of) our editorial submissions, while having immediately published content that is contrary to our position.
Please advise.
Sincerely,
33919 United
http://www.33919united.com/
The News Press does not care about the interests of our communities - don't read it.
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