6.02.2006

Pat Hannon, Crystal Lake, and the law

I used to think that Pat Hannon was a selfish, whining jerk. I mean, riding a snowmobile on Crystal Lake in Newton Center? Demanding that the swimming hole be shut down, because of some alleged infringement upon his property rights? Come on!

But I have to admit, the guy has a lot of pluck, and has to be admired for standing up to Newton City Hall, far past the point where other mortals would have given up.

Photo of Crystal Lake swimming area, from Newton ConservatorsAnd it now turns out that he has something else on his side, that's even more powerful than City Hall: State environmental law. He has been directly responsible for uncovering several environmental no-nos that the City of Newton apparently hoped no-one would ever notice, including arsenic-filled lumber in a retaining wall at the lake's recreation area, and problems with a circulation pump used at the swimming hole.

I know a lot of people wish that Hannon would just go away. But regardless of his motivations, the City of Newton has to follow the law, too.

See also:


Newton's CPA Astroturf Scandal


Gee, Who Forgot to Turn Out The Lights?

5 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

I think Hannon would do ANYTHING to keep his name in the paper and the lake all to himself. Try to explain to the kids that use the lake every day why they can't. Because one selfish asshole is keeping them from access by making up things that may or many not be true. I'm not a Mayor Cohen fan by any means, but I wish he would just take over hannon's property by eminent domain and make him move to his OTHER property on the lake. Us poor folks with rental property need to cool down in the summer and we can't afford pools.

10:23 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What about poorer kids from Brighton and Waltham, who aren't eligible for season passes and certainly can't pay the $10 daily nonresident admission fee?

5:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hannon is a Selfish, whining Jerk.Why do you think he took part of the lakes swimming area, in exchange for letting the CITY fix his wall (or something alon those lines)?
Sure the city has been braking environmental laws, but so has Hannon, he owns some type of environment company, which ignored some important laws.
In short, I think he's just a power/attention hungry idiot who thinks he owns the earth. When speaking to the tab, instead of saying he wouldn't be moving out of his house (like a normal person would), he reffered to his family as THE HANNON Family.

6:08 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree with the guy who posted before me. Pat Hannon is most likely also breaking some property laws, by letting his house fall apart and decay. Judging frome evidence in the post aboove he is a total hypocrit (And a stupid head).

6:58 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

They were not letting him do anything to his properety he said he would fix the wall after he built his new house so the wall would look nice with it and one of his dreams when he was a Kid was to live On crystal lake and U guys crushed it

11:54 AM  

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