The Fairfield Hills Symphony

To the Editor:

When Arturo Toscanini conducted the New York Philharmonic in 1936, it was with the control and dominance of a master. Every player in the orchestra knew the music and they were the finest musicians available, but without the brilliance of Toscanini, their performance would have been just average.

Now we have here in Newtown our First Selectman, Herb Rosenthal, conducting the Fairfield Hills Symphony. It is strangely out of tune, the players perform like rank amateurs, and they fail to capture the audience. Why? Because we have the Harrall-Michalowski duet and the FFH Committee Choir all singing a different tune at the same time. All this because the conductor has changed the program. The audience expected “Quality of Life” but the conductor presented “Office Park-Economic Development.”

When mezzo-soprano Ruby Johnson steps up to the podium, she thrills the audience because of the quality of her message and the fact that the audience believes in her.

It would be great if I could show a flashback to Toscanini at his best, but I can’t What I can do is show the videotape of Mr Rosenthal at the Town Hall meeting on June 6, 2001, when I introduced an alternative spending proposal on FFH. It was absolutely clear at that meeting to all present that the Harrall-Michalowski FFH message was being directed by Conductor Rosenthal.

Now let’s fast forward to last week’s meeting of the Board of Selectmen where Conductor Rosenthal uttered the words, “I could have signed the Ruby Johnson Petition.” Horsefeathers! Ruby’s symphony contained a Cultural Arts Fugue, a Senior Center Concerto, and an authentic Open Space Aria.

The fact is, Herb, that this is the disingenuous type of self-serving statement that the Newtown audience has come to expect of you. We all know that you are the architect of the plan to bring in the bulldozers, commercial tenants, and multifamily housing to FFH.

If Toscanini were conducting the FFH Symphony, he would have the strength of his own convictions and would stand up for his position.

The unfortunate fact is that Toscanini is dead.

What is your excuse, Herb?

Barry J. Piesner

34 Alpine Drive, Sandy Hook                                     March 11, 2003