When the Army comes back to Middletown on Tuesday, it will be with a show of scrambled eggs and epaulets of some of the Army's top brass. Bringing a war hero to town to plea the pathetic case the Army has made so far is a typical Pentagon public relations move.
I've heard unconfirmed reports, which I tried to confirm with Congresswoman Rosa Delauro's office yesterday (my call was not returned), that Army Secretary Pete Geren has written a long letter to Rosa Delauro saying that the Army will reinitiate a site search in Middletown based on the Governor's realignment of the base realignment. Rell, as commander-in-chief, has asked the Army to remove the New London guard base from the consolidation, creating a smaller base footprint. Hence, the Army Reserve Training Center needs less acreage, and perhaps a smaller site can be found.
If the Army refuses to build on a brownfield, I think Middletown should ask the Army to look elsewhere.
The meeting is Tuesday, August 19, 6:30 pm in Council Chambers. Apparently in another attempt to keep information from the public, it is for invited guests only. Westfield residents have been invited, but not other concerned residents.
