THE SENIOR MEN'S CLUB OF NEW CANAAN
Minutes of the Regular Meeting of September 13, 2002
President Bob Witt opened the business meeting at 10:02 on a glorious September morn with 127 members present. Total SMC membership is now 500, with 36 waiting. We welcomed guests Bob Riggs and John Paws, and Dick Bond briefed us concerning damage from Wednesday's windstorm. At its peak, 40+% of homes were without power; as of 10:00 AM Friday, 299 homes remain so. Aid is being brought to those in need, particularly the elderly, and full power restoration is expected Saturday.
Concerns and Announcements: Frank Perron remains in serious condition at Sloan-Kettering and is unable to receive phone calls at present. Paul Strassman has taken on a new and important full time job in Washington, this at age 73. Those "100 old" for challenging work take note. Joe Riggs announced there would be a community sing held Sunday at 5:00 at the Darien town hall.
Activities: George Delage said bowling proceeds, but not in newsworthy fashion. Bridge will play at Lapham today and weekly thereafter. 4F's will indeed dine at the Darien CC, on Friday the 27th. The final two golf dates are September 16th at Ridgefield and October 16th at NCCC. Racquetball has become exclusive to the point of non-existence, but tennis players abound and proliferate. The latter will enjoy their year-end party October 9th at Lapham. Trailblazers will visit Constitution Island on September 26th, 30 hikers will be the maximum limit.
Couth: Signups for Belmont on September 191h eroded even beyond the previous unacceptable number, so the trip has been canceled. Next year a different venue will probably replace it. The October and November events are overbooked, as is the December 5th trek to Newport. The beginning of the 2003 schedule will appear shortly, but only about three months in advance.
Resident Humorist: John Berg illustrated how, within the context of depilatory usage, the word "schnauzer" means different things to different people.
Speaker: Lee Hindenach introduced Leonard Levitt, investigative reporter for Newsday and other papers previously, as well as author, educator and Peace Corps volunteer. Len recounted his investigations into the Skakel case, starting in 1982, 7 years after the murder of Martha Moxley. A previous halting investigation had focused on a tutor, Ken Littleton, with no result other than to ruin his life. Mr. Levitt filed an FOI complaint and got some of the early files, with notable gaps. He delved into the dysfunction of the Skakel family, the violent temperaments of both Michael and Tommy Skakel, and the nebulous nature of their alibis. He found no police coverup, but lots of incompetent investigation. And he wrote an article, which his editors refused to publish until 1991. This article led to reopening the case and eventually to an investigative report, commissioned by the Skakels, which seemed to lead back to the brothers. This in turn led to another Levitt article, investigation by a competent detective named Frank Gaff, and eventual indictment and trial of Michael.
In response to questions Len reviewed some of the pressures which might impede a town police force in investigating prominent citizens, and he opined that the whole story was not over yet, with appeal highly likely. He also felt that defense attorney Mickey Sherman, a previous speaker at SMC on the same subject, had damaged his reputation by losing a case, based entirely on circumstantial evidence, which he should have won. In summary, Mr. Levitt's vivid lecture gave us a different and fascinating perspective on a drama which has drawn worldwide interest.
Peter Schurman - Assistant Secretary