DUBLIN, IRELAND (May 18, 2025) — Last week, I posted a picture of myself in my driving instructor’s car after finishing my six required driving lessons. This allowed me to log into Ireland’s National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) and book a driving test at the testing center closest to
DUBLIN, IRELAND (May 18, 2025) — The appeal in Michael Vaccaro’s gripping legal battle to overturn his termination by the New Rochelle Police Department has reached a critical juncture: with the final brief filed on May 8, 2025, all submissions are now in the hands of the Appellate Division, Second
NEW ROCHELLE, NY (May 14, 2025) — The City of New Rochelle heard last week from the Energy Justice Law and Policy Center to present air quality study results on May 6, 2025, highlighting the need for solutions to health issues caused by poor air quality in disadvantaged communities, particularly near
This article is for premium subscribers. I wrote it assuming you’ve read the related articles mentioned below. If you haven’t, it might not make full sense without that context. Over the past year, I have been hearing from readers, or from gossip around City Hall, or on social
DUBLIN, IRELAND (May 11, 2025) — I have waited patiently to respond to the efforts by New Rochelle City officials to suppress my reporting — and to file a notice of copyright infringement against their lawyer. Saturday, May 10 was the 6-month anniversary of the City Council approving a recommendation by the
NEW ROCHELLE, NY (May 10, 2025) — Six months ago today, on December 10, 2024, the New Rochelle City Council acted on a recommendation from City Manager Wilfredo Melendez, based on a self-serving, illegal memo written by Corporation Counsel Dawn Warren, to approve an unlimited budget to investigate me and fund
Words in Edgewise is operated from Ireland by Robert Cox, but the content on the site primarily focuses on reporting in the United States and is intended for a U.S.-based audience. DUBLIN, IRELAND (May 10, 2025) — I was recently made aware that I failed to update my terms
NEW ROCHELLE, NY (May 9, 2025) —When Mayor Yadira Ramos delivered her second annual State of the City Address at New Roc City on Thursday, May 8, she announced a new mobile app that will let residents report non-emergency issues like potholes and graffiti by snapping a photo and geolocating
DUBLIN, IRELAND (May 9, 2025) — I asked GrokAI to analyze the State of the City address by New Rochelle Mayor Yadira Ramos on May 8, 2025 and determine the prioritization of topics based on word count. Grok categorized the speech into key topics and calculated the word count for each.
NEW ROCHELLE, NY (May 7, 2025) — The corruption involving the New Rochelle Board of Ethics is at the root of all my recent efforts to uncover records about its operations and the city’s handling of ethics disclosures. I complained long and loud when I learned of a conspiracy to
Over the past year I have been reporting extensively on bad behavior by a select group of administrators and elected officials. I want to make it clear that with well over 600 employees, these rotten apples represent a very small fraction of the people on the City payroll. I am
DUBLIN, IRELAND (May 4, 2025) — This newsletter is called Words in Edgewise for a reason— it is a platform for me to share my opinions and personal observations as opposed to straight news coverage like on Talk of the Sound. Often that entails commentary on news in Westchester — and sometimes
NEW ROCHELLE, NY (May 4, 2025) — I’m sounding the alarm on a New Rochelle council member’s reckless proposal to rig the city’s contract bidding process, a plan I see as a constitutional trainwreck that could fleece taxpayers by sidelining the best-value bidders. At the April 15 city
Reflecting on my 1995 trip to Saigon, I realized how much time had eroded my memories—30 years had left them hazy at best. When I began sorting through my photos, I faced a challenge: I couldn’t recall the details of what I was looking at. Many signs were
I purchased a set of postcards while in Saigon which includes some places I went and some I did not. These postcards offer an interesting glimpse into Saigon at the time I visited in 1995. Videos Looking Back on the Fall of Saigon, April 30, 1975 https://youtu.be/SOoR6m5RpeA?
Limited American Presence on April 1995 In April 1995, the number of Americans in Vietnam was very low due to the lack of diplomatic relations, travel restrictions, limited tourism infrastructure, and the political climate. Those Americans who were present were likely there for specific purposes—business, journalism, humanitarian work, or
On April 30, 1995, I met the translator for breakfast at a café, Saigon was vibrant with Reunification Day energy. Afterwards, a woman tried selling me a Coke for $1; the translator took her to task and they were soon yelling at each other. He said a Coke only costs
My dinner hosts of Friday departed early Saturday morning for a holiday I did not see them again. I was put in touch with a young American guy who worked as a translator and paralegal for the same firm. So, on Saturday, April 29, I explored Saigon, some on my
My journey began with a Vietnam Airlines flight from Bangkok, passing over Cambodia—which I avoided during my time in Southeast Asia due to an active Khmer Rouge kidnapping for ransom threat—and landing at Tan Son Nhat Airport on April 28, 1995. Young soldiers carrying AK-47s, most born after