en

The most cheap copy Van Cleef & Arpelscuff bracelet Don't ignore from zroessgs viesoess's blog

Goodwill Efforts Come Crashing Down

Slander Suit Blames Resident For Rumors

October 16, 1999By ERIC RICH And DWIGHT F.

As Sarah Lynch lay in a coma, her body broken and her family devastated, a scene played out in East Hampton that is familiar everywhere: Canisters bearing Sarah's image appeared in convenience stores, in the checkout aisles of supermarkets, even in the offices of town hall.

Residents dug deep how deep the Lynches can't say to help a grief stricken family recover from tragedy.

It was just common decency,'' said Linda Dzagan, a PTO president and contributor.

But the goodwill that brought this community together has since given way to suspicion, recrimination and bad feelings all around: Was the money properly used? The rumors were stoked when Sarah's father, Tracy Lynch,rolex oyster perpetual lady datejust replica, opened a drive in restaurant, bought a used truck and installed an above ground swimming pool.

Lynch blames the rumblings on local painter Fred Galvin, whom he claims fed a malicious story to a local newspaper reporter. Although Galvin was not quoted in any newspaper account, Lynch holds him responsible for putting the family through another, unnecessary ordeal.

In a slander lawsuit filed this month in Superior Court, Lynch is seeking $1.25 million in damages from Galvin. Tracy Lynch admits he'd be lucky to get a paintbrush from the local contractor, but wants to make his point nonetheless.

He's got a nickname in town,'' Lynch said. You know how there's CNN? They cll him GNN Galvin News Network.''

Lynch and his lawyer, Michael McCabe, don't dispute that some of the money was used for living expenses. Rather, they claim, the account was never intended to cover only medical costs.

The burly and gregarious Galvin denies starting any rumors, but he readily points out they have spread throughout town.

I only heard it,'' Galvin said. The painter said he had been so touched by the tragedy that he donated $50 and equipment for a fund raiser.

Sarah Lynch went home Friday,replica rolex datejust perpetual oyster, finally leaving the Hospital for Special Care in New Britain, where she had stayed since July. Her medical bills are expected to top $250,000, her father said. A state subsidized health plan pays most of the costs.

Part of the bad feelings may be rooted in how the Lynches' plight was first characterized.

Before they learned of the state subsidy, the family and their supporters made it known that the Lynches had no medical insurance and the driver had no car insurance. The canisters, produced and distributed in the first frenzied days after the accident, said the donations would be used for medical expenses.

Within days, the town rallied to help Sarah Lynch.

The Boy Scouts raised money, as did seemingly every other local civic organization. When the town held its Old Home Day parade in July, the Lynch family drove their car among the procession of floats. The community response reminded Tracy Lynch, a self employed landscaper who has been trying to break into the restaurant business, of something out of the television show Touched by an Angel.''

But that changed sometime during the summer, when suspicions grew that Lynch was using the money for expenses unrelated to Sarah's treatment. Fund raising events were canceled, the canisters were pulled and Lynch eventually stopped accepting donations.

Although no one has accused Lynch of doing anything illegal, state law requires that any charitable organization soliciting donations register with the state attorney general's office.

The Lynch family did not do so until Aug. 2, several days after Tracy Lynch announced that the fund would no longer accept donations.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said his office advises people not to give large contributions in cash. The legitimacy of a charitable organization can be confirmed by calling his office, Blumenthal said. The state has no regulations that apply specifically to canisters.

Lynch acknowledged that he bought a cell phone and a pager with donations, but said he only wanted to be accessible to his family.

It's not like I went to Vegas, like I pulled up in a Corvette with a Rolex watch,'' he said.

The pool, he said, was bought on clearance for his daughter's rehabilitation,replica ladies rolex oyster perpetual datejust, and the truck he bought is more than 10 years old. He said no donated money was used for the restaurant,replica rolex oyster perpetual datejust stainless steel, a hot dog and hamburger drive in that opened in September. The lease, Lynch said, was signed a month before his daughter was injured.

I don't live high on the hog,'' Lynch said. The money was just supposed to help us through this.'' Besides, he said, no one instructed him how to use the donations, and he made no promises about how they would be spent.

The Wall

No comments
You need to sign in to comment