Well if calling works, that's what I will do. I have sent out 3 articles through the Reminder News.com on the Speak out section. NONE WHICH THEY WILL PUBLISH. Basically stating that if a person has not picked up last weeks reminder news from the end of the driveway why would the delivery staff keep piling up their news papers week after week. IE: BURNS AVE ENFIELD, CT Most people on that street do not care about the reminder news and lots of them end up in the city drains. The reminder news is littering plain and simple.

you would think the advertizers would do something .The adds are not getting to a lot of people.

Thank you for contacting the Town of Enfield. The Town has investigated this issue previously and has learned that the distriution of newspapers, circulars, and flyers are protected as free speech under the US Constitution. The only recorse a homeowner has it to call the company and request that delivery be stopped. If that doesn't work the homeowner could take legal action againt the company. This is probably not the answer you were looking for but unfortunately there is nothing more the Town can do.

Record closed.

Peter... I feel that this is the message you're sending out.... So the next time a taxpayer has an issue, they can print up a bunch of flyers detailing their complaint and - week after week - throw them on the front lawn of the town hall! Freedom of Speech! That will be the defense against any type of littering, harassment, creating a public disturbance or breach of peace charge..... Anyone may reference your post as evidence that this type of behavior is not only condoned by our town officials, but protected under the first amendment as well! C'mon....of course I'm being facitious..... what we are asking is that publications such as "The Reminder News" do not PILE UP their papers in front of homes that are obviously vacant, uninterested or too darn lazy to clean them up! The problem is, publications such as "The Reminder News" seem to bear no responsibilty for their litter. How about... if the town takes note of a "build up" of a particular publication in front of a residence or business, then that publication should be held accountable to clean up their mess! I find it sad that this issue was closed without any "outside of the box thinking"....

This issue was fowarded to our Town Attorney's office to determine what actions could be taken to address the delivery of unwanted publications. Here is part of the statement we received back:

"Home delivery of such materials has been held to be protected under the First Amendment to the United State Constitution. In Schneider v. New Jerey, 308 U.S. 147 (1939) the Court held that the outright ban on the distribution of such materials in the streets by a municipality violates the Constitution. The Court further followed up with the case of Martin v. City of Struthers, Ohio, 319 U.S. 141 (1943) abd held that the First Amendment prohibits the banning of such materials from house to house."

Therefore the Town has no legal standing to demand that companies like Reminder News to stop delivery to certain locations. The only recourse we have is to enact the Property Maintenaice Ordinance and notify the property owners to clean up publications which have built up over time. The Town has done this in several cases where properties are vacant and debris has gathered creating a blighted situation.

If you want to repoert a case of blight you can do so through the See Click Fix system.

Thank you.

Peter Bryanton
Director of Community Development
860-253-6387

Peter no that is not the answer . the below statement is.
Peter... I feel that this is the message you're sending out.... So the next time a taxpayer has an issue, they can print up a bunch of flyers detailing their complaint and - week after week - throw them on the front lawn of the town hall! Freedom of Speech! That will be the defense against any type of littering, harassment, creating a public disturbance or breach of peace charge..... Anyone may reference your post as evidence that this type of behavior is not only condoned by our town officials, but protected under the first amendment as well! C'mon....of course I'm being facitious..... what we are asking is that publications such as "The Reminder News" do not PILE UP their papers in front of homes that are obviously vacant, uninterested o r too darn lazy to clean them up! The problem is, publications such as "The Reminder News" seem to bear no responsibilty for their litter. How about... if the town takes note of a "build up" of a particular publication in front of a residence or business, then that publication should be held accountable to clean up their mess! I find it sad that this issue was closed without any "outside of the box thinking"....

Unfortunately the Property Maintenance Ordinance is our only legal recourse at this time.

We are not saying stop them from delievering the paper. We just want them to be responable in the way it is delievered.