Recent letters to The Day from former reporters Stan DeCoster and Elissa Bass, among others, criticize the newspaper’s policy of posting anonymous comments below stories on its web page. I agree.

Just this month an anonymous commentator said that my daughter, Jane, failed to get permits for the family’s Stone Acres Farm project. Yet, The Day’s local reporter covered her every appearance before Planning and Zoning, and personally observed her getting each and every permit. Copies are stored in Town Hall.

The comment, which was a complete lie, has since been taken down. But the harm to my daughter’s reputation and mine has already been recorded in some minds.

My grandfather was editor and publisher of a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper in Oregon. He signed every editorial RWR for Robert W. Ruhl. His assistant signed EA for Eric Allen. They both stood behind what they said and wrote.

The Day should require that their commentators come out from behind their aliases or stop publishing their libelous gibberish. 

Rob Simmons

First Selectman

Stonington