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Monday, July 28, 2008

07/27/08 Himes And Whitnum Will Debate Tonight At 9pm On Cablevision's News 12 Channel


Jim Himes is facing a primary challenge by fellow Greenwich resident Lee Whitnum. The two will face each other in the Democratic primary on Aug. 12. The winner will run against Shays in November.

The debate, Whitnum says, will allow residents to see her realistic perspective versus what she calls Himes’ “Wall Street type.”

Whitnum, who was able to gather the 2,459 signatures required to force a primary runoff, believes her position as the “people’s candidate” will help her in the vote on Aug. 12.

However, most political observers say that the Rhodes scholar and former Goldman Sachs vice president will defeat Whitnum in August.

Then it will be a dead heat between Chris Shays and Jim Himes.

CQ: Shays Vs. Himes Could Turn Into Dead Heat

Hartford Courant

Congressional Quarterly's political site, CQ Politics, handicaps every one of the congressional races, and they have made a switch today in Connecticut's 4th District. They changed their rating from "leans Republican" to "no clear favorite." (And they aren't the only analysts who have called the race a "toss up.")

"Leans Republican" would signify a slight advantage for incumbent Rep. Chris Shays. "No clear favorite" suggests Democratic challenger Jim Himes might be sneaking up.

Both candidates have certainly put up good fund-raising numbers so far in this campaign season. Each of them has passed the $2 million mark.

But CQ has a theory about Bridgeport: Because of this year's presidential election, there will be more voter turnout in the city, which is expected to favor Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama. While those voters are at the polls, the analysts figure, they'll put their mark next to Himes, as well.

(Himes' campaign was quick to put out a press release pointing out CQ's new assessment.)

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07/28/08 Greenwich Time Reporting Is So Bad You Can't Even Read Between The Lines To Figure Things Out (Update: AP Coverage) NYT Will Probably Be Next


Blogger Bill Clarke At Greenwich Gossip Likes To Call The Greenwich Time The Yellowich Time. However, We Think A Better Name For The Greenwich Time Might Be The Green Slime, Because Some Members Of Greenwich Society Get To Avoid Newspaper Scrutiny.

HEADLINES:


Football Payers Stage Four Attacks On The Home Of Coach Tarantino And His Wife Who Are Greenwich School Faculty Members

Cos Cob Family Worries That They Will Continue Being Targeted By Wealthy Juvenile Delinquents Who Play On A Winning Football Team

Angry Coach Chases Car Containing Football Captains Riscica & DeVico and other Riverside Players At High Speeds From Cos Cob To The New York Boarder.

Greenwich Football Coach Forced To Resign Because He Chased Spoiled Football Brats, And Endangered Lives On The Residential Streets Of Greenwich?


Rank Has Privilege: Football Vandals Get Slap On The Wrist And Will Not Miss A Game On Greenwich High School's Winning Team


QUOTE:

"In our community: The way an athlete acts in our community is very important. As an athlete, she/he shall respect the rights of others and represent our team, our school and the Town of Greenwich with dignity". - GHS code of conduct handbook

NOW PLEASE READ NEIL VIGOR'S "SO CALLED" NEWS STORY AND SEE IF THE GREENWICH TIME DELIVERS ALL THE FACTS:

More penalties for GHS players

By Neil Vigdor
Staff Writer

Article Launched: 07/28/2008 01:00:00 AM

Calling it a "black eye" for the program," Greenwich High School Headmaster Al Capasso said yesterday that several Cardinals football players arrested and charged with throwing eggs at an assistant coach's house have received stiff punishment by GHS for their misconduct.

Capasso declined to elaborate on the specific form of punishment, but said it was in addition to the athletic sanctions handed down by the team.

"It certainly does not put the program in a good light," Capasso said. "However, the program involves 100 students and it's extremely unfortunate that these students chose to do this."

According to a police report, five youths were arrested July 6 and charged with third-degree criminal mischief and third-degree conspiracy to commit criminal mischief for egging the vehicles parked at the home of Phil Tarantino on Bible Street in Cos Cob on several different occasions. The names of the youths were withheld because they are under 18.

The incident, reported by Tarantino to police, led to the resignation of the wide receivers coach from the perennial powerhouse Cardinals.

No one answered the door at Tarantino's home yesterday. Tarantino, who remains a physical education teacher at Western Middle School and an assistant GHS baseball coach, has declined to comment on the situation.

On the Cos Cob street where he lives, Tarantino's neighbors condemned the incident.

"I feel sorry for them," said Eliana Manriquez, who lives next door to Tarantino and his ife. "It's about time to be strong with these kids. For them, it's a joke. These kids have no brains."

Chuck Perta, who also lives next door, said the couple are good neighbors.

"They're lovely people," Perta said.

Neither of the next door neighbors said they heard or saw anything when the incident took place.

Tarantino reported the license plate number of the vehicle driven by the teens, police said. The teens were scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Stamford July 16.

Messages seeking comment were left yesterday for both of the team's current co-captains, who were not involved in the incident.

Capasso said it was rare for the school to mete out punishment for misconduct that occurs while students are away on summer vacation.

"That very rarely happens, but I do feel this is justified because it was an attack on a faculty member," Capasso said. "I treated this as if it was done to any teacher, not necessarily a coach."

The headmaster also sought to dispel rumors, circulating in town and on the Internet, that the players were simply required to run laps for their roles in the incident.

"I'm upset that people would assume that because they are football players we look the other way," Capasso said. "We purposely are careful not to apply a double-standard."

Capasso, who characterized the motive for the incident as a "prank," would not say whether any of the players will miss any games because of the incident.

In the history of the GHS football program, the Cardinals have won a league-best 12 Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference titles to go along with their state-best seven CIAC Class LL championships.

Rich Albonizio, the head football coach, has said that those arrested have lost some privileges because of the incident.

COMMENTS:

Why does the Niel Vigdor always give Alan Capasso and the Greenwich School System a free ride?

All of this happened July 6th and after nearly a month ago and Neil Vigdor And The Greenwich Time still can't deliver the full story?

What happened to the "honor code" go to the Greenwich High School website and read the Cardinal Rules for the school, and the Athletic Code of Conduct. The boys have been arrested, there are consequences that are REQUIRED by the code(s) of conduct, and they should be enforced.

No teacher or anyother family should have to worry about being a repeated target for vandals.

These star football players are a disgrace to the school and the community.

Please read Niel Vidgor's previous so-called news articles and see if you learn anything of attacks on the homes of faculty members or high speed chases through the streets of Greenwich......

More penalties for GHS players

By Neil Vigdor
Staff Writer

Calling it a "black eye" for the program," Greenwich High School Headmaster Al Capasso said yesterday that several Cardinals football players arrested and charged with throwing eggs at an assistant coach's house have received stiff punishment by GHS for their misconduct.

Capasso declined to elaborate on the specific form of punishment, but said it was in addition to the athletic sanctions handed down by the team.

"It certainly does not put the program in a good light," Capasso said. "However, the program involves 100 students and it's extremely unfortunate that these students chose to do this."

According to a police report, five youths were arrested July 6 and charged with third-degree criminal mischief and third-degree conspiracy to commit criminal mischief for egging the vehicles parked at the home of Phil Tarantino on Bible Street in Cos Cob on several different occasions. The names of the youths were withheld because they are under 18.

The incident, reported by Tarantino to police, led to the resignation of the wide receivers coach from the perennial powerhouse Cardinals.

No one answered the door at Tarantino's home yesterday. Tarantino, who remains a physical education teacher at Western Middle School and an assistant GHS baseball coach, has declined to comment on the situation.

On the Cos Cob street where he lives, Tarantino's neighbors condemned the incident.

"I feel sorry for them," said Eliana Manriquez, who lives next door to Tarantino and his wife. "It's about time to be strong with these kids. For them, it's a joke. These kids have no brains."

Chuck Perta, who also lives next door, said the couple are good neighbors....

GHS assistant football coach resigns after players vandalize his car

By Neil Vigdor
Staff Writer

A Greenwich High School assistant football coach has quit after several of his players were arrested for throwing eggs at his cars, athletic officials said.

Phil Tarantino, who worked as a receivers' coach for the perennial powerhouse Cardinals, has resigned from the team, said Gus Lindine, the school's athletic director.

"He has decided to step down," Lindine said yesterday.

Lindine confirmed that "several football team members were involved in the situation" but declined to elaborate, referring questions about the matter to Tarantino.

Messages seeking comment from Tarantino, who lives on Bible Street in Cos Cob, were left yesterday and Thursday at his home.

According to a police report, five youths were arrested July 6 and charged with third-degree criminal mischief and third-degree conspiracy to commit criminal mischief for egging the vehicles parked at Tarantino's home on several different occasions. The names of the youths were withheld because they are under 18.

The homeowner reported the license plate number of the vehicle driven by the teens, police said. The teens were scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Stamford July 16.

GHS Head Coach Rich Albonizio shared few details about the matter yesterday.

"I would like this to just die," Albonizio said. "There was an incident and it was over with."

Albonizio did reveal that player privileges had been taken away from those arrested, however.

"The kids have been hurt enough and coach Tarantino has chosen his path," Albonizio said.....


Assistant GHS coach quits

Does Neil Vidgor ever tell us about a vigilante assistant coach who decided to risk the lives of juvinile delenquent players in a high-speed chase from Cos Cob to the New York border?

Instead of investigating what really happened Neil Vidgor basically regurgitates the same incomplete so called news story over and over.


We Sort Of Know WHO Was Involved In The Muktiple Incidents.


But do we know WHAT happened?

Some Riverside parents say that Coach Tarantino chased the football playing vandals for an hour and nearly ran them off the road, and was after them all the way into New York.

What these Greenwich High School Captains did was wrong, but are parents comfortable with a Western Middle School teacher in your school system who behaves in this manner?

Why didn't Coach Taantino just report the star football players to the Greenwich Police Department?

Was the football coach Tarantino affraid that the Greenwich Police Department would not be willing to investigate the star Football players from Riverside?

What if the kids got into a fatal car accident, who would be blamed then?

Hey Niel, Did this teacher chased these young vandals, and endangered their lives?

If these kids were killed in a car accident that night, Greenwich Time reporter Niel Vidgor would we be writing a totally different news story about the angry coach or the juvinile delenquent football players from Riverside?

No matter what these out of control kids did, Tarantino had complete neglect for their safety and he should be further disciplined actions as well.

The spoiled brats that did it not once not twice but four nights in a row and to top it off they were captains that represented Greenwich High School.

Why doesn't Neil Vidgor report about HOW Greenwich High School football is coming to a decline now with this incident and another incident that involved a Greenwich football players and a theft at a Stamford gym.

The Greenwich High School football program used to impose the HIGHEST standards of excellence, not just on the field, but off as well.

Now it seems that Headmaster Alan Capasso is teaching the kids that we will sweep their offenses under the rug rather than risk potentially lose a football game or two?

Headmaster Alan Capasso has delivered yet another embarrassment for the Town of Greenwich.

What was the sense of the headmasters statement if he is not going to elaborate what the punishment was or is?

Many parents and students and teachers are questioning if there was or is one to begin with.

Does Headmaster Capasso realize what his precious little football players did was a crime?

Headmaster Capasso should teach these boys that this is not the way adults act when they don't like or agree with someone!

The vandals should be kicked off the football team for a season.

There appears to be two sets of standards at GHS.

GHS football is clearly above the conduct code, for whatever the reason and this situation brings it to light. What kind of precedent are we setting?

Alan Capasso and the Greenwich High School Board Of Education should make sure they are comfortable with their decision to allow GHS Football to rise above the rules.

The ramifications will surely effect the schools athletics, its programs and ultimately, its reputation.

Look out graduates a Greenwich High School degree is worth less than it was just 10 years ago.

Maybe Greenwich Time Reporter should be asking Alan Capasso, "What would have happened if the school itself was egged?"

Would it be OK to egg the science or reading teacher's house and not be suspended?

Would it be OK to egg Alan Capasso's house four times and not be suspended?

Would it be OK to egg a Board of Education members house and not be suspended?

And Everyone wants to know WHY Greenwich

Time reporter Neil Vidgor did not ask WHY?


Yes, WHY weren't these football deliquents tased?

Throwing eggs is much more dangerous than throwing a water balloon.

Just the fact that these kids have not been suspended and are still on the team shows the double standard at Greenwich high School.

A Byram kid throws a water balloon and he gets suspended and receives 50,000 volts and a $50,000 bail.

A gang of Riverside football players repeatedly attack and terrorize a teachers home and they are not suspended from school.

They are not even suspended from the football team.

The Byram Balloon Boy spent the night in jail with a $50,000 bail and the Riverside Egg Throwing Football players slept at home with Mommy and Daddy.

What's up with Headmaster Alan Capasso?

Are the Riverside Football players too rich to be disiplined in the same manner as the poor boy from Byram?

These Five Football players are a disgrace to not only Greenwich football team but to their parents as well.

The parents should teach their children about responsibility and resign from the Greenwich High School Football program.

Coach Tarantino was a man and admited his wrong doing and resigned from the Football team.

UPDATE:

The Associated Press Starts To Cover The Story

Greenwich football players punished for egg tosses

Greenwich (AP) -- Several Greenwich High School football players who were arrested for allegedly throwing eggs at an assistant coach's house are now being disciplined by school officials.

School headmaster Al Capasso says the football players have received stiff punishment for their misconduct, but he's not saying what the penalties are. The players were also disciplined by the team.

Police say that five youths were arrested July 6 and charged with criminal mischief for egging vehicles parked at the home of wide receivers coach Phil Tarantino on several occasions.

Officials say Tarantino resigned because of the incidents. Tarantino, who remains a physical education teacher at Western Middle School, has declined to comment.

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07/28/08 "What I do not like however is exploitation and the way that people who get into power seem to have a nasty habit of bending the rules so..."


item 94 - the problem with capitalism

I believe in the free markets and capitalism, but in recent years I have grown uneasy at the excessive wealth that some people have accumulated. These feelings of unease have been most acute when looking at the money made in the hedge fund and software industries. This at first seems strange, but bear with me......

....If you go to Greenwich Connecticut, you cannot help but be impressed by the fabulous houses the fund managers live in. Dig a little deeper though, and you will quickly notice that behind every fabulously wealthy hedge fund manager is a Mexican gardener or Puerto Rican maid. Those who got rich did it by getting a big helping hand from cheap exploitable labor.

The same is true in the investment banking industry. The name of the game is to get yourself into a role and position where you are part of the money making machine and can therefore choose where the arbitrary boundary lies between revenue generation and cost centre. You, as a revenue generator pay yourself more than you are worth, while ensuring that everyone in the cost centre is underpaid. This simple game should be impossible to play in a free market, right? Well yes, except that we get onto my third problem with free market capitalism, the market is rigged....

....So to re-cap, my issues with capitalism are:
  • The free market is rigged to serve the interest of a few
  • Those who got to the top through competition, then change the rules so that no one else can play
  • People are exploited and under-paid by those who have wealth an power
Comment:

Over 6,000 Connecticut Working Families' Homes Were Foreclosed On:

To Lose Your Home means you have:

1. No cash
2. No savings
3. Nothing in the checking account
4. You own no stocks
5. You own no mutual funds
6. You have no college savings accounts for your kids to tap
7. You have nothing in your 401K in which to borrow from
8. You have no IRA in which can take money from for 60 days, penalty-free.
9. You have already taped into your mortgage equity.
10. You have no credit cards available.
11. You don't have anything to sell in a garage sale or on Ebay.
12. You don't have anything to pawn.
13. You can't get an advance from your employer.
14. And you have no friends, parents, or children who will loan you money.
15. Months ago you stopped sleeping through the night and you worry constantly.

That's pretty low and unfortunately is how more and more families are experiencing the American Dream.

The American Dream is belief in the freedom that allows all citizens and residents of the United States to achieve their goals in life through hard work. Today, it generally refers to one's material prosperity depending upon one's abilities and work ethic — not a rigid class structure. Although the phrase's meaning has evolved in the course of national history, for some people, it is the opportunity for achieving greater material prosperity than was possible in the old country; for others, it is the opportunity for their children to grow up receiving an education and its consequent career opportunities; for others, it is the opportunity to make individual choices without the constraints of class, caste, religion, race, sexual orientation, or ethnic group. The American Dream has changed over the centuries, but it still has the basic concept of freedom for all people.

James Truslow Adams coined the phrase "American Dream" in his 1931 book The Epic of America.

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07/28/08 Parential Insiders Say: Greenwich BOE Going To Temporarily Disperse Western Greenwich School Children All Over Town

BOE Is Leaning Towards Western Greenwich Children
May Be Dispersed All Over Town

Here Is The Latest Information Parental Insiders Have On What The Board Of Education Plans For Glenville And Hamilton Avenue Schools....

All of this only comes into play IF the Ham Ave building is not completed on time.

There is talk of waiting for two weeks after the start of school to see if it will be done, if not the following looks to be the plan they are going to go with....

Apparently the Board of Education is going to give the go-ahead to knock down Glenville school due to all the political pressure they have received, in addition to the demands from Hamilton Avenue families that if they are sent to Glenville then they want it independently tested.

The Board Of Education apparently does not want to test Glenville for fear of additional lawsuits by parents for exposure to mold and other toxins and problems with abatement issues when they do knock it down.

That means one of two things...

Glenville goes to the modulars and Ham Ave is dispersed
or
Ham Ave returns to the modulars minus the Pre-K
and Glenville is dispersed.


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07/28/08 Reader Submited Comments: Life in Greenwich recycles on.


What do you expect of kids raised without consequences for their impulses?

When I attended Greenwich Academy (on scholarship), a classmate stripped the gears of the Opal GT she received for her birthday, while driving drunk. Her parents got her record "nollied" and bought her an identical new car.

Zoom ahead, and we have a parent giving a kid an unpopular coach's home address, and a neighbor circulating a juvenile' sealed record simply because he wants public land for private use.

Please see:


07/28/08 Reader Submited Comments About Greenwich High School

07/28/08 Neil Vidgor And The Greenwich Time Reporting Is So Bad You Can't Even Read Between The Lines To Figure Out What Is Really Going On


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07/28/08 Reader Submitted Comments: Thanks For A Link Here Is A Link Back


Jocelyn, The Rock Star Diary Girl

Dear Greenwich Roundup

Thanks for the link.
I returned the favor.

Sorry your wife won't let u get an iPhone.

XOXO,

Jocelyn!

Sent from my iPhone

Comment:

Dear Jocelyn,

Thank you providing the link back to Greenwich Roundup.

I realy feel honored to be listed right after Gawker.

I really feel like I hit the big time being on a blog roll with the Gawker Media Empire (Gawker.com, Defamer, Fleshbot, Deadspin, Lifehacker, Gizmodo, Consumerist, io9, and Kotaku).

My wife also says that she is going to take away and smash my laptop if I keep using it to communicate with beautiful young girls who have blogs.

I bet no one is threatening to smash Nick Denton's laptop for trading links with bloggers who just happen to look hot.

I can't say XOXO, because my wife is Korean and knows Taekwondo so I will close with....

sincerely,

Brian

Sent with my four year old laptop running linux as the hard drive makes strange grinding noises.

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07/28/08 The Greenwich Post Newsroom Finaly Learns That West Nile Was Found In Greenwich Two Weeks Ago


West Nile Virus found in Greenwich

Culex pipiens mosquitoes trapped in Greenwich on July 15 have tested positive for West Nile Virus, according to the state’s Mosquito Management Program. These are the first positive mosquitoes identified by the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station in Greenwich this year.

In addition to Greenwich, positive mosquito pools have been found in Milford, Stamford, Bridgeport and Stonington. Recently a human case of West Nile Virus was diagnosed in the town of Sherman. The resident was between 10 and 20 years of age and became ill during the third week of June.


Read more

But wait the Greenwich Post does have this breaking news item:

Blood drive is at Hyatt


The Greenwich Chapter of the American Red Cross is asking all eligible blood donors to sign up for the blood drive on Saturday, Aug. 9, at the Hyatt Regency in Old Greenwich. The drive is from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

To schedule an appointment, call the Greenwich Chapter at 869-8444. Donors will be entertained by live piano music, courtesy of Greenwich Music.

To donate blood and platelets through the American Red Cross, individuals must be at least 17 years of age, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in general good health.

For additional information regarding donor eligibility, call 1-800-GIVE LIFE or visit Bloodct.org.

But things are even worse at the Greenwich Citizen, who's so-called news website has not been updated in four days.

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07/28/08 Reader Submited Comments About Greenwich High School


It really sounds as if the Greenwich school children are out of control. The parents want the cop out why because he keeps arresting kids and was forced to use his taser one time, but it was the cops fault right? Now we have some bright young students, football stars, egging there coaches car and home, they get arrested and the coach quits but what will the Headmaster and parents do, support the children. These kids need to be kicked off the team for good, suspended, and put to community service. Stop blaming others for the faults of no-good parenting and the lack of school discipline under Headmaster Al Capasso.

Please see:

07/28/08 Neil Vidgor And The Greenwich Time Reporting Is So Bad You Can't Even Read Between The Lines To Figure Out What Is Really Going On


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07/28/08 PRESS ADVISORY: Democratic State Officials Join Himes to Discuss Need for Change in Congress

Jim Himes for Congress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28, 2008
Contact: Michael Sachse, 646 265-0556, Michael@HimesforCongress.com

DEMOCRATIC STATE OFFICIALS JOIN HIMES TO DISCUSS NEED FOR CHANGE IN CONGRESS

BRIDGEPORT, CT - On Tuesday July 29th, Democratic nominee for Congress Jim Himes will be joined by Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, and State Comptroller Nancy Wyman in Bridgeport for a joint press conference to discuss the need for change in Congress in November.

The press conference will take place on McLevy Green at 1pm, across the street from Himes campaign headquarters in Bridgeport.


WHO: Democratic candidate for Congress Jim Himes, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, State Comptroller Nancy Wyman

WHAT: Press conference to discuss the need for change in Congress

WHEN: Tuesday July 29th, 2008, 1:00 PM

WHERE: Corner of Main and State Street, Bridgeport, CT, 06604

Please send your comments to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

07/28/08 The Board of Education will meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Greenwich High School


Decision due Tuesday night on schools

Greenwich education officials are poised to make a final decision at a special meeting tomorrow night on what combination of Hamilton Avenue and Glenville schools and modular classrooms will be used next school year.

The Board of Education will meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Greenwich High School to choose a contingency plan if the Hamilton Avenue reconstruction project isn't done by the Aug. 27 start of the school year.

The meeting will include a public hearing.

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0728/08 Shoreline Pools President Is In Court Today Will The Greenwich Building Inspector Be Called As A Witnesses Or As A Co-Conspirators ? (Updated)



Image of pool where boy died and image of
David Lionetti (left) and his lawyer in court today

Pool company president to be arraigned for boy's death

by News Channel 8's Annie Rourke

Updated 12:15 PM

Stamford (WTNH) -- A pool company president charged in the drowning of a child was in court today to face manslaughter charges.

David Lionetti, president of Shoreline Pools, is accused of recklessly causing the death of six year old Zachary Cohn last year at his Greenwich home because his company did not install mandated safety devices in the pool.

Lionetti's attorney, Richard Meehan, says the company was not aware of the 2004 state law requiring the devices.

"Dave Lionetti, his brother Mark, the entire Shoreline Pool family, there's over 300 people in this company have tremendous sympathy for Mr. and Mrs. Cohn and the loss of this young man, they certainly never envisioned or believed that a tragedy of this nature would happen," Meehan said.

His first time before the judge at Stamford Superior Court was quick and uncomplicated. Lionetti did not enter a plea and his case was continued to August 12.

Watch The Video:

Pool president in court - Annie Rourke reports

PLEASE ALSO SEE:

Stamford pool company official being arraigned
Newsday, NY
A Stamford swimming pool company president charged with second-degree manslaughter in he drowning of a 6-year-old Greenwich boy is due in court. ...

Stamford pool company official arraigned
Hartford Courant

Pool Company President Due In Court In Pool Death Case
NBC30.com

Greenwich Time Update:

Here Are Martin Cassidy's Court Room Notes

Drowning not foreseeable, lawyer says

By Martin B. Cassidy/Greenwich Time Staff Writer

The president of a Stamford pool company president charged in the drowning of a six-year-old town boy could not have foreseen the boy getting trapped in a suction valve in the pool he built, according to his lawyer. "I challenge you to find another pool entrapment case in Connecticut," Richard T. Meehan Jr. said. "I'm not sure there has been one." On Monday, Meehan questioned whether his client David Lionetti's failure to install state-required safety devices could be considered incriminating, arguing the statistical possibility that Zachary Archer Cohn might get stuck in a powerful suction drain was so remote. Prosecutors have charged Lionetti with second-degree manslaughter, claiming he knowingly flouted a state law requiring a specialized device to reduce the risk of entrapment. "It is one thing to say someone is ignorant of an unjustifiable risk in which case the charge would be negligent homicide," Meehan said. "It is another to say they were aware of an unjustifiable risk and did nothing." Lionetti was arraigned Monday on a charge of second-degree manslaughter in Stamford in Cohn's death, but did not enter a plea. The case was continued to August 12, when Lionetti plans to plead not guilty. Assistant State Attorney James Bernardi was not immediately available for comment yesterday, and Lionetti declined comment following the hearing. Meehan said the approval of pool plans by town building officials also supports the idea that by and large many professionals were unaware of the new mandate to install safety vacuum release systems, a device that cuts off suction to a drain when an object blocks it. "We have a design for the pool which was stamped by a civil engineer and a certificate of occupancy," Meehan said. "They also looked at this." Lionetti declined comment after the brief hearing. Police arrested the 53-year-old Lionetti last Monday, and charged him in the death of Zachary, who drowned last July 28 when his arm became caught in a pool-side intake valve, part of his family pool's filtration system. A protective grate for the valve was later found at the bottom of the pool. Zachary's parents, Brian and Karen Cohn, have filed a civil suit against Lionetti's Shoreline Pools, the town and various pool supply companies, alleging the pool violated state building codes because the drainage system did not have a safeguard to shut off suction if something blocked the drain. Cohn is the former president of SAC Capital LLC, a Stamford hedge fund. Last month Shoreline filed a motion seeking to delay the civil suit until any future criminal charges were resolved, arguing the exchange of evidence in civil court would jeopardize the due process rights of the company's owners and employees.

More to come later from the Greenwich Time:

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07/28/08 Greenwich Time News Links For Monday


Nathaniel Witherell resident Edith McHugh gets her blood pressure taken by Janet Fletcher. Fletcher has been a nurse there for 23 years.
(Bob Luckey Jr./ GreenwichTime photo)

Staff retention at Witherell surpasses average


By Meredith Blake
Staff writer

Each day Bertha Hertz, 90, is cared for by the same three nurses at The Nathaniel Witherell nursing home.

And each of them, Debra Wortman, Janet Fletcher, and Hyacinth Rankine, have worked at the Witherell for more than 20 years.

"It gives me comfort to know that they will always be there," she said. "There's a continuity and that's an important thing."

It is also rare, according to Toni Fatone, executive vice president of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities in East Hartford. While the town-owned facility has a 7 percent annual staff turnover rate, the average for nursing homes in Connecticut is 43 percent a year, according to the Washington, D.C.-based American Health Care Association.

"That is incredibly low," said Fatone.

There is a huge problem keeping and retaining nursing staff across the state and in the nation, Fatone said.

The high staff turnover rates are likely due to salary considerations and the atmosphere in the workplace, according to Deborah Chernoff, communications director for the New England Health Care Union 1199 in Hartford....

Mother-daughter team fish trash out of creek

Kirsten Aubert's kayak is starting to resemble a trash barge. An avid oarswoman who grew up on the banks of the Longmeadow Creek in Old Greenwich, Aubert is spending part of her visit home to her parents on garbage patrol in the Long Island Sound salt water tributary.

Push on for green Greenwich

With just over 1 percent of Greenwich households signed up for a state program to promote clean and sustainable energy, town officials are preparing to bolster efforts to promote it with the public.

Like most twin brothers, Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss travel in the same circles. The 26-year-old Greenwich natives each attended Greenwich Country Day School, Brunswick School and Harvard University, where they excelled academically and athletically.

ALSO:

07/26/08 Winklevoss twins hope to form successful pair in Beijing

07/14/08 Greenwich Olympians



Please also see:

Greenwich Time refers today to "anti-prohibitionists" who used to run booze up my creek and stash it at what is now Dot McCullough's boat house. Didn't we ...

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07/28/08 Reader Submitted Comments: connecting the dots for you...


Dear Greenwich Roundup.

Hey, thanks for the link! I'm Lauren from The Blonde Excuse. Your site is really cool, and I know you like "connecting the dots" on stories, so here's one for you - Jocelyn from Rock Star Diary, who you posted about recently, is my older sister!

Maybe the same person sent you the links or "blog tips" to our sites. She was the "out of towner" who went to Island Beach but then informed you that her parents and younger sibling (me!) still live in town. Anyway, it's a very minor connecting of dots... just thought I'd let you know and say thanks!!

Lauren

Dear Lauren,

You are it was a pleasure to read and provide links to The Blonde Excuse and your sister's blogs.

You and your sister both remind everyone in Town, of the how wonderful and beautiful it is to be young and carefree.

I hope that you and your friends continue blogging about all of the wonderful things that you encounter on daily basis.

sincerely,

Brian

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