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Sunday, November 16, 2008

11/17/08 READER COMMENTS ABOUT THE GREENWICH YNCA: Ramps


Greenwich Roundup,

Two weeks ago, I made reference to state mandated codes which every building must comply with. Handicapped Accessibility is a big one. It's the law.
I'm happy someone is following up on it.

I will add, however, the loss of wheelchair basketball, wasn't a big concern of mine because I don't play. What bothers me is the lack of knowledge concerning the term "handicapped accessible" A ramp is also a necessity for people who have trouble climbing stairs. So, people who have undergone knee, back or hip surgery sometimes rely on the ramp. Then, the elderly, who may use the ramp because it is just easier to manage. So, the list of people unable to use the Greenwich YMCA grows...

I get tired of people's insensitivity when one move is so simple. The woman who runs the Greenwich YMCA should not need me to explain priorities and very basic empathy. She should KNOW or she should put her expert people skills to work a switchboard, or maybe a toll booth.

SJ
PLEASE SEE:
Look: if there are no good reasons not to build a temporary ramp, then the Y should say so and go ahead and do the right thing......If there are, then the Y should point them out. It’s already angered half of its (now former) members and jeopardized its financial support in town by a series of blunders

11/13/08 Greenwich Time News Links For Thursday - A lot Of Fluuf And Out Of Town News
P&Z to review YMCA proposal

Commission Chairman Donald Heller said he expects the body to approve the extension, based on the five-year deadline.

"Tomorrow night looks like a relatively simple evening," he said Wednesday.......

...The YMCA has also had to contend with members and the public who have expressed frustration that the facility was not made wheelchair accessible during the first phase of the project, Fretty said.

"Am I horrified and sad that it is not accessible?.....

.....The Greenwich family of Luis Gonzalez-Bunster, who is in a wheelchair, has requested the facility build a temporary ramp until the rest of the facility is complete.....

11/07/08 YMCA Hires Greenwich Attorney Christopher Bristol In An Effort To Keep Handicaped Out New Facility.
Greenwich YMCA requests more time
......ADA requirements have come into sharper focus recently as the family of a man who uses a wheelchair has fought to get a temporary ramp installed while renovations are carried out. On Monday, YMCA officials announced that the facility will not be handicap accessible until renovations are complete.

The YMCA has completed some of its renovations, such as the new Olympic aquatics center, which opened in November 2007. A new basketball court also opened Monday. YMCA officials also expect a warm-water therapy pool, new spin and aerobics studios, a teen fitness center and childcare classrooms completed by June 2009, according to an e-mail sent Wednesday by Ashleigh Rowe, communications director for the YMCA.....

.....Calls were not returned from Greenwich Family YMCA officials or their attorneys Wednesday.

Rebecca Fretty Is Making Sure That
There Will Be No Wheelchair Basketball Games At
The Greenwich YMCA

To Rebecca Fretty,
apparently "headless and brain dead"Head of the
Greenwich YMCAMs Fretty:

Obviously you don't belong running any town facility if you ignore the LAWS REGARDING HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBILITY. Not only are you violating a mandated code, you can/will be sued....

Family pushes YMCA for wheelchair ramp

The family of the town man who could not access the Greenwich Family YMCA because the building is not wheelchair accessible, is now pressuring the nonprofit organization to install a temporary ramp or face the possibility of being shut down.

Luis Gonzalez-Bunster's family contacted Greenwich attorney Frank Peluso, who said the facility is in violation of town, state and federal laws for not providing access to people with disabilities, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Town of Greenwich building code.

YMCA wrong to deny access
To the editor:

Once again, we can see the discrimination that continues in town against people with disabilities ( "Man fighting for YMCA access, Greenwich Time, Oct. 20). We have been the silent minority, but things are about to change.

We recently formed the First Selectman's Advisory Committee for People With Disabilities. The mission is to advise town officials on matters pertaining to the rights and needs of citizens with disabilities. We will also advocate for improvements to make the town more accessible for people with disabilities.

The YMCA building expansion should never have been given a temporary certificate of occupancy. Why should some people be allowed to use this facility when others are turned away?
.....I hope that the YMCA will find some way to make this area accessible immediately, and that the town will consider whether its temporary certificate of occupancy should be withdrawn.

Carol Kana
Riverside

The writer is a member of First Selectman's Advisory Committee for People With Disabilities.

11/16/08 A Temporary Ramp For The YMCA's Crippled Members Is A "Legall" And “Reasonable ” Accommodation Under The American's With Disabilities Act


There was a time not long ago that not all voting places in Greenwich were not handicaped accessible.


During this time unelightened members of Greenwich argued that the making ALL voting places handicaped accessible was Federal mandate that was too great a financial burden for the town.

Well now ALL of Greenwich's crippled can vote for town officials and the town some how survived.

If a small proprietor decides to remodle on to a hair salon in Byram or if a pizza palor in Cos Cob wants to remodle then the building department will require handicaped bathrooms and access, before the remodled space can be occuppied.


In fact, every commercial and non-profit remodle in Greenwich legally must meet the The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
But if a poorly run non-profit with millions of dollars in donations and taxpayer funds wants to discriminate against the handicapped year after year after year, then the Greenwich Building Department and the Planning and Zoning Board says let the crippled be damed.







Would someone please hire the YMCA a PR agent?
For What Its Worth

The Americans With Disabilities Act requires “reasonable ” efforts to accommodate the needs of disabled citizens. I think most able-bodied folks would be sympathetic to an argument why it is unreasonable to make a temporary accommodation now. But we don’t get that: instead, we hear legal arguments as to whether the P&Z has jurisdiction over the Building Department’s decision to issue a permit. It doesn’t, but for public relations purposes it would have been better to add to that tactical attack an appeal to common sense. People appreciate that.

Look: if there are no good reasons not to build a temporary ramp, then the Y should say so and go ahead and do the right thing. If there are, then the Y should point them out. It’s already angered half of its (now former) members and jeopardized its financial support in town by a series of blunders. Dealing with this latest situation forthrightly and openly can’t hurt.

PLEASE SEE:
P&Z to review YMCA proposal
Commission Chairman Donald Heller said he expects the body to approve the extension, based on the five-year deadline.

"Tomorrow night looks like a relatively simple evening," he said Wednesday.......
YMCA committed to finishing project
...The YMCA has also had to contend with members and the public who have expressed frustration that the facility was not made wheelchair accessible during the first phase of the project, Fretty said.

"Am I horrified and sad that it is not accessible?.....

.....The Greenwich family of Luis Gonzalez-Bunster, who is in a wheelchair, has requested the facility build a temporary ramp until the rest of the facility is complete.....
Greenwich YMCA requests more time
......ADA requirements have come into sharper focus recently as the family of a man who uses a wheelchair has fought to get a temporary ramp installed while renovations are carried out. On Monday, YMCA officials announced that the facility will not be handicap accessible until renovations are complete.

The YMCA has completed some of its renovations, such as the new Olympic aquatics center, which opened in November 2007. A new basketball court also opened Monday. YMCA officials also expect a warm-water therapy pool, new spin and aerobics studios, a teen fitness center and childcare classrooms completed by June 2009, according to an e-mail sent Wednesday by Ashleigh Rowe, communications director for the YMCA.....

.....Calls were not returned from Greenwich Family YMCA officials or their attorneys Wednesday.
Rebecca Fretty Is Making Sure That
There Will Be No Wheelchair Basketball Games At
The Greenwich YMCA

To Rebecca Fretty,
apparently "headless and brain dead"Head of the
Greenwich YMCAMs Fretty:

Obviously you don't belong running any town facility if you ignore the LAWS REGARDING HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBILITY. Not only are you violating a mandated code, you can/will be sued....
Family pushes YMCA for wheelchair ramp

The family of the town man who could not access the Greenwich Family YMCA because the building is not wheelchair accessible, is now pressuring the nonprofit organization to install a temporary ramp or face the possibility of being shut down.

Luis Gonzalez-Bunster's family contacted Greenwich attorney Frank Peluso, who said the facility is in violation of town, state and federal laws for not providing access to people with disabilities, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Town of Greenwich building code.

YMCA wrong to deny access

To the editor:

Once again, we can see the discrimination that continues in town against people with disabilities ( "Man fighting for YMCA access, Greenwich Time, Oct. 20). We have been the silent minority, but things are about to change.

We recently formed the First Selectman's Advisory Committee for People With Disabilities. The mission is to advise town officials on matters pertaining to the rights and needs of citizens with disabilities. We will also advocate for improvements to make the town more accessible for people with disabilities.

The YMCA building expansion should never have been given a temporary certificate of occupancy. Why should some people be allowed to use this facility when others are turned away?
.....I hope that the YMCA will find some way to make this area accessible immediately, and that the town will consider whether its temporary certificate of occupancy should be withdrawn.

Carol Kana
Riverside

The writer is a member of First Selectman's Advisory Committee for People With Disabilities.
================================================================
Please send your comments to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

11/16/08 Greenwich Time News Links


Shevoy Hart, 13, watches as Qunnipiac Physician's Assistant student Brennan Bowker checks his blood sugar at the Bethel AME's first Health Fair.

(Keelin Daly/Staff photo)


Health fair brings testing to the people

Floyd Draughn, 59, takes 10 pills a day for a variety of ailments, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and prostate cancer.


So when he attended a health fair Saturday at the Bethel AME Church on Lake Avenue, he wanted to find out if he had any other health-related issues, and what he could do to fix them, he said.


"I want to get healthy," he said. "I just want to know what I need to do to get there É A lot of people don't want to know what's wrong, but not me - that's why I'm here."


Dozens of people received information and free screenings offered by several health organizations, including the American Red Cross, Greenwich Emergency Medical Services and Greenwich Hospital.


"People, some in tears, have showed up for the opportunity to have free health care. They have either lost their health insurance or never had it. We were delighted to provide this," said Stephanie Paulmeno, the town's community health planner.


Paulmeno was approached by the Rev. Horace Henson, and his wife Sister Christine Henson, both of the Bethel AME Church, about hosting the health fair.

Market woes hit town pensions

And you thought your portfolio was in tatters. Beset by plunging stock values, the town's pension fund has lost nearly 27 percent, or $100 million, in value in the past calendar year.

Nursing home costs top nation

STAMFORD - Lower Fairfield County has the most expensive average nursing home rates of any metropolitan area in the country, according to a Westport institute's national survey.


No foreclosures here: Gingerbread houses get final touches

Aileen Agudelo, 8, carefully placed bubble gum, marshmallows and red and green gum drops on the roof and sides of her freshly baked gingerbread house.

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11/16/08 The Greenwich Roundup Blog And RSS Feed For Sunday


Greenwich's Corporate Mainstream Newspapers Without The Town's Citizen Journaist Bloggers?


Bloggers Who Are From, Work In Or Used To Live In Greenwich......

Jane Genova: Speechwriter - Ghostwriter
"Mint Resumes" - Must-read for those looking for work - Uber Resume strategist/writer Marsha Keeffer launched a new site: Mint Resumes. Given the fear pervading the work work, Mint Resumes is a must-read, daily or...

John Ferris Robben - T-shirt Philosophy Page At Our Greenwich
Obama and McCain Cookies

Tribune Company's Greenwich News Feed
Investment options with CDs, money markets and bonds - Under the mattress, in the cookie jar or buried in the backyard were common hiding places for cash in less sophisticated times. Today the sophistication le...

Greenwich Library Today's Events
Trio Globo (Peterson Concert) - *When:* Sunday November 16th, 2008 - 03:30 PM *Where:* Greenwich Library at Cole Auditorium Free Concert: World Music supergroup, Trio Globo, features harmo...

Greenwich Forum
Employment classified section debuts today - 2 Comments, last updated on Saturday Nov 15 by Pat Silbert

Greenwich Gossip
The Rafters Ring at Christ Church - Last evening was a feast of French organ music at Christ Church as part of the "Second Friday" recital series. Scott Turkington, organist at one of the...

Greenwich News
Selectmen Approve Hike in Seniors' Income Cap for Property Tax Credits - Some welcome news for Greenwich seniors: A hike in the income limit -- from $39,000 to $60,000 -- on a property tax relief program for elderly and disabl...

The Perrot Memorial Library Blog
Annual Lion's Club Grapefruit Sale - The Old Greenwich Lion's Clubs is selling grapefruits and oranges, as part of its annual fund-raising effort to flight blindness worldwide. Fruits are avai...
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11/16/08 Old Timer Bernie Yudain Discovers Greenwich's Citizen Journalists And He Wants To Edit Them too.


As though we don't have enough staggering problems on our tray, my friend Chris Fountain, lapsed lawyer-author-rampant Realtor and estimable bloggist, has tossed in another.


The gravamen of his poser: What's the proper spelling of Conyers Farm?


From the above, you'll see my version of the answer. Although it seems to defy common rules of grammar, that's the way it goes.


Chris waded into the issue because he had been spelling it Conyer's Farm, with the possessive apostrophe, and a reader of his blog had challenged him by insisting it should be an unadorned Conyer Farm - singular, no apostrophe or "s."


Both wrong, in my view. Most reliable references to that iconic North Street estate spell it as I've just done. Even Judge Hubbard, one of Greenwich's most respected historians who wrote a weekly column for the defunct weekly Greenwich Press, always spelled it "Conyers Farm.".....


.....How come we have Palmer Hill Road in Greenwich, and the second it crosses the Stamford line it picks up an apostrophe "s" and becomes Palmer's Hill?
Now that's a question that keeps me awake at night. ......


Bernie Yudain, whose Greenwich Time column appears Wednesdays and Sundays, is a former managing editor of Greenwich Time.
His e-mail address is bernardct6@aol.com.


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11/15/08 Greenwich Post Story Of The Day




The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) honored Michael, Alice, Stacey and Jon Delikat with the Daniel R. Ginsberg Humanitarian Award on Sunday, Nov. 9, at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich. The event raised more than $340,000 to support ADL’s effort to fight hate, build hope and safeguard liberty. Dale Atkins-Rosen and Robert Rosen, Aviva and Martin Budd, Marty Flashner, Penny and Michael Horowitz, Eileen and Fred Springer and Drs. Amy and Steve Zabin served as the event’s co-chairmen. From left, Michael Delikat, Stacey Delikat, Alice Delikat, David Waren, Connecticut ADL regional director, and Jon Delikat.

— Harold Shapiro photo
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