Hyper Local News Pages

Saturday, December 20, 2008

12/20/08 The Our Greenwich Blog May Be Expanding With More Failed Greenwich Time Employees

The Greenwich Time Still Continues To Go Down In Flames


We Are Starting To Get Tired Of Saying This......


We Hate To Say We Told You So, But We Told You So

Hearst to cut staff at area papers: Advocate, Greenwich Time are on the list

The Hearst Corp. joined other Connecticut newspaper owners in seeking to reduce costs in a tough economy, telling employees of its Fairfield County properties there will be job losses next year.

In a letter to employees sent Friday, publishers of the various Connecticut newspapers wrote, "The current economic downturn has exacerbated an already challenging year for our newspaper and our industry, forcing us to eliminate duplication of work across the Connecticut Media Group. As a result, there will be a reduction in staff in the first quarter of 2009."

Hearst owns The Advocate, Greenwich Time, Connecticut Post and The News-Times of Danbury, all daily newspapers. It also owns Darien News-Review, Greenwich Citizen, Fairfield Citizen-News, New Canaan News-Review, New Milford Spectrum, Norwalk Citizen-News and Westport News, all weekly newspapers.


Hearst Newspapers Is Being Tight Lipped


They Are Too Embarrassed To Say

How Few Employees They Currently Have

Hearst spokesman Paul Luthringer said the company was not disclosing information beyond the letter to employees at this time, including how many positions Hearst is looking to trim or the total employment within the Connecticut group.


COMMENTS:


Here Is A Sign That The Ugly Rumor Is True....


Hearst Newspapers Wont Need So Many Employees If The Advocate, Greenwich Time, and The News-Times of Danbury Are All Folded Into To The Flagship Connecticut Post


Virtually everyone in town is waiting to see if Greenwich Time Managing Editor Jim "I Like Our Letter Writers Better Than Nasty Bloggers" Zorba will take the voluntary buyouts, giving those who choose that route two weeks of severance for each year of employment - up to a maximum of 52 weeks - health and dental coverage under COBRA, payment for all accrued 2009 vacation time and a company-sponsored outplacement program.


If Managing Editor Zorba decides to jump ship we will all miss his DAILY LOCAL HARD HITTING EDITORIALS IN THE GREENWICH TIME .


Will Cub Reporter Colin "King Of The BOE Press Release" Gustafonson Be Joining Ex-Greenwich Time Editor Joe Pisaniani And The Other Failed Greenwich Time Employees At The Lackluster "Our Greenwich Blog".


PLEASE SEE:













Greenwich Time, R.I.P? - Greenwich Round Up says so. I have my issues with this particular blog’s antipathy toward the paper and its former editor, Joe Pisani,whom I like, but but its editor seems to have a direct line into the organization and several former and currentemployees. His previous predications about the GT have proved accurate - his latest include a raise in the newsstand price from fifty to seventy-five cents, layoffs of still more staff (there aren’t many left so what are they going to do, fire the custodian?)
MORE:
With all due respect to bloggers, people who write to newspapers are just the best. Our letter writers show the courage to share their views with the world - whether opining about the financial bailout, the presidential election, downtown parking or Henrietta the turkey - and they do so with their identities known to all.
Comment To Jim Zorba:

With all do respect to editorial suits who are just now beginning to recognize the power of Bloggers and citizen journalists. Jim Zebora is being less than genuine in his editorial. Jim Zorba knows damn well who Greenwich Diva is and how Neil "I Won't Publish The Fake Beach Passes In My Desk Drawer" Vigdor screwed her over in the Greenwich Time.

Jim Zorba knows damn well knows who Greenwich Gossip is and how former Greenwich Time owner Bill Rowe placed a ban, that is still honored today, on any of his letters every appearing in the Greenwich Time.

Jim Zorba knows damn well who StationStops is and how his comments were removed from and he was locked out of Hearst Media message boards, because he complained that news websites had did a poor job of reporting on the mugging at the Riverside Walgreen's.
Jim Zorba knows everyone at Our Greenwich, because he was involved in firing most of them from the Greenwich Time newsroom.

Jim Zorba knows that For What It's Worth was fired because a bunch of real estate advertisers came into the Greenwich Post wanting him fired, because he said the Greenwich Real Estate market is going to hell in a hand basket. Jim Zorba would never consider hiring the best real estate columnist in Greenwich, because he is afraid he will have to meet with angry advertisers from Coldwell Banker.

Jim Zorba damn well knows who Greenwich Roundup is. We have had more than a few talks with Mr. Zorba.

Jim Zorba knows that as of January of this year the Greenwich Police Department had 80 Civilian Complaints in the previous 24 Months. That's about one complaint every 8 0r nine days.
Jim Zorba knows that more that 98% of the complaints are routinely found to be unfounded.
Jim Zorba knows that this were getting so bad that the so-called "GPD Internal Affairs Investigator" also known as, Captain Michael "The Judge Says I Was Illegally Appointed" Pacewicz was finding the cases unfounded without even bothering to talk to complainants or their witnesses.

Jim Zorba at first started to do the right thing and assigned a Greenwich Time Crime Reporter Martin Cassidy to investigate how civilian complaints are handled at the Greenwich Police Department, but cowered under his desk in fear when Greenwich Police Chief David Ridberg went ballistic.

Jim Zorba sits on the Civilan Complaint Process investigation in much the same way that Joe Pisani sat on The Martha Moxley Investigation.

Please See:
Jim Zorba Continues:

It's a more civilized way of making a statement than hiding behind a conjured-up screen name.
Writers to Greenwich Time tend to be pretty intelligent folks, too, and I learn something from them every day. It's especially heartening to see the informed, thoughtful give-and-take on this part of the editorial page.

Reasonable people can and do disagree, and in their letters to the editor they do so in what I believe is an extraordinarily civilized way.

Unlike many blog-posters.

Comment To Jim Zorba:

Jim Zorba Seems to confuse civilized with complacent.

Jim "If I Can't Beat The Bloggers - Then I Will Attack Them" Zorba, probably thinks that it is uncivilized when Bill Clark calls his paper the "Yellowich Time", but you never hear of blogs being complacent.

No one says things like Greenwich "Yellow" Diva, Greenwich "Yellow" Gossip, Station "Yellow" Stops, For "Yellow" It's Worth, Our "Yellow" or Greenwich "Yellow" Roundup.

Jim Zorba knows that before anyone goes to the weekly newspapers or the bloggers with a story they go to the "Yellowch Time" first.

The "Yellowich Time" gets first shot at virtually every news story in town and they often bungle thier chance.

When Hamilton Avenue mothers went to Jim Zorba's crew complaining that the modular classrooms were leaking they were REPEATEDLY ignored.

When those same Hamilton Avenue Mothers came to Greenwich Roundup we started publishing posts like this in February until Betty Sternberg was forced to shut down the modulars in March.

Please See:

There was not one previous article in the Green

When Glenville Parents came to the Zorba crew with pictures and stories about the conditions inside thier school the Zorba crew could not be bothered with such trivial matters.

Please See:

When the "New And Improved" Hamilton Avenue Modulars were leaking AGAIN, the Zorba Crew once again could not be bothered.

Please See:

When a Greenwich parent got pictures of three heavily damaged classrooms in the "NEW" 30 Million Dollar Ham Ave School the Zorba crew was not interested and still has not fully reported whats going on inside that building.

Please See:

Perhaps Jim Zorba is right that we are a bit edgy and somewhat rude when Greenwich Roundup publishes a post like......

But isn't rude for Colin Gustafson to put up an August headline that insults the intelegence of every taxpayer in Greenwich?

August 08, 2008

A variety of unresolved facilities issues - most of them easy to fix - are preventing the Hamilton Avenue School from receiving sign-offs from inspectors necessary for students to return to the building, the school board told parents last night.

Broken glass needs to be repaired, as well as cracks in some of the floor-level surfaces that must be patched. .... Blah ..... Blah ...... blah ..... Blah ..... Blah ..... Ham Ave Is Opening On Time !!!!!!!
What does Jim Zorba want us to do, say something nice and polite like......

"Excuse me dear kind Sir , If I may Mr Zorba, I beg to differ with Colin and think that he might be only posibly getting one side of the story, because there are no quotes from parents, students,teachers or taxpayers who must pay for this 3o Million Dollar fiasco."

"Wouldn't it be prudent for Colin to first listenen to the BOE and then start listening to other voices in this civilized community, oh dear Sir Zorba."
Jim Zorba Continues:

Local-level discourse reveals the fabric of our community. This year, we have seen voluminous dialogues on subjects such as the ad hoc Wiffle ball field in Cos Cob, the cupcake controversy in the Greenwich school system, and of course dear Henrietta, the Tod's Point personality recently relocated under the state Department of Environmental Protection's turkey - or is it citizen? - protection program.

"That turkey has just as much a right to live there and play as any of us do; that is her home," one man wrote, urging that Henrietta be left alone.

"This turkey came running at me and attacked me," the letter directly below read. "It had me backed up against a rock wall." She vowed to stay away from Tod's Point until Henrietta was gone.

Comment For Jim Zorba:

Greenwich Roundup and other bloggers will admit that we found it hard to get worked up about "Henery/Henrietta" the turkey. Jim Zorba's news crew clearly owned this important earth shattering story that is affecting all of the taxpayers of Greenwich.

Clearly on stories that really matter to the single family home owners of Greenwich the so-called newspaper was "Behind The Times" to the point that many in town said Zorba's news crew was clueless.

To this day Jim Zorba and his crew referes to the "cupcakes controversy" while Bloggers say things like "lack of integrity"

When the Board Of Education Press Release went out Zorba's crew ran it through the spell checker and published it as news. Like most BOE press releases it was published without any questions being asked.

Here Is How The Greenwich Time Reported The So-called "Cupcake Controversey"
This Is How Greenwich Roundup Reported The "Lack Of Integrity Issue" from day one:

For the Record Greenwich Roundup and a few other bloggers have repeatedly asked to be placed on the Board Of Education's Press Release Email List, just like the Greenwich Citizen, Greenwich Post and the Greenwich Time.

The Board Of Education has not honored these public document requests, because Greenwich Bloggers are not complacent.

Is the Board Of Education being civilized to Greenwich Bloggers?

There is a strong long held tradition in Journalism that if a reporter or a news gathering organization is excluded from a press conference or press kit, then all reporters would report on the exclusion and boycott the offending groups press conference.

Public officials who wanted to manipulate news gathering and reporters were exposed and told, "Guess what if you exclude this reporter, then there will be no press conference, because no reporter will show up."

It was the only honorable and civilized thing fellow reporters to do.

Greenwich Roundup exposed how reporter Chris Fountain was let go over first amendment issues. The Greenwich Time was very brutish and uncivilized to turn a blind eye to the troubles of a fellow reporter.

When Sarah Littman was let go at the Greenwich Time, the uncivilized Greenwich Bloggers were there supporting this reporter.

Maybe, Jim Zorba should go ask citizen journalist Bill "I Was The Only Reporter Asking For The Two Month Old Document" Clark how many hoops he had to jump through to get a copy of the school survey rating Betty Sternberg's performance.

Jim Zorba has forgotten the number one rule in Journalism.

"A great reporter afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted."

The Greenwich Time is Way Too Comfortable And Is Now Crying Because They Are Being Afflicted By The New Media Consisting Of Citizen Journalists And Bloggers.

David Warner thouht he would enjoy a comfortable 30 years in complacent Greenwich and then retire with a big swan song like Joe Pisani did.

But the one thing that Ex-Greenwich Time Editor David Warner didn't count on was a bunch of feed up bloggers in complacent Greenwich.

Mr. Warner was only able to take the heat of Citizen Journalists for about 100 days.

Please See:
Greenwich Roundup Exclusive
Ex-Greenwich Time Editor Creates Controversy Where Ever He Goes.
More On The Ferguson's Library Funded Dan Malloy Political Event

* Fergouson Libray Director And Employees Working For Malloy
*Taxpayer Fergouson Computer Server Used For Political Event
*Ferguson Library Tax Dollars Used To Pay For Pisani And Malloy's Private Party.
"What really struck me that night was the selflessness and sacrifice of the people who labored for months to put this affair on, starting with the major domo, Ernie DiMattia, head of the Ferguson Library in Stamford" - Joe Pisani (Our Greenwich - Oct 21st, 2008 )
by joyhaenlein

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12/20/08 Greenwich Time News Links

Storm forces school closings, makes driving hazardous for many
Winter arrived Friday via the skies if not yet the calendar, with the season's first major snowstorm.

Greenwich ferry parking appeal fee rejected
GREENWICH
- A proposal to charge $10 just to appeal a parking ticket, regardless of the outcome, innocent or guilty, didn't stand a snowball's chance of getting approved Friday by the Board of Selectmen.

Boiler firm won't OK Ham Ave modification
The Hamilton Avenue School's building committee failed to secure a temporary certificate of occupancy for the reconstructed school Friday, after the manufacturer of the school's boiler system refused to sign off on safety improvements to its equipment.

Officer hit by car to return to work
A town police officer who was struck by a car while directing traffic on Greenwich Avenue is expected to return to work today, officials said.

Power line energized
The United Illuminating Co. and Connecticut Light & Power Co. energized the 69-mile Middletown-to-Norwalk electric cable this week, wiping out many of the transmission constraints that plagued Fairfield County for the last decade.

Town briefs
Santa goes skating at Dorothy Hamill Santa Claus will join ice skaters during public sessions from 2 p.m

Police Blotter
Emmanuel Garcia, 19, of 7 Chestnut St., was arrested by warrant Wednesday afternoon and charged with second-degree breach of peace stemming from an incident on Cambridge Drive in August, police said.

Intensity, hustle fuel Brunswick basketball's win over King
Desire and effort. Those are the intangibles that have been the cornerstone of Brunswick basketball throughout the last half decade as they've they've stood atop the FAA.

Astrology
ARIES (March 21-April 19): This might be your best chance to find a perfect gift for that special someone in your life.

Hearst warns employees of job cuts
The Hearst Corp. joined other Connecticut newspaper owners seeking to reduce costs in this tough economy, telling the employees of its Fairfield County properties there will be jobs lost next year.

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12/20/08 WCBS Reports From Greenwich


Meteorologists have forecasted sub-zero temperatures for many portions of the nation, as travelers scramble to avoid delays during this holiday season. Priya David reports from Greenwich
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12/20/08 Some Of The Good Works That Come Out Of Stanwich Congregational Church in Greenwich

Stanwich Sunday morning worship ...


Giving the spiritual gift of a second chance

Connecticut Post

BRIDGEPORT -- James Worde was driven to the Pivot Ministries Crisis Center in a red 18-wheeler after friends staged an intervention to help him overcome a life-long battle with alcoholism that recently led him to experiment with drugs.

Steven Johnson came to the Jane Street in-house rehabilitation program of his own accord, looking for a fresh start overcoming a 20-year drug addiction, but then suffering a relapse.
Despite their different situations, the men had one thing in common: an incapacitating, overbearing addiction that completely took over their lives.

Before arriving at Pivot, "I had been praying to God to help me overcome this crazy addiction," said Worde, a New Jersey native and administrative assistant at the center.....


....The men also go through a detox program at Norwalk Hospital -- if necessary -- and are given weekly checkups by a doctor from the Southwest Community Health Center in the crisis center's second-floor examination room.

Once a person's body is entirely cleared of addictive substances, "then everything breaks down," said Smith.

The program's second phase -- which lasts another four months -- takes place within the Norwalk Induction Center in South Norwalk. Then the men go on to the Teen Challenge program, where they have the opportunity to obtain their G.E.D. or get some vocational training.

"It's proven that long-term programs work," said Smith. Short-term programs are like "putting a band-aid on a gaping wound." Of the 4,500 men who have completed the program over the years, 35 percent have managed to stay clean, compared to a 15 percent success rate for many short-term programs, Smith said.

The program is entirely funded by private donors and area churches, including the New Canaan Congregational Church, St. Paul's Church in Darien, Stanwich Congregational Church in Greenwich and Gospel Light Community Church in Bridgeport.

Despite the program's nearly 39-year success, there has been one area of a man's life the program has not been able to address.

"We see couples come in. We have three men here right now that when their wife came in with them," they also needed help to overcome a drug or alcohol addiction, Smith said. "There is a need for more programs such as this for women." .....


....The men at the Pivot re-entry house helped Smith convert the large home, which has two full baths, several offices and large backyard, into a safe haven for women "who have problems [and] don't have a place to stay until they can go back into society," she said.

Last month, Smith received zoning approval from the city for the program, and she is now awaiting the approval of the state Department of Public Health.....


....Once the women's center is open, it will operate much like Pivot. The women will have chores, participate in group activities and daily sit-down dinners, and receive counseling and rehabilitation services. There will also be an emergency bed so that the center never has to turn away a woman in desperate need of shelter.

Gloria Smith's ultimate hope is that the women's center provides a place where women can find what men at Pivot find: a reason to go on living.

"We recognize these are human beings just like the rest of us. This is a need," she said.


For information about Pivot Ministries call 416-5468, and for information about the Act of Christ Ministries call 540-5055

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12/20/08 Walter "Feeder Fund" Noel's Road To Riches

"The lazy person's road to riches"
160 Million A Year For Allowing Madoff To "Handle" His Investors Money


Walter Noel’s road map to success


— Founder of Fairfield Greenwich, a hedge fund based in New York but run out of Connecticut

— Fairfield Greenwich has lost $7.3 billion in the fraud, slightly more than half of its funds

— In 2007 Fairfield Greenwich raked in $160 million for turning over his investors money to the Madoff fraud fund

— Mr Noel owns at least three homes in the US – a flat on Park Avenue in the Upper East Side area of Manhattan, a home in Greenwich, Connecticut, and a villa in Palm Beach, Florida. Plus there are reports of a home in the Caribbean.

— He is believed to have known Bernard Madoff for 19 years and regularly introduced his clients to Mr Madoff’s investment business via his feeder fund.

— A graduate of Harvard Law School, he is married to a wealthy Brazilian socialite called Monica. They have five daughters who help attract fresh suckers to Daddy's feeder fund.

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12/20/08 Illegally Appointed Captain Michael Pacewicz Milked The Town For All It Was Worth, While Cheating An Officer Out Of What Was Rightly His


Illegally Appointed Captain Pacewicz's Favorite Place To Feast
Pacewicz In A Rush To Jump Before He Is Pushed



Greenwich police captain steps down following lawsuit



By Debra Friedman

Staff Writer
Posted: 12/20/2008 01:00:00 AM EST

The Police Department's second-in-command is stepping down.

Captain Michael Pacewicz, 48, of Greenwich, said that his last day will be today or Tuesday.

Pacewicz joined the department in 1983 as a patrolman and was promoted to sergeant in 1992.

He was promoted to detective sergeant in 1994, and ran the parking and traffic division for several years after 1995. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2001 and captain in 2003.....

.....Pacewicz's resignation comes after four years of litigation that started when Lt. Gary Honulik sued the town after it failed to promote him to the open captain's position. Pacewicz got the job instead. Honulik argued he should have been promoted because he received the highest score on the police promotion exam, a long-standing department policy used until former Police Chief James Walters implemented an interview process.

A Superior Court judge ruled in favor of Honulik in 2007, but the town was granted an expedited appeal from the state Supreme Court, which heard the matter in April after deeming it a matter of public safety.......

......the litigation has created a strain in the department's top levels, handcuffing the town from promoting officers to fill two deputy chief positions and another captain position until the state high court hands down a decision. With Pacewicz stepping down, there will now be four open positions, leaving the chief the only remaining ranking official above lieutenant. .....

Please Read The Incomplete Greenwich Time Story That Only Interviewed Police Chief David Ridberg And Failed To Seek All Sides Of The Story By Seeking Quotes From Police Commissioner Peter Tesei, Cheated Officer Gary Honulick, As Well As, Those Who Had Been Involved In The Illegal Promotion Such As Former Greenwich Police Commissioner Jim Lash And Former Police Chief James Walters. But Armature Greenwich Time Reporter Debra Friedman Did Not Know Who To Interview About The Story, Because She Was Not Here In 2003. Clueless Friedman Was Probably Unaware That Peter Tesei Was Police Commissioner Of The Town Of Greenwich.


PLEASE SEE:
Illegally Appointed Greenwich Police Captain Micheael Pacewicz who's legal mess is costing the single family home owners of Greenwich over 1 Million Dollars.
PLEASE ALSO SEE:
DUMBEST OF THE DUMB
When it came to selecting the New York Knucklehead of the Year, however, all distractions were put aside, the nominees were carefully reviewed and the vote was unanimous. Alas, we cannot inscribe the award with an actual name, because there were multiple winners involved in this
Greenwich Police Department disaster.....
Oh, how we would like to actually name all the political geniuses involved in violating civil service rules for the Greenwich Police Department's Captains position. But that is not to be. All those involved can pick up the prize, though, by coming to the rear door of 161 North Water Street in Byram at midnight, knocking three times and whispering the secret password, which is"Ridberg Is Incompetent."
The Morons Who Did Not Follow The Civil Service Rules And Illegally Appointed Michael Pacewicz Captain once again got the Greenwich taxpayer involved in another expensive lawsuit that the Town lost.
Pacewicz can not even properly conduct a simple internal affairs investigation.
Every time Pacewiez cashes his big fat Captain's paycheck the taxpayers are being cheated.
The taxpayers of Greenwich are paying top dollar and deserve better than the bungling Pacewicz who trys to solve police department performance and discipline problems with amateurish attempts at two bit cover ups.
With boobs like Pacewicz in charge - No wonder murders go unsolved in Greenwich.
HEADLINE:
STORY:
Republican and Democratic nominees for first selectman in this fall's election said challenging a court decision forcing the promotion of a policeman to captain will hurt public safety and cost more than legal fees.
First Selectman Jim Lash intends to seek an appeal of the verdict in the case of Lt. Gary Honulik if attorneys cannot reach a settlement in the case.
Two weeks ago, State Superior Court Judge Michael Shay ordered Honulik to be promoted, and slammed the town for illegally manipulating its hiring policies to deny the 34-year veteran a promotion to captain in 2003.
The ruling also directed that Capt. Michael Pacewicz, the man promoted instead of Honulik, be returned to his former rank, with Shay ruling that Pacewicz was promoted illegally.
The appeal would negatively affect the police force by extending a block on promoting senior police commanders, worsening a leadership void and threatening public safety, Republican nominee Peter Tesei and Democratic nominee, Frank Farricker said.
'I think the situation is a very sad saga for the individuals involved, the Greenwich Police Department, the town, and I don't think we should exhaust further resources appealing the decision,' said Tesei, chairman of the Board of Estimate and Taxation. 'We need to move forward.'
Farricker, a member of the Planning & Zoning Commission, said the appeal would be another in a line of ill-chosen battles, part of a wider pattern of the town aimlessly taking cases to trial when settlement would appear wiser, and alienating employees by disregarding town poliies.
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