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Tuesday, January 13, 2009

1/13/09 Burglaries couldn't be going up because in Byram, Riverside And Old Greenwich, because patrol cars sit on the Post Road instead of patroling?

Is It Bad Times Or A Failure To Properly Patrol Nieghborhood Streets?

Police tie burglary increase to faltering economy


Burglary rise tied to bad times

By Debra Friedman
Staff Writer
Posted: 01/13/2009 08:29:02 PM EST



As the economy continues to struggle, police said, residential burglaries are on the upswing in several areas of town as criminals become more brazen in their attempts to grab valuables from homes in the community.

Police said 18 residential burglaries occurred in Old Greenwich, Riverside, Byram and parts of the backcountry over the last two months, a spike that many believe coincides with the troubling financial times.

"When the economy suffers, some people turn to crime," said Detective Timothy Powell, head of the Greenwich Police Department's Burglary Clearance Squad. Powell said he recorded 82 burglaries in 2008, a jump of 11 incidents from 2007.

Last week, police said a burglary in progress turned into a robbery after a man in his 20s came home to his apartment on Mill Street in Byram Thursday afternoon to find two teenagers had broken in through a bedroom window and were attempting to steal a PlayStation video game system. Police said the man was tied up by the teens, who then fled the scene. However, the victim quickly freed himself and chased the two robbers down Mill Street, near Henry Street, where a confrontation took place.

"Following the incident, there was a scuffle on the street and someone stopped to break it up," said Powell, who noted that police were hoping the good Samaritan would come forward to help identify the robbery suspects. Police said the robbers dropped the video game system they stole from the apartment during the fight and it was recovered by the victim. The robbers were able to flee the scene before police arrived, police said.

Powell said the incident became a robbery when a confrontation ensued between the man and the teens who had taken property from him.....

.....Detectives also are investigating several burglaries that have been reported in Old Greenwich and Riverside, where about seven burglaries were reported in a span of six weeks, Powell said. Police said they believe suspects in these burglaries are entering homes using unlocked doors and windows.

"I think there are numerous entities operating," said Powell of the break-ins in the Old Greenwich and Riverside neighborhoods.

In addition to the Byram robbery, police are probing a set of burglaries reported in the area, although police do not believe the teenage suspects are tied to any other break-in's.

On the North side of town, four burglaries were reported along the Merritt Parkway corridor, three of them recently, a pattern that prompted police to issue a warning to residents earlier this month. Police Chief David Ridberg said they issued the warning because they believe the crimes are related. Police said in these burglaries, suspects were entering homes through second story windows and balconies and removing valuable items when residents were not home.....

....Powell said police also sent out advisories to local neighborhood associations regarding an increase in burglaries in town over the past few weeks.

Peter Uhry, a member of the Old Greenwich Association, said he felt residents in his area were aware of the threat, but said it never hurts to be reminded.

" I think people should be reminded "¦ we tend to be a trusting lot and, with these harder economic times, I think it heightens the occasions when burglaries might occur," said Uhry.

Keith Felcyn, president of the Round Hill Association, said he received an e-mail from police in early January regarding burglaries in the backcountry, and was not surprised given what he considered, "dangerous times."

COMMENT:
Last June Greenwich Police Chief David Ridberg was quoted in the Greenwich Time That He Was Going To Release The FBI's Most Recent Uniform Crime Report For Greenwich Before The End Of The Yaer.
Chief Ridberg Did Not Keep That Promise To The Residents Of Greenwich.

The Ecconomy Wasn't That Bad In The First Half Of Last Year, But Greenwich Had A Crime Problem Then:
And These Are Just Some Of The Crime Headlines From January To June Of Last Year.
Remember The Tire Slashings And Scores Of Cars That Were Broken Into In Byram, Pemberwick And Cos Cob.
===============================================================
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1/13/09 Connecticut state police, Hartford Courant And The Associated Press All Say Meredith Blake Of The Greenwich Time Got The Story Wrong


GREENWICH TIME REPORTER MEREDITH BLAKE FINALLY FIGURES OUT THAT A LOOSE BARREL CAUSED I-95 PILEUP ON SUNDAY


"Details still have to be sorted before any conclusions can be drawn," state Trooper William Tate said

TIME LINE SHOWS THAT GREENWICH TIME REPORTER MEREDITH BLAKE SCREWED UP HER NEWS STORY AND FAILED TO MAKE CORRECTIONS UNTIL AN ACCURATE NEWS REPORT WENT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WIRE

On January 11th Hearst Newspaper Reporter Meridith Blake Posted An Inaccurate Report About A 13 Car Pile Up on 95 In Greenwich.....


I-95 reopens after 13-car pileup
Greenwich Time, CT

Traffic still backed up in both directions


By Meredith Blake
Staff Writer


Posted: 01/11/2009 12:51:01 PM EST

GREENWICH - Interstate 95 in Greenwich reopened to traffic after a 13-car pilup closed the northbound side for about two hours.

The accident, which occurred at approximately 12 p.m. under the Indian Field Road bridge at Exit 4, resulted from one car sliding on the ice from last night's storm, and other vehicles subsequently colliding with it, said Sgt. Brent Reeves of the Greenwich Police Department.....

On January 12th at 11:40 Hearst Newspaper Reporter Meredith Blake Filed A Greenwich Story About A 13 Car Pile Up On 95 Near Exit 4 With The Chains Flagship Newspaper The Connecticut Post.

Greenwich Roundup Reported That There Were Problems With Ms. Blake's Story And That Others Said That She Had Gotten The Story Wrong.


PLEASE SEE:
Greenwich Roundup is once again spanning the globe to bring Greenwich the latest news about their town.....


Greenwich Pileup On 95:


CONFUSION IN GREENWICH: "First Responders Debate How Chain Reaction Accident on I 95 Occurred.

The Greenwich Police Department and Fire Department disagree on what caused the massive pile up on 95.

Sgt. Brent Reeves of Greenwich Police Department says, "...a car slid on the ice from Saturday's snowstorm and other vehicles collided with it", but Greenwich Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Nixon says a construction barrel caused the chain reaction accident .
Connecticut Post


.... a car slid on the ice from Saturday's snowstorm and other vehicles collided with it, said Sgt. Brent Reeves of Greenwich police. No one was badly hurt, Reeves said. Two people were transported to Stamford Hospital with minor injuries. The accident, ...


The Patent Trader
A construction barrel in the middle of Interstate 95 in Greenwich caused a 12-car chain reaction accident this morning, shutting down all northbound traffic for about two hours, from 12:15 to about 2:20 p.m.

Thomas Nixon, the deputy fire chief for the town of Greenwich, said they are investigating how the obstruction got into the roadway, but noted the construction on the overpass above where the accident happened, Exit 4 at Indian Field Road.....

GREENWICH ROUND UP HEARS THAT DEPUTY CHIEF THOMAS NIXON'S VERSION IS THE CORRECT STORY......


But Lazy And Clueless Hearst Newspaper Reporter Meredith Blake Ignored Greenwich Roundup And Reposted Her Inaccurate Story At The Greenwich Time Web Site Over And Over.....
Just Yesterday She Filed This News Report:
Meredith Blake
Staff Writer
Posted: 01/12/2009 07:18:27 AM EST
The accident, which occurred around noon under the Indian Field Road bridge, resulted from one car sliding on the ice from Saturday's snow storm, and other vehicles subsequently colliding with it, said Sgt. Brent Reeves of the Greenwich Police Department.

Only minor injuries were reported and no extrication of individuals from vehicles was needed, he said.

Two people were transported to Stamford Hospital for minor injuries.

The accident, which blocked all three lanes, took more than two hours to clear, as traffic was redirected off Exit 3 and permitted back on at the Exit 4 on ramp, he said.

Some passengers from the vehicles were standing in the highway as state and local police surveyed the scene and nine vehicles were taken away by tow trucks. The other vehicles could be driven, according to Tom Nixon, deputy chief of the Greenwich Fire Department.

Motor oil and transmission fluid leaked onto the highway as a result of the accident. Before reopening around 2:15 p.m., the fire department washed away the hazards and the Department of Transportation came out to sand it, Nixon said.
Lazy And Clueless Greenwich Time Reporter Meredith Blake Even Talked To Deputy Greenwich Fire Chief Thomas Nixon And Still Was Unable To Figure Out That A Loose Construction Barrel Caused The 13 Car Pile At Exit Four On 95.
Finally this morning,, The Hartford Courant Exposed Meredith Blake's sloppy reporting......


Hartford Courant,


GREENWICH, Conn. - Connecticut state police say a 13-car pileup on Interstate 95 in Greenwich last weekend appears to have been caused by a loose construction barrel.


Troopers say Sunday's wreck began when a car driver swerved to avoid the barrel, which was in the center lane on the northbound side of the highway near Exit 4.


The accident caused some minor injuries and a two-hour shutdown of the freeway. State police say they're still investigating. It's not clear where the barrel came from.


A spokesman for the state Department of Transportation says the agency reviewed its bridge replacement project near the crash site and determined that no materials or equipment were missing.

COMMENT:


GREENWICH ROUNDUP NOW SAYS
"NO CONSTRUCTION BARREL IS MISSING" - YEAH RIGHT


Now This Morning Greenwich Time Reporter Meredith Blake Refiled Her Story Based Upon Today's Associated Press Story.....




By Meredith Blake
Staff Writer
Posted: 01/13/2009 07:46:04 AM EST

State police say a loose construction barrel was the cause of Sunday's 13 car-pile up near Exit 4, but the Connecticut Department of Transportation said it's not likely from their nearby bridge replacement project.


"Our review of the construction site Monday is that none of our materials or equipment was out of place or out of order," said Kevin Nursick, spokesman for the state DOT.

A barrel was in the northbound center lane of Interstate 95 at Exit 4 Sunday when a Volkswagon Passat swerved to avoid it, setting off a chain of collissions that shut down the highway between Exits 3 and 4 for two hours.

Only minor injuries were reported and no extrication of individuals from vehicles was needed, according to the Greenwich Police Department. Two people were transported to Stamford Hospital for injuries.

The Indian Field Road bridge at Exit 4 is currently in the midst of a four-year, $7 million replacement project, for which the state DOT is responsible.

Construction barrels are located at the site, sectioning off equipment and other materials in the roadway on the bridge and ramp.

There are also barrels under the bridge along the highway, Nursick said......

......"These types of barrels are used on a regular basis and we haven't had any problems with them," he said, "I couldn't even speculate how a construction barrel could end up in the middle of the highway."

But town emergency management director Dan Warzoha said that in a wide open area, without barriers, such that by the Indian Field Road bridge, any strong wind can blow construction equipment out of place.

"Anytime you have a construction site and have loose equipment, these things can happen," he said.

Most contractors make sure the area is secured to the best of their ability, he said.
"People just need to do their due diligence, particularly in this site," he said.
Nursick said the DOT had not been notified by state police that a barrel from their construction site caused the accident.

State police said the accident is still under investigation.

- Staff Writer Meredith Blake can be reached at meredith.blake@scni.com or 625-4434.
Why Wasn't Greenwich Time Reporter Meredith Blake
Smart Enough To Listen To Greenwich Roundup.
===============================================================
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1/13/09 Google Once Again Catches The Greenwich Time Having Trouble Telling Time


The Greenwich Time Is Busted Again .....


The Integrity Problem At One Hearst Newspaper Continues......


At 5 AM This Morning Greenwich Roundup Put Up This Post:



UPDATED: 6:00AM, 6:30 AM, 7:30 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:30 AM And 10:30 AM

GREENWICH LOVES THE RAW GREENWICH NEWS FEED ON GREENWICH ROUND UP

GREENWICH ROUNDUP IS HERE TO SERVE TOWN RESIDENTS WITH THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT GREENWICH....

Stamford Advocate
At the time, there were local and federal tax liens on the property in excess of $400000. Robinson's attorney, Michael Jones of Greenwich, declined to comment.
If You Click On The Link You Will See:

The Stamford Advocate Story Was Filed By Advocate Reporters Elizabeth Kim and Monica Potts The Stamford Advocate Story Was Date Stamped With "Posted: 01/13/2009 07:21:33 AM EST"

Now The Same Story Just Appeared In The Greenwich Time With A Back Dated Post Time.
The Greenwich Time Claims That The Story Was Posted 7 Hours Ago At 7:21 AM, But Google Says The Story Went Up 32 Minutes Ago.
Just click On The Picture Above To See A Full Sreen Shot Of The Time Stamped Google News Listing.


Here is the story that the Greenwich Time Is Lying To You About. Click On The Link Below To Go To The Greenwich Time Web Page With The Incorrect Time.

Greenwich Round Up Day After Day Shows That The Greenwich Time Is Behind The Times

And The Greenwich Time Web Master Responds By Trying To Make Town Residents Think That News Stories Were Up On The Green Kitty Litter Liner All Along.


By Elizabeth Kim and Monica Potts

Staff Writers
Posted: 01/13/2009 07:21:33 AM EST

STAMFORD -- Even rock stars are not immune to the housing crisis.
A house belonging to guitarist Rich Robinson, a founding member of the Black Crowes, was sold Saturday at a foreclosure auction for $1.2 million, according to an attorney who oversaw the public sale.

The five-bedroom English-style cottage property on 384 Cascade Road was owned by Robinson and his former wife, Emma, according to property records. The couple purchased the home together in 2003. They divorced last year, according to court records.

Robinson, 39, has co-written songs with his older brother Chris Robinson, the lead singer who was once married to actress Kate Hudson. The blues-influenced rock band is best known for their 1990 debut album, "Shake Your Money Maker." It included hits such as "Hard to Handle" and "She Talks to Angels."

The band toured last year to promote "Warpaint," their first record in seven years.
Robinson and his former wife failed to make their mortgage payments in April, according to court documents. Records show their initial monthly payment was $4,500, but the amount could have risen when their interest rate was scheduled to change in May. Foreclosure proceedings started in August. At the time, there were local and federal tax liens on the property in excess of $400,000.

Robinson's attorney, Michael Jones of Greenwich, declined to comment.
More than a dozen people showed up to examine the 6,650 square-foot home before the noon

But As You Can See From The Date Stamped Picture Of A News Search Shows That The Greenwich Time Posted The Stamford Advocate Article About A Half An Hour Ago.

This Causes Greenwich Time Readers To Ask What Did The Green Kitty Litter Liner Know And When Did They Know It?

At the time, there were local and federal tax liens on the property in excess of $400000. Robinson's attorney, Michael Jones of Greenwich, declined to comment.

COMMENT:

Now Go To The Greenwich Time Home Page And Look How It Appears To Be Out Of Order, Because It Is Listed Ahead Of Other "Newer" News Reports

If The Greenwich Time Reporters And Web Master Will Lie About Post Times In Order Not To Appear Behind The Times, Then What Else Will They Lie About.

Well Greenwich Round Up Often Catches Lazy Greenwich Time Reporters Not Telling The Truth.....







ALSO:


No Good Cops Allowed Online

At The Green Kitty Litter Liner

UPDATE:
When Greenwich Round Up Exposes Lies:
The Greenwich Time Web Master Reacts By Pulling Down Home Page News Links In A Panic !!!!!

The Green Kitty Litter Liner Has Pulled The Black Crows Foreclosure Story From The Greenwich Time Home Page.

However, The Story Is Still In The Stamford Advocate Local News Cue.

The Back Crow Foreclosure Story Is Between The


which was filed by "The Advocate Staff"
and posted: 01/13/2009 08:00:53 AM EST

And The


which was filed by Monica Potts the Stamford Advocate Staff Writer
and it was posted: 01/13/2009 07:21:06 AM EST

But The Greenwich Time Version Of The Story Is No Longer In


Maybe, Someone Should Ask Greenwich Time Managing Editor .....

"What Happened To The Local Black Crows Are Getting Foreclosed On In Greenwich Story??????

================================================================
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1/13/09 VIDEO: New Restrictions on Madoff, but No Jail, But Walter Noel Runs Around Free As Can Be



Walter Noel Sued Again by Fairfield Greenwich Investors

Where Is The SEC Criminal Complaint?

Fairfield Greenwich Group, Walter Noel’s hedge-fund firm that had $7.5 billion with alleged fraudster Bernard Madoff, was sued for at least the third time by investors over claims it failed to protect their assets.

The latest complaint was filed yesterday in federal court in New York on behalf of investors by lawyer David Boies.

“Most, if not all, of the assets the plaintiff class had invested with defendants were stolen through the Madoff Ponzi scheme,” lawyers from New York-based Boies, Schiller & Flexner, including Boies and partner Stuart H. Singer, wrote in the complaint. “These losses could have been avoided if defendants had fulfilled their duties” and “if they had adequately investigated and monitored Madoff.”

Two trusts and a holding company based in the Cayman Islands and Carlos Gauch of Mexico sued on behalf of investors in the Fairfield Sentry Fund. It’s the third suit filed against Fairfield Greenwich since Madoff was arrested on Dec. 11.

The case is Inter-American Trust v. Fairfield Greenwich Group, 09-cv-301, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

Another class-action, or group, suit was filed in Manhattan federal court by a Los Angeles-based retirement trust on Jan. 8.

Fairfield was first sued Dec. 19 in Manhattan state court by investors seeking class-action status. Investors in that case also claim Noel and his fund jeopardized their assets by ignoring red flags about Madoff.

Fairfield founding partners Walter Noel, Andres Piedrahita and Jeffrey Tucker are accused of breach of fiduciary duty, negligence and unjust enrichment, among other counts

===============================================================

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1/13/09 READER SUBMITTED COMMENTS: The Greenwich Times is slow again - Our Greenwich Scooped Them Last Fall




Greenwich Police Department Patrolman Scott Johnson uses a laser gun as he watches the citizen journalists at Our Greenwich fly past The Green Kitty Liter Liner Last Fall








Dear Greenwich Roundup,

The top story today, about the police enforcing speeding was also scooped back in the fall by Our Greenwich:

I remember because it could have saved me from getting a ticket!

I searched theri site for "radar" and found the link:


http://ourgreenwich.com/blog/2008/10/18/%E2%80%9Cour-greenwich%E2%80%9D-exclusive-gpd-has-new-weapons-against-speeders/

PLEASE SEE:

By Debra Friedman
Staff Writer
Posted: 01/13/2009 07:46:27 AM EST

Drivers were slammed with a record number of traffic tickets last year after police stepped up their efforts to combat dangerous driving patterns in certain areas of town.

Police issued 7,512 tickets in 2008, a more than 2,000 ticket increase from the previous year and an eight-year high for the town, according to Sgt. Timothy Berry, who heads the traffic section of the police department.
PLEASE ALSO SEE:
Citizen Journalist Frank Trotta Was The First And Only Reporter
To Warn Us About A Dangerous Crime Spree In Town:

===============================================================
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1/13/08 It Is 5:30 Am In Greenwich And The Greenwich Citizen, The Greenwich Post And The Greenwich Time Have Not Up Dated Their So Called "News" Sites

UPDATED:
6:00AM, 6:30 AM, 7:30 AM, 8:30 AM, 9:30 AM And 10:30 AM


GREENWICH LOVES THE RAW GREENWICH NEWS FEED ON GREENWICH ROUND UP


GREENWICH ROUNDUP IS HERE TO SERVE TOWN RESIDENTS WITH THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT GREENWICH



HERE IS THE RAW GREENWICH NEWS FEED FOR TUESDAY:

Greenwich Round Up Has Once Again Been Spanning The Globe To Bring You The Latest News About Your Town.....


Santander shares close down on Madoff probe report
Reuters
MADRID (Reuters) - Shares in Spain's biggest bank Santander closed down on Tuesday after the Wall Street Journal reported Spain was probing the bank over the exposure of more than 2.3 billion euros ($3.06 billion) in client funds to alleged swindler Bernard Madoff.

The Journal said Spain's anti-corruption prosecutor would examine the relationship between Santander, investment fund Fairfield Greenwich Group and Madoff.

Investors are suing Fairfield Greenwich Group, whose clients stand to lose $7.5 billion in the alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme, in which early investors are paid with the money of new clients.
Investors claim Fairfield Greenwich and its executives "failed to manage properly their investments and to carry out necessary due diligence that would have uncovered the massive Ponzi scheme."

A spokesman for Santander declined to comment on the WSJ report, as did Spain's public prosecutors office.

A Bank of Spain spokesman also declined to comment.

Santander shares closed down 3.36 percent at 6.61 euros, compared with a 1.55 percent drop to 9,057.3 on the IBEX-35.

According to the Journal, investigators are probing why Santander chairman Emilio Botin sent his head of risk management operations to visit Madoff weeks before the former Nasdaq chairman's arrest and whether Santander officials were aware of the problem.

WWE's Linda McMahon Gains Power On State School and ...
TWNP-Wrestling News, NY
M. Jodi Rell announced Saturday that she has appointed Linda McMahon of Greenwich, the WWE’s chief executive officer, to the 11-member Board of Education. ...
Norwalk Advocate
The grand award, the 2008 Spec Home of the Year, and Best Spec Home more than $8 million went to Greenwich residents, Andy Fox and Marc Johnson of Stone ...
Seeking Alpha, NY
According to the Wall Street Journal yesterday Spain's anticorruption prosecutor is set to examine the relationship between Santander, Fairfield Greenwich ...

Hanover Real Estate Partners Announces 2008 Strategic Developments
MarketWatch (PRESS RLEASE)
Founded in 1981 and based in Greenwich, CT, Hanover approaches each asset from an owner's perspective, priding itself on its strong operating and management ...

The Verdict: Analysts' reaction
Reuters
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Tuesday the global economy is being hit hard by a financial crisis and how governments respond will determine the timing and strength of recovery.

KEY POINTS: * "For almost a year and a half the global financial system has been under extraordinary stress -- stress that has now decisively spilled over to the global economy more broadly," he said in remarks prepared for delivery at the London School of Economics. * "The damage, in terms of lost output, lost jobs, and lost wealth, is already substantial," he said. * In his first policy speech since early December, Bernanke said the Fed still has "powerful tools" that could be expanded to spur a rebound even though it has dropped benchmark interest rates to near zero.

.....STEVE GOLDMAN, MARKET STRATEGIST, WEEDEN & CO, IN GREENWICH,
CONNECTICUT:

"Unless there's any policy change that's quantitative, I'm not sure we're going to see much movement in the S&P. It looks like some of it is just bullet points. It's more of a big overview of what has happened and what could happen. It's not a big policy change, just an elaboration of the current policy, what has happened and what will happen. I wasn't expecting a big change, though."

Marketing veteran Baird takes USOC post
The Gazette
... reason to stop spending advertising dollars on the Olympics. The U.S. Olympic Committee named Baird, 47, of Old Greenwich, Conn., its chief marketing officer Monday, two months after Rick Burton left the Colorado Springs-based organization to ...
Business Wire (PRESS RELEASE), CA
GREENWICH, Conn.---Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBKR) plans to announce its fourth quarter 2008 financial results on Thursday, ...

Stamford chef to appear on Martha Stewart show
Stamford Advocate
He worked at Wildfire, now Barcelona, in Greenwich, Grant and Zanghi in Stamford and opened Relish in South Norwalk before returning to Stamford two years ...

Trade Deficit in U.S. Probably Shrank to Four-Year Low as Oil Prices Fell Bloomberg
... re seeing predominantly is weakness on both sides of the ledger,a said Stephen Stanley , chief economist at RBS Greenwich Capital in Greenwich, Connecticut. a oe Exports and imports are both falling.a The Commerce Departmenta s trade figures are due ...

Tullis-Dickerson moves from Greenwich to Stamford
Norwalk Advocate
....from the Greenwich Plaza office complex in Greenwich to 4666 square feet at One Stamford Plaza, a building on Tresser Boulevard owned by New York-based ...

Barbara Ehrenreich: Rich Get Poorer, Poor Disappear
The Huffington Post
... about the neo-suffering of the Nouveau Poor, or at least the Formerly Super-rich among them: Foreclosures in Greenwich CT! A collapsing market for cosmetic surgery! Sales of Gulfstream jets declining! Niemen Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue on the ...

Black Crowes band member goes into foreclosure
Stamford Advocate
At the time, there were local and federal tax liens on the property in excess of $400000. Robinson's attorney, Michael Jones of Greenwich, declined to comment.

Starwood Energy Acquires a Majority Stake in Nautilus Solar Energy
The South Mississippi Sun Herald
... are excited to complete this majority investment in Nautilus Solar," said Brad Nordholm, CEO of Starwood Energy in Greenwich, Connecticut. "Jim Rice, Alan Dash, and Laura Stern have, in a very short period of time, demonstrated significant ...

Spanish Prosecutors Probe Bank’s $3.1B Client Loss to Madoff
ABA Journal, IL
Losing the most was Fairfield Greenwich Advisors, with $7.5 billion in losses. Prosecutors are probing the relationship between Fairfield and Satander, ...

New Madoff Probes In Connecticut, Spain
FINalternatives, NY
Spanish authorities have also cast a wary eye upon Andres Piedrahita, a partner at Madoff feeder firm Fairfield Greenwich Group. ...

WR Berkley Corporation Announces Executive Appointments at Two of ...
MarketWatch (PRESS RELEASE)
GREENWICH, Conn.--Richard P. Shemitis Appointed Executive Vice President - Chief Underwriting Officer of Nautilus ...

Asian shares fall on earnings blues
Washington Post
The newspaper said Spain's anticorruption prosecutor would examine the relationship between Santander, Fairfield Greenwich Group, and the Madoff funds, ...

Sports stars gather for Bobby V's annual fundraiser
Stamford Advocate
Valentine, former manager of the New York Mets and a Stamford native, hosted the event at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich to benefit the Mickey Lione Jr. Fund, ...

About That "Mercury Poisoning" Incident....
Jeremy Piven: Scarfing Down Criticism
'Sick' Jeremy Piven Defends Fishy Excuse
Jeremy Piven left Broadway play because his mercury was rising
Smash Hits, India
Finally, I went to a doctor at Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut just so it wouldn't turn into a circus. He said, 'you've got to stop working. ...

A horse is a horse, except when he's on Broadway
Lower Hudson Journal news
The "Equus" horses went to Greenwich, Conn., for a day to visit a horse farm owned by one of the show's producers. The actors watched professionals groom ...

Fairfield Greenwich Sued Again by Investors Over Madoff Losses
Bloomberg
Fairfield Greenwich Group, Walter Noel’s hedge-fund firm that had $7.5 billion with alleged fraudster Bernard Madoff, was sued for at ...

Giant Bank in Probe Over Ties to Madoff
Wall Street Journal
Spain's anticorruption prosecutor will be looking closely at the relationship between Santander, the investment fund Fairfield Greenwich Group, ...

Connecticut Hospital Opens $10.3 Million Surgery Center
Becker's ASC Review, Illinois
Greenwich Hospital is a 174-bed community hospital serving lower Fairfield County Connecticut and Westchester County New York. ...

Wall Street's options fear gauge spikes up on economy
Reuters
... for options premium to protect their portfolios," said Andrew Wilkinson, senior market analyst at Interactive Brokers Group in Greenwich, Connecticut. ...

Crude Oil Extends Slump to Sixth Day on Demand-Drop Concern
Bloomberg
“Something in the $30-to-$34 area is probably where we are going,” Charles Maxwell, senior energy analyst at Weeden & Co. in Greenwich, Connecticut, ...

10-K: URSTADT BIDDLE PROPERTIES INC
MarketWatch (PRESS RELEASE)
In October 2008, the Company paid a $500000 deposit on a contract to purchase an office building in Greenwich, Connecticut. In November of 2008, ...

Using alternative medicine to treat common ailments
Stamford Advocate
In the past two years, Stamford and Greenwich hospitals have opened centers that provide what many call integrative care, such as acupuncture, yoga, ...

Bono, Bruce in Inaugural Concert
Hartford Courant
Greenwich native Rob Mathes will be music director and arranger for the backup band that will support all of the artists.

Hearst puts Seattle PI on sales block
Newspapers and Technology

Times Union to begin inserting Conn. papers

The Times Union in Albany, N.Y., will begin inserting the Sunday editions of The (Bridgeport) Connecticut Post and Greenwich (Conn.) Time Feb. 1.

The Times Union has adequate capacity within its mailroom operation to handle the load, said Dan Couto, the paper’s director of operations and facility planning. The Times Union’s mailroom is anchored by two Goss International Corp. 2299 inserters. “Our ability to run and run well is allowing us to compete” for this type of business,” Couto said.

Albany is located about 100 miles from the Connecticut cities.

The Post, which also handles production of the Time, will continue postproduction of the daily papers, Couto said.

Hearst Corp. owns all three papers.

UPDATE:
8:30 AM
The Greenwich Time Finally Has Up Dated It's So Called News Web Site:
By Neil Vigdor
Staff Writer
Posted: 01/13/2009 08:25:19 AM EST
Obamamania has hit Greenwich.
For the first time anyone can remember, the town is organizing a pair of public viewing sessions for the presidential inauguration.
Members of the public will be able to watch Barack Obama's swearing-in next Tuesday morning at the Town Hall Meeting Room and at the Cole Auditorium at Greenwich Library, where live television broadcasts of the historic ceremony will be shown.

Marge Robben, a resident who volunteered for the Obama campaign, approached First Selectman Peter Tesei last week to request that such an event be planned.

"I had this idea. I couldn't go to Washington but wanted to be with a lot of people to celebrate," Robben said.

Although he is a Republican who supported John McCain for president, Tesei said he was happy to oblige. The event, he said, has nothing to do with politics.

"It's not about the (political) party. It's about a celebration of democracy. There's historic elements, the first African American president, the first president of a new generation," Tesei said.

With the nation going through tough times economically, Tesei said it only adds to the gravity of the occasion.

"Who wouldn't be rooting for any president to do well?" Tesei said.

In the November election, Obama became the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry Greenwich since Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1964.

A GOP bastion for decades, the town was the boyhood home of former President George H.W. Bush......
By Colin Gustafson
Staff Writer
Posted: 01/13/2009 07:45:41 AM EST
With a final round of fixes underway at Hamilton Avenue School this week, many parents want staff and students to be allowed to return as early as February instead of having to wait until spring recess.
School board chairman Nancy Weissler has said the board would consider an April date for moving students from off-site modular facilities to their newly reconstructed building, so as not to interfere with preparation for the Connecticut Mastery Test, given after February break.

Closed for renovations since April 2005, the school was initially scheduled to reopen 18 months after work began. It was most recently scheduled to reopen when classes resumed on Jan. 5.
However, a last-minute impasse between the school's building committee and the manufacturer of its new boiler systems prevented the school from receiving the necessary safety approvals in time for a December move.

Now, workers are installing replacement flue pipes, with the goal of wrapping up work next week.

Once that efffort is finished, PTA co-president Dawn Nethercott said she believes students and staff should be allowed to return to the school as soon as possible instead of working around a standardized testing schedule.

Students' scores plummeted on the 2008 CMT administered last spring, just weeks after mold problems caused school administrators to evacuate students from their modular classrooms and disperse them to other schools.

But Nethercott said moving to a state-of-the-art building would not be nearly as disruptive to the test preparation schedule as being dispersed to different schools had been for students last spring....

Snow budget melting away.
By Neil Vigdor
Staff Writer
Posted: 01/13/2009 07:44:11 AM EST
Apologies to Bing Crosby.
Greenwich officials don't share the late crooner's love of snow, not when the town is facing a projected $31 million budget gap.
With more than two months of winter remaining, officials say the town has already depleted more than half of its $790,000 snow removal budget for the entire season, raising the possibility that it could be forced to tap into dwindling cash reserves.

"Every week we clear without a snow flake is a good week for me." First Selectman Peter Tesei said....
...In some cases, the town has been able to recoup some snow removal expenses from the federal government, when a state of emergency is declared.

From a liability and public service standpoint, officials said they have little choice but to plow the roads and hope for a mild winter, however.

"We have to get through several months yet," Tesei said.۩
By Brian Lockhart
Staff Writer
Posted: 01/13/2009 07:45:01 AM EST
HARTFORD -- The state motor vehicles commissioner is working to revoke the license of Connecticut's largest driving school for allegedly providing improper training to thousands of drivers and falsifying records.
Commissioner Robert Ward Monday told lawmakers that despite the hundreds of charges for fraudulent practices and a pending criminal case against Academy of Driving, based in Watertown, he does not have the authority to pull its license without a state hearing.

"We'd face civil charges," Ward told the legislature's Transportation Committee. "You cannot sentence somebody when they've been charged with the offense, only after they've been convicted of the offense."

In October, state police arrested Joaquim Sousa and his wife, Sharon, longtime owners of the Academy of Driving, which has a dozen sites in Fairfield County. They face more than 100 charges each, including issuing learner's permits before obtaining parent consent; using fraudulently notarized parental consent forms; using fraudulent address verifications for learner's applications; using unlicensed instructors; failing to maintain safe operating conditions of motor vehicles used in training; using an unqualified person to administer a vision test; and fraudulently altering records.

Ward said a hearing on Academy of Driving's license was scheduled for December, but postponed until Jan. 28.

A court date has not been set for the criminal charges.

The Academy of Driving has about 65 sites, including ones in Stamford, Norwalk, Greenwich, New Canaan, Weston, Wilton, Westport, Fairfield, Redding, Ridgefield and Bridgeport.
By Colin Gustafson
Staff Writer
Posted: 01/13/2009 07:44:40 AM EST
The school board is sending out public opinion surveys this week and inviting community members to attend two public forums to weigh in on what they'd like to see in the next schools chief.
A broad-cross section of the Greenwich community -- from parents, teachers and school staffers to town officials, members of the chamber of commerce and Representative Town Meeting delegates -- are being asked to attend the public forums, to be hosted Jan. 21 by the board's newly-selected search consultant.

Before attending the forums, community members will also be able to fill out a one-page survey that asks respondents to recommend a candidate and list the characteristics they want in a superintendent.

"This is a very broad-based attempt to get people to come in, talk to the consultants and offer their opinions," said member Steven Anderson. "The key is to make sure everybody knows about this (from several sources), so, three months from now, nobody can say, 'They didn't ask for my opinion.' "

The survey, which can be accessed on the Greenwich Public Schools Web site, is due Jan. 21, and can be submitted at either of the public forums taking place that day, first at 9 a.m. at Town Hall, 101 Field Point Road, then at 7 p.m. at Greenwich High School's Media Center, 10 Hillside Road.

The board's Glenview, Ill.-based search consultant, Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, Ltd., will cull survey responses into a report for the school board as it prepares to interview candidates, Anderson said......
By Debra Friedman
Staff Writer
Posted: 01/13/2009 07:46:27 AM EST
Drivers were slammed with a record number of traffic tickets last year after police stepped up their efforts to combat dangerous driving patterns in certain areas of town.
Police issued 7,512 tickets in 2008, a more than 2,000 ticket increase from the previous year and an eight-year high for the town, according to Sgt. Timothy Berry, who heads the traffic section of the police department.

While the numbers of tickets rose, Berry said the number of car accidents fell by 10 percent to 2,046, a decline he believes can be attributed to the rise in tickets.

"We would like to think that our efforts are having positive results," said Berry. "Stricter traffic enforcement would lead to lower collision occurrences."

Berry said the number of accidents in Greenwich has been declining every year since 2000. This year's total is the lowest number in eight years, police said.

The improvement in traffic statistics is the result of a nearly three-year-old Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (S.T.E.P) according to Berry, who began the program in 2006 to address complaints the police department receives about dangerous roads in town where there are a high number of car accidents.

"We get complaints about speeding and traffic everyday. This was a attempt to create some sort of logical responses to all the complaints," said Berry.

In addition to examining complaints, police also look at their own data in areas where they see a high number of collisions and then work with the traffic engineer to find out why certain roads are more prone to accidents than others.......
UPDATE:
10:35 AM
The Greenwich Post Has Finaly Updated It's "So-Called" News Web Site

Written by Kristan Zimmer
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 10:31
North Mianus School Principal Bonnie Butera is retiring effective July 1.

Ms. Butera has devoted her 35-year career in education to the Greenwich Public Schools and has been a voice in improving the evaluation process for administrators and teachers. She has also provided leadership in implementing North Mianus’ School Improvement Team plan, Deputy Superintendent Kathy Greider said

Written by Kristan Zimmer
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 10:27
Following a search process that began in October, David P. Thompson has been appointed deputy commissioner of public works for the town. Mr. Thompson, one of four candidates interviewed, has served as the town’s chief engineer since September 1995.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 10:21
Dr. Tony Campolo, a nationally known pastor, sociologist, social activist, author and commentator, will discuss “Faith and the Future of the Church” at a brunch Saturday, Jan. 24, from 10 to noon at Second Congregational Church, at 139 E. Putnam Ave. in Greenwich.
And Hearst Newspapers's Greenwich Citizen's
So-Called "News Web Site" Has
Been Stuck On Stupid For The Last Five Days.
Greenwich Citizen Editor Don Harrison Is Always
A Sleep At The Switch At This Rosebud paper.

Dear Readers: It is with great pleasure that we introduce a new chapter in the history of the Greenwich Citizen.
PLEASE SEE:

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1/13/09 PRESS RELEASE: Fitch Rates Greenwich, CT's $72MM 2009 GO BANs 'F1+'; Affs Outstanding GOs at 'AAA'

When Greenwich Roundup Types:
Greenwich Town Hall Listens......

Strange Things Are Happening In Greenwich

Yesterday Evening Greenwich Roundup Published This letter From A Town Hall Insider And Added Comments To The Letter.....

1/12/09 A READER AND TOWN HALL INSIDER SUBMITS COMMENTS: Pacewicz pension bump - FUZZY MATH !

Now First Thing In The Morning This Press Release Is Waiting In Greenwich Round Up's Inbox......


Fitch Rates Greenwich, CT's $72MM 2009 GO BANs 'F1+'; Affs Outstanding GOs at 'AAA'

NEW YORK--January 12, 2009 -- Fitch Ratings has assigned an 'F1+' rating to the town of Greenwich, Connecticut's $72 million of general obligation (GO) bond anticipation notes (BANs), issue 2009. The BANs are expected to sell competitively on Jan. 15, with proceeds refinancing currently outstanding BANs and providing additional funds for various capital improvement projects in the town.

Fitch also affirms the following outstanding ratings for Greenwich:

--$45 million BANs (due Jan. 29, 2009) at 'F1+';
--$28.7 million GO bonds at 'AAA'.

The Rating Outlook on the GO bonds is Stable.

Greenwich's superior 'AAA' rating reflects its considerable resource base, highlighted by exceptional wealth levels. A sizeable unreserved general fund balance deficit is due to the town's historical method of funding capital projects on a modified pay-as-you-go basis, and Fitch believes that the recent change to a capital borrowing approach will result in positive fund balances by fiscal 2011 or sooner. Low overall debt ratios, resulting from a long history of funding nearly all capital expenditures from current resources, will increase to more moderate levels with this change, but expected debt issuances are manageable and should be retired promptly. The short-term 'F1+' rating is based on Greenwich's general credit characteristics.

Greenwich is located in southwestern Connecticut approximately 28 miles from New York City and is one of the most affluent communities in the nation. Per capita income levels are two-and-a-half times that of the state and more than three times that of the nation. Many of the town's 61,871 residents (2007 estimate) are executives and professionals working locally or in surrounding Fairfield County communities and New York. The unemployment rate as of November 2008 was 4.6% (preliminary), well below the county, state, and national rates, reflecting the depth of employment opportunities. The town's $34.2 billion tax base, the largest of any municipality in Connecticut, is chiefly residential, although a substantial commercial component is made up of office space and high-end retail properties. Underlining the substantial tax base is a $2.3 million average home price and a very high market valuation per capita ratio of $789,645.

Greenwich's financial strength stems from its deep, stable resource base. Fiscal 2008 ended with a $13.3 million general fund surplus, which reduced the unreserved general fund deficit to $30.2 million from $43.4 million. In fiscal 2008, the town moved from the modified pay-as-you-go method of financing capital projects, which caused general fund deficits, to a more traditional capital borrowing approach.

Under the former method, the town appropriated the full cost of capital in one year and raised revenue to offset the appropriation in the same and subsequent four fiscal years. Fitch expects that planned 3.5% annual mill rate increases will provide sufficient funds to eliminate the general fund deficit no later than fiscal 2011 and sustain balanced operations going forward, despite increased debt levels. Positive fund balances in several other funds provide a degree of financial flexibility during the transition period.

The town's debt ratios are moderately low on a per capita basis ($1,776) and extremely low relative to taxable market value (0.2%). The strength of the latter ratio underscores Greenwich's considerable financial resources to meet its capital needs. Fitch expects that the town's overall debt ratios will increase to more moderate ranges with the issuance of approximately $317 million of GO bonds through fiscal 2018 to fund its 15-year, $538 million CIP. However, the debt burden should remain manageable and be retired rapidly.

Currently, 76% of principal amortizes within 10 years, reflecting a town policy to amortize almost all debt within five years. Pensions are fully funded as of the most recent valuation, and the town's $18.8 million of assets in an OPEB trust fund partially mitigate a manageable $63 million liability.

Fitch issued an exposure draft on July 31, 2008 proposing a recalibration of tax-supported and water/sewer revenue bond ratings which, if adopted, may result in an upward revision of this rating (see Fitch research 'Exposure Draft: Reassessment of the Municipal Ratings Framework'.) At this time, Fitch is deferring its final determination on municipal recalibration. Fitch will continue to monitor market and credit conditions, and plans to revisit the recalibration in the first quarter of 2009.

Fitch's rating definitions and the terms of use of such ratings are available on the agency's public site, http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fitchratings.com&esheet=5869383&lan=en_US&anchor=www.fitchratings.com&index=1. Published ratings, criteria and methodologies are available from this site, at all times. Fitch's code of conduct, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, affiliate firewall, compliance and other relevant policies and procedures are also available from the 'Code of Conduct' section of this site.

Contacts:

Fitch Ratings, New York
Ryan A. Greene, 212-908-0315
Ann Flynn, 212-908-9152

or



Media Relations:
Cindy Stoller, 212-908-0526
Email: cindy.stoller@fitchratings.com

COMMENTS:
Is The Greenwich Retirement Board Trying To Tell Greenwich Taxpayers Not To Worry About Illegally Appointed Captain Michael Pacewicz Big Pension Giveaway, Because Greenwich Has A "Considerable Resource Base, Highlighted By Exceptional Wealth Levels."
The Single Family Homeowners Of Greenwich Should Not Worry About The Extra Pension Money Bribe That Was Used To Get The Illegally Appointed Captain To Stop Blocking four High Level Police Positions And Resigns From The Greenwich Police Department.
Because Fitch Believes That The Town's $18.8 Million Of Assets In An OPEB Trust Fund Will "Partially Mitigate A Manageable" $63 Million Pension Liability That Greenwich Taxpayers Are Ultimately Responsible For.
Does Fitch Ratings Know About The Pension Deal That Town Hall Is Trying To Give Illegally Appointed Greenwich Police Captain Michael Pacewicz?
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