Hyper Local News Pages

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

06/02/09 YOU WONT READE THIS IN THE GREENWICH TIME: Metro North trains running after bomb scare

RYE - About 15 New Haven Metro North trains were at a standstill in both directions for an hour and a half this morning after a landmine-like device was spotted at the Rye station at 11 a.m., Metro North spokesman Dan Brucker said.




The suspicious object spotted on a train platform turned out to be a torque converter, an essential part of an automobile's transmission, Brucker said. No one knows who left it there, Brucker said.

Trains started to move just before 12:30 p.m.

It will take at least an hour for the delays to work themselves out, Brucker said. Some trains were stopped for least an hour, he said.

There was no way around the Rye station, Brucker said, and no trains were being allowed through Rye while the Westchester County bomb squad conducted an investigation.

All northbound New Haven Metro-North trains were held at Grand Central, southbound trains were held north of the area.

At 12:20 p.m. some southbound trains stopped north of Rye, between Greenwich and Port Chester stations, were reversing direction to offload passengers in Stamford, said Sam Borden, a Journal News reporter on a Grand Central-bound train out of Fairfield.

Conductors told passengers on the 10:20 a.m. train out of Fairfield that trains were being held "indefinitely" due to police activity, Borden said when they were stopped at Port Chester.

Read full story from the Journal News

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Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

06/02/09 RECESSION BUSTER:Save Your Money Don't Pay Seventy Five Cents For Wednesday's Greenwich Time When You Can Read It For Free On Tuesday Night.

Public safety officials conduct hazmat drills
When a truck filled with dangerous chemicals stopped near the Greenwich Civic Center Tuesday morning, one man was knocked unconscious by powerful white smoke that began filling the area, prompting a

Swine flu cases rise to 49 in Greenwich
The state Department of Public Health on Tuesday confirmed 16 additional swine flu cases, bringing the town-wide tally to 49, up from 33 on Monday. However, school officials said Tuesday evening

PLEASE SEE:

06/02/09 Grenwich Public Schools Press Release: GPS Health Update - 16 New Cases Of Swine Flu

AND ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT:

06/02/09 Greenwich Public Schools Press Release:: Administrator Restructuring



Interim human resources chief selected

The school system's assistant director of human resources will take over as the office's interim chief this summer, but says she plans to step down once a permanent candidate has been found.

PLEASE SEE:

5/31/09 BOE Press Release: Interim Human Resources Director


Locust St. sewer repair has minimal problems
Many people would be upset by their road being shut down for days. Not Locust Street resident Orlando Presto. Presto, 80, walked up to where workers were repairing a sewer line Tuesday afternoon and



Beach pass scanners slowing park entry
If only they made E-ZPass for bicycles. Robert Connochie could have used it Tuesday on his way into Greenwich Point, where the Cos Cob resident was forced to stop pedaling his bike to allow a park

Challengers line up for post
Louis Caravella and competition -- now that's an oxymoron. Rarely challenged during his five terms as the town's tax collector, the Democrat could be in for a contest in the November election.

Judge's age at center of police promotion case
The age of a state Supreme Court judge is now at the forefront of a pending appeal stemming from a five-year-old town police promotion lawsuit. Lawyers for the town and the plaintiff....


Signs of success in reducing traffic
Given the opportunity, many state residents are more than happy to stay off the highways and use alternatives. Success in convincing them of that is worth building on


Ridgefield beats Darien in OT to win FCIAC boys lacrosse title
NORWALK -- Matt White ripped off his helmet, threw his stick in the air and took off running. The Most Valuable Player of Tuesday night's epic FCIAC final could have made it all the way to



Yankees balk at cost of inquiry into new stadium funds
(Will Waldron / Times Union)The New York Yankees could live with spending nearly $40 million on the likes of Carl Pavano. They draw the line when it comes to subpoenas from Assemblyman Richard Brodsky.


Higgins, Gault see greener future
Rick Higgins, founder of the Higgins Group, a residential realty firm in Fairfield County, said he believes the energy efficiency of a house will determine how it's sold in the future.



Conan O'Brien makes debut on 'The Tonight Show'
(AP Photo/Paul Drinkwater/NBC) NEW YORK -- Conan O'Brien debuted as host of "The Tonight Show" with a jog across the country to Los Angeles and other comedy bits on his entry into a strange new West Coast culture.

FOR REPORTING ABOUT THE GREENWICH TIME

PLEASE SEE:

06/02/09 ONCE AGAIN HEARST NEWSPAPERS ARE LOST IN GREENWICH........I didn't have a clue that the former Greenwich resident was Crockefeller, ex testifies

06/02/09 The Greenwich Time's Corporate Sister (Fairfield County Weekly) hired Indian freelance journalists to write the paper this week. Is this the way of the future?

Sorry, Greenwich Time Staffers, But You Might Be Outsourced To India If This Hearst Newspaper Experiment Is A Success.

06/02/09 Sign Of The Times: The Incredibly Small And Shrinking Greenwich Time

LESS NEWS MORE MONEY: The Money Losing Greenwich Time Has Never Been Venerable - But Now, More Than Ever, It's Vulnerable.

In An Effort To Wring Out More Savings From The Cash Strapped Greenwich Time, Hearst Newspapers Has Been Shrinking The Number Of Pages In Each Issue Of The Newspaper

PLEASE ALSO SEE:

06/01/09 Today Is The Day To Start Your Greenwich Blog

Have You Thought About Being A Greenwich Citizen Journalist?

AND TAKE A LOOK AT:

05/30/09 Greenwich Time's Online Readers Scream,"Basta Jonathan Basta !!!! Enough Is Enough !!!!!"

Cos Cob Parents And Students Tell Greenwich Time We Editor, Jonathan Lucas.....


"Basta !!!!"


Hearst Newspaper's Online Newspaper Readers Are Sick And Tired Of Being Ignored By Greenwich Time Web Editor Jonathan Lucas.

Over 24 Hours Ago The Greenwich Public Schools Issued A Press Release About Swine Flu Now Being At Cos Cob School, But Hearst Newspaper President Steven Swartz's Greenwich Web Editor Still Has Not Gotten The Story Up On The Web.

05/29/09 RSS What? When Hearst Newspaper President Steven Swartz Going To Have The Balls To Fire The Incompetent Greenwich Time Webmaster?

As Donald Trump Would Say,"No RSS feed? You're fired!"


FOUR YEARS AGO.... prominent blogger Robert Scoble (formerly with Microsoft, now with Podtech.Net) stated, "You should be fired if you do a website without an RSS feed." http://scoble.weblogs.com/2005/02/19.html .


Many Of The Greenwich Time RSS Feeds Have Been Broken For Months.
Almost All Of Hearst Newspaper's News Feeds Don't Work In Greenwich
The
Greenwich Citizen Has No RSS Feed At All


Just Take A Look At All The Broken Greenwich Time RSS Feeds

05/29/09 Once Again Hearst Newspapers Has Trouble Keeping Time At The Greenwich Time

Hearst Newspaper President Stephen Swatz Allows Greenwich Time Webmaster To Screw Up Again !!!!!
It Looks Like Greenwich Time Blogger William A. Ruskin Can See Into The Future
First Greenwich Roundup Breaks The News:

And Then The Hearst Newspaper Editors Asign The Story To Colin Gustafson:

As public schools remain open despite rising swine flu infections, a private day care center in Pemberwick will stay closed until Monday, after nearly the entire staff called out sick this week amid concerns about another outbreak of the virus.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
GREENWICH TIME REPORTING:
There Is Something Fishy Going On With Web Editor Jonathan Lucas At The Greenwich Time......
Lucas Is Missing Time At The Greenwich Time
A Greenwich Roundup Reader points out that there appears to be some discrepancies with the posting times at the Greenwich Time, Stamford Advocate and Connecticut Post. The reader points out that the exact same story appears at the Stamford Advocate and the Connecticut Post.
All three articles are written by Debra Friedman but the Stamford Advocate and Connecticut Post articles indicate that they were updated while the Greenwich Time is once again having trouble keeping time.
The update for the Greenwich Time has been removed or was never ever posted as it should have been. This is clearly a violation of Hearst Newspaper and basic journalistic standards......

Inaccurate Greenwich Time Article Gets
Shot Down By The Board Of Education


FYI all - hopefully you are not reporting based on the Greenwich Timearticle this morning, please note that:


As we reported to you in the update posted to the web site last night (5/26/09), to date - there have been NO additional confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu virus in the Greenwich Public Schools.


As of last night (5/26/09), there are 16 confirmed cases in the Town ofGreenwich, 11 of those 16 are from the Greenwich Public Schools.


The Greenwich Time newspaper INCORRECTLY reported these numbers in theheadline article of the Wednesday, May 27, 2009 edition of the paper.


Please continue to check the Greenwich Public Schools web site for themost up-to-date and accurate information.http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=6651


Kim Eves

Director of Communications

Greenwich Board of Education

290 Greenwich Avenue

Greenwich, CT 06830

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Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

06/02/9 The Raw Greenwich News Feed: Late Night Edition

The Latest Greenwich News Briefs:

VIDEO : Israel conducts massive defense drill
Israel conducts massive defense drill
msnbc.com
Seward Riley, Greenwich, Ct. (Sent Tuesday, June 02, 2009 2:38 PM) Religious believes too often blur pragmatic solutions and obvious realities. ...
Ex-NFL player extradited to OC in 1994 murder case
OCRegister - Santa Ana,CA,
Eric Andrew Naposki, 42, of Greenwich, CT, made his first court appearance today in the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach, but his arraignment was ...

The Latest Greenwich Blog Post: Help Wanted

Hiring: Private Equity Accountant - Greenwich, CT
By josh
Private Equity Accountant - Greenwich, CT Description: Expanding Private Equity firm located in Greenwich, CT seeks an experience accounting professional to join their finance team. The position is the right hand to the.
HedgeFundJobList.com Job Blog - http://hedgefundjoblist.com/blog/



Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to
GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

06/02/09 Democratic majority Hurting business

To the editor:

With the state facing a nearly $9 billion budget deficit, the Democratic majority has worked hard at addressing every issue other than the budget. We've debated the death penalty and universal health care. We've also debated frog dissection, paintball guns and water lettuce.

The Democrats have advanced another measure that not only does not deal with the deficit, but makes the economic climate in this state worse: a bill that mandates employers provide paid sick leave to employees.

Substitute House Bill 6187 would require all businesses employing 50 or more people to provide paid sick leave to all of their employees. It would allow those employees to accrue sick leave at the rate of one hour for every 40 hours worked and accrue up to 52 hours of paid leave per year, which would be carried over from one year to the next.

The bill's advocates claim that the measure is needed and working families shouldn't lose money just because either they or their children are sick. This is a noble goal; however, a heavy financial downside accompanies it. And what does accrued sick leave have to do with providing parents paid leave to take care of the immediate problem of staying home with a sick child?

What the advocates don't tell you is the largest government body in the United States that has enacted this kind of law is the city of San Francisco -- long the home to fascinating social policies such as granting citizenship to dolphins.

Forcing a struggling business to take on this burden of paid sick leave could result in the loss of that business. For a worker, instead of having a job without sick leave, he may have no job at all. He'll find his former employer has moved to another state, leaving him behind.

Democrats use businesses as cash-laden piƱatas at which they blindly flail their anti-business sticks. Instead, the state should be doing everything possible to retain existing businesses and lure new companies to Connecticut, making our state more attractive and more competitive than our neighboring states. That's the way we grow jobs, increase revenue and create a positive bottom line.

Livvy R. Floren

Lile R. Gibbons

Fred Camillo

Greenwich

06/02/09 Greenwich Public Schools Press Release:: Administrator Restructuring

Please see attached for release on Administrator Restructure and Assistant
Principal Appointments.


Kim Eves
Director of Communications
Greenwich Board of Education
290 Greenwich Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06830

www.greenwichschools.org

Phone: 203-625-7415
e mail:
kim_eves@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Fax: 203-869-8003

SUPERINTENDENT ANNOUNCES ADMINISTRATOR RESTRUCTURING

(For immediate release: Greenwich, CT – Tuesday, June 2, 2009)

Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Betty J. Sternberg, has announced a restructuring of leadership positions,primarily program coordinator and assistant principal positions, effective July 1, 2009.

Dr. Sternberg said, “Theobjective of the restructuring was to improve the coordination between curriculum and instruction by placingmany administrators in charge of curriculum in schools, and by integrating curriculum and instructionalfunctions into one school-based position when possible. Additionally, in addressing the recent $1millionreduction approved by the BET in March, and by the RTM and the Board of Education in May, each bargaining group was reviewed for further reductions.

In each case the primary objective was to minimize impact on directinstruction. In the review of Cabinet level administrator positions, one Cabinet level position was eliminated for2009-10 – Assistant Superintendent for Research & Evaluation. In reviewing the administrators group – GOSA(Greenwich Organization of School Administrators) - the District’s objective was to establish a consistent modelfor delivering content and instructional support among the disciplines and programs.

The new model drivesinstructional support directly into the buildings by relocating district-based program coordinators into theschools wherever possible. The District reviewed benchmarking data for administrator positions with otherdemographically similar Districts, recognizing that Greenwich has more administrators at the building level per1000 students than similar districts in Connecticut. We were able to take advantage of openings at the assistantprincipal level and to reorganize responsibilities in a way that produced net savings and did not necessitateanyone losing a job.”

The following changes reflect the new program coordinator model and the appointmentsof two Assistant Principal positions.

Kristina Lawson, Program Coordinator for the FLES Program, PK-5 (Foreign Language in Elementary Schools)and the PK-5 ELL Program (English Language Learners) – will become the Assistant Principal at New Lebanon School and the Program Coordinator for ELL PK-12.

Marcia Schenker, Program Coordinator for World Languages and ELL, 6-12 will become the Program Coordinator for World Languages, PK-12 – assuming responsibility for the FLES program and relinquishing theELL program at the secondary level.

Jarret Pepe, Western Middle School Assistant Principal, will remain Assistant Principal and will replace theteaching portion of his current position with responsibility for the District’s Social Studies program as the PK-8Program Coordinator.

Marianne McCullough, Assistant Principal at Glenville School, will transfer to the Assistant Principal positionat Riverside School.

www.greenwichschools.org

Janean Smith, Glenville School classroom teacher, has been appointed Assistant Principal for Glenville School.Jill Flood, Special Education Coach for the Greenwich Public Schools, has been appointed Assistant Principalfor Julian Curtiss School.Colleen Morey, Program Coordinator for Physical Education, Health, and Family & Consumer Science, PK-12will move offices from the Havemeyer Building/Board of Education to Greenwich High School

KRISTINA R. LAWSON BIO BRIEF:

Ms. Lawson began her career in education as a First Grade English Acquisition Teacher at Mitchell ElementarySchool in Denver, CO (2000-2001). From 2001-2006 she taught at the Hanover Elementary School, in SouthMeriden, CT – first as a third grade bilingual teacher (2001-2003) and then as a Language Transition SupportServices provider (2003-2006). During this time she also worked for Southern Connecticut State University as aTraining for All Teachers Mentor, advising administrators in a graduate independent study circle onrestructuring programs to better meet the needs of all students (2002-2004).

In 2006, Ms. Lawson served asInterim Assistant Principal for Memorial Elementary School in East Hampton, CT before taking on her positionat Silvermine Elementary School in 2007. As Assistant Principal, she created a school growth plan aligned tostudent needs based on SMART goals and provided professional development in the areas of early interventionand acceleration programs for staff to address the needs of exceptional children. In 2008, she came toGreenwich as the PK-5 FLES and ELL Program Coordinator.

Ms. Lawson received her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in education and linguistics fromSan Diego State University, San Diego, CA in 1999; her Master of Science in Bilingual/Multicultural Educationfrom Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT in 2003; and her 6th Year in EducationalLeadership from the University of Connecticut Administrative Preparation Program, in 2006. Ms. Lawson alsoreceived a CLAD Credential from San Diego State University in 2000 - additional study in Cross-culturalLanguage and Academic Development.

MARIANNE McCULLOUGH BIO BRIEF:

Ms. McCullough began teaching at The Mead School in Greenwich, CT as a math teacher for grades 1-5 in1982. A year later she moved to Los Angeles, CA and taught grades 1 and 3 as well as a gifted program for 3rdand 4th graders at Menlo Avenue School (1983-1985). Returning to the East coast in 1985, she worked for theStamford Public Schools from 1985- 1998 as a primary grade teacher and a Reading Consultant. In June 1998she became the Instructional Coordinator for the Hillandale Program and shortly thereafter, in November 1998,she accepted the position of Program Improvement Planner for the Newfield School. In 2005,

Ms. McCulloughcame to the Greenwich Public Schools as Assistant Principal for North Mianus School, transferring to GlenvilleSchool in 2007. Throughout her educational career, Ms. McCullough has garnered various grants; conductednumerous faculty and parent workshops; and developed and implemented several programs designed atimproving student learning. Effective July 1, 2009, she will transfer to Riverside School as Assistant Principal.Ms. McCullough received her Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Elementary Education from theUniversity of Connecticut, Storrs, CT in 1980; her Master of Science degree with a major in Reading fromSouthern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT in 1987; and her Sixth Year Certificate inAdministration from the University of Bridgeport, Stamford, CT in 2004.www.greenwichschools.org

JARRET PEPE BIO BRIEF:

Mr. Pepe was promoted to Assistant Principal at Western Middle School in 2008 from his position as a SocialStudies teacher with the school. He joined the Western Middle School staff in 2001 as a Social Studies teacherand has been involved in the numerous continuous improvement efforts of the school. In addition to his rolesand responsibilities as teacher, coach and team leader, Mr. Pepe has been co-chair of the AYP Committee, theschool’s initiative developed to address No Child Left Behind’s Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements.

He has also been Chair of the school’s Mission Statement Committee formed to create a new set of studentbehavior expectations and a school mission statement, and the Communication Committee organized toaddress/improve communications with parents and families. Effective, July 2008, Mr. Pepe will assume the roleof PK-8 Program Coordinator for Social Studies in addition to his Assistant Principal role, relinquishing hiscurrent teaching responsibilities.Mr. Pepe received his Bachelor of Arts in History and Social Studies from Eastern Connecticut State Universityin 2001, graduating Summa Cum Laude; his Masters of Art in Education from the University of Phoenix, in2007; and his Intermediate Administrative Certificate from Sacred Heart University in 2008.

MARCIA SCHENKER BIO BRIEF:

Ms. Schenker has been the World Language Program Coordinator since 2006 and was instrumental inintroducing the Mandarin Chinese program at the high school in the Fall of 2006. Prior to her Districtappointment, Ms. Schenker was the Program Administrator for World Languages at the high school – fromSeptember 2003 – July 2006. As Program Administrator, she initiated numerous improvements to the highschool program including the development of new curriculum and the implementation of higher-level courses toalign with and support the elementary and middle school programs, which had been adjusted due to theintroduction of world languages at the elementary level.

Ms. Schenker developed a program for HeritageLanguage learners resulting in seven distinct courses and an enrollment of more than 200 students; she increasedenrollment in French and Spanish Advanced Placement (AP) courses; and she began a German AP course. Ms.Schenker has been a valued member of Expanded Cabinet and the Secondary School Review Committees.Effective July 2009, Ms. Schenker will oversee the World Languages Program, PK-12 – taking on theelementary FLES program and transferring the ELL functions at the secondary level to Kristina Lawson.

Ms. Schenker began her career in education in 1970 as a Spanish Teacher for Fox Lane High School in Bedford,N.Y. After 18 years as a teacher, she became the Coordinator for Foreign Languages and English as a SecondLanguage (ESL) at Fox Lane High School. In 1994, she moved to the district level as Academic Coordinator forForeign Language and ESL, Grades 6-12 for the Bedford Central Schools. In 2002-2003, Ms. Schenkerconsulted with Mt. Kisco Elementary School in developing and implementing a curriculum framework for theirK-2 Dual Language Program.

She received the Educational Excellence Awards from the Bedford CommunityEducation Foundation in 1999, Iona College, New Rochelle, N.Y. in 1996, and the New York State Associationof Foreign Language Teachers (NYSAFLT) in 1994.Ms. Schenker received her B.A. in Spanish Education from Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y. in 1970; herM.A. in Latin American Studies from New York University, New York, N.Y. in 1975; and she completedcoursework for her administrative certificate at Fordham University, Tarrytown, N.Y. in 1991.

JANEAN M. SMITH BIO BRIEF:

Ms. Smith has been a teacher at Glenville School for twelve years. During that time, she has been involved inleadership responsibilities including coordinating the supplemental instruction program, facilitating the schoolimprovement plan process, establishing school policies, assisting in administrative decisions, and scheduling.Ms. Smith has also participated in many district discussions and committees contributing to the implementationof numerous school and district initiatives including inclusion models, social-emotional programs, curriculum,and professional learning.www.greenwichschools.org

Ms. Smith received her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary/Special Education from Providence College,Providence, R.I., in 1996; her Masters of Professional Studies in Reading and Writing from ManhattanvilleCollege, Purchase, N.Y., in 2000; and her Certification Degree in Educational Leadership from Sacred HeartUniversity Fairfield, CT, in 2007.

JILL A. FLOOD BIO BRIEF:

Ms. Flood has been a special education coach and behavior consultant for elementary and middle schools inGreenwich for the past two years. She first came to the Greenwich Public Schools in 2000 as a SpecialEducation teacher at North Street School. Ms. Flood provides support to special education staff onIndividualized Education Plan (IEP) development and implementation, scheduling, data collection and analysis,progress reporting, and general problem solving. Ms. Flood is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst thatworks with teams across town to create and employ behavior plans.Ms. Flood received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from SUNY New Paltz, New Paltz, N.Y.,in 1996; her Master of Science in Special Education from Dominican College in Blauvelt, N.Y. in 2000; and herCertification Degree in Administrative Leadership from Sacred Heart University in Trumbull, CT in 2009.

COLLEEN MOREY BIO BRIEF:

Ms. Morey has been the Program Coordinator for Physical Education, Health, and Family & Consumer Sciencefor the Greenwich Public Schools for sixteen (16) years. As Program Coordinator, she has re-written curriculumin each of the disciplines she oversees to align with State standards and to focus on improving fitness andwellness for students. Ms. Morey has been instrumental in the District’s development of Character Educationand Social-Emotional Learning frameworks and instructional programs. She has worked extensively indeveloping the service learning component of the District curriculum and has successfully involved a number ofschools over many years in support of an orphanage in Bogota, Columbia.

She has worked tirelessly indeveloping programs that bring students from different schools together for various fitness and wellnessactivities, which also serve as transition programs for students as they move into the secondary schools. Inrecognition of her contributions to the field, the Connecticut Association for Supervision and CurriculumDevelopment (CT-ASCD) awarded Ms. Morey their Educational Leader of the Year Award in 2002.An educator for thirty-two (32) years, Ms. Morey began teaching physical and health education, K-12 inCarlsbad, California in 1977. In 1987, she moved to Connecticut and taught Physical Education classes at theHurlbutt Elementary School in Weston, CT for one year. In 1988, she took an administrator position with theBrookfield Public Schools, working as a Curriculum Specialist and teaching physical education classes.

Shealso served as an Interim Vice Principal at one of the elementary schools in Brookfield, before coming toGreenwich in 1993.Ms. Morey received her Bachelors of Science in Education from the University of Vermont in Burlington, VT,in 1977; her Master of Arts in Administration from San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, in 1982; herCertification for Elementary Education from San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, in 1986; and her SixthYear Certification in Administration/Supervision from Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, CT,in 1991.###www.greenwichschools.org

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Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

06/02/09 Grenwich Public Schools Press Release: GPS Health Update - 16 New Cases Of Swine Flu

See attached for 6/2/09 GPS Health Update.


Kim Eves
Director of Communications
Greenwich Board of Education
290 Greenwich Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06830

www.greenwichschools.org

Phone: 203-625-7415
e mail:
kim_eves@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Fax: 203-869-8003



GREENWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS HEALTH UPDATE Tuesday, june 2, 2009

SIXTEEN ADDITIONAL CASES OF H1N1 HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED
INVOlVING GREENWICH RESIDENTS

Please check the Greenwich Public Schools Web Site regularly for the most up-to-date
and accurate information:
http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=6651

H1N1 Cases – The Greenwich Public Schools (GPS) were notified this evening that sixteen new cases of H1N1 have been confirmed in Greenwich residents. The State Department of Health’s June 2nd website update does NOT break out how many of the sixteen cases may involve students from the Greenwich Public Schools.

To date and to recap, there have been twenty-seven (27) confirmed cases involving Western Middle School students and one (1) confirmed case involving a Cos Cob School student. There are now 49 confirmed cases of H1N1 in Greenwich residents, 28 of which involve Greenwich Public School students, 5 of which do not involve GPS students, and 16 of which have not specified.

School Opening Status – all schools will be open and run on schedule unless otherwise notified.

Western Middle School Absenteeism – On Monday, June 1st, there were 82 students absent out of 492 students and today, Tuesday, June 2nd, there were 38 students absent.

GDoH Attendance Guidance - The Greenwich Department of Health has issued an important notice with School Attendance Guidance for ALL schools. It has been posted to the web site – all parents and staff are urged to read the memo and to adhere to the guidelines. In summary, the guidance states that anyone exhibiting flu-like symptoms should remain at home for a minimum of seven days.

Staff members throughout the District have been instructed to send students exhibiting any flu-like symptoms to the school nurse and nurses have been instructed to send students with flu-like symptoms home from school. Additionally, District and school custodial staff have been instructed to wipe down surfaces including door knobs, railings and other hardware, etc. with an increased vigilance.

RECAP OF EVENTS/DECISIONS:


5/29/09 - H1N1 Cases – The Greenwich Public Schools were notified on the evening of May 29th that one of the 16 new cases confirmed on May 28th of the H1N1 virus in Greenwich residents, involved a Cos Cob School student (15 involved Western Middle School students and 1 – we were told on the 29th - involved a Cos Cob School student).

Also, the State Department of Health confirmed this evening one (1) additional case of H1N1 flu virus involving a Western Middle School student.

To date and to recap, there have been twenty-seven (27) confirmed cases involving Western Middle School students and one (1) confirmed case involving a Cos Cob School student. There are 33 confirmed cases of H1N1 in Greenwich residents, 28 of which involve Greenwich Public School students.

5/29/09 - Western Middle School 8th Grade Washington D.C. trip will not be rescheduled. The District carefully considered many aspects of this decision, including the financial implication – however, the primary consideration is the health and safety of the students and staff. State Department of Health and local health professionals have assessed the conditions of Western Middle School students and staff traveling on an extended, overnight, long distance trip as being a high risk for a repeated outbreak of the H1N1 influenza. Please see letter dated May 29, 2009, from Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Betty J. Sternberg announcing the decision on the web site for more information.

* Absenteeism 5/28/09 – 156 Western Middle School students out of 492 were absent and 15 Glenville students out of 108 located at Western were absent.

* 5/28/09 Update: The State Department of Health has confirmed 15 additional cases of H1N1 flu virus in school-aged children at Western Middle School. These 15 new cases plus the 11 previously confirmed cases, amount to 26 confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu virus at Western Middle School. Please note that, per the Greenwich Department of Health’s May 28, 2009 release, there are 32 confirmed cases in Greenwich residents – only 26 of those 32 are from the Greenwich Public Schools. Also, according to the Greenwich Dept. of Health release – all of the WMS students have recovered or are recovering and none have required hospitalization.

* 5/27/09 Meeting with Health Professionals – The Greenwich Department of Health and the Greenwich Public Schools conducted a meeting at Western Middle School to provide information and answer health-related questions. State and local health professionals and school District administrators participated, including Dr. Matthew Cartter - State Epidemiologist for the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health, Dr. James Sabetta - Greenwich Hospital Infectious Disease Physician, Caroline Baisley – Director of Health for Greenwich Department of Health, Tom Mahoney – Director of Special Clinical Services and Public Information Officer, and Dr. Betty J. Sternberg – Greenwich Superintendent of Schools

The meeting was taped and will air on Cablevision’s Education Access Channel 78 from Friday, May 29, 2009 through Sunday June 7, 2009. Check the District web site for times.

* Absenteeism as of 5/27/09 – 211 Western Middle School students out of 492 were absent from school on 5/27/09. This is less than on Tuesday, May, 26, 2009 (229 were absent) and Friday, May 22, 2009 (260 were absent). 20 Glenville students out of 108 located at Western were absent today (less than Tuesday at 33).

* As of 5/26/09 there were 11 confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu virus in the Greenwich Public Schools. Please note that, per the Greenwich Department of Health’s May 26, 2009 release, there were 16 confirmed cases in Greenwich residents – only 11 of those 16 were from the Greenwich Public Schools.

* Activities/Sports - Regarding interschool activities and sports: Generally, if students and staff are not exhibiting symptoms and are in school – then activities and sports will continue as scheduled. There may be exceptions made on a case-by-case basis.

* On May 25, 2009 - The following are exceptions that have been made primarily due to the fact that either the teacher running the program and/or a number of students participating are ill and are at home:
- 5th grade Orientation at Western Middle School for New Lebanon School, Glenville School, Parkway School and Hamilton Avenue School students has been postponed
- Glenville’s Spring Concert at Western Middle School has been postponed.
- Adventure Racing for Western Middle School and Eastern Middle School students scheduled for 5/27/09 has been canceled.

* On May 23, 2009: 8th Grade Washington D.C. trip canceled - After consultation with and as recommended by State and Local Departments of Health and physicians, Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Betty J. Sternberg, canceled the Western Middle School 8th Grade trip to Washington, D.C planned for May 26-29, 2009. Dr. Sternberg said, “While this was a very difficult decision, after a thorough review of all of the facts, consultation with several health professionals at the State and local level, and two meetings with Western Middle School parents, we have decided that it is in the best interest of our students to cancel the trip.”

* Given the information available by May 23, 2009, regarding the rate and severity of student illnesses, the school medical advisor and Greenwich Hospital infectious disease physician recommended that the district cancel or postpone the Washington trip.

* By May 23, 2009, Nineteen (19), 6th grade, WMS students had experienced flu-like symptoms, were tested by a healthcare provider using the quick flu test and received negative results – these students are sick but not with a flu.

* By May 23, 2009, Fourteen (14), 6th grade, WMS students have experienced flu-like symptoms, were tested by a healthcare provider using the quick flu test and received positive results – these students are sick with a flu but at this time we do not know if it is H1N1 – the State Department of Health is conducting additional tests to determine if their flu is the H1N1 flu virus.

* On By May 23, 2009, The District did not expect to have the results of these H1N1 tests until mid to late week the following week.

* By May 23, 2009, additional cases of students with flu like symptoms at WMS have not been reported to the school or Town Dept of Health.

* On May 22, 2009, there were an uncommonly high number of absences at WMS, however, most did not appear to be due to student illnesses.

* By Wednesday, May 20, 2009, approximately 55 students had been to the infirmary at Nature’s Classroom and 19 were sick enough (multiple symptoms, fever) to send home, the other students were experiencing a range of symptoms but were not sick enough to have parents called to pick them up.

* On Monday, May 18, 2009, 130, WMS 6th graders went to Nature’s Classroom – Although it was unknown to the school at the time, one of the students had been diagnosed (using the quick test) with a “flu” and was placed on a short course of anti-viral medication. The student then reported to the school on Monday, not exhibiting any symptoms and boarded the bus for the trip. The District was unaware of any of the student’s status until Thursday, May 21, 2009.

* The decision to cancel the remainder of the Nature’s Classroom trip was made using the following considerations:
- distance from home if more students became ill
- the severity of illness in some of the sick students
- the higher probability of infection given the living situations (multiple students in bed/bunk rooms)
- amount of activity required of students
- ability to dedicate staff to students who were ill
- national attention about the spread of H1N1

For more information contact:
Caroline Calderone Baisley, MPH, RS:
Town of Greenwich, Director of Health at Tel [203] 622-7836
Betty J. Sternberg: Superintendent of Schools at Tel [203] 625-7425
State of Connecticut at Tel [860] 509-7729

For more information on H1N1 flu:
* Greenwich Department of Health:
www.greenwichct.org
* Connecticut Flu Watch:
www.ct.gov/ctfluwatch/swineflu
* Connecticut Department of Public Health:
www.ct.gov/health
* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
www.cdc.gov
* Centers for Disease Control and Prevention School Guidance:
www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/k12_dismissal.htm

# # #
www.greenwichschools.org

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06/02/09 ONCE AGAIN HEARST NEWSPAPERS ARE LOST IN GREENWICH: I didn't have a clue that the former Greenwich resident was Crockefeller, ex testifies

Andrea Peyser Sez Crockefeller's Wife Deserved to Have Kid Napped
Gawker
Karl Gerhartsreiter pretended to be various important people that he was not for many years, married a woman, had a daughter, and when the wife found out he ...
The genuine ex-wife of the phony Rockefeller accused of kidnapping their daughter says she was first drawn into his twisted world when ...
CNN
One New York writer called her a "ding-bat doormat" who married a "Crockefeller." It's more complicated than that, Boss explained under cross-examination. ...

ALSO:

Boston Globe
BBC News

MORE:


PLEASE SEE:





















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06/02/09 The Greenwich Time's Corporate Sister hired Indian freelance journalists to write the paper this week. Is this the way of the future?

The Headlines:


Sorry, Greenwich Time Staffers, But You Might Be Outsourced To India If This Hearst Newspaper Experiment Is A Success.

The Quotes:

"If our owners want to replace us with Indians, all we can say is, good luck! If they find locating, hiring and keeping after these writers half the challenge we did, they might think twice about replacing us." - Hearst Owned Fairfield County Weekly

"It wasn't our intention for our little outsourcing experiment to put us out of a job. But it's clear that in an age when publications are aggressively cutting costs and reducing staffs, India's millions of wired English speakers may present an irresistible resource. If so, our Indian colleagues will have earned the last laugh." - Hearst Owned Fairfield County Weekly

The Story:

WE HAD THIS ISSUE MADE IN INDIA


Last year, a magazine in Pasadena, Calif., made headlines when they started outsourcing city hall coverage to reporters in India. Using simple webcams and e-mail, Pasadena Now put journalists half a world away inside city council chambers to observe and file stories on local government. The magazine fired its staff and replaced them with Indians who'd crank out 1,000-word stories for the rock-bottom rate of $7.50 each.

The media world was abuzz: American news outfit outsources local reporting to the subcontinent. Could we all be next?

We wondered too about the limits of outsourcing local news, particularly alternative journalism. Covering city council meetings via webcam is one thing. Producing the bulk of an issue of a local news and arts weekly is quite another.....
CORRECTION NEEDED:

Has The Fact Checker At
Fairfield County Weekly
Been Outsourced Too ????

It Wasn't Last Year That Pasadena Now Fired All Of It's Employees And Outsourced Their Jobs To India. That Was Two Years Ago......

It Was Last Year That Greenwich Roundup Warned The Corporate News Employees Of Fairfield County That Their Jobs Could Be Outsourced.
But That's Okay, Ex-Greenwich Time Editor Joe Pisani Mad The Same Mistake Last December.

Please See:

An Unapologetic Ex-Greenwich Time Editor Joe "I Helped Martha Moxley's Killer" Pisani Continues......

And while I’ve often been simple-minded, I suppose, in my assessment of the decline of newspapers, I still believe my theory has validity. The big guys are collapsing because of greed. Sure, classified is migrating online; sure, ad revenue is down; sure, young readers are hard to come by; sure, there’s a proliferation of news sources.

But I believe many of these companies could have weathered this transitional time — at least prior to the economic collapse — if they hadn’t been so darn greedy and willing to cut newsrooms and consolidate editing and reporting functions, and even worse, send copy editing to places like India or another town. How crazy is that?

COMMENT:

Oh Poor Ole Joe, He Would Have Protected Us From The Crooked Town Hall Politicians And Incompetent School Board Members If Only The Greedy Corporate Suits Had Not Cut His News Room Budgets.

Joe It Was Greenwich Roundup Back In April That Warned You And Neil"I Am Still Hiding Copies Of The Fake Beach Cards In My Desk Drawer" Vidgor That Newspaper Jobs Were Being Outsourced To India.

How Crazy Is That?

FLASHBACK:

Park's Department Head Joseph Siciliano has another dumb idea.

Joesph Siciliano is going to put holograms on senior citizen passes this year in order to stop the beach pass counterfeiters in Town.

Who the heck is going to make fake senior citizen beach passes?

Duh, Would Someone Please Tell Joseph Sicilano The Town Of Greenwich gives out senior citizen beach for FREE !!!

Why isn't Joseph Siciliano smart enough to put the holograms on this years beach card, which costs $27 per person?

Better yet why isn't Joseph Siciliano smart enough to get holograms on parking stickers that cost $100 each?Why isn't Joseph Sicilano smart enough to protect the taxpayers by calling one of the hundreds of firms that quickly deliver holograms?......

.......Please read this Greenwich Time article and tell me if you see one quote from a Greenwich citizen or an opposing politician that thinks the public trust has been violated and that tax dollars are being mismanaged

.......Warning:Weak Reporting Can Be Outsourced To India
Surprise!!!!.....

Indians speak English and can run press releases through a spell check....
Complete Greenwich RTM Meetings can now viewed by an Indian Reporter via the internet.An Indian Reporter can make a free skype call to get a quote from the First Selectman, School Superintendent or any other public official listed on the Town Web Site.Photo's can be emailed to India.

Technology Marches On....

Weak local news reporting can and has been
outsourced to India

Your city's news - from India

The job posting was a head-scratcher:

"We seek a newspaper journalist based in India to report on the city government and political scene of Pasadena, California, USA."

Outsourcing first claimed manufacturing jobs, then hit services such as technical support, airline reservations and tax preparation. Now comes the next frontier: local journalism. ...

Read The Full Story:

A news site hires two to cover Pasadena from afar.

That helps a shoestring budget go further.

By Alex Pham
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

May 11, 2007

When is local journalism not really local? When it's about Pasadena and written by someone in India. James Macpherson, editor and publisher of the Pasadena Now website, hired two reporters last weekend to cover the Pasadena City Council.

One lives in Mumbai and will be paid $12,000 a year. The other will work in Bangalore for $7,200. The council broadcasts its meetings on the Web. From nearly 9,000 miles away, the outsourced journalists plan to watch, then write their stories while their boss sleeps India is 12.5 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time. "A lot of the routine stuff we do can be done by really talented people in another time zone at much lower wages," said Macpherson, 51, who used to run a clothing business with manufacturing help from Vietnam and India.

So, on the Indian version of Craigslist, he posted an ad that said in part, "We do not believe that geographic distance between California and India will present unsurmountable problems, and that working together with you will result in your development of a keen working knowledge of this city's affairs." Dozens replied. One of the two chosen had attended the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Rob Gunnison, the director of school affairs there, is dismayed. "It just seems so fundamental to journalism to be there," Gunnison said. "I still can't quite believe it's not a hoax."

It's not. Macpherson plans to run his first batch of outsourced stories Tuesday. The Pasadena native runs the website, which he said gets 45,000 visitors a month, on a shoestring budget from his condo with help from his wife, a data entry worker and two interns. Macpherson plans to hire half a dozen more Indian reporters. He'll add some local flavor by doing interviews, then e-mailing the recordings to India. "When you instant-message someone in Mumbai, it's like looking over her shoulder," he said.

Larry Wilson, editor of the 30,000-circulation Pasadena Star-News newspaper, scoffed. "To pretend you can get the feel and the culture of a town as complicated and interesting as Pasadena by e-mailing and doing things over the Internet is nutty," he said.

AND NOW HERE IS THE PUNCH LINE GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATOR'S LIKE THE IDEA OF OUTSOURCING REPORTING TO INDIA

Ann Erdman, spokeswoman for the city of Pasadena, thinks the approach is a little odd. But "as long as they get their facts correct, I'm a happy camper," she said.

If Greenwich Time Editor And Chief Joe Pisani Is Not Careful He And His Crew May Find Themselves On The Unemployment Line While There Jobs Are Outsourced.

PLEASE ALSO SEE WHERE WE WARNED THE GREENWICH TIME EDITOR AND REPORTERS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE GREENWICH TIME WILL BECOME A NEWS BUREAU Of THE CONNECTICUT POST

Please Also See:

Hearst Newspaper's Indian Outsourcing Test Went Pretty Well.....

Here Are The News Stories That Were
Made In India For Fairfield County Weekly:

A report on the state's death penalty......


Dare to bring in a change to the death penalty?

The state Senate on Thursday, after hours and hours of debate, passed a bill by 19-17 in favor of substituting the death penalty with life imprisonment. The passionate and emotional debate continued until 4 a.m.

The reality, according to the proponents of the bill, is that the death sentence is not only unworkable and takes long but is also a burden on taxpayers. Many also argue that it doesn't provide any closure to the victims' families, a fact strongly outlined by murder victims' families on Friday in a press conference arranged by a national movement to end the death penalty.

Walter Everett, father of a murder victim, said, "People wait and wait for 15 or 20 years for an execution and then after it occurs, they say, why don't I feel better?" Elizabeth Brancato, daughter of a murder victim, said, "Abolition of the death penalty would honor my mother because it says that we, in Connecticut, value life."......
A profile on the Grateful dead tribute band dark Star Orchestra......


Dark Star Orchestra — the tribute band worthy of tributes

Dark Star OrchestraJune 1-2, Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge Rd., Ridgefield. (203) 438-5795, ridgefieldplayhouse.org

At each of their shows, expectations are high. They have lived up to them more than 1,500 times, and, God knows, they will continue doing so.

The Dark Star Orchestra (DSO) have made fans of people who have seen the Grateful Dead a zillion times; they are also the virtual gateway to the Dead's music to many young Deadheads who have never seen Jerry Garcia and his band, thus straddling two generations of audiences.

An Interview with long-running alt-rockers Cake....


Touching two decades, the Cake's still fresh

CakeMay 28, the Webster Theater, 31 Webster St., Hartford, (860) 525-5551, webstertheater.com

Hate them or love them, you can't classify them; neither can you wish them away. Their music flows effortlessly from one musical genre to the other, and it definitely has come a long distance.

Perhaps, it is this versatility — this ability to belong to many genres and not be constrained by one — that is the key to Cake's longevity. It's been a decade and a half since the Motorcade of Generosity rolled by and close to two decades since "Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle" happened. If this is not durability for an indie band, what is?......

Some tips on cooking the Connecticut delicacy shad.......


A culinary tradition that connects Connecticut

It's shad time of the year again! They've swarmed upstream to Connecticut. The New England Shad Association alerted fishermen in April that the American shad were spotted at the mouth of the Connecticut River in Old Saybrook. The state fish of Connecticut, shad is the harbinger of spring and brings in its wake celebrations like the Shad Bake and the Shad Derby Festival. Shad is a seasonal delicacy to be enjoyed as a main course or side dish.

The annual Rotary Club Shad bake in Essex is all about good food, good drinks and good old baked shad with accompaniments like coleslaw, corn cobs or beans. Baking the shad, however, for so many people is no mean feat. The fish is de-boned and then nailed onto oak planks and here we are talking about fish for 700-1,000 people so imagine the magnitude of the entire procedure. The fillets are brushed with just butter and some seasoning and stacked up for roasting at the 16-foot-wide fire. The event ends with pouring the dripping pans of fish oil into the hot coals that gives a burst of color signifying the end of the celebration for another year. This year, on June 6, the celebrations assume greater importance as it is the event's 51st anniversary.

Apart from the shad bake, the Shad Derby Festival not only celebrates the fish but also promotes cleaning up of the Connecticut River. The derby, originally a month-long affair, was founded by members of the Windsor Rod and Gun Club 55 years ago. It comprises of a parade, a Shad Queen pageant, 5K road race, arts and crafts festivals, and, of course, the Shad Masters tournament. This year's Shad Derby Pageant was won by Danielle St. Jacques who was being sponsored by Four Seasons Landscaping, LLC.......

Movie Reviews For "Up", "Drag Me To Hell" And "Night At The Museum"....


This museum could use a guide, a true escape from reality (and realty), and Raimi's real calling

** Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Directed Shawn Levy. With Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria and Robin Williams. (PG)

When the adventure comedy Night at the Museum first opened in 2006 it grossed close to $250 million in U.S ticket sales. That impressive figure alone should be enough to tempt you to watch its sequel. Sadly, with Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian history does not repeat itself. One assumes the production budget of $ 200 million was probably spent on the special effects rather than a decent script, which is where the film fails. .....

**** Up Directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson. Voices by Edward Asner, Paul Eiding, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger and Jordan Nagai (PG)

What are movies if not an escape from reality? Disney. Pixar's Up takes you to that magnificent world of fantasy. The very first animated and 3D film to ever open at the Cannes film festival, Up starts off with a young child, Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner) who lives out his desire for adventure through his idol, explorer Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer), who travels around the most exotic locations in the world like Paradise Hills in South Africa. Carl even marries Ellie, a vibrant girl who shares his passion for adventure, but only grows old to become a jaded balloon salesman. Ellie falls ill and dies. Catastrophes mount when estate giants are trying to get their hands on his centrally located house and pack him off to some retirement home. In a fit of rage, Carl loses his temper on one of the construction crew and is summoned by the court to pack up and leave......

*** Drag Me to Hell Directed by Sam Raimi. Starring Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Dileep Rao, Jessica Lucas and Lorna Raver.

Scenes from Sam Raimi's Evil Dead are etched in my memory as one of the most spine-chilling visuals I've ever watched in the horror genre. The sheer slickness and jerk to the senses that this director offered through his work is probably unmatched as good horror films are increasingly hard to come by. In line with creating cult classics, Raimi's latest offering, Drag Me to Hell, transports you to a mysterious dark place delectably laced with a lethal dose of aggression that scares the hell out of you. Raimi might've directed the action/adventure Spiderman series over the last decade, but with his latest venture he proves that horror is his true calling. Despite its humble budget, Drag Me to Hell offers the ultimate edge-of-the-seat excitement with its lucid story-telling and competent performances. It also throws in a liberal measure of jolts, vomit-spewing and skillful camera work — quintessential Raimi style......

Plus There Also Was.....

A concept car for the Indian middle class

As Well As .....


Ambulance drivers, loose women and weight gain


Nilanjana Bhowmick: Nilanjana is a freelance journalist, self-acclaimed foodie and amateur chef. She lives in New Delhi with her husband and 4-year-old son.

Vijayalaxmi Hegde: Vijayalaxmi, Viju to her friends, is a full-time freelance writer and editor living in Kolkata. Her musical taste spans Indian classical to Celtic to hard rock. Her blog is sihikahi.blogspot.com

Archana Aithal: Archana is a Mumbai-based journalist who writes for India's largest selling film glossy, Stardust and shares perspectives on one of her life's biggest passions, films.

Asmi Rana: Asmi dwells in dark corners near Kolkata and sometimes emerges to forage for food. She will also answer questions about neo-Tantra and free love provided you do not hit on her.

Mandira Srivastava: Mandira is editor-coordinator at Vadamali Media and has written for indiaschoolnews.com, instablogs and merinews.com. She is based in Hyderabad.

=======================================
Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com