03/15/10 RETRO WEEK: Last Week's Greenwich Time News Reports

Schools chief 'chagrined' over recommended budget cut
While the amount is small compared to the $4 million in reductions made to board's budget this year, Freund said the cuts would crimp his ability to put savings toward projects that help students without creating costs down the road. School officials had hoped to spend...

Falling tree kills backcountry woman on way to dinner
A 61-year-old woman was killed after a tree struck her on the head as she and her husband walked in their northeast Greenwich neighborhood during the storm Saturday night. Police did not release the woman's name pending notification of additional family members. The ...

Cleanup begins after massive power outage due to stormThe Saint Claire Avenue resident said an official -- she couldn't recall if it was a town employee or a CL&P employee -- stopped in Sunday to check the damage on the street and told them where they stood on the pecking order. The damage was similar across town as trees...

Lions Club holds 50th pancake fry
The Lions also raise money with a citrus sale each fall, and other fundraisers, said Hunter Marvel, a past president and master of ceremonies for the pancake fry. During the event, the Lions handed out checks to various community organizations, including ...

Dogs make kids eager to read tales
Brasil, a 3-year-old whippet owned by Darien resident Don Smith, was one of three certified therapy dogs who visited the library as part of a program designed to help children improve their reading skills. The idea behind the Reading Education Assistance Dogs program, ...

Murder suspect sent to ER; trial set to resume Monday
Gerardo Lombardi, of 38 Nicholas Ave., was taken to the emergency room during a scheduled lunch recess around 1 p.m., officials said, where he was expected to remain into Friday evening depending on his condition. Prior to the unexpected interruption, Lombardi's defense...

Tesei to press BET to reinstate funds for emergency management post
First Selectman Peter Tesei is going to bat for the reinstatement of funding for the town's emergency management coordinator post, the fate of which will be determined in the upcoming week during budget deliberations. The town created the post in the wake of the 9/11 ...

GHS students show spirit in second annual 'House Olympics'
The Greenwich High School senior was just a few seconds into one of the pastry-eating competitions held in the student center Friday when, he said, his "primal instincts" took hold. Wesley was one of hundreds of GHS students blowing off steam from their studies with ...

GHS students show spirit in second annual 'House Olympics'
The Greenwich High School senior was just a few seconds into one of the pastry-eating competitions held in the student center Friday when, he said, his "primal instincts" took hold. Wesley was one of hundreds of GHS students blowing off steam from their studies with...

Police blotter
Four women were arrested after a fight broke out in Byram Wednesday night, including a 42-year-old Greenwich woman who was charged in connection with another fight at Greenwich High School two days earlier, police said. The arrests came after officers were called to the area of Church and South Water streets on the report of a group of females fighting in the street, according to the police report. According to police reports...

BOE committee formed to explore private money for GHS project
A new board committee empaneled Thursday night -- dubbed the "GHS Music Instructional Space and Auditorium Project Funding and Guidelines Committee" -- will consider a wide array of ideas for using private financing to complement public funding for construction costs ...

BOB HORTON: Will the 'Greenwich Four' answer the call for affordable housing?
By my count, four Greenwich residents are running for either governor or U.S. senator this fall, which puts the town squarely in the political spotlight. All this attention could have some unintended and potentially embarrassing consequences for the local candidates ...

Town doles out nearly $340,000 a year in longevity bonuses to tenured employees
Nearly two-thirds of all nonschool municipal employees are poised to collect bonuses this year rewarding them for their longevity on the job, part of an array of concessions that town negotiators say that they will re-examine as union contracts come up for renewal....

Archery club shoots down cell tower proposal
The spot was the latest to be shot down for the controversial project, which has led to protest from residents as well as parents who are worried about the health effects from their children's exposure to electromagnetic radiation. T-Mobile's initial proposal last year...

Border toll proposal calls for camera system
An expected drop in petroleum tax revenues due to more fuel-efficient hybrid cars adds urgency to Connecticut's discussion of tolls and other new ways to fund transportation projects, according to state Rep. Antonio "Tony" Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill. ...

Investigators eye heart ailment as trigger of crash that killed DTC head David Roberson
Investigators looking into the fatal crash involving David Roberson on his way home from the Representative Town Meeting Monday night are keying in on a pre-existing heart defect that has been confirmed by an autopsy. Roberson, 42, was found to have cardiomyopathy...

Lawyer pushes for hospital to release records in drug case
An attorney representing eight women in a class-action lawsuit against Greenwich Hospital for its handling of a drug-addicted surgeon demanded an explanation from hospital lawyers Wednesday on why they are withholding nearly 300 pages of records and keeping him from ...

Greenwich Academy offers mea culpa on tree cutting
Neighbors argued that the trees were an effective barrier and also prevented headlights from vehicles parked at the school from shining on Patterson Avenue residents. Randall Huffman, president of the Maher-Patterson Avenue Association, asked the zoning commission to ...

GHS math math team looks to repeat
Greenwich High School teacher Gordon Jones hopes those numbers add up to trophy No. 2 for the GHS math team in the annual state math league championships next month. The statewide competition pits hundreds of students from the top high school math teams in Connecticut ...

Easton first selectman in 4th District race
With $300,000 already in his war chest from personal funds, family and friends, the Stamford native said while he respects the five other candidates for the GOP nomination, he believes his "unique combination of public and private sector experience and organizational ...

Easton first selectman in 4th District race
With $300,000 already in his war chest from personal funds, family and friends, the Stamford native said while he respects the five other candidates for the GOP nomination, he believes his "unique combination of public and private sector experience and organizational ...

Residents squabble over Luca's Steakhouse renovations
Stewart Napoleon, a longtime opponent of the plan, said he has been dealing with the project for years as a resident of a condominium complex at 20 Church St. -- across the street from the eatery -- and that he is exasperated by the time it's taken to be decided.....

Zoning commission approves plan for site of former Cos Cob power plant
If all goes according to plan the approximately 9.7-acre waterfront site off Sound Shore Drive could be ready for use in a couple of years, according to Amy Siebert, the town's commissioner of public works. If the DEP issues a permit in the next couple of months, the ...

Cell tower ban backers praise RTM vote
A backer of a Representative Town Meeting resolution Monday on cell towers said it sends a strong signal to state officials that the town doesn't want cell towers looming over schools. The resolution on the cell tower ban near schools, crafted by the District 12...

School opinion poll goes digital
For the first time this year, school officials plan to give the biennial Harris Interactive Schools Poll to most parents as an online survey, rather than the paper polls it gave in 2006 and 2008. School officials said they expect to save more than $10,000 in labeling, ...

United Way gives out special funds as nonprofits continue to struggle
To help service organizations still struggling to meet the needs of residents while waiting for the economy to recover, the United Way of Greenwich has awarded $50,000 in special grants to six nonprofits, an effort the agency hopes to continue. The grants are designed ...

Western principal promoted to assistant superintendent
Western principal promoted to assistant superintendent Recently honored as the state's principal of the year, the Western Middle School principal was named Tuesday as the school district's new assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction and professional learning...

RTM moderator angered over vote rules
The head of the Representative Town Meeting lashed out Monday night when his authority to cast tie-breaking votes on legislative business, including the election of officers, was called into question by rank-and-file members. Byrne earlier argued that the 230-member ...

Himes hits fitness circuit to tout effect of stimulus package
Rep. Jim Himes got a physical-fitness stimulus package Monday, powering through a punishing cardio session of spinning, stair climbing and calisthenics at the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich. DeAngelo led the congressman's 10-minute workout Monday that included 20 jumping...

Weekend rash of burglaries tied to January spree
Detective Timothy Powell said patrol officers had not yet completed the reports in each case, so he was not able to release details about the break-ins. On Jan. 14, police said someone damaged a side door that led to a porch on Highland Farm Road and ransacked the home...

New report cards on hold
A new report card originally slated to be introduced at every public elementary school last school year will not be unveiled until fall 2011, after school officials have fine-tuned it to be more comprehensive, district administrators said. While their plan initially ...

Visiting the selectmen's office? Say the magic password
Visitors to the selectmen's office suite at Town Hall must now be buzzed in by the receptionist, using a recently installed red telephone outside the front door. A video camera was also mounted on the ceiling above the phone to give Tesei's aides a birds-eye view of ...

Allegations fly between store owners and landlord
A feud between the owners of a dry cleaning business and their commercial landlord is heating up in state Superior Court as allegations fly over alleged kickback money and harassing behavior, according to recently filed court documents. Won Yong Ha and Eun Ha, two residents...

Town asks for cooperation with annual canvass of all registered voters
The town sent nearly 41,000 forms printed in both English and Spanish recently to every registered voter as part of the annual canvass, which is required by law. Residents have 30 days to respond to the canvass, which asks them to check one of several boxes to indicate...

From GOP to GDI, Greenwich shows an independent streak
Republicans, who once held a decisive advantage in party registration, are seeing that margin chipped away by unaffiliated voters. A Republican for more than 40 years, Cooper left the party in 2008 to become an independent after what he perceived to be the political ...

Unified dispatch center working well despite minor glitches
In January 2009, 16 civilian public safety dispatchers underwent training to handle fire-related calls for the merged center. Prior to the switch, firefighters dispatched calls themselves, while civilian dispatchers were only responsible for handling calls for police ...

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