08/31/11 CT Post's Ken Dixon Had To FIO Letter That Malloy Withheld From Public - Unions Say Utility Workforce Cuts Imperil Prompt Power Restoration

BRIDGEPORT'S CONNECTICUT POST NEWS INVESTIGATION:

KEN DIXON REPORTS ON DAN MALLOY'S IRENE COVER UP

CONNECTICUT GOVENOR SAYS HE NEVER SAW THE LETTER .....

• Lack of workers affecting power restoration?
  Unions charge that cuts are catching up with companies

  

  
  

Unions that work for the state's electric utilities said systematic reductions in line workers over a number of years at Connecticut Light & Power and the United Illuminating Co. have finally caught up with the companies.

The companies have been slow to restore power to hundreds of thousands of customers because reduced work forces can't be supplemented adequately with mutual-assistance crews from other states, union officials said....

....Cirillo wrote a letter this week to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, requesting a meeting to review staffing levels, which he said have been dramatically reduced over time, to the point where during emergencies the utilities bring in out-of-state crews rather than pay state workers to perform the repairs.

He estimated line crews for CL&P have been reduced by 40 percent to 50 percent since Hurricane Gloria 26 years ago.

The letter, which was obtained from Malloy's office by Hearst Connecticut Newspapers under the state's Freedom of Information Act, said the staffing levels are so low that even regular line work is subject to backlogs....

...Malloy, during a late Wednesday afternoon news conference, said after electric service is restored, there will be plenty of time to examine the state of Connecticut's utilities. But for now, he said, the number of people working to restore power is "spectacular." Asked about the union's staffing charges, the governor said he hadn't seen Local 420's letter.

"How much is too little, I think, is a very legitimate question," Malloy said...

...Tom Swan, executive director of the nonprofit Connecticut Citizen Action Group, a consumer advocate, said the 1998 legislation is responsible for worker attrition.
"We don't have the means to hold accountable the utilities to make sure we have the number of linesmen we need. ..," he said.

08/31/11 Two Thumbs Up For The Greenwich Rotary Club's Looking Out For Some Of Greenwich's Less Fortunate Children

Greenwich club helps send kids back to school

Lisa Chamoff, Greenwich Time Staff Writer

Despite the first day of school looming ever closer, most of the children who came to Town Hall Wednesday were surprisingly happy.

Instead of negotiating the crowded aisles of office supply stores, they picked up bright new backpacks with everything they needed for the first day of school, provided free of charge by the Rotary Club of Greenwich. For the third year, the club assembled backpacks filled with school supplies for Greenwich families in need.

The distribution took place the day before what was to be the first day of school, which town officials announced Wednesday would be moved to Sept. 7 due to damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene....

...Eight-year-old Jack Morocho excitedly clutched his yellow and gray backpack, filled with the items he needs to start the year at Hamilton Avenue School next week.

"I get to meet the new teacher," Morocho said. "I get to learn new things. We sometimes play the computers and sometimes learn from the computer."
Was he still excited by notebooks and colored pencils?
"Oh, yes," Jack said.

Marlene Rojas and her three kids -- Ryan Llanos, 7, Brianna Llanos, 11, and Ariana Llanos, 13 -- all came to get their supplies before the start of elementary and middle school. As the girls discussed whether the colors of their backpacks were feminine enough, Rojas said she appreciated the program.

"It helps," Rojas said.

Read more: http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Greenwich-club-helps-send-kids-back-to-school-2150063.php#ixzz1WhVknXio

08/31/11 The Raw Greenwich News Feed: Overnight Edition

1. State Supreme Court overturns 2007 murder conviction

   The Hour Online

   ... Harry Gonzalez, 43, of New Haven, was convicted for the murder of 75-year old Joanne Trautwein, a retired Greenwich teacher. Gonzalez was found guilty of murder, robbery in the first degree and kidnapping in the first degree in 2007. In a ...

2. Wall Street lifts blue chips but techs lag w/Photo

   The London News.Net

   ... you put a rosy spin on everything," Steve Sosnick, equity-risk manager at Timber Hill/Interactive Brokers Group in Greenwich, Connecticut told Reuters Thomson. "Our rally has quieted down since the data wasn't great this morning, and we still don't ...

3. Greenwich Schools Will Open Sept. 7

   The Daily Greenwich

   The start of the new school year in Greenwich has been delayed until Wednesday, Sept.

   .

4. Stamford Resident Treated for West Nile Virus

   Patch.com

   ... said in a press release. According the the CT Dept. of Health, the first case of West Nile Virus originated in Greenwich during 1999 and spread across the east coast, reaching states such as New Jersey and Maryland. The primary source of the disease ...

5. First County Bank is presenting sponsor of 34th annual NSA Oyster Fest

   Norwalk Citizen News

   ... he main sponsor. "The bank sees the Oyster Festival as a hallmark event in Fairfield County and with branches from Greenwich to Westport, three in Norwalk alone, it is important to First County Bank as a community bank to support the festival.

6. Due to Irene's Damage, Greenwich Schools' Opening Postponed to Sept. 7

   Patch.com

   Due to the number of roads blocked by fallen trees and the high number of downed power lines around town, due to Hurricane Irene, the opening of the GreenwichPublic Schools for the 2011-2012 school year has been postponed to Wednesday, Sept.

7. Doctor's hours: Former Greenwich resident examines a life well-lived -- his own

   Greenwich Citizen

   ... years of marriage, he was devastated. The loss made him reflect on her life -- and also on his own. The longtime Greenwich resident, who turns 93 in October, decided to write down his accomplishments, document his career, and number his passions. In ..

8. Labor Days: A brief history of the workingman's Greenwich

   Greenwich Citizen

   Long before Greenwich became known as a haven for hedge funders and a bastion for bankers, it was a workingman's town.

9. Making Cents: Earthquake shakes loose some advice

   New Hartford Pennysaver

   There is a first time for everything. Last Wednesday, I was sitting in our office inGreenwich, Conn., when someone asked if the building was shaking.

10. Last-minute move doesn't keep crowds from Greenwich Relay for Life

    Norwalk Citizen News

    The 22-year-old Greenwich native battled Hodgkin's lymphoma twice in the past seven years.

11. Greenwich Man Saves Woman From Assault at Port Chester Laundromatw/Photo

    Patch.com

    The victim, a 47-year-old Greenwich woman, was in a Main Street laundromat at 10:30 p.m. when Eddie Padillo of Elmsford stumbled in, police said.

12. CL&P Bringing More Crews into Greenwich to Expedite Power Restoration

    Patch.com

    Town officials are reporting that CL&P will be bringing nine extra line crews intoGreenwich at 3 p.m. today in an effort to expedite power restoration.

13. Spotlight on Student Achievements

    Patch.com

    ... was held on Tuesday, May 10 at Central Middle School with teams from Eastern, Central, Western, Middlesex, and Greenwich Catholic Middle Schools competing. The topic of this year's debate competition was the death penalty. Three of the five Eastern ...

    
    

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08/31/11 New Pemberwick photo album: Hurricane Irene 2011

Gail Taylor Byrd Mills posted in Pemberwick (Greenwich CT). Gail Taylor Byrd Mills 9:22pm Aug 31 Hurricane Irene 2011 View Post on Facebook

08/31/11 From The Geenwich Citizen .....

Labor Days: A brief history of the workingman's Greenwich

Long before Greenwich became known as a haven for hedge funders and a bastion for bankers, it was a workingman's town. At just about the turn of the 20th century, it was home to farmers and gardeners, stone masons, tinsmiths and carpenters, plumbers and construction workers -- those who helped shape the gentleman farms and build the great estates. Many were immigrants from southern Europe who arrived in the late 1880s.

Now, as Labor Day approaches, it seems fitting to take a brief look back at that labor force and at the roots of the labor movement in Greenwich.

- In 1900, labor strife crossed the border into Greenwich. Some 200 Italian workmen brought the first labor demonstration to town -- armed with shovels, the American flag, and a marching band, they crossed the state line from Port Chester into Greenwich demanding "8 hours and $1.50 a day." Police were called in when the strikers threw their work tools at Greenwich workers.

- Local workers struck in 1903 at Field Point Park on the grounds of the Miralta estate. Wielding clubs, picks and gas pipes, they confronted those workers on the building project who refused to join their strike. A striker was shot and killed by a resisting worker.

- The first union member strike occurred in town in 1904 with the Ironworkers Union strikers asking for 50 cents an hour for their 8-hour day, instead of the 45 cents an hour they were paid for a 9-hour day......

08/31/11 Greenwich Suspect Found In New York Jail

A theft and burglary suspect has been located in a New York jail.

Andre Salmon, 29, was wanted by Greenwich police for theft and burglary charges. He was located in a jail in Valhalla NY., where he was being held for a larceny charge.

Salmon has been charged for a motor vehicle theft and several car burglaries throughout Greenwich between September 24, 2010 and November 26, 2010.

He is suspected to have obtained thousands of dollars of merchandise from credit cards stolen from within those vehicles.

Officers were able to track and identify Salmon through credit card usage and video surveillance.

Salmon is being held on a $100,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior court on September 7.

He is also wanted for probation violations

08/31/11 Schools are closed on Thursday and Friday

Due to the inaccessibility of roads for bus transportation to school and concern with safe passage for walkers to school and to bus stops due to downed wires and debris that still remain after the hurricane, all schools will be closed tomorrow, Thursday September 1^st, and Friday, September 2nd for teachers and students.

All student activities planned for Thursday and Friday are canceled with the exception of Greenwich High School athletic practices, since the athletic practices do not require bus transportation.

School will be open on Tuesday, September 6^th for sixth and ninth grade orientation. Greenwich High School and Western Middle School will also hold orientations for students new to the school district on Tuesday (9/6). School will be open for all students on Wednesday, September 7, 2011.

This information is also available on the Greenwich Public Schools' web site. Please continue to check the web site and all other forms of communication at your disposal for further updates.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation throughout this extraordinary week.

Kim Eves
Director of Communications
Greenwich Public Schools
290 Greenwich Avenue
Greenwich, CT, 06830

www.greenwichschools.org

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

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08/11/11 The Raw Greenwich News Feed: Afternoon Edition

MORE GREENWICH NEWS THAT YOU WONT FIND IN THE GREENWICH TIME

1. Bee Line Bus in Port Chester Bomb Scare, No Bomb w/Photo

   The Daily Port Chester

   ... inside, police said. The incident took place about 10 am on the border between Port Chester and neighboring Greenwich, Conn., where North Main Street becomes West Putnam Avenue. A small bridge over the Byram River was the setting where the actual ...

2. You could run -- but you couldn't -- hide from Irene

   Greenwich Citizen

   ... in their 5th floor apartment to make sure all was safe. We agreed, hoping to avoid trees falling on our house in Greenwich. Little did we know that Irene would change her mind, head straight to the Catskills, and that we were entering an area of ...
   
   

3. Clown-O-Meter: 9/1/11

   Hartford Advocate

   ... (who police say seemed "zoned out") drank water out of his cell's toilet, police told the Stamford Advocate . Greenwich often allows TV shows to film around town but the first selectman's office deemed a proposal from an ABC hidden camera show ...

4. Oft-Criticized Metro-North Back On Track, If Not Quite On Schedule, After Storm w/Photo

   CTnow.com

   Passengers await a New York bound train in Greenwich. Metro-North rail service from New Haven to New York City is running on schedule which some mechanical delays.

   
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08/31/11 Now That More Roads Are Clear: Connecticut Light And Power Will Bring Nine More Line Crews Into Greenwich At 3 PM Today

NOW THEY ARE STARTING TO GET THE JOB DONE ....

55% Of The Homes And Businesses That Lost Power Have Been Restored

Greenwich officials are reporting that CL&P will be bringing nine extra line crews into Greenwich at 3 p.m. today in an effort to expedite power restoration.

According to CL&P's Outage Map, which is reportedly updated every 15 minutes, there were 5,953 customers (or about 21 percent of customers) without power in town as of 2 p.m.

At 10:30 a.m., there were about 6,303 CL&P customers in the Town of Greenwich without electrical service, down from 7,528 at 7:30 p.m.

The nine additional line crews will join the 12 which have already been working around town since Monday morning. In addition CL&P has deployed 15 tree crews in town — that's in addition to crews from the town Department of Public Works, which are responsible for clearing trees and debris from roadways.

There are 65 trees that currently need to be addressed by the town crews, this down from 145 yesterday evening.

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08/31/11 From The Greenwich Time: A volunteer firefighter’s perspective on Tropical Storm Irene

PHOTO: Mianus River Boat & Yacht Club parking and dock area is submerged.

Stanley Thal, grizzled veteran of the Sound Beach Volunteer Fire Department, captured these images during Tropical Storm Irene in Cos Cob and Old Greenwich.

http://blog.greenwichtime.com/realtime/2011/08/31/a-volunteer-firefighters-perspective-on-tropical-storm-irene/

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08/31/11 Greenwich Post Breaking News Alert

Breaking News Alert Due to the impact of Hurricane Irene, our printed edition will be delayed this week. Please find the full copy of the paper online at Greenwich-post.com. We will update you regarding the printed edition. Thank you for understanding." Read More

Greenwich Post Breaking News Alert

Breaking News Alert The town has released an updated list of streets that remain closed or partially closed as clean up efforts from the damage left by Tropical Storm Irene continue. Still 23% of households in Greenwich are without power. A complete list of blocked or partially closed roads is available on our site. Staff and reader submitted video and photos of the storm's aftermath are online. Follow the Post on Twitter for up to the minute updates. Read More PLEASE ALSO SEE: 10:52 AM 08/31/11 TOWN OF GREENWICH PRESS RELEASE: August 31 10:30 Response Update

Greenwich News Greenwich Sports Arts & Leisure Real Estate Classifieds Click here for newstand locations of The Greenwich Post Click here to subscribe to The Post Follow us on Twitter 'Like' us on Facebook

08/31/11 GREENWICH PRESS RELEASE: Girls Soccer with Aldwin this Fall

Hi,

We desperately need your help. Our registration is coming in very slow.
Please run the attached as many times as possible.

Thank you ever so much!

Claudia Collins

Recreation Division

101 Field Point Road

Greenwich CT 06836-2540

Phone: 203 622-6485

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: August 31, 2011

For additional information contact:

Claudia Collins, Recreation Supervisor

203 622-6485

Press Release

Soccer with Aldwin Fall Soccer for Girls

The Department of Parks and Recreation announces that there will be a girls fall soccer program held on the Loughlin Avenue Field off of Stricklland Road in Cos Cob. The program will meet every Saturday (except for October 8^th) beginning September 10^th and continue until November 5^th. Girls ages 9 -11 will meet from 9:00am – 10:30am. The coaches will be provided by Soccer with Aldwin.

For more information please call the Recreation Office at 203 618-7649 or Soccer with Aldwin at 203 857-4688. Registration forms can be found on line at our website at www.greenwichct.org. Check out Parks and recreation and click on youth programs.

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08/31/11 UPDATED: Town releases new list of closed streets in Greenwich

The list of partial and complete road closures in town is printed below. The numbers following some of the street names indicate the address on the street where the blockage is located:

Audubon Lane #20

Barton Lane #11

Birchwood Lane at Willmerry Lane

Burning Tree Road B

Butler Street #39

Butler Street #41

Byram Shore Road at Driftway

Carlton Street

Clover Leaf #230

Crossridge watchtower

Decraft Road #10

Dublin Road #34

Duncan Drive #95

Dunwoodie Place #4

Fox Run Lane #40

Glenridge Road at Glenville Road

Greenway Drive #11

Highview Avenue #9

Highview Avenue #11

Hillcrest Lane at Farm Lane

Hillcrest Park Road #19

Hillcrest Park Road #113

Hollow Wood Lane #22A

Juniper Lane #28

Lafayette Place #50-52

Lake Avenue at Close Road

Locust Road at Cutler

Long Meadow Road

Loughlin Avenue at Cross Lane

Lower Cross Road #42

Lower Cross Road #74-76

Lyon Avenue #5

Maher Avenue #3

Marshall Street #13

Marshall Street #27

Meadow Road #23

Milbank Avenue #224

Mimosa Drive at Azalea Drive

Mohawk Lane #20

Mohawk Lane #38

North Maple Avenue #300

North Stanwich Road at Cameron Drive

Oak Street #42

Oceanview at Louden Street

Old Camp at Cognewaugh Road

Orchard Hill Lane #18

Oval Avenue #27

Park Avenue #151

Parsonage Road #166

Patterson at North Maple Avenue

Pecksland Road #1

Perkins Road at Dingletown Road

Riversville Road at the state line

Rockwood Lane at Lake Avenue

Round Hill Road at Sabine Farm

Saw Mill Lake #21

Saw Mill Lake #24

Scofield Street #13-15

Seitz Lane #6

Sound Shore Drive at railroad station

Stanwich Road at Route 15

Stanwich Road #72

Stanwich Road #180

Stanwich Road #220

Stanwich Road #247

Stanwich Road #327

Stanwich Road #339

Strickland Road Road at River Road

Sunset Road #15

Taconic Road #425

Thistle Lane

Tomac Avenue #26

Valley Drive #45

Valley Drive at Georgetown North

View Street #90

Watch Tower Lane #22

Wessels Place #21

Willow Run Road

Willowmere Circle

Wingate Road

Winding Lane at Rapids Lane

Wyngate Road #2

08/31/11 AIR FRANZ Surveys Tropical Storm Irene From Above - Storm Reshapes Town - Greenwich Point Lost Real Estate - Beach Erosion Casualty

Sen. L. Scott Frantz, R-36th District, serving parts of Greenwich, surveyed the devastation from the weekend storm from the controls of his personal plane.

A Republican in his second term representing Greenwich and parts of Stamford and New Canaan, Frantz toured the southern part of Fairfield county.

Senator Frantz's hourlong flight out took began at the Westchester County Airport just off King Street in Greenwich.

The storm took away part of the beachhead at Greenwich Point, leaving behind multiple sand drifts in the parking lot of the 147-acre town owned park in Old Greenwich.

Earlier in the day, Senator Frantz got an update on recovery efforts during a briefing with Governor Dannel Malloy at Stamford Government Center.

Governor Malloy assessed the damage of Greenwich Point from a Connecticut National Guard helicopter the day before.

Frantz was very concerned about inland flooding, from the Byram River in his hometown of Greenwich.

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08/31/11 Greenwich Beaches Open Just In Time For Labor Day

Greenwich residents looking to relieve stress due to power outage can go for a swim at the town’s four public beaches.

The health department opened them for swimming after closing them as a precautionary measure following the storm.

The department closes them after heavy rainfall due to concerns about elevated bacteria levels that could result from storm water runoff.

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08/31/11 The Greenwich Topix News Message Board (9 stories): Second arrest made in overdose case

Greenwich - News August 31, 2011 See Greenwich Weather Second arrest made in overdose case (Connecticut Post) A second Greenwich man turned himself in to police last week in connection with the overdose death of Riverside teenager Christopher Harris, who was found unresponsive at his Florence Road home in January. Life sentence for CT man for killing (WTNH) A Bridgeport man who was convicted of kidnapping and killing a Bronx, N.Y., man has been sentenced to life in prison. Please send your comments, news places and press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com Red Cross to Aid North Greenwich Residents (The Daily Greenwich) Residents of northeast Greenwich will receive relief from the American Red Cross at the Banksville Independent Fire Company Station Tuesday evening. Hunt for Wi-Fi Crowds Cafes, Libraries With Stranded Workers (Librarian and Information Science News) Libraries in the metropolitan area also had increased traffic. The largest of the three libraries in Greenwich, Connecticut, put out 100 more chairs and opened up its training center, which has 16 extra computers, to accommodate the demand. Greenwich mother of the year award goes to Cos Cob's Starbucks customer …. (theoriginalgreenwichdiva) So I am at Starbucks in Cos Cob working while drinking Starbucks' tea and this bitch walked over to me saying: "the tables in Starbucks are not meant for people coming in to work, but for people who just want to have a quick drink." Meanwhile, her two kids were sitting on the window sills with their feet in the purple chairs; I think she needs to teach her children that they should not put their dirty feet in upholstery seats. More Greenwich News More Greenwich News... Greenwich Local Business Greenwich Digs Into Irene Cleanup (The Daily Greenwich) Efforts to clean up the town after Tropical Storm Irene continue day and night, leaving just 56 roads closed and 7,528 Connecticut Light & Power customers without electricity by Tuesday evening. Large tech firms likely to stick with stock sales (American Chronicle) Aug. 30--Despite the rocky stock market in recent weeks and social games maker Zynga's decision to delay its initial public offering, experts say a flood of companies will enter the public markets to raise capital this fall.... .... there on the issuer side," said Kathleen Smith, a principal at Renaissance Capital, an IPO investment advisory in Greenwich, Conn. "The investors aren't as enthused yet, that's not as easy." Large tech companies such as Chicago-based daily deals ... ONS Foundation Announces Fall 2011 Schedule of Injury Prevention Programs (PRWeb) Injury prevention is the common theme of the talks, which are organized by the Foundation's education initiative that sponsors programs for adults and youths throughout the year.... ... Upcoming fall schedule of sports injury prevention programs to be presented by physicians and PTs from ONS in Greenwich, CT Greenwich, CT (PRWEB) August 30, 2011 This fall, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons and sports medicine ...

08/31/11 The Raw Greenwich VIDEO Feed

Videos About Greenwich, CT

Hurricane Irene Old Greenwich, CT 3 min High tide on Sunday, Aug.28, around 11A. The LI Sound engulfed the streets of town as the water spread over to the Greenwich Cove. youtube.com

Steamboat Road Greenwich CT 17 sec The end of Steamboat Rd in Greenwich two hours before high tide during Hurricane Irene. 28 September 2011. youtube.com

West Putnam Ave Greenwich CT 14 sec This was West Putnam Ave near the main library at around 2am during Hurricane Irene. 28 September 2011. youtube.com

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