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Friday, October 24, 2008

10/24/08 League of Women Voter$ Hurt$ The Democratic Proce$$. Voter$ Are Not Propperly Informed About All Option$ By The LWV.


Click To Elarge

CT LWV Say CT Libertarians Not Legit


Greens Can Go To .....

CT LWV Excludes The Only Two Political Parties Who Warned Us That It Was A Big Mistake To Go Into Iraq

4,186 Families Probably Wish That We Had Heard More From These Two Parties And Their Candidates
In A Time Of War We Need To Hear From All Voices.


Incumbent Congressman Christopher Shays (R-4) and his Democratic challenger, Cos Cob resident Jim Himes, have finished up their debate schedule and are looking ahead to Nov. 4, but two major third-party candidates were on the outside looking in.
Neither Richard Duffee, nominee for the Green Party, nor Michael Carrano, nominee for the Libertarian Party, were invited to participate in the debates. Organizers said they didn’t meet the criteria for inclusion and Mr. Duffee is crying foul.

“I’m convinced these debate organizers reached a decision before considering any of the evidence,” Mr. Duffee said in an interview with the Post on Tuesday. “They had the decision made before we even applied to be in a debate. They made that decision based on party and not on the individual. They decided that only Republicans and Democrats should be able to debate.”
The third-party candidates were not invited to appear in the series of League of Women Voters’ debates in the district. State league president Jara Burnett, a Riverside resident, said that while Mr. Duffee and Mr. Carrano did meet the requirement that the candidate be on the ballot, they did not meet the other criteria for inclusion, including broad voter support, sufficient money, and evidence of a campaign being waged, such as having a headquarters, volunteers, position papers, and participation in candidate forums......
....Ms. Burnett said fund raising was also a factor, citing the league’s decision in 2006 to allow Libertarian Party nominee Phil Maymin to participate after he raised $40,000.....
...Richard Lion, chairman of the Connecticut Libertarian Party, told the Post he thinks the standards for third parties are unreasonably high.

“I think it hurts the voting public,” Mr. Lion said. “We go through so much getting the signatures on petitions to actually get on the ballot and then we get shut out of the debates. It’s like you’re running a race and they tell you the established runners have to run a mile and everyone else has to run 10.”.....
....“In the past we’ve had third-party candidates, but this year we wanted to focus on one of the two who will win,” Mr. McGee told the Post. “Since we only had a 60-minute format for this debate, we wanted to give them as much time as possible to debate each other and make their positions clear.”
Mr. McGee said Mr. Duffee and Mr. Carrano don’t have much of a chance of influencing the race, unlike in 2006, when Mr. Maymin had the opportunity to upset the vote. Mr. McGee said he doesn’t think the third-party candidates will do that this year.

Mr. Duffee did attend the Monday debate, sitting in the audience and then passing out his literature after it was over. Mr. McGee said he understands why Mr. Duffee is disappointed in the council’s decision, but he feels it is best for voters.

“While he’s got a constitutional right to be on the ballot, this is a private organization and we wanted to focus on the two candidates,” Mr. McGee said.

Ms. Burnett said there will be participation from Mr. Duffee in other league efforts, including an electronic voter’s guide and a printed guide distributed a week before the election.
Comment:
Shame, Shame, Shame On CT LWV

=============================================
Please send your comments to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

1024/08 Dinner Time Bandit Faces The Music


Alan Golder, 52, is escorted by detectives out of the Greenwich, Conn., Police Department, in this Nov. 23, 2007, file photo, as he heads to court in Stamford to face felony burglary, larceny and kidnapping charges stemming from a crime spree in the 1990s. Jurors convicted Golder of kidnapping, two counts of burglary and one count of larceny on Aug. 20. He was acquitted of two counts each of burglary and larceny.


(Greenwich Time / file photo)






Staff Writer
Article Launched: 10/24/2008 08:29:39 AM EDT

The fate of Alan Golder, the once-elusive "Dinnertime Bandit," will be decided today when a judge sentences him for his August conviction on burglary, larceny and kidnapping charges.

The longtime fugitive, who was captured by Belgian authorities in December 2006, faces up to 65 years in prison on the charges that stem from two burglaries in 1997 in Greenwich.

Golder's attorney, Howard Ehring, said he anticipated an appeal regardless of the sentence given Golder by Judge John Kavanewsky today. Ehring said he had already filed a motion to dismiss the kidnapping charge altogether.

During trial, Ehring said the kidnapping charge overreaches the law because it violates a June state Supreme Court decision that narrows the circumstances in which police can use the charge. The issue is of particular concern to the defense, as the kidnapping conviction carries the most severe penalty, of up to 25 years in prison, Ehring said....

....At the time of conviction, the prosecutor, Assistant State's Attorney Jospeh Valdes, speculated that jurors found the testimony of Golder's co-conspirator Robert Liebman particularly crucial.

Golder was not convicted of charges linked to two burglaries that Liebman did not testify about....


UPDATE:


'Dinnertime Bandit' sentenced to 15 years in prison


By Debra Friedman

Staff Writer
Article Launched: 10/24/2008 01:42:48 PM EDT

STAMFORD - Alan Golder, convicted as the Dinnertime Bandit for two Greenwich burglaries, was sentenced today in state Superior Court in Stamford to 15 years in prison.

Prior to his sentencing, Golder addressed the court telling the judge he was confused as to the charges he was convicted on and blaming the work of his Attorney, Howard Ehring.


"I believe Howard Ehring sold me out," said Golder. "I think the jury was confused when they found me guilty."
Kavanewsky told Golder that he had no one to blame but himself.


"Mr. Golder, you may have some grandiose illusions that you are an icon in the industry," Kavenewsky said to Golder in the courtroom. "But put simply, you are a convict."


The 15 year sentence fell in the middle of the range requested by both the prosecution and the defense.


Assistant State's Attorney Joseph Valdes argued for Golder to be sentenced to 30 years in prison. "He is a career burglar who took pride in his methodology. He had it down to a science," said Valdes. "There is nothing here that merits any sort of sympathy." .....

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

Please send your comments to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

10/24/08 READER SUBMITTED COMMENTS: CSH


Move along, there's nothing to see here...

CSH is Disneyland North


Read your blog everyday.


Great work.


Just wondering about today's post - Are you implying that Sr. Magnetti was removed from her position for some unscrupulous reason. Just curious.

Thx,
Bill Griffin


COMMENT:


Dear Mr. Griffen,


Thank you for your dedicated readership.


I sincerely appreciate it. I know at times it is difficult to read because of spelling and gramme errors cause by my vision impairment.


I have been told a rumor, but can not confirm it.


CHS is a very tight knit and close community and it is not easy to confirm the rumor in this very uniform group, but you must admit that it is strange that Sister Joan Magnetti is avoiding the press at a time that everyone wants to celebrate her good works and provide a swan song that she would always remember.


I certainly am not aware of Sister Joan Magnetti ever being treated badly or burned by the local Greenwich media.


At The Very Best The Sacred Heart Board Has Handled Sister Joan Magnetti Leaving In An Exceptionally Poor Manner, As Evidenced By Their First Press Release.

A CHS Fourth Grader Could Have Prepared

A Better Press Release Than This:

10/22/08 Greenwich Time RSS Feed Results


CSH alum to replace retiring head


By Colin Gustafson/Staff writer


Article Launched: 10/22/2008 03:26:55 PM EDT


Convent of the Sacred Heart's headmistress, Sister Joan Magnetti, will retire as head of the all-girls school in June, after nearly two decades at the helm, the school has announced. Magnetti, who has worked as the backcountry school's headmistress since 1990, will be replaced by Pamela Juan Hayes, a 1964 graduate who has also worked as a member of the school's faculty and administration. "We are delighted that Pam, a graduate of our school, has been chosen," Magnetti said in a statement. "Her love and mission of Sacred Heart and her experience as a Sacred Heart student, teacher and administrator solidifies the past and gives great hope for the future." Magnetti declined to be interviewed about her retirement plans.

Other Sacred Heart Grenerated News

Is Reported By The School In A Much Better Fashion:


News/Events
•
"Alice in Wonderland" on Nov. 21, 22, 23
•
"Books and Bears" for prospective PS, PK and K students
•
Lower School sends Monarchs to Mexico
•
Sacred Heart field hockey beats GA in overtime
•
Pam Juan Hayes - New Incoming Head of School
•
Celebration of the Heart on October 28
•
October Admission Events
•
First CAFE Book Club of the year meets October 27
•
Fall Luncheon features PepsiCo CEO on November 24
•
Charity starts in your closet

Athletics
•
Sacred Heart Field Hockey Stuns GA in OT
•
Fantastic Finishes at Head of the Charles
•
Middle School Tennis Program - Weeks 7&8
•
Sudden Death Overtime Victory for Field Hockey
•
Captains Corner Week 3 - Kerri Whelan
•
Crew Season Launches Sunday, October 5
•
Captains Corner Week 2 - Aline Souza
•
Captains Corner Week 1 - Olivia Grubert
•
2008-09 VARSITY CAPTAINS Announced
•
ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION CONSENT FORMS
•
FieldTurf Given Green Light by NJDHSS

Community Service
•
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
•
November Service Events
•
Learning a Living
•
Healing with Hands and Heart
•
Angel Board Launches Year
•
Community Service Events Set for the Fall

Diversity
•
Multicultural Lecture Series
•
World on Stage
•
Conversations with a Continent: Uganda

There Are Many Good Works Occurring At CHS

But The Odd Departure Of Sister Joan Magnetti Is Troubling.

If You Will Notice Kathy Failla , director, public relations and communications at CHS has put a up on a one sentence blurb on the the school's website about Sister Joan Magnetti leaving in the article about and how Pamela Juan Hayes will be the new Headmistress of CHS.

19 Years Of Sevice Reduced To One Sentence

Personally I Find This Very Stange.


Pam Juan Hayes - New Incoming Head of School

By Kathy Failla , director, public relations and communications
10/16/2008. Greenwich -

The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Pamela Juan Hayes '64 as the next Head of School for Convent of the Sacred Heart beginning with the 2009-2010 academic year.

The Board reached its unanimous decision following a national search and with the enthusiastic participation of more than 400 parents, alumnae, faculty and staff, students, and friends. She will succeed Joan Magnetti, rscj, who announced in March that she would step down in June 2009, after 19 years as headmistress.

Pam will bring to our School her passion for Sacred Heart education, her belief in the importance of an all girls' environment, her wide-ranging expertise with Sacred Heart schools, and her devotion to the legacy of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat and to the Goals and Criteria that guide our community.

Pam brings a strong record of experience in the Network of Sacred Heart Schools as a faculty member and an administrator for three Sacred Heart schools - Greenwich, New York and San Francisco. In 2000, Pam was appointed to her current position as Director of the Schools of the Sacred Heart at San Francisco.

Hopefully, The CHS Board And Kathy Failla Will Wake Up And Properly Honor Sr. Magnetti's Service Even If There Might Be An Estrangement.

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

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10/24/08 Here Is The Latest From The Greenwich "We Are Trying To Catch Up" Post


Betty Sternberg took over as superintendent in 2006.

(Ken Borsuk / Greenwich Post photo)





Superintendent of Schools Betty Sternberg has announced she will not seek a new contract after hers expires next summer.


Ms. Sternberg, the former state Commissioner of Education, was first hired in 2006, and her original three-year contract expires on June 30, at which time she will leave office. Ms. Sternberg first made the announcement in a statement last Wednesday****, saying the decision came after careful consideration and that recent health issues, which forced her to take a leave of absence this past summer, had nothing to do with it.


Ms. Sternberg told the Post last Thursday she had only been pondering her decision “intensely” the last seven to 10 days before deciding over the Columbus Day weekend. She said she informed the Board of Education last Monday night.


“There wasn’t one factor that pushed me this way,” Ms. Sternberg said. “I’ve had a very long and productive career. I really have. I’m proud of what I’ve done over the lifespan of my career and I’m proud of what we’ve done over the two years here in Greenwich. We’ve done a tremendous amount and addressed issues that are very difficult to address.” .....


Comment:


Which was just after the time that the Greenwich Board Of Education was forced to give Citizen Journalist the Harris survey that Betty Sternberg was withholding from Greenwich parents and taxpayers.


Please See:




Please Also See:




THE GREENWICH POST FINALY REPORTS ON STERNBERG'S DEPARTURE:



Ms. Sternberg, the former state Commissioner of Education, was first hired in 2006, and her original three-year contract expires on June 30, at which time she will leave office.


Ms. Sternberg first made the announcement in a statement last Wednesday****, saying the decision came after careful consideration and that recent health issues, which forced her to take a leave of absence this past summer, had nothing to do with it.


Ms. Sternberg told the Post last Thursday she had only been pondering her decision “intensely” the last seven to 10 days before deciding over the Columbus Day weekend. She said she informed the Board of Education last Monday night.


“There wasn’t one factor that pushed me this way,” Ms. Sternberg said. “I’ve had a very long and productive career. I really have. I’m proud of what I’ve done over the lifespan of my career and I’m proud of what we’ve done over the two years here in Greenwich. We’ve done a tremendous amount and addressed issues that are very difficult to address.”...


....Ms. Sternberg and others in her cabinet have come under heavy criticism from parents in western Greenwich after continued delays in the construction of Hamilton Avenue School, delay of Glenville School’s demolition and reconstruction, and mold discovered in modular classrooms where Hamilton Avenue students have been staying since 2005. The mold discovery forced the relocation of all the students last March. Parents say the problem has been linked to health problems in themselves and their children.


“Given the context of the community and my own personal wishes and desires, I really do believe that it’s in the best interests of the community and me to have someone else continue to lead,” Ms. Sternberg said.


Ms. Sternberg said it wasn’t one thing that triggered her decision and declined to be more specific because she didn’t think it would be “useful” to do that.


The Hamilton Avenue and mold controversies have caused some to say there has been a lack of accountability under Ms. Sternberg’s leadership, something she said is “absolutely incorrect.”...


....Assistant Superintendent of Schools Kathleen Greider, who has been with the district since January 2007 and served as interim superintendent while Ms. Sternberg was on leave over the summer. Ms. Greider could not be reached for comment.


While Ms. Sternberg said Ms. Greider was “definitely capable” of being a superintendent, she added it would be “absolutely inappropriate” for a sitting superintendent to have any role in choosing who would follow in the position....


Comment #2


The Greenwich Post Should Indicate When An Article Is Revised And Updated Instead Of Stripping Away The Date Stamp And Allowing Readers To Unkowingly Follow old Links To An Updated Article. This Is Very Simular To The Unethical Posting That Has Occurred Recently At The Greenwich Time.


Please See:




Please Also Note:


*** Correction Both Of These Greenwich Post Article Should Have Read Wednesday Before Last. It Took Eight Days For The Greenwich Post To Get This Story Up Online. The Greenwich Time And Bloggers All Covered The Story With In 24 Hours.


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

Please send your comments to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

10/24/08 MEDIA INVESTOR ALERT - Cub Reporter Colin "King Of The Press Releases" Gustafson Is Driving Hearst Newspapers Straight Into The Ground !!!!!




Sister Joan Magnetti is leaving Sacred Heart.

(CSH File photo)

If We Have Said It Once,

We Have Said A Hundred Times.

If You Send A School Press Release To The Greenwich Time. All They Do Is Run It Through The Spell Checker Before Publishing It.

But Now The Greenwich Time Doesn't Even Run School Press Releases Through The Spell Checker:

If You Don't Believe Us, Then Try And Make Heads Or Tails Out Of This Greenwich Time Posting.


Convent of Sacred Heart students honored

Staff Reports

Article Launched: 10/09/2008 01:00:00 AM EDT

EXTENDED CAPTION -- "CSH"
Thirteen seniors at Convent of the Sacred Heart were named "Commended Students" in the National Merit Scholarship Program this year.
Sacred Heart Headmistress Joan Magnetti, far right, honored those students at an Oct. 3 assembly in the upper school by presenting them with letters of commendation from Sacred Heart's administration and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
The student honorees were, from left, Lauren Alexander, Elizabeth Carr, Kerri Whelan, Marisa Fezza, Alexandra Rizk, Kyla Harrington, Emily Schloss, Joan Ziminsky, Olivia Ruggiero, Maura James, Gillian Redman, Emma Ward and Emily Oehlsen.= = =
BLURB
Patrick Garner , a theater and television actor, recently visited Stanwich School's Primary House to lead students in an interactive theater production of "Corps of Discovery," which illustrates the adventures of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark as they explored the Louisiana Purchase territory.
The production gave students the chance to learn about these historic figures by portraying them on stage. It was part of the school's weekly arts and enrichment program, which is supported by Stanwich's Parent Association.
CAPTION -- "PLAY"
From left, actor Patrick Garner directs Stanwich School primary students Jackson Boolbol, Christopher Wack and Mary Grace Thomas in a theatrical production about the Louisiana Purchase.
= = =
CAPTION -- "FEST"
The Renaissance Festival at International School at Dundee, 55 Florence Road, will feature acrobats and other high-flying acts on Oct. 25.

Please Also See:

10/22/08 Greenwich Time RSS Feed Results (2nd "So-Called" News Story)

CSH alum to replace retiring head

By Colin Gustafson/Staff writer

Article Launched: 10/22/2008 03:26:55 PM EDT

Convent of the Sacred Heart's headmistress, Sister Joan Magnetti, will retire as head of the all-girls school in June, after nearly two decades at the helm, the school has announced. Magnetti, who has worked as the backcountry school's headmistress since 1990, will be replaced by Pamela Juan Hayes, a 1964 graduate who has also worked as a member of the school's faculty and administration. "We are delighted that Pam, a graduate of our school, has been chosen," Magnetti said in a statement. "Her love and mission of Sacred Heart and her experience as a Sacred Heart student, teacher and administrator solidifies the past and gives great hope for the future." Magnetti declined to be interviewed about her retirement plans.

Comment:

That's It ???

A One Paragraph Press Release On This Departure.

There Is Much More To This Story.



So The Sacred Heart Board Gives Cub Reporter

Colin "King Of The Press Releases" Gustafson

An Expanded Press Release For Immediate Publication.

Magnetti to leave Sacred Heart

By Colin Gustafson

Staff Writer
Article Launched: 10/23/2008 08:44:40 AM EDT

Convent of the Sacred Heart's headmistress, Sister Joan Magnetti, will retire as head of the all-girls private school next June.

Magnetti, who has worked as headmistress of the backcountry school since 1990, will be replaced by Pamela Juan Hayes, a 1964 graduate who has previously served as a member of the school's faculty and now serves as director of its sister school in San Francisco.

"We are delighted that Pam, a graduate of our school, has been chosen," Magnetti said in a statement. "Her love and mission of Sacred Heart and her experience as a Sacred Heart student, teacher and administrator solidifies the past and gives great hope for the future."

Magnetti declined to be interviewed about her retirement plans.....

Please Read The Full Sacred Heart Press Release That Is Being Offered As A Fully Vetted Greenwich Time News Story



Cub Reporter Colin "King Of The Press Releases" Gustafson Publication Of The Sacred Hearts Second Press Release Is Somewhat Informative.....

It reminds us of recent CHS "Good" News, such as ....

..."the $25 million construction of a new, four-story library and media center, complete with a broadcast journalism studio named after the late NBC correspondent David Bloom, whose daughters attended the school."

and

"Last spring, ABC political journalist Cokie Roberts, a graduate of a Sacred Heart school, presented Magnetti with the "Woman of Conscience Award" in recognition of her work as an educator and humanitarian. Those efforts include offering refuge to students from Sacred Heart's sister school in New Orleans, the Academy of the Sacred Heart, after their families were displaced by Hurricane Katrina in fall 2005."

Cub Reporter Colin "King Of The Press Releases" Gustafson Publication Of The Sacred Hearts Second Press Release tells us.....

Who is Leaving

When she is leaving

Where her replacement is coming from

But Cub Reporter Colin "King Of The Press Releases" Gustafson Publication Of The Sacred Hearts Second Press Release fails to tell us .....

What happened and Why she is leaving

Now here at Greenwich Roundup we certainly do not want to adversely harm any severance agreements Sister Joan Magnetti has with the Sacred Heart Board, but the there is a c that the board has to the parents and donors to the Convent of the Sacred Heart.

More over since the Convent of the Sacred Heart is a not for profit organization that is exempt from certain taxes the board has a fiduciary responsibility to the public at large.

Moreover, it is Cub Reporter Colin "King Of The Press Releases" Gustafson's job to uncover and report the what and why with out showing favoritism.

The reason Greenwich Citizen Journalist's web sites are growing exponentially and Greenwich mainstream media web sites are stagnate at best is that these Greenwich Bloggers are going where newspaper investigative journalist used to go.

It was not a reporter from the Greenwich Citizen, Greenwich Post or the Greenwich Time that filed a Freedom Of Information request with the Greenwich Board Of Education to get a copy of the Harris Survey that the Sternberg administration was hiding from the public.

No, it was a Greenwich Citizen Journalist named Bill Clark and it was Bill's report entitled Betty Sternberg Gets an "F" that caused Sternberg to "shock the board with her resignation.

If Cub Reporter Colin "King Of The Press Releases" Gustafson can't go out and independently dig up the what and why, then Hearst Media needs to go out and find a real news reporter.

Maybe it is time for Hearst Newspapers to show Cub Reporter Colin "King Of The Press Releases" Gustafson the door and lift the Greenwich Time's silly little ban on the writings of Bill Clark.

Citizen Journalist Bill Clark has repeated demonstrated that he will tell parents and taxpayers the truth about what is going on in the schools and church's of Greenwich.

The question is would Bill Clark be willing to go over to the corporate mainstream world where lazy Cub Reporter Colin "King Of The Press Releases" Gustafson are allowed to survive and prosper.



The Corporate Suits at Hearst Newspapers need to realize that Greenwich news readers are increasingly choosing not to pay 50 cents a day slightly modified CHS press releases when they can get the the same information in school newsletters and fundraising appeals.



Please understand, that Greenwich Roundup is in no way suggesting that the The Corporate Suits at Hearst Newspapers are not very sharp.

Let's face the facts, they have bought every daily newspaper in Fairfield County except for the Norwalk Hour. Plus they have consolidated all printing to the Bridgeport at the Connecticut Post printing plant.



Plus those very bright Corporate Suits at Hearst Newspapers have bought almost 70% of Fiarfield Counties Weekly Newspapers.



Further, the Corporate Suits at Hearst Newspapers have started to slowly incorporate similar page elements and widgets into all of their news websites. Further elements such as the events calenders are now 100% uniform. If you place a community event in the Danbury or Bridgeport websites those events automatically appear in both the Greenwich Citizen and Greenwich Time.



Pretty Cool, Huh !!!



Technology marches on.




For months Greenwich Roundup has been exclusively reporting what a confidential source at the Stamford Advocate source has been telling us.

We are told that the Corporate Suits at Hearst Newspapers are going to slowly combine all of the daily newspapers like the Greenwich Time, that are now currently being printed in Bridgeport into one paper with the Connecticut Post masthead.

This much like how Gannet folded the Port Chester Daily Item, the Mamaroneck Times, New Rochelle Standard Star and close to another dozen Putnam, Rockland and Westchester newspapers into the regional newspaper called the Journal News which has the regional news website called LoHud.com , which stands for Lower Hudson, New York.

Later the old newspaper mast heads were changed into free weekly newspapers that carried grocery and drug store ads on Thursdays and Friday's to non-Journal News subscribers. Town that did not have a daily newspaper were covered by half a dozen or so weekly newspapers that have a masthead with the Express name.

And this is what the the Corporate Suits at Hearst Newspapers have planned for Greenwich and other towns in Fairfield County. The Connecticut Post will be thrown on your front door each morning and the Greenwich Citizen will be a mailbox wrapper for slick ad papers, weather you are a subscriber or not.

This why Hearst Newspapers did not want the Greenwich Time offices and chose to temporarily rent a small office space in Riverside, CT. Maybe the Greenwich Citizen offices in Putnam Avenue will become a local news bureau and advertising sales office. Or maybe this office will be folded into the Bridgeport facility when the lease is up.
The trouble that these Corporate Suits at Hearst Newspapers have is they are very quickly reaching the point of diminishing returns. They are running out of Fairfield County newspapers they can buy and one more Fairfield County newspaper they just might trigger an anti-trust complaint.
So the Corporate Suits at Hearst Newspapers need to start getting back to the fundamentals of the news business and rid themselves of lazy Cub Reporters like Colin "King Of The Press Releases" Gustafson who refuses to seek out parents, students, taxpayers, teachers and other stakeholders when he reports on educational issues in Greenwich.
Cub Reporter Colin "King Of The Press Releases" Gustafson needs to learn that there are at least three sides to every school generated press release he receives.
Otherwise the growing number of Greenwich's Citizen Journalists and Bloggers are going to eat Hearst Newspapers lunch.
Yesterday, Greenwich Roundup had it's fifth highest unique daily visitor number (1278). The previous day we had 937 visitors.
Cub Reporter Colin "King Of The Press Releases" Gustafson is destroying all of the hard work and grand plans that Hearst Newspaper's Corporate Suits has put forth.
================================================================
You can reach Greenwich Roundup at GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com and if Cub Reporter Colin "King Of The Press Releases" Gustafson keeps ignoring Greenwich parents and taxpayers you can reach him here .

10/24/08 Greenwich Time News Links


Claudia Duque-Gisalason, wellness coordinator and dietitian at Greenwich Hospital, shows students at the International School at Dundee how to make a healthy soup.
(Helen Neafsy/Greenwich Time Staff photo)


Kindergarten teachers at The International School at Dundee may have just unraveled a mystery that has baffled parents for generations: How do you get 5-year-olds to eat their vegetables? Full Story

Sombreros, kimonos and wood clogs were about as common as wool caps, jackets and sneakers Thursday at Julian Curtiss School, as hundreds of students, parents and teachers celebrated their 18th United Nations Day. Full Story

The stimulus check is still in the mail for some
The Internal Revenue Service has about $2.2 million that belongs to Connecticut residents. Thursday, the IRS released the names and home towns of people whose tax refund or rebate checks could not be delivered because of mailing address errors. Full Story

Cops discuss cyberbullying with sixth-graders
Police said they have dealt with nearly a dozen instances this year in which concerned parents or school officials contacted them about a student being bullied over the Internet. Full Story
Comment:
But the Greenwich Police Department doesn't want to talk about the 22 Year Old Mystery Man that killed Joey on Sheephill Road. Sources tell Greenwich Roundup that Mystery Man's toxology tests are in, but the Greenwich Police Chief David Ridberg is keeping them under wraps with the help of a certain complacent reporters at the Greenwich Time.
Pleasee See:
The Board of Education will not begin its widely anticipated search for a new superintendent of schools for another two weeks, the board's chairwoman, Nancy Weissler, announced Thursday night. Full Story

Shays, Himes at odds over the write stuff
Dru Nadler/Staff photoThere's a new best-seller in the ultra-competitive 4th District congressional race, only there's disagreement between the candidates about whether it belongs on the non-fiction or fiction shelf. Full Story

Banks to Rell: We're here to stay
STAMFORD - Gov. M. Jodi Rell emerged from Wednesday's hour-plus meeting with foreign banking organizations reassured the Royal Bank of Scotland remains committed to the city and Connecticut. Full Story

Pols split over three strikes law
Local candidates for state office are sharply divided on the "three strikes" law for violent offenders, a measure defeated during the General Assembly's last session but could come before it again next year. Full Story
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Please send your comments to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

Thursday, October 23, 2008

19/23/09 READER SUBMITTED COMMENTS: Joe is immoral


THE IMMORAL OF THE STORY


OR


HOW JOE USED THE


GREENWICH TIME


AND


STAMFORD ADVOCATE




To the Editor,

An article by Joe Pisani giving himself credit for comes down to a lot of nothing? What an insult to our intelligence. He sat on more disturbing facts and did the most dishonest newspaper's editing I have ever witnessed. As a person, he is a shallow shell of a man.

HUMILITY? Joe doesn't have an ounce in his bones. He is the most seff-absorbed person I have ever met. His columns often offered insight in to the dysfunctional Pisani household, where if I was a member, I would have been embarassed to have the same last name.

It was always someone elses fault, never Joe's. His woman friends would cry "poor Joe." He was a PLAYER. He surrounded himself with single women at the Advocate because they felt he "understood." Understood what? That he considered himself the greatest man on earth....he could please them, he would tell them all men (but him) were worthless dogs? And these dumb bimbos believed him. Joe's married? Is that how married men act? No way.

Of course Dan Malloy loved him. Joe never reported how his son was making racial death threats on a fellow student at Stamford High last year....and the girl was afraid to go to school for months.

Of course the people with the most to hide loved him, because he never printed the news, as it was. He either ignored it, or left it on page 9, in print so small it went unnoticed. He zeroed in on stupid isses, like Fr. Jude Fay and relentlessly played headlines with that storty until it finally effected the judge in not sending the priest to jail. That parish has still not seen justice or a dime from the money that priest stole.

His microscoping of some insignificant news and not others like the Moxly murder show a very personal lack of editorial leadership.

If he were to apply for an editoral job now, he wouldn't make it to the door. His reputation has been FAIRLY reduced to sewage. The party is probably because people feel sorry for the guy.. he's such a loser....and it is the Greenwich Roundup who is just bringing his 30 years of a job poorly done to light. Yeah, everyone, the Joe you didn't know.

Oh Suzy C was at this PARTY? She reported it in her star sightings? Slow day in Greenwich, Suzy? Tell me, how do you lower yourself to be Joe Pisani's barnacle band leader and still look in the mirrow.? Can't you find a nice single guy at all the bars you drink at?

The word for Joe Pisani is IMMORAL, not humble. Notice the priest from St John's, where he supposedly went to daily Mass didn't attend. That priest knows....that this was hardly a person to give tribute to.

Sick of the SOS with Pisani

10/23/08 Greenwich Time News Links Or Frank Mazza's Screwups Cost Town Employees Their Jobs


Your Fired !!!


Frank Mazza Stays !!!!!




For the first time ever, the town's budget guidelines include a provision to eliminate positions from the municipal workforce through attrition, a cost-cutting move pushed by Republican Board of Estimate and Taxation member Robert Stone, who is calling for additional belt-tightening.


The guidelines, approved Monday night by the BET, but without Stone's assent - he felt they didn't go far enough - call for the elimination of 15 positions from the town's workforce of 1,024 non-school employees in the next fiscal year.


The finance board is leaving the decision of which positions to cut up to the first selectman and estimates the reductions would save the town $1 million yearly in salaries and benefits....


...Tesei, the town's chief elected official and the previous BET chairman, said he will be selective in the positions he decides to cut.


"It's certainly not going to be arbitrary," Tesei said.


In addition to requesting staff reductions, the BET budget guidelines call for municipal department heads to limit operating expenses to a 3 percent increase, except in the area of salaries.


COMMENT:


FRANK MAZZA AND THE HAMILTON AVENUE BUILDING COMMITTEE THIS MONTH GOT ANOTHER $500,000 PLUS AN ADDITIONAL $200,000.


PREVIOUSLY, FRANK MAZZA GOT THREE VERY HUGE PAYMENTS (ONE IN JUNE 2007, ANOTHER IN JANUARY 2008, AND STILL ANOTHER IN MAY OF 2008).


FRANK MAZZA HAS GOTTEN 1.3 MILLION FROM THE SINGLE FAMILY HOME OWNERS. AND THIS MONTH HE REACHED THE 2 MILLION DOLLAR MARK .


KA CHING, KA CHING, KA CHING !!!!"


THOSE TAXPAYER DOLLARS WOULD FUND THOSE 15 POSITIONS FOR TWO YEARS. THANKS A MILLION FRANK. 15 FAMILIES ARE GETTING SCREWED OVER<>



Cos Cob can brace itself for one more bank, with Bella Nonna Restaurant one step closer to becoming a Chase Bank branch.


The Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed preliminary site plans for the branch Tuesday, asking the Chase project team to reconsider traffic and parking implications for the 371 East Putnam Ave. property, adjacent to Mead Avenue, before returning for final approval.


Saying Chase had already leased the Bella Nonna property, which owns the Bella Nonna space, attorney Jennifer Porter of Newark-based Gibbons P.C. said the bank intends to raze Bella Nonna and construct a 2,702-square-foot building in its place....



Teetering on the edge of an economic recession, the town is looking at expanding a property tax relief program for seniors on fixed incomes.


The Board of Selectmen will review changes to the existing program, which has seen declining participation, during a 10 a.m. meeting today in the Cone Room at Town Hall.


The program, currently open to seniors whose annual household income is less than $39,000, has come under fire from some elected officials and senior advocates who say the tax-relief measure isn't serving as many people as was intended.


Only about $588,000 in credits had been awarded this year from the $1 million allocated by the town for the program last year.


"I think this is going to be an extremely difficult year for seniors," said Selectman Lin Lavery, a former member of the Commission on Aging and former chairman of the Conference on Aging. "I think as a community we need to take care of our seniors."....



A Stamford man authorities said operated a drug factory out of a Cos Cob home is behind bars after police caught him engaging in a cocaine transaction on Mason Street Monday afternoon, police said.


Zain Hussain, 32, who police said has a long history of drug-related activity, faces numerous drug charges following a motor vehicle stop after narcotics officers witnessed the drug deal, according to the police report.


According to Detective Mark Marino, the department had been investigating Hussain for nearly a month after receiving several tips on his drug activities.


"He was someone that was known to us and had a prior history with regards to narcotics," said Marino, who said more arrests could be made....


....Following the drug transaction, police also executed a search-and-seizure warrant of Hussain, his vehicle and his residence in the Cos Cob....


...He was being held in lieu of a $150,000 cash bond at the Greenwich Police Department as of Wednesday evening, police said.


Police also arrested Jesse Sammis, 38, of 25 Maher Ave., the alleged buyer in the drug transaction, according to the report. Officers found Sammis to be in possession of cocaine and several Oxycodone pills, police said.


Sammis, who police said had no prior record, was charged with possession of narcotics within 1,500 feet of a day care facility, failure to keep drugs in an original container, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of narcotics, possession of narcotics with the intent to sell and conspiracy to possess narcotics, police said. He was released after posting a $10,000 cash bond and is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Stamford on Monday.


QUESTION:


Was Sammis A Working As A Police Confidential Informant When He He Made The Drug Transaction?


Or Was He Just Observed Making A Drug Transaction.


Debra Friedman News Report Is Very Unclear.



The fire department recently received a Life Safety Achievement Award this month for its work in preventing fire-related deaths and injuries in 2007, according to Fire Chief Peter Siecienski.


The award recognizes local prevention and education activities that have contributed to reducing the number of lives lost in residential fires, according to Siecienski.


It was presented by the Residential Fire Safety Institute, a national public interest group whose mission is to reduce residential fire deaths and injuries, according to the fire department.


"This is an award that the entire community should take pride in," said Siecienski....




The Greenwich High School field hockey team is entering the FCIAC Tournament with a wealth of momentum.




Faced by a $302 million projected budget shortfall for this fiscal year, Gov. M. Jodi Rell is proposing another round of state spending cuts and an expanded effort to bring in revenues owed the state, all intended to eliminate the estimated deficit.




To the editor:


Jim Himes, running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 4th District, is proud to be a Democrat.


Chris Shays says he is independent, but he is not. He is a Republican who is trying to distance himself from the failed policies of the Bush administration, which Mr. Shays enthusiastically supports.


Mr. Shays pushed for and supported the invasion of Iraq, refusing to listen to a very large segment of people in the 4th District who were against this horrible invasion and now mourn the loss of so many precious lives. The refusal of Mr. Shays to listen to the people he represents, his poor judgment and self-righteous attitude are not qualities that I support in a candidate.


Mr. Shays says he supports Sen. Barack Obama's theme of hope. Sen. Obama supports and strongly endorses Jim Himes for Congress.


At a town meeting in Stamford, Mr. Shays said he has great regard for George Bush's service to this country. Mr. Bush invaded a sovereign nation, spending $3 trillion on an unjust war, he has encouraged torture, ignoring the Geneva Conventions, and he has ruined the economy.


I am not grateful to Chris Shays or George Bush. I don't want their lies to continue.


Jim Himes is an honest man who supports the Constitution, listens and understands the issues and would work to support all the people of the 4th District.


Samarpana Tamm
Greenwich


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10/23/08 Politicians And Stanford Officials Honor Complacent Editor Who Refuses To Apologize For Helping Martha Moxley's Killer




Written For, By And About Ex-Greenwich Time Editor Joe Pisani


...I learned a great lesson while friends and pretend foes gathered to toast me for my deeds and roast me for my misdeeds over the years at The Advocate and Greenwich Time.


The great lesson I learned, if you can believe this, is humility. How, you might wonder, do we learn humility when people praise you? Because I knew beyond a doubt I’m not the wonderful person they think I am.


We’re all a mixture of weak and strong, good and bad, paisley and plaid, true and false. I won’t continue. You get the idea. It’s called the human condition.


But what really struck me that night was the selflessness and sacrifice of the people who labored for months to put this affair on, starting with the major domo, Ernie DiMattia, head of the Ferguson Library in Stamford, inspired, he said, by Father Richard Futie, Greenwich native and pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Stamford.


Joined by my former colleagues, Durrie Monsma, Joy Haenlein, John Breunig, Barbara Bind, Bruce Hunter and Susie Costaregni, not to mention the people who put on the show, former publisher Durrie Monsma, who came back from California for this affair, the eminent Bernie Yudain, his sidekick, guitar-strumming thespian and attorney wannabe Ted Yudain....


I’ve seen so many proclamations given out over the years that I was delighted to receive one from First Selectman Peter Tesei and a citation from Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and a superb standup routine by Mayor Dan Malloy.


And let me never forget my tireless personal paparazzi John Ferris Robben....


Please See:





For The Record:


The Advocate , Connecticut Post , Greenwich Time , Hartford Courant , The Hour , Norwalk Advocate , New Haven Register , The News-Times, Waterbury Republican-American , Westport Minuteman , or any other Daily Connecticut Newspaper chose to cover this so-called tribute to the Ex-Greenwich Time Editor who for a decade sat on the Martha Moxley special investigative report he commissioned, because he was afraid the report would upset the Greenwich Police Department.




In fact, no newspaper in the United States covered the event held for the complacent editor who nearly destroyed two Connecticut Daily Newspapers during a 30 year period.


The only one who even mentioned the tribute for the complacent editor was, Susie "the dish" Costaregni, who Joe Pisani, taught in school, then took with him to the Greenwich Time and later took to the Greenwich Post to work for free.


To add insult to injury, Susie "the dish" Costaregni didn't even give the pitiful old editor top billing.....




Scene ... Bedford, N.Y., resident and Swedish actress Lena Olin was spotted on Lafayette Place near the Bendheim Cancer Center in Greenwich last week.


Out there ... A Toast and Roast Dinner to honor Joe Pisani, columnist for the Greenwich Post, and former editor of The Advocate and Greenwich Time, takes place this Sunday at the Hyatt in Old Greenwich. The evening will feature a 5 p.m. cocktail hour and dinner at 6, followed by a roast hosted by dignitaries and colleagues of Mr. Pisani. For tickets or more information, call Melanie at 351-8206 or email mailto:mkeiffer@fergusonlibrary.org....


....Scene ...Riverside resident, NFL great and announcer Frank Gifford was recently spotted tooling around town in Greenwich in his light blue convertible.


And that’s all for now.


Later...


It's nice to see that Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy is letting Ferguson Library Director Ernie DiMattia and Ferguson Library Employee Melanie Keiffer use taxpayer funded resources and personnel to organize and promote an event he falsely thought would provide him with free publicity.


It might be interesting to Freedom Information Request some Ferguson Library and Stamford City Email accounts to find about what other private projects Mayor Malloy is misusing taxpayer resources and personnel on.


Looks like the Ferguson Library has so much taxpayer money to they decided to burn a wad on a standup routine by Mayor Dan Malloy at the Greenwich Hyatt.


In fact, poor old complacent Ex-Greenwich Time Editor that helped Martha Moxley's murderer for a decade need all the Stamford taxpayer funded help he could get.


After all he had to write a review of his own Ferguson Library taxpayer assisted soiree at the Greenwich Hyatt, because no other self respecting newspaper would cover last Sunday's so-called tribute to the petty Ex-Greenwich Time Editor.


Please Also See:




Murder, wealth, power, a famous family--all are part of the Martha Moxley homicide in Greenwich, Connecticut. Martha's 1975 murder was linked to Tommy and Michael Skakel, nephews to Ethel Kennedy, which some think led police and the media to back away from an aggressive investigation. But the case was reopened and Michael Skakel was indicted. In June 2002, he was found guilty of murder. Narrated by Paul Winfield


Please read how petty

Joe "The Censor" Pisani can be:



However, the story about the Beating and Robbery At Riverside Walgreens still does not have the security cam photos (we have them here).




Previously, I had commented on these stories on the Stamford Advocate website and let their confused readers know that I had the images discussed on my website.


However, my comments seem to not be appearing on the Stamford Advocate website anymore ....


More about Joe How Petty

Joe "The Censor" Pisani Can Be:








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10/23/08 "They're poor," Chief Executive Bruce Baxter said, referring to many ambulance patients.


Bruce Baxter, chief and executive director of New Britain Emergency Medical Services, discusses the company’s troubles Wednesday at its Arch Street headquarters.




The Herald


With increasing emergency calls and decreasing payments from patients, many of whom are on Medicaid, New Britain Emergency Medical Services Inc. has gone broke...
...Before the meeting, the company's Chief Executive Bruce Baxter and its assistant chief, Janice Carbonneau, explained they can provide services and make sound fiscal decisions.
"But we can't control the demographics," Carbonneau said. The company will transport anyone, no matter what insurance they have - or do not have....

... "I wouldn't say we are broke," Baxter said. "But other communities do pay a subsidy for ambulance service." He cited Greenwich, which pays $2 million a year, and other communities.
"Fee for service might work in Greenwich," because of the $2 million funding" ...
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10/23/08 Greenwich Post News Links




“I was unhappy and I was unsure,” Michelle Johnson told a rapt audience Thursday night at the YWCA. “My household, while it ran well on the outside, was not a calm one. It was not a content one and it was not a safe one.”


THE GREENWICH POST FINA LY REPORTS ON STERNBERG'S DEPARTURE:




Ms. Sternberg, the former state Commissioner of Education, was first hired in 2006, and her original three-year contract expires on June 30, at which time she will leave office.


Ms. Sternberg first made the announcement in a statement last Wednesday****, saying the decision came after careful consideration and that recent health issues, which forced her to take a leave of absence this past summer, had nothing to do with it.


Ms. Sternberg told the Post last Thursday she had only been pondering her decision “intensely” the last seven to 10 days before deciding over the Columbus Day weekend. She said she informed the Board of Education last Monday night.


“There wasn’t one factor that pushed me this way,” Ms. Sternberg said. “I’ve had a very long and productive career. I really have. I’m proud of what I’ve done over the lifespan of my career and I’m proud of what we’ve done over the two years here in Greenwich. We’ve done a tremendous amount and addressed issues that are very difficult to address.”...


....Ms. Sternberg and others in her cabinet have come under heavy criticism from parents in western Greenwich after continued delays in the construction of Hamilton Avenue School, delay of Glenville School’s demolition and reconstruction, and mold discovered in modular classrooms where Hamilton Avenue students have been staying since 2005. The mold discovery forced the relocation of all the students last March. Parents say the problem has been linked to health problems in themselves and their children.


“Given the context of the community and my own personal wishes and desires, I really do believe that it’s in the best interests of the community and me to have someone else continue to lead,” Ms. Sternberg said.


Ms. Sternberg said it wasn’t one thing that triggered her decision and declined to be more specific because she didn’t think it would be “useful” to do that.


The Hamilton Avenue and mold controversies have caused some to say there has been a lack of accountability under Ms. Sternberg’s leadership, something she said is “absolutely incorrect.”...


....Assistant Superintendent of Schools Kathleen Greider, who has been with the district since January 2007 and served as interim superintendent while Ms. Sternberg was on leave over the summer. Ms. Greider could not be reached for comment.


While Ms. Sternberg said Ms. Greider was “definitely capable” of being a superintendent, she added it would be “absolutely inappropriate” for a sitting superintendent to have any role in choosing who would follow in the position....


Please Note:


*** Correction This Greenwich Post Article Should Have Read Wednesday Before Last. It Took Eight Days For The Greenwich Post To Get This Story Up Online. The Greenwich Time And Bloggers All Covered The Story With In 24 Hours.




One of the sharpest differences in the race for the open 151st District seat in the legislature between Republican Alfred Camillo Jr. and Democrat Edward Krumeich II is around health insurance, with Mr. Krumeich calling for universal care in the state and Mr. Camillo saying the proposal goes too far and is too expensive.




The economy has been the dominant issue for months now in the race for the 4th Congressional District and Monday morning was no exception as incumbent Republican Rep. Christopher Shays faced off in a debate with his Democratic challenger, Jim Himes.




Eleven-term Congressman Christopher Shays (R-4th) is locked into another close race this year. The only New England Republican left in the House of Representatives is standing by his record on the economy and his recommendations for the Middle East as Election Day approaches.




For the convenience of the public and to accommodate the additional traffic expected during the holiday shopping season, effective Monday, Nov. 24, through Friday, Jan. 2, 2009, no roadway openings, excavations, blocking or restricting of public sidewalks or parking spaces will be permitted in the central business districts of Greenwich, Old Greenwich, Riverside, Cos Cob, Byram or Glenville, except work of an emergency nature.




Greenwich Art Society members may enter their works for a nature exhibit Nov. 5 through 21 at the Garden Education Center, 130 Bible St.




Friendly Connections, Family Centers’ senior outreach program, will hold its autumn volunteer training on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 10:30. The training will be held at Family Centers’ 40 Arch St. offices in Greenwich.
Past, present and prospective volunteers are invited to attend this training seminar. A light meal and materials will be provided. The training is offered free of charge.


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