03/02/08 - Greenwich Newswire For Sunday

Shep And Ian Murray Of Vinyard Vines

"Everybody wanted us to take sides," Shep Murray, 37, recalled in a recent interview at the Vineyard Vines store in Greenwich, the town where the brothers grew up and still live.

Greenwich News Report

Ties That Bind
Hartford Courant - Hartford,CT

GREENWICH — - Shep and Ian Murray have never run for president, but men wearing their neckties have, which has been very good for business.

During the 2004 presidential campaign, George Bush, John Kerry and Howard Dean all sported ties made by Vineyard Vines, the Murrays' Stamford-based apparel company that has its spiritual home on Martha's Vineyard, the resort island off Cape Cod that the brothers consider a home away from home.

Bill Clinton (who spent many presidential summers on the Vineyard), Bill Frist (who frequents Nantucket, as does Kerry) and Rudy Giuliani have all been spotted in Vineyard Vines, too....

... (For the record, Shep is registered as a Democrat and Ian is unaffiliated, according to Greenwich public records.)

The unsolicited political endorsements led to a flurry of publicity, exposing Vineyard Vines' playful, preppy brand to the nation's farthest reaches. Last year, sales were "well over $50 million," up more than 100 percent in two years, according to Shep, the elder of the brothers.

Initially their company's only employees, the Murrays now oversee a staff of about 120 and a ballooning product line that includes shirts, shorts, skirts, belts, boxer shorts, totes, jackets — just about anything they and their friends might need, should their luggage ever get lost on the way to Key Largo...

3rd man admits to role in jewelry store robbery
Newsday - Long Island,NY
A third man has admitted to participating in a multimillion dollar robbery of a Greenwich jewelry store by helping his brother set fire to a stolen truck to ...

Keeping students closer to home
Greenwich Time - Greenwich,CT
By Andrew Shaw Stamford Superintendent of Schools Joshua Starr last week expressed surprise that Greenwich decided not to participate in a new regional ...

Stamford's Grand List hits $23.9B
Stamford Advocate - Stamford,CT
By Stephen P. Clark

Stamford's $23.9 billion in assessed value of all taxable property is second only to Greenwich's $33.8 billion. ...

AU men’s swimming and diving team repeats as UNYSCSA champions
AU News - Alfred,NY
Sophomore Andrew Brisson (Greenwich, CT/Greenwich) (47.13 seconds) and freshman Tyler Olsen (Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga) (47.73) took third and fifth, ...

Bitter rivals play for hockey crown
Stamford Advocate - Stamford,CT
The top-seeded Blue Wave (17-5) have reeled off seven straight victories since losing to Greenwich on Feb. 2. Darien, which finished 10-2 in the conference, ...

Greenwich Blog Posts

Assistant Controller ( Greenwich, CT US )
Greenwich based, growing, hedge fund seeks an Assistant Controller with industry experience. Assistant Controller should have familiarity with investor reporting, NAV calculations, and all other responsibilities of the 3rd party ...
Beyond.com - Available Jobs In: CT - http://www.beyond.com/MKT/RSS/

Wild Cards of Climate Change
When: Sunday March 2nd, 2008 - 02:00 PM Where: Greenwich Library at Meeting Room Deliberate Manipulation of Weather.
Greenwich Library | Today's Events - http://www.greenwichlibrary.org

If you have to ask, you probably can't afford it
That's a big price tag, even for Greenwich, an affluent New York suburb sometimes dubbed the hedge-fund capital of the world, and it would be among the highest prices ever asked for a Northeast home. The listing agent, David Ogilvy of ...
RealTown: News - http://www.realtown.com

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03/02/08 - News Reports From The Greenwich Citizen

Joe Gianfrancesco, a four-year veteran of the Sound Beach Volunteer Fire Department, is playing the role of a victim during a cold-water rescue training exercise at Mianus Pond on Sunday.
(GREENWICH CITIZEN photo / Felix Andreoni)

Icy Water Rescue Training Makes Brave Firefighters

By Anne W. Semmes Of The Greenwich Citizen

It's a cold and snowy day and ice covers the nearby waterway, but the family dog sees a goose and takes off in hot pursuit across the ice. Suddenly the ice gives away and "Rover" is in the freezing water, struggling to get a grip on the ice. The owner, hearing the dog's plaintive yelps, starts out tentatively across the ice to lend a hand, but suddenly the ice cracks and the individual falls in as well.

It was for just such a scenario that some 50 volunteer firefighters throughout Greenwich gathered last Sunday morning by the iced-over Mianus Pond, off Loading Dock Road in Riverside, for their annual cold-water rescue training....

Out of the Mouth of Babes

The Board of Selectmen, swayed Monday by mighty oratory from eighth-grader Matthew Van Rhyn of Eastern Middle School, unanimously voted to adopt a resolution to make Greenwich a "Clean Energy Community.

03/02/08 - News Reports From The Greenwich Time

Greenwich High School senior, Edward Parker, 18, poses as his parents, Adrienne and Van Parker, stand proudly behind him.
(Bob Luckey Jr./Staff photo)

GHS senior embraces the army-of-one lifestyle

By Meredith Blake
Greenwich Time Staff Correspondent

Just after a snowfall, battling the biting December wind, Edward Parker, 18, had to complete a grueling two-mile run to qualify for the U.S. Army Reserve.

"I was in so much pain," he said.

After completing the first mile, in his military-issued uniform and 5-pound winter boots, his whole body hurt and his face stung from the cold.

"I really thought, 'I want to give up. Forget this", he said.

But then he asked himself, "Am I going to do this in a life-or-death situation if it depends on saving other people? No, I have to continue.' It's about telling yourself you're not in pain," he recalled during an interview last week....

...He said that people often ask him why he joined up, especially now with the war going on, and he is surprised by that reaction.

Although it can be seen as a dangerous career choice, there can be risks in many jobs.

He said his biggest fear is being away from home, family and friends -- not fighting in the war in Iraq.

"What's the point of joining the military if you refuse to do your job?" he said, "There is a part of me that wants to go. My unit has been to Iraq twice already and I haven't heard any complaints. Their stories make it sound like a good life experience."

Beach-access concerns delay national listing
With fears mounting that the town might have to relinquish its control of beach-access at the site, a bid to have Greenwich Point Park placed on the National Register of Historic Places has been suspended.

Man pleads guilty to part in jewelry heist
A Bridgeport man has pleaded guilty to setting a fire with his brother to aid in the robbery of Betteridge Jewelers in September 2006, in which a gun-toting motorcyclist dropped near $5 million in jewels as he tried to escape.

Tobacco sting nets clerk
Police cited a liquor store clerk for selling tobacco to minors during a spot compliance check of 24 businesses in town Thursday, according to police.

03/02/08 - Another Administrative Screw Up - "They let it happen again. Shame on them. They should be fired," said Laura Dibella past PTA president.

MOLDS FLOURISH, ILLNESS PREVAILS

Your Tax Dollars NOT At Work
Parents Are Infuriated And Outraged

Current PTA co-chair Dawn Nethercott says, "I'm appalled!"

Ham Ave. modulars shut over mold fears

By Christine Hall
Greenwich Time Staff Writer

Hamilton Avenue School will close for a week starting tomorrow, and relocate completely for the rest of the school year, because of mold found inside the walls of the temporary classrooms the school occupies at Western Middle School....

... The Hamilton Avenue School students and staff will be relocated for the remainder of the school year, a statement released by the schools yesterday states, but it isn't known where yet...

... The school has been operating in the temporary buildings for 31Ú2 years -- what was supposed to be 18 months -- while its old Chickahominy building is rebuilt because of its mold problems. The construction project has had numerous setbacks and is now well behind schedule. The most recent addition to the delays was just announced at Thursday night's Board of Education meeting....

...The temporary classrooms have had problems with water pooling and snow piling up on their flat roofs, Sue Wallerstein, assistant superintendent for business services said Friday....

...a special Board of Education meeting has been called for 7 p.m. tomorrow night at a location still to be determined, at which the public will be allowed to comment and ask questions.

MORE INFORMATION:

The problems with mold usually stem from the symptoms and health effects resulting from indoor mold exposure. There is public awareness that exposure to mold can cause adverse health effects, symptoms, and possible allergic reactions. Health professionals are often tasked with the investigation and/or assessment of these health effects on employees and/or the public.

The most common form of hypersensitivity is caused by the direct exposure to inhaled mold spores that can be dead or alive or hyphal fragments which can lead to allergic asthma or allergic rhinitis. The most common effects are Rhinorrhea (runny nose), watery eyes, coughing and asthma attacks. Another form of hypersensitivity is hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). This is usually the direct result of inhaled large spores or fragments in an occupational setting. About 5% of individuals are predicted to have some allergic airway symptoms from molds over their lifetime.

Toxic effects from mold are produced by exposure to the mycotoxins of some mold species, such as Stachybotrys chartarum (S. chartarum). These are often referred to as “Toxic molds” These toxic molds are often implicated as a potential cause of Sick Building Syndrome.

03/01/08 - Greenwich Newswire For Saturday

Vincent Kennedy McMahon who bluffed and blustered his way into the ringmaster’s role of the testosterone-fueled soap opera that is professional wrestling.

Greenwich News Report

The Softer Side of Wrestling’s Showman Extraordinaire
New York Times - United States

MANY words come to mind when describing Vince McMahon, chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., but for the millions who watch him on television, as he hurls insults and lewd taunts at the wrestlers or the audience, “marshmallow” is probably not one of them.

But that’s how Linda McMahon, his wife of 41 years, sees him: “He’s a marshmallow, a real pushover, a total sweetheart.”

It was Valentine’s Day, and Mr. McMahon had just delivered a bouquet of yellow roses to his wife, the company’s chief executive, at her office in the 114,300-square-foot W.W.E. headquarters in Stamford. “This is the side of Vince McMahon that most people don’t know,” she said. “But I guess that’s good; people love to hate him.”

Mr. McMahon, 62, a two-time world champion wrestler and third-generation wrestling promoter, is better known as the broad-shouldered, insult-spewing narrator in the ring. On this day, he smiled at his wife and spoke softly about the success of his family and his multimillion-dollar business.

Just two days before the interview in his offices, the publicly traded company announced revenues of $485 million in 2007....

...He moved the company from Massachusetts to Greenwich, “mainly because anyone can go to New York City, but I didn’t want to be a little fish,” he said. “I wanted to make a statement. I thought, what better place than Greenwich, with all the blueblood personalities and the cachet that wasn’t normally associated with wrestling?” By 1990, the headquarters had outgrown its space in Greenwich and was moved to its current address in Stamford....

Greenwich Blog Posts

Financial Statistician, IJC Partners, Greenwich, CT, United States
Premier Electronic Market Making firm in Greenwich, Ct seeks a strong Financial Statistician for one sole purpose, to find ways for the firm to make money!! This person will be working on Tick by Tick Data, Historical and current Trades ...
Engineering / Computer Science Jobs - http://jobs.phds.org

VITA Volunteers
When: Saturday March 1st, 2008 - 09:00 AM Where: Greenwich Library at Cole Auditorium Free Tax Assistance.
Greenwich Library | Today's Events - http://www.greenwichlibrary.org

Accountant - ( Greenwich, CT US )
Position Description:Provides accounting guidance and support in developing, analyzing and maintaining the company's financial reporting systems in the following areas: Cash Application, AR collections, Customer Account reconciliation, ...
Beyond.com - Available Jobs In:... - http://www.beyond.com/MKT/RSS/

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03/01/08 - Sipel's BlackBerry records show he plotted the scheme for several months, said Greenwich police detective Robert Brown

Queens man gets 16 months for blackmail

By Zach Lowe
Greenwich Time Staff Writer

A Queens, N.Y., man will spend 16 months in prison for blackmailing a Greenwich businessman whom he believed had paid his girlfriend at least $2,000 for what one attorney described as vile and vulgar sex acts.

Roy Sipel, 22, formerly of 102-25 67th Road, Forest Hills, N.Y., used a phony Russian accent and pretended to a mobster when he confronted the unidentified businessman July 31 and threatened to expose the man's payment for sex, court records show...

,,, The victim did not attend the sentencing.

Sipel had become angry after learning the victim paid his girlfriend $2,000 to $3,000 to perform certain sex acts on him.

Those acts were vile and vulgar, said Robert Bello, Sipel's attorney.

He heard what she went through, and he was going to be her avenging angel, Bello said....

.... Bello asked for a minimal prison sentence, noting Sipel's young age and his clean prior record.

This was one mistake, Bello said, Òalbeit an immensely serious one.

He also pointed out that the victim would not have made for a sympathetic witness had the case gone to trial.

We're not talking about a person who's an altar boy, Bello said of the businessman.

Sipel will be on probation for five years upon his release from prison.

03/01/08 - Greenwich Roundup Influencing The Influencers.

A 2007 Newspaper National Network study conducted by Millward Brown reveals that news website users are 52% more likely to be "influencers", as compared to news website non-users.

News website users are more confident about their opinions and more apt to share them with a broad network of friends and colleagues.
Additionally, adults who use news websites and read printed newspapers influence 18 people on average, weekly.

Adults, who use news websites and read printed newspapers are 82% more likely to be early adopters of new products and the latest technology.

Items on news websites is deemed "more credible" than items on other online sites such social networks which are perceived as influencing word of mouth.
News website users are also more likely to be asked their opinion on politics (69%), Investments (63%), Sports (38%), Consumer Electronics (32%) and cooking/Entertainment (23%).

News website users are more confident their opinions resonate with immediate family (73%), Friends / Co-Workers (62%), Business / Professional Associates (46%) and common interest groups (39%).

Here are the February web statistics for the the very influential news website Greenwich Roundup.


3,147 Visits

1,953 Absolute Unique Visitors

7,656 Pageviews

00:09:51 Time on Site

55.48% New Visits

02/29/08 - Greenwich Newswire For Friday

front row l-r: B.E.S.T. host Scott Mitchell of Richards of Greenwich; Francois Kwaku-Dongo, Executive Chef at lâ escale Restaurant; Eilhys England Hackworth, SFTT Chair; Wendy Laurent, Pastry Chef at l'escale Restaurant; Shelly Tretter Lynch , B.E.S.T. Committee Chair; Middle row“ l-r: Susie Quinn; Sheila May, owner of Therese Saint Clair stationers; Linda Levy; Guy Flichy; Top row: - l-r: Paul Warren, Darrah Gleason, Lin Tien, Mary Newcomb

Greenwich News Reports

SFTT and Richards of Greenwich host BEST cocktail reception on ...
Stamford Plus Magazine - Stamford,CT
By Press Release

Raising Awareness and Support to Protect the Front-Line Soldiers Who Are Protecting Us

SFTT Chair Eilhys England Hackworth, Scott Mitchell of Richards of Greenwich and Event Chair Shelly Tretter Lynch are hosting B.E.S.T., a cocktail reception to champion the Best Equipment to Support the Troops. It pays tribute to the late Col. David “Hack” Hackworth by raising funds to protect the troops ‘out at the tip of the spear’ that he loved and continues to fight for through his legacy foundation, SFTT.

B.E.S.T. will be held at Richards, 359 Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich , from 6:30 PM to 9 PM on Friday May 9. While enjoying four-star cocktail fare, pastries and beverages, courtesy of l’escale Restaurant’s Executive Chef Francois Kwaku-Dongo, ...

... All of the proceeds from B.E.S.T. will be used to support the front line troops defending our freedoms by ensuring that they have the best available equipment – including body armor and helmet liners - to make it home alive and in one piece. The current Army-issue body armor and helmet liner are part of the Basic 5 personal combat essential gear that SFTT has identified as being sub-standard.

Honorary Event Co-Chairs are former U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, and former Greenwich First Selectman Jim Lash. Also confirmed are Fox broadcast journalist Geraldo Rivera, Peabody-award winning producer/journalist and SFTT’s Defense Watch webzine editor Roger Charles, and Fathers for the Truth’s John Grant. Grant, father of an infantry soldier currently deployed to Iraq , and SFTT’s Charles were interviewed by Senior Investigative Correspondent Lisa Myers for the multi-part story that aired in May, 2007 on NBC Nightly News, Dateline, and MSNBC about inferior body armor and the Army’s flawed procurement and testing process. The NBC revelations triggered immediate calls by Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle for independent, third-party reviews of all Defense Department body armor procurement....

...SFTT’s is a nonpartisan, apolitical, nonprofit foundation. Its unique educational and advocacy mission is to see that the Pentagon and our elected leaders in Washington get the right equipment, training and leadership for our US troops ‘at the tip of the spear,’ by giving a public voice to and providing a candid forum for America’s front-line forces.

Greenwich swim team golden once again
Greenwich Post - Greenwich,CT
After a year absence, the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference championship swim team trophy once again resides at Greenwich High School. ...

Too Much Tevin
Greenwich Citizen - Greenwich,CT
By Scott Ferrari

FAIRFIELD - If Greenwich High is to make a run in the CIAC Class LL boys' basketball tournament next week, Tuesday night's FCIAC semifinal ...

HOUSE SITTING Tommy Hilfiger's 27.9M Connecticut jump-off
Radar Online - New York,NY
This week, the recently engaged fashionisto dropped a walled, gated, four-acre Greenwich, Connecticut, country estate called Stone Hill back on the market ...

Out of the Mouth of Babes
Greenwich Citizen - Greenwich,CT
As a result, Greenwich becomes the 62nd of Connecticut's 169 municipalities to climb aboard the clean energy train chugging across the state. ...

With Drug Abuse on Rise, Paulmeno Makes Pitch for Health Coordinator
Greenwich Citizen - Greenwich,CT
By PATRICIA McCORMACK That is according to a report presented to the Greenwich Department of Public Health Board Monday night by Community Health Planner ...

Magnificent Seven Swimmers grab seven golds, but Greenwich takes title
New Canaan Advertiser - New Canaan,CT
The New Canaan Rams captured seven gold medals and amassed 388 points as they finished runner-up to the Greenwich Cardinals at the FCIAC boys’ swimming and ...

Greenwich Blog Posts

Tommy Hilfiger lists seven-bedroom mansion in Greenwich, CT for $27.9M
By Bob Goldsborough
Tommy Hilfiger is asking $27.9 million for his seven-bedroom mansion in Greenwich, Conn. The Greenwich Time broke the story on Wednesday of the listing, followed by the New York Post’s Braden Keil’s report yesterday. ...
Celebrity Real Estate Homes Blog... - http://www.bergproperties.com/blog

Friends Friday Films - 51 Birch Street
Where: Greenwich Library at Cole Auditorium 51 BIRCH STREET (2005) Directed by Doug Block. A great documentary that takes a look at the filmmaker’s Port Washington, NY roots and by doing so gets at the root of all families and their ...
Greenwich Library Today's Events - http://www.greenwichlibrary.org

Republican Retirements Leave Open Seats
By Genghis Conn
Claudia “Dolly” Powers (R-Greenwich) is retiring. The 151st has long been a solid GOP district. Alfred Camillo Jr., a former RTC chair, is running for the seat (no word on a Democrat yet). The district should be safe Republican ...
Connecticut Local Politics - http://ctlocalpolitics.net

Wiederecht lifts Staples to fifth
By MIKE MADAR Hour Correspondent GREENWICH -- Staples junior Christopher Wiederecht finished second in the 500-yard freestyle and fourth in the 100-yard butterfly to lead the Wreckers to a fifth-place finish at the FCIAC Boys Swimming ...
http://www.thehour.com/

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02/29/08 - News Reports From The Greenwich Time

Blue Sky Animation is pulling out of White Plains New York and to Connecticut, where the tax breaks are as high as a Horton the elephant's eye.

Benefits of deal remain unclear

By Brian Lockhart
Greenwich Time - Staff Writer

State lawmakers are questioning the Blue Sky deal following a report in Greenwich Time and The Advocate yesterday that the General Assembly unknowingly approved $15 million worth of annual digital animation tax credits tailored for Blue Sky Studios last year.

Additional details emerged yesterday about the state's behind-the-scenes bid to lure the renowned digital animator and its 300 employees from New York to Greenwich with tens of millions in film tax credits. It remains unclear, though, how thoroughly the state's effort to woo Blue Sky has been analyzed, and if it will pay off.

Jim Watson, spokesman for the state Department of Economic and Community Development, said the examination by his department, which is providing Blue Sky an $8 million low-interest loan, cannot be released because it involves confidential, proprietary information.

House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, has promised the company $10 million more in tax breaks. Many lawmakers this week said they thought last year they were voting on a generic bill creating a maximum, annual, transferable tax credit of $15 million to be split among digital animation studios with 200 or more full-time employees.

"In budget negotiations (the discussion) was always in terms of the entire film industry," House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk, said yesterday. "Never was an individual company mentioned, ever."

Leap Year birthdays finally get a chance to celebrate
BEING A LEAP YEAR baby has helped Anthony Gioffre stay young.

Camillo vies to replace Powers
The chairman of the Republican Town Committee seemed surprised that no one had questions for Fred Camillo Wednesday night when the town native announced he would make a bid for a state House of Representatives seat.

Town to rejoin lobbying group
Going against his predecessor's view that it is a waste of taxpayer money, First Selectman Peter Tesei wants the town to rejoin the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities.

Teachers slam BET on day care
Teachers at last night's Board of Education meeting bemoaned this week's decision by the Board of Estimate and Taxation to turn down the board's request to operate a child-care center for children of teachers.

Luxury home developers make record land donation
STAMFORD - The Stamford Land Conservation Trust has received 25 acres of land in North Stamford, the largest single tract donated to the trust, representatives said.

Pioneers, civil rights leaders parade at Hart Magnet
STAMFORD - Daniel Boone carried a wooden rifle around Hart Magnet Elementary School yesterday, Wilbur Wright flew a cardboard plane and Neil Armstrong wore a spacesuit.

NCC settles sexual assault suit for $765K
NORWALK - Norwalk Community College has settled a federal lawsuit with a student who claimed a male professor sexually assaulted her four years ago.

02/28/09 - Greenwich Newswire

Greenwich News Reports

FOREX-Dollar hits record low vs euro for second straight day
Reuters - USA
"Bernanke has yet to make a remark that shows open concern about dollar weakness," said Alan Ruskin, chief international strategist at RBS Greenwich Capital ...

Dollar holds near greenback peak, slides against others
National Business Review - New Zealand
"Bernanke has yet to make a remark that shows open concern about dollar weakness," said Alan Ruskin, chief international strategist at RBS Greenwich Capital ...

Greenwich, New Canaan neck-and-neck in FCIAC swimming
Greenwich Time - Greenwich,CT
The Greenwich High School boys swimming team has plenty of work to do tonight if wants to reclaim what it ownded for almost four decades -- the FCIAC ...

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News Reports From The Greenwich Post

http://www.acorn-online.com/news/publish/greenwich.shtml

Greenwich Crew fares well at annual event in Boston
Greenwich Post - Greenwich,CT,USA
Greenwich Crew was well-represented in this year’s CRASH-B. Sprints World Indoor Rowing Championships. The event, which takes place at Boston University’s ...

Is pill popping prevalent in Greenwich? Town health planner urges ...
Greenwich Post - Greenwich,CT,USA
“There is a significant substance misuse problem amongst Greenwich youth despite our local, regional and state efforts,” Ms. Paulmeno said. ...

Greenwich attorney plans hotel, housing downtown
Greenwich Post - Greenwich,CT,USA
An aggressive plan is being developed for Benedict Place, including underground parking, new stores, increased green space, new housing and a luxury hotel, ...

Cards hockey team stunned 5-3 in FCIAC semis
Greenwich Post - Greenwich,CT,USA
This was supposed to be the year the Greenwich High School girls ice hockey team got over the hump and claimed the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic ...

Greenwich Blog Posts

Blog Search - Do you know of a blog that covers issues in greenwich. If so please let us know.

You can reach us at GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

Manage Your Library Card Online
Where: Greenwich Library at Training Center Learn how to use your library card on the Greenwich Library website to search the catalog, reserve materials, freeze your holds, renew items and manage your account.
Greenwich Library Today's Events - http://www.greenwichlibrary.org

Tommy wants $28M for Conn. estate
GREENWICH, Conn. -- Tommy Hilfiger has put his Greenwich, Conn., estate on the market.
Star-Gazette.com - Local News - http://www.stargazette.com

New Construction & Teardowns In Greenwich CT
By Cher
Here’sa snapshot of new construction sales in Greenwich over the last 6 months:. 35 Close Road - sold 8/07 for $14700000. Built 2006 - 14070 SF on 5.29 acres. 110 DOM. 4 Cherry Blossom - sold 8/07 for $10750000. ...
Teardown Post - http://blog.teardowns.com

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Greenwich Roundup has a team of snoops and sources who are creating one destination for everything there is to know in Byram, Cos Cob, Greenwich, Old Greenwich, Riverside and the back country.

There is room for you here, too. Please feel free to give Greenwich Roundup your scoop at GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

Writers, photographers and attitude are most welcome.

02/28/08 - Greenwich Children Left Behind

District wary of science test

By Andrew Shaw
Greenwich Time - Staff Writer

Greenwich educators are anxious about the outcome of the upcoming state standardized tests that will include a science portion for the first time.

Why are our Greenwich School Administrators "Anxious" about a State Standardised Science Test?

Could it be that the Greenwich School Administrators have failed to properly educate Greenwich Children?

The Connecticut Mastery Tests, given each March to students in third through eighth grades, assess math and reading skills and knowledge. The results are used to benchmark each school's annual academic progress under the federal No Child Left Behind law.

Why are the very high paid Greenwich School Administrators having trouble meeting the very basic "No Child Left Behind" standards in the wealthiest town in the wealthiest state in the wealthiest nation on the face of the earth?

The inclusion this year of a science portion will test fifth- and eighth-graders on their knowledge of grade-level content and their understanding of how a science experiment is designed.

What's The Big Fat Deal About A Basic Science Test!!!

Personally, I was born in the "hills and the hollars" of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and by the eighth grade I understood the scientific method and was able to present a controlled science project at a science fair.

Superintendent of Schools Betty Sternberg has cautioned the Board of Education that this year's science results will likely not be impressive.....

The Extremely High Paid Ms. Sternberg was not in Greenwich about 15 years ago when a national news magazines ranked Greenwich High School as one of the Top Ten High Schools In America, but many Greenwich Residents remember.

...Truxtun Southworth, the program administrator for science and math, said he wished the state would have given earlier guidance on exactly what the students will see on the test. That was not done until recently.

What is going on here?

Is a high paid administrator like Truxton Southworth teaching our children?

Is Truxton Southworth in charge of teaching basic science and mathematics, or on how to cram for a basic standardised test that measures the minimal proficiency?

Greenwich, like other districts, focuses a lot of class time on literacy and math, but not nearly as much on science, which may affect test scores this year, Southworth said.

What other districts are we talking about?

Darien, New Canaan, Ridgefield, Westport, and Wilton?

Or are we talking about....

Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford and Stratford?

"The ones that haven't had the spotlight on them some time drift to the back," Southworth said....

Duh!!!

...Kathy Greider, deputy superintendent of teaching and learning said it may be difficult to decipher if students who do poorly on the science portion are having trouble with science, or if in actuality they are poor readers or poor at math.

Well maybe we should conduct a $100,000.00 study?

Or maybe, we could just start teaching our elementry children basic science principals.

...Science isn't the only area educators have an eye on this year. Greenwich had poor districtwide results last year on test questions gauging a student's ability to make connections from the reading material to their own life....

No wonder, that Greenwich High School is no longer listed as one of the Top Ten High Schools In America.

02/28/08 - News Reports From Greenwich Time

Class action status denied in beach lawsuit
By Martin B. Cassidy
Staff Writer

With a trial approaching, a federal judge has granted the town a partial victory by rejecting a Stamford bicyclist's request to add a discrimination claim to his pending lawsuit that Greenwich's beach access fees for out-of-towners are unconstitutional.

In her six-page ruling last week, U.S. District Court Judge Janet C. Hall upheld the town's argument that Paul Kempner, 77, a Stamford shoreline resident, could not pursue a discrimination claim himself because a town policy change giving free access to town beaches to Kempner and others over the age of 65, made his claim moot....

... Last year Hall ruled Kempner could sue the town on his claim the town violated his individual free speech rights, and a trial is expected to begin on that issue on April 15....

... Last week was the third time Hall threw out Kempner's claim that the town beach policy's of charging out-of-towners more than residents was discriminatory, because it unfairly restricted access to town beaches to non-residents.

Kempner declined comment on the ruling yesterday, saying he was unaware the issue had been decided, and calls to his attorneys were not returned.

Michael P. Shea, a Hartford-based attorney for Day-Pitney LLP, who is representing the town in the case declined comment.
Stanwich School presents traffic plan
Stanwich School will encourage car pooling and monitor the traffic around its proposed new campus to lessen congestion on neighborhood roads, but officials will not agree to mandatory busing.

State GOP touts wellness plan
Republicans yesterday proposed paying Connecticut residents to stay healthy, while Democrats rallied in favor of providing paid sick days for part-time workers.

Antares makes its pitch to Manhattan
Antares executives met with real estate brokers in Manhattan on Tuesday night to pitch their projects and Stamford as a desirable, less expensive alternative to Manhattan.

Studio deal for town surprises lawmakers
Speaker of the House James Amann is scrambling to persuade the General Assembly to give Blue Sky Studios Inc. a $25 million tax break to move from White Plains to Greenwich this year.

02/28/08 - Greenwich Gossip - If you've been looking with a house with a separate closet for your belts

Tommy Hilfinger Sells a House

Well, at least he put it on the market. When and for what price it sells remains to be seen. The initial asking price is $28 million.

As faithful readers of this blog will recall, it was less than ten months ago that Tommy was planting trees. Click here 4/14/2007 09:56:00 AM to read the story, and here 5/01/2007 01:57:00 PM to see the pictures. Today, the trees look as though they've always been there. By the time spring gets here and the house-lookers are out in force, they should be pretty handsome.

What does 28 mill buy in this Town these days? The mandatory minimum of 20,000 square feet which all serious home-buyers are looking for, of course; an "infinity-edge" swimming pool; a tennis court; a basketball court (Tommy plays basketball?! That's new news to your scribe!); a pool pavilion; a 2,000-bottle wine cellar; a sauna and massage room; a suede-lined home theatre for two dozen of your closest friends (popcorn machine included); and "lush gardens". Oh, and let's not forget the allee of instant trees.

For those who may not yet know what an "infinity-edge" swimming pool is, it is a pool at the far end of which the water seems to fall away over the edge of the pool in an apparent drop into the landscape beyond.....

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02/27/08 - Greenwich Newswire

Tommy Hilfiger is so, umm, gay?

Greenwich News Report

Tommy Hilfiger Puts Mansion Up for Sale
The Associated Press -
GREENWICH, Conn. (AP) — Fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger has put his backcountry Greenwich estate on the market. Southeby's International Realty said Hilfiger's ...

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Stamford Advocate - Stamford,CT
Such was the case last night, during the semifinals of the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference Tournament, when Trinity allowed Greenwich ...

Estate of designer Tommy Hilfiger on market
Newsday - Long Island,NY
GREENWICH, Conn. - Fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger has put his backcountry Greenwich estate on the market. Southeby's International Realty says Hilfiger's gated ...

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Tommy Hilfiger Puts Mansion Up for Sale
GREENWICH, Conn. (AP) -- Tommy Hilfiger has put his backcountry Greenwich estate on the market. Sotheby's International Realty said the fashion designer's gated Stone Hill estate is listed at $28 million. The 20000-square-foot home has ...
Columbian.com Entertainment News Feed - http://www.columbian.com/news/rss

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02/27/08 - Once Again Failed Greenwich School Administrators Take Care Of Thier Own

One Hand Washes The Other
At The Mutual Admiration Society
Known As The Greenwich Public School System

Headline:

New principal to start at North Street in July

Reporter:

Andrew Shaw

Quote:

"My hope would be to continue the good work that she has been doing there," said School Administrator Charles Smith, a Stamford resident.

Story:

Superintendent of Schools Betty Sternberg appointed Charles Smith as principal of North Street School earlier this month, replacing longtime principal Betty Burfeind.

Smith, 50, will switch from being a district special education program administrator to his new position on July 1, where he will take over for Burfeind after she held the job for 15 years....

... Kathy Greider, deputy superintendent of teaching and learning, said in a release that Smith's 27 years of educational experience made him an ideal candidate....

... Smith said he wanted to return to the classroom after spending years as an administrator....

... Now he'll lead one of the top performing elementary schools in Greenwich.

"I don't think it will require a lot of changes," Smith said....

02/27/08 - Greenwich Taxpayers Pay Through The Nose As Administrators Mismanage The Greenwich Public School System

Greenwich Tax Payers Are Repeatedly Being Held Up By Very High Paid Greenwich School Administrators Who Year After Year Deliver Academic Failure.

Quote:

"Since students need to remain competitive in a new world, we have the opportunity to think outside-of-the-box with this timely re-look," high school PTA co-president Laurie Heiss Grealy said. "We have a chance to evaluate other teaching and assessment models from around the world."

Headline:

Review to set goals for grads

Reporter:

Andrew Shaw

Story:

Superintendent of Schools Betty Sternberg is launching a comprehensive review of secondary education in Greenwich, to begin with a critical look at what skills and knowledge students should have as key milestones in middle- and high-school careers.

"It's crucial that we agree to that first," Sternberg said.

The review will likely tackle topics such as the Advanced Learning program for top-performing students, start times and the Greenwich High School house system, which Sternberg said is not functioning as intended.

"It doesn't really function as a smaller learning community. It's just an administrative entity," Sternberg said.

The review will be carried out by a committee headed by Sternberg.....

... School start times has long been a topic raised by parents at board meetings who believe their teenagers would function better if they woke up later. Board Chairwoman Nancy Weissler also expects the committee to discuss adding the International Baccalaureate program in upper grades. The program is used at the International School at Dundee.

Weissler said the committee's work has no definitive timeline, although it does coincide with a similar review of secondary education being done by the state right now.

Greenwich's committee can help the board find more effective ways to operate the three middle schools and high school, Weissler said....

Comment:

Greenwich is long over do for a wake-up call.

Greenwich residents must insists that our local political leaders remedy the cavernous depths of their ignorance regarding local education.

It is time once and for all to reverse the record of the school administration's failure to successfully promote reform in the Greenwich School System.

It is time to put pressure on our local political leaders.

Our local leaders need to start thinking about the questions they must ask and the understandings they must secure if the Greenwich School System is to be salvaged.

The residents of Greenwich need to a embrace a deep and abiding belief in the democratic spirit of public debate as a means to make educational change happen,

To stimulate this debate Greenwich School Administrators need to get out of the way and let Greenwich residents and leaders explore the complexity of the issues, using history, research, commission reports and personal experience to gain fresh insights and perspectives into the problems that the Greenwich schools have and the urgent need for the attention they deserve.

The Schools Belong To The Residents Of Greenwich Not The School Administrators Who Have Repeatedly Failed The Town.

02/27/08 - Years Ago Malcolm Pray Warned Greenwich That Pickwick Plaza Would Cause Gridlock. No One Listened. Now Another Traffic Disaster Is Comming.

Greenwich lawyer and real estate developer Joseph Tranfo poses with a rendering of a hotel proposed for Benedict Place and Lewis Street.
(Bob Luckey Jr./Staff photo)

Developer's plan hinges on leasing town lot

Joseph A. Tranfo knows he is risking a good part of his family fortune on a $100 million downtown Greenwich redevelopment project that depends on getting access to a piece of town land. But the real estate lawyer-turned-developer said the risk is worth it because of what the project promises to achieve.

"There's an opportunity to create a community here," Tranfo said.

The project is to build a multistory complex of offices, a hotel, restaurant, underground parking and dozens of residences on 2 acres of prime real estate between Greenwich Avenue and Lewis and West Elm streets.

The catch, however, is that Tranfo must first acquire the right to lease from the town a 1.3-acre municipal parking lot on Benedict Place to get enough room for his plans.

Tranfo, who has already spent more than $7 million acquiring many of the other pieces he needs for the project, recently presented his ideas to the Board of Selectmen.....

... In addition to the town's financial commitment to the project, Selectman Lin Lavery said she is concerned about the four-story height of the proposed structures.

"It looks very big," she said. "I need to look at it more."

Lavery said she wonders about the proposed density and whether the new development would attract transient residents who only live there part-time.

"It might be like the Plaza Hotel in New York or the Greenwich Gables where people purchase high-end condos and don't necessarily become community members," she said....

...