03/04/08 - First Selectman Peter Tesei promised to address the issue of accountability later on.

Why Can't Greenwich Politicians Hear What
Hamilton Avenue School Parents are Saying ......

When Are The Politicians Going To Listen To Common Sense:

We need to get rid of Superintendent of Schools Betty Sternberg and her very high paid administrators who have
failed our school children....

"Mr. Tesei, do not allow our children to be kicked to the curb for a third time by having their school family split up by a town that has for generations treated the western end in general, and Chickahominy specifically, as a trailer park and its residents as poor uneducated trailer trash," Laura DiBella, a Hamilton Avenue School parent said to loud applause.

"If it was a structural problem, why wasn't it fixed when we got it," said Sylvester Pecora, chairman of the Chickahominy Neighborhood Association. "Somebody should take responsibility for this fiasco and should be fired. This is the call I'm getting from the community and, you know, I have to agree."

Ham Ave. students to be scattered throughout district
Greenwich Time

By Hoa Nguyen

Hamilton Avenue School students will spend the rest of the year assigned to Old Greenwich, North Street, Glenville, Parkway, Cos Cob and Western Middle schools, officials told a packed audience at the Greenwich High School auditorium last night during an emergency Board of Education meeting.

Pre-kindergarten students will move to Old Greenwich and North Street schools, while kindergarten classes will be at Glenville School.

First-graders and those in a split first and second grade class will move to Parkway School.

Second-graders, third-graders and those in a split third and fourth grade class will attend Cos Cob School, while fourth-graders and fifth-graders will be in the Western Middle School building....

...Also, the Connecticut Mastery Test was to be administered starting today, but must be postponed for Hamilton Avenue School students because of the shutdown, officials said. The state requires the district to administer the CMT before the month is over, said Barbara Beaudin, the state's acting associate commissioner for assessment and accountability. Any postponement beyond March is highly unlikely, she said....

.... Additionally, the mold problems identified at the modular buildings will affect Glenville School. Students and staff had been hoping to move into the structures while waiting for their school to be rebuilt. The Board of Education expects to have an answer for Glenville School on where they will relocate to by March 27, officials said.

ALSO:

School officials scramble to put together relocation plan
Greenwich Time, CT - Mar 3, 2008
Board of Education officials said they are furiously working on a relocation plan for Hamilton Avenue School, with the goal of presenting an overview at ...

Parents protest school construction delays Greenwich Post, CT - Mar 3, 2008 With the modular classrooms closed for at least a week and the prospect of their children being dispersed to other schools, Hamilton Avenue School parents ...

What next for Ham Ave.? Board of Ed tries to keep homerooms ...
Greenwich Time, CT - Mar 3, 2008
By Martin B. Cassidy After closing Hamilton Avenue School for the upcoming week because of mold discovered in the walls of temporary classrooms, ..

03/04/08 Neil Vigdor Of The Stamford Advocate Says, "Some push for super status for Ned Lamont"

Ned Lamont’s backers are looking to bestow a new superlative on the former U.S. Senate nominee.

Some who supported the Greenwich businessman in his upset of Joseph Lieberman in the 2006 Democratic primary want the party to choose Lamont as a superdelegate for its national convention later this year.

Several liberal Internet blogs are promoting Lamont, who endorsed Barack Obama and worked on the Illinois senator’s victorious Feb. 5 Connecticut primary campaign over Hillary Rodham Clinton, as a superdelegate.

They said it would be poetic justice if Lamont was chosen to be a superdelegate, because Lieberman, a self-described independent Democrat who defeated Lamont in the 2006 general election, has been stripped of the same status for backing the Republican presidential bid of John McCain.

“I think he’d be an excellent choice,” said Aldon Hynes, a former Stamford resident and Lamont supporter who runs the “progressive” blog Orient-Lodge.com.

Superdelegates have gained a lot of attention as Obama and Clinton fight to become the party’s presidential nominee. The distinction usually is reserved for party leaders and elected officials. Superdelegates could help put one of the candidates over the top if the number of pledged delegates is close for the two candidates.

Under the party’s proportional system of awarding pledged delegates, Obama claimed 26 to Clinton’s 22 in Connecticut. The state has 12 superdelegates up for grabs, as well as an “add-on” superdelegate seat that must be filled later this month.

On March 19, Obama and Clinton supporters will gather in each of the state’s five congressional districts to elect delegates. The delegates will then assemble March 26 for a state convention, where they will choose the remaining superdelegate and at-large delegates.

State Democratic Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo said the superdelegate position would likely go to an elected official.

“It’ll be a Barack Obama person, because they have the majority,” said DiNardo, an unpledged superdelegate.

A spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee said there are no rules requiring superdelegates to hold elected office or be a party official.

Lamont said he was flattered that some of his supporters are promoting him to be a superdelegate.

“That’s very nice of them. We worked hard on the Connecticut primary campaign,” Lamont said.

Although Lamont is planning to attend the Democratic National Convention in Denver, he said he likely will do so as an at-large delegate, not a superdelegate.

“I think that they prefer it to be an elected official,” Lamont said.

Lamont also pointed out that he has been helping the Obama campaign identify prospective delegates.

“It’s a way you reward some activists and fundraisers,” Lamont said.

Hynes, whose wife, Kim, worked as a scheduler for Lamont during his Senate campaign, said Lamont’s selection as a superdelegate would help cement his status as a key player in Democratic politics. Lamont helped bring people to the party and galvanize grassroots liberals, Hynes said.

“I think in many ways it would be a great thing,” Hynes said.

==================================
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03/03/08 - Bill Clark At Greenwich Gossip Speaks Out

Same Old, Same Mold

The boondoggle that ate Greenwich, laughingly known as the Hamilton Avenue "building" project, is reaching new heights - or is it depths? - of depravity. The latest news is that the modular buildings are infested with mold. Since mold was one of the purported reasons (accounts of its factuality differ) for closing and renovating the old building, it is ironic but totally in keeping with the project's horrendous karma that mold is once again driving the students from their classrooms.

So far none of the local media have mentioned - if they even know - that these modular units were originally intended to be leased by the Town. But the Board of Education, in its infinite wisdom (yes, folks, the same board that brought you the Larry Leverett follies and the Betty Sternberg non-stop train wreck), persuaded the Town Fathers to buy the suckers instead. So now we're stuck with millions of dollars' worth of useless mold-infested junk. Just to get rid of them will cost us all hundreds of thousands more.

In any other community, heads would have rolled long before now. In Greenwich, of course, the taxpayers are the ones being rolled.

The unspeakable Betty Sternberg has given the Ham Ave students a week off while she and her lapdog Board of Ed try to do damage control. What does this mean for the working parents of the Ham Ave community, dear reader? Disruption, unexpected day care costs, and the knowledge that unlike all the other kids in Town, theirs will not be allowed to take the Connecticut Mastery tests this week. As always, it seems, the victims will be paying the price for Betty and the Board's sheer and utter incompetence.

There is little doubt around Town that the Ham Ave "building" project is the most notorious disaster in our community's history. Inept planning, lack of oversight, huge overruns in costs and enormous delays - it's a blueprint of how to do everything wrong. But Betty and the Board of Ed roll on as before, oblivious and clueless about every aspect of running a school system.

Greenwich used to have one of the best school systems in the state, if not the country. It wasn't broke, so the Board of Ed decided to fix it. They hired Leverett, and then Sternberg, to oversee the wholesale multilation of a once-fine program with their ignorance and incompetence. And, of course, they will want us, the taxpayers, to come up with the money to pay for their blunders, even as they continue to ask for more money to add more positions to an already top-heavy bureaucratic empire.

Is it time for a taxpayer revolt? Should we sack all the feckless administrators and give their salaries to the teachers instead? Well, why not? The teachers are the ones who get the job done, while the administrators sit around all day throwing roadblocks in their way and digging ever-deeper financial holes for the Town. Who needs them?

Small wonder that a group of Ham Ave parents and students were picketing the Board of Ed building this morning. The general message was shame on Betty and shame on the Board of Ed. In your scribe's opinion, that about sums it up.

More From Bill Clark's Blog

• Same Old, Same Mold
• Tommy Hilfinger Sells a House
• Rape and Pillage Come to Greenwich
• Local Happenings and Non-Happenings
• Why the Town Fathers Won't Allow a Holiday Inn in ...
• The Silly Season Gets Sillier
• Valentine's Day Dilemma
• Elizabeth Watson 1944-2008
• Musical Magic at Christ Church
• Super Tuesday Comes to Greenwich / Update

03/03/08 - Parents Bring Protest To The "Oldie Moldie" School Administrators

Greenwich Roundup Photo

Headline:

Parents protest school construction delays

Reporter:

Ken Borsuk

Source:

Greenwich Post - Greenwich,CT

Quote:

“The Board of Education and town have failed us as a community,” PTA member Mina Bibeault told the Greenwich Post outside of the Havemeyer Building Monday morning. “They’ve failed us in so many ways. We want answers. Our kids mean something to us. We’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, literally.”

Story:

With the modular classrooms closed for at least a week and the prospect of their children being dispersed to other schools, Hamilton Avenue School parents took to the streets in protest Monday morning.

More than 30 parents and children picked up signs and picketed outside the Board of Education offices in response to the news that the modular classrooms the students have been in since spring 2005 would be closed for at least this week due to mold concerns from a leaky roof. Hamilton Avenue parents and children walked with messages such as “Deja Vu, Shame on You,” “No More Lies,” “Rich Town, Poor School” and “This is Greenwich?”

An emergency school board meeting is scheduled for tonight at 7 p.m. in the Greenwich High School auditorium to discuss plans for the school. Nothing has been announced other than the school closure.

Ms. Sternberg and Board of Education Chairwoman Nancy Weissler could not be reached for comment before the meeting. The relocation plan is expected to be revealed tonight.

Parents have raised the point that the original building was deemed educationally unsound because of mold problems.

Construction problems have plagued the project since its inception and completion, which was originally expected in time to open the school last September, is now not expected until June, leaving parents visibly frustrated. Though the protest was not sanctioned by the school’s PTA, it was organized by PTA member Mina Bibeault. She said the effort was organized starting Sunday morning and a group of six parents made the signs....

....
“This could have all been avoided,” Ms. Bibeault said. “I don’t think we’re being told the truth and we really want the truth and the answers about what’s really happened. We have been in serious violation of fire codes since the beginning of the school year and that has not been addressed... This is being covered up by the mold issue. The mold issue definitely could have been addressed. We’ve had leaky roofs for almost a year now. We were putting band-aids on it because we thought we would be going to the new building. Shame on the Board of Education. Shame for not taking us more seriously and not taking the risk to our children more seriously.”
Ms. DiBella said she felt the board was not listening to the community. She said the community had received no information other than the school was closed and the meeting will be held tonight.

“They’re going to do what they’re going to do and to hell with what everybody else feels,” Ms. DiBella said. “There’s been no consensus. There’s been no discussion. There’s been no agreement. They haven’t even attempted to get us on board with whatever plans they have.”

A special meeting was held Sunday morning to discuss the issue. The meeting was called by Ms. Sternberg and was neither an official board meeting (because of an absence of enough board members to make a quorum) nor an official PTA meeting though Hamilton Avenue Principal Damaris Rau and Glenville Principal Marc D’Amico and PTA members from both schools attended. Press was not permitted to attend.

Greenwich police officers kept a watch on the protest to make sure pedestrian traffic wasn’t impacted. Officers were also deployed to the modulars to make sure all parents dropping off children knew the school was closed. Public Information Officer Lt. Daniel Allen said there were no incidents.

More:

Mold closes CT school for week
7Online.com, NY

(WABC)

-- A school in Connecticut was shut down because of mold. The Hamilton Avenue School will be closed all week while school officials try ...

School officials scramble to put together relocation plan

Board of Education officials said they are furiously working on a relocation plan for Hamilton Avenue School, with the goal of presenting an overview at tonight's public meeting and the details by Wednesday and Thursday. "We've got people working around the clock," district spokeswoman Kim Eves said. "There are so many details to work out in order to be able to logistically pull that off."

What next for Ham Ave.? Board of Ed tries to keep homerooms, grades together

After closing Hamilton Avenue School for the upcoming week because of mold discovered in the walls of temporary classrooms, education officials will reveal a plan tonight to discuss their plans to relocate students to other schools for the remainder of the school year.

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

Tesei delays P&Z picks
First Selectman Peter Tesei is taking the unusual move of holding up appointments to the Planning and Zoning Commission unless the nominees pledge to change regulations to address drainage problems and other development complaints residents told him of when he campaigned for their votes last year.

Suspect's lawyer says Rubins reports are unavailable
The attorney for a man accused of causing a Greenwich plastic surgeon's fatal overdose last month faulted prosecutors for failing to turn over police reports.

Tractor-trailer slams into Merritt bridge
NORWALK - A tractor-trailer driving illegally on the Merritt Parkway about 7 p.m. yesterday hit the Grumman Avenue overpass in Norwalk, collapsing the truck, state police said.

Athletes spin to help fight breast cancer
NORWALK - After six hours and five water bottles, Karen Oert still pedaled her stationary bike vigorously yesterday to the beat of music, as did hundreds of others at the Fitness & Tennis Club.

State plugs Web site on long-term care
Gov. M. Jodi Rell and health care advocates are encouraging Connecticut residents to visit a state Web site that provides information about long-term care, including legal assistance, housing and home care.

A sweet success: Maple syrup draws record crowd
STAMFORD - Sunny weather, the opening of a LEGO exhibit and, of course, gooey maple syrup brought a record 4,900 visitors yesterday to the Stamford Museum & Nature Center's Maple Sugar Sunday.

03/02/08 - Greenwich Newswire For Monday

More than 500 teens danced the night away

at the "Pink and White" party.

Greenwich News Reports

For Valentine's Day Junior Committee raised money for breast ...
Greenwich Post - Greenwich,CT
More than 500 teens attended, including students from Greenwich High School, Brunswick School, Greenwich Academy, Greenwich Country Day School, ...

Parents protest school construction delays
Greenwich Post - Greenwich,CT
An emergency school board meeting is scheduled for tonight at 7 pm in the Greenwich High School auditorium to discuss plans for the school. ...

Concerns over access to Greenwich beach delay historic listing
Newsday - Long Island,NY
GREENWICH, Conn. - Greenwich preservation officials have curbed their attempts to get historic designation for a local park, prompted by people who ...

'Julius Caesar' selected as outdoor production for Rowayton/Greenwich
Norwalk Plus Magazine - USA
The nine-performance run in Greenwich is an extension of last season's four nights in the community when the festival extended its roots from its Rowayton ...

Scholastic scoreboard
Danbury News Times - Danbury,CT
Greenwich/Daniel Hand winner at Lou Astorino Arena, Hamden, 3/5, Time TBA; No. 8 North Haven (12-8-0) vs. No. 9 Notre Dame-Fairfield (11-8-1) at Northford ...

72 middle school students honored in essay contest
Greenwich Time - Greenwich,CT
By Andrew Shaw

Seventy-two sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students from the Greenwich Public Schools were recognized Greenwich Laws of Life Essay ...

COLLEGE NOTES: Stinchfield stars for Bryant
Stamford Advocate - Stamford,CT
Kiera Heath (Greenwich) was named Women's Most Outstanding Performer as Gettysburg won its 10th Centennial Conference title. Heath won the 500 freestyle ...

Greenwich Blog Post

Lawn Applicator ( Greenwich, CT US )
LAWN APPLICATOR WANTED CT Licensed Lawn Applicator wanted for large landscape contracting co. in Greenwich area. Qualified applicants will be responsible for lawn fertilization application under the direction of a supervisor. ...
Beyond.com - Available Jobs In: CT - http://www.beyond.com/MKT/RSS/

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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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