Hyper Local News Pages

Friday, March 14, 2008

03/14/08 - More testing is needed to determine the safety of the classrooms before architects and engineers will go in to investigate the mold


The Little Children Of Hamilton Avenue "Were Never In Danger", But The Big Strong Architects And Engineers Told School Officials That "More Testing Was Needed" Before They "Can Go In And Investigate" The Cause Of The Mold.

Betty "You Can Trust Me" Sternberg Knows What's Best For The Little Children Of Hamilton Avenue And Glenville Schools.

The Insensitive And Patronizing School Superintendent Betty Sternberg Thinks That Hamilton Avenue Parents Are A Bunch Of Silly Little Cry Babies For Standing Up And Protecting Their Children.

Quote:

“I don’t want to minimize the disruption and the hardship, but I also want to say that sometimes I have found that children are more easily adaptable to this kind of thing than our adults,” Betty Sternberg said. “It’s incumbent upon the adults involved in this to make the best of a difficult situation.”

For The Record:

If A Small Child Says No To Betty "You Can Trust Me" Sternberg, Then That Child Would Most Likely Be Suspended From School.

With Return of Mold, Students Are Displaced
New York Times

By SARAH N. LYNCH

FOR nearly three years, students at the Hamilton Avenue School have been reporting to class in temporary buildings while their school was being rebuilt after an outbreak of mold prompted the district...

...long construction delays have continued to wear their patience as their children have had to make due without a gymnasium and other facilities that children in other Greenwich schools take for granted. This month, they received more bad news: The mold is back.

This time, it was discovered in the temporary buildings after the school brought in a consultant in February to fix a leak in the roof...

...The Greenwich Boys and Girls Club offered to take in 75 children for the week to help ease the burden, but none of the children received regular instruction ...

...Furious, parents staged a picket line outside the Board of Education building on March 3. That evening, they returned to the building for an emergency meeting where they were told that all Hamilton Avenue children would be dispersed by grade level and class to six schools throughout the town, possibly for the rest of the year. School officials hope the rebuilt school will be ready by the fall.

The solution did not please many parents.

I think they are using our children like little pawn pieces in a chess game,” said Mina Bibeault, who has two young children in Hamilton Avenue. “They can just move the kids around without considering anything. They knew there were leaks in the building.”...

...But the series of incidents has revived long-held feelings among some parents that their school gets short shrift because it is in a poorer section of town. When they picketed, some of the parents held signs that read: “Rich town, poor school.”

Laura DiBella, the former president of the Hamilton Avenue School Parent Teacher Association, said officials were slow to respond from the beginning of the mold problem. “I’m not saying this particular Board of Education or this particular group of people under the superintendent feels that way, but a lot of people assume that poor people are stupid and that it’s easy to get things by them,” Mrs. DiBella said....

But Betty "You Can Trust Me" Sternberg Says Mima Bibeault And Laura DiBella Are Wrong...

...Sternberg said that in her year and a half as superintendent, she had “looked very carefully at issues of equitable allocation of resources” and that Hamilton Avenue had “received more resources because they have greater needs than other communities.”...

FOR ONCE BETTY "You Can Trust Me" STERNBERG IS RIGHT

FOR EXAMPLE:

Hamilton Avenue Children Got Exposed To More Contamination Than Any Other Greenwich School Child. In fact, They Got So Much More Contamination That School District Architects And Engineers Want More Tests Before They Can "Go In To" Investigate The Cause Of The Contamination.

....The Board of Education set up a committee to investigate the causes of the mold, said Nancy Weissler, the chairwoman of the board. Officials were told last week that more testing is needed to determine the safety of the temporary buildings before architects and engineers can go in to investigate the cause of the mold.

ALSO:

Schools didn't follow mold policy
Greenwich Time, CT - Mar 13, 2008
By Hoa Nguyen

Five years ago, when mold problems began surfacing at the old Hamilton Avenue School and other buildings, school district officials ...

03/05/08 - The Unionized (Teamstewrs) School District Custodial Staff Are Suggesting That There Might Be A School District Coverup At Ham Ave School.

MORE NEWS ABOUT FORMALDEHYDE IN TRAILERS:

Toll of toxic trailers
New Statesman, UK - Mar 13, 2008
Emails from its legal department advised that testing for the toxin "would imply Fema ownership of the issue" and that the agency would have no option but ...
FEMA knew its trailers posed a risk Canon City Daily Record
Documents Feed Debate on FEMA Trailers The Associated Press
Trailers don’t pass muster Helena Independent Record

Formaldehyde Exposure Standards

On December 4, 1987, the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a comprehensive regulation covering occupational exposure to formaldehyde at 29 CFR 1910.1048. This rule reduced the permissible exposure limits (PELs) to 0.75 part formaldehyde per million parts of air (ppm) as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA), and established a 2 ppm 15-minute short term exposure limit (STEL).

The comprehensive standard also included an "action level" of 0.5 ppm, measured as an 8-hour TWA, and provisions for employee formaldehyde exposure monitoring, medical surveillance, recordkeeping, emergency procedures, preferred methods to control formaldehyde exposure, selection of personal protective equipment, & hazard communication. OSHA's ruling was based upon consideration of new evidence including animal bioassays and epidemiological evidence, and the recognition of formaldehyde as a potential occupational carcinogen and its irritating and sensitizing effects.

Shame on




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The Miracle of Debs, "New York World", October 23, 1926

03/14/08 - Sternberg Received A Report On Air Quality Of The Modular Classrooms That Showed A Higher Level Of Mold Spores Than Previosly Released


Camille Kornberg, a Hamilton Avenue School kindergartner, is having her first full computer lab experience and introduction to Smart Board at her hosting facility, Glenville School.
(GREENWICH CITIZEN photo)

Anne W. Semmes

Ham Ave. Students Settle in, Thanks to Many

...Glenville School. Marianne McCullough, assistant principal, was busily guiding media members and other visitors such as Cathy Delehanty, head of the teachers union, the Greenwich Education Association, who came to check out how her teachers were coping...

...Hamilton Avenue School parents, especially those working moms who were suddenly faced with alternative care for their children...

...Finding child care and figuring out the maze of transportation and school space availability took extraordinary cooperation of a myriad of community organizations as depicted in Sternberg's thanks on the Greenwich schools Web site. She listed some of them - the Greenwich Police and Fire Departments, the PTAs, the United Way, Family Centers, the Children's Day Center, and the Greenwich Alliance for Education.

A public hearing, update and discussion on the Hamilton Avenue Relocation Plan, plus a discussion and possible action on the Glenville School relocation were new items added to the Thursday evening Board of Education's work session meeting to be held at Central Middle School..

... One Board of Education member, sure to take the floor at the Thursday Board work session, is Marianna Ponns Cohen. Her intention is "to address the issue of accountability for the problems with the modulars and building projects as a positive step forward in restoring faith in the Greenwich Public Schools."

It was Cohen's view that the school administrators have put "too many proverbial balls in the air," which has caused, she said, "clear and severe consequences.

"I am concerned that the school administration is distracted by the sheer number of initiatives it has undertaken," she said. One initiative proposed "as recently as a week ago," she reminded, was the regional interdistrict magnet school to take elementary and middle school students outside of Greenwich.

Cohen believed that the board, "in its oversight capacity, should encourage the superintendent and her administration to prioritize their tasks.

"It is essential," she said, "that the very important issues of student safety, Hamilton Avenue school construction completion and the commencement of the Glenville project move apace."


ALSO PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT:


03/14/08 First Selectman Peter Tesei: "I'm at the point of frustration. These issues keep recurring."

AND:

03/12/08 - Why Was It Ok To Remove Dumpsters Of Contaminated Plywood, But Not OK To Remove School Desks And Chairs?

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"You need only reflect that one of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the struggle for independence."
- Charles Austin Beard

03/14/08 - Greenwich Newswire - Greenwich News Reports From The Greenwich Citizen


First Selectman Peter Tesei strolls down Greenwich Avenue with his 11-month-old daughter, Caroline, in the town s 34th annual St. Patrick s parade last Sunday.

GREENWICH CITIZEN photo

Amy Mortensen


St. Patrick's Parade Purrrrfect

From all angles, the St. Patrick's Day Parade down sunny Greenwich Avenue Sunday afternoon was purrrrrfect.

A web of deceit self-woven over years by the Rev. Michael Moynihan, ex-pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Church on North Street, was broken last Friday when auditing reports showed that the priest cannot account for $529,000 in disbursements.




Those gathered in the auditorium of Greenwich's Christ Church Saturday listened attentively as John Marshall Lee, chairman of Voice of the Faithful's Diocese of Bridgeport chapter, addressed a topic that is current and weighty.


SPORTS:




MIDDLETOWN - Greenwich High's boys swim Coach Terry Lowe has looked across the pool at the Class LL championships and seen Fairfield Prep Coach Bruce Jaffe, his most consistent rival, on the other side for about the last 40 years.








OPINION:




Does the name Martin Cooper mean anything to you? Perhaps not. Cooper is considered the inventor of the first portable handset - cell phone, in today's parlance - and the first person to make a call on a portable hand phone.


Past, Present and Future Trailblazers

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03/14/08 Greenwich Newswire - The Latest News From The Greenwich Post


Above, girls make “Colored Sand Art” from scratch using salt and colored chalk. From left, Ana Zoe DeMakes, Caity Sushon, Samantha Chabot, Nicole Ducret, Rene Jameson, Skye Gillespie, Alexandra Chabot, Olivia Shen, Verna Yin and Melinda Yang work on the projects supervised by program assistants Jenna Pelazza and Sarah Hallock

Red Cross offers safety tips for spring break

This spring break, thousands of people will travel to destinations near and far seeking rest, relaxation, or in some cases, just the opposite.

Center for Hope holds one-day retreat for cancer survivors

The Breast Cancer Survival Center and the Center for Hope will present a one-day retreat for survivors on “Finding Your Healing Path,” Saturday, March 15.

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For every man who lives without freedom,
the rest of us must face the guilt.
- Lillian Hellman,
The Watch on the Rhine, 1941

03/14/08 First Selectman Peter Tesei: "I'm at the point of frustration. These issues keep recurring."


The Tesei Family Is Very Concerned About The School Children Of Western And All Of Greenwich

HEADLINE:

Glenville native, First Selectman Peter Tesei Pressures School Officials To Put Parent Representatives From The Hamilton Avenue and Glenville Schools On The Board Of Education's New Advisory Committee On Facilities

QUOTE:

"No other school should have to endure the chaos we have experienced," said Rose Furano, Hamilton Avenue School PTA co-president.

STORY:

Students' relocation prompts complaints


Greenwich Time - Staff Writer

Frustrated and despondent parents pleaded with the Board of Education at a public hearing last night to improve the plan used to distribute Hamilton Avenue School students to other schools after their building was closed, and to prevent Glenville School from going through the same thing....

... Hamilton Avenue parents said their children are exhausted from the long bus rides to their new schools, or are having to board buses at dangerous intersections...

... Once Hamilton Avenue moves back into its renovated school, Glenville School is supposed to move into the temporary modular building. Because of the mold, though, Glenville parents said they are concerned about using the building again, even if it is cleaned out. But they also don't want their children split up into different schools. Some asked the board to use other town buildings, such as the Bendheim Western Greenwich Civic Center.

"We're asking you to keep the children of Glenville School together," said Alicia Budkins, Glenville School PTA co-president...

A Very Brave Fourth-Grade Glenville School Student Jackie Steinman Got Up And Made A Fine Appearance As She Spoke Out Against Greenwich School Officials.

"I think we should have a voice in this decision," proclaimed the admirable Jackie Steinman.

They should put this brave little fourth grade girl on the Board Of Education's New Advisory Committee On Facilities.

Courageous Jackie Steinman doesn't want her and her school mates to be put in contaminated modular classrooms, nor does she want her school split up all over town.

Fearless Jackie Steinman probably doesn't want to see Glenville School children suffer from headaches, prolonged sinus infections in the contaminated temporary modular classrooms.

Surely, the daring Jackie Stienman doesn't want to see her Glenville School teachers complaining of about headaches, nausea, and respiratory problems.

If Gutsy Jackie Steinman was on the Board Of Education's New Advisory Committee On Facilities, she just might be fearless enough to ask school officials...

03/13/08 - Just How Much Are The Taxpayers Of Greenwich Paying Superintendent Betty Sternberg And Her Failed Administrators To Lie To The Public?

And about ...

03/09/08 - Town Employees: Sternberg's Crew Knew - Mold Covered Tiles Replaced Over One Year Ago.


HERE IS A SINGLE FAMILY HOME OWNER'S AND TAX PAYER FUN FACT OF THE DAY:

School officials also reported that the district has spent $275,000 moving Hamilton Avenue School students to their new schools and conducting air quality studies on the 3 million dollar modular clasroom buildings. And this is just the beginning of how much Single Family Home Owners Taxpayer's will have to pay for the Incompetent Sternberg School Administration.

Can The Single Family Home Owner's And Taxpayers Afford School Superintendent Betty Sternberg?

Shame on


You should never have your best trousers on
when you go out to fight for freedom and truth.

- Henrik Ibsen

03/14/08 - Greenwich News Reports From The Greenwich Time


Ashleigh Cameron and Alex Halpern bring hip hop to the stage.

Ashleigh Cameron and Alex Halpern bring hip hop to the stage as they perform with their senior classmates in the annual SRO show. The students wrote, choreographed and directed this year’s program to reflect the dynamics of the class.

Whitby head leaving amid probe

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said yesterday he is expanding his ongoing investigation of a complaint alleging that personal charges were made on school credit cards by Michele Monson, head of Whitby School.

Mental health summit addresses rising concerns

With the number of mental and behavioral health cases increasing in town and across the state, more than 100 local and regional health care professionals met yesterday to discuss new strategies to address it.

Town rejects FOI request for trash bids

An inquiry into a potential multimillion dollar trash disposal contract for Greenwich, Norwalk, Darien, New Canaan and three other municipalities is being resisted by Greenwich officials, who said they don't want to tip their hand on what they are willing to pay while negotiations are still under way.

Owners appeal property values

With most of Fairfield County mired in a real estate slump, a number of homeowners are trying to use the downturn to their advantage as they appeal the town's assessments on their properties.

Town architect's home featured on TV show

A local architect's Rock Ridge home, with its elaborate landscape architecture, will be featured on CNBC's program "High Net Worth," tonight.

Ex-pastor seeks delay in start of jail term

The former pastor convicted of stealing at least $400,000 from St. John Roman Catholic Church in Darien asked a judge yesterday to postpone the date he must report to federal prison, court documents show.

Environmentally-minded swap ideas

In October, a writer named Heather Burns-DeMelo organized Fairfield County GreenDrinks, a mixer where folks with environmental concerns can swap ideas and phone numbers.

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erfect freedom is as necessary to the health and vigor of commerce
as it is to the health and vigor of citizenship.
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03/14/08 - Greenwich Business Newswire - Real Estate


Greenwich Business News From

The Wall Street Journal

As Iglesias Rebuilds, He Buys House Nearby
Wall Street Journal

Helena Rubinstein's Old Home to Be Sold

...The creator of Barney, the purple dinosaur character for children, has agreed to sell the former Connecticut estate of beauty pioneer Helena Rubinstein.

he Greenwich house was bought in 1998 for $2 million, and children's-entertainment entrepreneur Sheryl Leach recently renovated it. The contract's sale price couldn't be learned, but the house most recently was listed at $4 million, down from $5 million when first listed in July.

Overlooking a pond and Bruce Park, a mile south of downtown Greenwich, the turn-of-the-century 4,900-square-foot home on one acre has six bedrooms. There's a kitchen with a wood-burning fireplace and a separate two-bedroom cottage of 1,100 square feet.

Born in Poland in 1870, Ms. Rubinstein created one of the leading makers and distributors of women's cosmetics and accumulated an estimated personal fortune of $100 million. An art patron and philanthropist (her foundation has given away more than $100 million since its 1953 founding), she died in 1965 at age 94. Marjorie Marianacci and Marge Haskins, of Weichert Capital Properties, assisted in the deal...


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"New York World", January 26, 1923