Hyper Local News Pages

Saturday, August 16, 2008

08/16/08 Greenwich residents should purchase firewood from local sources and not transport it from out of state, which could contain Asian longhorns

Asian Longhorn Beetles Are Only
About 25 Miles Away From Greenwich

Destructive beetles getting close to state

New Haven Register

By Abram Katz, Register Science Editor

Insect hunters monitoring Connecticut’s southern flank for tree-eating Asian longhorns were rethinking their strategy Thursday after the unwanted pests showed up in Worcester, Mass.

No one knows how the beetles established themselves in central Massachusetts, but the unexpected appearance demonstrates how rapidly and randomly the infestation can spread.

“Based on the destruction of trees, the extensive infestation was at least five years old. We will expand our survey activities to the northern parts of the state,” said state entomologist Kirby C. Stafford III.

“The discovery is certainly a concern,” said Christopher Martin, director of forestry with the state Department of Environmental Protection. “The close proximity to Connecticut definitely places our forests at risk.”

Stafford and colleagues at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, se well as the DEP, had been keeping an eye on Fairfield County after Asian longhorns turned up in New York State, about 25 miles from Greenwich.

Stafford said he is encouraging people to report suspicious beetles and tree damage.

However, do not mail live beetles or bring them to the experiment station, he said. They could chew through shipping materials and containers, and the last thing Stafford wants is Asian longhorn beetles establishing infestations in New Haven.

A good digital photo should suffice. Otherwise, kill the suspect beetle by dropping it into a glass container or alcohol, or putting it in a glass bottle and leaving it in the freezer for two days, Stafford said.

Martin said residents should purchase firewood from local sources and not transport firewood from out of state, which could contain Asian longhorns, emerald ash borer, sudden oak death, and other sylvan killers.

The Asian longhorn arrived in the U.S. as a stowaway from China in the early 1990s, probably in wooden pallets or packing crates. The insects are a glistening black, with white spots and banded black-and-white antennae. They are about 1 inch long.

The beetles are of special concern because they kill many species of hardwood, including maples, alders, birches, poplars and willows.

Once longhorn larvae start to tunnel through tree trunks there is no way to attack them with insecticide. The only control option is to cut down infested trees, and surrounding trees that might be infested, reduce them to chips, then either incinerate or bury the chips.

Stafford said the experiment station receives many reports of Asian longhorn beetles. Most of the reported insects are actually white spotted sawyer beetles, a slightly smaller indigenous beetle that looks similar.

Asian longhorns create dime-sized holes when they emerge from trees as adults. Adults will be out between now and October. Females will lay up to 160 eggs, which will hatch in 10 to 15 days and bore into the tree.

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08/16/08 Home Much Did The Single Family Homeowner's Pay Walters-Oldani To Recruit The Deputy Commissioner To Be The Commissioner of Public Works?


Greenwich, Connecticut appoints Amy Siebert Commissioner of Public Works

Waters-Oldani Executive Recruitment, a Division of The Waters Consulting Group today announced the appointment of Ms. Amy Siebert as the Town of Greenwich Commissioner of Public Works.


Waters-Oldani Executive Recruitment, a Division of The Waters Consulting Group today announced the appointment of Ms. Amy Siebert as the Town of Greenwich Commissioner of Public Works. The recruitment was led by Ms. Andrea B. Sims, a Senior Consultant with Waters-Oldani. Commenting on this recruitment assignment, Ms. Sims said, “The Town of Greenwich, Connecticut has been a superb client throughout this process. They have been responsive and as dedicated to finding the right person as I and my team have been. We are glad to see such a positive outcome for Greenwich. This recruitment project was completed in about three months. Waters-Oldani conducted a nation-wide search, which produced 19 candidates. The top most qualified five candidates were interviewed earlier this month and Ms. Siebert was selected.


Ms. Siebert has served as the Town of Greenwich Deputy Commissioner of Public Works since July 2007. In January 2004, Ms. Siebert joined the Town of Greenwich as the Sewer Division Manager and was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Sewer Division as well as capital project delivery, consent order response and management, asset management plan delivery, which included a computerized maintenance management system, and preparing, tracking and forecasting both operations and capital budgets.


First Selectman Peter Tesei wrote of the appointment of Ms. Siebert, “As Deputy Commissioner, she worked with the Commissioner to manage all aspects of the Department of Public Works’ seven divisions. Special initiatives included moving forward the town wide storm water master planning, business process improvements, budget and capital project planning and division coordination.” Tesei added, “(As the Sewer Division Manager, Ms. Siebert) brought a strong background in project and people management skills as well as experience with the capital delivery process from planning through construction.”


From 1990 to 2003, Ms. Siebert was employed by Malcolm Pirnie, one of the largest firms in the United States focused exclusively on environmental issues. As an Associate with Malcolm Pirnie’s Operations Group, Ms. Siebert worked predominantly for public utilities, managing a range of utility management and organization projects. Ms. Siebert managed and participated in a broad array of public utility projects nationwide, related to the capital delivery process and overall utility management and improvement initiatives.


Prior to her employment with Malcolm Pirnie, Ms. Siebert held various research assistant positions with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the University of Texas at Austin and Cornell University.


Ms. Siebert graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Technology from Cornell University, a Masters of Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a Masters in Public Affairs from the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs at UT Austin. Additionally, Ms. Siebert is licensed with the State of Connecticut as a Professional Engineer.


The search process began in April 2008 with the selection of Waters-Oldani Executive Recruitment, of Dallas, Texas. To find out more about executive recruitment at The Waters Consulting group, click here.

TransWorldNews Current Releases - http://www.transworldnews.com

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08/16/08 Help Wanted At The Greenwich Library


Library Director, Greenwich (CT) Library

BCALA Job Announcements


The Board of Trustees of the Greenwich Library seeks an energetic, inspirational and collaborative leader to take this outstanding Library to its next level of organizational excellence. The Library serves 62,755 residents through its exceptional system (120,000 s/f) of a Main library and two branch libraries—one currently being renovated and expanded. A dedicated staff of 167 (97 FTE), a collection of nearly 500,000 items and a $9.5 million annual budget from public and private sources enable the Library annually to circulate 1.4 million items, host 675,000 visitors and sponsor over 1,100 programming events with an attendance of nearly 46,000 patrons. Already the second busiest public library in New England, all of the components are in place for this Library with the right leadership to be one of the premier public libraries in New England and the nation.

Responsibilities. The Greenwich Library Director reports to the Board of Trustees and works closely with Town of Greenwich elected and appointed officials to establish a strategic vision for the Library that aligns its mission, goals and objectives with community needs and priorities. Overall responsibilities include: preparation of budgets and plans for submission to public and private funding sources; oversight and monitoring of all library operations, staff development and service initiatives; recommendation and implementation of Board policies and administrative procedures to carry out the Library’s service program; active promotion of the Library at local, state and national levels; support of the Board in its private fund raising activities; and direction and participation in monitoring approved construction projects. Additional information on the position, the Library and the community, including a detailed job description, can be found at Greenwich Library Links.

Qualifications. A master’s degree in library science from an ALA accredited program; and at least ten years of progressively responsible library experience, six years of which were in an administrative position managing professional staff and programs. Essential attributes include strong collaboration and consensus-building skills; vision and creativity; superior written and oral communications abilities; excellent interpersonal and team-building skills; political acumen and a history of responsiveness to staff, customer and community needs and concerns; an understanding of the role and potential of technology in the delivery of library services; and a thorough knowledge of budgetary planning and successful fiscal and personnel management. Successful leadership experience in a similar sized library and proven experience working with a policy-making board, collaborating with municipal officials and administering labor contracts is highly desirable.

Compensation. Starting salary range of $115,000 - 135,687 (placement dependent upon qualifications) and an excellent fringe benefits package.

To apply or obtain further information: Contact Dan Bradbury, Gossage Sager Associates, danbradbury@gossagesager.com or 816.531.2468. The closing date for applications is October 12, 2008. To apply, send a cover letter and current resume as attachments to: danbradbury@gossagesager.com.

The Town of Greenwich is an Equal Opportunity Employer
and values diversity at all levels of its workforce.


BCALA Job Announcements - http://bcalajob.blogspot.com/

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08/16/08 Crockeffelah Lawyer Says Former Local Resident Is Not Guilty Of Kidnaping Because Marriage Was Invalid


Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, right, and as Clark Rockefeller, left.

HEADLINE:

TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE:

Former Local Nut Case Is Represented By A Legal Nut Case


THE STORY:

A Greenwich Roundup reader gave me a news cliping from today's New York Post's print edition.

The article has the former Greenwich residents lawyer, Stephen Hrones, saying that Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter AKA Clark Rockefeller is not guilty of kidnaping his daughter.

Lawyer Stephen Hrones said the former Greenwich resident and con man was not legally married and therefore there can not legally be a divorce.

Stephen Hrones says you can't get a divorce from a marriage that never existed, and therefore the judges divorce order was invalid.

According to Hrones, the former Greenwich resident and con man was merely a father picking up his own child, who was under no valid court orders.

Maybe that's why yesterday the Boston Herald reported.....

"Gerhartstreiter’s lawyer, Stephen Hrones, has arranged for NBC and The Boston Globe to interview the erstwhile Rockefeller at the Nashua Street Jail, but the network and the newspaper agreed to limit their questioning to only the subjects of his daughter and ex-wife.

Hrones said he agreed to the unorthodox jail house interview next week in order to counter negative publicity spread by prosecutors and the FBI."


But Hrones, has not explained away that Los Angeles murder, or has he....

Clark Rockefeller’s faulty memory? Yeah, that’s the ticket!

The Boston Herald

As he told us how his client, Clark Christian Gerhartstreiter Rockefeller, suddenly recalled his desire to take Hollywood by storm 25 years ago under the name Christopher Chichester, I waited for attorney Steve Hrones to end his press conference the other day with the punch line to that old SNL skit: “Yeah, that’s the ticket!”

Well, seems Clark called himself Christopher Chichester because he figured it would help him become the next Max Von Sydow.

Yeah, that’s the ticket!

Remember Tommy Flanagan? He was the endearing pathological liar Jon Lovitz played on “Saturday Night Live.” “Yeah, that’s the ticket!” was how Tommy connected one whopper to an even bigger one.

Outside the Nashua Street Jail Monday afternoon, Steve Hrones defended his “Tommy Flanagan” with a straight face and furrowed brow that seemed to reflect the weight of the world.

A week ago, Steve told us Clark couldn’t remember a thing before 1993. But that was before Christopher Chichester’s decades-old fingerprint surfaced in California, along with a long-ago disappearance and likely double homicide, and before a guy in the Bavarian Alps claimed Clark was his long-lost brother.

Now it seems that the miracle of memory is starting to return to one gnome-like con man locked up at Nashua Street. Yes, Clark can remember being the talented Mr. Chichester. But Hrones says his “eccentric” little hustler has no memory of ever murdering anybody. Yeah, that’s the ticket!.......


Please Also See:


Snooks' Daddy Has 'amnesia'

New York Post

BOSTON - While the man who posed as a Rockefeller claims not to remember who he really is, he had no trouble yesterday recalling that he loves and misses the daughter he is charged with kidnapping.

"Snooks, I miss you. I love you," Clark Rockefeller wants his daughter, Reigh "Snooks" Boss, 7, to know, according to his lawyer.

Attorney Stephen Hrones said that his client, who is charged with custodial kidnapping for snatching his daughter off a Boston street on July 27, has no way of communicating with his little girl, but that she is always in his thoughts.

Aside from that, Hrones said Rockefeller insists he has no memory of being born Christian Gerhartsreiter in Bavaria.

"I know nothing about the name. I don't remember living in Germany or anything about that name," Rockefeller told his attorney.

He also does not recall living in California - although he does remember living as Christopher Chichester. He also recalls the couple, John and Linda Sohus, who mysteriously disappeared in 1985 while he was living in a house on their property, Hrones said.

"He doesn't remember being in California," the lawyer said. "He is not denying it, he just doesn't remember it."


Did I Hear Some One Say, "Your Honor, My Client Is Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity"


In criminal trials, the insanity defenses are possible defenses by excuse, an affirmative defense by which defendants argue that they should not be held criminally liable for breaking the law, as they were legally insane at the time of the commission of alleged crimes. A defendant attempting such a defense will often be required to first undergo a mental examination. It is important to note that the legal definition of "insane" in this context is quite different from psychiatric definitions of "mentally ill", also that the definition of insanity varies between jurisdictions.

When the insanity defense is successful, the defendant may be committed to hospital.

Mental impairment is not a defense. It falls under the category of a mitigating factor referred to as "diminished capacity". A mitigating factor (which can include conditions not eligible for the insanity defense such as intoxication) can be used to attempt a reduction of the charges to a lesser offense or in a reduced sentence.

The insanity defense is based on evaluations by forensic professionals that the defendant was incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong at the time the offense was committed. In addition, some jurisdictions require that the evaluation address the issue of whether the defendant was able to control his behavior at the time of the offense. A defendant making the insanity argument might be said to be pleading "not guilty by reason of insanity" (NGRI). A successful NGRI defense can result in an indeterminate commitment to a psychiatric facility.

Diminished responsibility (or diminished capacity) can be employed as a mitigating factor and is applicable to more circumstances than the insanity defense in the United States. For example, some jurisdictions accept inebriation or other drug intoxication as a mitigating factor, whereas intoxication alone is not accepted as an insanity defense. If diminished responsibility (or capacity) is presented convincingly, the charges may be reduced to a lesser offense or the sentence may be more lenient.

Or will the former Greenwich resident lawyer argue that "amnesia" has made the con man unable adequately assist his lawyer Hrones in preparing a defense, make informed decisions about trial strategy and whether or not to plead guilty or accept a plea agreement.

Please See:

08/15/08 FBI confirms former Greenwich Resident's Identity

Please read how the Greenwich Time reporters are unable to cover this story, "By Reason Of Insanity":


08/14/08 WAKE UP GREENWICH TIME!!!

Where is the coverage?

Grenwich Time Reporters Are Out To Lunch


MORE INFORMATION:

08/15/08 This Former Greenwich Resident Is Really Creepy

The phony Rockefeller eyed in the disappearance of a California couple 23 years ago once said his favorite movie was "Double Indemnity" - in which two lovers plot to kill her husband for the insurance.

Clark Rockefeller, a k a Christopher Chichester in 1985, claimed to be trying to break into the film business when he lived on the same San Marino, Calif., property as John and Linda Sohus, who went missing that year.

"He made a big point that he wanted to go see 'Double Indemnity,' " friend Dana Farrar told The Boston Globe.

Nine years after the Sohuses vanished, a male skeleton was found on the property and dried blood in the guesthouse, where Chichester stayed.

Lawyer Stephen Hrones claims Rockefeller had nothing to do with the disappearance, but Rockefeller was pulled over in the couple's truck years later in Greenwich, Conn.....

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08/16/08 Just What Greenwich Needs Another Bank


Hudson Valley set to branch out

Stamford Advocate,

By Business Editor Richard Lee, who can be reached at
rich.lee@scni.com or 964-2236.

After planting its flag in Stamford in December, New York state-based Hudson Valley Bank has announced plans to expand in Fairfield County and open branches in Fairfield, Greenwich and Westport.

Based in Yonkers, N.Y., Hudson Valley opened its first Connecticut branch in Stamford at 1055 Summer St., lured by the region's vibrant economy and abundance of small businesses and professional service firms...

...The Westport branch will open in a former TD BankNorth branch at 420 Post Road West, while the Greenwich branch will open on the fourth floor at 500 W. Putnam Ave.

"We call it a business-banking branch. We developed this concept in New York City. Since we aren't a mass market bank, we don't need to be on the first floor. It's almost like a private banking office for business," Skuthan said....

...Targeting attorneys may be a good strategy, based on comments from attorney Steven Gold, a partner in the Stamford office of Shipman and Goodwin.

"Lawyers have specific needs in terms of trust accounts and escrow accounts. Lawyers control a lot of money - millions daily for our clients," said Gold, whose specialty is corporate law and commercial finance.

Banks also like to work with lawyers, he said, to gain access to their high-net worth clients.

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08/16/08 A Trolley For Stamford And A Bus For Greenwich


Stamford Trolley Study Moving Forward

WSTC-AM Norwalk

URS Consulting has been hired to conduct a study on a possible trolley system for Stamford. The light rail service will run from the Stamford train station to the city's West Side. It's designed to offer an alternative to driving but is also about enabling residents to experience the increased development going on around the city. Stamford is hardly the only local municipality eyeing new ways of transportation.

"The Southwestern Regional Planning Agency is also looking at "bus rapid transit"...to offer an express type of bus service between Norwalk and Greenwich," says Stamford transportation planner Joshua Lecar.

A website will soon be launched for residents to share their thoughts on the Stamford trolley system. Lecar says there will also be multiple public hearings as the project progresses.

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08/16/08 Greenwich Time News Links For Saturday



Greenwich resident Tim Rose, a 2002 graduate of Greenwigh High School, stands with his parents, Rod and Kate Saggese, Friday while on leave from a 15-month tour of duty in Afghnistan as a lieutenant in the 173rd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army.
(David Ames/Greenwich Time photo)

Ranger spends time with family, friends after tour of duty in Afghanistan

By Colin Gustafson (colin.gustafson@scni.com or at (203) 625-4428)

For Tim Rose, the best thing about being back in Greenwich after a 15-month stint in Afghanistan is not having to make tough choices.


A lieutenant in the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Division, Rose has spent the past week "going with the flow," he said, as he catches up with old friends and family members during his 30-day leave from active duty in Afghanistan.

"As an officer, people are always looking to me to lead, to be the decision-maker," said Rose, 23, who has spent the last year battling Taliban forces in an elite unit of Army Rangers.

"Here, the only choices I have to make are where I want to get dinner, or whether I can meet up with friends at a certain time," he said....

....While the Army provides its own aid packages for soldiers to pass out, Rose's mother, Kate Saggese, also contributed to the cause - mailing care packages stuffed with goods from the charity drives she'd helped organize at GHS, where she works as a special educator.

Delivering these supplies to destitute villagers was one of the most rewarding experiences of his deployment in Afghanistan, Rose said. "We'd come in, and everybody would be very skeptical of us, at first," he said. "But by the end, you'd see how things had improved. We'd leave, and everybody would have a smile on their face."

Rose leaves Sunday to travel with friends to the Dominican Republic for a week - the final hurrah, he said, of his month-long "R'n'R" break before returning to his base in Italy.

There, he hopes to undergo more training with the hope of joining a special operations unit. He does not expect to return to Afghanistan.

Please Read The Full Greenwich Time Story


Surprise !!!!

HAMILTON AVENUE SCHOOL WILL MAYBE

OPEN IN MID-OCTOBER !!!!!!

Don't Worry No One Will Be Fired For Yet Another Failure !!!!


The Failed School Administrators All Got Raises!!!!


And The Same Morons Are In Charge Of The Glenville School Project!!!!!


No C.O. for Ham Ave.: Mid-October new target for school opening

By Colin Gustafson (colin.gustafson@scni.com or at (203) 625-4428)

The Hamilton Avenue School project missed another crucial deadline yesterday when the building failed to win approval for occupancy because of lingering facility-related issues.

...Under the backup plan, Hamilton Avenue students will spend part or all of the year in modulars, while Glenville students attend class at four sites - Parkway, Julian Curtiss, Cos Cob and Western Middle schools - this fall.

Once the delay-mired Hamilton Avenue project is completed and approved, its students can move into their new building, allowing Glenville students to use the modulars...

..."I'm trying to be positive, because if you're positive, your children will be positive," said Glenville mother Alicia Budkins, whose son will start classes at Western Middle School this month.

"If he can get through it, then I can get through it. If my kids can handle it, then I can handle it."


Please See Yesterdays Greenwich Roundup Post:

08/15/08 Greenwich Time Editors And Reporters Were Clueless, Because They Had Their Heads Up Their Rear Ends And Could Not Hear Hamilton Avenue Moms

STOP THE INSANITY:


But School Board Members And PTA Insiders Say That Parents Must Not Criticize The Failed Administrators Who Are Wasting Tax Dollars.

No, They only want to only hear positive affirmations about school officials.


While most everyone believes in the power positive affirmations.
Everyone still realizes that you can't sit on the couch and say "I wan't to lose twenty five pounds by new years", as you eat a box of twinkies.

It's Time To Get Real It's Time To Fire Failed Administrators That Are Wasting The Hard Earned Tax Dollars Of The Single Family Homeowners Of Greenwich.

Those poor little children at Glenville School are going to get screwed by the same idiots that harmed the children of Hamilton Avenue School.


Back in March School Superintendent Betty Sternberg said her administrators
would be held accountable.

No one has been fired or demoted!!!!

No Betty gave them all pay raises!!!!!


If Betty Sternberg Won't Take Action

Then Let's Get A Superintendent Who Will !!!!


Senior Center's member benefits

By Meredith Blake (meredith.blake@scni.com or at (203) 625-4434.)

Old Greenwich resident Josie Monroe, 86, has been going to the Senior Center on Greenwich Avenue for more than 20 years and now serves on the board.
She recently sat down with Greenwich Time to talk about issues seniors are facing and what she loves about the facility. ....

...
We enjoy our aerobics, enjoy our trips and holiday programs here and have really good lunches. And people here are congenial.

Please Read The Full Greenwich Time Story



By Meredith Blake (meredith.blake@scni.com or at (203) 625-4434.)

Following a contentious meeting at Quarry Knoll Wednesday, residents still have questions about the town's plans for the 50-unit affordable housing complex.

The proposal by the Greenwich Housing Authority is to redevelop the complex and add 76 units, moving the residents into an expanded and renovated McKinney Terrace in Byram until the new facility is ready, according to Executive Director Anthony Johnson.

But with Byram residents resisting the expansion plans for McKinney Terrace, Quarry Knoll residents are left questioning where they will end up...

Pleaase Read The Full Greenwich Time Story


State asks residents: 'How's my driving?'

By Brian Lockhart
Staff Writer

It is not unusual for the state Department of Administrative Services to receive one or two calls a week from residents complaining about a public employee speeding in a state vehicle or talking on a cell phone.

But when Gov. M. Jodi Rell earlier this summer announced an out-of-state travel ban to reduce the budget deficit, there was a boost in calls from eagle-eyed taxpayers complaining about other ways they thought the government wastes gas.

"We got a rash of calls," Deputy DAS Commissioner Martin Anderson said. "(People) saw a vehicle they thought was idling to long or going over the speed limit."

That heightened interest in the driving habits of state employees has resulted in the launch of a new program that in the coming months will see "Am I Driving Safely?" bumper stickers attached to the 4,200 state vehicles managed by Department of Administrative Services....

Please Read The Full Greenwich Time Story


By Martin B. Cassidy (martin.cassidy@scni.com or at (203) 625-4439)

A Greenwich woman was indicted Thursday for mail fraud in federal court in White Plains, N.Y., in connection with an investment scheme that prosecutors said bilked investors of $1.65 million, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced....

...The Murcias lied to potential investors, telling them that the business had a $2.5 million contract from Sodexho International for water treatment stations in Sudan, but Sodexho did no business in Sudan at the time and had no record of dealings with Regenat, according to the indictment.

The prosecution claims the Murcias transferred $275,000 of the investment capital into their personal account and used another $140,000 for rent on their home, as well as more than $8,000 for a 60th birthday party for her husband, Philippe Murcia.

Milana Murcia is scheduled to be arraigned in White Plains on Wednesday.

Please read The Full Greenwich Timre Story


Stop signs made permanent

By Neil Vigdor

The Board of Selectmen at their Thursday meeting unanimously approved a controversial plan to turn the intersection of Shore Road and Sound Beach Avenue in Old Greenwich into an all-way stop.

The intersection's previous configuration required cars turning from Sound Beach Avenue onto Shore Road to yield if they were turning right and stop if they were turning left. Westbound traffic on Shore Road had a stop sign at the intersection....

Please read The Full Greenwich Time Story


By Meredith Blake (meredith.blake@scni.com or at (203) 625-4434.)

The suspicious white powder found at One Greenwich Plaza Wednesday is not a biological substance or hazardous, according to fire officials.

The building, located just south of the Greenwich central train station, was evacuated shortly before 11 a.m. Wednesday after police said they received a report that a suspicious package had been found in the building.

"It was determined that it was not anything like anthrax," said assistant fire chief Robert Kick

Please Read The Full Greenwich Time Story


Letters from Greenwich Time Readers

It was wrong to fire columnist

To the editor:

It is my understanding that the termination of Sarah Littman was considered a "personnel issue" and one that the Greenwich Time "were not at liberty to discuss" as stated by Jim Zebora, the managing editor. Such an explanation is both evasive and inadequate and indeed is tantamount to an avoidance of the real reason.

According to Ms. Littman, the explanation offered to her was that she had compromised the integrity of the paper in that she had held a meet-and-greet (non-fundraiser) for Jim Himes and that one of her columns was critical of his opponent in the primary.

Indeed if integrity was compromised it was through the short-sighted method in which Ms. Littman was denied the exercise of her professional prerogative. Since when is a columnist so restricted? Reporters are charged with dealing with facts in an accurate and objective manner, whereas a columnist provides commentary. Can you imagine how sterile and bland the likes of Pegler, Reston, Wills, Paige, Dumas and Yudain would be under such restraints.

Your reading public has been poorly served with such an unwarranted action. Reinstatement of Ms. Littman as a columnist would be in order.

Robert S. Wylie

Greenwich

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