Bishop William Lori offers communion to Marisa Sandifer during a Mass at Nathaniel Witherell nursing home Thursday. It was the bishop's first visit to the home.
(Helen Neafsey/Greenwich Time Photo)
Female residents of The Nathaniel Witherell nursing home spent lunch Thursday discussing a recent visitor, a young gentleman.
RTM approves police contractAfter a series of lengthy negotiations and amid concerns about the economy, the police union contract was approved by the Representative Town Meeting this week, leading officials involved to breath a sigh of relief.
Baden for the defense The defense team for Leonard Trujillo, one of the men charged with killing real estate developer Andrew Kissel, has signed on nationally renowned forensic pathologist Dr.
A Greenwich doctor accused in an Internet sex sting appeared back in court today after being released on $25,000 bond last week.
Dr. Clifford Berken, 55, an adult gastroenterologist who practiced in town, appeared in White Plains City Court early this morning on the charge of first-degree attempted disseminating indecent material to minors, which is a felony.Berken appeared with two newly acquired lawyers, attorney Eugene Riccio, who has an office in Greenwich, and Robert Mancuso, who is based in White Plains, N.Y.
Berken initially had a different White Plains-based attorney on his case.....
.....Berken, of Stamford, also offered to meet the "teenage boy" at a location in downtown White Plains, N.Y., according to officials. When he arrived at the location, he was arrested.
Berken has not yet entered a plea.
He is scheduled to be back in White Plains City Court on Jan. 30.
Justice is more than just blind in Greenwich - she's a capitalist.
Trying to solve a cash crunch, the town is considering tacking on a $10 processing fee to all parking ticket appeals regardless of their outcome, innocent or guilty.
The proposition, presented Thursday to the Board of Selectmen by parking services Director Allen Corry, is one of several aimed at boosting revenues during the current economic recession.
Corry additionally wants to triple the fines on any unpaid tickets after 30 days, as well as hike the administrative fee for removing a metal boot from a vehicle from $75 to $100.
Commuters who use the town's railroad lots could also take a hit in the form of a proposed 5 percent increase in the cost of annual parking permits.
While most of the increases sat well with the cash-minded decision makers, the prospect of charging alleged violators $10 just to have their appeals heard immediately stirred up controversy among the board's members and civil liberties advocates.
"Think about that, you don't do anything wrong, and I take time out of my life (to contest a ticket), and they're going to charge me $10," said Selectman Lin Lavery, who declared that she would oppose the fee when it comes up for a vote next Friday......
......Andrew Schneider, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut, said the proposed $10 process fee violates due process rights of those issued parking tickets by the town.
"Actual court cases say that collecting nonrefundable fees without a hearing is unconstitutional," Schneider said when told of the proposal.
A U.S. district court in Louisiana struck down a similar administrative fee charged by the city of New Orleans for cars that were booted, Schneider said .....
....."I have a lot of questions about it and I'm not very crazy about the idea," Tesei said in interview later Thursday.
Selectman Peter Crumbine said the town should waive the fee under certain circumstances.
"If they were not at fault, then clearly they should not pay the $10," Crumbine said. "If, on the other hand, the person did violate the parking restriction but the (ticket) was (overturned) for some ulterior reason, it should be paid."
The proposed fees are expected to generate nearly $310,000 in additional revenue for the town, according to Corry's office, which wants to hire either three extra part-time parking enforcement officers to go with one current part-timer or two additional full-timers. The town currently has seven parking enforcement officers, six full-time and one part-time.
The Everest of Ocean RacingIndia is in the news these days, and for all the wrong reasons. Overshadowed by recent terror attacks was the first-ever finish of a major ocean race at an Indian port.
Hey Cherie!Hey Cherie! If you think the economy becoming worse doesn't affect teens, think again. It is hurting me in a big way, and not just because my parents are making me have a lower allowance -- like what happened to another of your readers
Without a doubt, state employees and their unions are going to be central to resolving Connecticut's mounting state budget problems. ....BLAH ..... BLAH ..... BLAH ....... BLAH ...... BLAH ......BLAH ..... BLAH ..... BLAH .....
The Selectmen's Pedestrian Safety Committee completed an inventory of potential sidewalk projects in town. The First Selectman's Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee has been charged with the task of developing criteria for determining the streets on which sidewalks should be developed. One part of its task is to elicit the views of town residents regarding these criteria.
The committee has developed three ways for residents to make their views known: public workshops, a questionnaire and a mechanism for written comment.
The committee held two public workshops in November seeking residents' comments. However, not all residents were able to attend.
To enable residents to express their views, the questionnaire has been posted on the town's Web site by the Department of Public Works. Residents can access it through the Internet at http://www.greenwichct.org/First Selectman/fsPedestrianSafety.asp by clicking on "Pedestrian Safety Sidewalk Need Questionnaire: Download a version of the document." Instructions for downloading and returning it can be found on the Web site. They are due by Jan. 5.
In addition to the questionnaire, residents can comment through e-mail by clicking on "DPW - Sidewalks" on the DPW's Web site under the heading "Public Comments." Letters may be sent to: DPW Commissioner, 101 Field Point Road, Greenwich, CT 06830.
The committee urgently seeks broad public input on this important issue. Therefore, I urge all residents to complete and return the questionnaire, e-mail or send a letter.
Francis J. ("Kip") Burgweger Jr.
Cos Cob.
The writer is chair of the First Selectman's Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee
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