01/18/12 A new comment from a Greenwich Roundup reader on 01/17/10 Drunken Eastern Middle School Teacher Bat....

William Yin has left a new comment on your post "01/17/10 Drunken Eastern Middle School Teacher Bat...":

Isn't she back as a 6th grade teacher at Western? Why is she not banned from being a teacher?

Posted by William Yin to Greenwich Roundup at January 18, 2012 10:07 PM

01/18/12 The Raw Late Night Greenwich News Feed

News Reports About Greenwich, CT

Undefeated Greenwich swims past Ridgefield Greenwich Time Thomas Parks of Ridgefield High School rallies his team at the start of the boys high school swimming between Greenwich High School and Ridgefield High School at Greenwich High School, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012.

Greenwich Boys Outmuscled by Norwalk, 45-36 The Daily Greenwich by Eric Gendron - Norwalk's Roy Kane, Jr., center, is defended closely by Greenwich's Greg Donlic, right, and CJ Byrd. GREENWICH, Conn. – The Greenwich High boys basketball team has jumped out to its best start in years thanks to a ...

Book announcement due for Greenwich Reads Together Greenwich Time Carol Mahoney, Greenwich Library director, announces "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, as the book chosen for 2011 for Greenwich Reads Together, a community-wide reading experience. Greenwich Library will announce the book chosen for this year's ...

Greenwich RTM Incumbent Leaders Reign Patch.com By Barbara Heins - The leadership of the Greenwich Representative Town Meeting remains intact despite challenges from within the ranks of the 230-member body. Minimal debate over whether rules of order should be suspended preceded a nomination process ...

Norwalk wins defensive battle against Greenwich Greenwich Time Spencer Murry-Dias # 13 of Norwalk High School grabs a rebound against Will Armero, background, # 52 of Greenwich High School, during boys high school basketball game between Greenwich High School and Norwalk High School at Norwalk, Tuesday night, Jan. ...

'Mr. Pot, Please Meet Mr. Kettle' Patch.com GREENWICH: "Mr. Lucarelli's district looked shocked when he was nominated and proceeded to waste the RTM's time for no purpose whatsoever. Afterward, I asked someone from his district if he told any of them what he was planning to do, and the answer ...

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01/18/12 The Raw Greenwich BLOG Feed

Blog Posts About Greenwich, CT

Regis Philbin Sells Greenwich Home After Price Cut | AOL Real Estate ByErika RiggsAfter trying to sell his Greenwich, Conn., estate on and off for the past five years, the former TV host has finally sold the home for $3 million,according toThe Wall Street Journal.With ... Lead Stories from AOL

Ron Howard tapped to judge Greenwich Youth Film Festival ... By Scott Gargan Oscar-winning director/producer Ron Howard has been tapped to judge the Greenwich Youth Film Festival, according to the Junior League of Greenwich, the organizer of the event. Howard, of Greenwich will be joined by producer Clayton ... Culture Cache

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01/18/12 GREENWICH BOARD OF EDUCATION REMINDER: Bed Bug Forum - January 25th

REMINDER:

As a proactive measure for providing information on Bed Bugs, the District is hosting an open forum on:

Wednesday, January 25, 2012
7:00 PM
Greenwich High School Auditorium

Kim Eves
Director of Communications
Greenwich Public Schools
290 Greenwich Avenue
Greenwich, CT, 06830

www.greenwichschools.org

Phone: 203-625-7415
Fax: 203-869-8003
kim_eves@greenwich.k12.ct.us

01/18/12 First State Employee Fired In Food Stamp Scandal

First State Employee Fired In Food Stamp Scandal

The first state employee has been fired in the emergency food stamp scandal after receiving about $200 in benefits, officials said Wednesday.

01/18/12 The Daily Greenwich Has a New Look

The Daily Greenwich Has a New Look Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. The Daily Greenwich Has A New Look As a result of some great feedback from our readers we've made some exciting updates to The Daily Greenwich. Some of the changes include: A cleaner navigation bar that makes it easier to explore the site. Your local reporter’s contact information is prominently displayed at the top of the page making it simpler to contact them. An easier way for you to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. A more visually appealing source for your local news and information. Visit The Daily Greenwich to see these changes. Please continue to share your thoughts with us as it helps immensely. Send any questions or comments to feedback@mainstreetconnect.com. Thank you again and be sure to share this note with your friends to help spread the word about The Daily Greenwich.

01/18/12 Byram Elementary School - Greenwich, CT - New photo posted

Sharon Lombardo posted in Byram Elementary School - Greenwich, CT. Sharon Lombardo 2:47pm Jan 18 View Post on Facebook

01/18/12 FIRST COUNTY BANK PRESS RELEASE: "Big banks are holding back our economy," according to borrower ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

Jason Kannon

Creative Partners

203.705.9203

jkannon@creativepartners.com

FIRST COUNTY BANK’S MORTGAGE GUARANTEE STREAMLINES CLOSING PROCESS

-- New Borrower Amazed at the Results --

STAMFORD, Conn., Jan. 18, 2012 -- “First County Bank delivered what big banks could not,” said Ammar Murad, when referring to a recent search for a mortgage on a Greenwich condo. “The U.S. economy and the real estate market would be in much better shape today if large banks reacted quicker to borrowers’ needs. These big banks are holding back our economy.”

Ammar and Nehla Murad had to move out of their home in Rye Brook, N.Y. on June 27 and couldn’t secure a commitment letter from Wells Fargo. “We had a deadline to meet and the bank’s red tape was too time intensive. The bank kept extending the deadline until finally we decided to look at other banks for the loan,” said Nehla Murad. Their realtor recommended First County Bank.

The Murads met with First County Bank mortgage experts Alice Robinson and David Zamary on Monday, June 20, and were able to close on their condo on June 30. “We walked out of that first meeting knowing these two people would deliver for us,” said Ms. Murad.

“We felt very confident in their ability. At Wells, we had no access to the underwriters and neither did the originator. With First County, we had access to everyone. We have never closed a mortgage as quickly as we did with First County,” said Mr. Murad. Over the years, the Murads have experienced three mortgage closings and two refinancings.

This customer experience gave First County Bank a marketing idea that it hoped would help spur on the residential home market, especially for first-time homebuyers, and attract new borrowers to the bank. And for those borrowers looking to buy or refinance a home and want to close within 30 days, First County Bank offers a new mortgage closing guarantee.

The First County Bank Mortgage Guarantee applies to both purchase and refinance mortgage loans on one- to four-family, owner-occupied residential properties in Connecticut.

“We’ll close your mortgage within 30 days or we’ll pay you $1,000, provided all required documentation is received by First County Bank within 48 hours of your submission of a completed application,” said Kathy Harris, president and COO of First County Bank. “Today’s borrowers demand assurances that their loan will close quickly. For the Murads, our assurance they would receive a commitment letter when promised avoided the possible loss of the 10 percent deposit on the new property,” explained Harris.

With today’s technology and online access, First County Bank originators are able to fill out all appropriate applications, determine credit scores, approximate market value of a home and what a monthly payment will be, in order to give the borrower a pretty good idea if he or she will qualify for a loan and what it will cost: All before the customer leaves the branch.

“We’ve streamlined the entire mortgage processing system at First County Bank,” added Harris. “In fact, we’re putting our money on it.”

Every customer looking to take out a mortgage at First County Bank is assigned a loan originator, processor and underwriter. The loan originator becomes that borrower’s key contact throughout the process. Any time the borrower has a question, he can call his originator who will quickly answer that question. Originators counsel the borrower in order to determine the best product for his or her needs. And it all starts the minute the borrower sits down with a bank representative.

“Everybody wants to save money. It is our job to make sure our customers’ needs are matched with the correct product in order to achieve his or her financial goals,” Harris concluded.

“We didn’t go with the larger banks because we didn’t feel a connection to the people. They were too lax in their approach,” explained Mr. Murad. “We’ve always had low expectations from banks we’ve dealt with in the past. First County is different. The people at First County care about you and want to make sure you know where you stand every step of the process.”

“Compared to other banks’ personnel, Alice and Dave were amazing. Alice was able to react, answer questions and communicate with us as the information became available,” added Ms. Murad. Since closing on their loan, the Murads have opened up savings and checking accounts with First County Bank. “Whenever I thanked Alice, she would always credit her support team and back office personnel. ‘It’s an amazing team I work with here,’ she’d say, and would never take credit herself,” concluded Ms. Murad.

For more information about the First County Bank Mortgage Closing Guarantee, borrowers should visit www.FirstCountyBank.com/guarantee.

First County Bank, headquartered in Stamford, Conn. for more than 160 years, is an independent mutual community bank with 15 branches in Stamford, Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk and Westport offering deposit products, mortgages, trust and investment services, business banking services and online banking. First County Bank has more than 220 employees and assets in excess of $1.3 billion. For additional information, please visit www.firstcountybank.com. Become a fan by clicking “Like” on the bank’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/firstcountybank. Follow it on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/firstcountybank or look for First County Bank on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/company/920207.

# # #

Jason Kannon

Vice President

Creative Partners

One Stamford Landing

62 Southfield Avenue, Suite 110

Stamford, CT 06902

T: 203 705 9203

E: mailto:jkannon@CreativePartners.com

01/01/12 JCC Greenwich Upcoming Events for Publication

Please consider including the following upcoming events in your publications and newsletters. Thanks! If you have any questions, please email me at lnuland@jccgreenwich.org Take care, Lisa Nuland JCC TALK Memory Fitness: Myths and Realities with Dr. Jane Martin Where did you put those keys? Learn about the mental and physical workouts that can stave off forgetfulness and preserve your brain health, in a conversation with expert Jane Martin, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. When: Monday, January 23, 9:30am Where: Bang & Olufsen, 365 Greenwich Ave., Greenwich Couvert: $10.00 For more information and to register please click here. Sushi, Martinis & Comedy With Cory Kahaney Join us for a night of hilarity with the standup named best comedian in NYC by Backstage magazine and best female comedian by the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs. The creator of Off-Broadway hit The J.A.P. Show will enact her signature wit. Sponsored by: JCC Greenwich and UJA Federation Greenwich When: Thursday, January 26, 7 pm Where: The Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich Couvert: $80.00, Sponsorship: $90 For more information and to register please click here. JCC CINEMA and ADL CONNECTICUT PRESENT: UNMASKED: Judeophobia and the Threat to Civilization Jews are under assault by a force more menacing than terrorism or war. As this must-see exposé shows, they are facing the possible uprooting of the very idea that the Jewish people should have a nation state. What are the implications for civilization of the political assault against the Jewish people and their right to self-determination? Guest speaker: director/producer Gloria Greenfield Gloria Z. Greenfield / Documentary / USA / 2011 / 81 min. When: Monday, January 30th, 7 - 9:00 pm Where: Bow-Tie Criterion Cinemas, 2 Railroad Ave., Greenwich Couvert: $12.00 For more information and to register please click here. JCC ARTS AND IDEAS The Radical Camera: New York's Photo League, 1936-1951 Guided Tour Come see this sure-to-wow roundup of works by the Photo League, a group of politically engaged street photographers who captured city life following the Great Depression and before the Cold War. Featuring such noted 20th-century photographers as Berenice Abbott, Sid Grossman, Lisette Model, Aaron Siskind, Paul Strand and Weegee. When: Thursday, February 2nd, 11:15 - 12:30 pm Where: The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave. at 92nd St, New York City Couvert: $40.00 For more information and to register please click here.

JCC Greenwich | One Holly Hill Lane | Greenwich | CT | 06830

01/18/12 Greenwich Real Estate 2011 Report

First and foremost, I want to thank all of my clients for helping make 2011 a great year. I closed on 20 houses (13 sales, 7 rentals) in 2011, which was is my best year so far and owe it all to my wonderful clients. I enjoyed working with everyone and appreciate the business. I also want to thank the many people who referred business to me. The referral business is a huge part of my pipeline and I am grateful for every lead sent to me. Looking back on 2011, I am pleased to say that the Greenwich Real Estate market held up well. I am not going to sugarcoat it and tell you that it was a banner year and that I only see signs of the market improving from here on out. When viewed from a macro-level, 2011 was still a very slow year. We did not see the level of transactions that we had a couple years ago and we might never again. As I mentioned in a previous blog/email, I think we might be witnessing the beginning of the new “normal” in real estate movement. In Greenwich, CT, I feel that the baseline level of transactions should be roughly around 625 houses sold per year. This is not the 750+ that we saw in 2007, but also higher than what we have witnessed in the past two years. I am a strong believer that we are bouncing along the floor of our pricing, but also admit that I do not know when we will start to see price increases. I am confident in recommending a purchase (for investment purposes) with a 5+ year horizon, but have a hard time confidently supporting shorter horizons. I see several factors that continue to affect the Greenwich (as well as national) market and keep it from a proper level of equilibrium/harmony. Obviously the biggest factor keeping the Greenwich CT Real Estate market out of sync is the questionable economy. As discussed in several previous blogs, residential real estate is almost entirely priced upon perception, so if anything were to affect perception and confidence the residential real estate market takes a hit. Certain areas of residential real estate are hit harder than others. For one, the second home market has been hit much harder than the primary home market. This is obviously because those who need money will unload their vacation homes before their primary residence’s. Another factor that we are starting to see is that second and third tier markets are taking a harder hit than first tier markets as those who have money are starting to realize they can afford to upgrade to the better location (flight to quality). Greenwich is fortunately on the right side of the trade for both of these factors. I have worked with a lot of clients recently who have said they want to buy in Greenwich because of the low taxes (about 1/3rd of NY taxes), which is normal, but now I hear more and more clients say that they think they can afford to live in better neighborhoods than they used to look at because the prices have come down. You used to need well north of $1,000,000 to buy a decent first home in Greenwich, but now you can find some great single families in the $700k range, especially in areas of Cos Cob and North Mianus, and you can find apartments in the $200-$300k range all through town. This doesn’t mean that all levels of real estate in Greenwich are lowering dramatically in price, it just means that there are many affordable areas of town. On the high-end we have still seen some major trades and there are some fantastic homes on the market right now in the $10 to $20m range, which once commanded prices starting with a “3” or even “4”. I find myself fortunate to work in a town with such diversity in product. Covering over 65 square miles and housing a population of over 60,000 people, Greenwich has a lot to offer. I really consider it 4 neighboring towns that include Old Greenwich, Riverside, Cos Cob and downtown Greenwich, but within those towns we have several communities including Glenville, Byram, North Mianus and Pemberwick to name a few. I’ve been able to work $1,500 rentals and $23 million estate sales, which is what I find to be so much fun about the job. If you know of anyone who is looking at the Greenwich (or Rye, I closed on 4 houses in Rye last year!) area and are in need of some help, I’d really appreciate it if you pass on my name. Sincerely, Scott Scott Elwell Real Estate Agent - MBA- GreenwichCT.com William Raveis Real Estate 45 Field Point Road, Greenwich, CT 06830 Mobile: 203.940.0444 : Email: scott@elwell.com My Activity - Bio follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend

01/18/12 LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Asking Hard Questions About Islam and Muslims in America

Hi

Many Americans remain confused about Islam and Muslims in America in the wake of anti-mosque protests, anti-Shariah legislation and related controversies. Starting at 7:30 pm EST tonight, we¹re hosting a town-hall style program where a live audience and online viewers will have an opportunity to ask hard questions to leading authorities on Muslim Americans, religious liberty, and interfaith relations.

I believe you and the readers of Greenwich Roundup will be interested in sharing, watching, and discussing:

http://myfellowamerican.us/newseum

I would love it if you could share the webcast and post or tweet about it. If you do, please let me know. And please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you so much.

Daniel Tutt

Project Director,

My Fellow American

Twitter: @usmuslimstories

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MyFellowAmericanProject

Web: http://myfellowamerican.us

01/18/12 The Greenwich Topix News Message Board - (13 stories) - TOP STORY: Regis Philbin sells his Greenwich mansion for $3million... five years ...

Greenwich - News January 18, 2012 Regis Philbin sells his Greenwich mansion for $3million... five years ... (Daily Mail) Better late than never: Regis Philbin sells his Greenwich mansion for $3million... five years after he first put it on the market for double the price The real estate market is anything but booming and many celebrities have found their fame hasn't helped them sell a property. Greenwich Liquor Stores Disagree on Sunday Sales (The Daily Greenwich) Greenwich's small liquor and wine stores are divided over Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's announcement that he intends to introduce legislation to allow the sale of alcohol on Sundays in Connecticut. Take a Polar Bear Plunge to Help Family Centers (The Daily Easton) Those in Greenwich with an adventurous side are invited to take part in a midwinter dip in Long Island Sound as part of Family Centers' inaugural Polar Bear Plunge. Rockefeller impostor told FBI he was a 'nothing' (Connecticut Post) A German man who claimed to be a member of the Rockefeller family -- part of a decades-long scheme that brought him to Greenwich in the 1980s -- told FBI agents after he was arrested in 2008 that he was a "pathetic nothing." Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, who went by the name Clark Rockefeller, had just been arrested in Baltimore several days after ... (more) Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com Stamford Fire Survivor Interviewed by Police (The Daily Stamford) Stamford Police interviewed Michael Borcina at his Greenwich attorney's office Monday evening looking for more details about the Christmas fire that killed five people . Mountain Lion Sought In Connecticut (CBS Local) Scientists believe the mountain lion in this image, shot on Dec. 1, 2009, in South Dakota, is the same animal that showed up in the woods of Fairfield County, Conn., in recent months. Greenwich Sports Norwalk boys win defensive battle over Greenwich (Norwalk Citizen News) Spencer Murry-Dias # 13 of Norwalk High School grabs a rebound against Will Armero, background, # 52 of Greenwich High School, during boys high school basketball game between Greenwich High School and Norwalk High School at Norwalk, Tuesday night, Jan. Greenwich Winning Streak Snapped by Norwalk (Patch) Editor's Note: Send any write-ups on youth or recreational games in your town to michaeld+sports@patch.com Norwalk cooled off the Greenwich High School basketball team by defeating the Cardinals 45-36 Tuesday night in Norwalk. New Canaan, Hompe Clobber Red-Hot Hamden, 7-0 (The Daily New Canaan) Olivia Hompe scored New Canaan's first five goals en route to a 7-0 rout of Hamden on Monday. Read Greenwich Local Sports... Greenwich Business European Wax Center Norwalk's Grand Opening Helps To Grant A Child A... (PRWeb) European Wax Center opens new location in Norwalk, Connecticut on February 1st and teams up with Make-A-Wish Foundation. Fairfield County commercial real estate improves, slowly and unevenly (The Ridgefield Press) Cushman & Wakefield, a commercial real estate firm, Tuesday released its year-end 2011 report for the Fairfield County commercial real estate market, indicating that the market is continuing in its slow but uneven recovery. to Showcase Celebrity Home Listings (RISMedia) Agents, have you ever listed or sold a home owned by a celebrity? If so, we want to know about it! RISMedia is excited to announce that in 2012 we will be significantly expanding our coverage of celebrity homes and their famous-or infamous-owners. For example, we read today that Michele Klosson of Sotheby's International Realty recently listed one ... (more) County sees surge in communications/media office occupancy (Connecticut Post) The financial services industry has fallen off its pedestal in Fairfield County's commercial real estate world, as communications and media firms take the top spot in leasing activity, based on a fourth quarter report from Newmark Knight Frank.

01/18/12 The Greenwich First Selectman Report

A Recently Updated Web Page About Greenwich First Selectman Peter Tesei

Lee Whitnum speaking at the Greenwich Democratic Picnic Sept ... Well Mr. Peter Tesei showed some bias that I found unacceptable as a ... Mr. Peter Tesei and this town authorized, and he was the sole authorizer in my ... www.leewhitnum.com/uploads/GreenwichPicnicSept11.rtf

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01/18/12 The Raw Greenwich VIDEO Feed

Videos About Greenwich, CT

Colcord Children's Art School - Maple Ave ... Colcord Children's Art School - Greenwich - CT. Overview Reviews Directions. 200522659-001 ... local.westport-news.com

The Mews in Greenwich- Assisted Living in ... 3 min Call (866) 9 06-4033 to speak with a care adviser about The Mews in Greenwich in Greenwich ... youtube.com

Greenwich CT Homes Real Estate for Sale: 58 ... 1 min http://www.prudentialct.com/listingdetails.aspx?LK=2259922 Offered at $3795000 Escape to ... youtube.com

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