07/27/08 Where's The Democracy? A Greenwich Democrat hasn't won a trip to the Legislature from Greenwich since 1930

Greenwich Time Editors Has A Message For
Political Party Leaders
It's Time To Poop Or Get Off The Pot

Voter's Deserve A Choice!!!

The democratic process is hurting

Greenwich Time Editorial

"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried."

- Sir Winston Churchill

Few can match Sir Winston in the pithy quote department. But we can only imagine what he might say about a democracy where only half the candidates show up. We suspect it'd be a some bon mot about it being no democracy at all.

While it's certainly a stretch to say we're no democracy, the elections coming up are far from ideal.

As of this writing, 11 of the 20 races in lower Fairfield County for the state General Assembly are uncontested.

That means thousands of voters in Greenwich, Stamford, Norwalk and other towns will be able to choose who runs their country on Election Day, but not who represents their neighborhoods. A sad state of the state, indeed. And the fact that many residents won't notice, because they'll be nowhere near a voting booth that day (Sir Winston's cynicism can be contagious), is no cause for relief. This is a particularly bad year to have uncontested races because turnout should be relatively large, given the high-octane presidential contest.

Most of us care much more about who is president, but our local and state representatives in many ways have a greater impact on our lives. Not only do uncontested races mean citizens have no choice as to who gets that power, they allow incumbents to sail through the very phase of our governing process designed to hold their feet to the fire. Without an opponent to debate, they really have no one to answer to. That doesn't necessarily mean they will act in bad faith while in office, but it's a lousy way to run a government "by the people."

We're used to a smattering of empty races in our cities and towns, but this is a particularly bad year. Who's to blame? Hard to say. Perhaps circumstance as much as anything.

It's the political party leaderships who are responsible for enticing new candidates. But in our communities in particular, it can be a really hard sell.

Take Greenwich, for example, where incumbent state Reps. Livvy Floren and Lile Gibbons, both Republicans, are unopposed. A Democrat hasn't won a trip to the Legislature from Greenwich since 1930. With that kind of history, it can be awfully hard to convince someone to spend the time and energy to mount a race.

In Stamford, the situation is reversed: The city GOP has one candidate nominated among six legislative districts, now that Democratic state Sen. Andrew McDonald's Republican competitor has dropped out.

In Norwalk, state Rep. Bruce Morris, a Democrat, remains unopposed in his heavily Democratic 140th District. As does House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero Jr., despite the fact that he retained his seat by less than 600 votes in 2006. Many believe this will be a tough year for Republicans, which could make Mr. Cafero, an eight-term Republican, even more vulnerable, although that might be countered by the high visibility he enjoyed this term with his newly acquired leadership position. Either way, it doesn't matter. Looks like he gets a free ride this year.

Party leaders in our towns and cities also face a significant challenge that those in other communities don't: Hartford is far, far away from here. It's understandable why many wouldn't relish the prospect of that commute, but even that deterrent hasn't had this kind of impact in the past.

As sorry and serious as this situation is, there are many reasons why it is difficult to get people to run. That said, we are not sure how to regard a head-spinning excuse that rose out of Weston, where the Democratic Town Committee has been unable to field a challenger to 14-year Republican incumbent John Stripp.

"It is perceived as just plain bad manners (to challenge a long-standing incumbent), and the social repercussions loom large," the DTC leader told reporter Brian Lockhart. "How to navigate the sideline at soccer or church on Sunday?"

We don't even want to think what Sir Winston would have to say about that one.

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07/27/08 The Latest From Chris Fountain And His Blog "For What It's Worth"

Here is a cop who loves playing around with taser.

Watch how he uses his little toy to give

three teenagers a nice little taser shock

in the living room.

Don't Taser me, Bro!

Our School Board has sent out a survey to parents, asking if they "support a school resource officer at the high school". The Board eschewed the use of such inflammatory language as "armed and tasered" because they apparently feared that using the more accurate description might alarm parents and cause them to withhold their support for a program the Board itself obviously endorses. "School Resources Officer" sounds so benign - officer Friendly, there to help students find their lost textbooks, perhaps coax a stray kitten from a tree or maybe help out with a tough homework assignment. The reality is that at least one such officer tasered a kid last year for kicking a chair and tossing a water balloon - a dastardly deed, but, speaking as someone who lobbed 1/2 a grapefruit across the Student Center at a group of visiting educators way back in 1971, hardly a capital offense.

The trouble with giving cops toys like Tasers or, God help us, lots of really cool SWAT Team equipment is that, sooner or later, they're going to want to use it. I say, if we're that concerned about a Columbine at the High School, either arm the teachers or take the taser away from the cop. Someone might still get killed, I suppose, but the temptation to use non-lethal force beyond a head-lock would be removed.

More From For What It's Worth:

• Over-sized houses
• The polar bears are drowning! (next year)
• Amazing News

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07/26/08 Winklevoss twins hope to form successful pair in Beijing

Tyler (left) and Cameron Winklevoss, posing with Arnold Schwarzenegger, hope to terminate the competition in Beijing.

(Kimberly White/Reuters)

Rowing machines

The Boston Globe

PRINCETON, N.J. - Lake Carnegie lies still and brown under the gathering summer sun, the early hour no match for the heat of July.

A pretty stone bridge arches across the man-made lake, which stretches along the Princeton University campus toward Kingston. It's not yet 8 o'clock, but the pastoral calm is repeatedly undercut by the whine of cars and trucks as rush hour takes over this idyllic college town.

Across the placid surface of the lake, three boats are pounding down the meters: the United States Olympic women's heavyweight eight, the women's four, and the men's sweep pair. In the pair, Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, 26-year-old twins from Greenwich, Conn., pull smoothly and strongly. Their strokes are identical, but mirror images: lefthanded Cameron pulls the oar on the starboard side from the bow seat and righthanded Tyler pulls the oar on the port side and steers, moving the rudder with his foot on a toeplate. Their bodies, carbon copies, move like an assembly line, four legs pushing away simultaneously, four arms stretching and flexing in unison, their faces identically stonefaced, eyes protected by identical sunglasses. Cameron bites his lip as he strokes.

In the final 50 yards, they pull harder and faster, while US pairs coach Ted Nash, chugging alongside in the launch, urges them on. They pull past the buoy markers just about even with the eight, then double over, spent, as Nash triumphantly clicks his stopwatch.

"I'm very proud of them," said Nash. "That was a good piece."

Tyler and Cameron have peppered newspaper headlines and business gossip columns for the last four years after they and classmate Divya Narendra sued fellow Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg for, they believe, stealing Facebook. Their complaint to the Harvard disciplinary board, which was followed by the lawsuit, claimed the trio paid Zuckerberg to write computer codes for their nascent online social networking site and that he abandoned their project, and instead launched Facebook as his own. Zuckerberg is now a paper billionaire and ConnectU, the twins' site, has floundered.

In February, a settlement was reached requiring Facebook to give Narendra and the Winklevosses a chunk of change and stock. But litigation is ongoing as the parties dispute the worth of Facebook, and thus the worth of its stock. To further muddy the water, another Harvard student, Aaron Greenspan, claims he invented a Facebook-like website months before Zuckerberg.

The Winklevosses have taken a lot of guff about the lawsuit, because it's fun to ridicule Harvard, and because they have a background that includes Greenwich, summers in Quogue, and prep school. Also, they are impossibly constructed: 6 feet 5 inches tall, with shoulders that jut out like coat hangers, their limbs wrapped in the long, strong muscles typical of rowers, their heads crowned with identical waves of light brown hair. But the Winklevosses escape easy characterization.

Continued...

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07/27/08 Katherine Pushkar & Eric Barrow Get Married

Greenwich, Conn Wedding

Rivalries were pushed aside at a New Year's Eve 2007 party, where Katherine Pushkar, 37, features editor for the New York Post, and Eric Barrow, 38, deputy Sunday sports editor for the Daily News, were set up by their respective colleagues. "I think he was complaining about being single," the bride guessed as to why their friends thought to make the match. "I was very actively dating, so [my friend] put us together. When I met him, he looked up and smiled, and it was really, really great."

Her position at a rival paper didn't seem to bother Eric either. "She had an astounding intellect, a fascination and love of baseball and just the right amount of hokeyness that I liked," says Eric. "Her working at the Post was not as big a hindrance as you might think."

Six months later, Eric proposed. "We were just hanging out and had a really great day," Katherine recalls. "At the end of the day, he asked me to marry him. He didn't have a ring or anything, so I don't think it was planned because he's very much a planner and traditionally romantic. I think it was just a super-fun day and the spirit moved him."

Escorted by her father, Katherine made her way down the aisle at Christ Church wearing an A-line dress that "felt very me." She carried green and blue hydrangea with white roses. Standing at her side were six bridesmaids, wearing green and blue tea-length dresses, and her brother, the man of honor, with a matching green tie.

More blue and green hydrangea filled the Riverside Yacht Club, where the 150 friends and family members were treated to carrot cake and chocolate-covered strawberries. The pair performed their first dance to "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now," by McFadden & Whitehead, choreographed by MatriMonyMony. Favors were reporters' notebooks with a cartoon the Daily News' own Bill Gallo created for the couple's save-the-date. The pair of wordsmiths continued their celebration with a honeymoon throughout Rome, Florence, the South of France and Barcelona.

07/27/08 Has the Internet created a "new" kind of reading, one that schools and society should not discount?

The Simses of Old Greenwich, Connecticut, gather to read after dinner. Their means of text delivery is divided by generation.

(Nicole Bengiveno/The New York Times Photo)

Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?

HendersonvilleNews.com

... leisure time watching television, to read and write. Even accomplished book readers like Zachary Sims, 18, of Old Greenwich, Conn., crave the ability to quickly find different points of view on a subject and converse with others online...

Also please see:

Is Our Children Reading?

By Nancy Scola

... There's this great photo accompanying the story in which the Sims family (great name!) of Old Greenwich, Connecticut, is gathered in their living room. Mom is clutching a newspaper, Dad a book, and their two teenage kids are ...

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07/27/08 Greenwich Time News Links For Sunday

Richard Harnett stands next to his backyard
organic garden on Hettiefred Road.
(Keelin Daly/ Greenwich Time photo)

Couple grows a smorgasbord of organic treats

By Colin Gustafson

Staff Writer

For years, Richard Harnett said he whittled away his leisure hours jogging, playing chess and relaxing with his wife and son by the pool.

Assistant GHS coach quits

A Greenwich High School assistant football coach has quit after several of his players were arrested for throwing eggs at his cars, athletic officials said.

Phil Tarantino, who worked as a receivers' coach for the perennial powerhouse Cardinals, has resigned from the team, said Gus Lindine, the school's athletic director.

"He has decided to step down," Lindine said Friday.

Lindine confirmed that "several football team members were involved in the situation" but declined to elaborate, referring questions about the matter to Tarantino.

Messages seeking comment from Tarantino, who lives on Bible Street in Cos Cob, were left Friday and Thursday at his home.

Board may review cop at GHS

The school system may re-examine the School Resource Officer program at Greenwich High School if a poll shows overwhelming opposition to it following an officer's use of a Taser on a student, a school spokeswoman said.

On May 13, School Resource Officer Carlos Franco used a Taser to subdue student Victor Hugo Londono when the student resisted arrest after refusing to report to the assistant headmaster's office following his suspension.

Soon after the incident, school officials sent out an annual satisfaction survey, the Harris Interactive School Poll, to parents, students and teachers, appending a question about the SRO program at the school.

"I support having a School Resource Officer at Greenwich High School," the survey stated, and asked readers to give a response ranging from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree."

Though the mailing deadline for the surveys was June 6, the results will not be available for several months, said Kim Eves, a spokeswoman for the school system.

Members of the Board of Education and the GHS parent-teacher association appended the question to this year's poll, Eves said, "simply as a way to open up a discussion" with members of the community following the controversial May 13 incident. However, the question - which appeared alongside another item about the need to "teach character and ethics" in school - should not be viewed as an outright referendum on the SRO program, Eves stressed.

If, for instance, the results came back....

Assembly candidates tap funding

With public funding of elections available for the first time this year in Connecticut, four of the six candidates on the General Assembly ballot in Greenwich are accepting taxpayer money for their campaigns outright or are leaning toward doing so.

Meeting at Bruce recalls 1940 voyage

Although Ruth Meador, 76, does not remember the voyage that claimed the life of Jacques Goudstikker, a famed Dutch art dealer, she will never forget that it was the same voyage that saved her life.

Children and parents learn about beekeeping

By Meredith Blake

Staff writer

Learning how to harvest honey was a sweet way to spend the day.

Winklevoss twins preparing for

Like most twin brothers, Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss travel in the same circles. The 26-year-old Greenwich natives each attended Greenwich Country Day School, Brunswick School and Harvard University, where they excelled academically and athletically.

Do the homework to assure yourself of safety

Investing in today's market environment is a particular challenge for retirees who depend on their investments to cover their living expenses.

Golf group helps members improve networking, game

Coleen Banks has done more than improve her golf game since joining the Fairfield County Chapter of the Executive Women's Golf Association. The Stamford resident also has made some valuable business connections.

The group provides valuable opportunities to network not just with fellow chapter members but also with members of other chapters across the country, said Banks, operator of an Ameriprise Financial office in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

"I joined in the early 1990s. I wanted to learn how to play the game for business reasons," Banks said, adding that her participation has helped her acquire clients outside the chapter....

Others likely would have welcomed field

To the Greenwich Time editor:

I am writing to say how very disappointed I am with some of the residents in Riverside and our town officials. I have lived in Byram for all of my 47 years. I believe if there were a piece of vacant town-owned land - unfortunately, I don't think there is because a lot of it has been used for affordable housing - and children used their energy to create a magnificent Wiffle ball stadium, I could safely and proudly say our neighbors wouldn't complain. They would have embraced the spirit and energy and pitched in to help. Parents and their children alike would play on that field together.

As adults, we constantly try to get our kids to get off the couch; we tell them to be active and creative, and that is just what these kids were doing. However, their reward was a lesson in the law and a reality check. The world, and especially our beautiful town of Greenwich, has changed.

Would it be such a horrible thing for the neighbors near the stadium to listen to the sounds of kids playing, to listen to youth and happiness, for the rest of the summer, a few short weeks? School will be back in session before we know it, and the stadium would become quite a quiet place again.

It's a shame that some adults have forgotten how it felt to be a kid, in the summertime, in Greenwich. My own childhood was filled with whole days spent playing outside, when we would take just a few minutes to go home and gobble down a quick sandwich, only to return to the playground to play with our friends.

I thank all of the kids who built their beautiful stadium. Thank you for bringing back a spirit that, unfortunately, has been lost in some of us.

Happy summer!

Sue Frano

Byram

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07/27/08 Democratic voter registration is up sharply in southwestern Connecticut's 4th Congressional District

Voter surge may hurt Shays

Connecticut Post

... the 2006 Democratic primary. In Washington on Friday, Congressional Quarterly Politics said that Jim Himes, of Greenwich, a former investment banker expected to win the Democratic primary on Aug. 12, can bring a "serious challenge that will be aided ...

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07/26/08 In memory of those who have died from cancer and in honor of those who are battling it

Swimmers dive in to fund cancer research

Journal News

... and corporate donors. The Swim Across America event is also being held in Nassau and Suffolk counties, in Greenwich, Conn., and in Chicago, Boston and San Francisco. 'It's such a great feeling to be able to fight back this disease,' said Tony ..

Please also see:

Greenwich Swim

Thank you for making the 2008 SAA event a huge success!

Greenwich swimmers, volunteers and supporters: Thank you for a fantastic event and a fabulous kick-off to the 2008 Swim Across America season. The weather was perfect, the water was still and over 100 Greenwich swimmers raised almost $200,000. View our:

Swim Day Video

New for 2008..... we added a 1/2 mile swim option, in addition to our mile-and-a-half swim which will begin at Greenwich Point (Tod’s Point) and head north to the serene shore of our beneficiary’s headquarters.

Swimmers, boaters, kayakers, sponsors and volunteers made this event a huge success! Swim Across America is proud to team up with the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy (ACGT). In 2001, Edward and Barbara Netter founded ACGT -- the nation’s only foundation dedicated exclusively to funding cancer gene therapy research. ACGT's extremely sophisticated research supports different approaches to gene therapy and makes critically important discoveries as researchers try to realize an effective alternative to the treatment and management of cancer....

For more information, contact:

Jacque@swimacrossamerica.org

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07/26/08 Reader Submitted Comments: Greenwich Blog Tip

Laguna Beach has nothing on us!
I think we should have our own reality show

Dear Greenewich Roundup,

Just posted today - a lot of 20-somethings having a party and camping out on island beach:

http://blondeexcuse.pixxiestails.com/archives/2008/07/island_in_the_sun.html

Almost all the posts are in greenwich, actually:

http://blondeexcuse.pixxiestails.com/

More From Blonde Excuse:

• Vanessa's Going Away Party
• Fantastic
• Happy 15th Frisky!
• Alberto's Birthday BBQ
• Flickr Fixed!
• From My iPhone
• Christian the Lion
• Another Night Out At Black Bear
• Happy (Belated) Birthday Vanessa!

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07/26/08 Bill Clarke Has The Inside Scoop About What Is Going On At The "Yellowich Time"

The Local Rag Hits a New Low...

Just when you thought, dear reader, that it was impossible for the local rag, aka Yellowwich Time, to get any worse than it's been for lo! these many years, it has sunk to yet another new low. The Amazing Incredible Shrinking Dollar has nothing on the morons who bring you the daily swill, fresh from the overflowing sewers of the seamy side of Greenwich. Now they have fired probably the most talented writer in Greenwich, Sarah Littman, at the behest of one of the slimiest, nuttiest, most virulent anti-Semites in this or any other state, the unspeakable Lee Whitnum.

Your scribe used to think of Loopy Lee as a joke. See, for example, his post a few months ago entitled "The Silly Season Gets Sillier," [2/15/2008 02:05:00 PM]. She was always good for a few laughs, and not to be taken seriously. Or so it seemed.

But now the local rag has taken her seriously, and one of our Town's noblest and most honest citizens has been harmed as a result. Loopy Lee is no longer a joke; she is a toxic hate-monger. And she is running to represent you, dear reader, in the halls of our United States Congress.

You can read her latest rant, if you have the stomach for it, on the op-ed page of Yellowwich Time today. It has been considerably redacted, not to say censored, by someone at the rag in order to remove some of the more flagrant falsehoods and glaring libels. But Loopy Lee has been playing fast and loose with the truth for many years, to the point where your scribe doubts she is able to tell the difference between fact and fiction any longer.

In any case, the local rag has given her one-third of today's op-ed page, and Sarah Littman the boot. Instead of Sarah's concise, well-reasoned, and elegant prose, we are treated to Loopy Lee telling us that Jim Himes "[barks] like the trained seal he is," how Alan Dershowitz "capitalizes on American ignorance," and how Sarah's thoughtful assessments of the Whitnum candidacy are "hateful onslaughts." And that's just the cleaned-up censored version. Makes one wonder what the original screed must have been like.

Your scribe is all in favor of free speech, as he has made clear on many occasions in the past. But hate speech is not protected speech. In fact, it is a crime. In your scribe's humble opinion, Ms. Whitnum is utterly unqualified to spend time serving this district in Congress. But she might be qualified to spend time serving in jail. What a story that would make, if only we had an honest newspaper in this Town to report it!

Instead, the local rag has sacrified its best op-ed commentator in order to bring us the rants and raves of what a clinician might describe as a borderline personality. Shame on the pusillanimous Yellowwich Time! All of us in Greenwich, dear reader, are the losers because of the utter disgrace this tabloid has brought upon itself, and the drivel it is now trying to foist off on us. The time is now, if it ever was, to cancel your subscription to the Time.

More From Greenwich Gossip:

• Bastille Day and Other News...
• More Thoughts on Tom Tewell
• Tom Tewell Lands on His Feet
• Does She or Doesn't She?
• Gary Kriss Gets Caught
• When is a Cupcake Not a Cupcake?
• James Kennerley Outdoes Himself
• Shocking Developments at Greenwich High School
• Bye, Bye, Mario

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07/26/08 JIM HIMES PRESS RELEASE: CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY CHANGES 4TH CD RATING TO "NO CLEAR FAVORITE"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 25, 2008 Contact: Michael Sachse, 646 265-0556, Michael@HimesforCongress.com CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY CHANGES 4TH CD RATING TO "NO CLEAR FAVORITE" Ratings move is latest evidence of grassroots strength of Himes campaign BRIDGEPORT, CT - Today, Congressional Quarterly changed their rating of the race for Connecticut's Fourth Congressional District from "Leans Republican" to "No Clear Favorite." CQ's move is the latest in a series of similar ratings changes that have tilted towards Democratic Candidate for Congress Jim Himes in recent months. "Our campaign's central message of restoring the American Dream and bringing new energy to D.C. is clearly catching on," said Himes. "I feel the same way as the voters I talk with every single day who are more and more upset with the direction of our country. Whether it's working to fix our energy policy and bring gas prices down, making sure the middle class in our district can continue to afford to live and work here, or jump-starting an economy that will continue to offer opportunity to all, they want a representative who will stand up for them and be a real leader on these issues. That's why I get up every morning, and that's why our campaign is attracting more and more new supporters every day." "This is a recognition of the efforts of our grassroots army of supporters, volunteers, and small-dollar donors," said Maura Keaney, Himes' campaign manager. "We nearly matched Chris Shays dollar-for-dollar in fundraising last quarter, with over two-thirds of our contributions coming in amounts of $100 or less. And every day, our supporters are on the phones, hitting the pavement, and reaching out to their family, friends, and neighbors to let them know about Jim's campaign for new energy for the American Dream. A wave of support for real change is clearly building in our district, and it's aimed right at Chris Shays in November." On the web: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002925691

Paid for by Jim Himes for Congress

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07/26/08 Greenwich Time News Links For Saturday

I-95 bus collision causes bruises

About 20 youths and adults suffered minor injuries in a collision involving two school buses yesterday on Interstate 95 just south of the Greenwich line, New York State Police said.

Sgt. John Maasz said the collision resulted in "a lot of injured people, (with) mostly bumps and bruises."

The crash occurred near Exit 2 at 3:10 p.m. Two buses were traveling in the right lane when the first bus rear-ended a Ford Explorer and the second bus hit the first one, according to N.Y. State Trooper Angel Rosado. Minor injuries were suffered by passengers in both buses, who were apparently children and staff returning from a summer camp field trip, Rosado said.

Rescue units responded from as far away as Stamford and White Plains, N.Y., Rosado said.

About 50 police could be seen at the scene of the crash.

The Greenwich Police Department sent two medic supervisors and transported a total of seven people to Greenwich Hospital, with minor injuries, according to the Greenwich Police Department...

'Dinnertime bandit' lawyer decries kidnapping charge

STAMFORD - An attorney for the alleged "dinnertime bandit" argued in court yesterday that his client's arrest warrant should be dismissed and that a kidnapping charge should be dropped.

New Wiffle ball field opens

Welcome to the House that Lawyers Built. Exactly one week after they were kicked out of a municipally-owned lot in Riverside in a tearful farewell, a group of jaded teens christened a new Wiffle ball field yesterday that the town created for them behind the International School at Dundee.

Assistant GHS coach quits

A Greenwich High School assistant football coach has quit after several of his players were arrested for throwing eggs at his cars, athletic officials said.

Greenwich legislature candidates lean toward public campaign financing

With public funding of elections available for the first time this year in Connecticut, four of the six candidates on the General Assembly ballot in Greenwich are accepting taxpayer money for their campaigns outright or are leaning toward doing so.

In the 151st House District race, both Republican Alfred Camillo and Democrat Edward Krumeich Jr. applied for grants from the Citizens' Election Fund.

So did Mark Diamond, the Democratic Senate hopeful in the 36th District, which includes Greenwich and parts of Stamford and New Canaan.

State Rep. Lile Gibbons, R-150th District, who is running unopposed for re-election, said she will probably go the same route.

State Rep. Livvy Floren, R-149th Distict, who is also uncontested, and 36th District Republican Senate candidate L. Scott Frantz are not accepting public funding.

Christmas in July

When Santa Clause comes to Greenwich in late July, he doesn't arrive on a reindeer-drawn sleigh, but on a big red fire engine.

Gaia set to become French bistro

Gaia has been one of the hot spots in Greenwich during the past several years. So why must the casual fine dining restaurant convert to a French bistro in September?

Stamford locks in fuel prices, adopts conservation measures

STAMFORD - As the price of crude oil continues to drop - it is down more than $20 a barrel since hitting a record above $147 a few weeks ago - the city has locked in fuel prices for the fiscal year that began July 1.

Poll shows our state loves a winner

Is there a bigger bunch of bandwagon-jumpers than the baseball fans of Connecticut? Maybe not, judging by the results of a recent poll from Quinnipiac University, which showed state residents now prefer the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees, 41 to 40 percent.

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07/26/08 Student Blogger Takes School And Principal To Court

Student blogger plans libel lawsuit

The Associated Press

BURLINGTON, Conn.—An attorney for a high school student who brought a free speech lawsuit against her school district last year said he now plans to file a libel lawsuit against the principal.

Jon Schoenhorn, a Hartford attorney representing Avery Doninger, said he has served notice to Lewis S. Mills High School Principal Karissa Niehoff of the impending lawsuit.

Doninger and her family have been at odds with the district since last year, when Doninger used offensive slang to refer to administrators on an Internet blog. School officials removed her as class secretary, which Doninger said was a violation of her constitutional rights.

The case went as far as the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York as Doninger sought an injunction to regain her spot as class secretary and speak at her class graduation in June. The court rejected that request, but her lawsuit is pending.

The threat of a new libel lawsuit stems from an e-mail exchange that Niehoff had with a Wisconsin man who read about the legal case in the New York Post.

School administrators said Niehoff improperly disclosed information about Doninger in the exchange, which the man forwarded to Doninger's family. Niehoff was suspended for two days without pay for the incident.

Schoenhorn said Thursday that Niehoff will be sued for libel "for the false things she said to people about Avery."

A formal lawsuit has yet to be filed, and Schoenhorn declined to give details about when and where the suit might be filed.

Niehoff's attorney, Christine Chinni, declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.

Doninger's mother, Lauren, said Niehoff was punished for making a comment and distributing it on the Internet, the same reason cited for the punishment of her daughter, she said.

"It's not a decision we made lightly," she said. "The irony is too overwhelming that Avery, at 16, made some ill-considered remarks and sent them into cyberspace, and she was punished relentlessly. The principal effectively does the same thing. Does she expect no consequences?"

———

Information from: Republican-American, http://www.rep-am.com

07/25/08 Greenwich Police David Ridberg Was Wrong - It's against the law for a person to circulate a criminal report involving a minor

"It is not a criminal violation for a civilian to circulate such a report", Ridberg said on Wednesday

HEADLINE:

At Least Eight Anti-Wiffleball Families Involved With The Juvenile Report Are Under Investigation And May Need The Services Of A Good Defense Attorney

QUOTES:

"So I think that it is pretty clear that if you disclose it further you would be in violation of that statute," Fran Carino, supervisory juvenile prosecutor for the state said. "You could probably make a case for contempt for violating a court order."

"We continue to interview people in house, " Greenwich Police David Ridberg said.

"At this point, we're taking the police at their word," Lindy Urso, the lawyer for the family of the juvenile named in the report said. "One way or the other, the family will discover the truth and proceed accordingly. If it turns out that someone in the police department is responsible, they will be just as liable as a private citizen.

STORY:

Police report sent illegally

By Neil Vigdor Greenwich Time Staff Writer

The state's top juvenile prosecutor said yesterday that it's against the law for a person to circulate a criminal report involving a minor, as was the case in connection with the recent Wiffle ball controversy in Riverside.

Fran Carino, supervisory juvenile prosecutor for the state, said youth cases are shielded from the public by law to prevent minors from being stigmatized by the crimes they commit.

Even sections of juvenile reports obtained legitimately through the court system by victims or defendants in crimes are prohibited from "further disclosure" under the law, he said.

...About eight to 10 families in the neighborhood received copies of the juvenile report, according to Urso, who said the family could seek punitive damages from anyone who distributed the report.

"Obviously, the more widespread the dissemination, the more harm that is done to the child," Urso said. "Once we discover who the culpable parties are, we want to be prepared to take immediate action."

Carino, the state prosecutor, said the judicial system is highly protective of juvenile reports.

"You could see why the parents of that (person) would be upset," he said

Please See Yesterday's Article:

07/24/08 Greenwich Time Reporter Neil Vigdor Updates And Relaunches His Story About A Juvenile Report That Was Circulated By Wiffle Ball Opponents

Please see Wednesday's Greenwich Roundup Article:

07/23/08 Will Lindy Urso Seek Police Department Computer Forensic Records Showing Who Modified Or Downloaded A Certain Police File

Please See Tuesday's Greenwich Roundup Article:

07/22/08 Police Chief David Ridberg said that disciplinary action and possible criminal charges may be filed if a Greenwich Police Officer Is Involved.

Greenwich Time Flashback:

Chief: Teen report "probably" obtained legitimately

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07/25/08 Attorney General Sends Message To Greenwich Building Inspectors - Cursory Inspections Won't Cut It Anymore

HEADLINE:

News Channel 8 went to town hall to look at the inspector's certificate.

The Certificate was not available because it's involved in pending litigation.

QUOTE:

"There really needs to be a complete overhaul in the way we inspect, review, establish standards and then make sure they're followed," Attorney General Blumenthal said. "Because, obviously human lives are at stake."

STORY:

Attorney general says overhaul needed for pool inspections

WTNH

Engineers and inspectors signed-off on the safety of a Greenwich pool that claimed a young boy's life. This leaves many to wonder if the pool company president should be the only person held legally accountable for the child's death.

Checks and balances are supposed to make sure that what happened in a Greenwich pool doesn't happen. The system failed and a young boy died as a result. Now, one man is facing manslaughter charges and his defense attorney is speaking out saying, his client didn't knowingly ignore safety codes. And, there were many others involved, including the town of Greenwich.

"You think of the thousands of swimming pools that have been built in Connecticut, prior to September 1, of 2004, that did not have these devices. And, I don't know of another entrapment death in Connecticut," Defense Attorney Richard Meehan said.

Meehan is fighting back for his client, Shoreline Pool President David Lionetti. Lionetti has been charged with manslaughter in the death of a young Greenwich boy who drowned after being sucked into the drain of his family's pool.

Meehan admits, the pool was not up to the safety standards but, he claims, it was not clear that the state law had changed.

"There was a great deal of confusion in the industry about whether there had been changes and when the changes became effective," Meehan said.

In fact, the pool was signed-off on by both an engineer and a town inspector.

The state law went into effect in 2004. The town of Greenwich issued a permit for the construction in June of 2005. A town inspector signed off on a Certificate of Occupance in August of 2006.

News Channel 8 went to town hall to look at the inspector's certificate. In turn, it was not available because it's involved in pending litigation.

The First Selectman did not return the station's call for comment. But, sources inside the industry, who did not want to go on camera, tell News Channel 8 that those inspections are often only cursory. And, building inspectors are often not aware of all the code changes.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says the fact that this pool went through so many levels, without anyone raising red flags, is deeply disturbing to the state.

All of those people are involved in a civil suit, but only Lionetti has been criminally charged with manslaughters. He will be arraigned in Stamford Superior Court on Monday.

Please see yesterday's article:

07/24/08 Should Town Building Department Employees Be Charged With Manslaughter In The Death Of Six Year Old Zachary Archer Cohn?

Please Also See:

07/23/08 Insiders Say Lionetti Got Email Alerts About New Laws Covering The Safety Vacuum Release System Required For Pool Construction

AND:

07/23/08 Is Frank Mazza A Nut Case? The School's Building Committee Wants Town Employees To Approve 112 Inspections In Less Than 4 Business Days

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07/25/08 Kevin Shattenkirk's good friend and teammate at Boston University, Colby Cohen, were both drafted by the Avs during the 2007 Entry Draft.

Avs' prospects still stick together

NHL.com

When defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk was selected in the first round of the 2007 Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche, he was entering the unknown with the impression that he would be doing everything on his own.

By the time that draft's second round was complete, that all changed.

That's because with the No. 45 selection, the Avs grabbed Shattenkirk's good friend, defenseman Colby Cohen. While the pair didn't grow up on the same street, they frequently played together on various travel teams. But it doesn't stop there. Not only are Shattenkirk and Cohen both Colorado prospects, they also skate on the same blue line at Boston University.

"It's great," Shattenkirk said during the Avs' development camp. "We've grown up together, playing with each other on summer teams, playing against each other in winter hockey. We've known each other for a while, and just going through all of this together, it's definitely something we both enjoy."

Added Cohen: "It's neat … we've known each other for a long time. We've been on a lot of the same teams growing up, so it's nice to know someone when you're going through this experience."

Shattenkirk, who hails from Greenwich, Conn., and idolized former Rangers defenseman Brian Leetch while growing up, had four goals and 17 assists in 40 games in his first season at BU. With some experience under his belt, the offensive-minded defenseman is banking on bigger things as a sophomore...

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07/25/08 Greenwich Citizen News Links

TOP STORY

HEADLINE:

Greenwich Citizen Reporter PATRICIA McCORMACK pours on the sticky syrup.

Police Chief David Ridberg used a "comforting tone of voice" and "a sympathetic manner and demeanor" as his officers made sure that Wiffle ball players did not chain themselves to the outfield fence.

First Selectman Peter Tesei faced "the darkest of my administration"

Reporters were "drawn like bees to clover"

DPW workers were "handling great fragile treasure"

Teenagers were "civil on the outside but sobbing on the inside"

STORY:

Solemn Signs of the Times

The woman appeared saddened that Town workers had just taken out the controversial Wiffle ball field, as ordered by First Selectman Peter Tesei.

"I understand both sides of this," Ridberg, using a comforting tone of voice, told the woman who exhibited the deep sorrow of one returning from the funeral of a loved one.

The Chief's demeanor - a sympathetic manner - mirrored that of other uniformed police officers and Town workers on the scene from around 7 a.m. to carry out Tesei's order.

When he issued it, Tesei related that the day was "the darkest of my administration."...

...Only an American flag was left.

"That belongs to the players," the foreman said. "It's their property.

We won't touch it."

"That belongs to the players," the foreman said. "It's their property.

We won't touch it."

Here Is Some More Sugar Coated Very Old

News Reports From The Greenwich Citizen:

Ham Ave. Parents Plead for Timely Finish

The hard working-through-summer school administrators and members of the Board of Education were confronted by an angry parent body of two western Greenwich elementary schools Tuesday night at an emergency meeting of the board in the Greenwich High School Auditorium....

Shoreline Pools' Lionetti Charged in Child's Drowning

The name of Shoreline Pools has been synonymous for elegantly laid out swimming pools across Greenwich, often with fieldstone surrounds, or artful waterfall features.

But Monday, Shoreline President David Lionetti, 53, of Stamford, stood accused of manslaughter in the second degree for, according to Greenwich police, "having recklessly caused the death of six-year-old Zachary Cohn." With the charge comes a possible prison term of 10 years...

Fresh Back from Israel, Himes Hones in on Issues

Congressional candidate Jim Himes, displaying a smoother oratorical style than in the past, spent two hours updating a packed Town Hall crowd on campaign issues July 16...

Dreams, Democracy Demolished

So the Big Bad Wolf decided to go and blow the house down. Nice. When the powers that be in Town Dysfunction decided in the name of "Holy Liability" that a Wiffle ball stadium built by teens....

Letters To The Greenwich Citizen Editor

About Letters In The Greenwich Time:

To the Greenwich Citizen Editor:

The July 16 issue of the Greenwich Time carried a letter, written by the chairman of the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee, regarding increased drilling for domestic oil and natural gas - which he opposes.

The letter is predictably snide and nasty in its tone. More important, however, is that it unintentionally illustrates the danger to the country from political policies and politicians driven by ideology rather than common sense. Try as it might, the left wing of the Democratic Party cannot repeal the law of supply and demand; it is thus willing to repeat the failed energy policies of the Clinton administration.

The left wing (i.e., the Obama, Pelosi, Reid and Himes wing) of the Democratic Party is apparently so beholden to radical environmentalists that it will not or cannot adapt to changing economic circumstances.

Most Americans, however, want a common sense solution to the nation's current energy problems. That solution will be found in a combination of policies: greater conservation right now and, we assume, the development of economically and environmentally viable alternative energy sources in the longer term.

At the same time, it is absolutely essential, for both national security and economic reasons, that we take immediate action to increase our domestic energy resources. To pretend otherwise is to continue to live in an ideological fantasy land.

Voters should note which political party is likely to be willing and able going forward to support rational policies in the vital and rapidly changing energy sector.

John R. Raben Jr.

Chairman, Greenwich Republican Town Committee

Riverside

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07/20/08 More On Senate Banking Chairman Dodd

THE KINGDOM OF DODD

Chris Fountain covers "Our man in Washington" at his excellent news and commentary website called," For What It's Worth " the web address is Greenwichrealestate.blogspot.com.

Our man in Washington

There's an interesting discussion going on in the comments section of the previous post concerning Wall Street, Washington and in general, pigs at the trough. In the meantime, the question of Senator Chris Dodd coming up, I thought to confirm my suspicion that his "presidential nomination campaign" served as nothing more than a sop to his ego and a sponge for the campaign contributions he could solicit (or extort) because of his position as Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. As for ego, there's no doubt that every boy and girl serving in the Senate believes, deep down, that he's qualified to be President. But it takes an ego of truly gargantuan dimensions to act on that belief when polls list you at 1% voter recognition. That didn't stop Dodd, of course, particularly when he could indulge his aspirations at the expense of the financial community he regulates. Sure enough, the senator put the touch on his new best friends. Try this or, for a general overview from years past (I believe this latter doesn't include his presidential campaign contributions, which are tabulated separately) this.

Dodd learned from his father, of course, that direct solicitation of bribes leads to trouble, but squeezing folks you can choose to put out of business, well that's just Washington politics. Years ago, William F. Buckley pointed out that our Senator from New London regularly voted against every single defense appropriation except those supporting new nuclear submarines. It's certainly possible, as Buckley posited, that the senator truly believed that the only weapon that could protect our nation from its enemies was the nuclear sub. On the other hand, cynics might be forgiven for suspecting that the man was just a hollow, greedy shill who looked out for his interests and his interests only. I was one of those cynics oh so long ago and I've never changed my opinion.

Previous Posts From For What It's Worth.

• Mea Culpa There's a nice post in the comments sect...
• Pricing There were 26 price reductions reported ye...
• HoJo's Thanks to two intrepid readers, Pam, who re...
• Price reductions The condos on South Water Street...
• Fun with numbers The Greenwich MLS has just issued...
• Needless Tragedy Greenwich Time reports that the h...
• Statistics We have 626 single family homes current...
• The market is going down I've complained before ab...
• The glaciers are melting! The glaciers are melting...

If you are relively new to Greenwich you spend a few hours on a Sunday afternoon and read all or most of Mr. Fountain's Previous Columns.

Note To Greenwich Roundup Readers:

I have been thinking about starting a blog roll of local blogs for along time, but I have just been too lazy. However, I am going to officially start a blog roll today with the very insightful and informative blog - For What It's Worth.

Any Greenwich single family home-owner and taxpayer that fails to read For What It's Worth is truly uninformed about what is really going on in town.

Mr. Fountains excellent reporting got him relived of his duties at a local weekly newspaper, that could not handle the heat that the truth sometimes brings to an editor or publisher.

Please also see yesterday's article on Christopher Dodd:

07/24/08 John Dyment Of Cos Cob Can't Talk About How His Hedge Fund Is Helping To Bail Out The Senate Banking Chairman

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07/25/08 Greenwich Time News Links For Friday

TOP STORY

HEADLINE:

CT State Attorney Valdes Argues That His Case Against The Dinner Time Bandit Is So Weak That He Needs AP Reporter Christoffersen Testimony To Save The Day

QUOTES:

"The defendant made incriminating admissions to Mr. Christoffersen," State Attorney Joseph Valdes' motion said. "The state is requesting that the court order Mr. Christoffersen to testify to the relevant and admissible admissions by the defendant."

"It is a very strong law from the media's standpoint and demands the party seeking the testimony or demanding documents to make a showing that they need it in order to make their case," Dave Tomlin, associate general counsel for the Associated Press said. " I don't think they meet that."

"I liked the planning," alleged Dinnertime Bandit Alan Golder said in the interview. "I liked the execution. I liked the reward."

STORY:

Reporter ordered to testify

By Martin B. Cassidy Staff Writer

In a challenge to a 2006 law expanding protection of journalist's sources and other information, prosecutors want to subpoena a reporter to testify about what they say are incriminating statements made by alleged Dinnertime Bandit Alan Golder during a February prison interview.

In the motion filed earlier this week in state Superior Court in Stamford, Assistant State Attorney Joseph Valdes requested that Associated Press reporter John Christoffersen be ordered to testify about his conversations with Golder for a Feb. 10 article.

In the motion, Valdes argues that Christoffersen's testimony is "critical" to the prosecution of the 53-year-old Golder and not available by other means...

...Christoffersen interviewed Golder at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Facility in Suffield earlier this year about his time spent on the run in Europe after Greenwich issued a warrant for his arrest in 1998...

...Gary Farrugia, publisher of the New London Day and the current president of the Connecticut Daily Newspaper Association, said Valdes' motion is the first challenge to the 2006 law's protections he has heard of.

Farrugia said he believes the law puts a high burden of proof on the prosecutor to show they have exhausted other avenues to obtain the information they seek from Christoffersen.

"It pretty much flies in the face and the intent of the shield law," Farrugia said. "The way I read it this AP reporter is comfortably under its protection."

A hearing on the motion has been scheduled for Aug. 1
Greenwich Roundup Predicts That Assistant State Attorney Joseph Valdes Will Soon Be Reading The Following Associated Press Headline:

Judge Declines To Order Reporter To Testify In Dinner Time Bandit Case

Please Read The Full Greenwich Time Story

More Greenwich Time News Links:

West Nile virus found in town

Mosquitoes infected with West Nile virus have been found at a location near the Greenwich Civic Center.

Bruce to receive $750,000

The Bruce Museum is set to receive $750,000 from the state for its expansion plans. Gov. Jodi Rell announced the state funding yesterday.

Police blotter

Loire A. Squillini, 40, of 411 East 88th St., New York, N.Y., was arrested by warrant Wednesday afternoon and charged with second-degree harassment and second-degree threatening, according to a police report.

Squillini allegedly made harassing phone calls to her former boyfriend, according to the report.

She turned herself in at the Greenwich Police Department after being notified about the warrant, according to the report.

She was released on $250 bond, and is scheduled to appear Wednesday in state Superior Court in Stamford, according to the report.

********************************************************

Lorna J. Williams, 35, of 30-31 Armstrong Court, was arrested Wednesday night and was charged with second-degree breach of peace in connection with a verbal argument with her son, according to a police report.

Upon arrival, police were told that Williams had argued loudly in the roadway in front of 47 South Water St. with her 17-year-old son, according to the report.

The 17-year-old also was charged with second-degree breach of peace, according to the report. Police withheld his name because of his age.

Both were released on promises to appear Thursday in state Superior Court in Stamford, according to the report.

Technology keeps hospital a step ahead

Digital wristbands, wireless Internet and voice activated communication devices are just some of the technology that has enabled Greenwich Hospital to be recognized as one of the "Most Wired" hospitals in the country.

The art of a gallery owner

There are brightly colored paintings of athletes evoking American painter Leroy Neiman. Amidst those paintings are more luminescent works reminiscent of the great masters.

This unique blend of antique and contemporary is what Mark Blechman says draws collectors to Galerie Zama, his latest effort in the local arts and antiques scene. The 62-year-old Blechman has been on the local scene for about two decades. He established the International Fiduciary Inc. (IFI), an auction house in the Shippan section of Stamford, in 1986. It also was there that for many years he operated the Shippan Center for Arts & Antiques. Last year he closed the antiques center where dealers rented booths to display and sell their wares.

The aftereffects of a brutal crime

It was a crime shocking not just for its brutality, but for the way it diminished our sense of safety. No one is immune to violence, but residents of well-to-do suburbs like Cheshire probably thought they'd put some distance between themselves and the worst of the danger. However, the killings of three people in that town one year ago contradicted that notion.

Last July 23, Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters, Hayley Elizabeth and Michaela Rose, were slain in a home invasion. In the year since, state residents have struggled to cope with the idea of crime being so random and unanticipated, and the realization that we can never be protected from every danger.

The critics of school projects will not go away

To the Greenwich Time editor:

How embarrassing for the town of Greenwich. Here we are in the spotlight again, not down one school building but two!

To the members of the Board of Education and our first selectman: Do not think we, the parents of Hamilton Avenue and Glenville schools, will accept your continued nonsense.

Our children will not be victims any longer. We will not be dispersed nor will we go into the already-deemed-unsafe Glenville School building. It is time for officials to get their acts together and get our schools done. Stop the games!

How many millions of dollars has this incompetence already cost the taxpayers of Greenwich? Every Greenwich resident should be as outraged as I am.

The town can install pretty brick crosswalks and demolish Wiffle ball fields, but can't get its schools done. Something is terribly wrong.

Kerry Dunn

Greenwich

The writer is a Hamilton Avenue School parent.

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07/24/08 Postal Services is taking a look at options to turn its fleet green, even though, the town of Greenwich abandoned plans to go green

Postal Service Wants To Green 90% Of Fleet

Environmental Leader

The U.S. Postal Service is participating in Project Driveway to identify new technologies in hopes of replacing almost 90 percent, or 195,000 of its delivery fleet with non-petroleum fueled vehicles. General Motors presented a Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell electric vehicle to the Postal Service for testing in a mail-delivery environment.

The move comes as fuel price are skyrocketing; since a one-cent increase in a gallon of fuel adds $8 million annually to the company’s expenses. Last year, fuel costs were $1.7 billion and are expected to increase by $600 million this year.

An alternative could be hydrogen fuel cells, which are touted as being twice as efficient as an internal combustion engine, emits only water vapor and uses fuel that can be made from traditional and renewable energy sources.

The Postal Service currently has over 43,000 alternative fuel vehicles that can operate on hybrid-electric, compressed natural gas, liquid propane gas, ethanol (E-85), biodiesel and hydrogen fuel cell.

The Postal Service did well in a recent report that looked at the sustainability of shipping companies.

on the While the Postal Services is taking a look at options to turn its fleet green, the Town of Greenwich, Connecticut, recently abandoned plans to run half of its fleet on soy-based biodiesel fuel.

But, for now, it seems the green fleet trend is still strong, with AT&T, UPS and Nike all adding more green vehicles to their fleets.

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