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Monday, November 24, 2008

11/24/08 Greenwich Time News Links --- Top Story: DUI Killer That Greenwich Police Let Go Free Is Brought Before A Judge To Stand For Joey's Death


Douglas Moore at his arraignment in the fatal Sheephill Road motor vehicle accident that killed 20-year-old Joseph Borselio. He stands with his attorney James Pastore.
(Helen Neafsey/Greenwich Time photo)

Deputy Assistant State's Attorney David Applegate Fails To Provide DUI Killer With Evidence Against Him In A Timely Manner

Riverside man arraigned in fatal accident

By Debra Friedman
Staff Writer
Posted: 11/24/2008 11:56:58 AM EST

STAMFORD - The 24-year-old Riverside man charged with second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle and other offenses stemming from an Oct. 5 accident that killed 20-year-old Joseph Borselio was arraigned Monday morning in state Superior Court in Stamford.

Douglas Moore did not enter a plea on the charges, which also include operating under the influence, evading responsibility in a fatal crash, unsafe movement and failure to exercise due care to avoid a pedestrian.

The case was continued until Jan. 7......

.....Pastore said he is still waiting for the autopsy report, photographs of the scene and speed calculations.

Moore turned himself over to Greenwich Police on Nov. 17 after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Police said Moore struck and killed Borselio, who was riding his bicycle north on Sheephill Road near the intersection with Sound Beach Avenue Extension just before midnight on Oct. 5.

Please Read The Full Greenwich Time Story


COMMENT:


Let's Wait And See How Good A Job That The Greenwich Police Department Did Collecting Evidence Against The DUI Killer That They Wrongly Let Go Free Seven Weeks Ago.


Greenwich police begin DUI holiday crackdown
With the holiday season just around the corner, local and state police will step up their efforts to curb drunken driving with undercover patrols, air surveillance and sobriety checkpoints.


"This is definitely a high priority as the holidays approach," said Lt. J. Paul Vance, state police spokesman. "Our message is clear - drinking and driving can only result in something bad. It can even be deadly."


Greenwich police will increase patrols and work with state police to set up sobriety checkpoints.....


....."People think of it as a traffic ticket, but it's a heck of a lot more," said Vance.


"We're talking handcuffs, custody battles, embarrassment, court appearances and the added expense that goes along with it."


Under state law, an adult is legally intoxicated if their blood-alcohol content measures .08 or higher. Drivers under age 21 are legally intoxicated if their blood-alcohol concentration is .02 or less.


A contributing factor to drunken driving during the holiday season, particularly Thanksgiving, is the return home of college freshmen, Vance said.....


....Last Thanksgiving, Vance said state police investigated 408 motor vehicle accidents, four of which involved fatalities. State police also arrested 67 people for drunken driving, Vance said.


While the issue is certainly intensified between Thanksgiving and New Year's, Vance said state police take it seriously throughout the year.


"This is a campaign we've undertaken. We partner with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Student Against Destructive Decisions, as well as with municipal departments," said Vance.


According to state Department of Transportation statistics, there were 311 fatal motor vehicle accidents in 2006, 43 percent of which were alcohol related......


......State police said sobriety checkpoints are posted in places where they see a higher-than-normal number of accidents involving alcohol or drunken driving arrests. According to Vance, there are a number of areas in Fairfield County where these checkpoints will be. Greenwich police have not yet disclosed where sobriety checkpoints will be.


State police recommend sticking to nonalcoholic beverages for those planning on driving after attending holiday gatherings.......


COMMENT:


One Wonders How Many Other DUI Drivers, Like Douglas Moore, The Greenwich Police Department Will Let Go Free Durring This Thanksgiving Holiday "Crackdown."



CHICAGO - With the economy in crisis, President-elect Barack Obama pledged Monday to honor the commitments the outgoing Bush administration has made to rescue financial markets and urged the new, incoming Congress to pass a major stimulus package "right away" to restore growth and create jobs.

The prospect of the Greenwich public schools holding classes on Veterans Day and Columbus Day to prevent more classroom disruptions in October and November has annoyed some veterans and Italian-Americans.....

...."It's kind of putting Veterans Day in with holidays like Halloween," said Eric Roitsch, 43 a veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq. "Although I didn't get into the military to be honored, I think its important that children know about those who fought for our freedoms."

World War II Veteran John Macri said that having the children take the day off to attend the parades and hear from the veterans is much more meaningful than anything they would learn in school, from a text book or a teacher.

"It just makes a much bigger impact," he said.

Taking the holiday away in some ways diminishes the importance of honoring those who fought for this country, said John Gowans, a member of the Honor Guard.

"We wouldn't have any holidays without veterans. It just doesn't make sense," he said.
Recognizing Veterans Day is an American tradition that goes back nearly 90 years.

"I really wish they wouldn't do that," said Korean War veteran Tony Cossu. "It has always been a tradition and I would prefer to keep it at that."

Columbus Day commemorates the Italian Christopher Columbus, who has been credited by some to have discovered the Americas. Italian-Americans view this holiday as an opportunity to celebrate their heritage.

"I find it a bit disturbing that they would want to get rid of this holiday especially because of the great history it has behind it, " said Tony DeVita, a member of the St. Lawrence Society, an Italian-American Club in Cos Cob. ......

....."Considering all of the holidays that we do celebrate in this town, it is inconceivable to me why they would take away one as important as this. Italians helped build this country and this town should have a day to celebrate that," said Jim Caparelle, St. Lawrence Society Treasurer.......

Americans rush plans for Obama inauguration

Stamford congregation makes plans to attend historic ceremony

By Gillian Gaynairand
Brett Zongker
The Associated Press
Posted: 11/24/2008 09:34:32 AM EST

WASHINGTON - Pattie Brew, daughter of a North Carolina sharecropper, had let almost a century go by without casting a vote for president or joining the inaugural crowds only three miles (5 kilometers) from her home in the U.S. capital.

"I never had no interest in it because my vote don't matter anyway, so I never even took the time to fool with it," said the 97-year-old woman known as Mother Brew. "I knew white people had the right of way here, you know."......

Balloons are the rage in Stamford
STAMFORD - Spec tators' eyes widened and their shouts grew louder as the 75-foot Billy Blazes balloon approached a traffic light.

US gov't unveils bold plan to rescue Citigroup

By Jeannine Aversa
The Associated Press
Posted: 11/24/2008 07:06:39 AM EST

WASHINGTON - Rushing to rescue Citigroup, the U.S. government agreed to shoulder hundreds of billions of possible losses at the stricken bank and to plow a fresh $20 billion into the company.

Regulators hope the dramatic action will bolster badly shaken confidence in the once mighty banking giant as well as the nation's financial system, a goal that so far has been elusive despite a flurry of government interventions to battle the worst global crisis since the 1930s.....

Goals set in search for new Greenwich schools chief
The Board of Education has set a series of interim deadlines in its search for its next superintendent in hopes that a new schools chief will be ready by July 1.

The board's search committee has just over seven months to undertake a slew of tasks, from hiring a search firm and consulting the public on desired traits in a schools chief, to recruiting candidates, conducting interviews and making a final selection.

The search committee last Wednesday began soliciting bids online from independent consultants that specialize in identifying and recruiting superintendents. The board is asking candidates to submit proposals by Dec. 5 to allow members to interview and select a consultant by Dec. 12.

Once that's done, the board and the consultant will seek input from community members on what qualities they want in a superintendent, according to board member Steven Anderson, who chairs the search committee.....

COMMENT:
The School Board Just Needs To Find A Superintendent That Is Willing To Fire Failed School Administrators Like The Greenwich High School Headmaster Alan Capasso And Assistant Superintendent Susan Wallerstein.


Obama begins to set economic course

By Beth Fouhy
The Associated Press
Posted: 11/24/2008 08:03:52 AM EST

CHICAGO - Eager to calm economic anxieties, President-elect Barack Obama is rolling out an economic vision that will require congressional cooperation even before he settles into his new desk in the White House's Oval Office.

Obama will introduce his new economic leadership team Monday, a key step toward enacting a huge new economic recovery plan that aims to save or create 2.5 million jobs over the next two years.

The plan is likely to far exceed the $175 billion Obama proposed during the campaign. It would include an infusion of money for infrastructure projects, new environmental technologies and tax cuts for low- and middle-income taxpayers. It will not call for tax hikes for the wealthy......

Town closes beach roads to cars on Sunday mornings
Having witnessed a cyclist get hit by a car at Greenwich Point and countless more vehicles whizzing through the narrow street that loops around the beach, Old Greenwich resident Bernadette Mazzella looks forward to the Sundays when the town closes it off to vehicles.

GYFL crowns three champions
The North Mianus Bulldogs captured the Greenwich Youth Football League Bantams championship in convincing fashion Sunday, defeating the Putnam Generals 38-13.

'Tiffany's' marks 50th anniversary
What's a call girl to do? A half-century before Ashley Dupre became New York's -- if not America's -- prostitute of fascination, there was Holly Golightly, the protagonist in Truman Capote's "Breakfast at Tiffany's.

PLEASE NOTE:
The Greenwich Time Webmaster Has Once Again Failed To Get Today's Editorial And Letter To The Greenwich Time Editor Posted Online.

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11/24/08 READER SUBMITTED COMMENTS: X Employee #2

Greenwich Roundup,
I'm not the X Advocate worker who wrote in before. I think there are 3 of us. But I agree with them. Working for Joe Pisani was very hard. Joe is a nasty guy with some serious issues. He was one of a bunch of editors. He was the senior editor. The others were much more easy going and fun to be around. He was a punk in my opinion. If I saw him on the street today, I'd say it to his face. He fired me for no reason.
The lady writers who hang all over him-Joy, she worked hard and did more editing than Joe did. She was ok, needed to hear Joe tell her how great she was doing like the rest of them needed too. Susie Costegri was a big question mark. She was around EVEN before Joe hired her because she worked upstairs for a magazine. I don't know why she was hired because she can't write and to me, I don't think she even wanted to work. She just sort of hung around, creating a less professional work environment. I think she was Joe's assistant-coffee runner-little project organizer-little ass kisser. That's about all I'll say.

I think half the paper printed EVERY DAY without Joe even seeing it. So, he was never taking blame for a thing. He was hyper focused on stupid subjects only.

He is aSOB who thinks the world revolves around him. He has a temper too. But when I see the name Pisani- I just think little !#$%^& PUNK. One day he can kiss my ass.

Glad to be gone

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Sunday, November 23, 2008

11/23/08 READER SUBMITTED COMMENTS: Mr. Robben's itty bitty view




Editor Greenwich Roundup:


Maybe Ex Greenwich Time Photographer John Ferris Robben should stop playing amature pet photographer and start doing his job!!! In order to EDIT NEWS, he might want to try FINDING NEWS . Then he might want to SKIP NEWS which is already printed here, there, and everywhere bcause by the time he prints it, its OLD NEWS. Somehow, LAST WEEKS NEWS, doesn't have the draw that TODAY'S NEWS does.

Mr. Robben, the secret of a successful newspaper is the same as a successful web site. It is NEWSSSSSS.

NOT SOME NEWS half true, or MOSTLY NEWS FROM OTHER TOWNS. Ignore the old expression, "NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS," bc it doesn't apply to the press.

And finally, why don't you form a Greenwich Photography Club.

Maybe take photos of EVERYTHING you and your incompetent staff fail to report on. Maybe capture some news in pictures for people who can't read, or who don't understand English, or for our Pre School aged Greenwich Children.

You getting any of this?

Maybe buy a decent camera too. And unglue your eye from the lens-you are missing the big picture, sir.

Bill D.
Riverside
PLEASE SEE:

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11/23/08 Greenwich Time News Links For Sunday



There's no one way to tell a good story. Just take it from Christ Church members Marijane Marks and Kay Langan.

Greenwich residents loaned their cr ches to Christ Church, 254 E. Putnam Ave., for the new exhibit, titled "Follow the Star," which drew an estimated 500 people Thursday through Saturday at the church's parish hall. Money from ticket sales will benefit the parish gift shop.
Ecumenical collectibles on display over the weekend hailed from five continents and dozens of countries, including Mexico, China, France, Germany, Italy and Israel, said Marks, co-manager of the gift shop who helped organized the three-day show.

"It really provides you with a study in cross-cultural anthropology," said Langan, a fellow parishioner and co-organizer. "You get to see how different cultures personalized the (nativity) scene and made it relevant to their own lives, in their own way."



Town merchants try to entice consumers to shop locally
Sonia Malloy has added baby clothes. Joe Flynn has offered free delivery for orders made before Dec. 1 and Elizabeth Hoffman has mailed her loyal customers a $50 gift card.

Facing a critical holiday shopping season, Greenwich merchants are doing everything they can think of to lure customers into their stores.

"Take everything you knew and throw it out the window in this economy," said Joe Flynn of Patsy Crucitti & Sons Inc. Florist and Greenhouses at 1381 E. Putnam Ave., which has suffered low everyday sales since last year.

Like it or loathe it, the holidays mean spending money. Local retailers rely on holiday sales for as much as 40 percent of their annual revenue, great in a good year and terrible in a bad one like 2008 is expected to be.

So Flynn is hoping to defy predictions through innovative sales practices and good-old-fashioned customer service, targeting niche markets such as houses of worship with a relatively inexpensive flyer campaign, offering discounts on new products and promising free delivery for early orders.

"I just thought I'd offer people some incentives," he said. "Ideas are cheap. You gotta put it in motion."

Sonia Malloy of Splurge, a new gift boutique closer to Greenwich Avenue at 19 E. Putnam Ave., has done the same.

"I'm very cognizant of price-point value," she said. Most of her holiday advertising reads, "Many gifts under $50."

Malloy has added baby gifts to her selection -always a happy purchase, she said - and.......

With the epilogue already starting to be written on the Bush presidency, Greenwich, the town with a storied Republican tradition and close familial ties to the current White House occupants, finds itself starting a new chapter of its own.

But will the town continue to be a player in national politics under a Barack Obama administration?

Are Greenwich's days as fundraising mecca numbered?

Despite losing its pipeline to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. through its Bush family connections and the waning GOP influence in the Northeast, several top local Republicans and Democrats agreed that Greenwich will continue to be heard.

"I think, first of all, money is the mother's milk of politics. I think Greenwich will always have influence," said Ned Lamont, a member of the Obama campaign's national finance committee from town who garnered national recognition two summers ago with his upset of Joe Lieberman in Connecticut's Democratic Senate primary.

Others acknowledged that the changing political landscape might not favor Greenwich, however, including L. Scott Frantz, a top GOP fundraiser from Riverside who produced one of the few bright moments for Republicans in this past election with his resounding victory over Stamford Democrat Mark Diamond in the state's 36th District Senate race.

"My guess is (the town's political influence) will be significantly less after the new president takes office, but I do see that as temporary," Frantz said. "Although the voters have spoken......

'On Stage Family Day' at Bruce Museum

The Bruce Museum presents "On Stage Family Day" from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. today at the Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Drive.

Family activities take place all afternoon with a special musical performance at 3 p.m. by the Connecticut Opera Express, which will present "The Three Little Pigs." All activities are suitable for people of all abilities, ages 5 and up, and are free with museum admission.
Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and students and free for children under 5 and members.

For more information, call the museum at 869-0376 or visit www.brucemuseum.org.
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Thanksgiving feast at Boys & Girls Club

The Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich will host its annual Thanksgiving feast for children in the club's after-school program at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Club Game Room, 4 Horseneck Lane.

These 300 children will dine on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables, rolls and pies. Serving the children that day will be club board members and staff, local dignitaries and school principals.

For more information, contact Don Palmer at 869-3224, ext. 102, or dpalmer@bgcg.org.
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St. Catherine church offers interfaith service

The public is invited to the annual Interfaith Communal Thanksgiving Service at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 4 Riverside Ave.

Attendees are asked to bring non-perishable food items that will be donated to Neighbor to Neighbor.

For more information, call Rabbi Mitchell M. Hurvitz at 542-7150 or e-mail rabbimitch@templesholom.com.
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SPLURGE hosts food drive through Nov. 30
SPLURGE Unique Gifts, Home DŽcor and Jewelry, 19A East Putnam Ave., is collecting canned and dry food donations through Nov. 30 to support Neighbor to Neighbor in Greenwich.

The following foods are requested: dried and canned beans, boxed milk, canned fruits and vegetables, cereal, 100 percent fruit juice, and peanut butter and jelly. Donors may pick up a shopping bag and list of requested items at SPLURGE, which will offer 10 percent off purchases made by a donor on the day of their donation.

Neighbor to Neighbor provides free food to families in Greenwich and receives no government assistance.

SPLURGE is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

For more information, call Sonia Sotire Malloy at 869-7600.
*********************************************************************************
Holiday morning swim
at Boys & Girls Club

The Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, 4 Horseneck Lane, will hold a Thanksgiving-morning swim from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Thursday.

For more information, call Bob DeAngelo or Don Palmer at 869-3224.
********************************************************************************
United Way legislative breakfast set for Dec. 9

The United Way of Greenwich Community Planning Council will host its annual Legislative Breakfast from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Dec. 9 in the first-floor Cone Room at Town Hall, 101 Field Point Road.

Sign-in is at 7:45 a.m.

For more information or to RSVP, call 869-2221 or e-mail csmit@unitedway-greenwich.com.

Schools may slash holidays
The Veterans Day and Columbus Day holidays could become mandatory school days for Greenwich public school students under a proposal being considered by the Board of Education.

School officials are asking the board to revise the school calendar so that classes are held on one or both of the national holidays starting in the 2010-11 school year in hopes of minimizing what they call routine disruptions to the learning process.

Those two months are "so filled with holidays, it is disruptive to teachers," said the district's director of human resources, Ellen Flanagan, adding that teachers often must contend with a three-day week followed by a four-day week.

The reasons: Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, which the state requires school districts to reserve as holidays, often fall in October and November. Thanksgiving knocks another two days off the calendar in late November, already a shorter month at 30 days, Flanagan noted.

Schools are typically closed for Election Day in early November, when many of the campuses are used as polling places. In addition, district officials usually schedule two staff development days in those two months.

By eliminating the Columbus and Veterans day holidays, school officials would create a more front-loaded calendar that would provide more flexibility for scheduling make-up snow days in the summer, said Cathy Delehanty, president of the Greenwich Education Association.Connecticut school districts are required to make up those days .......
Move over, hybrid cars. Electric bicycles may soon gain momentum as the next big thing in eco-friendly travel.


Greenwich water polo teams enjoy success at Speedo Cup
The Greenwich middle school water polo teams found success at the 2008 Speedo Cup earlier this month at the University of Michigan


There's a small ray of economic sunshine peeking through the fiscal gloom that now shrouds Connecticut.

Amid a rapidly increasing number of housing foreclosures, rising unemployment and declining revenues on the state and local levels, Connecticut's export economy continues to grow.
In fact, new data from the World Institute for Strategic Economic Research at Holyoke Community College indicate that Connecticut's exports abroad increased by 12.6 percent in September from one year ago for the same month.

That increase falls in line with a similar report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston that shows Connecticut exports up 12.2 percent for the second quarter of this year.

Connecticut is the second-largest exporting state in New England, surpassed only by Massachusetts.

These latest increases in exports are part of a trend that began earlier this decade for Connecticut, which annually has posted growth in exports, chiefly to Canada, Mexico and several Western European countries including France, Germany and the United Kingdom. ...... Blah ...... Blah ..... Blah ...... Blah ....... Blah ,,,,,,,,


Firing someone has never been easy

Massive firings in the staggering business and banking fields have reached tragic proportions, and the worst part is that it probably isn't anywhere near over.

While our sympathy, naturally, is with the victims, I also think of the burden put on the bosses who have to give the employees the heart-breaking news. Only a sadist could relish that task.
I first encountered the challenge while working as deputy director of the Foreign Operations Administration's information section during the Eisenhower administration.


When an order to cut staff came out, I heard for the first time the dread acronym RIF, which stood for reduction in force. It was a word that sent cold shivers through the ranks of the old-time civil service staffers.


It came down to my office to eliminate one position. Under the rules, this would be the last entry on the staff, a gent with limited but passable qualifications. But he was a decent fellow, married with two kids. I really couldn't bring myself to swing the ax.


Finally, I consulted the civil service rep in my department and asked her what, if anything, I could do. The tough old bureaucrat, who had been quite hostile when I first joined up as a political appointee, said she would handle it if I wish. I wished.


A few days later she sauntered into my office and announced it was taken care of. Sign the separation papers, she advised. I looked perplexed. She smiled. "I got him transferred to Commerce," she said in a matter-of-fact manner.

I realized this maneuver hardly fulfilled the mandate to reduce staff, but I confess I was relieved with the rescue. I also realized it proved, which I'd always suspected, I'd never really make a good executive.

COMMENT;

It is clear that Mr. Yudoan And Mr. Pisani never really made a good executives.

That is why the Greenwich Time was such a poor preforming product over the years.

When Ex-Greenwich Time Editor Joe Pisani And A Few Of His Sidekicks Were Fired Last May The Greenwich Time's Online Traffic And Ciculation Shot Up 22%.

In Fact, "Our Greenwich" The Team Blog Staffed By Ex-Low Performing Media Types Is One Of The Poorest Perfrming Blogs In Greenwich.

There Are 13 Year Old Girls In Greenwich Who Have My Space Pages That Get More Readers And Web Traffic Than Ex-Greenwich Time Editor Joe Pisani.


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11/23/08 READER SUBMITTED COMMENTS: Web visitors


Brian - I may have to ditch that damn web counter. Sitemeter doesn't work on Wordpress despite what they say and I had to discontinue it - it was showing, (with URL addresses to prove it) an average of 550 unique visitors a day, 1400 page views. Wordpress's own stats, available to me as administrator, only counts page views but is showing the same 1500-1600 daily page views, so what gives with "global Search"? I don't know.

Anyway, this link in today's NYT won't hurt.




--
Chris Fountain
Riverside CT
(203) 249-4394
http://www.christopherfountain.com/


PLEASE SEE:



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11/22/08 Today's Hot Investment Tips Via Greenwich Roundup


Hot stock tip: Invest in green ink!


Here's Another Tip:


REIT Insiders Buy Shares Despite Market Turmoil


Hotels

Janet Morrissey

If actions speak louder than words, then the stock-buying activity of certain real estate investment trust executives may be sending a message that certain REITs have been oversold.....



... anytime you see insider buying, when they're not just exercising options,'' said Lou Taylor, an analyst in the Greenwich, Conn., office of Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. of New York. ``There are some incredibly cheap stocks, which have covered ...

.....Angela Thomson, a certified financial planner and principal at Coastal Financial Planning Inc. in Lincoln, R.I., is cautious about REITs despite the insider-buying activity.

``At this point, with my clients, it doesn't make a difference to me,'' she said. ``You don't know that management isn't making a mistake.''

Still, Ms. Thomson said that the insider buying at Public Storage, a self-storage REIT in Glendale, Calif., is the exception. ``People are still moving out of their houses fast and furious because of foreclosures, so I would say Public Storage would probably be a good [buying] opportunity right now,'' she said.

E-mail Janet Morrissey at jmorrissey@investmentnews.com



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11/22/08 And Now A Business Report From Greenwich Roundup's South African Office



Business Day


BY TONY LEON

Washington DC (or the northwestern section of it, at any rate) is not the place to find it. It is virtually recession-proof, given the high numbers around here who work for government or are involved in lobbying it.....


.....But Greenwich, Connecticut seemed to be a better place to take the weakening pulse of the wealth creators (and latterly destroyers) of the American and world financial markets. One of the wealthiest enclaves in the US, it headquarters the major hedge fund companies and financial service corporations, and is home to some of America’s richest people.


Last Saturday, we approached this gleaming citadel of American capitalism . A friend pointed out two imposing and shiny structures that house UBS Investment Bank’s American trading operations — which boasts the largest trading floor in the world — and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).


Both stand today as monuments to the subprime crisis which has caused them to write down, and write off, tens of billions of dollars of dodgy mortgages and credit default swaps.


RBS has become a state-owned asset of Gordon Brown, and UBS’s fate is even worse: last week a US federal grand jury indicted its head of global wealth management on a slew of charges relating to tax evasion .


Our walk along the main street of Greenwich was even more instructive of what Paul Krugman, winner of this year’s Nobel Prize for Economics, recently termed “the long-feared capitulation of American consumers”.


On this crisp autumnal morning, there were hardly any shoppers around in the chic boutiques and luxury store fronts. We were the only visitors at a luggage store. The shop assistant said the dearth of customers was “soul- destroying”. Greenwich might be the high end of American retail, but the desertion of its stores is now reflected across the board.....


.....The marvel of the US economy is that 60% of its citizens own shares , from Warren Buffett to Joe Six-Pack. But it is now demonstrating the defects of this quality: like its wealth, the misery is now spread about, by no means equally.


“The sage of Nebraska”, as Buffett, America’s wealthiest man, is known, has suffered paper losses of $15,9bn due to the stock market plunge. But he’s still worth an estimated $45,8bn. For most Americans, however, the cushion is far less stuffed and their prosperity far more imperilled.


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Saturday, November 22, 2008

11/22/08 Greenwich Art Lover Cheated Out Of More Than $120,000



New York Post
By BRUCE GOLDING

A Manhattan art dealer was busted in Florida yesterday for peddling bogus paintings he claimed were the works of famed artists including Henri Matisse, Alexander Calder and Marc Chagall, authorities said.


Giuseppe Concepcion - a dealer at the Park Avenue Armory Art Show who is based in Miami - allegedly employed forgers to copy the originals and then peddled the fakes to unsuspecting customers between 2005 and 2007, according to court papers.


In one case, Concepcion, who is charged with wire fraud, allegedly pawned a rip-off of a 1969 Calder oil "Red Swirl" to a victim from Greenwich, Conn., for $120,000. That was one of 15 forged works the victim bought from Concepcion, according to the complaint.


Defense lawyer Mark Heller said the art works passed through the hands of multiple dealers, and that the feds were using his client as a "scapegoat."
MORE INFORMATION:

New York Daily News
BY THOMAS ZAMBITO
A New York art gallery owner was nabbed Friday for commissioning dozens of knockoffs of Matisse, Calder and others that he passed off as the real thing.

Giuseppe Concepcion was arrested in Florida on charges of trafficking in phony artwork and scheming to dupe clients, Manhattan federal prosecutors say.

Concepcion owns the Proarte galleries in New York and Miami.
The feds say Concepcion purchased authentic works of art by Henri Matisse, Alexander Calder, Tom Wesselman and then commissioned forgeries he sold to victims, complete with bogus documents verifying their authenticity.

In August 2005, Concepcion sold a 1969 oil painting by Calder to a Greenwich, Conn., man who gave Concepcion his 2004 Bentley as partial payment for the $180,000 price tag, FBI Special Agent James Wynne said in legal papers filed yesterday in Manhattan Federal Court.

Experts at the Calder Foundation determined that painting, and 14 others the Connecticut man bought, were fakes, Wynne said.

In November 2006, Concepcion sold a $125,000 knockoff Chagall watercolor titled "Fleurs Rouges Et Bleues," the feds say. The New York-based Comite Chagall determined the painting and its certificate of authenticity were fakes.
tzambito@nydailynews.com

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11/22/08 READER SUBMITTED COMMENTS: No real press


OLD GREENWICH RESIDENT SAVES

FIVE BUCKS A WEEK


Round Up

Our newspapers serve very little of Greenwich, and it keeps serving less. I agree all 3 papers will combine and they will still follow the news of other towns. They are so lacking in local subject matter, it almost seems they do it on purpose.

Merideth Blake and Debra Friedman have no business covering the news in my town.... and they don't. They either cover nothing or they cover insignificant stories. Or, they get it all wrong and probably blame PMS. Gee, that's a new one ladies...

I will take my news straight up. Right here. I save about $5 a week, and I go to work INFORMED. And for me, that's pretty impressive around the water cooler...

J.A. Collins
Old Greenwich
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11/22/08 Town that wealth built starts to feel the pain



JOSEPH A. GIANNONE

GREENWICH, CONN. — As many hedge funds suffer big losses and anxious investors yank out their money, the town synonymous with the riches of their recent glory is now hurting.


In Greenwich, Conn., the luxury car dealers are quiet, the prices of mansions are declining and the retailers who have made a good living serving its wealthy residents are complaining about a sudden drop in business .


“Everything is down. We started to see it in the summer, but October is when the bottom caved in,” said James McArdle, whose family has run McArdle's Florist and Garden Center in Greenwich for 98 years. “Housing sales are down and so that always cuts into our market. Fewer buyers, fewer makeovers.”


.....Visit this town and it soon becomes clear that things aren't quite what they used to be. One recent weekday morning, the only creature strolling the showroom floor of Carriage House Motor Cars was a tiny mouse.


Richard Koppelman, owner of rival luxury dealership Miller Motorcars, did not want to discuss his sales. “We're in a cyclical business. It's obviously down right now. We'll hopefully see things get better soon,” he said.


For now, there are fewer people able to splurge on cars like the 2009 Bentley Continental GTC, which Miller's website lists at more then $212,000 or a “base” 2008 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti coupe for just $263,500 and change....


....“I think everybody is cautious. There's a high level of uncertainty,” said Peter Tesei, the town's first selectman, an elected post akin to mayor.


For years, Greenwich benefited from hosting these funds, he said, but now these benefactors have less to spend. One tree service firm suffered a 30-per-cent decline, Mr. Tesei said, while local charities and cultural centres expect donations to fall.


The town's top-notch Bruce Museum, which is operated by a private non-profit organization, recently postponed a $16-million expansion in light of the market downturn, Mr. Tesei said.....


“There are fewer people buying $10-million, $20-million homes. We're seeing an adjustment, a correction taking place,” said Roxana Bowgen, an estate agent at Engel & Volker, an international broker of high-end properties. “These things have to happen. After a while, things need to be cleaned up.”


Ms. Bowgen, a former commodities trader at Phibro, stressed that houses are still being sold, but the pace has slowed. Banks demand two appraisals rather than the one or even none asked for in the past, she said. Mortgages are harder to get.


“People are in a wait-and-see mode. Buyers are not ready to jump in without asking a lot of questions. They're taking their time – there's a lot more inventory,” Ms. Bowgen said.


Realtor David Ogilvy of Ogilvy & Associates noted that many managers he knows have weathered the financial storm, some by holding big piles of cash or correctly betting markets would fall, but they are being discreet about buying big homes.


Still, “We're definitely slower than we were,” Mr. Ogilvy said. “Some people who have taken it on the chin, they were heavily leveraged. We don't know who they are yet.”......


.....Terry Betteridge, whose family has run Betteridge Jewelers on the Avenue since the 1940s, said the fall of Lehman has hurt a business where customers spend $10,000 to $50,000 at a time.


“Business was phenomenal in the first quarter. When Bear Stearns fell apart, things began to get a little wonky but were still up. But when Lehman went under, there was a precipitous fall in business,” Mr. Betteridge said.


Another sign of the times is that a third of Greenwich High School's 2,700 students – most raised in affluence – are seeking jobs through a school-sponsored placement service and the number of new students registering for the service jumped to 230 in September from 170 Last Year......


......“My clients are being a little more cautious. They're not doing everything at once. They're being more thoughtful,” said Cindy Rinfret, who owns an interior design and decoration business that carries her name. “Before, it was ‘How quickly can you get it done?'”


Ms. Rinfret, who wrote a book on style featuring Greenwich's colonial, Tudor and English country style houses, said her business has held up well. Some clients who cannot sell their houses are spending to improve their surroundings, she said........


.....“Given everything going on, things are good. But I won't lie to you: Are we feeling it? Of course,” said Scott Mitchell, a co-owner of Mitchell's. The family-owned department store sells high-end jewellery and clothing from brands such as Brunello Cucinelli and Hermes, and even Ralph Lauren sweaters costing $1,000.


Business has remained strong, though the store is adapting to the environment, he said.


“We are keeping our inventory in balance. That's our biggest expense. We're cutting expenses that don't touch the customer. We are trying to reach out to our customers, one-on-one, and thank them for their business,” Mr. Mitchell said......


.....“You're talking about a town that historically has housed some of the greatest wealth in the world,” said Ron Cavalier, who sells artwork at Cavalier Galleries. “My guess is that, of all the towns, Greenwich is going to be affected the least.”


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11/22/08 READER SUBMITTED COMMENTS: An apology


To the Editor:

Please post this apology to Mrs. Sullivan regarding my recent post.

I obviously missed (or didn't realize) she was writing as a person with first hand knowlege of the term "handicapped".


I have no excuse for criticizing her informative and sincere letter.

This issue in Greenwich is so unnecessary and so beyond what should be going on in 2008....I cannot help but wonder why people with so much, just can't be thankful for what they have. But they are not thankful. They are either indifferent to others, or blatently mean, ALL TO PROVE A USELESS POINT.

I know this discriminatory behavior from another view. I can't get into it, but I understand the hurt involved.

I guess I can't read comprehensively, though. And I reacted too quickly. So, again, I'm sorry I didn't understand Ms. Sullivan's letter.

ME


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11/22/08 READER SUBMITTED LYRICS:: Oh Brian- here is a better ymca song for you


Greenwich Roundup:

OK, Does anyone else think this GREENWICH VILLAGE PEOPLE editor has a little too much time on his hands?

Ok, round up on this VILLAGE PEEPS-



Bad Boys


Bad Y
Bad Y
What ya gonna do?
What ya gonna do?
whatchya gonna do when the judge rules against you?


Donors wont give you no money
Cause your acting so loony


Bad Y
Bad Y
What ya gonna do?
What ya gonna do?
whatchya gonna do when the judge rules against you?

Bad Y
Bad Y
Reporter Merideth Blake playin sides,
Gonna keep the Handicaped off da streets,
yo the Greenwich Time always lies.

Bad Y
Bad Y
What ya gonna do?
What ya gonna do?
whatchya gonna do when the judge rules against you?.

Bad Y
Bad Y
wanna take a swim?
wanna take a swim or
play some hoop in the Gym.

Yo- we have some serious discrimination against the handicaped in this affluent town of Greenwich.

Merideth Blake, are you a reporter or do you just like to DENY EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES to the handicapped, and everyone else....


......what is wrong wth you?


Do you have a problem with wheelchairs? Are you for real, girl????

Oh my GGGGOOOOSSSSHHHHH.....this aint no disco, this aint no party this aint no foolin around....this is (sadly) Greenwich newspapers in 2008!!!!!!


Ms. Blake should try to go from her office in Riverside in a wheel chair to interview the new director of the YMCA. Let her wait for a bus with a lift to take her to the YMCA. Then she can wait outside on the street in the cold for the interview.

PLEASE SEE:
PLEASE ALSO SEE:
For What Its Worth

Look: if there are no good reasons not to build a temporary ramp, then the Y should say so and go ahead and do the right thing......If there are, then the Y should point them out. It’s already angered half of its (now former) members and jeopardized its financial support in town by a series of blunders
P&Z to review YMCA proposal

Commission Chairman Donald Heller said he expects the body to approve the extension, based on the five-year deadline.

"Tomorrow night looks like a relatively simple evening," he said Wednesday.......
YMCA committed to finishing project

...The YMCA has also had to contend with members and the public who have expressed frustration that the facility was not made wheelchair accessible during the first phase of the project, Fretty said.

"Am I horrified and sad that it is not accessible?.....

.....The Greenwich family of Luis Gonzalez-Bunster, who is in a wheelchair, has requested the facility build a temporary ramp until the rest of the facility is complete.....
Greenwich YMCA requests more time.
.....ADA requirements have come into sharper focus recently as the family of a man who uses a wheelchair has fought to get a temporary ramp installed while renovations are carried out. On Monday, YMCA officials announced that the facility will not be handicap accessible until renovations are complete.

The YMCA has completed some of its renovations, such as the new Olympic aquatics center, which opened in November 2007.
A new basketball court also opened Monday. YMCA officials also expect a warm-water therapy pool, new spin and aerobics studios, a teen fitness center and childcare classrooms completed by June 2009, according to an e-mail sent Wednesday by Ashleigh Rowe, communications director for the YMCA.....

.....Calls were not returned from Greenwich Family YMCA officials or their attorneys Wednesday.

Rebecca Fretty Is Making Sure ThatThere Will Be No Wheelchair Basketball Games At The Greenwich YMCA

To Rebecca Fretty,apparently "headless and brain dead"Head of theGreenwich YMCAs Fretty:

Obviously you don't belong running any town facility if you ignore the LAWS REGARDING HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBILITY. Not only are you violating a mandated code, you can/will be sued....

Family pushes YMCA for wheelchair ramp

The family of the town man who could not access the Greenwich Family YMCA because the building is not wheelchair accessible, is now pressuring the nonprofit organization to install a temporary ramp or face the possibility of being shut down.

Luis Gonzalez-Bunster's family contacted Greenwich attorney Frank Peluso, who said the facility is in violation of town, state and federal laws for not providing access to people with disabilities, according to the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Town of Greenwich building code.

YMCA wrong to deny access
To the editor:
Once again, we can see the discrimination that continues in town against people with disabilities ( "Man fighting for YMCA access, Greenwich Time, Oct. 20). We have been the silent minority, but things are about to change.

We recently formed the First Selectman's Advisory Committee for People With Disabilities. The mission is to advise town officials on matters pertaining to the rights and needs of citizens with disabilities. We will also advocate for improvements to make the town more accessible for people with disabilities.

The YMCA building expansion should never have been given a temporary certificate of occupancy. Why should some people be allowed to use this facility when others are turned away?.....I hope that the YMCA will find some way to make this area accessible immediately, and that the town will consider whether its temporary certificate of occupancy should be withdrawn.

Carol Kana
Riverside

The writer is a member of First Selectman's
Advisory Committee for People With Disabilities.
PLEASE ALSO SEE THESE LETTERS
TO THE GREENWICH TIME EDITOR:

Or Read What Greenwich Residents Are Saying
On The Internet Message Boards.....

"I would think a temporary ramp (however inconvenient) has to be cheaper than a lawsuit. I don't get their thinking at all. "

"That is pathetic - how hard would it be to put in a temporary ramp. Sounds like the YMCA is just too damn lazy. "

"How is it that the Greenwich YMCA gets to take its own time to obey what is LAW? I'm thinking of how society would be in general if every institution said "I"m working on it" when told to obey the law. A prisoner is declared guilty--or not guilty--and the judge says we'll put you in prison, or let you go, just as soon as we get a good bid on fixing the computer that does the proper paperwork. Doing the right thing should not HAVE to be a legal mandate, especially for a "Christinan" organization, but unfortunately, it has to for the YMCA, who isn't even obeying the legal mandate. As I said on another post, a bumper sticker I saw read, "I'll trade your legs for my parking space any day"' A person who does not have the legs most of us take for granted--and who would not give up our legs for the "reward" of filing a lawsuit, as this family has been forced to do--should not HAVE to go through all this just to gain lawful access to a public institution. "Get over it"?????? Most of us can walk "over" a sidewalk step, but we should make sure those who cannot walk can get "over" these steps also. "

"Every member of the Y should be at the door of the Director and every Board Member demanding minimal compliance with the law. The Y is not exempt, and "later" is inadequate.

In fact, if damages are ordered by a Court,(I hope this never gets that far,) the Board members and staff that charted and supported this ill-advised stand-off should be held personally responsible by the membership at large. This could not be covered by any "errors and omissions" policy, that's for sure. "

"Wow! That really tells us what a great bunch of guys you are! Shame on all of you. "

"The American's with Disabilities Act was supposed to address situations like this. It is illegal not to have handicapped access, not just morally wrong. How difficult could it be to put in a temporary access? "

"Isn't it amazing that there are still people in this country who look down on the disabled. Well we now have a black president. We had a disabled President about 50 years ago, but we are still being discriminated against. The Y is now asking for a 5 year extension. Are we supposed to wait another 5 years. Not if I can help it. "

"Doesn't YMCA stand for Young Men's Christian Association? There's nothing "Christian" about denying people with disabilites the same access that non-disabled people enjoy every day."

" Are the Planning And Zoning Board Members mentally disiabled. It sounds as if the members are "handicapped": by stupidity and ignorance."

"The timbre of the Y in this matter has been abominable. It has come across as loutish. "



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11/22/08 Greenwich Time News Links For Saturday



Though it deals mainly in open space, the Greenwich Land Trust has convinced the state to add a local building to its Register of Historic Places.


The tower on Shell Island, visible from Byram Harbor, is now one of 50,000 historically significant properties in Connecticut recognized by the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism. The distinction makes the 83-year-old tower eligible for certain state restoration funds, as well as providing potential exemption from building codes and protection from demolition.


"This is an exciting step for the Greenwich Land Trust as we seek to preserve and protect this beautiful granite tower," said Trust President Bill Boysen......


....Originally owned by Colonel Henry Huss, a German immigrant who served in the 17th Connecticut Infantry during the Civil War, Shell Island was purchased by the Eimer family in 1910 for use as a summer compound.
The children of other German immigrants, the Eimers built the tower in 1925 as a family museum and tribute to their dead son, Gus Eimer II. New York architect Charles Calhoun designed the structure, built to resemble the Summerfield United Methodist Church tower in Port Chester, N.Y., with stones made of local Byram Blue Point granite. The same stone was used during the construction of the Empire State Building in Manhattan.....


....Mary Eimer Leinbach, sold the island in 1961 to Julius Silver, who donated it to the trust in 1990.


Today, the island is a wildlife preserve. The tower, which is boarded up, retains only an iron staircase and railing from its days as a family museum.
Gwynn said the Trust has no plans to open the tower, the only of its kind on Long lsland Sound, to the public.


There are five other Greenwich locales on the state's historic register: the John Addington House on West Putnam Avenue; the Benedict Building at Greenwich Hospital; the Cos Cob Firehouse; the Montgomery Pinetum Conservatory in Cos Cob; the O'Neill Outdoor Theatre, also in Cos Cob; and the Tomac Burying Ground in Old Greenwich.


Importer wins victory on accurate olive oil labeling
STAMFORD - Luciano Sclafani knows the terror of an allergy attack firsthand - the swelling, the labored breathing, the ambulance ride.


When his 10-year-old son had such an attack after eating walnuts, Sclafani saw how helpless allergy sufferers could be without proper food labeling.


So the president of Norwalk's Sclafani Importers set out to ensure olive oil, the food closest to his heart and his 97-year-old family business, would never cause allergy sufferers to feel helpless.


Now, after more than a year of work by Sclafani, the North American Olive Oil Association and the state Department of Consumer Protection, Connecticut is the first state to enforce International Olive Council standards for all olive oils and olive oil products sold in the state. California has adopted the regulations, but they won't be enforced until January.


The Department of Consumer Protection announced the victory and outlined the new guidelines at a 10 a.m. Friday news conference at La Fontanella Restaurant on High Ridge Road with Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele, Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell Jr., and state Reps. Carlo Leone, D-148, and Joe Miloli, D-136....


Comment:


Was The Above Story Even Remotely About Greenwich?????


Where Is The News About Greenwich?


Despite multiple trips to the World Series, Tommy John never took part in a championship parade, but he will experience a sampling of that Sunday in Stamford, when he will lead the annual big-balloon parade as grand marshal.


"It's nice to be back," said John, 65, who is entering his third year as manager of the Bridgeport Bluefish minor league team. "When you've played up here with the Yankees and all that, you get used to the people and the ambiance. It's like a second home."


John, who lives in Charlotte, N.C., but moves to the Bridgeport area during baseball season, said the former owner of the Bluefish, Mary Jane Foster, asked him to serve as grand marshal.


"I told her I would do it if Bobby Valentine would be right next to me," John said with a laugh. "I'm really looking forward to it."


John, a pitcher with 288 career wins, is in Tampa Bay, Fla., for Yankees Fantasy Camp and will head north Saturday night. He'll arrive in the area about 6 a.m. and come straight to Stamford for the parade. John said it is the first time he will be grand marshal since a Christmas parade in Los Angeles in the 1970s.


COMMENT:


Another Story That Is Not About Greenwich.


What's Up With All Of This Regional News In The Greenwich Time?



By Colin Gustafson

Staff Writer
Posted: 11/22/2008 02:31:58 AM EST


The Board of Education is considering delegating much of its authority on school disciplinary matters to an expulsion hearing officer that would make final decisions on how to punish students.


At a meeting Thursday at Central Middle School, school board member Marianna Ponns Cohen gave a presentation on hiring a hearing officer to stand in for the board at expulsion hearings and make decisions on its behalf.


The hearing officer would preside over expulsion cases for a part-time compensation that could reach $350 per hour, when not enough board members are present to vote on a disciplinary measure.


Currently, school board members meet in groups of three or more, twice a month throughout the year as needed, to hear expulsion cases, which can involve violations such as selling drugs or possessing a weapon on or near school grounds.


Under current guidelines, three members must be present at the hearing to approve a disciplinary measure.


Because of scheduling conflicts, however, the board sometimes has been unable to muster enough members at these hearings to cast a vote within the mandatory 10-day time-frame after a student is suspended, said board member Susan Ellis said.


A hearing officer, in such cases, would act as a proxy for board members, supporters said.


"We have had problems of students being suspended for a 10-day period, and because we couldn't schedule fast enough, they're back in school" after 10 days, she said. That can be problematic when the student has been accused of a violent infraction, such as fighting or threatening peers.


COMMENT:


This Same Story Has Been Re-posted At The Greenwich Time For Two Days Now. Can't The Greenwich Time's Cub Reporter Colin Gustafson Find Any "NEW" News?


PLEASE SEE:




BEHIND THE TIMES:


Greenwich Time's Online News Readers Are Treated
Like Red Headed Step Children


Today's Entire Greenwich Time Newspaper Was Sent Digitally To The Connecticut Post Production Plant Bridgeport Last Night To Be Printed About 7 Hours Ago.


Once Again The Lazy Greenwich Time Webmaster
Can't Seem To Get It Up In The Morning.




By Colin Gustafson
Staff Writer

Posted: 11/21/2008 01:00:00 AM EST


Winklevoss Day
First Selectman Peter Tesei read his proclamation declaring Monday as Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss Day in honor of their achievements during the 2008 Olympics in China......



When the Holiday Inn Select in Stamford was built in 1984, it was a key contributor in the city's renaissance, and now, after spending $20 million in renovations, its new operators are touting it as the region's most desirable destination for the business and leisure traveler.


Davidson Hotel Co., Tennessee-based manager and joint venture owner of the 380-room hotel at 700 E. Main St., with Ohio-based RockBridge Capital, joined with more than 300 invited guests Thursday to celebrate its reconstruction.


The renovation included a redesign of the hotel's public spaces, facade, meeting facilities, guest rooms and suites. The lobby lounge, front desk and pool were relocated, and the atrium lobby, with marble floors and soaring ceiling, was enhanced.


Also new to the hotel is a health club with an indoor lap pool. Guest rooms have new bedding and 37-inch LCD high-definition televisions. DiLeonardo International was the design firm, StudioAD was the architect and Shakman Construction was the primary contractor.


To commemorate the event, Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony. Joining him were officials of Davidson and RockBridge Capital and InterContinental Hotels Group, the franchisor.


"This is a wonderful moment for Stamford. Here we are sitting and standing on the site of the old Scalzi Paint store," said Malloy, recalling his days as a youth. "Stamford is a business capital of the world. We now have another world-class property to partner with. This level of investment is a great testament to Stamford." ......Blah ...... Blah ...... Blah ....... Blah .......


COMMENT:


Since When Is The Holiday Inn Select in Stamford Considered A "LOCAL" Greenwich Hotel Or Luxurious.


What Does This Greenwich Time Story Have To Do With Greenwich?





By Robin Stansbury

The Hartford Courant


Janice Perkins bought a bedroom dresser more than a decade ago, but it never made it into her bedroom.


Instead, the versatile dresser has been useful for
Perkins in three places in three houses. Once it held a television set; another time it served as an entry table coupled with a mirror.


And, although it was built to hold clothes, its three wide drawers now comfortably store Perkins' table linens, napkins, candlesticks and napkin rings in an area near her dining room.


"It's just a nice piece of furniture. It comes with me wherever I move. I always seem to find a place for it," says Perkins, who recently moved herself and her bedroom dresser into a new condominium in Farmington. "It's a classic piece. It will stay around forever." Even if it never makes it into the bedroom.


Furniture can get a second life, serving an entirely new function. Experts call this "repurposing" furniture, and designers say they use this trick often, to add surprise and uniqueness to a room.


Amateur decorators, though, have a harder time and are less likely to make use of furniture in this way, afraid of breaking an unspoken design rule or unable to remove the name of the furniture from its purpose.


But just because it's called a dining room hutch doesn't mean it needs to reside in a dining room. The same is true for sofa tables, which don't need to be near a sofa. And as Perkins proves, bedroom dressers ..... Blah ..... Blah ..... Blah ...... Blah ......


COMMENT:


Once Again This Greenwich Time Story Has Nothing To Do About Greenwich.


It Seems Like The Greenwich Time Editor Is Trying To Get The Town's News Readers Used To Regional News Before His Paper Is Folded With Others Into The Connecticut Post.


There Are Some In Greenwich Who Do Not Believe The Rumor That Hearst Newspapers Is Not Going To Consolidate Their Multiple Fairfield County Newspaper Holdings Into One Regional Newspaper.


They Argue That Greenwich Will Not Stand For It And There Will Always Be A Distinct Division Between Hearst Newspaper's Other Properties And The Greenwich Time.


These Are The Same People Who Now Bank At Chase And Used To Say That Greenwich Will Never Accept The Loss Of The Putnam Trust Name. These Same People Argued That There Will Always Be A Distinct Division Between The Bank Of New York And Putnam Trust.




The growing number of homeowners in foreclosure is pressuring Congress to step in and provide assistance.


We have to hope our lawmakers will be smart about it, but the early signs are not encouraging.


Connecticut Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, said last week he would push for legislation to allow people facing foreclosure to seek protection in bankruptcy court.


Even if we hadn't seen the tightening in bankruptcy laws that has occurred over the past few years, this would not be the greatest idea. Bankruptcy is a terrible injury to a person's credit history, taking years to heal and essentially forcing the downtrodden individual into a cash-only world.


But today's economic world is constructed on credit, much of it in places people don't often think about.


Businesses use short-term credit to fund inventories and payrolls, especially when gearing up for times like the coming holiday season. Banks use short-term credit to balance the books overnight or for a few days while awaiting payments on loans and charge cards to clear. And even if a personal credit card user pays in full every month to avoid interest charges, he or she is still using credit to get by for a few weeks. ...... Blah ...... Blah ......Blah ...... Blah ....... Blah ......


Why Arn't The Greenwich Time Editors Brave Enough To Take A Stand On A Local Issue Like Making The Greenwich YMCA ADA Compliant Now.


These Are The Kinds Of "LOCAL" Issues That Their Readers Are Interested In.....



To the editor:


I congratulate Rita A. Sullivan on the remarkable job she has done raising and advocating for her two grown mentally retarded children ("Greenwich has been outstanding for the disabled," Letters from Readers, Nov. 11).


I too am disabled, but my story is a little bit different.


I have a hereditary retinal disorder that has robbed me of 95 percent of my daytime vision and all of my night vision.


Two years ago, I received the gift of a Fidelco Guide Dog. Until that time, although I was disabled I had not yet faced any discrimination. But since my guide dog entered the picture, there have been multiple times where my entrance to certain establishments has been blocked by people who either are not familiar with or are uncaring about the laws of access.


I face the hazards of fall with leaves stacked high and wide so my guide dog and I have to walk far into the street, or not at all. I face the hazards of winter when homeowners or the town do not shovel sidewalks, and once again I cannot leave my home.


At Greenwich Point, employees are constantly trying to bar my entrance, forgetting about the laws of access.


I have worked very hard to understand the needs of other disabled children and adults, and as wonderful as Ms. Sullivan's personal experience has been, she has been very lucky not to face the hardships of others.


Letter writer Carol Kana can't find out what the YMCA has to offer because she is in a wheelchair and cannot enter the building.


There are some houses of worship in Greenwich that may preach inclusion, but still lack ramps or the doors wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair.


Town Hall until September did not have an accessible bathroom for people in wheelchairs.


A student in a wheelchair who would like to enter Greenwich High School must either travel with someone or have someone open the front door because there is no automatic door for the disabled.


I applaud Ms. Kana's hard work as an advocate for the disabled. I appreciate that she is part of our community, and I hope she continues to fight for inclusion.


Alan Gunzburg
Cos Cob


The writer is a member of the First Selectman's Advisory Committee for People With Disabilities


HERE ARE OTHER GREENWICH RESIDENTS
WHO ARE BRAVE ENOUGH TO TAKE A STAND ON

"LOCAL" CURRENT EVENTS



To the editor:


Why am I not surprised that state Sen. William Nickerson, the sponsor of the $750,000 grant to the Bruce Museum, and Peter Sutton, the director of the museum, defend the grant and the borrowing that it takes to pay for it?


That aside, let me answer the points they made in their letter.


That the grant was vetted and approved by many legislators is correct. That the same is done for all grants is also true, which seems to support my point that almost all legislators willingly spend our money on nonessentials even in times of scarcity.


That the Bruce is partially an educational facility, and that it brings in $1.2 million to the town is correct, but not relevant. The $1.2 million does not add one cent to our town's coffers, but the state does get its 6 percent sales tax, and some merchants make more money.....


.....Every time I hear that the state contributes to something, I understand that to mean that we, the taxpayers, pay. We are the state.


If the Bruce is all that Sen. Nickerson and Peter Sutton say, all the more reason for our local government and private people to pay.


But then the proponents would have to convince our local Board of Estimate and Taxation, and the Representative Town Meeting, which is a lot harder than convincing other state legislators to go along with our dip into the trough in exchange for approving their dip.


Donald Landsman
Greenwich




To the editor:


This newspaper reported in its Nov. 13 edition in a Page One headline, "Gay couple gets first license. The "couple" is described as "from Queens, N.Y." Given the Connecticut Supreme Court ruling allowing same-sex marriage, it is not surprising that Greenwich would issue a license, as Connecticut does not have any residency requirement for marriage between any persons otherwise qualified by age and mental capacity.


Unlike the past, when there were impediments to marriage ranging from racial prohibitions in the South to blood tests almost everywhere, most states today have relatively little in the way of requirements to marry, and so there is little reason for residents to cross a state line, except for persons of the same sex whose options are quite limited. Judging by the outcome of the referendum in California that rejected same sex-marriage, Connecticut is likely to remain one of a very few places where same-sex couples can marry.....


..... I strongly suspect that many people in Connecticut do not welcome visits of "same-sex marriage tourists" taking advantage of the state's administrative resources.


Steven J. Stein
Greenwich




To the editor:


The recent decision of the school board to meet as a "committee of the whole" to nominate a new superintendent, and the apparent desire to expedite the process, is in my opinion not in the best interests of the community. As a parent of two second-graders, I am going to have a long investment with whomever is appointed, and I want the board to make absolutely sure makes the kind of hire that is not the result of an over- compromise by eight board members who may place too much weight on internal politics and comity, as many decisions of this kind in all walks of life are made....


.....If we are waiting for the right hire, we might want to wait for a new school board and see who might want to step forward as new members with potentially strong new ideas.


Frank Farricker
Cos Cob


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11/22/08 Greenwich DTC Votes to Censure and Repudiate Joe Lieberman


The other night the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee voted overwhelmingly to "publicly censure and repudiate the words and actions of Joe Lieberman and to ask that he resign from the Democratic Party of the state ...


Full Story: My Left Nutmeg


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