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Thursday, February 19, 2009

2/19/08 Greenwich Time News Links

Owner denies giving drugs to pet chimp
STAMFORD -- Sandra Herold, owner of the 200-pound chimp that mauled her friend Monday in the driveway of her North Stamford home, stopped giving interviews Wednesday after she made what appears to be conflicting statements about whether she gave her pet Xanax just before the attack.
Full Story

MORE:
THE RAW GREENWICH NEWS FEED:

Greenwich Chamber hosts housing forum
Representatives from education, hospital and non-profits kept up the pressure for moderate-income housing for town employees last night.
Full Story

UConn steamrolls Providence
PROVIDENCE -- Every game is not going to be a masterpiece for the UConn women's basketball team. As much as it tries to attain perfection each time it takes the court, it just isn't possible. Full Story

Dem questions Rell retirement plan
HARTFORD -- State Comptroller Nancy Wyman on Wednesday questioned whether the governor's proposed retirement incentive program for state employees can be ready for April 1, the final quarter of the fiscal year.
Full Story

Himes works to explain stimulus bill
STAMFORD -- To bolster support for the federal economic stimulus bill, U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., spoke to Fairfield County business leaders Wednesday.
Full Story

Brunswick hockey team upends Kingswood-Oxford
A four-goal second period propelled the Brunswick School hockey team to one big win Wednesday. Forwards Phil Sibereisen and Luke Esposito scored two goals apiece to power the Bruins to a much-needed 5-2 victory against Kingswood-Oxford School.
Full Story

In town
Bush-Holley camp registration open Registration is open for this summer's Bush-Holley History and Art Camp for children in second through seventh grades.
Full Story

Winter wine cocktails: A second life for unloved vintages
Tribune Media I've never understood why spring cleaning gets all the attention. Whistling songbirds toting the latest high-tech scrub brushes as they flutter across the television screen can't hide what we're really talking about here -- spending a Sunday afternoon knee deep in moldy grout.
Full Story

Teen dies in jump from school window
NEW YORK -- A teenager at a prestigious prep school where comedian Chevy Chase and actress Claire Danes studied jumped to his death from an 11th-floor window Wednesday as children played on the sidewalk below, police said.
Full Story

At A Glance 2.19
GM, Chrysler seek to avoid bankruptcy General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, seeking as much as $21.
Full Story

Gas stations suing supplier for return of federal taxes
Two gas station owners from Stamford and Shelton are taking Standard Oil of Connecticut to federal court in a class-action lawsuit seeking the return of federal taxes.
Full Story

Town car use always a sore point
Things are serious. The meltdown of the economy has not spared our fair community. The first staff dismissals at Town Hall have taken place, and officials are focused on finding further ways to reduce spending to offset the monstrous shortfall in income the town faces, and at the same time avoid burdensome tax increases.
Full Story

Greenwich police promote two officers
Town Hall was filled with congratulations Wednesday afternoon as two veteran police officers were promoted.
Full Story

Letters from Readers - Homeowner privacy invaded
Internet data on homes would violate privacy
To the editor:
I am in a state of shock. January's Board of Estimate and Taxation meeting was just on Channel 79, and our assessor presented his plan to place all land and house specifics on the Internet. Why in heavens name would you want floor plans, owner information, assessments, building characteristics, finished and unfinished areas, valuation history, comparable sales and liens on the Internet?

Police: Greenwich postal worker caught with pot
A postal worker was arrested Saturday after he was caught carrying marijuana on post office grounds, police said.
Full Story

Letters to the Editor - Layoff experience
The town's layoff procedure was disrespectful
To the editor:
On Feb. 12, I lost my job. Some may say, "Welcome to the club," and that would be OK. My problem is the way I lost it.

I worked for the town Engineering Division for 35 years, the last 25 as manager of field operations. First Selectman Peter Tesei had every right to terminate my job, but it could have been done with some respect.

That morning, we knew that some of us would lose our jobs. A few hours after I arrived, a police officer was in the room, and I was given papers with instructions on how to file for unemployment benefits and other information. I was directed to leave my keys and cellular phone, and told I would be escorted to my office to pick up my belongings and leave. I was not allowed to retrieve information from the phone. I was told to make an appointment to retrieve personal information on the computer and collect any other personal property.

Women's Golf plans
Women's golf plans The Bruce Women's Golf Association executive board recently began planning the coming season of weekly tournaments and special events.
Full Story

Letters from Readers - town layoffs
Town layoffs are unfortunate, but are necessary
To the editor:
I must praise First Selectman Peter Tesei and the town government for working so hard to keep Greenwich fiscally responsible in these tough economic times. The private sector has been doing these difficult layoffs for years to stay afloat.

Jewish services
CHABAD LUBAVITCH OF GREENWICH: 75 Mason St. Tel. 629-9059. Web site: www.chabadgreenwich.org. Traditional prayer services.

Greenwich police investigate set of burglaries
Thieves struck a home and two businesses this week, police said, continuing a spate of burglaries in town.

On Tuesday, police received a report that a house on Juniper Lane was ransacked after someone shattered glass on a back patio door to gain entrance to the home, according to police.

Detective Timothy Powell, who heads the burglary clearance squad, said it was unclear what was missing. It was also unclear when the burglary took place, as the residents were away on vacation.

When Is Hearst Newspaper Reporter Debra Friedman Going To Have The Journalistic Balls To Put In A Freedom Of Information Request For The 2008 Crime Index Report For Greenwich.
Last June Greenwich Police Chief David Ridberg Promised The Greenwich Time That He Would Release The Report To The Public Before The End Of 2008
The Single Family Homeowners And Small Businesses Keep Suffering Burglaries, While Greenwich Time Crime Reporter Debra Friedman Allows Ridberg To Keep The 2007 And 2008 Reports Under Lock And Key.
The Stamford Chief Of Police Released His Statistics, Even though Crime Was Up More Than 30% In Stamford.
The Two Previous Greenwich Police Chiefs Released The Data To The Taxpayers.
The Reports Before 2007 Are Still Available On The Internet.
For Example, In 2006 There Were Only 58 Burglaries In Town, But Week After Week Greenwich Residents Are Reading Reports Like This.....

On Monday, police also investigated reports of burglaries at two commercial properties, Powell said.

At 2 p.m., police responded to an interior design store on Elm Street on a report of an attempted burglary. Police believe the intruders entered through a window, but nothing was missing.

Powell said the same business was hit last December, resulting in the theft of laptop computers.

At 2:47 p.m., police received a report that a salon on the Post Road had been burglarized. Police said there were no signs of forced entry, but petty cash was missing.....
Full Story

GOOD GOVERNMENT IS OPEN GOVERNMENT
IN PORT CHESTER THE CHIEF OF POLICE GIVES A WRITTEN MONTHLY REPORT TO THE MAYOR AND VILLAGE COUNCIL. THE REPORT IS BROADCAST OVER CABLEVISION AND CITIZENS MAY GET COPIES OF THE MONTHLY STATISTICS AND PUBLICLY MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT THE REPORT AT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING.
THE PORT CHESTER CHIEF OF POLICE WELCOMES THE PUBLIC FEEDBACK
WHAT IS UP WITH ALL THE SECRECY IN THE GREENWICH POLICE DEPARTMENT?
It is time to release the 2007 and 2008 Greenwich Crime Index Reports To The Single Family Homeowners Of Greenwich.
It is unethical for Ridberg to cherry pick items from a report that taxpayers are not allowed to see.
Chief Ridberg Has Whined That He Is "Shot" And "Overtaxed".
Maybe if he would release the 2007 and 2008 crime statistics, then Greenwich residents could help him with suggestions on how to make needed improvements.

PLEASE SEE:

RIDBERG IS "SHOT" FROM THE STRESS OF HIS "OVERTAXING" JOB

To the editor:

As documented in Greenwich Time on Feb. 1 in his own words, the chief of police in Greenwich has suffered so much extra stress in his job over the last 18 months that he now describes himself as feeling "shot" on the job.

This is extremely scary news for the citizens and taxpayers of Greenwich that the leader of arguably the most important agency in town has suffered so much stress that he now describes himself that way.

Even scarier is the fact that the first selectman and police commissioner, Peter Tesei, is fully aware of the chief's self-described condition (stress is a well-documented medical/psychological condition), yet does not remove him immediately while he is evaluated and/or treated until he can be certified as "un-shot." The citizens and taxpayers deserve nothing less.

The ramifications of keeping a chief on the job who is "shot" due to an "overtaxing" job are far reaching for the town, its citizens and its taxpayers......

PLEASE ALSO SEE:

THE HEADLINES:

SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNERS IN GREENWICH SAY: THIS IS AN UNNECESSARY BAND-AID APPROACH TO GREENWICH POLICING

Greenwich Police Chief Ridberg fells "shot" because of the stress of thee past 18 months. Ridberg is struggling at the administrative level: Is this a direct threat to public safety?

THE STORY:

.....Officials said the promotion freeze on all positions above captain has strained the department, overtaxing the chief of police and causing the lieutenants below him to take on new responsibilities in order to shoulder some of the burden. .....
MORE INFORMATION:

Figures Lie And Liars Figure

The Single Family Homeowners Of Greenwich Are Starting To Think That Maybe Greenwich Police Chief David Ridberg Needs A Little Truth Syrup

No Reporter's Byline, Because Cowardly Hearst Newspapers Printed Word For Word What Town Hall Gave Them

"The latest crime index data shows (comparing first quarter '07 and '08) shows Greenwich's crime rate decreased by 23.3 percent."The Crime Index includes murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft. Perhaps, even more important, is that clearance rates for Index crimes in Greenwich significantly exceed national standards."

THIS IS EXACTLY WHY GREENWICH RESIDENTSGET SO FED UP WITH HEARST NEWSPAPERS

ONCE AGAIN HEARST NEWSPAPER REPORTERSHAVE SHOWN THAT THEY HAVE NO JOURNALISTIC BALLS

ANY FOOL CAN CHERRY PICK A BIG FAT CRIME REPORT

Why Not Compare Crime Statistics Year To Year And Even Go Back A Few Years?

What is this B.S that we are only going to compare the 1st Quarter of 2009 with the 1st Quarter of 2008?

Why didn't Greenwich Police Ridberg only compare the last quarter of 2009 with the last quarter of 2008?

Could it have been all of those burgularlized Greenwich Homes?

In 2006, There Were Only 58 Burgularies And 10 Roberies In Greenwich.

Greenwich Roundup Would Like To Report On More Current Numbers, But Greenwich Police Chief David Ridberg Has The 2007 And 2008 Reports Under Lock And Key.

Last Summer Greenwich Police Chief David Ridberg Tried To Cherry Pick The preliminary FBI Report For The Town Of Greenwich In A Story Written By Hearst Newspaper Crime Reporter Martin Cassidy

The Greenwich Time Headline Screamed

"Crime drops in town"

However Greenwich Roundup Pointed Out That.....

At That Time Greenwich Police Chief David Ridberg admitted that he's prematurely rushed out the numbers and they are not really ready for prime time....

Ridberg told Hearst Newspaper Crime Reporter Martin Cassidy that he is still analyzing some of the data, and that a final version of the report is expected later in 2008.

Ridberg Never Released The Final Version

On More Than One Occassion Greenwich Roundup Has Had The Journalistic Balls To Point Out How Hearst Newspapers Are Giving Greenwich Police Chief David Ridberg A Free Pass.
COMMENT:

The Greenwich Time Reporters Who Work For Hearst Newspapers Don't Have The Journalistic Balls To Go To Greenwich Police Chief David Ridberg And Say, "Hey Chief, What Happened To Those Crime Statistics You Promised The Taxpayers Of Greenwich?

Greenwich Time Reporters Don't Have The Journalistic Balls To Hold Chief Ridberg Accountable To The Single Family Homeowners Of Greenwich.
When CT Senator Chris Dodd Promised And Did Not Deliver Documents To The Public About His Countrywide Loans Wall Street Journal Reporters Had The Journalistic Balls To Say,"Say Hey, Dodd Where Are Those Loan Documents."
PLEASE SEE:
Wall Street Journal

We've got some leftover business from the 110th Congress -- namely, Chris Dodd's July 2008 promise to release the details of his sweetheart loans from ...
Hartford Courant

Chris Dodd's now-venerable promise to release documents pertaining to his 2003 mortgages with Countrywide. This newsprint icon of commerce reminded its ...

But The Cowardly Greenwich Time Reporters And Editors Are Afraid Of Greenwich Police Chief David Ridberg, Because He Is Thin Skinned And Uses Police Resources To Retaliate Against Critics
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

02/18/09 The Greenwich Police Blotter - Radimil Hidalgo-Castro

The Place

44 Rodwell Ave And CVS (Greenwich Avenue)

The Player

Radimil Hidalgo-Castro - Age 20

The Plot

Second-degree forgery, fourth-degree larceny and illegal use of a credit card

Mr. Hidalgo-Castro turned himself in to police on an outstanding warrant stemming from a Jan. 22 incident in which with charged with stealing a wallet at a CVS drugstore on Greenwich Avenue and then using its contents to purchase goods and services in town

The Processing:

Mr. Hidalgo-Castro was released on $1,000 bond and must appear Monday in state Superior Court in Stamford

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2/18/09 Greenwich Public Schools Press Release: Science Panel Discussion

Hi all,

Please see attached (in pdf and word) for information on the upcoming
Science Panel - Tuesday, February 24, 2009, 7pm at Greenwich High School
Media Center. We would appreciate anything you can do to list the event in
your papers/on air - and - you are, of course, welcome/encouraged to
attend :)

Thanks,
Kim

Kim Eves
Director of Communications
Greenwich Board of Education
290 Greenwich Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06830

www.greenwichschools.org

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

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02/18/09 GREENWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS HOSTS DISTINGUISHED SCIENCE PANEL

TOPIC: Science Education in the 21st Century

(For immediate release: Greenwich, CT – Wednesday, February 18, 2009) The Greenwich Public Schools will host and moderate a panel discussion with some of the foremost scientists in our region on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 7:00 PM in the Greenwich High School Media Center (snow date: February 25, 2009). The discussion will focus on Science Education in the 21st Century:

· The Nature of Science and the role of inquiry in science education
· Authentic experiences for students that move science education beyond the classroom
· Innovative changes in science education in the Greenwich Public Schools

Mr. Chris Winters, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Learning, will moderate the discussion. The panel will include the following scientists and educators (Bio Briefs are attached for each panelist):

Mr. Andrew Bramante: Science Teacher, Greenwich High School
Ms. Sheila Civale: PreK-12 Science Program Coordinator,
Greenwich Public Schools
Mr. John DeLuca: Science Program Administrator, Greenwich High School
Dr. David Eustice: Executive Director, Greenwich Science Center
Dr. David Moss: Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction in the Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut
Ms. Denise Savageau: Director, Conservation Commission, Town of Greenwich
Dr. Leigh Shemitz: Executive Director, SoundWaters

The District invites and encourages all members of the community to attend. If anyone would like to submit a question in advance of the discussion for the panel to address, please contact Mr. Chris Winters at chris_winters@greenwich.k12.ct.us

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02/18/09 GREENWICH PUBLIC SCHOOL PRESS RELEASE: Science Education In The 21st Century - Panelist Bios

Mr. Andrew Bramante: Chemistry & Research Teacher, Greenwich High School
Mr. Bramante has been a teacher with the Greenwich Public Schools since 2005 and an Adjunct Professor at Sacred Heart University since 1988. He began his career in Science as a Flavor Chemist for Fritzsche, Dodge & Olcott (1984-85). He has also worked for the Foxboro Company as an Infrared Spectroscopy Applications Scientist (1987-89); Hitachi Instruments as a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Scientist (1989-92); and PerkinElmer Instruments as an UV-Vis, NIR, and Fluoresence Spectroscopist (1992-2005). He received his B.S. in 1984 and his M.S. in 1987 both from Fordham University, New York City, NY.

Ms. Sheila Civale: PreK-12 Science Program Coordinator, Greenwich Public Schools
Ms. Civale began teaching high school Science in 1992 at Darien High School, Darien, CT. After 10 years in Darien, she moved to the New Fairfield Public School District as the Technology Educator for the Consolidated School – New Fairfield’s K-2 school. In 2002, she became a Science teacher at New Fairfield High School (NFHS), teaching Earth Science and Chemistry. In 2005, Ms. Civale added ‘6-12 Science Department Head’ to her teaching title in New Fairfield. Ms. Civale served as the NFHS Coordinator for Project CLEAR, an environmental education strategy designed to foster support and involvement in watershed protection programs. Ms. Civale received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN in 1976; her Secondary Teaching Certificate from John Carroll University, University Heights, OH in 1987; and her M.A. in Teaching (1991) and her Sixth Year Certificate in Educational Leadership and Administration (2006), both from Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT.

Mr. John DeLuca: Science Program Administrator, Greenwich High School
Mr. DeLuca has been with the District since 2002, first as Science teacher at Greenwich High School and since 2006 as Program Administrator for the department. He also taught Science for four years at Central High School in Bridgeport, CT. Mr. DeLuca received his B.S. in Secondary Science Education from the University of Scranton, Scranton, PA in 1997 and his Master’s Degree in Environmental Education in 2002 and his Sixth Year Certificate in 2006 both from Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, CT.

Dr. David Eustice: Executive Director, Greenwich Science Center
“Having earned his PhD in Biology from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton, Dr. Eustice continued with his Post-Doctoral fellowships at Dartmouth Medical School in Pharmacology and Toxicology, and at the University of Rochester in Microbiology and Biochemistry. Dr. Eustice’s distinguished scientific career includes roles as Research Biochemist and Principal Investigator at DuPont in the Medical Products and Viral Diseases Groups, as well as Senior Research Investigator with Bristol-Meyers Squibb in the Microbial Biochemistry and Genetics Department. More recently, he served as Senior Staff Scientist at Bayer Corp. in a variety of disciplines including High Throughput Screen, Robotics and Automation, and DNA Sequencing. … Dr. Eustice also spent several years in the Biotech industry pioneering new drug discovery techniques. Dr. Eustice has been published on over 20 occasions in major scientific journals on a variety of topics, including new pharmaceutical agents, genomic structure and chromosome location, antibacterial agents, selenium toxicity, etc.” (excerpt from Greenwich Science Center Web Site)

Dr. David Moss: Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction in the Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut
Dr. Moss specializes in environmental education and science teacher education with research interests in the areas of international education, environmental education, and teacher education reform. Dr. Moss has been published extensively in his field and recently authored Interdisciplinary Education in an Age of Assessment (Routledge, 2008), Portrait of a Profession: Teachers and Teaching in the 21st Century (Praeger, 2005), and Beyond the Boundaries: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Learning and Teaching (Praeger, 2003). Dr. Moss is the recent recipient of the University of Connecticut Teaching Fellow Award – the highest university-wide honor conferred for instructional excellence and leadership. He has extensive curriculum development and assessment experience on projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Department of Educaiton, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He completed his undergraduate work at Alfred University, NY and earned his Ph.D. from the University of New Hampshire.

Ms. Denise Savageau: Director, Conservation Commission, Town of Greenwich
Ms. Savageau has served as Conservation Director for the Town of Greenwich Conservation Commission since 1997 and works to protect the natural and cultural resources of the Town. She also serves on several state and national committees including the Governor’s Climate Change Adaptation Subcommittee where she is co-chairing a work group on Infrastructure. She is a member of the National Association of Conservation Districts where she chairs a Task Force on the Reauthorization of the Clean Water Act. Ms. Savageau is a trained facilitator for the CT Department of Environmental Protection’s environmental education programs and serves on the Science Committee for the Bruce Museum in Greenwich. She formerly worked as District Manager for the Hartford County Soil and Water Conservation District.
She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut with a B.S. in Agricultural Economics with a concentration in Environmental Economics and Natural Resource Management.

Dr. Leigh Shemitz: Executive Director, SoundWaters
Dr. Shemitz has been the Executive Director for Sound Waters since 2005. She has an extensive background in environmental studies. Before joining SoundWaters, Dr. Shemitz served as a lecturer at Yale University in 2004, researching the connection between the environment and human well-being. She worked as an environmental health researcher at Yale (1999 to 2004), investigating air pollution in urban areas; served as the Director of the Yale Urban Resources Initiative (1992 to 1999); and served in the Peace Corps as a community forester in Mali, West Africa (1987 to 1989). Dr. Shemitz currently serves on the Board of Directors of the New Haven Urban Resource Initiative. Dr. Shemitz received her B.A. in history and literature from Harvard University, and her Master’s in forest science and her Ph.D. in environmental health both from Yale University.

Moderator, Mr. Chris Winters: Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Learning, Greenwich Public Schools
In his current role, since July 2007, Chris has overall responsibility for all curriculum areas. His previous positions with the district include: Coordinator of the English as a Second Language (ESL) Program (1999-2006), Coordinator of the World Language Program (2003-2006) and Folsom Housemaster at Greenwich High School in 2006-2007. Chris began his career in education in 1990 as an ESL teacher in the Bronx, N.Y at Morris High School, after serving for two years in the Peace Corps in the Republic of Mali, West Africa. In 1998 he moved to Roxbury Elementary School in Stamford, CT and then in 2000 to the Greenwich Public Schools. Chris received his B.A. in Political Science from Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT in 1986; his M.A. in TESOL in 1992 and his M.Ed. in Education in 1997 both from Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, N.Y.; his sixth Year Degree in Administration from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT in 1998; and his Superintendent’s Certification from the University of Connecticut’s Executive Leadership Program in 2005. Chris is currently working toward a doctorate in education at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education in Storrs, CT.

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02/18/09 GREENWICH PUBLIC SCHOOL PRESS RELEASE - Science Education In The 21st Century


Please join us for an
Expert Panel Discussion
with some of the
Region’s Foremost Scientists
on Science Education
in the 21st Century

Tuesday, February 24, 2009
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Greenwich High School, Media Center
10 Hillside Road, Greenwich, CT

(Snow Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2009)

Moderator:
Mr. Chris Winters: Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Learning, Greenwich Public Schools

PANELISTS:

Mr. Andrew Bramante: Chenistry & Research Teacher, Greenwich High School
Ms. Sheila Civale: PreK-12 Science Program Coordinator,
Greenwich Public Schools
Mr. John DeLuca: Science Program Administrator, Greenwich High School
Dr. David Eustice: Executive Director, Greenwich Science Center
Dr. David Moss: Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction in the Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut
Ms. Denise Savageau: Director, Conservation Commission, Town of Greenwich
Dr. Leigh Shemitz: Executive Director, Soundwaters

If you would like to submit questions in advance for the panelists to respond to and/or for more information, Mr. Chris Winters at chris_winters@greenwich.k12.ct.us

GREENWICH PUBLIC SCHOOLS
www.greenwichschools.org
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02/18/09 The Greenwich Police Blotter - Collin O'Dwyer

The Place:

Valley Road

The Player:

Collin O'Dwyer, 24, of 49 Truman Ave., Yonkers, N.Y

The Plot:

Mr. O'Dwyer was driving when he nearly struck a marked patrol car head on. When police stopped Mr. O'Dwyer's car, the police officer detected the odor of alcohol, according to the police report. Mr. O'Dwyer failed a series of field sobriety tests and was additionally charged with unsafe movement.

The Processing:

Mr. Dwyer was released on $250 bond and must appear Feb. 25 in state Superior Court in Stamford

================================================================
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2/18/09 PRESS RELEASE: Connecticut Grant - Computer Assisted Writing, Instruction and Testing with WriteToLearn

Dear Connecticut Educators,
My name is Al Green (not the singer) but you're Connecticut-based Measurement Consultant for Pearson Educational Assessment.
As you may know, the CONNECTICUT STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DIVISION OF TEACHING, LEARNING AND INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP has released RFP 994.
The purpose of this grant program is to create pilot sites that will allow the Connecticut State Department of Education to examine the effectiveness of using technology in the teaching of writing in Grades 6-12, including the use of artificial intelligence to provide specific, frequent feedback to students on their writing.
Up to $60,000 is available per district!
A copy of the RFP can be downloaded at the link below. Just copy the link into your browser.
Pearson is committed to helping you acquire this funding by offering WriteToLearn™ an innovative Web-based teaching tool that combines summary and essay writing activities.
I would be delighted to meet with you to discuss WriteToLearn. If you are interested, please utilize the contact information at the bottom of this email.
In the interim and due to time restrictions (RFP responses are due on February 20, 2009) I have taken the liberty of creating responses to key RFP questions as they relate to WriteToLearn. Please feel free to paste this verbiage into your RFP response.
Proposal Requirements
The Proposed Project Must Include The Following:
1) Web-based applications that provide feedback and scoring through artificial intelligence.
2) A full description of the anticipated benefits of the use of any additional online resources, software or peripherals, if included in the project.
RFP Answers from Pearson
What is WriteToLearn?
WriteToLearn is a complete online tool for building writing skills and developing reading comprehension for grades 4-12. Using WriteToLearn, students develop a skill that good readers naturally possess - the ability to summarize what they read. They practice essay writing and summarizing and build both writing and reading comprehension skills across the curriculum.
What are the benefits of using WriteToLearn?
WriteToLearn gives students the opportunity to practice their writing. The only way to learn to write is to practice with informative feedback. The same goes for reading; the two are inseparable. Learn to read and you learn to write, learn to write and you learn to read. WriteToLearn provides the opportunity for students to practice both of these valuable skills.
WriteToLearn is time efficient allowing teachers to assign many more writing and reading comprehension assignments to students without additional grading time.
WriteToLearn helps you focus your teaching. By observing students and using the Teacher Reports you can discover both individual and class strengths and weaknesses to help guide teaching.
WriteToLearn is flexible and easy to use. Teacher tools allow teachers to set scoring thresholds, manage and evaluate student progress easily, and to adjust the class roster and make assignments.
WriteToLearn tutors students to improve subject knowledge, as well as reading comprehension and writing skills by providing detailed feedback on content.
WriteToLearn allows students to tackle more difficult reading assignments by boosting their understanding and performance through automated evaluation.
How does WriteToLearn work?

WriteToLearn contains a Reading Comprehension Component and an Essay Component. Both components use the Knowledge Analysis Technologies (KAT) engine, a patented technology based on over twenty years of research and development. The KAT engine is based on the mathematical approach known as Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA), which provides a sophisticated computer analysis of text.
The Reading Comprehension Component assesses the total content of a summary as well as the correlation between the summary content and that of the original reading passage. It compares the student's entire summary to each section of the assigned reading and returns feedback indicating how well the information in each section has been covered by the student's summary.
The Essay Component assesses the total content of an essay as well as the correlation between the essay's content and that of training essays previously scored by expert human readers. The Essay Component assigns a score to each essay based in part on the similarity of the content of the essay to that of the training essays.
Write to Learn offers the option to have reading passages read-aloud via the computer. There is also English to Spanish and Spanish to English functionality which allows direct translation of unknown vocabulary words. In addition, there are also spell check, grammar check and dictionary functions.
For more information please watch 4th graders and their dramatic improvement using WriteToLearn:
Regards,
Al Green
Measurement Consultant
Educational Assessment
2612 North Ave, #G7
Bridgeport, CT 06604
Office: 888-366-5195
Cell: 917-204-2692
Fax: 888-884-0537


.

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2/18/09 Greenwich Time Reporter Colin Gustafson Owns This Story. Where Is The Greenwich Citizen And The Greenwich Post?

Students let out a cheer on the first day back at Hamilton Avenue School. (Bob Luckey/Staff photo)



You'd think it was Christmas morning for Diego Sanchez, 8, as he waited outside of the new Hamilton Avenue School more than a half-hour before it re-opened Tuesday.

"He woke me up at six-thirty in the morning to tell me it was time to go to school," his mother, Marcella Cruz, said before shaking her head and laughing. "We didn't have to be ready for another hour."

Her son shrugged. "I couldn't sleep," he explained. "I was thinking about school."

Diego and his mother were not the only ones eager to get into the rebuilt school building.....
PLEASE SEE:


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2/18/09 As Many Of You Know Greenwich Roundup Also Is The Editor Of The Greenwich Topix Page And Forums .....

While Greenwich Roundup Allows And Encourages Anonymous Posters At The Greenwich Topix Forum, Some Judges Are Going After Anonymous Commentators.


A judge in Texas has ordered Topix to reveal potentially identifying information about 178 anonymous commenters who allegedly defamed two Tarrant County residents online. What do you think?


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02/18/09 FEAR ON GREENWICH AVENUE: Is The Stock Market Finally Bottoming?

Last year, Warren Buffett wrote an op-ed in the New York Times announcing his intention to buy U.S. equities.

Was the oracal of Omaha wrong?


Is it still not safe to put your money back into the stock market?

It has always been said to be “fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful”.

This bit of advice served Greenwich Resident Paul Tudor Jones well after the stock market crah of 1987. He went from Millionaire To Billionaire because he was smart enough to be being "greedy whe others were fearful".

Perhaps, this is yet another sign of fear that says investors should get back in the stock market.....

What a sale means on Greenwich Ave.
Marketplace, CA

Money is getting tighter for the high-end shops on Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich, Conn., which caters heavily to the finance industry. Amy Scott visited a few stores on the Avenue to find out what a markdown meant to them.

Please Listen To The Story:

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/www_publicradio/tools/media_player/popup.php?name=marketplace/morning_report/2009/02/18/marketplace_morning_report0550_20090218_64&starttime=00:04:07.7&endtime=00:06:58.7

TEXT OF STORY

Bill Radke: Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich, Conn. has been called Rodeo Drive East. It was once home to Mom and Pop stores, and a Woolworth's. Then Saks Fifth Avenue and Tiffany moved in. Stores could afford to be posh because Greenwich has been swimming in hedge fund and Wall Street money. But lately, some of that money has vanished. So Marketplace's Amy Scott took a walk down the Avenue.

Amy Scott: The first signs that all is not well on Greenwich Avenue are the "space available" and "moving" notices in store windows.

Two doors down from one empty space, Marty Novel manages Little Eric. It's a high-end children's shoe store just off the Avenue. He shows me a pair of knee-high black boots.

Marty Novel: This is a fashion boot. Looks like Mommy's boot, or you know . . .

Scott: So how much would something like that go for?

Novel: I think it's $169.

Scott: Only $85 on sale. Novel says this is the first time in his six years as manager that business hasn't grown.

Novel: Some of our cruise shoes and sandals aren't selling as well because a lot of people I hear are not taking as many vacations.

Scott:Up the street, David Goldsmith runs Manfredi Jewels. He says as many as half his customers are tied to the finance industry. They're not spending as much these days.........

Do Yo Smell Fear Out There?
Greenwich Billionaire Eddie "Please Don't Kidnap Me" Lampert Smells The Fear And Is Getting Greedy When Others Are Fearful:
Bloomberg
ESL Investments Inc., the hedge-fund firm run by Edward Lampert more than doubled its stake in CIT Group Inc. in the fourth quarter, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

ESL owned 15.4 million shares of CIT as of Dec. 31, according to today’s filing, up from 7.3 million in the third quarter. The Greenwich, Connecticut-based hedge fund also bought 11.5 million shares of Genworth Financial Inc.

CIT, a New York-based commercial lender that became a bank to qualify for federal bailout money, has reported seven consecutive quarterly losses. The stock has declined 90 percent in the past 52 weeks.

Genworth, an insurer that was spun off by General Electric Co. in 2004, has lost about 91 percent of its stock market value over the past 52 weeks. The company is also seeking money from the federal bailout program.

Lampert is a billionaire who made his fortune by investing in underperforming companies.......
PLEASE ALSO SEE:

by Darren Rickard
Ms. Schroeder, a sustaining member of the Junior League of Greenwich, will be signing copies of The Snowball, which can be purchased at the event, following the presentation. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will ...
PLEASE ALSO SEE:
Many of my colleagues who berate me for my “negativism” will, if pressed even a little bit, readily admit that the Greenwich housing market is in the toilet, and why shouldn’t they? That’s the truth. And here’s another truth: for at ...
AND:
Given the sweep and severity of today's global economic and real estate crisis, it would seem there's plenty of blameto go around. But local Greenwich Blogger Chris Fountain doesn't think any of it should fall on his shoulders.
However, some very unsuccessful real estate sales persons are starting a whispering campaign that a crazed real estate blogger and local gadfly has single handily brought the Greenwich real estate market to it's knees with a few simple blog posts
Do any of these low preforming real estate whiners seriously believe that Mr. Fountain had been President for the last eight years?
Has Mr. Fountain spent the last eight years advising the worse presidential economic team since Herbert Hoover?
Any reasonable member of Greenwich Society would know that the answer to these two questions would be: "No."
Last time I checked TIME's list of the 25 people to blame for the financial crisis I did not see Mr. Fountain's name. The magazine's story, which apportioned blame widely between such figures as Countrywide co-founder Angelo Mozilo, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, former Lehman Brothers CEO / Greenwich resident Dick Fuld and President George W. Bush.
However, Mr Fountain's blog posts were not even mentioned in the Time magazine article.
There are a few bits of good news coming out this attempt by some so called "real estate professionals" to try and blame Mr. Fountain for their poor selling skills.

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02/18/09 Should The Metro North Trains Be Free At The Greenwich Railroad Station?

Marketwatch.com Chief Economist Irwin Kellner mentioned one idea that's Europe-esque -- a policy that would not stand a chance during robust economic times -- but one that may gain support, due to the recession. Kellner's 'radical' idea? Make mass transit free. That's correct: free.

Here's his argument: across the U.S., cash-strapped mass transit systems are doing what they should not be doing: raising fares at a time when riders are already being pinched by rising prices, property taxes, and transportation expenses.

The transit systems feel that have no other choice but to raise fares (and cut services), but Kellner says this is having an effect the U.S. economy least needs right now: it's further reducing consumers' disposable income.

Kellner's solution: Eliminate the fares and use federal funds to make up the difference. The idea is not as outlandish as it appears: most transit fares account for 30-45% of ridership cost, with the rest made up by state and federal funds.

The benefits of Kellner's free ride?

You guessed it: increased disposable income for consumers -- something adults could no doubt use, and something that's sorely needed by the U.S. economy right now.
The plan would also have the added benefit of encouraging mass transit use (reducing traffic congestion) while lowering oil/gasoline consumption -- and the federal government would generate that increased efficiency without paying to laying one new mile of subway or light rail track and/or buying one new bus.


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02/18/09 We Found A New Greenwich Blogger

My congressman does me proud
Isen.blog

By Greenwich Resident David S. Isenberg

TPM's man in Washington DC, Matthew Cooper, recently interviewed freshman Congressman Jim Himes, who lives in Cos Cob less than a mile from me, who I worked for when he was running against long-time incumbent Chris Shays, who (since way before he was running for Congress) I've worked *with* to get out the vote on election day, who rides his bicycle as a serious means of transportation, who I count as a friend and colleague . . . you get the picture, Jim Himes is very high in my book of wonderful people. I am so proud he is my Representative in Congress! [Representative Himes' Web site.]

Cooper points out that Jim represents a district that might as well be named Hedgefundistan (formerly Stepford, aka Greenwich CT), got more campaign money from TARP recipients than ANY other member of the House, used to work for Goldman Sachs, etc., etc., and from appearances and motivations, might be expected to be as strong advocate for the financial sector as anybody in Congress, he quotes Himes thus:

". . . the highest priority is transparency . . . I want to make sure that risk resides with the people who take it."

That's Jim. One of the best of the good guys. Cooper says Jim's voting pattern will be an indicator that Washington is really changing. I think the fact that Jim is there already shows it. I'm hoping that Jim keeps his moral compass in Washington DC. I think the fact that he kept it in Hedgefundistan is telling. Nevertheless, I'm going to visit him on a regular basis to remind him . .

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2/18/09 Why Can't The Multi-Billion Dollar Hearst Newspapers Group Fix This Annoying Problem At The Greenwich Time


Sports




Greenwich Time Staff
Posted: 02/17/2009 10:57:27 PM EST

Abbott Tech 81, Wright Tech 47
ABBOTT TECH (81) -- Frank Reinosd 0 0-0 0; Mike Shannon 1 0-0 2; Duane Richardson 4 0-0 10; Antoine Scott 9 0-2 19; Anthony Henry 10 0-2 20; Omar Vines 2 0-0 4; Joe Groski 11 4-5 26; TOTALS 37 4-9 81.


WRIGHT TECH (47) -- Benjamin Jordan 4 1-2 13; Travis Wilson 4 3-4 11; Dennis Roan 1 0-0 2; Kareem Cope 4 0-2 9; Deshaun Pickett 1 0-0 2; David James 1 2-3 4; Andre Joyner 2 0-0 4; Kalinski Guillaume 1 0-0 2; TOTALS 18 6-11 47.


Halftime: AT, 45-27. 3-pointers: Richardson 2; Scott; Jordan 4; Cope.
Records: WT, 4-13; AT, 15-3.
COMMENT:

Every other day the headline says "Main Head."
It Maens "Headline Goes Here"

Why Can't Greenwich Time Managing Editor Bruce Hunter get someone put a headline there?

This never happens at The Greenwich Citizen or the Greenwich Post.
PLEASE SEE:

Hold The Font Page:
Insert headline here:
More press funnies from the Green Kitty Litter Liner
What Is Up With All The Missing Headlines At The Greenwich Time Website?
From Today's Greenwich Time Website:
Sub Head
Greenwich Time Staff
Posted: 02/12/2009 06:27:22 PM EST
To the editor:
The Connecticut Citizens Transportation Lobby, a grass-roots organization started in 2003, strongly supports Gov, M. Jodi Rell's proposal for a pilot program to install road-safety cameras on state highways.
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12/18/09 Greenwich Time News Links

Just About Everyone In Greenwich Is Talking About The Stamford Monkey

Travis, a pet chimpanzee, sits in his playroom at the Stamford home of his owner, Sandra Herold in 2003. (Kathleen O'Rourke/Staff file photo)

State turned blind eye to Stamford chimpanzee

DEP granted special exemption despite state law

HARTFORD - The state Department of Environmental Protection allowed a Stamford couple to keep Travis the chimpanzee despite the fact a law was passed in 2004 that would have required them to obtain a permit.



ALSO:

Stamford woman remains in critical condition following chimpanzee attack

Woman remains in critical condition after mauling by chimpanzee

UPDATE :

MORE ON THE MONKEY TRAGEDY

4 teams of surgeons needed to treat Stamford chimp victim

Blumenthal calls for exotic animal ban in wake of Stamford chimpanzee attack

Stamford chimp owner says she didn't give Xanax

Stamford chimp's owner calls vicious mauling 'freak thing'

New York Post cartoon appears to link Obama to dead Stamford chimp

MORE GREENWICH TIME NEWS HEADLINES.....

Olympians share experiences at Greenwich Country Day School
Things at Greenwich Country Day School -- hallways, chairs, teachers -- seem a lot smaller to Olympic rowers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss now than they did 13 years ago, when they were students there.

Tesei threatens more firings
The dark days for town employees apparently aren't over. Unless the town can get its employees to agree to a wage freeze and other money-saving concessions, First Selectman Peter Tesei said more layoffs could be on the horizon.

In town
Library begins Friday films Greenwich Library's Friends Friday Film Series, which offers an eclectic mix of new, classic, foreign and popular films and documentaries, will begin Friday and run through June in the library's Cole Auditorium, 101 W. Putnam Avenue

Police blotter
Collin O'Dwyer, 24, of 49 Truman Ave., Yonkers, N.Y., was arrested Wednesday night and charged with driving while under the influence, police said.

Greenwich joint planning meeting canceled
Thursday night's joint meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Representative Town Meeting's Land Use Committee on the proposed 10-year Plan of Conservation and Development has been canceled.

Greenwich swears in two new police officers
For newly sworn-in police officers Caroline Fox and Christopher LiBasci, joining the law enforcement community has been a lifelong dream.

Himes: State to get $1.6B of stimulus package
The economic stimulus package signed into law by President Barack Obama took center stage Tuesday morning as Rep.

Gala honorees
Gala honorees Jane and Stuart Weitzman were honored at the Annual Gala of the UJA Federation of Greenwich in December at the Loading Dock in Stamford.

Boys Basketball Roundup
Abbott Tech 81, Wright Tech 47 -- Joe Groski scored 26 points to pace Abbott Tech over Wright Tech in a Connecticut Technical Conference game.

Lampert doubles CIT stake, adds Genworth shares
ESL Investments Inc., the hedge fund firm run by Greenwich resident Edward Lampert more than doubled its stake in CIT Group Inc.

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12/18/09 Chris Fountain Says Don't Blame Him for the Greenwich Real Estate Crisis

Given the sweep and severity of today's global economic and real estate crisis, it would seem there's plenty of blameto go around. But local Greenwich Blogger Chris Fountain doesn't think any of it should fall on his shoulders.




However, some very unsuccessful real estate sales persons are starting a whispering campaign that a crazed real estate blogger and local gadfly has single handily brought the Greenwich real estate market to it's knees with a few simple blog posts


Do any of these low preforming real estate whiners seriously believe that Mr. Fountain had been President for the last eight years?


Has Mr. Fountain spent the last eight years advising the worse presidential economic team since Herbert Hoover?


Any reasonable member of Greenwich Society would know that the answer to these two questions would be: "No."



Last time I checked TIME's list of the 25 people to blame for the financial crisis I did not see Mr. Fountain's name. The magazine's story, which apportioned blame widely between such figures as Countrywide co-founder Angelo Mozilo, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, former Lehman Brothers CEO / Greenwich resident Dick Fuld and President George W. Bush.


However, Mr Fountain's blog posts were not even mentioned in the Time magazine article.


There are a few bits of good news coming out this attempt by some so called "real estate professionals" to try and blame Mr. Fountain for their poor selling skills.


This economic down turn will weed out low performing and whiny real estate sales persons who are unable to adapt to the changing market.


Plus, President Obama has spent his first month on the job fixing many of these problems that developed over the last eight years. Obama is off to a good start given the fact that he had to do it in a hurry, and he had to deal with Congress and the inevitable compromises.


Yes President Obama is going to make Mr. Fountain's critics shut up and stop trying to blame the For What Its Worth Blog for all that's wrong in Greenwich.


Mr. Fountain didn't even vote for our new president, but President Obama is going to cause those low performing Greenwich real estate sales people to go away.


Obama's stimulus package is going to be the beginning of our bridge over troubled waters. Things are going to turn around a low performing Greenwich real estate sales persons will stop trying to make Chris Fountain their whipping boy.



PLEASE SEE:




By Chris Fountain

I feel a rising heat from Greenwich real estate agents and their managers because they blame this humble blog for ruining their fun - I’m “talking down the market” they say, and if I’d stop reporting negative news and put a sunny face of things buyers would still be willing to pay 2007 prices despite what they might otherwise hear about the national real estate market. Because Greenwich is different, or would be, if I wouldn’t spoil the party.


Get a grip, fellas. This blog doesn’t cover real estate in Stamford, New Canaan or Darien yet those markets are as dead as ours. For that matter, England, Dubai and Spain aren’t doing so well either. Or California, Arizona or Florida. What’s really got your knickers in knots is that your clients aren’t buying the line of bull s…. you’ve been feeding them and you don’t know what to do. Try telling them the truth - they can handle it. Or start your own blog of “Happy News” and send that to your clients - you’ll have them howling with laughter in no time.


HERE ARE SOME MORE SUBVERSIVE POSTS


THAT THE EVIL CHRIS FOUNTAIN IS USING


IN A DIABOLICAL PLAN TO DESTROY THE


GREENWICH REAL ESTATE MARKET:


























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“I never blame myself when I'm not hitting. I just blame the bat, and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn't my fault that I'm not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?”
-Yogi Berra
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2/18/09 Greenwich Post News Links

Convent has three National Merit scholars

Convent of the Sacred Heart announced that three seniors have been named finalists in the 2009 competition for National Merit scholarships. The students are Joan M. DeGennaro of Ridgefield, Olivia K. Grubert of Riverside, and Allyson M. Manning of Stamford.



Alice Schroeder, local author of the New York Times No. 1 Bestseller The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life, will be discussing her insights and conversations with one of the most respected men in the world, Warren Buffett. A presentation, discussion and book signing event will be held on Thursday, Feb. 19 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams, 45 East Putnam Ave.

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