04/22/08 - The CEO dubbed 'Fred the Shred' for his cost-cutting habit escapes the firing line - for now.

At RBS you can keep your job even if you help wreak the economy and write down 12 Billion in losses

RBS chief gets off scot-free
CNNMoney.com

(Fortune) -- Even in the pathetic pantheon of subprime mortgage losers, Royal Bank of Scotland stands out.

The Edinburgh, Scotland-based bank joined three other titans of global finance - Citi (C, Fortune 500) and Merrill Lynch (MER, Fortune 500) of the United States and Swiss bank UBS (UBS) - in being forced to raise costly new capital after reporting mortgage-related losses reaching into the double-digit billions of dollars. RBS (RBS) said Monday that its latest quarter would reflect nearly $12 billion in writedowns tied to the global credit crunch. Following the script written by its struggling rivals, Royal Bank of Scotland then went out and raised a huge slug of new capital - $23.9 billion worth - at prices far below even the bank's steeply depressed trading price.

But in a bizarre break with the Merrill-Citi-UBS model, in which top execs who oversaw disastrous mortgage investments were forced to resign, Royal Bank of Scotland is standing behind the management team that led the firm into this morass. This despite the fact that the writedowns come just two months after RBS chief Fred Goodwin told investors he didn't expect to have to raise new capital this year through share issuances. Indeed, the board rebuffed Goodwin's offer to resign ...

...The bank's RBS Greenwich Capital unit, acquired back in 2000 when RBS gobbled up U.K. banker Natwest, spent the middle years of this decade beefing up its issuance of collateralized debt obligations...

...Now, Goodwin is planning to sell the firm's insurance business in a bid to raise even more money and narrow the Royal Bank's focus. And even in the wake of the massive writedowns and humbling capital-raising terms, he insisted on a conference call this week that he's playing a strong hand. "There won't be a fire-sale," he said.

But as RBS shareholders know all too well, Fred Goodwin has been wrong before.

Please see:

RBS: Colonial opinions.
by Henry Cave Devine

The thieves at the trading unit, RBS Greenwich, kept mum on the markings to enrich their compensation at the expense of the shareholders. As far as I am concerned RBS management has no credibility or integrity. ...

My Telegraph : Henry Cave Devine - http://my.telegraph.co.uk/henry_cave_devine/

Almost 11,000 Connecticut Working Families Have Lost Their Homes Since New Years Day.

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04/22/08 Tuesday's News Links From The Greenwich Post

Fourth graders visit the Guggenheim

Going to the Guggenheim

The fourth graders from the International School at Dundee visited the Guggenheim Museum in New York City recently. As part of the partnership program, the fourth graders made two trips to the museum and viewed a variety of exhibits, including traveling exhibitions and works from the permanent collection. The trips inspired the artwork of the students which culminated in an Art Gala at the school last week....
Session offers tips on managing stress

On Wednesday, April 30, Ruthanne Jaffe Birnbaum, a licensed and board certified clinical social worker who is in local private practice, will present an illustrated talk on techniques for stress management.

Greenwich TV celebrates Earth Day

To celebrate Earth Day Greenwich Community Television (GCTV) Channel 79 is featuring green programming from midday until 11 p.m. on April 22.

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04/22/08 - See The Channel 2 Video - Fakes Allowing Many Access To Exclusive Waterfront

Police in Greenwich, Conn., are scratching their heads as they try to figure out who is running a counterfeit beach pass ring that is allowing people access to exclusive waterfront property. (WCBS)

Beach Pass Counterfeiting Perplexes Greenwich Cops (Video Report)

WCBSTV.com

Reporting Tony Aiello

GREENWICH, Conn. You've heard of counterfeit money and counterfeit luxury goods. How about counterfeit beach passes?

It's happening in Connecticut, where cops say someone is making and apparently selling those highly coveted beach passes that are one of the perks of living in America's wealthiest town.

It's quiet now, but come Memorial Day crowds will head back to the beach at Greenwich Point, where attendants will have to be more vigilant than ever now that cops have learned someone has been counterfeiting these coveted passes and making fake permits....

...Beach passes and parking permits are one of the perks of living in Greenwich. For years, the town fought to keep non-residents off the beach – until a court ordered the town to allow them to visit.

But non-residents pay a fee for the privilege -- $5 to enter and $20 to park.

So having a counterfeit pass and parking permit could save hundreds of dollars.

Greenwich Police have a great piece of evidence in this case -- a folder containing copies of counterfeit passes, and the name of the alleged person behind the counterfeiting ring....

...."We are still reaching out to other individuals to get their assistance as well as try to document enough information to give to the prosecutors' office where they feel comfortable going forward with a criminal charge," said. Lt. Daniel Allen.

Whoever has been making fake versions of these passes soon may find it's a real crime.

Real beach passes have a bar code on them, but beach attendant's are not equipped with a bar code reader....

Please see:

02/18/08 - The Parks Department Has Another Beach Pass Scandal. Will The Police Be Called? Will the person reponsible be punished?

02/19/08 - Coverup? - Why Isn't This Felony Being Investigated By The Police Department?

02/20/08 - Is The Coverup Comming To An End? - Police Commisioner Tesei Lights A Fire Under Police Chief Ridberg's Rear End.

02/21/08 - Stop The Coverup - Since When Is Joesph Siciliano A Criminal Investigator?

03/18/08 - First Selectman Peter Tesei said, "Every effort should be made to identify the culprit and prosecute the person."

04/21/08 - You Can Blame This Screw Up On High Paid Parks Department Head Joesph "I Thought I Could Handle A Police Investigation" Sicilano

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Please read comments about this issue:

Cathy says:

Their all a bunch of snobs....Boo-freakin-hoo! So someone might want to use your beaches who don't live there.

So what? If they are willing to pay for a pass,let them.

I understand there are fake passes out there,and for the person who alledgedly made them,why do you have an attorney? You have something to hide?? I guess you do.

Jack says:

Go after the real criminals who break in our homes and kill us,the beach belongs to everyone.

Joan says:

Greenwich residents pay taxes for beach upkeep and the people using fake passes do not.

The beach belong to every one at the high water mark. You can walk the beach at that point by following the coast line.It was done many years ago by activist Ned Coll from Hartford. He marched a group of people along the coast to prove that point.

Bruce says:

The fact is the very rich have bought up the Conn. coastline.

As a child my family used to rent a cottage for at least 20 years until it was sold to some guy from NY.

It was bulldozed; a mansion on the water went up and such is the case over and over.

We are supposed to just be good little middle class serfs and be happy about our $3.79 gas also.

Middle Greenwich says:

I can sort of understand why Port Chester and other Westchester residents would want access since their towns don't have a beach but why is that Stamford residents are the ones who want access?

Aren't Stamford beaches good enough for them? Everyone keeps pointing fingers at Greenwich but the real snobs are the Stamford residents who think their city and beaches are beneath them and full of riff-raff and want to go to Greenwich for everything because they are sad, miserable poseurs who want to avoid their own beaches and neighbors.

Anon says:

The point here is counterfeit beach passes. People are using them knowingly to avoid paying for the use of the beach. Batman or Bruce Wayne,please be a good little boy and put your cape and batmobile away and I''l let you use my beach pass.

Alexis says:

if you do some homework you can find information about similar lawsuits up and down the coast, the cities and towns lose because the old laws on the books preserve the coastline for everyone to use. not just the residents of that neighborhood or town.

that is why the Rye town beach didn't fight it years ago.

having said that, the counterfeiters will be found out eventually. people are not that good at keeping secrets.

Russ Says:

I think you can find snobs anywhere you go.

The people who were caught with the counterfeit passes should be prosecuted to the FULL extent of the law. Hit 'em with fraud, larceny & tresspassing charges....see how long they refuse to be questioned by police when they have a couple thousand in fines hanging over their heads!

04/22/08 - Son Of The Beach Lawsuit - The Nightmare Continues - Michael Bocchino Wants The Single Family Home Owners To Pay For Another Lawsuit!!!

Byram mulls limiting pool to residents

Swimmers might need more than a bathing suit or water wings to take a dip in a proposed community pool in Byram.

Swimmers might need more than a bathing suit or water wings to take a dip in a proposed community pool in Byram.

A driver's license or other proof of residency could be required if some elected officials and neighborhood leaders get their way. A number of them have endorsed a residents-only policy at the pool or one favoring residents, rekindling an old debate over access to public recreation facilities in Greenwich.

The issue of nonresidents flocking to the pool, which would be built with public and private funds in Byram Park, has come up recently in the Representative Town Meeting, as well as in the neighborhood. Some who favor the residents-only policy said that a bus route serving neighboring Port Chester stops in front of the park.

"There's no reason why we can't restrict this pool from any outside individuals or residents," said Michael Bocchino, president of the Byram Neighborhood Association.

In a landmark case decided by state Supreme Court, the town's residents-only policy for entering public beaches was ruled unconstitutional in 2001, subjecting Greenwich to national criticism and ridicule. The town is again mired in litigation over the beach-access policy it adopted after the ruling.....

...irst Selectman Peter Tesei said he would oppose any efforts to restrict access at the new pool.

"I don't share their sentiments," Tesei said. "They should look carefully at our recent history. Somehow, they must have been asleep for a period of time in that we have a policy of open access to our beaches that provides for nonresidents to use them so long as they're paying the noncardholder fee."...

....Selectman Lin Lavery, who has played a leading role in developing the proposal, said she envisioned the pool being for the community when she advocated the project during her campaign last year.

"I think the pool should be for the Greenwich residents to swim in outside, in the sunshine in the fresh water," Lavery said.

At the same time, Lavery said she was cognizant of the lawsuit and history involving nonresident access to town recreation facilities. She said she supported allowing nonresidents to buy daily admission passes to use the pool.

"If my children come to visit, I would love to buy them a day pass," Lavery said.

Full Story

The So Called Political Leaders Of Byram Always Make A Big Fat Deal Out Of Stupid Little Crap, Instead Of Going After The Real Problems Of Western Greenwich.

Please see:

04/21/08 - Reader Submitted Comments: Nightmare On Pemberwick Road

04/15/08 - Greenwich RTM Report - It's Not Easy To Give Money To The Town Of Greenwich (Updated)

04/14/08 - Greenwich Needs To Solve The Byram Goose Poop Problem So That We Can Go After The Drug And Gang Grafitti Problems

04/14/08 - Byram RTM Chairman Robert McKnight Says That Town Planner Diane Fox Has A Conflict Of With The Boston Consultants

04/14/08 - BOE To Spend 1.7 Million To Put The Smallest Glenville Students In The Molded Modulars - Older Students Will Be Dispersed All Over(Updated)

04/12/09 - The Byram RTM Chairman Has Major Problems With Lin Lavery's Pool Donation Proposal (Updated)

04/12/08 - Greenwich Spotlight: Greenwich School District's Facilities Director Anthony "Tony Two Face" Byrne And The Ham Ave School Coverup (Updated)

04/09/08 - Byram Police Officers Show An LA Gang Member Who's The Boss (Updated)

04/05/08 - Submitted Comments On Greenwich Time Story

04/03/07 - Lin Lavery, said children who have to use the restroom have to get back in line after they’ve used the bathroom, and that was unacceptable

02/06/08 - Dr. Ian Rubin's Family Has Complained About The Press, But At Least The Family Got Justice.

01/11/08 - This What The Welcome Sign To Byram Looked Like Before Mike Bocchinoke Became President Of The Byram Nieghborhood Association

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04/22/08 - Greenwich Roundup: The Pre-Dawn Briefing

1. 

Greenwich News Report

Greenwich man who fell into harbor piloted Rolling Stones
Stamford Advocate - Stamford,CT

By Zach Lowe

STAMFORD - The Greenwich man found dead in Stamford Harbor Friday died of an accidental drowning, according the Office of the Chief Medical ...

Brunswick film festival gets Greenwich kids going global
Greenwich Post - Greenwich,CT

Despite the balmy weather this past Saturday, more than 100 students from Brunswick, Greenwich Academy, The Convent of the Sacred Heart and Greenwich ...

Greenwich plastic surgeon overdosed, medical examiner confirms
Stamford Advocate - Stamford,CT

By Zach Lowe

STAMFORD - The Greenwich plastic surgeon found dead in his pool worker's Stamford apartment in February overdosed on a combination of heroin ...

TREASURIES-Bond losses trimmed as stock losses widen
Reuters - USA

Ian Lyngen, interest-rate strategist at RBS Greenwich Capital in Greenwich, Connecticut, said Treasuries trimmed losses as stocks ground "a little bit" ...

Russell dominating NEC for Sacred Heart softball
Stamford Advocate - Stamford,CT

Chris O'Connor (Greenwich) has five goals and three assists while redshirt freshman Chris Rotante (Brien McMahon) is scoreless in limited time on defense ...

Notre Dame center Sullivan has a diverse sports background
Kansas City Star - MO

Sullivan attended the same high school in Greenwich, Conn., as Steve Young and has met the Hall of Fame quarterback on the banquet circuit. ...

louvre curator to speak at school awards
Greenwich Time - Greenwich,CT

Scheduled for 5 pm, May 7 at the Greenwich Senior/Arts Center, the ceremony will honor high-achieving middle and high school students by awarding them ...

Featured Greenwich Blog Posts

Greenwich 1-on-1 Provides Highly Personalized Sports Coaching
By fairfieldcountychild.com

Greenwich 1-on-1 is a great new business based in Greenwich and if you have an athletic child, or one that wishes he/she were a little more so, read on...Greenwich 1-on-1's unique approach to coaching can make all the difference in a ...
Fairfield County Child - http://fairfieldcountychild.blogspot.com/

GREENWICH(Ct) FIRE TESTING
By RichT.

Just throwing it out there... Greenwich Fire is testing. Short ride from Nassau for a great deparment. Check the town's web site.
Nassau FD Rant - http://www.nassaufdrant.com/forum

Recipients of fake Greenwich beach cards dodge questioning

GREENWICH, Conn. (AP) - Lack of cooperation from potential witnesses is complicating an investigation into who's responsible for counterfeiting Greenwich's highly coveted beach access passes, police say.
Lohud.com: Latest News - http://www.lohud.com

The Raw Greenwich News And Business Feed

1. Boeing Profit Forecast May Reassure Investors Weary of Dreamliner Delay

   Bloomberg

   ... as travel demand slows and the economy weakens, said Peter Arment , an American Technology Research analyst in Greenwich, Connecticut, who has a ``neutral'' rating on Boeing. ``We're at a crossroads point right now as to whether we'll see a recovery ...
   

2. Royal Bank Of Scotland Building Rises In Stamford

   Hartford Courant

   ... RBS' building will house its global banking and markets business and a securities brokerage unit now based in Greenwich. RBS also owns Providence-based Citizens Bank, Connecticut's seventh-largest bank. Citizens may or may not occupy space in the ...
   

3. Dow Jones, S&P dip on bank worries

   Theedgedaily.com

   ... and Apple could add to those, said Tim Smalls, head of US stock trading at brokerage firm Execution LLC in Greenwich, Connecticut. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, May crude settled at a record US$117.48, up 79 cents, after hitting an intraday ...
   

4. Requiem for the New York Times & Other Old-Line Players

   Jane Genova

   ... - at least not effectively? I look at the elephant in my new e-book "Saving Souls on Park Avenue, K Street, and Greenwich, CT." You can download it here free. Download savingsoulsonparkavenuekstreet.pdf A big part of letting the barbarians is just ...

5. Crovitz: Consumer Has it Over Business

   Rebuilding Media

   ... Communications, and meanwhile is managing partner of the media consulting firm of Digital Deliverance LLC in Greenwich, Connecticut. Two forces have shattered the news media. Technology is the first. Although media technology is undergoing its ...

6. Adams drug bust: Heroin seized, 11 arrested

   Drug Busts

   ... money, firearms and a vehicle from Ramos.Also in custody on various drug charges were: Thomas W. Barnett, 19, of Greenwich, Conn.; Vanessa A. Cullison, 29, of Gettysburg; Joshua M. Spencer, 18, address unknown; Timothy A. Stotsky Jr. 18, of Hanover; ...
   

7. Stocks slip as financial shares weigh

   WTNZ-TV Knoxville

   ... going through the healing process, and we need patience," said Steve Goldman, market strategist at Weeden & Co in Greenwich, Connecticut. "But what we really need to see is the financial companies leading the market higher." The Dow Jones industrial ...

8. Stock futures dip on BofA, Eli Lilly

   Earth Times

   ... companies, like Arch Coal," said Tim Smalls, head of U.S. stock trading at brokerage firm Execution LLC in Greenwich, Connecticut. "I think we have a little bit of work to do to digest all the earnings, but the market is showing resilience." S&P 500 ...
   

9. Appointments and Promotions at Roma

   Gifts and Tablewares Online

   ... venues, since graduating from the University of Hartford School of Art with a BFA in oil painting. Originally from Greenwich, CT, he moved westward and continued as a framer, designer and manager in San Francisco, CA. Israel joined Roma's sales team ...

10. Merrill Lynch Leads Barron's ''Top 100 Financial Advisers'' List for Fifth Consecutive Year

    Business Wire

    ... and customer satisfaction. Barron's 2008 Top 100: Phil Scott Bellevue, WA August Cenname Columbus, OH John Erdmann Greenwich, CT Raj Sharma Boston, MA Robert Stulberg Bloomfield Hills, MI Rod Westmoreland Atlanta, GA Saly Glassman Blue Bell, PA ...
    

11. Intrepid Potash seen as hot commodity

    Rocky Mountains News

    ... western U.S., Intrepid can capture additional margin through lower freight costs to end users," wrote analysts at Greenwich, Conn.-based Renaissance Capital in a recent report. "While trends in agricultural commodities markets will likely give this ...

12. Education funding gets day in court

    NewsTimesLive.com

    ... also an equitable one, so the kids in Danbury would have the right to the same high-quality education as those in Greenwich." Regardless of the outcome of the hearing, which is expected to be decided by the fall, the coalition will continue to ...
    

13. Green Kitchens

    Itravelishop

    ... furniture. So if you're throwing out your old kitchen for a fancy new Poggenpohl one, contact Greenwich, Connecticut-based Green Demolitions . They'll come and pick up your old kitchen or bathroom and you'll win a tax deduction. Meanwhile, someone ...

14. The Brand Called YOU: Positioning Your Brand For Success

    What's Up Daybook

    ... Ries and his daughter Laura in Great Neck, New York. Prior to 1994, Al was with his former partner Jack Trout in Greenwich, Connecticut, and Laura was working as an account executive at TBWA Advertising in New York City. Al decided he wanted to work ...

15. Beach Pass Probe Resisted

    Hartford Courant

    Greenwich Police Chief David Ridberg says the witnesses could help corroborate details provided by an anonymous tipster, who sent copies of the fake passes and other information to police in February.

16. Spaghetti al Sugo di Pomodoro from Polpo in Greenwich

    WTNH

    Polpo Restaurant is considered one of Connecticut's and the Northeast's best dining experiences. Located in Greenwich, Polpo is known for it's Tuscan Cruisine using only the freshest ingredients and time honored recipes. Here to shows us how to make ...

17. Full House Greets Pope's Last U.S. Mass

    FOXReno

    ... seen Yankee Stadium so beautiful, and I have season's tickets," said Philip Giordano, 49, a tax attorney from Greenwich, Conn., who won seats in the loge section behind home plate through a parish lottery. "It sure beats sitting in my local church." ...

Greenwich Time RSS News Feed

Earth day events Environmental celebrations April is Earth Day Month in Greenwich, so the Greenwich Conservation Department has put together a list of many events, this month and next, that are aimed at raising awareness about the environment.... Full Story Rell knew of rising rail yard costs HARTFORD -- An e-mail from Gov. M. Jodi Rell's chief of staff emerged yesterday that proved Rell not only knew about the rising cost of the New Haven Rail Yard months ago but that she also was "horrified" by the price tag.... Full Story Lieberman Web site probe ended after '06 election The U.S. attorney and state attorney general last week said they did not close their investigations into the crash of.... Full Story Sacred Heart gets awards for cutting power usage On a day when Convent of the Sacred Heart middle school students were learning how they could reduce, reuse and recycle as part of an Earth Day event, Facilities Manager Walter Bendik recalled the school's efforts to implement energy efficiency measures.... Full Story Dog quarantined after incident A pit bull terrier is in quarantine following a six-day effort to find the dog and its owner after it bit a Rye Brook, NY.... Full Story Kissel slay hearing delayed one week A hearing on whether to open the sealed arrest warrants for two men arrested last month of killing millionaire Andrew M. Kissel... Full Story

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04/21/08 -Greenwich 1-on-1 Provides Highly Personalized Sports Coaching For the Whole Family

Greenwich 1-on-1 Provides Highly Personalized Sports Coaching
by fairfieldcountychild.com

Greenwich 1-on-1 is a great new business based in Greenwich and if you have an athletic child, or one that wishes he/she were a little more so, read on...Greenwich 1-on-1's unique approach to coaching can make all the difference in a ...

Fairfield County Child - http://fairfieldcountychild.blogspot.com/

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04/21/08 - Greenwicites Speak Their Minds

Letters To The Greenwich Time Editor

Shays confuses voters in trying to explain positions To the editor: Congressman Christopher Shays deserves credit for holding town hall meetings, but last Saturday's helter-skelter presentation in Greenwich must have left many of his constituents questioning his labored, Liebermanesque attempts at a political makeover. When he wasn't racing through a series of misleading charts purporting to show how his voting record veers to the left of Ted Kennedy, Shays served up a jumble of confusing statements on the war in Iraq (can his next trip possibly create any more self-inflicted obfuscation?), health care, and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. On FISA, Shays echoed two widely held but fundamentally dishonest Republican talking points. The first is that telecom companies deserve amnesty for their illegal, warrantless spying on millions of customers because they were "protecting" the American people, and the second is that the driving force behind the lawsuits stemming from that illegal spying is the greedy trial lawyers lobby. To the first point, it doesn't take a legal scholar to know that one does not "protect" the country by subverting the law and the Constitution in the process. Second, the lead counsel in these suits are not Gucci Gulch attorneys but public interest lawyers who have made great financial sacrifices to defend the rule of law and constitutional protections that benefit all of us, including Republicans. If money were their driving motive, pursuing these time-consuming suits would be the last thing on their mind. Shays' constituents deserve better from their next U.S. representative -- someone who does not perform self-deluding pirouettes designed to flim-flam voters. That person is Jim Himes, a candidate of sterling integrity whose unapologetic commitment to a progressive agenda will best serve the needs of the 4th Congressional District. Bill Gaston Greenwich Dog-bite penalty not sufficient to get owners' attention To the editor: I would like to ask elected officials and Greenwich residents whether they think it is fair for the fine to be a mere $95 for a resident whose dog attacks and bites an innocent pedestrian walking on a public street. Reuse of modular buildings would be the wrong move To the editor: I would like to comment about a meeting I recently attended regarding the mold issue with the modular buildings at Western Middle School. ============================================ Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

04/21/08 - Calling All Firefighters To Greenwich

GREENWICH(ct) FIRE TESTING
by RichT.

Just throwing it out there... Greenwich Fire is testing. Short ride from Nassau for a great deparment. Check the town's web site.
Nassau FD Rant - http://www.nassaufdrant.com/forum

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04/21/08 - Rubins purchased narcotics that he took and Rubins, as a doctor, knew exactly what he was doing when he injected himself.

Greenwich plastic surgeon overdosed, medical examiner confirms
Stamford Advocate, CT

By Zach Lowe

The Greenwich plastic surgeon found dead in his pool worker's Stamford apartment in February overdosed on a combination of heroin and cocaine, according to the state's medical examiners.

Police had long suspected that Ian Rubins, 46, who had a history of drug problems, died from overdosing on cocaine, heroin or both.

They have charged the pool worker, Leonard Bajramaj, 32, with first-degree manslaughter for allegedly failing to call 911 for nearly 13 hours while Rubins lay dying.

Rubins also had clogged arteries in his heart, the medical examiner found.

Bajramaj has pleaded not guilty, and his attorney has said he will seek a dismissal of the charges.

The attorney, Darnell Crosland, has said Bajramaj tried to revive Rubins throughout the day by shaking him, feeding him water and forcing him to drink coffee.

He said Bajramaj, an experienced drug user, thought Rubins passed out or was sleeping.

Crosland said Bajramaj called 911 as soon as he realized Rubins' life was in jeopardy.

But police said Bajramaj left his apartment on Debera Lane at least three times, including once to buy Timberland shoes with Rubins' credit card....

...A hospital employee spotted Rubins stealing a tube of the painkiller Fentanyl from a surgery patient and replacing it with a tube of saline solution, state health department records show.

Rubins admitted stealing the tube in an interview with the Greenwich Time, saying he was trying to relieve pain from back surgery he had a few days earlier.

He entered a rehabilitation program for painkillers in 1996 and entered another program two years ago, when a hospital staffer suspected he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol minutes before a surgery, state records show.

Police claim Rubins asked Bajramaj to acquire drugs for him last week. Rubins was in Stamford for a court date in an ongoing domestic violence case. He lived in a family home in Vermont after his wife initiated divorce proceedings.

Jodi Rubins owns the couple's home on Lake Avenue in Greenwich, court records show.

Bajramaj has a record in three states, police said. He was convicted of drug charges in New York and three domestic violence charges in Stamford.

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04/21/08 - Greenwich Bussiness Roundup - The Chain Stores Are Drving Up Rents And Pushing Out The Independent Stores In Greenwich

Downtown business update: New Balance staying; others on the move
New Canaan Advertiser, CT

By Colleen Flaherty

New Balance owner Ron Rosenfeld wants New Canaan to know his store is not closing.

“It’s absolutely not true,” he said of a rumor that his sneaker store was meeting the same fate as its Main Street neighbors, The Wire Whisk and, more recently and right next door, Knoyzz.

“I’d like to know who started that,” he said. “They just assume this whole group over here is going out.”

Mr. Rosenfeld said that New Balance had readjusted its expectations after its first year, but that things were getting better after a slow holiday and early winter season.

“We’re up 25 percent over last year,” he said, attributing increased sales to a now-established regular customer base, a good product and outreach through podiatrists.

But, said Mr. Rosenfeld, “The rents here are outrageous. It’s way too much.”

Mr. Rosenfeld would not disclose what he was paying in rent, but said that New Canaan landlords were going to have to readjust their prices, which did not “coincide” with the poor “retail environment.”

“Anywhere the customer is spending money right now,” he said, is hurting.

Indeed, pain — that in the wallet — caused the small women’s apparel chain Knoyzz to close its 126 Main Street location last month, after a year and a half. Owner Richard Moskowitz attributed the closure of his store, which has other “successful” locations in Westport and Mt. Kisco, N.Y., to New Canaan’s low customer volume in relation to its high rents....

... Mr. Moskowitz would not disclose what he paid in rent, but said that it would have been 40 percent higher on Elm Street, and pointed out the increasing number of national chains setting up shop there, possibly more for marketing than for revenue.

“Only the big boxes are going to be able to afford it,” he said. “Independents are a dying breed. What New Canaan didn’t want to be, which is another mall, it’s going to become.” That, he said, is already happening in Greenwich.

Pam Ogilvie, executive director of the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce, found fault with Mr. Moskowitz’s assessment the Town’s retail future.....

04/21/08 - “What Man gives up at least $100 million a year to work for Yale?” asked one full-page ad

Why Yale Shouldn’t Lionize a Money Manager
Wall Street Journal Blogs, NY

I’ve written before about Yale’s vow not to sell naming rights to its two new colleges to the highest bidder. Their tradition is to name colleges after past presidents, locations and local historical figures. No college has ever been named for a living donor.

But now some alumni have kicked off a campaign urging Yale to name a college after David Swensen. Mr. Swensen, for those who haven’t read the countless hagiographies, is Yale’s chief investment officer. During his 23 years on the job, Yale’s endowment has increased to $22.5 billion from $1.2 billion.

According to an article in the Yale Daily News by Thomas Kaplan, some mystery alumni have launched a campaign urging Yale to name a college after Mr. Swensen, whom they say has given up untold riches in the private sector to help Yale.

“What Man gives up at least $100 million a year to work for Yale?” asked one full-page ad, referring to his theoretical earnings if he worked on Wall Street or in Greenwich. As one of the alums told the News: “Our hope is that the ads will encourage the University to recognize one of the most important men in the history of Yale.”

...I also wonder about the “$100 million” claim. Maybe Ms. Swensen could make $100 million a year, maybe not. But measuring someone’s contribution based on their theoretical salary in another job is misleading. It’s like saying Hank Paulson should have a federal building named after him because he’s giving up millions (or billions) he could be making in the private sector.

Here’s an idea. Rather than naming a college after Mr. Swensen, Yale should name something more fitting to his contribution. Maybe the Swensen Reading Room, where students could pore over Bloomberg screens, gossip about the latest commodity reports and size up SEC filings online. Now that’s something to aspire to.

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04/21/08 - Greedy RBS Greenwich Capital Is Right In The Middle Of The Credit Mortgage Crises That Is Causing CT Families To Lose Their Homes

Let's Hope Your 401K Is Not Invested In This
RBS Greenwich Affiliated Stock

National City To Get $7 Bln In Capital, Cuts Dividend; Posts $171 ...
RTT News, NY

Meanwhile, RBS Greenwich Capital served as financial advisor and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal advisor to Corsair Capital. ...

Please see:

RBS arm involved in SEC inquiry

Royal Bank of Scotland has confirmed its Greenwich Capital unit is part of a Securities Exchange Commission probe into the collapse of the subprime mortgage market.

The SEC has opened about three dozen inquiries, including those that involve major investment banks, according to recent published reports.

Greenwich Capital, a top issuer of mortgage-backed securities in the subprime market, is based on Steamboat Road in Greenwich. The unit was asked by the SEC to hand over some of its financial documents, but RBS officials would not comment on the probe beyond that.

"We will fully cooperate with the SEC or any regulators," said Carolyn McAdam, a spokeswoman for RBS......

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04/21/08 - Greenwich Hedge Funds Get Away With Murder As Families Lose There Homes - Bernanke is considered a monetary genius. Will we ever learn?

Caligula's Horse - Thursday 17 th April 2008
BullionVault (press release), UK

Hank Paulson wants the Fed – the US Fed! – to regulate Wall Street and the finance business...

US TREASURY SECRETARY Hank Paulson just proposed giving the Federal Reserve broad powers to regulate the financial industry, writes Fred Sheehan for Whiskey and Gunpowder.

He could not have nominated a more incompetent body. The Coast Guard would do a better job.

Today's financial upheaval owes homage to the derivatives that shrouded massive growth in debt and leverage. This murky world inflated the incentives of those who ran the machinery over the cliff – the bankers, mortgage brokers, law firms, appraisers, rating agencies and politicians.

This is well known, despite their protestations. The parties knew they were behaving either recklessly or criminally when the bubble inflated. The Federal Reserve encouraged them.

Yet with a straight face, Hank Paulson proposes that the Fed now quash future imbroglios. The terracotta soldiers of Xian would bring more initiative to the assignment, as history shows.

In September 1998, the Federal Reserve didn't have the slightest idea of how the banking system functioned; it hadn't the slightest idea of the banks' exposure to hedge funds; nor had it the slightest idea of the leverage within the financial system....

....In the first three weeks of Sept. '98, Long-Term Capital Management (LTCM) – a hedge fund based in Greenwich, Connecticut – lost half a billion dollars per week and everyone knew it. Everyone except, possibly, Alan Greenspan, then Fed chairman. In mid-Sept. that year, the Federal Reserve chairman told the House Banking Committee that "Hedge funds [are] strongly regulated by those who lend the money."

Then on Sept. 21st, LTCM lost $550 million...

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04/21/08 - Last year, Gov. M. Jodi Rell ordered all state university offices and executive agencies to use green cleaning products if practical

SEASIDE NATURALS' PLANT in North Branford produces all-natural cleaning, personal care and baby care products. Bottling an order of glass cleaner Tuesday is employee Corwin Moss. The company is part of a movement toward environmentally friendly cleaners, which states, municipalities and others are beginning to demand more and more frequently. Production has tripled in each of the past four years, said David Zielski, who co-owns the company with his wife, Linda.

Greener Way To Clean
Sun-Sentinel.com, FL

The air is smelling greener for Connecticut cleaning products manufacturers, as new state and municipal regulations create more demand for environmentally friendly cleaners...

...Several municipalities and institutions have followed suit, including the town of Berlin, Greenwich Hospital and Amity School District in southwestern Connecticut...

..."Green products are just going to continue to grow," said Bill Gorra, president and CEO of Simoniz. "Not just in Connecticut but in New York and Massachusetts, more and more municipal and town governments are requiring that green products are being used."

For Linda Zielski, the newfound interest in green cleaners is not just an opportunity to grow her business, but also to change the way we live.

"It's going back to when your grandmother or great grandmother used to clean," she said. "We want to help people live a healthier lifestyle."

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04/21/08 - Stein Hagstrom, 51, a Gulfstream pilot to the stars including the Rolling Stones, was walking along a dock behind the .......

Greenwich man who fell into harbor piloted Rolling Stones
Stamford Advocate, CT

By Zach Lowe

STAMFORD - The Greenwich man found dead in Stamford Harbor Friday died of an accidental drowning, according the Office of the Chief Medical ...

...Hagstrom had an outgoing personality and made friends easily during his travels, his wife said.

He made uneasy passengers laugh during flights, his wife said. On a flight to Norway, the plane was over the Atlantic Ocean when Hagstrom turned to his wife, herself a nervous traveler, and joked that, "If anything happens now, we're finished," she said.

The couple has two children, ages 10 and 15.

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04/21/08 - John Farr, one of the judges and a co-founder of the Avon Theatre Film Center in Stamford who writes a weekly film blog for the Huffington

From left, Brunswick parents Jessie Jamar and Priscilla Masselink, co-chaired the fourth annual Fundance Foreign Film Festival.

Brunswick film festival gets Greenwich kids going global

Despite the balmy weather this past Saturday, more than 100 students from Brunswick, Greenwich Academy, The Convent of the Sacred Heart and Greenwich Country Day School assembled at Greenwich Academy’s Massey Theater to watch films made by their classmates for The Fundance Foreign Film Festival’s Student Film Competition.....

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04/21/08 - Group wants to shift school funding from property taxes to the state o Connecticut

Education funding gets day in court

NewsTimesLive.com

DANBURY -- A coalition of town leaders will take a big step in a lawsuit against the state to garner more education funding with an appeal of a lower court ruling Tuesday before the Connecticut Supreme Court.

The ruling decided that students don't have a right to an adequate education, according to the state constitution.

Appellate courts in more than 20 states, including those from New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts, have recognized the existence of such a right.

It's the new theory in education funding -- that states should adequately fund schools to meet the needs of children so they can reach the goals expected of them rather than satisfy the more familiar -- but less encompassing -- requirement to provide an equitable education.

The lawsuit was filed more than two years ago by 15 students and their families and the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding. The coalition wants to lessen the reliance on local property taxes and substantially shift the school funding burden to the state.

The plaintiffs charged that the state's failure to suitably fund its public schools has irreparably harmed thousands of children. Three of the complaints address adequacy of funding and one is on equity in funding....

... also an equitable one, so the kids in Danbury would have the right to the same high-quality education as those in Greenwich." Regardless of the outcome of the hearing, which is expected to be decided by the fall, the coalition will continue to ...

For more information, visit:

www.ccjef.org/about.htm

Contact: Eileen FitzGerald

at eileenf@newstimes.com

or at (203) 731-3333

IF YOU GO:

WHAT: Oral arguments before Connecticut Supreme Court

WHEN: Tuesday, April 22, 10 a.m.

WHERE: Supreme Court, 231 Capitol Ave., Hartford

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04/21/07 - News Links From The Greenwich Post For Monday

Wine Society starts up

Greenwich resident Dean Gamanos has taken his love for wine and turned it into a learning experience for himself and others with the new wine club, the Greenwich Wine Society.

New group is support for adopted teenagers
Adoption Connection at Jewish Family Services of Greenwich has formed a new group for adopted teenagers. Called “Teens Touched by Adoption,” the group will be facilitated by a team of social workers. Participants will share their experiences about growing up in adoptive families and will support one another as they explore their feelings about these issues.

The group is scheduled to begin on Thursday, April 24, at the Jewish Family Services offices in Greenwich and will meet monthly through June.

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