Greenwich Roundup

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

06/11/08 - Breaking Non - News About The Teachers Aides Contract

When is David Warner, the new Greenwich Time editor going to crack down on the one sided and incomplete reporting that plagues the Greenwich Time.

Did David Warner, allow crappy reporting like this in The Rockford (Ill.) Register Star...

BOE says aides' contract reached

By Hoa Nguyen
Greenwich Time Staff writer

Article Launched: 06/11/2008 03:04:00 PM EDT

The Board of Education and teachers aides have negotiated a new contract that now goes to union membership and town panels for approval.

"We have reached an agreement on the contract so as of now, we are not going to arbitration," said Steven Anderson, a Board of Education member who participated in the negotiations.....

....Anderson would not comment on the details of the agreement, saying he has not briefed the full school board on the deal. Any agreement would need the approval of the board as well as the Representative Town Meeting before taking effect....

Please Read The Rest Of The Greenwich Time Story

In this incomplete story, the Greenwich Time only got a comment from a Board Of Education Board member and got nothing from Local 136.

Greenwich Time readers to this amateurish Greenwich Time report don't know if teachers aides will still have to contribute up to 15 percent of their salary toward health care premiums.

Greenwich Time readers don't know if school aides will still have a decrease in sick days from 15 days to five days.

Greenwich Time readers don't know if the school aides will still only have a single 30-minute unpaid lunch break.

The Greenwich Time reporters have repeatedly short changed the teacher's aides, by constantly taking Board of Education press releases and running them through the spell checker, before publication.

Hoa Nguyen's report is almost non-news.

Hopefully, this report will be updated later or a second more complete report will be submitted by Mr. Nguyen or a reporter more knowledgeable about the labor dispute.

How can David Warner, who has also been deputy metro editor of The Detroit News; editor of the Trentonian in Trenton, N.J.; city editor of the Philadelphia Daily News; editor of the Daily Local News in West Chester, Pa.; and city editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette put up with such bad journalism?

=======================
UPDATE: Thursday June 12, 2008
Hoa Nguyen Discovers
There Are Always At
Least Two Sides To A News Story

Hoa Resubmits His Story
To The Greenwich Time Readers
=======================

Board, union agree on contract

By Hoa Nguyen
Staff writer / Greenwich Time

Negotiators from the Board of Education and the Local 136 have agreed on a new contract for Greenwich instructional aides, officials said yesterday....

...The school board and union have been wrestling for months over a new contract for the town's 182 instructional aides. While the talks were officially called off in January so that an arbitrator could be called in, both sides continued to meet. Last month, they narrowed in on a compromise and on Tuesday the arbitration was called off when an agreement was reached, said Lynn Mason, the union's business manager.

"You never get what you want, but we reached what I feel is a very amenable contract," she said, adding that the union membership still must ratify the agreement next month. ...

...In ironing out the deal, negotiators focused on keeping insurance increases to a minimum, Mason said.

"There are some increases, but I think our members will be able to afford them," she said. "Of course, we would like to see more money because it's an underpaid profession, but they gave us a fair raise too."....

..."We're all grateful," Mason said. "It's heightened the awareness the crucial role that our instructional aides play."...

Please Read Hoa's Slightly Improved News Story Here

WOW, Hoa Lynn Mason, the union's business manager knows so much more about this story than School Board Member Steve Anderson who would not comment on the details of the agreement.

See, Hoa if you had talked to Ms. Mason yesterday you would have the beginings of a real news story and not a Non-News story of Mr. Anderson basically saying no comment.

Hoa, Yesterday's story made you look kind of like a reporter that was too lazy to pick up the phone to get all sides of a news story.

You know what they say Hoa...."Every story has at least three sides."

Hoa your second attempt at real reporting is much better, but it is still very incomplete. Maybe you could get some input and quotes from parents. That would really help round out the story.

Hoa, if you want to be a real reporter you need to talk to all the stakeholders in a news story.

Hoa a real reporter would get on the phone and call up some Representative Town Meeting members who must approve this deal between the Board Of Education and the teachers union.

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06/11/09 Surpise, Surprise: Sue Wallerstein Fails To See That Terms Of The Agreement With Parents Were Adhered To - Where's The Ham Ave Test Results?

Contract With Parents Broken

Greenwich Public Schools Breaks Agreement On The Hamilton Avenue School Modulars

The results of the testing done by the paid-for-by-parents Industrial Hygienist are being released to the media today.

The agreement with the Town was three days after the completion of testing, the results would be exchanged (they had their Industrial Hygienist, Bob Brown, copycat the parents' Industrial Hygienist the day of testing).

The Town of Greenwich has failed to exchange their results with the attorneys for the parents group.

Let's see if the Greenwich Citizen, the Greenwich Post and the Greenwich Time has the journalistic balls to cover all sides of the story.

All ready all three Greenwich newspapers have failed to challenge the Board Of Education for breaking the agreement.

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06/11/08 - 0683...Oh Noooooo - Prices down, foreclosures up

Housing Crunch Hits Upscale Zip Codes

Across the country, real estate agents and home sellers in wealthy neighborhoods who grew accustomed to seven-figure bidding wars during the boom are feeling the sting of the housing crunch. Three of the nation's richest zip codes saw particularly steep home-price declines: 33480 (Palm Beach, Fla.), 06381 (Greenwich, Conn.) and 55391 (Wayzata, Minn.)...

Hey, Kristan Zimmer It looks like Chris Fountain was right after all.

Mr. Fountain sumed it up much better than I ever could hope to,

"Greenwich Post, has just fired me - according to the owner, it came down to a choice between my readers, who liked me, and certain real estate agencies who did not. The latter pays bills, the former does not, so I got the heave ho. Fair enough, but I question the wisdom of eliminating one of the few items in a newspaper that, according to my readers,anyway, made the paper worth perusing. If you have no readers, who will advertise?"

"If you'd like calm, reassuring news that your real estate investment in Greenwich is doing just fine, feel free to check the Greenwich Post each week."

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06/11/08 The Raw Greenwich News Feed - Spanning The Globe To Bring You All The Greenwich News

Oxford Gazette

Hersam Acorn Newspapers

The Historical Society of the Town of Greenwich has its headquarters at the Bush-Holley Historic Site , which features the circa 1730 National Historic Landmark Bush-Holley House, home of Connecticut's first ...

Ridgefield Legion team tops Greenwich

5 hrs ago | NewsTimesLive.com

Kyle Miller struck out three and allowed eight singles without a walk as the Ridgefield American Legion baseball team defeated visiting Greenwich 5-2 Tuesday.

Blog: Bond yields jump as investors reassess on Fed

Los Angeles Times

... Bernanke might want to start tightening credit in the fall. David Ader, chief government bond strategist at RBS Greenwich Capital in Greenwich, Conn., said he still expects the Fed to wait until next year to raise its key rate. But with its new ...

US market ends mostly lower on rate-hike concern; Dow up

Theedgedaily.com

... "Bernanke is closing the door to more rate cuts," said Steve Goldman, market strategist at Weeden & Co in Greenwich, Connecticut. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 9.44 points, or 0.08%, at 12,289.76. But the Standard & Poor's 500 Index was ...

The Coming Collision With Mobile Carriers

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 ...

Cate Leach's creativity now finds expression in painting

Easton Courier

... a desire for artistic expression. Currently, Ms. Leach, an abstract painter, is part of a joint exhibit at the Greenwich Library's Flinn Gallery with Pound Ridge-based sculptor Marty Kremer. The show, titled "Architecture and Landscape in the ...

Hedge Funds Continue to Outperform Equities in May

Earth Times

GREENWICH, Conn. - Building on positive gains in April, the Greenwich Global Hedge Fund Index returned +2.01% while the Greenwich Composite Investable Index returned +1.66% in May.

7 Days: The Week That Is

Fairfield Weekly

... as, "Beware the ides of March," and "It was Greek to me." It will run in Rowayton until June 28 and start again in Greenwich's Baldwin Park on July 4. Pinkney Park, 177 Rowayton Ave., Norwalk. 7:30 p.m. Free. (203) 299-1300. ...

Tudor Hires Hanley, Mintz of Bear Stearns to Create Credit Investment Unit

Bloomberg Business News

... Hanley , 46, and Mintz , 47, were senior managing directors and co-heads of Bear Stearns's distressed-debt group, Greenwich, Connecticut-based Tudor said in a statement today. Their unit will operate within Tudor and could be spun off as an ...

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06/11/08 - WOW Check Out The New And Improved Greenwich Post Website

06/11/08 Greenwich Time News Links For Wednesday

6-11-2008, NORTH STREET, GREENWICH,

A workman with a chain saw inspects downed power lines across North Street in Greenwich, just north of the Merritt Parkway Wednesday morning. Thunder and lighting storms Tuesday night in Greenwich wreaked havoc for the morning commute causing the Greenwich public schools
to delay their opening by 1 hour.
(Bob Luckey/Greenwich Time Photo)

New round of storms snarls roads, cuts power
Major roads in Greenwich were snarled during Wednesday morning's commute by fallen branches and wires knocked down during furious thunderstorms late Tuesday night that capped a four-day heat wave, officials said.

Himes' rival files forms

Battling near triple digit temperatures and car trouble, a Greenwich woman filed petitions by a 4 p.m.

Developer awaiting P&Z approval for So. Water St. building
For years, it has served as a place where things got made. From the early 1900s to the early 1960s, the property at 84 So.

Owners toss tomatoes

Even though he was assured by his distributor that the produce was safe, Donnie Romeo decided to throw out all of his tomatoes until the salmonella scare is over.

Heat forces P.E. classess out of the gymnasium
The early morning hours yesterday were cool enough that physical education teacher Scott Moroney could open the doors of the North Mianus School gym and allow students to use chalk to draw on the shaded sidwalks.

Greenwich Time Opinion And Columns:

Too little is changed with housing
It's unfortunate that the most recent news conference calling for more affordable housing in Connecticut essentially was a repeat of pleas that have been made over the past decade.

Jim McKay part of a fondly recalled era

Jim McKay was one of those guys you liked the minute you met him. The celebrated sportscaster who died last week came to Greenwich in 1950, leaving his job with the Baltimore Sun to start a new program at CBS in New York City.

Letters To The Greenwich Time Editor:

Sports fields don't belong at power plant site

To the editor:
Parents should think twice about the safety implications of the Cos Cob Power Plant site and consider alternative locations for sports field

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06/11/08 Meg your Wish Is Our Command - Reader Submission

hi,

can you please post this item?

thank you!

http://fairfieldcountychild.blogspot.com/2008/06/registration-open-for-sensory-kids.html

--
Meg Robustelli
Founder, Fairfield County Child, LLC
www.fairfieldcountychild.com

203.561.9148

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Tuesday, June 10, 2008

06/10/08 Republican's Manuver To Minipulate The Vote On The $30,000 Havemeyer Study

Peter Crumbine's Family And The Republican Powers That Be Don't Care What The Taxpayers Want. They Will Just Manipulate The Way The Vote Is Conducted In The Representative Town Meeting.

The Single Family Home-Owners Of Greenwich And Their RTM Represenitives Don't Want To Lease The Havemeyer Building To The Arts Center For $1 A Year

The powers that be in Greenwich knew that a request for $30,000 to study on whether the Havemeyer Building would be suitable for a new senior center was encountering pockets of strong resistance in the Representative Town Meeting so they made a backroom deal to combine or tie the vote with three other items.

Christine Edwards (RTM District 8) from district repeatedly tried to get Moderator Thomas J. Byrne to recognize her objection, but Mr. Byrne was busy entertaining a wham bam thank you madam motion and a second to combine the $30,000 study with out discussion.

Ms. Edwards protested not being called upon and Mr. Byrne 'apologized" for not seeing that Ms. Edwards desire to speak.

Christine Edwards was eventually allowed to speak when she requested to make a motion to remove the the the $30,000 study from the combined vote.

Ms Edwards and others argued that the Greenwich town was putting the cart before the horse.

Ms. Edwards said it would be premature to fund the study until its current tenants, Greenwich Public School administrators, decide whether they want to remain there or seek office space.

Ms. Edwards also said the Commission on Aging spent about $75,000 surveying residents on the type of programs they want for the town's senior population. How can the someone do a $30,000 survey on if the havemeyer building meets the senior citizens needs, until the $75,000 plus survey senior citizens needs study is completed?

Many RTM members supported Ms. Edwards efforts, because they feel that the study requested by the Commission on Aging is really a Peter Crumbine "stalking horse" for the arts center project that his family wants so bad.

Some RTM members in the audiance joked that they would rather tear down the building and give the land to Walmart instead of giving it to Crunbine" s Art Center.

Ms. Edwards said the Greenwich Board Of Education is still has not payed for a study on an incomplete study on what they should do with the building. Currently, the town has $78,400 budgeted for school administrators to determine their space needs and look at alternative locations for their offices

Ms. Edwards also said the Greenwich Board Of Education decide to stay put and might even complete the famous Havemeyer Stairway to nowhere and add an additional floor on to the building.

Many RTM members in the audience said they would rather rent the thing out to a hedge fund for big bucks instead of giving the building away for $1 a year.

Ms. Edwards motion to have the Hevemeyer building voted on separately received a second and Ms. Edwards requested a formal vote and Moderator Thomas Byrne refused a took a voice vote.

When there was no clear winner Moderator Thomas J. Byrne then took a formal vote with the results being 90 for voting on Havemeyer separately and 98 to vote for Havemeyer and three other items alltogether.

So the Republican Insiders and the Crumbine family won and a third vote on all four items was taken the result was 151 in favor and 31 not in favor with 4 abstentions.

Some RTM members later said they became confused with the multiple votes and accidentally voted the wrong way. 90 RTM members had voted yes to remove the $30,000 Havemeyer study from the combined vote now had to vote not to allocate the $30,000.

Other RTM members said if I voted against the $30,000 Havemeyer study, then I was also voting against the Board of Education being authorized to accept the donation of a Veteran’s Memorial at Hamilton Ave. School from the Chickahominy Reunion Association.

Ohters did not want to vote for the $30,000 Havemeyer study, because they would have also been voting against a sum of $300,000 being appropriated to the Law Department.

After reading this story please read the Greenwich Time story and then watch the RTM meeting on cable tv. Then ask yourself if the Greenwich Time got the story right or did the ever so compliant Greenwich Time report the story in a manner that wont upset the political powers that be in Greenwich.

These Republican insiders are nuts they argue that the town must decide what to do with building, which the nonprofit Greenwich Center for the Arts wants to lease for $1 a year.

Of coarse, Crumbine and his supporters are telling the truth when they say under growing pressure from donors to get the town to commit to the plan to give away the Havemeyer building for $1 a year.

This is another chance for the single family home-owners to get ripped off one again by political insiders and their families.

Please see The Greenwich Time story:

RTM OKs study of Havemeyer

By Neil Vigdor
Greenwich Time Staff Writer

In a key vote for the future of the Havemeyer Building, the Representative Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved $30,000 last night to determine if the downtown landmark might be suitable for a new senior center.

Commission on Aging Director Sam Deibler was all smiles as the legislative body voted 151 to 31 with four abstentions for an architectural study, which he said will start immediately and take about 45 days to complete. The work will be done by Perkins Eastman, the same architectural firm that developed the specifications for a new senior center for the town. The firm has offices in Stamford.

The study should put to rest once and for all the question of whether the current Senior Center could relocate from its home in the Old Town Hall across the street to the Havemeyer Building, Deibler said.

"The architects are the only ones who can tell us whether the specifications work in the building," Deibler said in an interview after the RTM's vote at Central Middle School.

One group that will be anxiously awaiting the study's results is the Greenwich Center for the Arts, a nonprofit organization that has offered to pay for the Havemeyer Building's transformation into a downtown arts center in return for a $1-per-year lease from the town......

Now Please Read The Rest Of The Incomplete Greenwich Time Story

This Is A Textbook Case Of Bad Reporting
At The Greenwich Time

Did Commission on Aging Director Sam Deibler call the story into the Greenwich Time, because he is like the only one quoted in this incomplete story.

There is no mention in the Greenwich Time article of this vote being combined with three other items on the RTM call.

There is no mention of the drama of one two voice votes and two formal votes as both sides manoeuvred on the issue.

Do you see one quote from a frustrated RTM member who was to approve the $30,000 for the Havemeyer study or vote against a donation of a veterans memorial.

Did you read one reference in the Greenwich Time about how Selectman Peter Crumbine and his family who are working in the background to get the $1 a year sweetheart deal?

Why is Neil Vigdor afraid to tell the Greenwich Time readers what really happened on with the RTM vote on the $30,000 Havemeyer study?

You just can't trust Neil Vigdor to take a news story to where ever it might lead.

Mr. Vigdor is sitting on all of the originals from the Old Greenwich Beach Pass Counterfiet ring. The Greenwich Police Department only has photocopies of passes in the binder?

Yet, dose Vigdor or the Greenwich Time have the Journalistic Balls to publish color copies of the forged beach passes, parking permits and marina permits?

Many Greenwich Time readers are saying that once Vigdor found out who was involved in the counterfeit ring he and the Greenwich Time backed off big time.

No Wonder Bill Clark Of Greenwich Gossip refers to the Greenwich Time, as the "Yellowich Time" and says,"There was a rumor circulating for many years that the paper was published in the basement of Town Hall, so that all the bent or incompetent politicians could censor everything before it was printed."

Please read:

05/06/08 - Did You Know That Greenwich Gossip Webmaster Bill Clark Had Been Banned By The "Yellowich Time"

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06/10/08 Sue Wallerstein's Poor Planning And Mismanagement Is Rewarded With A Gift Of Over One Million Dollars From The Representative Town Meeting

Sue Wallerstein's compensation
increased again this year!!!!

Failed School Administrator Sue Wallerstein says that the Greenwich Public Schools Needs More Than 120 Million Dollars

Greenwich School Officials And Threaten A Special Summer Time Meeting If RTM Doesn't Fork Over The Single Family Home-Owner's tax dollars.

When is the Represenitive Town Meeting going to have the guts to say, if you screw up then take the money out of your 120 Million Budget.

$500,000 was for the screw ups at the contaminated Hamilton Avenue modular classroom.

Watch The Video Of Wallerstein nailing the taxpapers, again, and again and again. This Woman has no shame.

The RTM was forced to approve this money inorder not to be blamed for the screw ups of a failed school board and their equally failed administrators.

The Single Family Home-Owners Want Accountability.

The Taxpayers Of Greenwich Want The Board Of Education To Live Within It's 120 Million Dollar Budget.

Please see:

06/05/08 Reader Submitted Comments -When Is The Greenwich Board Of Education Going To Start Getting Rid Of High Paid And Failed School Administrators
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06/10/08 Lee Has A Big Suprise For Jim Himes

Lee Whitnum

4th District challenger delivers

Lee Whitnum of Greenwich scrambled Tuesday to deliver petitions that will let her mount a primary challenge to U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Bridgeport, to area election officials.

Lee Whitnum, 47, a substitute teacher who has written novels, was optimistic about her chances of qualifying for the contest.

"We've got the signatures," Whitnum said when reached on her cell phone.

Whitnum said she was too busy to talk further because she was delivering her petitions to election officials across the district, which includes 17 municipalities in Fairfield County and a sliver of New Haven County.

To force an August 12 primary against Himes, who was endorsed at the party's nominating convention last month and also lives in Greenwich, Whitnum needs to get signatures from 2,459 or 2 percent of the registered Democrats in the district. The winner would take on longtime Republican incumbent Christopher Shays in the November general election.

"Looks like the young lady is ready to go," said Alice Fortunato, the Democratic registrar of voters in Stamford, where a volunteer dropped off a petition with 300 names.

Election officials in the different municipalities have seven days to certify that the petition's signers are registered Democrats in their respective city or town. The names will get forwarded to the Secretary of the State's office after the certification....

Please Read The Full Greenwich Time Story

Also Please see:

My Left Nutmeg:: Oy Vey! Lee Whitnum Stops By!

This loonie, (Viva)Lee Whitnum needs help. Believe me I know I live in The Greenwich Gate condos as her neighbor and this woman has caused havoc since she ...

stamford times - Lee Whitnum wants in the 4th District congress race

May 28, 2008 ... STAMFORD — Lee Whitnum, a Greenwich resident and substitute teacher in Stamford, announced that she will petition to force a primary against ...

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06/10/08 Did Peter Crumbine Have Another One Of His Senior Moments Or Are The Republican Powers That Be using Dirty Political Tricks At The RTM

Maybe Greenwich Selectman
Peter Crumbine Spent Too
Much Time In The Sun

Political insiders are saying that Peter Crumbine might be involved in Greenwich Republican political tricks.

Others are saying poor Peter is just suffering from sever senior moments and may soon be placed in a corner with a warm bowl of oatmeal.

It seems that Paul Marchese and Democratic Town Chairman Frank Farricker both received a letter from Republican selectman Peter Crumbine, after the received a glowing report from the RTM Appointments committee.

No one on the RTM Appointments committee voted against either Mr. Marchese and Mr. Farricker, who had been the democratic candidate opposing Peter Tesei in the last years contentious First Selectman's race.

In fact, The RTM Appointments Chairman Christopher von Keyserling gave both proposed appointees a glowing recommendation from his committee.

One of Peter Crumbine's letters congratulated Mr. Marchese on his appointment to the planning and zoning board.

Mr. Crumbine's letter other letter congratulated Mr. Farricker on his re-appointment to the planning and zoning board.

Then once man had a known family obligation and the other a was out of the country the Republican powers that be in Greenwich had the Republican dominated Land use committee summon Paul Marchese and Democratic Town Chairman Frank Farricker before them.

When they could not show up voted to recommend delaying Mr. Farricker's re-appointment until the September Representative Town Meeting.

When RTM members, Paul Marchese and Democratic Town Chairman Frank Farricker suggested holding a land use committee meeting before last nights RTM Meeting, the land use committee chairman refused to call the meeting.

Then Appointments Chairman Christopher von Keyserling back tracked on last months glowing recommendation for Mr. Farricker saying that his committee is now a little reluctant about Mr. Farricker, because of his supposed focus on commercial instead of residential properties.

Mr. Farricker has a BA from George Washington University and a masters degree from Columbia University. And a principal at SVP Real Estate Financing Company. Mr. Farricker is a long-time community volunteer and is Board member -The Mary Fund hospice care, as well as, a long time member of the Greenwich Planning and Zoning Commission.

Are the Republican powers that be plotting to get rid of a dissenting voice on the Planning and Zoning Commission?

Now the Republican powers that be want the single family home-owners of Greenwich to believe that a confused Peter Crumbine accidentally sent out two misleading letters, but Town Hall insiders say that Mr. Crumbine did not even type the letters.

In fact, a Town Of Greenwich employee was directed to type the letters that MR. Crumbine used to deceive these two fine gentlemen who want to volunteer to serve the citizens of Greenwich.

People say, that Mr. Crumbine didn't even seal the envelope or apply postage to his confusing correspondence.

Greenwich Roundup doesn't belive all the Republican hype that Selectman Peter Crumbine is some little confused old man wandering around town hall mistakingly appointing persons to boards and commissions.

No, Greenwich Roundup thinks that the Republican powers that be in Greenwich are being devious.

Greenwich Roundup doesn't think that even a confused Peter Crumbine would make such a stupid mistake as to send out official letters appointing persons to the Planning and Zoning Commission, only to wait till they leave the country and say,"Sorry I made a mistake, you need to go to this Republican dominated Committee.

Let's face it the devious Crumbine is an oilman that worked 18 years for Mobil Oil (Now Exxon Mobile). Then the slick little Crumbine went to work for Sempra Energy Trading, which is the company that bought Enron. What a great work record for a politician!!!

Maybe Mr. Farricker should not have been as outspoken on the Planning and Zoning Commission or have ran for First Selectman.

Unfortunately, Mr. Farricker must always fight as an underdog, since 46 percent of the town's voters are registered Republicans while just 19 percent are Democrats and the rest are unaffiliated.

Let's see what the Greenwich Republican Power Structure does with Mr. Farricker's Planning and Zonning re-appointment at the September Representative Town Meeting and then we will know if Peter Crumbine is confused or just a mean and devious man.

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06/10/08 Was It Lightning? Shocking News From A Greenwich Fire Investigation.

Cablevision News 12 is reporting that
The Greenwich Fire Department is currently looking into the possibility that lightning started the
Arnold Bakery Thrift Shop Fire.

Two external propane tanks connected to the steel framed thrift shop began to shoot flames, and thus alerting factory workers to the fire.

The building was a total lost and will be torn down once the fire and insurance investigations are complete.

Please see:

The Greenwich Time Provides An Update On the Arnold Bakery Fire

Update:

The Greenwich Fire Department
Now Says It Was Power Lines:

Officials say downed power line cause of fire

Martin B. Cassidy

Article Launched: 06/10/2008 02:30:05 PM EDT

The Monday morning fire which engulfed the former Arnold backery in Byram was started by a downed power line lying on a chain link fence which touched two outdoor propane gas cylinders, fire officials said today. The wire, knocked down during a storm Sunday afternoon, carried 27,000 volts through the fence, which runs several hundred feet along Hamilton Avenue from a nearby railroad bridge to the bakery property, Fire Inspector John Fronio. The fire, which began at 1:18 a.m. Monday, gutted the small store outside of the George Weston Bakeries on Hamilton Avenue. The voltage caused the safety valves on the tanks to blow off, igniting the pressurized gas and shooting flames upward out of the tanks, Fronio said. "The fence was energized which caused the propane to be ignited," Fronio said. Fronio said it is unclear why the downed wires were carrying electricity, because the wires are supposed to shut down automatically when they fall down.

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06/0/08 Can Greenwich Stop The Greedy Hedge Fund Guys From Tearing Down All Of Our Historical Homes?

A Lack Of Stewardship

Hartford Courant

f you buy a significant historical home, you should take care of it, become its steward. Sadly, many buyers feel no compunction to preserve a piece of the past. They tear the houses down as fast as they can.

In recent years, tear-downs have become an increasingly troubling phenomenon, often in the state's wealthiest communities.

Greenwich, for example, has become known as the state's tear-down capital. In each of the past three years, more than 70 homes — half of them from the 19th century — have been purchased and razed to make way for new, larger edifices....

...n this instance, as in many of the Greenwich tear-downs, the new owners are hedge-fund millionaires who wanted the location and had no interest in the building. This pattern is being followed in Westport and other shoreline communities, as well as in other towns. ...

...In these situations, the community ought to have a say. The best way to do that is to create a local historic district, says Christopher Wigren of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. These districts need to be created by a two-thirds vote of property owners. Once done, any alternation or demolition must be approved by a commission.

Listing on the National Register of Historical Places can sometimes prevent demolition, though this can involve lengthy and expensive litigation with no guarantee of victory.

Zoning might be another option. The Massachusetts Supreme Court recently held that Norwell's zoning board could deny a developer's plan to build a larger house if the new structure did not fit in with the characteristics of neighboring houses. Town officials were worried about losing older, smaller affordable houses to a wave of McMansions. It's not clear if there's a similar situation in Connecticut, or if it would withstand judicial challenge....

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06/10/08 New York Daily News Gets A Sports Story At Richards In Greenwich

Omar Minaya

Omar, Willie stay upbeat about club

New York Daily News

With his team sitting at 30-32 and 7-1/2 games behind the Phillies in the NL East, Mets GM Omar Minaya has not begun to question the way he assembled it. But better results need to come soon.

".500 is not acceptable. To me it's not acceptable because we're better than that," Minaya said Monday at a charity event in Greenwich, Conn., that was attended by a number of players as well as owner Fred Wilpon and COO Jeff Wilpon. "It's not so much about the ($137 million) investment, it's about what this team is about and what this team talent-wise is.

"As far as time frame when we should be better, I'd like to say we should be better right now but we're not."

Said Willie Randolph: "I've been saying it for weeks. ... It's not acceptable. We're a better team than that. The players have to pull together and try to get right.

"This team is not going to quit. It's not going to get down on itself. They believe in each other."

Randolph and Minaya both thought the Mets were going in the right direction when they completed a 5-2 home stand and went to the West Coast. But they went 2-5 on the trip and were swept in a four-game series in San Diego that ended Sunday.

"We go through these periods where you pitch good, but don't hit," Minaya said. "Or when you hit, you don't pitch good. That's the trademark of a .500 club. We know we're better, we think we're going to do better and I think we will."

Minaya said he is seeing the effort he wants from the players and from Randolph, who is no longer seen as being on the hot seat. But he's baffled as to why his creation isn't playing the way he expected. "The way this club is assembled, yeah, it's a playoff team. I believe that," he said.

HELPING HAND:

The Mets raised $580,000 yesterday at the Mets Foundation's "Teammates in the Community" charity fund-raiser at Richards clothing store in Greenwich, Conn.

Please Also See:

Mets players raise money on off-day

Major League Baseball

... of buttoning up their uniforms, the Mets were flashing fashionable suit jackets at the Richards clothing store in Greenwich, Conn., schmoozing with fans and autograph seekers alike. They spent their one day away from the diamond raising money for ...

this Team's Going Nowhere

New York Post

... smile as they and at least seven fellow passengers endure a stuck lift at Richards clothing store in Greenwich, Conn., where some Mets appeared at a charity event. Pedro takes particular delight in pointing out the glass elevator was built to ...

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06/10/08 Greenwich Post Web Master Still Can't Get The News Site Updated

Greenwich Post web site still down

Yesterday The Greenwich Post Left This Message On It's Website:

"The Greenwich Post web site will be down for maintenance today and we will be unable to post any new information. We apologize for the inconvenience."

Maybe, the Greenwich Post should just follow Greenwich Roundup's lead and use Google's Blogspot service.

Almost all of the bloggers in Greenwich use the free website.

The Greenwich Post Web Master Has Not Been Able To Update The Expensive News Site Since Last Saturday

Please see:

06/07/08 Greenwich Post News Links For Saturday

We hope the Greenwich Post web master realizes that things could be much worse, he could be working for the Greenwich Citizen.

The Greenwich Citizen web site has not been updated for four days.

Those Greenwich Citizen reporters really get lost in cyberspace.

The Greenwich Citizen web site is a big joke....

Did You Hear About The Clever

Greenwich Citizen News Reporter

A car was involved in an accident on a back country road. The road was blocked and cars were stopped in both directions. As expected a large crowd gathered. A newspaper Greenwich Citizen news reporter, anxious to get the story could not get near the car.

Being a clever sort, the reporter started shouting loudly, "Let me through! Let me through! I am the son of the victim."

The crowd made way for him.

Lying in front of the car was a donkey.

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06/10/08 - Will A Couple Of Bad Apples Spoil The Whole Bunch?

The Representative Town Meeting Needs To Start Voting For Appointments On An Individual Basis

Month after month the same old slate of school insiders were put on the call brought before the RTM yet were never appointed.

Finally, the RTM was threatened with an emergency summer meeting to once again reconsider the same old slate of school insiders for the Greenwich High School Auditorium Building Committee.

So the RTM gave up voted to appoint six insiders to the building committee for the Greenwich High School auditorium renovation project.

Yes, Genny Krob, Leslie Cooper, Bob Brady, Joseph Ross, Steven LoParco and Frank Napolitano finally won out and got themselves appointed.

The GHS Auditorium Building Committee, which will also renovate the high school's musical instruction spaces, will be lucky if they stay within their $22 million budget.

Genny Krob, Leslie Cooper, Bob Brady, Joseph Ross, Steven LoParco and Frank Napolitano appointments had to repeatedly come before the RTM, because some of the proposed members had not been fiscally responsible and were neck deep in the over-budget and way behind-schedule Hamilton Avenue School renovation.

Unfortunately, two of the building committee members from the failed Hamilton Avenue School project will now have an opportunity to screw up the building committee approved last night.

If the RTM could have voted on the appointments months ago this building committee would have been up and running last month and the Republican powers that be would have had to come up with a few prospective appointments that did not have ties to the Hamilton Avenue School Renovation Disaster.

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06/10/08 Managing Editor Jim Zebora's Editorial In The Greenwich Time

School Bus Cupcake

Cupcake affair handled in half-baked way

Greenwich is a great place to get an education, but it's sometimes the things that happen outside the classroom that provide the best lesson.

A lot should be learned from the recent cupcake conundrum at Glenville School about the role and responsibilities of parents and educators, about proportionality, about truth and authority, and about the duty of the press as a government watchdog.

"It's beyond disgraceful," one caller about the cupcake controversy told me.

She was not talking about the incident that got the Glenville principal suspended. Rather, she was referring to this newspaper's coverage of the issue and her fear that it would be seen by people outside Greenwich as another sign that this is an aristocratic town whose people are out of touch with the real world - "Let them eat cupcakes," so to speak.

Her point was that cupcakes don't merit the position of lead story in a newspaper, and in general they don't. But as a sign of dysfunction in the school system, cupcakes in fact deserve a banner headline, and I'm glad we gave them a few.....

Please Read Editor Jim Zebora's Full Editorial

Also Please see this Letter To
The Greenwich Time Editor:

Parents visiting schools have a positive effect

To the editor:

I am responding to a letter writer claiming, "kids have enough parties at home," calling for parents to skip classroom parties ( " 'Cupcake affair' was no big deal," Greenwich Time, June 3).

This involves elementary school kids, ages 5 to 11. She says her kids are grown and would be embarrassed. My kids are thrilled when I show up at school.

The other day when my third-grade son forgot something that I had to drop off, my first-grade daughter spotted me in the hall, ran to me and gave me a big hug! I don't see why the writer thinks showing such interest in your child's' birthday is such a bad thing. I don't know the woman, but I hope for her grown kids' sake, she did at some point show such enthusiasm for her kids without feeling guilty about possibly disrupting the class for a half hour.

These are young kids who have such a short time before they'll be carrying 30 pounds of material in a book bag like my high-school son must do. It's no wonder that he can't understand that when I was in Greenwich High School, I could walk to school. But of course, I didn't have to carry my entire desk on my back!

The writer and other parents who only see the cupcakes in this matter at Glenville School are sadly all too willing to overlook the important issues. The principal knowingly and purposely deceived Mr. Frank Carbino, (the parent), and his superiors when he went so far as to change the guidelines on the school Web site. Can he be trusted to be forthcoming and honest when dealing with other issues?

As for Mr. Carbino: Celebrate birthdays with your kids to your heart's content, and don't let anyone tell you different! They'll be grown up before you know it!

Rick Novakowski

Cos Cob

Please see:

06/03/08 - Poor Dorothy Gets So Confused By Misleading Greenwich Time Headlines

Please also see:

05/31/08
Sometimes Greenwich Time Reporters 
Remind One Of The BushAdministration 
Before Nine Eleven. They Just Can't Connect The Dots.


05/30/08
Serious "Cup Cake" Allegations? With Ten School Days 
Left In The Year
It Is A Disgrace That School Spokesperson Kim Eves 
Is Withholding Vital
Information From Parents.

05/29/08
This month principals from all over the world 
have been suspended and
in each and every case the parents were told 
why, except in Greenwich

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0610/08 David Wright and Jose Reyes teamed up with legends Tom Seaver and Rusty Staub last night for a charity event at Richard's On Greenwich Avenue

Third baseman David Wright was the center of attention at Monday night's Mets Foundation's "Teammates in the Community" event at Richards on Greenwich Avenue. To Wright's right is Greenwich resident and Mets COO Jeff Wilpon.
(Bob Luckey Jr./Greenwich Time photo)

Mets second annual fundraiser at Richards a big hit

So here's what its like to be the closer for a Major League Baseball team. One night you're giving up the game-winning home run to the Padres three time zones away, and the next you're back home in Greenwich with a pen in hand and a smile on your face, ready to sign autographs and pose for pictures.

Please Read The Full Greenwich Time Story

Please see:

06/02/08 The Mets Are Comming To Richards On Greenwich Avenue

And Also Yesterday:

06/09/08 The Raw Greenwich News Feed For Monday

Clark beats Mets in a pinch
NY Daily News
... we're capable of." Things don't get any easier. After Monday's day off, when travel-weary players will be in Greenwich, Conn. , for a team-sponsored charity event after a cross-country flight, the NL West -leading Diamondbacks arrive at Shea. On ...

And Also On Sunday:

06/08/08 The Raw Greenwich Weekend News Feed

the Rumble

New York Post

... are up for grabs for Mets fans who attend tomorrow night's "Mets Teammates in the Community" at Richard's in Greenwich, Conn. Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, John Maine, Aaron Heilman, Brian Schneider, Ryan Church, Scott Schoeneweis, ...

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06/10/08 - The Greenwich Time Provides An Update On The Arnold Bakery Fire

The Arnold Bakery thrift store on Hamilton Avenue was damaged by a fire early Sunday morning.
(Helen Neafsey/Greenwich Time photo)

Fire-gutted Arnold Bakery store to come down

A fire gutted Arnold's Bakery outlet store on Hamilton Avenue early Sunday morning, igniting two large outdoor propane tanks, which were extinguished by firefighters, fire officials said.

Firefighters responded to the blaze at 1:18 a.m. Sunday at the store located just outside the George Weston Bakeries Inc. plant, which makes Arnold products, Fire Inspector John Fronio said.

The fire began in a rear office area, and the cause is yet to be determined, Fronio said.

The combined smoke and water damage is likely irrepairable, Fronio said.

"The building is completely destroyed and will have to come down," Fronio said.

Flames pushed out parts of the store wall which helped ignite the two external propane tanks connected to the....

Read The Full Greenwich Time Story

Please see yesterday's top story:

06/09/08 The Raw Greenwich News Feed For Monday

Early-morning fire damages Greenwich bakery

Six fire departments responded to the scene at approximately 1:20 a.m. Firefighter say when they arrived, flames had already engulfed the roof.
The Greenwich fire chief says propane tanks started the fire. No one was hurt.
See The Video- Play the video

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06/10/08 Greenwich Time News Links For Tuesday

Anna Carrillo, left, and Evelyn Munoz, both from San Salvador, found ways to keep off the heat as they walk down Sound Beach Avenue.
(Helen Neafsey/Greenwich Time photo)

Soarings temps force half-day at 2 schools
The extreme heat and lack of air conditioning is prompting an early dismissal today at Eastern and Western middle schools, officials said.

Please see:

06/09/08 Some Schools Will Have Early Dismissal Tomorrow.

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Town pays the price for limited housing options

Scarce affordable housing for public employees is costly for the town, according to the United Way of Greenwich.

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Firefighters go through Hazmat drills
Over the roar of Interstate 95 traffic, Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Zack gave firefighters yesterday an overview of the special equipment they use to monitor and mitigate serious spills or leaks of toxic chemicals or flammable liquids.

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Town weighs plan for coastline

A wide-ranging discussion has begun about how to streamline efforts to control land use, protect the environment and balance the competing needs of powerboaters, sailors and rowers along the Greenwich coastline, town officials and others say.

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