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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

11/18/08 Blog Comments Ask An Interesting Question About The Gateway To CT. What's Going On With The Gas Station On The Port Chester Border?


No Gas, But The Town Building Department Made Sure The Byram Gas Station Was ADA Compliant With New Curb Cuts And An Extra Large Handicaped Restroom.


I can hardly work on my blog, because I keep going over to "For What It's Worth" to see what Chris and his readers have to say,

As you'll see from the comments section of this post below, someone wants to know what happened to that gas station they redid, but never reopened, on the Byram border.

Personally, I don't know - do you?

The only thing I do know is that the old proprietor who rented the service station lived on North Water Street had fairly low prices and his family were good customers of my wive's old flower and gift shop.

I am not sure he will contnue leasing the service station from the oil company.

But that part of Byram really looks like crap, with the old lyon farm house falling apart, the gang graffitti and now this unfinished service station.


Please See:



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11/18/08 Why Was Heather Craig Treated Differently Than The Killer Known As Douglas "Twice Over The Limit" Moore ??????


Steps Should Be Taken To Insure That All Of Greenwch Society Is Treated Equally By It's Police Department.


Heather Craig, 45, of 56 Charles St. in Greenwich, was arrested Friday evening and charged with driving while under the influence, refusing to be fingerprinted, evading responsibility and unsafe movement, police said.

Officers were dispatched to East Putnam Avenue and Hillside Drive on a report of a motor vehicle accident to find that Craig was leaving the scene of the accident, according to a police report. They located her car at 380 W. Putnam Ave., and initiated a motor vehicle stop, police said.

Craig failed a series of field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest.

police said. At police headquarters, Craig became aggressive toward police officers and refused to sign her fingerprint cards, police said.

Craig was placed in a cell block at the police station.

She was later able to post a $1000 bond and is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Stamford on Nov. 28.


COMMENT:

THERE SEEMS TO BE NO RHYME OR REASON TO HOW DIFFERENT MEMBERS OF GREENWICH SOCIETY IS TREATED BY IT'S POLICE DEPARTMENT.

Why wasn't Douglas "Twice Over The Limit" Moore Given A Field Sobriety Tests?

Why Wasn't Heather Craig Allowed To Walk Away And Be The 45 Year Old Mystery Woman?

Fortunately, Heather Craig Didn't Kill Someone Or Crash Into A Telephone Pole Or She Would Have Recieved A $50,000 Bail.

Thank Godness That The Drunken Heather "I Left An Accident" Craig Only Refused To Be Finger Printed, Because If She Had Been Disruptive With Water Ballons She Would Have Come up With Another $49,000 In Bail Money.
Maybe Heather "I Left An Accident" Craig Did Not Want To Give Her Finger Prints, Because Douglas "Twice Over The Limit And Killed Someone" Moore Did Not Have To Give His Finger Prints For 45 Days !!!!
Why Doesn't The Greenwich Police Department Put All Drunk Drivers In A Cell To Sober Up Overnight?
How can an impaired person fully understand a legal document such as a bail agreement.
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11/18/08 The Greenwich Police Department Failed To Arrest A Killer Whose Blood Alcohol Content Was Twice The Legal Limit. Drunk Wals Free Over A Month


Police Cover Up Starts To Unravel

Douglas Moore, 24, of Riverside has been charged in the fatal accident that killed 20-year-old Joseph Borselio on Oct. 5.
(Contributed photo)


A 24-year-old Riverside man was charged with second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle and numerous other offenses Monday in connection with the fatal Sheephill Road accident that killed 20-year-old Joseph Borselio on Oct. 5.

Douglas Moore, of 19 Nearwater Lane, turned himself into police headquarters at 1:30 p.m. after his attorney, James Pastore, was notified of an active arrest warrant, police said.

Moore is also charged with operating under the influence, evading responsibility in a fatal crash, unsafe movement and failure to exercise due care to avoid a pedestrian, according to a police press release.....

.....Moore could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted on the manslaughter charge. The charge is specific to motor vehicle accident deaths caused by someone driving while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both, according to the state statutes.

Sgt. Timothy Berry, who oversaw the investigation, said toxicology results show Moore's blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit of .08 percent at the time of the crash.....

.....Berry said Borselio's body was carried on the car for several feet after being struck.....

....."He was returning home from being out during the day," said Pastore. "He had traveled a pretty good distance."

Jessica Lewis, the mother of Joseph Borselio, said she feels no sympathy for the driver charged with killing her son.

"This brings closure, but it opens another wound," said Lewis, of Lehigh Acres, Fla. "I am dreading the day I have to look at his face in court."

Residents of the area said speeding is a major problem on the road and that many people do not stop at the intersection when heading north on Sheephill Road.

Police said they suspect Moore did not obey the posted stop sign at the intersection.

Borselio was a high school graduate of the BOCES program and worked as a cashier at Shop Rite on West Main Street in Stamford. He was remembered by friends and co-workers as hardworking and friendly in the days following his death.

Moore was released from police headquarters on a $50,000 surety bond and is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Stamford on Nov. 24.
MORE GREENWICH TIME HEADLINES:

Town woman found strangled
A 22-year-old woman who lived in Greenwich was found slain over the weekend in Kearny, N.J., officials said.
Hedge fund manager Steven A. Cohen is no stranger to the Planning and Zoning Commission. The body has approved various additions to his Crown Lane estate since he bought it in 1998 for $14 million and now the SAC Capital founder is back for more.

Suit filed over YMCA access
After weeks of failed negotiations, a Greenwich man has filed suit seeking an injunction to force the Greenwich Family YMCA to put in a temporary ramp to provide wheelchair access to its building and the town to provide the necessary permits.
Luis Gonzalez-Bunster, who is in a wheelchair, filed a request on Nov. 13 for an immediate injunction ordering the Y to provide temporary access to the new addition that includes a new aquatics center with an Olympic-size pool.
The new addition is just one part of a $40 million renovation and expansion of the 96-year-old building, which has never been wheelchair accessible.

The suit states that denying access to individuals with disabilities is discriminatory and in violation of town and state building codes.

The YMCA, located at 50 E. Putnam Avenue, opened its pool in November 2007 with a town-issued temporary certificate of occupancy.
The certificatepermitted the facility to open so that members could access the building, before the completion of the entire project in June 2009.

The suit also seeks to order the town to revoke the temporary certificate of occupancy if a ramp is not built.

"I feel that the town was wrong for issuing the temporary certificate of occupancy without a provision to provide access for people in wheelchairs," said Gonzalez-Bunster's attorney, Frank Peluso
COMMENT:
Greenwich YMCA Lawyers Are Going To Get Rich Off Of Donor Funds, Because Of This Unnecessary Lawsuit.
This Lawsuit Will Cost More Than Twice As Much A Portable And Temporary Ramp.
The YMCA Board Of Directors Is Once Again Being Fiscally Irresponsible With Donated Funds.
A new architect has been chosen for the $38 million Nathaniel Witherell nursing home renovation and expansion project, one month after contract negotiations broke down with another architect over budget concerns. Full Story

Once again, town faces election audit
If only Greenwich's registrars of voters had the same luck playing the lottery. For the fourth time in the past year, Democrat Sharon Vecchiolla and Republican Veronica Baron Musca are preparing to conduct a mandatory audit of the results from the most recent election after the town's name came up in a random drawing by the secretary of the state's office.
Eventually, the dead red oak tree in Peter and Judy Berg's Dandy Drive backyard in Cos Cob will fall, returning to the earth from which it rose.

Town briefs
Northeast Greenwich holds annual meeting The Northeast Greenwich Association will hold its annual meeting Thursday evening at the Greenwich Country Club, 19 Doubling Road.
A 16-year-old male was arrested Sunday afternoon and charged with disorderly conduct after he was involved in a fight with his 15-year-old sister, police said.
Police responded to 10 Weaver St., on report of a fight on Saturday to find that the male suspect had left the residence, according to the police report.

The 16-year-old and his mother appeared at police headquarters on Sunday to turn himself in, police said. He was issued a misdemeanor summons and released on a promise to appear, police said. His name wasn't released because on his age.

The teen was scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Stamford on Monday.

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

Andres Atiencia, 26, of 61 Warwick St., in New Haven, was arrested Saturday morning and charged with third-degree assault on a pregnant person and breach of peace, police said.

Police were dispatched to a residence on Edgewood Avenue on a report of a male beating a female, according to a police report.

Upon arrival officers observed a female sitting in the driver's seat of a Mercedes appearing visibly upset, police said. Atiencia was also in the vehicle in the rear driver's side seat. An investigation determined that Atiencia was in a relationship with the woman and that he had assaulted her, police said.

Police said the two had been arguing loudly leading a neighbor to call 911.
Atencia was arrested and released on a $1,000 bond. He was scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Stamford on Monday.

**************************************
Paola Castano, 32, of 77 Josephine Evaristo Ave., was arrested Friday afternoon and charged with driving while under the influence and operating a motor vehicle under suspension, police said.

Officers were dispatched to 100 Indian Field Road on the report of a possibly intoxicated driver, according to the police report.

Upon arrival, police observed Castano to be intoxicated and she failed a series of field sobriety tests, police said.

Castano was released on a promise to appear and is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Stamford on Nov. 28.

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Monday, November 17, 2008

11/17/08 Reader Submitted Comments: "Rich Boy"?


Sounding the Alarm for Equal Justice ...


Hey Brian,
Depends how you define rich, of course (a resident of one of our housing projects would be considered rich by the average South African) but 19 Nearwater Lane is a 1952 split-level ranch owned by either the now remarried mother of the driver or by a landlord. Either way, we're not talking Round Hill Road here. The tragedy of the poor young man's death can probably do without inflammatory terms like "Rich".

In my opinion, of course. Here's a link to the tax card for the property. It's a proprietary site so it may not work. http://search.searchgreenwich.net/.searchgreenwich/sgfullbore.php?id=12-2218/S

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


COMMENTS:

Dear Chris,

You are right, it depends how you define rich.
I refereed to this Douglas More as rich, which is opposed to Mid Country Super "Rich" and Back Country "We Have More Money Than God" Rich.
This 24 Year Old came from a home of privilege. He never missed a meal or had to scrounge around for bus fare.

He is rich enough to sport in White SUV around high on whatever and mow down a kid who was truly struggling to better himself ridding a bike all the way from his grocery store job in Stamford.

If poor ole Joey had borrowed got drunk out of his head and borrowed somebody Else's SUV and killed Douglas Moore.

Joey would have been arrested on the spot, received a bail higher than $50,000 and probably spent a great deal of time confined in Bridgeport as his Grandparents came up with the bail.

The citizen's of Greenwich would not have had to wait over a month to learn the results of poor struggling Joey's toxicology results. We would have known almost immediately.

And by all accounts Joey was not the type of human being that would leave Douglas Moore is someones driveway grasping for his very last gasp of air.

Apparently, this 24 year old man was so bombed out of his head when the Greenwich Police Department found him crashed into a telephone pole the road, he didn't even know he killed a 19 year old kid who was struggling to get just to get by.

But, the Police and others powers that be in Greenwich knew Douglas Moore, his " now remarried mother" and father, and that's why this rich 24 year old man was allowed to leave the death scene under the influence without being charged.

Joey would have had a Perp walk and his picture would have been on the front page of the Greenwich Time as he was being escorted by police officers on his way to Bridgeport.

The fact is the Greenwich Police Department plays favorites in town.

I have been in the Glory Days diner and seen a bunch of rich kids get into a fight and trash the place. Scores of police cars show up and some of the teens are bleeding and no one gets charged or arrested.

I have been working a local building and underage teens from Old Greenwich are drinking and arguing behind the building. I called the police the rich kids flee leaving personal items like cell phones.

The police officer calls home on one of the phones and makes arrangements to return the phone. No one is arrested and I am left to clean up the mess behind the building I took care of at the time.
Next time your in the Glory Days Dinner ask one of the waiters how many times the police have had to be called on these spoiled brats from privileged households.
Of coarse you wont read about any of these Greenwich Diner disturbances in the Greenwich Citizen, Greenwich Post or the Greenwich Time.
Just like you wont read about Gang Violence just blocks away from Greenwich Avenue in the Greenwich Citizen, Greenwich Post or the Greenwich Time.
Please See:

If some poor kids from Byram were to trash the Glory Days diner or get caught having an underage drinking party behind a downtown building. They are getting arrested.
A poor kid from Byram gets arrested for an incident that involves a water balloon and he gets a $50,000 bail.
Douglas Moore is guy high in a SUV that mowed down a kid on a bike, fails to call 911, leaves him for dead on the side of the road, crashes into a telephone pole and still fails to call 911 is allowed to leave without being arrested.
Over a month later Douglas Moore Finlay is arrested for killing Joey and he is released on the same $50,000 water balloon crime bail.
It sure will be interesting to see who Douglas "I Was High" Moore called on his cell phone after he killed Joey and then crashed into the telephone pole.
It might be even more intersting to see who Douglas "I Was High" Moore cell phone call reciepiants called.
It sure to Hell wasn't the Ambulance
that could have saved Joey's life?


Sadly, there is a double standard in Greenwich
and it is all often based on income.
PLEASE SEE:

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11/17/08 Reader Submitted Comments: More Love For The Greenwich Time And Mr. Yudain?


Greenwich Roundup Reader Wants To Send Former Greenwich Time Managing Editor
To The Old Folks Home

Round Up On This:

Maybe someone would give Bernie Yudain some lessons on why some words MAGICALLY CHANGE spelling, depending
on who is writing. Though some spelling differences are due to etymology,far more words are correctly spelled
more than one way.

Does Mr. Yudain prefer the American version :"color" or the equally correct British spelling: "colour" ?

Or maybe
Mr Yudain could come up with a Yudainian version and claim his spelling is the correct one, AT ALL TIMES.


Maybe Mr Yudain could be persuaded to lose his Ole' timer's Greenwich attitude, and be gracious The Greenwich Times gives him space to write, period.

And then tell Mr. Yudain, no one reads it because it sucks..

Maybe Bernie Yudain should lay off the Manishevitz, and pick up a post World War 2 version of Websters Dictionary
/Thesaurus.

Finally, Maybe Mr. Yudain should be ushered out quietly to a senior group home, where his thoughts would be better appreciated via an old-fashioned hearing horn!!!

Mister YU Driving Us Nuts!!!!!

Retire.

Let my people go!!!

DJ


PLEASE SEE:





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11/17/08 Breaking News: Mystery Driver That Killed Joey Should Of Been Arrested On 10/04/08 Is Now Finialy Under Arrest In Greenwich (Updated)


Rich Boy Is Not Above The Law After All


The Killer Thought He Got Away When The Greenwich Police Foolishly Let Him Leave The Death Scene Under The Influence.


Greenwich man arrested in October fatal accident

By Debra Friedman
Staff Writer
Article Launched: 11/17/2008 04:39:04 PM EST

GREENWICH - A 24-year-old Riverside man was charged with second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle and numerous other offenses Monday in connection with the fatal Sheephill Road accident that killed 20-year-old Joseph Borselio on Oct.5.

Douglas Moore, of 19 Nearwater Lane, turned himself into police headquarters after his attorney was notified of an active arrest warrant, police said.

Moore was also charged with operating under the influence, evading responsibility in a fatal crash, unsafe movement and failure to exercise due care to avoid a pedestrian, according to a police press release.

The charges stem from an accident that occurred at the intersection of Sheephill Road and Sound Beach Avenue Extension where Moore allegedly struck Borselio, who was riding his bicycle north on Sheephill Road.

Borselio was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and his white Jeep Cherokee were found a short distance down the road where it had crashed into a telephone pole, according to police.

Borselio worked nearby at the Grade A ShopRite on West Main Street in Stamford.

Moore was released on a $50,000 surety bond and is scheduled to be arraigned in state Superior Court in Stamford on Nov. 24.


UPDATE:


Arrest made in bicyclist's death
Breaking News
Posted 5:10 p.m., Monday, Nov. 17, 2008

Police have made an arrest in the drunk driving death of Greenwich resident Joseph Borselio on Sept. 4, charging a Riverside man with manslaughter.


Douglas Moore, 24, of 19 Nearwater Lane was arrested Monday and charged with second degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, driving under the influence, evading responsibility in a fatal crash, unsafe movement and failure to exercise due care to avoid a pedestrian. Police said


Mr. Moore, accompanied by an attorney, turned himself in on Monday and he was arrested.


Police termed the investigation as “lengthy and thorough” and that the warrant was executed as soon as it was reviewed by the State’s Attorney’s Office and signed by a superior court judge. According to initial police reports, Mr. Borselio was found dead at the scene after he had been struck by a car while riding his bicycle at about 11:45 p.m. on Sept. 4. (??????)


Police said at the time Mr. Moore, who’s name was not released until his arrest, was found standing nearby and identified himself as the driver.


Mr. Moore was released on a $50,000 surety bond and is due in court Nov. 24.


For more on this story, read this Thursday’s Post.


PLEASE ALSO SEE:














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11/17/08 READER SUBMITTED COMMENTS: More on the ramp


To the Editor:

There is no need to build a ramp at the Greenwich YMCA. Ramps are available in all sizes, depending on the required measurements. They can be made of wood, aluminum, or metal.

The Town of Greenwich has access to temporary or portable ramps just like every other town does. It does not require an engineering degree to figure out the solution here. Just put one up!!!!!

You left out those of us who use strollers to lug our kids in and out of the YMCA. We can't use the stairs either. We need a ramp!!!!! The list of people unable to access their YMCA continues....

Greenwich Resident



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11/17/08 Greenwich Time News Links (Updated)


Louis Sprio, owner of the Castle View Deli, hopes the long-awaited re-opening of the new Comley Avenue this week will bring customers back.
(Helen Neafsey/Staff photo)



Everybody is feeling the pinch of the troubled economy, but since the Comly Avenue Bridge began construction nearly a year-and-a-half ago, the Castleview Deli has lost almost a third of its business.
So with the long-awaited new bridge opening this week, owner Louis Sprio hopes that much-needed business will return back to normal.

"It was a long haul," he said.

Since the project began only westbound traffic has been allowed to use the bridge, which links Comly Avenue and Pemberwick Road. The deli is at Comly Avenue and Morgan Avenue.

Once traffic comes over the bridge, cars are detoured to the Post Road in Port Chester or through Glenville, miles from Pemberwick Road.

"With the bridge being out, it's been tough," said Sprio. "We rely on locals and it can be hard for them to get over here since then they have to go through Port Chester or Glenville to turn around."

The deli, which opened in 1993, tried to extend their hours later into the evening and to stay open Sundays, but that didn't help, he said.

Downed wires fowl morning commute
Metro-North trains are now running on or close to schedule following numerous delays during the morning commute between New Haven and Stamford.

GHS widens its safety net
Greenwich High School are targeting underprivileged underachievers with a new program designed to help teenagers of modest means and with average grades achieve their full potential.

Golder hopes recent ruling supports his appeal effort
When Alan Golder, the notorious "Dinnertime Bandit," received a 15-year prison sentence last month, his attorney said he planned an appeal in light of a recent state Supreme Court decision that introduced a new interpretation of kidnapping statutes.

GHS cheerleaders raise funds at fashion show
Instead of catching the football on the field for the Greenwich High School Cardinals, tight end and team captain Ricky Riscica was strutting his stuff on the runway.

Seniors face rise in drug plan costs
STAMFORD - Seniors could see an increase in their Medicare prescription drug plans unless they re-examine their coverage before the end of the year.

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Seniors on scam alertSTAMFORD - With changes to Medicare Part D plans, seniors should be wary of fraud. Gail Diaz, coordinator for CHOICES, which provides information on health insurance for seniors and persons with disabilities, said "seniors are a prime target, unfortunately.
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11/17/08 The Story That Got Blogger Chris Fountain Fired From The Greenwich Post -- OR -- Is The Greenwich Office Of Coldwell Banker Going To Be OK???



New York Post - Nov 15, 2008

By KAJA WHITEHOUSE


Leon Black's buyout firm Apollo Management can't seem to get a break.


Yesterday, Black's string of misses got longer when it emerged that another of Black's investments is struggling to pay its debt.


Realogy, which owns real estate companies Century 21 and Coldwell Banker, and which reported $209 million of losses in the last three quarters, is at risk of violating the terms of its bank loans, according to regulatory filings.


The Parsippany, NJ, real-estate broker is hoping to exchange about $1.1 billion of bonds at a discount for some new debt in hopes of reducing its debt by almost $600 million, thus staving off default.


It was the latest in a series of blows that private-equity mogul Black has sustained over the past few months as he watches his investments either crumble or collapse.


First, retailer Linens 'n Things went bankrupt. Then Hexion, one of his companies, got stuck in a legal battle after trying to walk away from a souring buyout deal involving a rival firm.


The string of troubles marks a dramatic turn for the buyout mogul, who started off as an investment banker for Drexel Burnham Lambert in the 1980s and who made his name and fortune buying beaten-down companies and reviving them. Black started Apollo, which manages about $16 billion, in 1990.


When Linens 'n Things filed for bankruptcy in May, it was the largest bankruptcy in the struggling retail sector at the time.


Black had only just acquired the retailer two years before in what he viewed as a turnaround project. But things only worsened as consumer spending slowed.


Also tarnishing Black's once golden reputation has been the legal snafu surrounding Hexion - an Apollo-owned chemicals company based in Ohio.


A year after striking a deal to buy Huntsman, Apollo asked the Delaware Court of Chancery to kill the transaction, worried that the combined company would be insolvent.


There was also fear that the financing banks might back away from providing $15.35 billion to complete the deal.


The courts have refused to let Apollo walk away from the deal.


Investors also have raised questions about Apollo's Harrah's Entertainment investment following a $1.3 billion writedown, and Claire's Stores, which was hit by debt downgrades over the summer amid weak earnings.


COMMENT:


The Greenwich Coldwell Banker Office Sure Looks Foolish And Unethical Going To The Greenwich Post And Demanding Chris Fountains Head.


HERE IS THE LATEST FROM FOR WHAT IT"S WORTH:




This house sold for $3.075 million in April 2004, renovated in 2005 and came back on the market today for $2.850. That’s a pretty good buy on a very nice, ...

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Sunday, November 16, 2008

11/17/08 READER COMMENTS ABOUT THE GREENWICH YNCA: Ramps


Greenwich Roundup,

Two weeks ago, I made reference to state mandated codes which every building must comply with. Handicapped Accessibility is a big one. It's the law.
I'm happy someone is following up on it.

I will add, however, the loss of wheelchair basketball, wasn't a big concern of mine because I don't play. What bothers me is the lack of knowledge concerning the term "handicapped accessible" A ramp is also a necessity for people who have trouble climbing stairs. So, people who have undergone knee, back or hip surgery sometimes rely on the ramp. Then, the elderly, who may use the ramp because it is just easier to manage. So, the list of people unable to use the Greenwich YMCA grows...

I get tired of people's insensitivity when one move is so simple. The woman who runs the Greenwich YMCA should not need me to explain priorities and very basic empathy. She should KNOW or she should put her expert people skills to work a switchboard, or maybe a toll booth.

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

11/13/08 Greenwich Time News Links For Thursday - A lot Of Fluuf And Out Of Town News
P&Z to review YMCA proposal

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

"Tomorrow night looks like a relatively simple evening," he said Wednesday.......

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

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

.....The Greenwich family of Luis Gonzalez-Bunster, who is in a wheelchair, has requested the facility build a temporary ramp until the rest of the facility is complete.....

11/07/08 YMCA Hires Greenwich Attorney Christopher Bristol In An Effort To Keep Handicaped Out New Facility.
Greenwich YMCA requests more time
......ADA requirements have come into sharper focus recently as the family of a man who uses a wheelchair has fought to get a temporary ramp installed while renovations are carried out. On Monday, YMCA officials announced that the facility will not be handicap accessible until renovations are complete.

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

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

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

To Rebecca Fretty,
apparently "headless and brain dead"Head of the
Greenwich YMCAMs Fretty:

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

Family pushes YMCA for wheelchair ramp

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

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

YMCA wrong to deny access
To the editor:

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

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

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

Carol Kana
Riverside

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

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11/16/08 A Temporary Ramp For The YMCA's Crippled Members Is A "Legall" And “Reasonable ” Accommodation Under The American's With Disabilities Act


There was a time not long ago that not all voting places in Greenwich were not handicaped accessible.


During this time unelightened members of Greenwich argued that the making ALL voting places handicaped accessible was Federal mandate that was too great a financial burden for the town.

Well now ALL of Greenwich's crippled can vote for town officials and the town some how survived.

If a small proprietor decides to remodle on to a hair salon in Byram or if a pizza palor in Cos Cob wants to remodle then the building department will require handicaped bathrooms and access, before the remodled space can be occuppied.


In fact, every commercial and non-profit remodle in Greenwich legally must meet the The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.
But if a poorly run non-profit with millions of dollars in donations and taxpayer funds wants to discriminate against the handicapped year after year after year, then the Greenwich Building Department and the Planning and Zoning Board says let the crippled be damed.







Would someone please hire the YMCA a PR agent?
For What Its Worth

The Americans With Disabilities Act requires “reasonable ” efforts to accommodate the needs of disabled citizens. I think most able-bodied folks would be sympathetic to an argument why it is unreasonable to make a temporary accommodation now. But we don’t get that: instead, we hear legal arguments as to whether the P&Z has jurisdiction over the Building Department’s decision to issue a permit. It doesn’t, but for public relations purposes it would have been better to add to that tactical attack an appeal to common sense. People appreciate that.

Look: if there are no good reasons not to build a temporary ramp, then the Y should say so and go ahead and do the right thing. If there are, then the Y should point them out. It’s already angered half of its (now former) members and jeopardized its financial support in town by a series of blunders. Dealing with this latest situation forthrightly and openly can’t hurt.

PLEASE SEE:
P&Z to review YMCA proposal
Commission Chairman Donald Heller said he expects the body to approve the extension, based on the five-year deadline.

"Tomorrow night looks like a relatively simple evening," he said Wednesday.......
YMCA committed to finishing project
...The YMCA has also had to contend with members and the public who have expressed frustration that the facility was not made wheelchair accessible during the first phase of the project, Fretty said.

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

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

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

.....Calls were not returned from Greenwich Family YMCA officials or their attorneys Wednesday.
Rebecca Fretty Is Making Sure That
There Will Be No Wheelchair Basketball Games At
The Greenwich YMCA

To Rebecca Fretty,
apparently "headless and brain dead"Head of the
Greenwich YMCAMs Fretty:

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

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

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

YMCA wrong to deny access

To the editor:

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

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

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

Carol Kana
Riverside

The writer is a member of First Selectman's Advisory Committee for People With Disabilities.
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11/16/08 Greenwich Time News Links


Shevoy Hart, 13, watches as Qunnipiac Physician's Assistant student Brennan Bowker checks his blood sugar at the Bethel AME's first Health Fair.

(Keelin Daly/Staff photo)


Health fair brings testing to the people

Floyd Draughn, 59, takes 10 pills a day for a variety of ailments, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and prostate cancer.


So when he attended a health fair Saturday at the Bethel AME Church on Lake Avenue, he wanted to find out if he had any other health-related issues, and what he could do to fix them, he said.


"I want to get healthy," he said. "I just want to know what I need to do to get there É A lot of people don't want to know what's wrong, but not me - that's why I'm here."


Dozens of people received information and free screenings offered by several health organizations, including the American Red Cross, Greenwich Emergency Medical Services and Greenwich Hospital.


"People, some in tears, have showed up for the opportunity to have free health care. They have either lost their health insurance or never had it. We were delighted to provide this," said Stephanie Paulmeno, the town's community health planner.


Paulmeno was approached by the Rev. Horace Henson, and his wife Sister Christine Henson, both of the Bethel AME Church, about hosting the health fair.

Market woes hit town pensions

And you thought your portfolio was in tatters. Beset by plunging stock values, the town's pension fund has lost nearly 27 percent, or $100 million, in value in the past calendar year.

Nursing home costs top nation

STAMFORD - Lower Fairfield County has the most expensive average nursing home rates of any metropolitan area in the country, according to a Westport institute's national survey.


No foreclosures here: Gingerbread houses get final touches

Aileen Agudelo, 8, carefully placed bubble gum, marshmallows and red and green gum drops on the roof and sides of her freshly baked gingerbread house.

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11/16/08 The Greenwich Roundup Blog And RSS Feed For Sunday


Greenwich's Corporate Mainstream Newspapers Without The Town's Citizen Journaist Bloggers?


Bloggers Who Are From, Work In Or Used To Live In Greenwich......

Jane Genova: Speechwriter - Ghostwriter
"Mint Resumes" - Must-read for those looking for work - Uber Resume strategist/writer Marsha Keeffer launched a new site: Mint Resumes. Given the fear pervading the work work, Mint Resumes is a must-read, daily or...

John Ferris Robben - T-shirt Philosophy Page At Our Greenwich
Obama and McCain Cookies

Tribune Company's Greenwich News Feed
Investment options with CDs, money markets and bonds - Under the mattress, in the cookie jar or buried in the backyard were common hiding places for cash in less sophisticated times. Today the sophistication le...

Greenwich Library Today's Events
Trio Globo (Peterson Concert) - *When:* Sunday November 16th, 2008 - 03:30 PM *Where:* Greenwich Library at Cole Auditorium Free Concert: World Music supergroup, Trio Globo, features harmo...

Greenwich Forum
Employment classified section debuts today - 2 Comments, last updated on Saturday Nov 15 by Pat Silbert

Greenwich Gossip
The Rafters Ring at Christ Church - Last evening was a feast of French organ music at Christ Church as part of the "Second Friday" recital series. Scott Turkington, organist at one of the...

Greenwich News
Selectmen Approve Hike in Seniors' Income Cap for Property Tax Credits - Some welcome news for Greenwich seniors: A hike in the income limit -- from $39,000 to $60,000 -- on a property tax relief program for elderly and disabl...

The Perrot Memorial Library Blog
Annual Lion's Club Grapefruit Sale - The Old Greenwich Lion's Clubs is selling grapefruits and oranges, as part of its annual fund-raising effort to flight blindness worldwide. Fruits are avai...
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11/16/08 Old Timer Bernie Yudain Discovers Greenwich's Citizen Journalists And He Wants To Edit Them too.


As though we don't have enough staggering problems on our tray, my friend Chris Fountain, lapsed lawyer-author-rampant Realtor and estimable bloggist, has tossed in another.


The gravamen of his poser: What's the proper spelling of Conyers Farm?


From the above, you'll see my version of the answer. Although it seems to defy common rules of grammar, that's the way it goes.


Chris waded into the issue because he had been spelling it Conyer's Farm, with the possessive apostrophe, and a reader of his blog had challenged him by insisting it should be an unadorned Conyer Farm - singular, no apostrophe or "s."


Both wrong, in my view. Most reliable references to that iconic North Street estate spell it as I've just done. Even Judge Hubbard, one of Greenwich's most respected historians who wrote a weekly column for the defunct weekly Greenwich Press, always spelled it "Conyers Farm.".....


.....How come we have Palmer Hill Road in Greenwich, and the second it crosses the Stamford line it picks up an apostrophe "s" and becomes Palmer's Hill?
Now that's a question that keeps me awake at night. ......


Bernie Yudain, whose Greenwich Time column appears Wednesdays and Sundays, is a former managing editor of Greenwich Time.
His e-mail address is bernardct6@aol.com.


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11/15/08 Greenwich Post Story Of The Day




The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) honored Michael, Alice, Stacey and Jon Delikat with the Daniel R. Ginsberg Humanitarian Award on Sunday, Nov. 9, at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich. The event raised more than $340,000 to support ADL’s effort to fight hate, build hope and safeguard liberty. Dale Atkins-Rosen and Robert Rosen, Aviva and Martin Budd, Marty Flashner, Penny and Michael Horowitz, Eileen and Fred Springer and Drs. Amy and Steve Zabin served as the event’s co-chairmen. From left, Michael Delikat, Stacey Delikat, Alice Delikat, David Waren, Connecticut ADL regional director, and Jon Delikat.

— Harold Shapiro photo
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Saturday, November 15, 2008

11/15/08 Shame, Shame, Shame On Planning And Zoning Commission Chairman Donald Heller


"I can't play with the other kids at the YMCA, becuase of Planning and Zoning Chairman Donald Heller"




By Colleen Flaherty

Staff Writer
Article Launched: 11/15/2008 02:34:32 AM EST


Despite impassioned words from two disabled Greenwich residents, the Planning and Zoning Commission has unanimously approved an extension for the Greenwich Family YMCA's construction and interim site plans.


"It'll be two years since the time (everyone else) can get into the building to when the first person with a wheelchair can," visually impaired resident Alan Gunzberg told the commission at its meeting Thursday, saying that the planned lack of elevator access and handicap-accessible ramps until June 2009 prohibited the disabled from enjoying the YMCA.


The YMCA has been mired in controversy since a handicapped member came forward in September, speaking out against the lack of handicapped access during ongoing construction since 2004, particularly to the pool.....


..... Carol Kana have wondered publicly whether that is true.
"The people in this town have been the silent minority," said Kana, a wheelchair-user who described herself as physically handicapped.

In the end, however, the commission was swayed by lawyer John Tesei, who, in representing the YMCA.....


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11/15/08 Greenwich Time News Links


Former 'Today'show set serves as platform for student broadcasters
Seated at a desk emblazoned with the "Today" show logo, the anchors recap the morning's top news stories.
Dressed in dark suits with yellow roses on their lapels, the first gay couple to wed in Greenwich were joined Friday in the gazebo at Bruce Park, surrounded by five of their closest friends.

Disabled mother at crux of probate dispute
Officials from the Office of the Probate Court Administrator spent Friday combing through files in Town Hall after increased media scrutiny highlighted the case of Marilyn Plank, an 85-year-old woman whose move from her home in Michigan to Greenwich has become steeped in controversy and family dispute.
Julian Curtiss School Principal Nancy Carbone announced Friday that she will retire when the current school year ends next summer, after nearly 18 years managing the elementary school.
A state trooper received minor injuries after his police sport utility vehicle was hit by another SUV on Interstate 95 in Greenwich Friday morning, according to state police.

Town man charged in sexual assault
A Greenwich man was arrested Friday and charged with second-degree sexual assault and first-degree burglary after a domestic disturbance at 5:14 a.m., police said.

Francisco Trejo-Lezama, 39, of 10 Highland Road, was arrested following the incident at Trejo-Lezama's residence, police said.

Trejo-Lezama was being held at Greenwich police headquarters Friday night in lieu of $250,000 bond, according to a police press release.

Police did not release any further details on the ongoing investigation.
The A&P at Riverside Commons just got fresher. Executives of the supermarket chain held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday outside its East Putnam Avenue location, celebrating the store's metamorphosis into an A&P Fresh market, one of about 100 in the tri-state area.

Police academy graduates 35 new officers
STAMFORD - In the lobby of the Rich Forum on Friday, a mass of blue exchanged hugs and handshakes. A few minutes earlier, 35 police cadets had received diplomas after 28 weeks of jogging, doing push-ups, taking defensive training, practicing shooting and - by far the most lasting memory of police academy - running through an obstacle course after receiving a shot of pepper spray.
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