Though it deals mainly in open space, the Greenwich Land Trust has convinced the state to add a local building to its Register of Historic Places.
The tower on Shell Island, visible from Byram Harbor, is now one of 50,000 historically significant properties in Connecticut recognized by the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism. The distinction makes the 83-year-old tower eligible for certain state restoration funds, as well as providing potential exemption from building codes and protection from demolition.
"This is an exciting step for the Greenwich Land Trust as we seek to preserve and protect this beautiful granite tower," said Trust President Bill Boysen......
....Originally owned by Colonel Henry Huss, a German immigrant who served in the 17th Connecticut Infantry during the Civil War, Shell Island was purchased by the Eimer family in 1910 for use as a summer compound.
The children of other German immigrants, the Eimers built the tower in 1925 as a family museum and tribute to their dead son, Gus Eimer II. New York architect Charles Calhoun designed the structure, built to resemble the Summerfield United Methodist Church tower in Port Chester, N.Y., with stones made of local Byram Blue Point granite. The same stone was used during the construction of the Empire State Building in Manhattan.....
The children of other German immigrants, the Eimers built the tower in 1925 as a family museum and tribute to their dead son, Gus Eimer II. New York architect Charles Calhoun designed the structure, built to resemble the Summerfield United Methodist Church tower in Port Chester, N.Y., with stones made of local Byram Blue Point granite. The same stone was used during the construction of the Empire State Building in Manhattan.....
....Mary Eimer Leinbach, sold the island in 1961 to Julius Silver, who donated it to the trust in 1990.
Today, the island is a wildlife preserve. The tower, which is boarded up, retains only an iron staircase and railing from its days as a family museum.
Gwynn said the Trust has no plans to open the tower, the only of its kind on Long lsland Sound, to the public.
There are five other Greenwich locales on the state's historic register: the John Addington House on West Putnam Avenue; the Benedict Building at Greenwich Hospital; the Cos Cob Firehouse; the Montgomery Pinetum Conservatory in Cos Cob; the O'Neill Outdoor Theatre, also in Cos Cob; and the Tomac Burying Ground in Old Greenwich.
Importer wins victory on accurate olive oil labeling
STAMFORD - Luciano Sclafani knows the terror of an allergy attack firsthand - the swelling, the labored breathing, the ambulance ride.
When his 10-year-old son had such an attack after eating walnuts, Sclafani saw how helpless allergy sufferers could be without proper food labeling.
So the president of Norwalk's Sclafani Importers set out to ensure olive oil, the food closest to his heart and his 97-year-old family business, would never cause allergy sufferers to feel helpless.
Now, after more than a year of work by Sclafani, the North American Olive Oil Association and the state Department of Consumer Protection, Connecticut is the first state to enforce International Olive Council standards for all olive oils and olive oil products sold in the state. California has adopted the regulations, but they won't be enforced until January.
The Department of Consumer Protection announced the victory and outlined the new guidelines at a 10 a.m. Friday news conference at La Fontanella Restaurant on High Ridge Road with Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele, Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell Jr., and state Reps. Carlo Leone, D-148, and Joe Miloli, D-136....
Comment:
Was The Above Story Even Remotely About Greenwich?????
Where Is The News About Greenwich?
Despite multiple trips to the World Series, Tommy John never took part in a championship parade, but he will experience a sampling of that Sunday in Stamford, when he will lead the annual big-balloon parade as grand marshal.
"It's nice to be back," said John, 65, who is entering his third year as manager of the Bridgeport Bluefish minor league team. "When you've played up here with the Yankees and all that, you get used to the people and the ambiance. It's like a second home."
John, who lives in Charlotte, N.C., but moves to the Bridgeport area during baseball season, said the former owner of the Bluefish, Mary Jane Foster, asked him to serve as grand marshal.
"I told her I would do it if Bobby Valentine would be right next to me," John said with a laugh. "I'm really looking forward to it."
John, a pitcher with 288 career wins, is in Tampa Bay, Fla., for Yankees Fantasy Camp and will head north Saturday night. He'll arrive in the area about 6 a.m. and come straight to Stamford for the parade. John said it is the first time he will be grand marshal since a Christmas parade in Los Angeles in the 1970s.
COMMENT:
Another Story That Is Not About Greenwich.
What's Up With All Of This Regional News In The Greenwich Time?
By Colin Gustafson
Staff Writer
Posted: 11/22/2008 02:31:58 AM EST
Posted: 11/22/2008 02:31:58 AM EST
The Board of Education is considering delegating much of its authority on school disciplinary matters to an expulsion hearing officer that would make final decisions on how to punish students.
At a meeting Thursday at Central Middle School, school board member Marianna Ponns Cohen gave a presentation on hiring a hearing officer to stand in for the board at expulsion hearings and make decisions on its behalf.
The hearing officer would preside over expulsion cases for a part-time compensation that could reach $350 per hour, when not enough board members are present to vote on a disciplinary measure.
Currently, school board members meet in groups of three or more, twice a month throughout the year as needed, to hear expulsion cases, which can involve violations such as selling drugs or possessing a weapon on or near school grounds.
Under current guidelines, three members must be present at the hearing to approve a disciplinary measure.
Because of scheduling conflicts, however, the board sometimes has been unable to muster enough members at these hearings to cast a vote within the mandatory 10-day time-frame after a student is suspended, said board member Susan Ellis said.
A hearing officer, in such cases, would act as a proxy for board members, supporters said.
"We have had problems of students being suspended for a 10-day period, and because we couldn't schedule fast enough, they're back in school" after 10 days, she said. That can be problematic when the student has been accused of a violent infraction, such as fighting or threatening peers.
COMMENT:
This Same Story Has Been Re-posted At The Greenwich Time For Two Days Now. Can't The Greenwich Time's Cub Reporter Colin Gustafson Find Any "NEW" News?
PLEASE SEE:
BEHIND THE TIMES:
Greenwich Time's Online News Readers Are Treated
Like Red Headed Step Children
Like Red Headed Step Children
Today's Entire Greenwich Time Newspaper Was Sent Digitally To The Connecticut Post Production Plant Bridgeport Last Night To Be Printed About 7 Hours Ago.
Once Again The Lazy Greenwich Time Webmaster
Can't Seem To Get It Up In The Morning.
By Colin Gustafson
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Posted: 11/21/2008 01:00:00 AM EST
Winklevoss Day
First Selectman Peter Tesei read his proclamation declaring Monday as Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss Day in honor of their achievements during the 2008 Olympics in China......
When the Holiday Inn Select in Stamford was built in 1984, it was a key contributor in the city's renaissance, and now, after spending $20 million in renovations, its new operators are touting it as the region's most desirable destination for the business and leisure traveler.
Davidson Hotel Co., Tennessee-based manager and joint venture owner of the 380-room hotel at 700 E. Main St., with Ohio-based RockBridge Capital, joined with more than 300 invited guests Thursday to celebrate its reconstruction.
The renovation included a redesign of the hotel's public spaces, facade, meeting facilities, guest rooms and suites. The lobby lounge, front desk and pool were relocated, and the atrium lobby, with marble floors and soaring ceiling, was enhanced.
Also new to the hotel is a health club with an indoor lap pool. Guest rooms have new bedding and 37-inch LCD high-definition televisions. DiLeonardo International was the design firm, StudioAD was the architect and Shakman Construction was the primary contractor.
To commemorate the event, Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony. Joining him were officials of Davidson and RockBridge Capital and InterContinental Hotels Group, the franchisor.
"This is a wonderful moment for Stamford. Here we are sitting and standing on the site of the old Scalzi Paint store," said Malloy, recalling his days as a youth. "Stamford is a business capital of the world. We now have another world-class property to partner with. This level of investment is a great testament to Stamford." ......Blah ...... Blah ...... Blah ....... Blah .......
COMMENT:
Since When Is The Holiday Inn Select in Stamford Considered A "LOCAL" Greenwich Hotel Or Luxurious.
What Does This Greenwich Time Story Have To Do With Greenwich?
By Robin Stansbury
The Hartford Courant
Janice Perkins bought a bedroom dresser more than a decade ago, but it never made it into her bedroom.
Instead, the versatile dresser has been useful for
Perkins in three places in three houses. Once it held a television set; another time it served as an entry table coupled with a mirror.
Perkins in three places in three houses. Once it held a television set; another time it served as an entry table coupled with a mirror.
And, although it was built to hold clothes, its three wide drawers now comfortably store Perkins' table linens, napkins, candlesticks and napkin rings in an area near her dining room.
"It's just a nice piece of furniture. It comes with me wherever I move. I always seem to find a place for it," says Perkins, who recently moved herself and her bedroom dresser into a new condominium in Farmington. "It's a classic piece. It will stay around forever." Even if it never makes it into the bedroom.
Furniture can get a second life, serving an entirely new function. Experts call this "repurposing" furniture, and designers say they use this trick often, to add surprise and uniqueness to a room.
Amateur decorators, though, have a harder time and are less likely to make use of furniture in this way, afraid of breaking an unspoken design rule or unable to remove the name of the furniture from its purpose.
But just because it's called a dining room hutch doesn't mean it needs to reside in a dining room. The same is true for sofa tables, which don't need to be near a sofa. And as Perkins proves, bedroom dressers ..... Blah ..... Blah ..... Blah ...... Blah ......
COMMENT:
Once Again This Greenwich Time Story Has Nothing To Do About Greenwich.
It Seems Like The Greenwich Time Editor Is Trying To Get The Town's News Readers Used To Regional News Before His Paper Is Folded With Others Into The Connecticut Post.
There Are Some In Greenwich Who Do Not Believe The Rumor That Hearst Newspapers Is Not Going To Consolidate Their Multiple Fairfield County Newspaper Holdings Into One Regional Newspaper.
They Argue That Greenwich Will Not Stand For It And There Will Always Be A Distinct Division Between Hearst Newspaper's Other Properties And The Greenwich Time.
These Are The Same People Who Now Bank At Chase And Used To Say That Greenwich Will Never Accept The Loss Of The Putnam Trust Name. These Same People Argued That There Will Always Be A Distinct Division Between The Bank Of New York And Putnam Trust.
The growing number of homeowners in foreclosure is pressuring Congress to step in and provide assistance.
We have to hope our lawmakers will be smart about it, but the early signs are not encouraging.
Connecticut Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, said last week he would push for legislation to allow people facing foreclosure to seek protection in bankruptcy court.
Even if we hadn't seen the tightening in bankruptcy laws that has occurred over the past few years, this would not be the greatest idea. Bankruptcy is a terrible injury to a person's credit history, taking years to heal and essentially forcing the downtrodden individual into a cash-only world.
But today's economic world is constructed on credit, much of it in places people don't often think about.
Businesses use short-term credit to fund inventories and payrolls, especially when gearing up for times like the coming holiday season. Banks use short-term credit to balance the books overnight or for a few days while awaiting payments on loans and charge cards to clear. And even if a personal credit card user pays in full every month to avoid interest charges, he or she is still using credit to get by for a few weeks. ...... Blah ...... Blah ......Blah ...... Blah ....... Blah ......
Why Arn't The Greenwich Time Editors Brave Enough To Take A Stand On A Local Issue Like Making The Greenwich YMCA ADA Compliant Now.
These Are The Kinds Of "LOCAL" Issues That Their Readers Are Interested In.....
To the editor:
I congratulate Rita A. Sullivan on the remarkable job she has done raising and advocating for her two grown mentally retarded children ("Greenwich has been outstanding for the disabled," Letters from Readers, Nov. 11).
I too am disabled, but my story is a little bit different.
I have a hereditary retinal disorder that has robbed me of 95 percent of my daytime vision and all of my night vision.
Two years ago, I received the gift of a Fidelco Guide Dog. Until that time, although I was disabled I had not yet faced any discrimination. But since my guide dog entered the picture, there have been multiple times where my entrance to certain establishments has been blocked by people who either are not familiar with or are uncaring about the laws of access.
I face the hazards of fall with leaves stacked high and wide so my guide dog and I have to walk far into the street, or not at all. I face the hazards of winter when homeowners or the town do not shovel sidewalks, and once again I cannot leave my home.
At Greenwich Point, employees are constantly trying to bar my entrance, forgetting about the laws of access.
I have worked very hard to understand the needs of other disabled children and adults, and as wonderful as Ms. Sullivan's personal experience has been, she has been very lucky not to face the hardships of others.
Letter writer Carol Kana can't find out what the YMCA has to offer because she is in a wheelchair and cannot enter the building.
There are some houses of worship in Greenwich that may preach inclusion, but still lack ramps or the doors wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair.
Town Hall until September did not have an accessible bathroom for people in wheelchairs.
A student in a wheelchair who would like to enter Greenwich High School must either travel with someone or have someone open the front door because there is no automatic door for the disabled.
I applaud Ms. Kana's hard work as an advocate for the disabled. I appreciate that she is part of our community, and I hope she continues to fight for inclusion.
Alan Gunzburg
Cos Cob
The writer is a member of the First Selectman's Advisory Committee for People With Disabilities
HERE ARE OTHER GREENWICH RESIDENTS
WHO ARE BRAVE ENOUGH TO TAKE A STAND ON
WHO ARE BRAVE ENOUGH TO TAKE A STAND ON
"LOCAL" CURRENT EVENTS
To the editor:
Why am I not surprised that state Sen. William Nickerson, the sponsor of the $750,000 grant to the Bruce Museum, and Peter Sutton, the director of the museum, defend the grant and the borrowing that it takes to pay for it?
That aside, let me answer the points they made in their letter.
That the grant was vetted and approved by many legislators is correct. That the same is done for all grants is also true, which seems to support my point that almost all legislators willingly spend our money on nonessentials even in times of scarcity.
That the Bruce is partially an educational facility, and that it brings in $1.2 million to the town is correct, but not relevant. The $1.2 million does not add one cent to our town's coffers, but the state does get its 6 percent sales tax, and some merchants make more money.....
.....Every time I hear that the state contributes to something, I understand that to mean that we, the taxpayers, pay. We are the state.
If the Bruce is all that Sen. Nickerson and Peter Sutton say, all the more reason for our local government and private people to pay.
But then the proponents would have to convince our local Board of Estimate and Taxation, and the Representative Town Meeting, which is a lot harder than convincing other state legislators to go along with our dip into the trough in exchange for approving their dip.
Donald Landsman
Greenwich
To the editor:
This newspaper reported in its Nov. 13 edition in a Page One headline, "Gay couple gets first license. The "couple" is described as "from Queens, N.Y." Given the Connecticut Supreme Court ruling allowing same-sex marriage, it is not surprising that Greenwich would issue a license, as Connecticut does not have any residency requirement for marriage between any persons otherwise qualified by age and mental capacity.
Unlike the past, when there were impediments to marriage ranging from racial prohibitions in the South to blood tests almost everywhere, most states today have relatively little in the way of requirements to marry, and so there is little reason for residents to cross a state line, except for persons of the same sex whose options are quite limited. Judging by the outcome of the referendum in California that rejected same sex-marriage, Connecticut is likely to remain one of a very few places where same-sex couples can marry.....
..... I strongly suspect that many people in Connecticut do not welcome visits of "same-sex marriage tourists" taking advantage of the state's administrative resources.
Steven J. Stein
Greenwich
To the editor:
The recent decision of the school board to meet as a "committee of the whole" to nominate a new superintendent, and the apparent desire to expedite the process, is in my opinion not in the best interests of the community. As a parent of two second-graders, I am going to have a long investment with whomever is appointed, and I want the board to make absolutely sure makes the kind of hire that is not the result of an over- compromise by eight board members who may place too much weight on internal politics and comity, as many decisions of this kind in all walks of life are made....
.....If we are waiting for the right hire, we might want to wait for a new school board and see who might want to step forward as new members with potentially strong new ideas.
Frank Farricker
Cos Cob
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