Greenwich High School Homecoming King Adam Conti and Queen Fiona Kwan step into the spotlght during the homecoming halftime show Saturday at Cardinal Stadium.
(Keelin Daly/Greenwich Time Staff photo)
Wearing her red high school cheerleading jacket, her name embroidered on the chest, Anne Chiapetta, Greenwich High School class of 1977, came back for Homecoming after 31 years....
....Hundreds of people lined the streets, clapping and cheering as trucks, decorated with balloons and banners, moved along Greenwich Avenue as the Greenwich High School band played favorites like "Louie Louie."
The parade, which began at the top of Greenwich Avenue, included floats featuring different sports teams, cheering squads and the Homecoming King and Queen and their court.
Sitting on a truck bed with their varsity soccer teammates, Caela Murphy, 15, and Taylor Dawson, 16, were laughing and shouting cheers.....
....Homecoming Queen Fiona Kwan, 17, and Homecoming King Adam Conti, 16, wandered onto the field, where Capasso crowned Kwan and last year's Homecoming Queen, Bridget Bauer, gave her roses.
"It's pretty exciting," said Kwan. "We reveled in it."
Conti, who has never attended a homecoming game before, said some students got together and organized votes to get him elected.
"I was definitely surprised," he said. "I think it's pretty funny."
Kwan said she is going to wear the crown all next week.....
Former First Selectman Lowell Weicker Jr. credits the legislative body in his hometown of Greenwich - a group larger than the General Assembly - with teaching him how to build consensus when he was a third-party governor.....
...Celebrating its 75th anniversary today, the 230-member RTM, a variation of the quintessential New England town meeting form of government, has been schooling the citizenry on everything from municipal budgets and ordinances to the pitfalls of saddling taxpayers with debt from bonding and labor contracts, all in a nonpartisan setting.
Larger than many state legislatures, including Connecticut's and New York's, the RTM is celebrating its diamond jubilee at Greenwich High School. In its rich history, only six moderators have presided over its ranks, including Prescott Bush Sr., who went on to become a U.S. senator and was the grandfather of the current president....
....Charged with approving the annual town budget and all expenditures of at least $5,000, the RTM has eight regular meetings per year. It is also the appointing authority for municipal board and commission members and is responsible for authorizing municipal improvement projects benefiting the town.
In addition to its regular meetings at Central Middle School, the RTM has 12 districts and 11 standing committees that meet regularly.
A study in people watching, the meetings routinely run for two to three hours, with members milling about in the aisles or at the back of the auditorium in between votes and during speeches.....
....Faulted by some prior first selectmen for being too easy to get elected to and too large, the RTM is true to its name as being representative, with a disparate assemblage of members such as Wall Street types and lawyers regularly interacting with local retailers and retirees.
On Oct. 16, 1933, the newly established RTM met for the first time, composed of 148 charter members, each of whom represented 100 residents.
On Oct. 16, 1933, the newly established RTM met for the first time, composed of 148 charter members, each of whom represented 100 residents.
With then-state Rep. Helen Binney Kitchel shepherding it through the General Assembly and then-Gov. Wilbur Cross signing it into law, the RTM was created as a replacement for the traditional town meeting in Greenwich.
The original town meeting, in place since Greenwich was settled in 1640, had developed a knock against it for being unwieldy because it was open to all residents, allowing constituencies to show up en masse to prevail on an issue....
When Superintendent of Schools Betty Sternberg announced Wednesday that she would not renew her contract, she became the third consecutive Greenwich schools chief since 1998 to remain in the position just three years.
Her predecessors, Larry Leverett and Roger Lulow, both stepped down at the end of their three-year contracts with Greenwich Public Schools, leaving two interim superintendents, Herbert Pandiscio and Maria Melendez, to fill the void from 2001 and 2003. ...
....critics say the current administration has struggled to meet has been communicating with the town's wide variety of school constituencies, from parents and teachers, to school board members, to town budget officials.....
COMMENT:
The Greenwich Board Of Education's Repeated Failure To Deal With Failed Greenwich School Administrators Who Are very High Paid Has Lead To An Educational Disaster.
Further, the Greenwich Board of Education's Has Repeatedly Demonstrated That It Has The Skills And Insight To Attract The Type Of School Leader That The Town Needs.
Greenwich BOE Members Vice Chairwoman Like Leslie Moriarty are the problem !!!!
When Mold Is Found At The Old Hamilton Avenue School, then later mold is at the Hamilton Avenue School Replacement Modular Classrooms And Now Mold Is At The "NEW" 30 Million Dollar Hamilton School Leslie "I Am Ineffective" Moriarty Doesn't Want To Get Rid Of Some Failed School Officials.
Year After Year While School Building Committee Chairman Frank Mazza Screwed Up The Hamilton Avenue School Renovation And Ran The Bill Up To More Than 30 Million Dollars, Leslie "I Am Ineffective" Moriarty Repeatedly Defended Mazza's Band Of Idiots As School Children Were Dispersed All Over Town.
Leslie "I Am Ineffective" Moriarty Even Went So Far As To Strongly And Publicly Push For Frank "I Am Going To Give You A New School With Mold" Mazza To Be Put In Charge Of The Glenville School Renovation
As Glenville Students Were Also Disbursed All Over Town.
As Greenwich School Classes Get Bigger And Bigger.
As Test Scores Get Lower And Lower.
Leslie "I Am Ineffective" Moriarty Is Unwilling To Fire
Failed School Administrators Who Are Very Highly Paid.
Leslie "I Am Ineffective" Moriarty Had Better Start Realizing That Greenwich Has Very Sophisticated Parents Who Are Getting More Involved And They Have Higher Expectations For The Effectiveness Of How School Board Members Spend Their Tax Dollars.
Taxpayer Are Starting To Say We Need To Get Rid Of Leslie "I Am Ineffective" Moriarty So That We Can Get A School Board Member That Demands Accountability And Is Willing To Fire And Replace Failed School Administrators.
With the Board of Education about to embark on its search for the next schools superintendent, some top-ranking town officials are calling on board members to look for candidates closer to home this time.....
....Among the names that have been floated as potential candidates are Joshua Starr, superintendent of Stamford Public Schools, and former Old Greenwich School Principal Douglas Fainelli, who worked as interim superintendent in the early '90s and helped found the district's first-ever International Baccalaureate program at the International School at Dundee.
Others believe that after a period of high turnover among district administrators, the board should first re-evaluate its goals for future superintendents before deciding whether to base its selection on where candidates are coming from.
"We don't need somebody who is exclusively local," said Frank Farricker, a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission. "We just need to be able to get back to basics and define what the guiding philosophy of the Board of Education is. Then we can talk about leadership."
COMMENT:
Here Is Another Great Idea From The Greenwich Board Of Education.
Let's Recruit The Next Greenwich School Superintendent From Within The Vast Pool Of Failed School Administrators Who Currently Work At The Greenwich Public Schools, Instead Of Seeking A Well-Credentialed Leader From Outside The District Who Is Willing To Fire Failed School Administrators.
Maybe The Board Of Education Chairwoman Nancy Weissler Should Make Failed School Administrator Susan Wallerstein The Next School Superintendent.
Failed School Administrator Susan Wallerstein Is A Shining High Paid Example Of Board Of Education Incompetence. She Quickly Went From The School's Media Department To The Assistant Superintendent Who Is In Charge Of Finance, Business Operations And Facilities.
In The Last Two Years Susan Wallerstein The Failed Assistant Superintendent Of Facilities Has Closed Down Two Schools And Bused Students All Over Town, As She Had Her Compensation Increased Both Years.
Board Of Education Thinks That Failed School Administrator Susan Wallerstein Is So Wonderful They Have Never Failed To Increase Her Compensation.
In Fact, The More That Susan Wallerstein Screws Up The More Money She Makes !!!!
Alice Bey, 89, is concerned about her investment portfolio and frustrated with the government for how it has handled the current financial crisis.
From Down Under to the Middle East, Greenwich residents are requesting absentee ballots in droves in the build-up to next month's presidential election, according to the town clerk's office....
....John Raben, the town's GOP chairman, said that the high number of absentee ballots requested bodes well for Republicans, many of whom are overseas on business and historically have generated a strong turnout.
"That's one of the reasons we're active in getting people to apply for absentee ballots if they think they're going to need one," Raben said.
David Roberson, the Democratic Town Committee chairman, said the party tracks recipients of absentee ballots.
"I do know there was a fantastic number of them," Roberson said.
On Raben's theory that the high number bodes well for Republicans, Roberson said he wasn't so sure.
"OK, maybe we should check on whether they're still alive," Roberson quipped
As gas prices fall rapidly toward the $3 a gallon mark for regular gas in Connecticut, industry experts said the cut will help residents weather the rough economy.
Police arrested a male juvenile after he allegedly brought marijuana to Greenwich High School, 10 Hillside Road on Thursday morning, police said.
The boy was found to be in possession of marijuana by school staff, who then contacted police, according to the police report. The boy was charged with possession of a controlled substance under four ounces and possession of drug paraphernalia, police said.
The boy was released on a promise to appear and is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Stamford on Wednesday.
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Kristopher Chimblo, 20, of 77 Prospect St., Stamford, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for harassment on Tuesday afternoon in his home, police said.
While in custody, police determined that Chimblo had two additional active warrants against him for violation of probation, according to the police report.
Chimblo was charged with three counts of second-degree harassment and violation of probation, police said.
He was unable to post the $25,000 bond. Police said he was taken into custody by the court marshals after appearing in court this week. No further information on his court appearance was available.
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Thomas MacMullen, 45, of 206 Still River Road, Still River, Mass., turned himself in to police Wednesday on an outstanding warrant stemming from a theft of silverware from Hoagland's of Greenwich gift shop, police said.
Police said the incident took place on April 11. MacMullen was charged with third-degree larceny and sixth-degree criminal attempt at larceny, according to police.
He was released after posting a $250 bond and is scheduled to appear in state Superior Court in Stamford on Wednesday.
School dads give ghoulish touch to fair
Nothing goes with hay like beer and sausage. In fact, the combination was so popular last year that 2008's list of dads helping to build the maze at Old Greenwich School's Pumpkin Patch was capped at 25.
STAMFORD - One of three men accused of drug trafficking after state police found more than 50 pounds of marijuana in the tractor-trailer they drove past a weigh station on Interstate 95 was committed to a state mental hospital for 60 days by a judge in state Superior Court Friday.
A social worker from the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services testified that Barry Diaz, 25, of Covena, Calif., is currently not competent to stand trial and does not understand the charges against him, but that he can have his competency restored.
Judge Referee Martin Nigro committed Diaz to the Whiting Forensic Institute and continued the case until Dec. 12.
Diaz and his co-defendants, Danny Turner, 49, and Robert Turner, 44, both of California, were stopped by state police at about 1:30 a.m. July 17 between exits 1 and 2 in Greenwich.....
Ed Board races to replace Sternberg
School board members say they are intent on having a replacement for departing Superintendent Betty Sternberg when she leaves in June.
With Sternberg's three-year contract expiring on June 30, 2009, the Board of Education will have to complete the search in eight months or appoint an interim superintendent ....
...."I personally have no desire for that, because it just prolongs the outcome," said board member Steven Anderson. "We really need to keep our eye on the ball and make sure we find somebody who can hit the ground running by next June.".....
....Board Chairwoman Nancy Weissler said next week she plans to appoint a four-person search committee, which will hire a consulting firm to identify poetntial candidates; host focus groups of parents, school staff and administrators to help develop a "profile" for the new superintendent; and finally begin actively being recruiting and interviewing candidates.....
...In choosing a successor, Democratic Selectman Lin Lavery said the board should seek out someone likely to remain with the district for some time. She said she was concerned that turnover in recent administrations could raise red flags for candidates and deter some from applying.
"We have had two different superintendents step down in three years," she said. "At some point, people are going to look at this and start asking 'what are they stepping into? What is happening with our community?' ".....
Comment:
Wasn't Board Of Education Chairwoman Nancy "I Am Ineffective" Weissler And Steven "I Am Also Ineffective" Anderson On The Previous Failed Four Person Search Committee That Selected Sternberg For The Position In June 2006?
Aren't The Other Two Members (Ginny Gwynn and Bill Kelly) Of The Previous Failed Four Person Search Committee That Selected Sternberg Been Removed From The School Board?
So Why Are Board Of Education Chairwoman Nancy "I Am Ineffective" Weissler And Steven "I Am Also Ineffective" Anderson Running To Be Interviewed By Greenwich Time Reporter Cub Reporter Colin Gustafson?
Do You Think That Board Of Education Chairwoman Nancy "I Am Ineffective" Weissler And Steven "I Am Also Ineffective" Anderson Might Be Nanuvering To Be Put In Charge Of Another Failed Four Person Superintendent Search Committee?
As a former officer in the NYPD's Gang Division, Anthony Mullen used to steer troubled teenagers into the juvenile justice system. Now a teacher at Greenwich's school for at-risk youth, he works overtime to guide them to the graduation stage.
"By the time you're dealing with a young person in the back of a police car, it's the end of the road," Mullen said. But as a teacher, "you have the opportunity to guide their decisions before that happens. You're giving them a second chance."
After six years teaching at ARCH School, Mullen, 48, is now being recognized as one of four finalists in the state's 2009 Teacher of the Year Contest, an annual competition that recognizes Connecticut's top educators for their efforts in and out of the classroom.....
....After retiring from policework six years ago, he decided to pursue a career in teaching and was hired for ARCH School, where he now teaches science, history, law, forensics and home improvement.
Mullen also developed and oversees the district's "ACE" initiative, an after-school program that provides academic support for expelled students.
"He's involved in our lives more than any teacher I've known," said Matthew Mammone, 18, who said he struggled academically at GHS before enrolling at ARCH School this fall in hopes of getting more hands-on instruction and guidance from teachers.
"He's always being creative and always keeps it real," Mammone said.
Cardinals soar past Eagles for Homecoming win
It was fourth down, less than a minute remaining and the postseason hopes of two proud FCIAC football programs were potentially hanging in the balance on this one play....
It was fourth down, less than a minute remaining and the postseason hopes of two proud FCIAC football programs were potentially hanging in the balance on this one play....
Belatedly running through a batch of correspondence, I came across an invitation from Family Centers to attend the annual meeting and potluck supper to be held next Tuesday.
It's good that school board members say they will do all they can to have a new superintendent in place by the time Betty Sternberg leaves in June.
Having a person ready to take the reins in June would prevent the school system from having to hire an interim superintendent, a state of limbo that does little to provide continuity when our schools really need it.
But one thought that should stick in officials' minds as they seek to replace Ms. Sternberg is this: Whoever takes the job next will be Greenwich's fourth superintendent of schools this decade.
School superintendents are a bit mercenary by nature, so the job does give itself to turnover, but this situation goes beyond the norm, and can't continue. Our schools need a period of stability as they work to get test scores up and close the achievement gap between white/minority, advantaged/disadvantaged students.
To achieve that, the town should look hard to hire a superintendent from within the school system's own ranks.....
Comment:
Once Again Citizen Journalist Bill Clark's Of Theroy That The "Yellowich Time" Editorials Are Written In The Basement Of Town Hall Has Been Proven True.....
"It takes three months just to get to know all the players" in town government, First Selectman Peter Tesei said. For an administrator on a three-year contract, "there's a tremendous amount of energy required ... to get up to speed with the issues and acclimate themselves to how it works."
"There is a need for greater continuity" with superintendents, said Board of Estimate and Taxation Chairman Stephen Walko. "When you have too many honeymoon periods [with new administrations], you end up with a lack of consistency.
"I think the idea," BET member Edward Krumeich Jr. said, "is to look at the people with both the professional qualifications and the experience in dealing with communities similar to Greenwich."
"We really need to keep our eye on the ball and make sure we find somebody who can hit the ground running by next June", said said board member Steven Anderson.
"We need somebody local and homegrown, who has already been here a while, and knows the politics of what people like and dislike." chimed in School Board Loyaslist And North Mianus parent Tom Pastore.
For Years All Of These Public Officials Wrongly Supported Betty Sternberg, Frank Mazza And The Board Of Education As Classrooms Got Bigger And Test Scores Got Lower.
Now These Same Public Officials And The "Yellowich Time" Wants To Give Greenwich Taxpayers A School System Insider Who Will Not Fire Failed School Administrators Who Are Very Well Paid.
However:
Chris Fountain At For What It's Worth Thinks It Might Be A Good Idea To Get A Local School Superintendent......
Officials to look locally for Superintendent but the text doesn't support that claim, at least when it comes to officials who run the School Board. Apparently no School Board members would speak to the Greenwich Time Reporter so we learn only that Peter Tessei (First Selectman) Frank Farricker (P&Z) and Ed Krumeich (BET) think it's a good idea. None of these men has any control over the School Board so the latter's silence is ominous. The Board has a splendid record of scouring the country to find and hire the least competent candidate available and its members may well have a strong determination to continue that practice. Demonstrated incompetence sometimes feels threatened by ability.
If some miracle occurs and the Board does look locally (and not, as in the past, merely to pay lip service to its critics) I like the idea of one name floating around, Doug Fainelli. Doug was a great principal at Old Greenwich School (and before that, Vice-Principal at Riverside, where I first met him) and was so well liked that he was shifted to Dundee when that school opened to console those Old Greenwich parents who were upset at seeing their kids transferred. It worked, too - as soon as his appointment was announced, opposition ceased.
He went on to do a great job at Dundee before retiring and entered the real estate business, where he's done very well. I understand that that particular business has slowed down a bit these days so perhaps the man can be persuaded to un-retire. If not then heck, Doug, you can have my office and I'll try it out - I do know where all the schools are, which gives me a leg up on our past Superintendents.
But Will Doug Fainelli Have The Guts To.....
Fire Failed School Administrators Who Are
Hurting Young Chuldren And Costing Taxpayers A Fortune
To the editor:
While war and the economy grab headlines, an issue little known to most Americans may eclipse both, and is why I urge citizens to re-elect Christopher Shays to Congress.
A growing body of scientific evidence points to environmental triggers - most notably America's aggressive, one-size-fits-all vaccine policy - as a major factor in the autism epidemic as well as in the astonishing number of children now diagnosed with neurological and immunological disorders such as attention deficit disorder, asthma, allergies and diabetes. One in six is diagnosed with learning or developmental disabilities. And autism affects one in 67, according to the Department of Education. Cost of care for those now diagnosed with autism could reach $750 billion.
Thousands of peer-reviewed scientific studies point to vaccine risks, and yet the multibillion-dollar vaccine industry continues to add shots to an already crowded schedule - from 10 in the 1970s to 30-plus before school age today. Government assurances that vaccines are safe are contradicted by billions of dollars in secret settlements for vaccine injuries.
Mercury, the second most toxic element on Earth, continues to be injected into infants and pregnant women in the form of Thimerosal in flu shots in all but seven states. (Mercury preferentially goes to the fetus during pregnancy and crosses the blood-brain barrier.)
In a detailed letter, Congressman Shays informed me that he's co-sponsoring a bill related to vaccine safety and is inclined to support two others. In contrast, Jim Himes' office did not even address two of the bills, and surprisingly, does not support the Mercury Free Vaccinations Act.
Obama's stand: "I support the removal of Thimerosal from all vaccines." And McCain: "It's indisputable that [autism] is on the rise amongst children ... there's strong evidence that indicates that it's got to do with a preservative in vaccines."
For greater vaccine safety, please re-elect Chris Shays.
Nicole Crosby
Cos Co
Comment:
Yeah But, Jim Himes Would Support Greater Vaccine Safety, End The Misguided War In Iraq, Reverse George Bush's Disasterous Economic Policies And Give American's Like You Better Access To Health Care.
We Like Jim Himes Better Than Chris"I Am Like Obama And McCain"Shays.
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