11/26/08 Greenwich Time News Links For Wednesday

Zerach Greenfield, a Sofer from Queens, writes the final words on the Torah at the Westchester-Fairfield Hebrew Academy Tuesday.

(Helen Neafsey/Greenwich Time photo)

Westchester-Fairfield Hebrew Academy gets new Torah
Donning their most colorful yarmulkes, Westchester Fairfield Hebrew Academy students sang, danced and marched under Hebrew-inscribed banners Tuesday to herald the arrival of a "new friend" on campus: a 40-year-old Torah.

New delay likely for Ham. Ave. School
Hamilton Avenue School students won't be allowed to move into their new building until April if the school's building committee can't secure the necessary approvals to make the facility safe for occupancy by the end of next week, the head of the school board said.

Board of Education Chairwoman Nancy Weissler said Wednesday that the facility must receive a temporary certificate of occupancy by Dec. 5 if students are to safely return to classes there after holiday breaks end Jan. 5.

Otherwise, she said, the school board probably won't schedule a move until spring recess, so as not to interfere with students' preparation for the Connecticut Mastery Test, given two weeks after February break.

Hamilton Avenue students' scores plummeted on the 2008 CMT administered last spring, just weeks after mold problems forced the school's administration to close their modular classrooms and disperse students elsewhere.

If students don't return to the renovated building until April 2009, the project will have stretched to four years, from an initially projected time frame of 18 months.

The project, which began in April 2005, has missed been delayed one time after another, most recently when builders missed a deadline that would have allowed students to move in on the Aug. 27 start of the school year.

With another deadline looming, parents and some building committee members say they are growing worried

COMMENT:

Colin Gustafson Is So Busy Reguritating Board Of Education Press Releases One Wonders If Colin Even Reads The Press Releases Before Publication. It looks like Colin forgot about that those September and that MID OCTOBER DEADLINE he had previously reported about.

PLEASE SEE:

08/16/08 Greenwich Roundup Posting

Surprise !!!!

HAMILTON AVENUE SCHOOL WILL MAYBEOPEN IN MID-OCTOBER !!!!!!

Don't Worry No One Will Be Fired For Yet Another Failure !!!!

The Failed School Administrators All Got Raises!!!!

And The Same Morons Are In Charge Of The Glenville School Project!!!!!

No C.O. for Ham Ave.: Mid-October new target for school opening

By Colin Gustafson (colin.gustafson@scni.com or at (203) 625-4428)

The Hamilton Avenue School project missed another crucial deadline yesterday when the building failed to win approval for occupancy because of lingering facility-related issues....

......Under the backup plan, Hamilton Avenue students will spend part or all of the year in modulars, while Glenville students attend class at four sites - Parkway, Julian Curtiss, Cos Cob and Western Middle schools - this fall.

Once the delay-mired Hamilton Avenue project is completed and approved, its students can move into their new building, allowing Glenville students to use the modulars.....

GEE, IT LOOKS LIKE GREENWICH TIME CUB REPORTER COLIN GUSTAFSON FORGOT ALL ABOUT THAT BOE PRESS RELEASE HE REGURITATED TALKING ABOUT A MID-OCTOBER DEADLINE.

COLIN REALLY SHOULD START READING SCHOOL BOARD PRESS RELEASES BEFORE HE PUTS THEM ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE GREENWICH TIME.

Firefighters pass out turkeys to residents
Firefighters and police kicked off the season of giving Tuesday as they spent the morning handing out turkeys to Armstrong Court residents and widows and widowers from both departments.

Westchester County airport quiet as fares swell
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Not a soul could be found in the Skytop Restaurant around noon one day earlier this weekat Westchester County Airport.

Greenwich BOE backs off Veterans,Columbus day proposal
Following an uproar from community members, the Board of Education may shelve a controversial proposal to make Veterans Day and Columbus Day holidays into mandatory school days.

Greenwich settles EPA dumping suit
Greenwich taxpayers are poised to foot the bill for a mess made by the town a generation ago. The Board of Selectmen voted Tuesday to approve an estimated $80,000 settlement of a decade-old lawsuit against the town over household waste it dumped at a New Jersey landfill from about 1978 to 1981.

Greenwich Old Timers give thanks
With Thanksgiving upon us, the Greenwich Old Timer's Athletic Association took the opportunity to give thanks to a special group of seven Tuesday night.

Greenwich jeweler adds artisans
It's one thing to sell fine designer jewelry and watches, but it's another to know how to service them.

Thanksgiving as a sharing experience
Before any of the elder brothers got their own cars, the family transport consisted of a black Overland touring car, and later, a spiffy Buick Master Six with a roll-up sunshade for the back window and - ta-da!

Taking pride in voter-turnout awards

Was it only a year ago that we dubbed statewide awards for municipal voter turnout a "dubious honor"?

Increasing costs for schools ignore reality
To the editor: With regard to the recent headline about the possibility of layoffs by the town ("Tesei warns of layoffs," Greenwich Time, Nov.

MORE LETTERS TO THE GREENWICH TIME EDITOR:

Concerns about gay marriage sound like bias
Bruce Museum grant was too easy to obtain
Interim head would not be good for schools
Out-of-staters' gay marriages come with costs
Some in town create obstacles for the disabled

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11/24/08 Board of Education Chairwoman Nancy Weissler Says Ham Ave Might Not Open Until April, Thomas Heagney Says maybe September !!!!!!!!!!!!!

January move in doubt for Hamilton Avenue

Written by Ken Borsuk, kborsuk@greenwich-post.com

Breaking News - Borsuk Scoops Everyone Again
Posted 12:29 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008

Any hope of moving Hamilton Avenue School students into their new building in January is fading, but not impossible after air balance testing in the building have so far proven inconclusive.

More testing is being done with results expected to be available by Tuesday, but Board of Education Chairwoman Nancy Weissler has set a strict deadline of Dec. 5 for the building to receive its temporary certificate of occupancy (TCO) from the town. If tests come back with positive results by then, there will be enough time to have the building ready in time for the start of school after the holiday break on Jan. 5, but Ms. Weissler has said if that date can’t be met, the district will wait until April to move the students because of all the disruption it will cause for February tests.

The hope was that testing air balancing, which insures all rooms in the school are getting proper air flow from the heating and cooling system, went well enough that the TCO could be granted and the project’s building committee could hand over custody of the building to the Board of Education today. However, tests have shown more work is needed and Joseph Aliotta, from the project’s architect Swanke Hayden Connel, said this morning at the building committee meeting that further testing has to be done by hand to determine exactly what course of action is required.

The key question before the building committee now is whether the TCO can still be granted even with work still needing to be completed. It remains possible the air balance will meet building code standards before Dec. 5, but not Swanke’s design standards. However, further engineering reports need to be evaluated first. A meeting between Swanke and Worth Construction, the project’s contractor, is expected to be held Monday or Tuesday.

The building committee will next meet Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. in the Havemeyer Building to determine a course of action.

The air balancing appears to be an issue in six rooms in the original part of the building, including the media center, nurse’s office and the English as a second language classroom, but it is conceivable that this could be worked around while the school is in operation and any major repairs could be made over the summer because the air balancing is mainly a comfort issue. Building committee chairman Frank Mazza said at this morning’s meeting there is no discernible discomfort in any of the floors or classrooms.

“I don’t want anyone to get the idea that there’s a room that someone’s going to walk into and they’re freezing,” Mr. Mazza said. “That’s not the case. The rooms are all comfortable at this point. I’ve spent a lot of time in every room. The rooms are fine. The halls are fine. Everything is comfortable. It’s just a question of whether we’re getting enough air into the original rooms to meet the code. If the engineer says we are, we have a pretty good path moving forward.”

Mr. Aliotta said manual calculations through a room-by-room evaluation are now being done to determine what the minimum requirements are for each room in terms of air balance. He said he “absolutely” believes further work would be needed to meet the design standards, but couldn’t say what that would entail or how long it would take. The design standards are higher than ones required by the building codes, which are the ones the town uses to determine if a TCO can be issued.

The evaluation is expected to be done by Tuesday.

Issues remain with emergency lights and the parking garage, but committee members said they believed those issues can be taken care of and would not impact any potential TCO next week.

Committee members and parents in attendance were visibly frustrated by the lack of progress, especially since there had been hope the building could be turned over to the board today.

Committee member Thomas Heagney urged the architect and contractor to work with “a sense of urgency” to get the building, which is more than two years behind schedule, finished. He said the committee had to find a way to “short circuit” the process and complete it.

“If we don’t have that urgency now, we might as well tell the school system that we’ll get the building to them in September,” Mr. Heagney said.

===============================================================

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11/26/08 Has Any Other Greenwich Bloggers Heard Of Or Tried This Service? - FeedRank for RSS Feeds

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RSS Feed Search Engine Search 4.3 million RSS feeds The most comprehensive RSS feed search on the web About RSSMicro FeedRank Dear RSS Feed Publisher, RSSMicro is happy to announce a free ranking service for RSS feed publishers. FeedRank Checker is tailored to rank millions of RSS feeds and now you have the opportunity to submit your feed and calculate your site FeedRank. Calculate Your Site FeedRank Today! (Instant results, no registration is required.) PageRank PageRank is an algorithm developed by Google which measures the level of importance of a link and correspondent HTML page. As we make more contents available in RSS format the demand grows for a ranking system which can effectively measures the quality of the contents published on RSS feeds. FeedRank A community vote mechanism developed by some companies for ranking RSS feeds offers a very limited results for millions of active RSS feeds and proved to be insufficient and misleading. Some ranking methods use link popularity and limited traffic data which also offers relatively good results but for a very limited number of feeds. Also certain companies http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/051120-181202 tried to offer customized algorithm which failed in early stages. Unlike others RSSMicro developed a new algorithm which applies to all RSS feeds on global scale, it measures and quantifies several areas in RSS feeds including but not limited to the popularity of the source and a new content analysis algorithm called Feed Delta. Feed Delta Feed Delta is a mechanism in which it measures unique information across articles, ensures the quality of the contents on the source. In an array of articles, all articles must consistently offer rich content so that the array can get a higher delta value, the value represents the Feed Delta in an RSS feed. The concept is based on the fact that computer generated spam websites or websites with little or no valuable content currently are have difficulties in simulating an array of articles with high delta values. FeedRank Checker RSSMicro generates the FeedRank results for millions of RSS feeds in its database, you can also submit and calculate FeedRank results for your site on RSSMicro website at: http://www.rssmicro.com/FeedRank.web Or submit a new feed at: http://www.rssmicro.com/FeedSubmit.web FeedRank is a work in progress and the algorithm is constantly being optimized with emerging sources and new publishers, yet the Feed Delta concept behind the data analysis algorithm is well established and passed many tests in RSSMicro labs before launch. RSS Feeds Submit Feed FeedRank Checker Recently Submitted Top Posts Top News Top Images Top Videos Tools Search Widget Alerts Granular News Top RSS Feeds New RSS Feeds Contact Us Contact Us Email Privacy Policy Terms of Use Contact Us About Us

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11/25/08 READER SUBMITTED COMMENTS: No plea?

This DUI Killer Case Clearly Shows That There Needs To Be More Transparency At The Greenwich Police Department.

Accident Reports Are Public Records !!!!!!!

Arrest Warrants Are Public Records Unless They Are Sealed By A Judge.

The Initial Police Investigation Reports And The Names Of DUI Killers Are Made Available In Darien, Norwalk Stamford And Westport, But Not In Greenwich.

If This Accident Had Happened On Exit 4 Of I-95 The Connecticut State Police Would Have Released The Name Of The DUI Killer And Would Have Arrested Him On The Spot.

However, The Secretive Greenwich Police Department

Constantly Plays Favorites In Town.

To the Greenwich Roundup Editor,

I find the charges against Mr. Moore a little off. 2nd degree manslaughter is not 1st degree murder. I think if people DRINK, get behind the wheel of a car resulting in a death, it is MURDER. I would also consider it to be premeditated murder.

I have a serious problem with how ALL LOCAL police departments handle drunk driving. If you look at the police blotters in the weekly newspapers, the majority of arrests made are of non-residents.

I have gone through police check points in Westchester and Long Island where the local police ask a couple of questions UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL, to see if they detect the smell of alcohol. In 30 years, I have never gone through a check point in the state of CT, with the exception of one seatbelt check at 10AM on a Sunday.

Where are these "CRACKDOWNS"????????

Why is the arrest warrent of Joey's killer not released? Why was the whole story such a mystery from the beginning? Why did it take so long to arrest Moore? And no plea? What's up with that?

I feel sorry for the family of Joey, especially as we enter into the holiday season. My prayers are with them.

I hope his killer rots in a jail cell for many many years.

P.C.
Greenwich

PLEASE SEE:

11/24/08 Greenwich Time News Links --- Top Story: DUI Killer That Greenwich Police Let Go Free Is Brought Before A Judge To Stand For Joey's Death

11/24/08 Riverside man arraigned in fatal accident - Greenwich Time

11/24/08 BEHIND THE TIME: Greenwich Post Reports On DUI Killer Five Hours After Debra Friedman At The Greenwich Time

11/24/08 No plea in bicyclist’s death - Greenwich Post

COMMENT:

There was no plea and the case was continued until January 7th, because Deputy Assistant State's Attorney David Applegate told the judge the state needed more time to get evidence from the secretive Greenwich Police Department and over to Douglas Moore's Greenwich defense attorney, James Pastore.

QUOTE:

"We have to straighten out some discovery issues," Deputy Assistant State's Attorney David Applegate told the judge.

Attorney James Pastore is still waiting for the Greenwich Police Department to turn over autopsy report, photographs of the scene, speed calculations, and a damn good reason why they would let Moore who was higher than a kite leave Joseph Borselio's death scene without being arrestted.

---

Please Send Your Comments To GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

11/25/08 When Greenwich Roundup Speaks Heart Newspaper's Greenwich Time Web Master Listens.

When Greenwich Roud Up Says,"Jump!"

The Greenwich Time Web Master Asks,"How High?"

YesterdayEvening , We Had To Once Again Take The Greenwich Time Web Master Behind The Greenwich Time Woodshed And Give Him A Few Wacks For Not Posting Greenwich News Links Untill Late Morning.

Please See:

11/24/08 Reader Submitted Comments: Where are you?????

As Greenwich Roundup Pointed Out That All Of The Greenwich Time Newspaper Stories Were Digital Available The Night Before And Online Greenwich Time News Readers Should Not Have To Wait Until Late Morning To Read The News.

Yesterday The Greenwich Time Web Master Did Such A Bad Job, He Never Even Got The Greenwich Time Editorial Or Letters To The Editor Posted At All.

However, The Greenwich Time Web Master Got The Message And Has Posted The Local News Online Well Before Most Greenwich Residents Have Gotten Out Of Bed.

Greenwich Avenue lights make holidays brighter
Ciarin Carruthers looked down Greenwich Avenue Monday night and smiled at the twinkling white lights, the culmination of a month's work.

Pepsi head speaks at CSH luncheon

When Indra Nooyi was promoted in 2001 to president of PepsiCo., the world's fourth largest food and beverage company, the Greenwich mother immediately raced home to deliver the good news to her family.

Food Bank in urgent need of turkeys
With only two days until the Thanksgiving holiday, the Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County still needs more than 1,800 turkeys.

Town briefs

Parks and Rec breakfast with Santa The Department of Parks and Recreation's "Breakfast with Santa," which replaces "Lunch with Santa" that was held annually for 19 years, will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 29 at the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, 90 Harding Road, Old Greenwich.

Mrs. Claus and her friends Frosty, Rudolph and Santa's elves will be on hand to greet children and hand out goodie bags. There will also be a mechanical reindeer and polar bear for the children to ride.

Breakfast will start promptly at 10 a.m. John Fogarty of Kiddlerock Productions will start the entertainment at 10:30 a.m. Santa will arrive after the show to meet with the children and listen to their Christmas wishes.

Tickets may be purchased through the mail or at the Park and Recreation office on the second floor of Town Hall, 101 Field Point Road. No tickets will be sold at the door.
For more information, call 622-7814 or visit http://www.greenwichct.org/.

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

Professor discusses
terrorism's challenges

Fawaz Gerges, an author and professor at Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, N.Y., will discuss "The Challenges Facing the New President in the Middle East and the War on Terrorism" at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Cole Auditorium in the Greenwich Library, 101 W. Putnam Ave.

The talk, which is free, is co-sponsored by the Greenwich Forum on War and Peace and the Sarah Lawrence College of Alumnae/i Relations. Refreshments will served before the talk.
For more information, call Jane Milliken at 637-7723.

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

Vermont, musicians to perform
at Cole Auditorium

The Musicians from Marlboro, the touring extension of the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont, will return to Greenwich Library's Cole Auditorium at 4 p.m. Dec. 14 as part of the Friends of Greenwich Library's Cole Concert Series.

Eight musicians will play works by Janacek, Mozart and Mendelssohn.

The performance is free and open to the public. Doors open at 3:30 p.m.; show begins at 4 p.m.
The Musicians from Marlboro will return to Greenwich Library for two additional concerts Feb. 15 and May 3.

For more information, call the Friends office at 622-7938.

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

Mammography screening
at YWCA

The YWCA of Greenwich, 259 E. Putnam Ave., will host a mobile mammography unit from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 2.

It is a free screening by the Stamford Hospital Mobil Mammography Program. Appointments are necessary. Participants should bring their insurance card or a copy of the front and back, their doctor's name, address and phone number.

For more information or to book an appointment, call 276-5990

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

Wildlife photographer
discusses work

Photographer and author Olaf Soot will show photos from and discuss his mountaineer's tour of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and Brooks Range in Alaska, the Rockies and Andes at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 in the Greenwich Library meeting room, 101 W. Putnam Ave.

Soot will sign copies of his book, "Alpine Americas," which will be available to purchase. The program is free and open to the public.

For more information, call Wayne Campbell at 622-7922.

Police blotter
Astrid Ortiz, 33, of 9 Armstrong Court, was arrested Saturday evening and charged with third-degree assault and disorderly conduct, police said.

Commuter tax would be misguided

We are normally fans of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's businesslike approach to running government.

Concerns about gay marriage sound like bias
To the editor: I am responding to Nov. 21 letter in Greenwich Time, "Out-of-staters' gay marriage comes with cost.

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11/24/08 BEHIND THE TIME: Greenwich Post Reports On DUI Killer Five Hours After Debra Friedman At The Greenwich Time

No plea in bicyclist’s death

Breaking news

Posted 4:27 p.m., Monday, Nov. 24, 2008

The case of a Riverside man accused of hitting and killing bicyclist Joseph Borselio in a drunk driving crash has been continued until Jan. 7.

Stamford Superior Court Judge Barbara Brazzel-Massaro continued the case during a short appearance on Monday morning so the State’s Attorney’s Office would have enough time to provide defense attorney James Pastore with information as part of the discovery process. Mr. Pastore is defending Riverside resident Joseph Moore, 24, who has been 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 allege that Mr. Moore was intoxicated when he struck Mr. Borselio, 20, who was riding his bicycle on Sheephill Road near Sound Beach Avenue Extension about 11:45 p.m. on Oct. 5. Toxicology reports allegedly showed Mr. Moore’s blood alcohol content far above the legal limit and police say he attempted to leave the scene of the accident before driving off the road and crashing into a utility pole a short distance away. Police responding to the scene found Mr. Moore by his car near the pole. The car, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, reportedly had windshield damage and police say it was from when Mr. Borselio struck it after being hit.

Mr. Borselio was found deceased at the scene.....

.....When asked about his client’s state of mind with the charges looming, Mr. Pastore said he was experiencing a lot of emotions.

“He’s nervous and devastated and sad,” Mr. Pastore said. “It’s the normal emotions anyone would experience after a horrible accident where someone lost a life.”
Mr. Pastore would not comment on whether Mr. Moore obeyed a stop sign on Sheephill Road where the incident took place and when asked if his client had been intoxicated at the time he advised reporters to “read the warrant.” The arrest warrant in this case has not been made publicly available.

Police Sgt. Timothy Berry, who lead the investigation into the incident, told the Post last week that Mr. Moore had not made any statements to officers to give his version of the events on the advice of counsel. Mr. Pastore said Monday that it was his client’s right to not give a statement.

“Gotta love the constitution,” Mr. Pastore said......

.....Stamford based attorney Lindy Urso also appeared during the proceeding. He said he is now representing the Borselio family and gave the proper paperwork to Judge Brazzel-Massaro. Mr. Urso, who spoke to the Post on Monday, said the family “is considering all the options” when asked if they were considering a civil suit against Mr. Moore.

“They feel the prosecution here will be the beginning of the healing process,” Mr. Urso said. “Obviously nothing will bring Joe back, but a stiff punishment here will, hopefully, provide a real deterrent in the future so other families will not have to go through what they are going through.”

kborsuk@greenwich-post.com

Please Read More Of The Imformative Greenwich Post Article

COMMENT:

WOW, Rookie Greenwich Time Reporter Debra Friedman Might Have Filed Her Story First, But She Failed To Report Most Of The Details Of The Story.

Right Now Rookie Greenwich Time Reporter Debra Friedman Is Probably Calling Up Veteran Greenwich Post Reporter Ken Borsuk And Saying,"Ken, Can You Give Me The Phone Number For That Urso Guy?"

Read more

11/24/08 Greenwich Time News Links --- Top Story: DUI Killer That Greenwich Police Let Go Free Is Brought Before A Judge To Stand For Joey's Death

Douglas Moore at his arraignment in the fatal Sheephill Road motor vehicle accident that killed 20-year-old Joseph Borselio. He stands with his attorney James Pastore.

(Helen Neafsey/Greenwich Time photo)

Deputy Assistant State's Attorney David Applegate Fails To Provide DUI Killer With Evidence Against Him In A Timely Manner

Riverside man arraigned in fatal accident

By Debra Friedman
Staff Writer
Posted: 11/24/2008 11:56:58 AM EST

STAMFORD - The 24-year-old Riverside man charged with second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle and other offenses stemming from an Oct. 5 accident that killed 20-year-old Joseph Borselio was arraigned Monday morning in state Superior Court in Stamford.

Douglas Moore did not enter a plea on the charges, which also include operating under the influence, evading responsibility in a fatal crash, unsafe movement and failure to exercise due care to avoid a pedestrian.

The case was continued until Jan. 7......

.....Pastore said he is still waiting for the autopsy report, photographs of the scene and speed calculations.

Moore turned himself over to Greenwich Police on Nov. 17 after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Police said Moore struck and killed Borselio, who was riding his bicycle north on Sheephill Road near the intersection with Sound Beach Avenue Extension just before midnight on Oct. 5.

Please Read The Full Greenwich Time Story

COMMENT:

Let's Wait And See How Good A Job That The Greenwich Police Department Did Collecting Evidence Against The DUI Killer That They Wrongly Let Go Free Seven Weeks Ago.

Greenwich police begin DUI holiday crackdown
With the holiday season just around the corner, local and state police will step up their efforts to curb drunken driving with undercover patrols, air surveillance and sobriety checkpoints.

"This is definitely a high priority as the holidays approach," said Lt. J. Paul Vance, state police spokesman. "Our message is clear - drinking and driving can only result in something bad. It can even be deadly."

Greenwich police will increase patrols and work with state police to set up sobriety checkpoints.....

....."People think of it as a traffic ticket, but it's a heck of a lot more," said Vance.

"We're talking handcuffs, custody battles, embarrassment, court appearances and the added expense that goes along with it."

Under state law, an adult is legally intoxicated if their blood-alcohol content measures .08 or higher. Drivers under age 21 are legally intoxicated if their blood-alcohol concentration is .02 or less.

A contributing factor to drunken driving during the holiday season, particularly Thanksgiving, is the return home of college freshmen, Vance said.....

....Last Thanksgiving, Vance said state police investigated 408 motor vehicle accidents, four of which involved fatalities. State police also arrested 67 people for drunken driving, Vance said.

While the issue is certainly intensified between Thanksgiving and New Year's, Vance said state police take it seriously throughout the year.

"This is a campaign we've undertaken. We partner with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Student Against Destructive Decisions, as well as with municipal departments," said Vance.

According to state Department of Transportation statistics, there were 311 fatal motor vehicle accidents in 2006, 43 percent of which were alcohol related......

......State police said sobriety checkpoints are posted in places where they see a higher-than-normal number of accidents involving alcohol or drunken driving arrests. According to Vance, there are a number of areas in Fairfield County where these checkpoints will be. Greenwich police have not yet disclosed where sobriety checkpoints will be.

State police recommend sticking to nonalcoholic beverages for those planning on driving after attending holiday gatherings.......

COMMENT:

One Wonders How Many Other DUI Drivers, Like Douglas Moore, The Greenwich Police Department Will Let Go Free Durring This Thanksgiving Holiday "Crackdown."

Obama wants economic rescue approved 'right away'

AP

CHICAGO - With the economy in crisis, President-elect Barack Obama pledged Monday to honor the commitments the outgoing Bush administration has made to rescue financial markets and urged the new, incoming Congress to pass a major stimulus package "right away" to restore growth and create jobs.

Veterans, Italians stand up for holidays

The prospect of the Greenwich public schools holding classes on Veterans Day and Columbus Day to prevent more classroom disruptions in October and November has annoyed some veterans and Italian-Americans.....

...."It's kind of putting Veterans Day in with holidays like Halloween," said Eric Roitsch, 43 a veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq. "Although I didn't get into the military to be honored, I think its important that children know about those who fought for our freedoms."

World War II Veteran John Macri said that having the children take the day off to attend the parades and hear from the veterans is much more meaningful than anything they would learn in school, from a text book or a teacher.

"It just makes a much bigger impact," he said.

Taking the holiday away in some ways diminishes the importance of honoring those who fought for this country, said John Gowans, a member of the Honor Guard.

"We wouldn't have any holidays without veterans. It just doesn't make sense," he said.
Recognizing Veterans Day is an American tradition that goes back nearly 90 years.

"I really wish they wouldn't do that," said Korean War veteran Tony Cossu. "It has always been a tradition and I would prefer to keep it at that."

Columbus Day commemorates the Italian Christopher Columbus, who has been credited by some to have discovered the Americas. Italian-Americans view this holiday as an opportunity to celebrate their heritage.

"I find it a bit disturbing that they would want to get rid of this holiday especially because of the great history it has behind it, " said Tony DeVita, a member of the St. Lawrence Society, an Italian-American Club in Cos Cob. ......

....."Considering all of the holidays that we do celebrate in this town, it is inconceivable to me why they would take away one as important as this. Italians helped build this country and this town should have a day to celebrate that," said Jim Caparelle, St. Lawrence Society Treasurer.......

Americans rush plans for Obama inauguration

Stamford congregation makes plans to attend historic ceremony

By Gillian Gaynairand
Brett Zongker
The Associated Press
Posted: 11/24/2008 09:34:32 AM EST

WASHINGTON - Pattie Brew, daughter of a North Carolina sharecropper, had let almost a century go by without casting a vote for president or joining the inaugural crowds only three miles (5 kilometers) from her home in the U.S. capital.

"I never had no interest in it because my vote don't matter anyway, so I never even took the time to fool with it," said the 97-year-old woman known as Mother Brew. "I knew white people had the right of way here, you know."......

Balloons are the rage in Stamford
STAMFORD - Spec tators' eyes widened and their shouts grew louder as the 75-foot Billy Blazes balloon approached a traffic light.

US gov't unveils bold plan to rescue Citigroup

By Jeannine Aversa
The Associated Press
Posted: 11/24/2008 07:06:39 AM EST

WASHINGTON - Rushing to rescue Citigroup, the U.S. government agreed to shoulder hundreds of billions of possible losses at the stricken bank and to plow a fresh $20 billion into the company.

Regulators hope the dramatic action will bolster badly shaken confidence in the once mighty banking giant as well as the nation's financial system, a goal that so far has been elusive despite a flurry of government interventions to battle the worst global crisis since the 1930s.....

Goals set in search for new Greenwich schools chief
The Board of Education has set a series of interim deadlines in its search for its next superintendent in hopes that a new schools chief will be ready by July 1.

The board's search committee has just over seven months to undertake a slew of tasks, from hiring a search firm and consulting the public on desired traits in a schools chief, to recruiting candidates, conducting interviews and making a final selection.

The search committee last Wednesday began soliciting bids online from independent consultants that specialize in identifying and recruiting superintendents. The board is asking candidates to submit proposals by Dec. 5 to allow members to interview and select a consultant by Dec. 12.

Once that's done, the board and the consultant will seek input from community members on what qualities they want in a superintendent, according to board member Steven Anderson, who chairs the search committee.....

COMMENT:

The School Board Just Needs To Find A Superintendent That Is Willing To Fire Failed School Administrators Like The Greenwich High School Headmaster Alan Capasso And Assistant Superintendent Susan Wallerstein.

Obama begins to set economic course

By Beth Fouhy
The Associated Press
Posted: 11/24/2008 08:03:52 AM EST

CHICAGO - Eager to calm economic anxieties, President-elect Barack Obama is rolling out an economic vision that will require congressional cooperation even before he settles into his new desk in the White House's Oval Office.

Obama will introduce his new economic leadership team Monday, a key step toward enacting a huge new economic recovery plan that aims to save or create 2.5 million jobs over the next two years.

The plan is likely to far exceed the $175 billion Obama proposed during the campaign. It would include an infusion of money for infrastructure projects, new environmental technologies and tax cuts for low- and middle-income taxpayers. It will not call for tax hikes for the wealthy......

Town closes beach roads to cars on Sunday mornings
Having witnessed a cyclist get hit by a car at Greenwich Point and countless more vehicles whizzing through the narrow street that loops around the beach, Old Greenwich resident Bernadette Mazzella looks forward to the Sundays when the town closes it off to vehicles.

GYFL crowns three champions
The North Mianus Bulldogs captured the Greenwich Youth Football League Bantams championship in convincing fashion Sunday, defeating the Putnam Generals 38-13.

'Tiffany's' marks 50th anniversary
What's a call girl to do? A half-century before Ashley Dupre became New York's -- if not America's -- prostitute of fascination, there was Holly Golightly, the protagonist in Truman Capote's "Breakfast at Tiffany's.

PLEASE NOTE:

The Greenwich Time Webmaster Has Once Again Failed To Get Today's Editorial And Letter To The Greenwich Time Editor Posted Online.

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11/24/08 READER SUBMITTED COMMENTS: X Employee #2

Greenwich Roundup,
I'm not the X Advocate worker who wrote in before. I think there are 3 of us. But I agree with them. Working for Joe Pisani was very hard. Joe is a nasty guy with some serious issues. He was one of a bunch of editors. He was the senior editor. The others were much more easy going and fun to be around. He was a punk in my opinion. If I saw him on the street today, I'd say it to his face. He fired me for no reason.
The lady writers who hang all over him-Joy, she worked hard and did more editing than Joe did. She was ok, needed to hear Joe tell her how great she was doing like the rest of them needed too. Susie Costegri was a big question mark. She was around EVEN before Joe hired her because she worked upstairs for a magazine. I don't know why she was hired because she can't write and to me, I don't think she even wanted to work. She just sort of hung around, creating a less professional work environment. I think she was Joe's assistant-coffee runner-little project organizer-little ass kisser. That's about all I'll say.

I think half the paper printed EVERY DAY without Joe even seeing it. So, he was never taking blame for a thing. He was hyper focused on stupid subjects only.

He is aSOB who thinks the world revolves around him. He has a temper too. But when I see the name Pisani- I just think little !#$%^& PUNK. One day he can kiss my ass.

Glad to be gone

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11/23/08 READER SUBMITTED COMMENTS: Mr. Robben's itty bitty view

John Ferris Robben

Editor Greenwich Roundup:

Maybe Ex Greenwich Time Photographer John Ferris Robben should stop playing amature pet photographer and start doing his job!!! In order to EDIT NEWS, he might want to try FINDING NEWS . Then he might want to SKIP NEWS which is already printed here, there, and everywhere bcause by the time he prints it, its OLD NEWS. Somehow, LAST WEEKS NEWS, doesn't have the draw that TODAY'S NEWS does.

Mr. Robben, the secret of a successful newspaper is the same as a successful web site. It is NEWSSSSSS.

NOT SOME NEWS half true, or MOSTLY NEWS FROM OTHER TOWNS. Ignore the old expression, "NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS," bc it doesn't apply to the press.

And finally, why don't you form a Greenwich Photography Club.

Maybe take photos of EVERYTHING you and your incompetent staff fail to report on. Maybe capture some news in pictures for people who can't read, or who don't understand English, or for our Pre School aged Greenwich Children.

You getting any of this?

Maybe buy a decent camera too. And unglue your eye from the lens-you are missing the big picture, sir.

Bill D.
Riverside

PLEASE SEE:

11/22/08 Chris Fountain Is Kicking John Ferris Robben's Rear End All Over The Place -- Or -- Boring Ex-Greenwich Time Photographer Gets No Web Traffic

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11/23/08 Greenwich Time News Links For Sunday

Nativity sets on display

There's no one way to tell a good story. Just take it from Christ Church members Marijane Marks and Kay Langan.

Greenwich residents loaned their cr ches to Christ Church, 254 E. Putnam Ave., for the new exhibit, titled "Follow the Star," which drew an estimated 500 people Thursday through Saturday at the church's parish hall. Money from ticket sales will benefit the parish gift shop.
Ecumenical collectibles on display over the weekend hailed from five continents and dozens of countries, including Mexico, China, France, Germany, Italy and Israel, said Marks, co-manager of the gift shop who helped organized the three-day show.

"It really provides you with a study in cross-cultural anthropology," said Langan, a fellow parishioner and co-organizer. "You get to see how different cultures personalized the (nativity) scene and made it relevant to their own lives, in their own way."

Town merchants try to entice consumers to shop locally
Sonia Malloy has added baby clothes. Joe Flynn has offered free delivery for orders made before Dec. 1 and Elizabeth Hoffman has mailed her loyal customers a $50 gift card.

Facing a critical holiday shopping season, Greenwich merchants are doing everything they can think of to lure customers into their stores.

"Take everything you knew and throw it out the window in this economy," said Joe Flynn of Patsy Crucitti & Sons Inc. Florist and Greenhouses at 1381 E. Putnam Ave., which has suffered low everyday sales since last year.

Like it or loathe it, the holidays mean spending money. Local retailers rely on holiday sales for as much as 40 percent of their annual revenue, great in a good year and terrible in a bad one like 2008 is expected to be.

So Flynn is hoping to defy predictions through innovative sales practices and good-old-fashioned customer service, targeting niche markets such as houses of worship with a relatively inexpensive flyer campaign, offering discounts on new products and promising free delivery for early orders.

"I just thought I'd offer people some incentives," he said. "Ideas are cheap. You gotta put it in motion."

Sonia Malloy of Splurge, a new gift boutique closer to Greenwich Avenue at 19 E. Putnam Ave., has done the same.

"I'm very cognizant of price-point value," she said. Most of her holiday advertising reads, "Many gifts under $50."

Malloy has added baby gifts to her selection -always a happy purchase, she said - and.......

Political influence may

With the epilogue already starting to be written on the Bush presidency, Greenwich, the town with a storied Republican tradition and close familial ties to the current White House occupants, finds itself starting a new chapter of its own.

But will the town continue to be a player in national politics under a Barack Obama administration?

Are Greenwich's days as fundraising mecca numbered?

Despite losing its pipeline to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. through its Bush family connections and the waning GOP influence in the Northeast, several top local Republicans and Democrats agreed that Greenwich will continue to be heard.

"I think, first of all, money is the mother's milk of politics. I think Greenwich will always have influence," said Ned Lamont, a member of the Obama campaign's national finance committee from town who garnered national recognition two summers ago with his upset of Joe Lieberman in Connecticut's Democratic Senate primary.

Others acknowledged that the changing political landscape might not favor Greenwich, however, including L. Scott Frantz, a top GOP fundraiser from Riverside who produced one of the few bright moments for Republicans in this past election with his resounding victory over Stamford Democrat Mark Diamond in the state's 36th District Senate race.

"My guess is (the town's political influence) will be significantly less after the new president takes office, but I do see that as temporary," Frantz said. "Although the voters have spoken......

Town briefs'

'On Stage Family Day' at Bruce Museum

The Bruce Museum presents "On Stage Family Day" from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. today at the Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Drive.

Family activities take place all afternoon with a special musical performance at 3 p.m. by the Connecticut Opera Express, which will present "The Three Little Pigs." All activities are suitable for people of all abilities, ages 5 and up, and are free with museum admission.
Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and students and free for children under 5 and members.

For more information, call the museum at 869-0376 or visit www.brucemuseum.org.

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Thanksgiving feast at Boys & Girls Club

The Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich will host its annual Thanksgiving feast for children in the club's after-school program at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Club Game Room, 4 Horseneck Lane.

These 300 children will dine on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables, rolls and pies. Serving the children that day will be club board members and staff, local dignitaries and school principals.

For more information, contact Don Palmer at 869-3224, ext. 102, or dpalmer@bgcg.org.

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St. Catherine church offers interfaith service

The public is invited to the annual Interfaith Communal Thanksgiving Service at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 4 Riverside Ave.

Attendees are asked to bring non-perishable food items that will be donated to Neighbor to Neighbor.

For more information, call Rabbi Mitchell M. Hurvitz at 542-7150 or e-mail rabbimitch@templesholom.com.

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SPLURGE hosts food drive through Nov. 30

SPLURGE Unique Gifts, Home DŽcor and Jewelry, 19A East Putnam Ave., is collecting canned and dry food donations through Nov. 30 to support Neighbor to Neighbor in Greenwich.

The following foods are requested: dried and canned beans, boxed milk, canned fruits and vegetables, cereal, 100 percent fruit juice, and peanut butter and jelly. Donors may pick up a shopping bag and list of requested items at SPLURGE, which will offer 10 percent off purchases made by a donor on the day of their donation.

Neighbor to Neighbor provides free food to families in Greenwich and receives no government assistance.

SPLURGE is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

For more information, call Sonia Sotire Malloy at 869-7600.

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Holiday morning swim
at Boys & Girls Club

The Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, 4 Horseneck Lane, will hold a Thanksgiving-morning swim from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Thursday.

For more information, call Bob DeAngelo or Don Palmer at 869-3224.

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United Way legislative breakfast set for Dec. 9

The United Way of Greenwich Community Planning Council will host its annual Legislative Breakfast from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Dec. 9 in the first-floor Cone Room at Town Hall, 101 Field Point Road.

Sign-in is at 7:45 a.m.

For more information or to RSVP, call 869-2221 or e-mail csmit@unitedway-greenwich.com.

Schools may slash holidays
The Veterans Day and Columbus Day holidays could become mandatory school days for Greenwich public school students under a proposal being considered by the Board of Education.

School officials are asking the board to revise the school calendar so that classes are held on one or both of the national holidays starting in the 2010-11 school year in hopes of minimizing what they call routine disruptions to the learning process.

Those two months are "so filled with holidays, it is disruptive to teachers," said the district's director of human resources, Ellen Flanagan, adding that teachers often must contend with a three-day week followed by a four-day week.

The reasons: Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, which the state requires school districts to reserve as holidays, often fall in October and November. Thanksgiving knocks another two days off the calendar in late November, already a shorter month at 30 days, Flanagan noted.

Schools are typically closed for Election Day in early November, when many of the campuses are used as polling places. In addition, district officials usually schedule two staff development days in those two months.

By eliminating the Columbus and Veterans day holidays, school officials would create a more front-loaded calendar that would provide more flexibility for scheduling make-up snow days in the summer, said Cathy Delehanty, president of the Greenwich Education Association.Connecticut school districts are required to make up those days .......

Electric bicycles cruise into town

Move over, hybrid cars. Electric bicycles may soon gain momentum as the next big thing in eco-friendly travel.

Greenwich water polo teams enjoy success at Speedo Cup
The Greenwich middle school water polo teams found success at the 2008 Speedo Cup earlier this month at the University of Michigan

ANOTHER "LOCAL" HARD HITTING EDITORIAL FROM THE GREENWICH TIME EDITORS: Encouraging sign: state exports

There's a small ray of economic sunshine peeking through the fiscal gloom that now shrouds Connecticut.

Amid a rapidly increasing number of housing foreclosures, rising unemployment and declining revenues on the state and local levels, Connecticut's export economy continues to grow.
In fact, new data from the World Institute for Strategic Economic Research at Holyoke Community College indicate that Connecticut's exports abroad increased by 12.6 percent in September from one year ago for the same month.

That increase falls in line with a similar report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston that shows Connecticut exports up 12.2 percent for the second quarter of this year.

Connecticut is the second-largest exporting state in New England, surpassed only by Massachusetts.

These latest increases in exports are part of a trend that began earlier this decade for Connecticut, which annually has posted growth in exports, chiefly to Canada, Mexico and several Western European countries including France, Germany and the United Kingdom. ...... Blah ...... Blah ..... Blah ...... Blah ....... Blah ,,,,,,,,

Firing someone has never been easy

Massive firings in the staggering business and banking fields have reached tragic proportions, and the worst part is that it probably isn't anywhere near over.

While our sympathy, naturally, is with the victims, I also think of the burden put on the bosses who have to give the employees the heart-breaking news. Only a sadist could relish that task.
I first encountered the challenge while working as deputy director of the Foreign Operations Administration's information section during the Eisenhower administration.

When an order to cut staff came out, I heard for the first time the dread acronym RIF, which stood for reduction in force. It was a word that sent cold shivers through the ranks of the old-time civil service staffers.

It came down to my office to eliminate one position. Under the rules, this would be the last entry on the staff, a gent with limited but passable qualifications. But he was a decent fellow, married with two kids. I really couldn't bring myself to swing the ax.

Finally, I consulted the civil service rep in my department and asked her what, if anything, I could do. The tough old bureaucrat, who had been quite hostile when I first joined up as a political appointee, said she would handle it if I wish. I wished.

A few days later she sauntered into my office and announced it was taken care of. Sign the separation papers, she advised. I looked perplexed. She smiled. "I got him transferred to Commerce," she said in a matter-of-fact manner.

I realized this maneuver hardly fulfilled the mandate to reduce staff, but I confess I was relieved with the rescue. I also realized it proved, which I'd always suspected, I'd never really make a good executive.

COMMENT;

It is clear that Mr. Yudoan And Mr. Pisani never really made a good executives.

That is why the Greenwich Time was such a poor preforming product over the years.

When Ex-Greenwich Time Editor Joe Pisani And A Few Of His Sidekicks Were Fired Last May The Greenwich Time's Online Traffic And Ciculation Shot Up 22%.

In Fact, "Our Greenwich" The Team Blog Staffed By Ex-Low Performing Media Types Is One Of The Poorest Perfrming Blogs In Greenwich.

There Are 13 Year Old Girls In Greenwich Who Have My Space Pages That Get More Readers And Web Traffic Than Ex-Greenwich Time Editor Joe Pisani.

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11/23/08 READER SUBMITTED COMMENTS: Web visitors

Brian - I may have to ditch that damn web counter. Sitemeter doesn't work on Wordpress despite what they say and I had to discontinue it - it was showing, (with URL addresses to prove it) an average of 550 unique visitors a day, 1400 page views. Wordpress's own stats, available to me as administrator, only counts page views but is showing the same 1500-1600 daily page views, so what gives with "global Search"? I don't know.

Anyway, this link in today's NYT won't hurt.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/nyregion/connecticut/23towns.html?_r=2&ref=nyregion

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

PLEASE SEE:

11/22/08 Chris Fountain Is Kicking John Ferris Robben's Rear End All Over The Place -- Or -- Boring Ex-Greenwich Time Photographer Gets No Web Traffic

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11/22/08 Today's Hot Investment Tips Via Greenwich Roundup

Hot stock tip: Invest in green ink!

Here's Another Tip:


REIT Insiders Buy Shares Despite Market Turmoil


Hotels

Janet Morrissey

If actions speak louder than words, then the stock-buying activity of certain real estate investment trust executives may be sending a message that certain REITs have been oversold.....



... anytime you see insider buying, when they're not just exercising options,'' said Lou Taylor, an analyst in the Greenwich, Conn., office of Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. of New York. ``There are some incredibly cheap stocks, which have covered ...

.....Angela Thomson, a certified financial planner and principal at Coastal Financial Planning Inc. in Lincoln, R.I., is cautious about REITs despite the insider-buying activity.

``At this point, with my clients, it doesn't make a difference to me,'' she said. ``You don't know that management isn't making a mistake.''

Still, Ms. Thomson said that the insider buying at Public Storage, a self-storage REIT in Glendale, Calif., is the exception. ``People are still moving out of their houses fast and furious because of foreclosures, so I would say Public Storage would probably be a good [buying] opportunity right now,'' she said.

E-mail Janet Morrissey at jmorrissey@investmentnews.com



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11/22/08 And Now A Business Report From Greenwich Roundup's South African Office

Worse than corrupt, they were stupid

Business Day

BY TONY LEON

Washington DC (or the northwestern section of it, at any rate) is not the place to find it. It is virtually recession-proof, given the high numbers around here who work for government or are involved in lobbying it.....

.....But Greenwich, Connecticut seemed to be a better place to take the weakening pulse of the wealth creators (and latterly destroyers) of the American and world financial markets. One of the wealthiest enclaves in the US, it headquarters the major hedge fund companies and financial service corporations, and is home to some of America’s richest people.

Last Saturday, we approached this gleaming citadel of American capitalism . A friend pointed out two imposing and shiny structures that house UBS Investment Bank’s American trading operations — which boasts the largest trading floor in the world — and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).

Both stand today as monuments to the subprime crisis which has caused them to write down, and write off, tens of billions of dollars of dodgy mortgages and credit default swaps.

RBS has become a state-owned asset of Gordon Brown, and UBS’s fate is even worse: last week a US federal grand jury indicted its head of global wealth management on a slew of charges relating to tax evasion .

Our walk along the main street of Greenwich was even more instructive of what Paul Krugman, winner of this year’s Nobel Prize for Economics, recently termed “the long-feared capitulation of American consumers”.

On this crisp autumnal morning, there were hardly any shoppers around in the chic boutiques and luxury store fronts. We were the only visitors at a luggage store. The shop assistant said the dearth of customers was “soul- destroying”. Greenwich might be the high end of American retail, but the desertion of its stores is now reflected across the board.....

.....The marvel of the US economy is that 60% of its citizens own shares , from Warren Buffett to Joe Six-Pack. But it is now demonstrating the defects of this quality: like its wealth, the misery is now spread about, by no means equally.

“The sage of Nebraska”, as Buffett, America’s wealthiest man, is known, has suffered paper losses of $15,9bn due to the stock market plunge. But he’s still worth an estimated $45,8bn. For most Americans, however, the cushion is far less stuffed and their prosperity far more imperilled.

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11/22/08 Greenwich Art Lover Cheated Out Of More Than $120,000

Dealer's Art of the 'Steal'

New York Post

By BRUCE GOLDING

A Manhattan art dealer was busted in Florida yesterday for peddling bogus paintings he claimed were the works of famed artists including Henri Matisse, Alexander Calder and Marc Chagall, authorities said.

Giuseppe Concepcion - a dealer at the Park Avenue Armory Art Show who is based in Miami - allegedly employed forgers to copy the originals and then peddled the fakes to unsuspecting customers between 2005 and 2007, according to court papers.

In one case, Concepcion, who is charged with wire fraud, allegedly pawned a rip-off of a 1969 Calder oil "Red Swirl" to a victim from Greenwich, Conn., for $120,000. That was one of 15 forged works the victim bought from Concepcion, according to the complaint.

Defense lawyer Mark Heller said the art works passed through the hands of multiple dealers, and that the feds were using his client as a "scapegoat."

MORE INFORMATION:

Galley owner peddled forgeries, DA sez

New York Daily News

BY THOMAS ZAMBITO

A New York art gallery owner was nabbed Friday for commissioning dozens of knockoffs of Matisse, Calder and others that he passed off as the real thing.

Giuseppe Concepcion was arrested in Florida on charges of trafficking in phony artwork and scheming to dupe clients, Manhattan federal prosecutors say.

Concepcion owns the Proarte galleries in New York and Miami.
The feds say Concepcion purchased authentic works of art by Henri Matisse, Alexander Calder, Tom Wesselman and then commissioned forgeries he sold to victims, complete with bogus documents verifying their authenticity.

In August 2005, Concepcion sold a 1969 oil painting by Calder to a Greenwich, Conn., man who gave Concepcion his 2004 Bentley as partial payment for the $180,000 price tag, FBI Special Agent James Wynne said in legal papers filed yesterday in Manhattan Federal Court.

Experts at the Calder Foundation determined that painting, and 14 others the Connecticut man bought, were fakes, Wynne said.

In November 2006, Concepcion sold a $125,000 knockoff Chagall watercolor titled "Fleurs Rouges Et Bleues," the feds say. The New York-based Comite Chagall determined the painting and its certificate of authenticity were fakes.
tzambito@nydailynews.com

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