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Tuesday, May 13, 2008

05/13/08 - Thank God That These Kids Are In Lancaster Pennsylvania And Not Greenwich High School

myspace.com/murderingreenwich

This Satanically Inspired Group Would Love To Perform For Your Kids At The

Proposed

25 Million Dollar

Greenwich High School Auditorium

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

Murder In Greenwich @ Myspace

You might want to take young children and Old Ladies out of the room before you click on this demon inspired link...

www.myspace.com/murderingreenwich

By HanÐ.OF.BLoΘd ®

No Wonder Parents Are Advised To Monitor Young Teenagers Who Surf Social Networking Sites Like Myspace

Murder In Greenwich Has 4,313 "Friends"

Maybe On Of Them Might Be Your Middle School Aged Child

When A Greenwich Child Goes On Myspace And Searches For "Greenwich", There Is Probably A Pretty Good Chance She Will Find "Murder In Greenwich" In Her Search Results


Please send your comments to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

05/13/08 - The Raw Greenwich News Feed For Tuesday (Update #4)


The Three Minute Greenwich News Brief

============
Today's Top Story
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TOWN OF GREENWICH BUDGET ADOPTED BY REPRESENTATIVE TOWN MEETING

162 Yes Votes - 4 No Votes
5 Members Abstained From Voting


RTM NOTES - Betty Sternberg And Her Failed School Administrators Get A $975,000 Bailout

RTM NOTES - Condemnation Commission Asks The RTM To Reduce It's Budget From $25,000 To $2,500

RTM NOTES - Joan Caldwell Seeks To Put GHS Auditorium On The Pay As You Go Plan

RTM NOTES - Dr. Carl Carlson (District 1) Proposes Cutting $100,000 For The Line Item For Failed School Administrators

RTM NOTES - Greenwich's Youngest Legisllator Is Repeatedly Singled Out By Those Who Claim To Support The Talents Of Our Youth

05/13/08 - RTM NOTES - Lawyers From Robinson Cole Brings RTM Meeting To A Grinding Halt After Mary Ferry Proposes To Reduce Bond Amount

RTM NOTES - Traffic Lights Taken Out Of The Buget For The Second Year In A Row

Next the Town Services Committee Will Be Asking About The Scores Of Free Newspapers Passed By Town Employees Using A Hand Truck


ALSO THE COMPLETE RTM MEETING MAY VIEWED OVER THE INTERNET AT:

http://gctv.greenwich.org/2008/RTM

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THE RAW FEED
===========



  1. Greenwich Tech News - Yawn - Overpriced Apple Is Comming To Overpriced Greenwich Avenue

    The Closed Clearview Cinema At 356 Greenwich Avenue To Become Overpriced Apple Store ... "You would think they would be proud of the fact and advertise," Town Planner Diane Fox said. "It's very strange."...
  2. US dollar may extend gains

    The Age

    ... trades should receive a moderate boost,'' wrote Alan Ruskin, head of international currency strategy at RBS Greenwich Capital Markets in Greenwich, Connecticut, in a research note to clients. ''With the fiscal stimulus coming, there is a sense that ...

  3. Amaranth HF Mgr To Start Hedge Fund

    Institutional Investor

    ... investors. ''I welcome the opportunity to speak with you personally about my new venture.'' Maounis plans to open Greenwich, Connecticut-based Verition Fund Management later this year with more than $200 million, according to two former investors ...


  4. It's a Manse World

    Fairfield Weekly

    In this envelope: lots of wasted taxpayer dollars In an effort to overturn a state Freedom of Information Commission ruling, Greenwich is appealing a 2006 decision that not only found the town was in violation ...


  5. Author Jeanine Behr Getz and Her Company Kids Think Big LLC Have an...

    PRWeb

    Will Think Green! start a publishing trend? "Think Green!" is the 1st colorfully illustrated children's book to have it's own eco-audit! Greenwich, CT -- Celebrate Earth Day everyday! "Our youngest ...


  6. AllGreenWedding: Online Gift Registry For Eco Crazies [The Startup Review]

    Mashable

    ... carbon footprint as low as possible. Created by the makers of Felicite , an all-in-one gift registry site based in Greenwich, Connecticut, All Green Wedding, like other similar destinations on the Web, is a simple construction. It even has a near ...

  7. Greenwich Bussiness Wire For Tuesday

    Ted Fisher, creator of 'Best in Town,' a listing of Greenwich businesses...

    ... "Best in Town will be comparable to a combination of the Zagat Guide, the Yellow Pages, the Robb Report and the United Way," Ted Fisher said, adding that the Web site and annual reference guide are being developed...

    ...Greenwich resident Ted Fisher has set aside his needle and thread, the tools of his previous trade as a custom clothier, to develop "Best in Town," a listing of highly regarded businesses covering more than 200 categories...

  8. Heard it Through The Grapevine - Local Newspaper Maybe Living On Borrowed Time

    The Money Losing And Subscriber Losing Greenwich Time May Became A Local News Bureau Of A Bridgeport News Paper.

    ... On July 14, 2006, San Francisco businessman and real estate investor Clint Reilly filed a lawsuit against Hearst Corp. (owner of the San Francisco Chronicle) and Media News Group (owner of the San Jose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, Martin Independent Journal, Oakland Tribune and all other paid-circulation dailies in the Bay Area), alleging that the two companies have been conspiring to control advertising rates, a violation of antitrust laws...

  9. Home Prices Decline in Two-Thirds of U.S. Cities as Foreclosures Increase

    Bloomberg

    ... the price declines that have already taken place,'' said Michael Darda, chief economist at MKM Partners in Greenwich, Connecticut. Homeowners who live near a house repossessed by a lender will see their property values drop an average of $5,000, ...

  10. Forget Roaming Charges, Call in Europe Officially Launches its UK...

    Canada NewsWire

    GREENWICH, Conn. /CNW/ -- Call in Europe, the first of its kind mobile service offering competitive cellular rates and premier customer service support to international business and leisure travelers, ...

  11. Dems nominate 5 for House races

    Connecticut Post

    ... nod to run again. In the 4th Congressional District in southwestern Connecticut, Democrats nominated Jim Himes of Greenwich to run against Republican incumbent Chris Shays. On Sunday, Republicans nominated former Naval Submarine Base commander Sean ...

  12. Genesee & Wyoming traffic rises 2 percent in April

    Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen

    GREENWICH, Conn. - Regional freight railroad operator Genesee & Wyoming Inc. said Tuesday traffic rose 2 percent in April, mostly due to higher coal volume in Illinois.

  13. Tory Burch and Lyor Cohen Have More in Common Than the Letter Y

    New York Magazine

    ... for girlfriend Lauren Bush's hand in marriage, got some girl's phone number at his sister's birthday party at a Greenwich, Connecticut, eatery. In his autobiography William Shatner talks about all the women he slept with who had Captain Kirk sexual ...

  14. Art Stolen By Nazis Shown In Greenwich

    Hartford Courant

    ... the Nazis and the successful fight by his heirs to win back the paintings. The exhibition at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich , "Reclaimed: Paintings from the Collection of Jacques Goudstikker," features about 40 of the finest paintings from his ...

  15. It's Shays vs. Himes

    Westport Now

    The Democratic Party tonight endorsed Jim Himes of Greenwich to face incumbent Republican Christopher Shays for the 4th Congressional District seat in November's election.

  16. Pics from the 2008 Democratic 4th District Nominating Convention

    My Left Nutmeg

    ... Former Chair of the Democratic Party of Connecticut (and former secret crush - shhhhh! while we were classmates at Greenwich High). George provided the election of Permanent Chair during the ceremony. Emma and Linley Himes, who led the Pledge of ...

  17. Texas Two-Time

    New York Post

    WHILE model Lauren Bush , 23, was at cousin Jenna Bush 's wedding in Crawford, Texas, Lauren's boyfriend, David Lau ren , was collecting numbers in Greenwich, Conn.

  18. Mill's power going green

    The Cincinnati Enquirer

    ... value to our product line,' he said. Needham said Smart's owner, privately held Plainfield Asset Management, a Greenwich, Conn., hedge fund that acquired the 115-year-old papermaker out of bankruptcy, is financing the investment. The biomass fuel ...

  19. Wiki Weirdness & WV's Winged Wonder

    Cryptomundo

    ... Prophecies' five years later." Of course, the book published in 1970 was Strange Creatures From Time and Space (Greenwich, CT: Fawcett), which was based on material Keel had previously published in "West Virginia's Enigmatic 'Bird'," Flying Saucer ...

  20. Democrats Pick Candidates

    Hartford Courant

    ... to run again. In the 4th Congressional District in southwestern Connecticut, Democrats nominated Jim Himes of Greenwich to run against Republican incumbent Chris Shays. On Sunday, Republicans nominated former Naval Submarine Base commander Sean ...

  21. Twitter Journalism

    Rebuilding Media

    ... Communications, and meanwhile is managing partner of the media consulting firm of Digital Deliverance LLC in Greenwich, Connecticut. Two forces have shattered the news media. Technology is the first. Although media technology is undergoing its ...

  22. Informatica to buy identity resolution software maker for $85 million

    TechTarget

    ... period last year. Informatica shares were up 2.41%, to $16.56, as of 10 a.m. EST today. With headquarters in Old Greenwich, Conn., Identity Systems was acquired by Nokia in 2006 and has more than 500 customers, including GE Capital, British Telecom ...

  23. Options Abound

    Pensions & Investments

    ... own algorithms into our trading system," William McGowan, managing director at Interactive Brokers Group Inc., a Greenwich, Conn., firm that specializes in options, said in an interview. "Traditional (investors) ... may not want to put options

==========================
News Links From The Greenwich Post
==========================


Neonatal families come out for casino benefit

Fifty “graduates” of Greenwich Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) will gather for a reunion to kick off festivities for Monte Carlo Casino Night on Friday, July 11, at the Coveleigh Club in Rye, N.Y., to benefit neonatal services at the hospital.

At Home seminar focuses on senior living

“At Home Services for Seniors,” a free seminar sponsored and conducted by Family and Children’s Agency’s (FCA) HomeCare Plus and Lifeline Connecticut programs, will take place on Tuesday, May 20, at 10:30 a.m. at the Cos Cob Library, 5 Sinawoy Road.

Experience the Sound and learn more about Greenwich

The Shellfish Commission is working on sending a message to Greenwich residents — there are outdoor activities in Greenwich other than shopping on the avenue or participating in organized sports.

Police Watch: The following are today's released reports

DISORDERLY

A 44-year-old Greenwich man was arrested May 10 and charged with disorderly conduct. Police responded to a reported domestic incident and said the man was heard yelling profanities from inside. Police entered the house and spoke to the victim, who said the man broke several cups after an argument and spilled cooking oil in the kitchen. Police said officers saw broken cups in the kitchen and in the hall leading to the front door, and that the man admitted to breaking the items and causing the disarray. The man was held in lieu of a $1,000 cash bond and was due in court May 12.

LARCENY

Lester Quinteros, 19, and Mariana Quinteros, 22, of Stamford were arrested May 10 and charged with third degree trespass, sixth degree larceny and conspiracy. Lester was also charged with possession of burglary tools. According to police, an officer was checking the Connecticut Light and Power storage lot on Railroad Avenue after reports of someone stealing copper wire and saw Lester Quinteros inside the locked, secured and fenced-in storage area used for CL&P supplies. Police said he took cable, ran and dove into a three-foot cement cylinder within the fenced in area to elude police. After he was captured, police found Mariana Quinteros, his sister, with him. Both subjects were released on $500 cash bonds and are due in court May 19.

NO LICENSE

Miguel Gallegos, 36, and Juan Gallegos, 22, of Stamford were arrested May 11 and charged with misuse of license, not having an operator’s license and not having registration or insurance. Both men reportedly traveled to Horseneck Lane to assist a friend whose car had broken down. Police went to scene and found the men didn’t have their proper DMV paperwork. They were held in lieu of $1,000 cash bonds and due in court May 12.


Greenwich Time RSS Feed



Is the Avenue the Apple of Steve Jobs' eye?

A mystery is brewing in town over the possible opening of an Apple store on Greenwich Avenue. The computer maker, which operates three retail Apple stores in the state, appears to be looking at a possible fourth one at 356 Greenwich Ave.
Full Story

A small but powerful pro-Israel lobby in Washington ensures the United States props up the state of Israel with enormous amounts of aid and refrains from any rational criticism of Israel's policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a Harvard political scientist said last night. Full Story

Freebies for town employees get the once-over by officials

Supplying town employees with free coffee and bottled water in the workplace costs Greenwich taxpayers about $46,000 yearly - more than just beans for some in elected office.
Full Story

After parking her sport utility vehicle, Vicky Newman arrived at the field to join a group of mothers for the first big soccer practice of the year.
Full Story


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05/13/08 - Greenwich Tech News - Yawn - Overpriced Apple Is Comming To Overpriced Greenwich Avenue


The Closed Clearview Cinema At 356 Greenwich Avenue To Become Overpriced Apple Store.

Quote:

"You would think they would be proud of the fact and advertise," Town Planner Diane Fox said. "It's very strange."

Headline:

Apple Fan Boys Are Going To Have A Place To Hang Out (At Least They Now Have Intel Chips)

What Greenwich Really Needs Is A Linux Users Group (LUG) With Lots Of Beer And Pizza

Story:

Proposal looks like an Apple store, but no one's talking
Stamford Advocate

By Hoa Nguyen

GREENWICH - A mystery is brewing in town over the possible opening of an Apple store on Greenwich Avenue. The computer maker, which operates ...


If you are rabid Steve Jobs loving "Apple Fan Boy" please don't send your comments to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

05/13/08 - Greenwich Bussiness Wire For Tuesday


Ted Fisher, creator of 'Best in Town,' a listing of Greenwich businesses, stands yesterday on Greenwich Avenue.
(Dru Nadler/Stamford Advocate Photo
)

Quote:

"Best in Town will be comparable to a combination of the Zagat Guide, the Yellow Pages, the Robb Report and the United Way," Ted Fisher said, adding that the Web site and annual reference guide are being developed.

Headline:

Greenwich resident Ted Fisher has set aside his needle and thread, the tools of his previous trade as a custom clothier, to develop "Best in Town," a listing of highly regarded businesses covering more than 200 categories.

Story:

Former clothier launches listing
Stamford Advocate

By Richard Lee

Ted Fisher, creator of 'Best in Town,' a listing of Greenwich businesses, stands yesterday on Greenwich Avenue. ...


Please send your comments to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com

05/13/08 - Heard it Through The Grapevine - Local Newspaper Maybe Living On Borrowed Time


The Money Losing And Subscriber Losing Greenwich Time May Became A Local News Bureau Of A Bridgeport News Paper.

The Greenwich Time which used to share an editor and publisher with The Advocate papers in Stamford and Norwalk.

As many Greenwich Roundup Reader's know both papers are now owned by Hearst Corporation and operated through a joint venture by MediaNewsGroup.

MediaNews Group is known as a cost-cutter in the newspaper publishing industry. The company has a reputation for buying smaller daily newspapers in a single area (examples include Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area) and consolidating their operations, including sharing staff writers and printing facilities.

Some former employees of MediaNews Group say that the newspapers are focused on making a profit to the detriment of good journalism.

Hearst is already printing The Stamford Advocate, The Norwalk Advocate and the The Greenwich Time at the Connecticut Post plant in Bridgeport.

The Conneticut Post is owned by MediaNews, which manages The Stamford Advocate, The Norwalk Advocate, and the GreenwichTime for Hearst, taking 60 percent of net income from the papers.

Rumors are being circulated that MediaNews is considering consolidating the Fairfield County Newspapers under one brand or masthead.

Just like how Newsday is the daily newspaper of Long Island.

Many say that MediaNews is going to follow the Model that Gannet used in Westchester county to create the regional Journal News

Almost Everyone In Westchester County Were Saddened When The Following Local Daily Newspapers were merged to create The Journal News:

  • The Daily Times (Mamaroneck)
  • The Daily Argus (Mount Vernon)
  • The Standard-Star (New Rochelle)
  • The Citizen Register (Ossining)
  • The Star (Peekskill)
  • The Daily Item (Port Chester)
  • The Daily News (Tarrytown)
  • Rockland Journal-News (West Nyack)
  • The Reporter Dispatch (White Plains)
  • The Herald Statesman (Yonkers)
  • The Patent Trader (Mount Kisco)
Maybe this expanded Bridgeport news powerhouse will completely follow the The Journal News model and start publishing five or so free community weekly "Express" newspapers which currently serve Northern Westchester, Putnam, Yorktown/Cortlandt, Sound Shore and White Plains.

Soon our mailboxes maybe filled with three - free weekly chain newspapers...

  • The Greenwich Citizen
  • The Greenwich Post
  • And The Brand Spankin New "Greenwich Express"

Maybe MediaNews will follow the Gannet Model even further and create a news portal called like LoHud which stands for Lower Hudson. Perhaps, the Media News Portal will be called LoFair.

Or maybe a better name would be NoFair.

Hearst And MediaNews Group Have Faced Antitrust Allegations In Federal Court Recently

On July 14, 2006, San Francisco businessman and real estate investor Clint Reilly filed a lawsuit against Hearst Corp. (owner of the San Francisco Chronicle) and Media News Group (owner of the San Jose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, Martin Independent Journal, Oakland Tribune and all other paid-circulation dailies in the Bay Area), alleging that the two companies have been conspiring to control advertising rates, a violation of antitrust laws.

The Hearst Corp. and MediaNews Group countered the lawsuit by claiming they had not been collaborating at all.

In November 2006, Reilly's attorney presented to U.S. District Judge Susan Illston a letter from Hearst senior vice president James Asher to MediaNews President Jody Lodovic that said the two companies agreed to "offer national advertising and internet advertising sales for their San Francisco Bay area newspapers on a joint basis, and to consolidate the San Francisco Bay Area distribution networks of such newspapers..."

An infurated Judge Illston, said that she had been misled by the companies when they said they had not been collaborating, issued a 14-page ruling forbidding Hearst and MediaNews from working together on national advertising sales or distribution.

On December 21, 2006, the San Francisco Bay Guardian and the nonprofit Media Alliance filed suit to make the details of Reilly's lawsuit -- and MediaNews and the Chronicle's response -- public. As a result of the filing, many documents in the case were voluntarily disclosed by the defendants. The judge allowed redacted versions of two more documents to be released.

She kept 17 others under seal. One of the documents unsealed was the deposition of Hearst's Asher, who says that as of September 2006, his company had recorded cumulative losses of $330 million on its investment in the Chronicle, which it acquired in mid-2000. He said Hearst proposed selling the Chronicle to MediaNews, but MediaNews didn't offer enough money. Asher also said Hearst and MediaNews have discussed working together for years.

Although the trial was scheduled to start Monday, April 30, 2007 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, the parties announced on April 25, 2007 that a settlement had been reached.

Please see:

San Francisco Examiner "Weekly, nonprofit sue to open records,"

Hearst, MediaNews talks included possible sale of Chronicle"



Maybe, the Greenwich Citizen, the Greenwich Post or other Fairfield County weeklies will be dragging Hearst Corp. and the MediaNews Group before a federal judge in the near future.

CAN THE GREENWICH TIME BE SAVED


Maybe, if the Greenwich Time gets a new editor that develops a reporting staff with big brass journalistic balls enough to question authority and take a news story where ever it might lead.

Then, the Greenwich Time needs to hire columnists like Bill Clark and Chris Fountain who are not afraid to tell the truth.

Then diverse members of society like the GreenwichDiva should be placed on a new Greenwich Time editorial board.

Then the Greenwich Time Web Master Should be replaced by Chris at StationStops.

Please see:

05/11/08 - Behind The Times - Would Someone Please Wake Up The Greenwich Time Web Master - These Articles Have Not Been Updated For Over 48 Hours !!!!


05/10/08 - Government Compliant Media Operations In Greenwich


05/09/08 Greenwich Time's "Hard Hiiting" News Links For Friday- All Of These Stories Look Like Press Releases- Why Are There No Investigative Reports?


05/08/09 - Hey Greenwich Time - Glenville School Parents Want To Know - WHY??????


05/04/07 - Joe Pisani, Editor Of Greenwich Time, Has Been Fired By The Paper's New Owner


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05/13/08 - RTM NOTES - Condemnation Commission Asks RTM To Reduce It's Budget From $25,000 To $2,500


Now This Is What The Single Family Home Owners Of Greenwich Want To See.

Robert Perry, The Fiscally Responsible Vice Chairman Of District 12 Entered A Motion On Behalf Of The Comdemnation Commission To Reduce Their Line Item By $22,500.

The Condemnation Could Have Bought A Lot Of Bottled Water, Coffee And Newspapers With That Money.

Please See:

Next the Town Services Committee Will Be Asking About The Scores Of Free Newspapers Passed By Town Employees Using A Hand Truck


============================================
Please send your comments to GreenwichRoundup@gmail.com


05/13/08 - Next the Town Services Committee Will Be Asking About The Scores Of Free Newspapers That Employees Pass Out In Town Hall With A Hand Truck


Quote:

"My concern is not with water alone but with all consumables for several reasons," RTM Member John Harkins said. "The cost of transportation is likely to increase as the cost of oil increases. Consequently, consumables are likely to increase in the future as the cost of oil increases."

Headline:

Town officials responded that spending on beverages constitutes a tiny amount of the overall $373 million budget and helps employee morale.
On a capita basis, the town spends about $20 yearly on water and coffee for each of its 2,300 employees.

Story:


Freebies for town employees get the once-over by officials


Supplying town employees with free coffee and bottled water in the workplace costs Greenwich taxpayers about $46,000 yearly - more than just beans for some in elected office....

....Audience members laughed last night when Evan Delman, the Town Services Committee chairman, mentioned that spending on bottle water particularly was being scruntinized.

"We were told that the water fountains in the Town Hall provided brown, distasteful water," Delman said. "We checked it afterward and it was fine."...

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05/13/08 - RTM NOTES - Betty Sternberg And Her Failed School Administrators Get A $972,000 (Updated)


Single Family Home Owners Forced To Pay For
Sue "Please Don't Fire Me" Wallerstein Screw Ups


The RTM Approves A $972,000 Ham. Ave. Bailout


The Emergency Funding Measure Passed
By A 156 To 2 vote


The funds will used to clean up the contamination that "was never a danger" to the small children of Hamilton Avenue School.

The contamination had forced the emergency evacuation of Hamilton Avenue School students from their water soaked modular classrooms in March, thus launching the biggest Board Of Education history.

The modular units were built to house the children of Hamilton Avenue school whose school had closed due to mold growth.

Greenwich School Superintendent Betty "You Can Trust Me" Sternberg ordered the emergency evacuation of Hamilton Avenue School in March after massive mold colonies were found growing in the poorly maintained modular buildings.

Betty "You Can Trust Me" Sternberg ordered her failed administrators to disperse the small children of Hamilton Avenue School to other schools across the district for the rest of the year while officials refused to allow Hamilton Avenie School to independently test the contaminated modular classrooms.


The Board Of Education wants to use the contaminated modular classrooms for the small children who will be displaced during the renovation of Glenville School even though the classrooms have not been independently tested.

The Hamilton Avenue Parents have hired a lawyer to force Betty "You Can Trust Me" Sternberg to allow them to independently test the contaminated modular buildings.

The Hamilton Avenue Parents want to know what happened to their small children in those school district modular classrooms.


Please See:


05/08/08 - Greenwich Public Schools Lied To Parents When They Tried To Blame The Hamilton Avenue Modular Contamination On The Factory


05/09/09 - Hey Greenwich Time - Glenville School Parents Want To Know - WHY??????


How many parents and single family home owners of Greenwich remember this news headline.....


03/12/08 No mold hazard found at Ham Ave. modulars (Greenwich Time)


By The Way: Have You Seen Anything In The Greenwich Time About How
Betty "You Can Trust Me" Sternberg
And Her Failed School Administrators
Did In The Harris Survey?


03/07/08 - Delayed - The Harris Survey, a bi-annual satisfaction survey of parents, teachers and students, which was to be sent out this month.


03/30/08 - School Parents Are Excited That The Delayed School Satisfaction Survey Is Comming Out Next Week

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

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05/13/08 - RTM NOTES - Traffic Lights Taken Out Of The Buget For The Second Year In A Row (Updated)


Try walking around down town Greenwich while blindfolded.

Hearing cars go by, you finally discover this pole, on which you feel the large street-crossing button. You press it and hear the buzzer on the other side of the street, indicating it was safe to cross, but you are unsure of exactly what direction to walk in, so you stayed put.

How do blind people do it???

Now imagine being blind and crossing Greenwich Avenue without a traffic light to assist you.

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

The Representative Town Meeting last night debated the merits of installing traffic lights on Greenwich Avenue.

For the second time the RTM has voted down adding traffic lights on Greenwich Avenue. The vote was 124 to 51 to remove the item from the final budget that was passed last night. There were two abstentions.

Many RTM used the Town's dislike for former First Selectman Jim Lash to convinced a divided RTM to eventually vote down spending $1.5 million to erect traffic signals on Greenwich Avenue at Havemeyer Place, Elm Street and Lewis Street.

It was pointed out that this year funds would be eligible to reimburse the Town through a transportation grant.

First Selectman Peter Tesei made an appeal for handicapped citizens who have trouble navigating Greenwich Avenue after the police officers leave at 5pm each day. He spoke of citizens who guide dogs and are confined to wheel chairs who are personally asking him to make Greenwich Avenue safer for them on Nights and weekends.

It was noted that new handicapped restrooms were currently being installed on the first floor of Town Hall.

James G. Boutelle of Transportation Association Of Greenwich (Tag) spoke of other obsticles that the handicaped of Greenwich must over come. FoJames G. Boutelle example, persons in wheel chairs can't use the Metro North Train Station in Greenwich in the evenings.

However, the prospect of putting up lights on Greenwich Avenue has once again proved to be a divisive issue in the budget.

Personally, I voted against the $1.5 million as a cost cutting reasons and not for aesthetic reasons, but as I started to write this story I began to think that I had made a mistake in voting against the safety signals.

I and other RTM members did not to fully consider the needs of some of the weakest members of Greenwich Society.

Mr. Tesei spoke of a 40 something year old man who had to walk with a seeing eye dog and had trouble navigating unregulated Greenwich Avenue intersections.

In fact, visually handicapped and wheel chair bound individuals seem to avoid Greenwich Avenue. When was the last time that you saw a person with a seeing eye dog in the Greenwich Avenue Strabucks.

Maybe, Blind persons don't like starbucks coffee or maybe they don't feel safe crossing that intersection next to the post office.

On Monday, RTM members should have been asked to walk across the intersection next to the Post Office at 5:30 pm. The surviving RTM members could have then cast their votes about the traffic lights latter that night.

It is strange that the Town of Greenwich requires starbucks to have wheel chair accessible restrooms, yet we don't protect wheel chair bound persons in the intersection in front of starbucks.

If First Selectman Tesei had invited some wheel chair bound Greenwich citizens to speak before the RTM, then I definately would have voted to give them safety devices and traffic protection on Greenwich Avenue.

I guess wheel chair bound citizens find it difficult to get to the Central Middle School on Indian Rock Lane.

First Selectman Tesei is not a stupid man he probably knew that traffic lights would get voted down again, but he decided to stand up for those who could not stand up on their own.

Mr. Tesei did the right thing to speak up for the needs of the handicapped of Greenwich and more RTM members and citizens should have joined his effort to protect these individuals.

Looking back, I wish I had supported Mr. Tesei's plea to help protect those less fortunate than myself.

============================================
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05/13/08 - RTM NOTES - Lawyers From Robinson Cole Brings RTM Meeting To A Grinding Halt After Mary Ferry Proposes To Reduce Bond Amount

The RTM almost missed it's self imposed midnight deadline for completing its budget deliberations, because the Greenwich Bond Council rushed to confer with Town Attorney John Wayne Fox.

The Bond Lawyers stopped the legislative meeting for about 20 to 25 minutes.

If the the lawyers had taken another ten minutes the entire Greenwich Representative Town Meeting members would have been required to resume their business tonight at the Central Middle School auditorium.

The trouble began when community volunteer Mary Ferry (RTM District 5 Chairman) proposed that the Town pay some bond interest payments instead of rolling the interest into another bond.

The fiscally responsible Ms. Ferry strongly felt that it was wrong for the taxpayers to unnecessarily defer interest payment for two years.

Ms. Ferry argued that it was foolish for the Town Of Greenwich to be paying interest on interest on top of interest.

Ms Ferry had ran her budget reducing idea past Greenwich Town Attorney John Wayne Fox who said it was legal and permissible. The Town had even helped Ms. Ferry come up with the proposed reduction amount of $850,000.

However, when Ms. Ferry made her motion to amend the budget all Hell broke loose and the Bond attorneys sent the RTM into a tailspin.

After much negotiation and two budget revisions a motion to reduce the budget by $544,000 was put up for a vote.

69 RTM members voted to reduce the budget by over a half a million dollars, while 99 members voted to pay interest on the interest for two years. There were 4 abstentions.

Ms. Ferry and 68 other RTM members tried to help the single family home owners of Greenwich. It is a shame that there were not more RTM members willing to reduce the budget through responsible measures that would bring about savings.

The taxpayers of Greenwich are going to have to start identifying the Spendthrifts on the RTM and vote them out of office.

==============================================
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05/13/08 - RTM NOTES - Greenwich's Youngest Legislator Is Repeatedly Singled Out By Those Who Claim To Support The Talents Of Our Youth


There Cheers To 18 Year Old Harrison Davidson Who Stood And Delivered At His Very First Representative Town Meeting.

The RTM's Youngest Member Showed Many Greenwich Legislators How To Step Into A Volatile Public Controversy And Stand Up For Your Beliefs.

Three quarters of the RTM members have never had the guts to go before the nations largest municipal body and fight for what they believe in.

Some of these long term RTM members have sat in their RTM seats for years as proud members of the go along to get along club.

Maybe Harris Davidson will show these old time seat warming RTM members how to fight for districts and their town.

Watching Harris in action reminded one of a Rudyard Kipling poem....

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

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05/13/08 - RTM Notes - Dr. Carl Carlson (District #1) Proposes Cutting $100,000 From The Line Item For Failed School Administrators


How To Get Rich From Failure

It seems that Nancy Weissler and her Greenwich School Board hasn't quite grasped the concept of performance related pay and bonuses.

In theory, rewards and bonuses should only be granted for above average performance. However, Nancy Wiessler and her Greenwich School Board in wake of its ever burgeoning list of fiascos has decided to grant its staff another series of undeserved bonuses (courtesy of the taxpayer).


Doctor Carl Carlson Says Let's Eliminate The Compensation Increases For Failed School Administrators
Doctor Carlson Argues That More School Administrators Means Less For Greenwich.

Carlson argued that middle class home owners in Greenwich were having a tremendous burden put on them and that the Town Budget desperately needs cuts. He proposed that $100,000 dollars be taken out of the School Administration personal services budget line (600-100).

Carlson called the budget amendment a ""slight" decrease in the bloated School Budget.

Of coarse, School Board Chairman Nancy Weissler immediately flew up to the podium after Dr. Carlson's Suggestion that we cut back the School Administration Line by $100,000.

In all 38 RTM members supported Dr. Carlson's proposed $100,000 to be taken from the failed school administrators of Greenwich. However, 145 RTM members decided to reward the failed school administrators with a pay increase for the Hamilton Avenue School disaster.

Many RTM members later said that they were worried that if the personal services line item was cut by $100,000 the school board would still give the failed administrators increases by taking money away from innocent children.


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05/13/08 - RTM NOTES - Joan Caldwell Seeks To Put Greenwich High School Auditorium On The Pay As You Go Plan


What Happened To The Towns Policy Of
Pay As You Go?


Joan Caldwell The RTM District 10 Chair And Many Other RTM Members Argued That It Was Fiscally Unsound In These Economic Times To Fund The 2.3 Million Greenwich High School Request For Architectural Services For A New Auditorium.

Ms. Caldwell explained to a throng of button wearing parents, students and teachers that supported 2.3 Million purchase of architectural Services that the bonding costs in the Town Of Greenwich Had gotten out of hand.

  • In 2004, the single family home owners were responsible for a bond debt of $0

  • In 2007, the single family home owners were responsible for a bond debt of $66 Million (Thank you Jim Lash, we appreciate it !!!).

  • In 2009, the single family home owners were responsible for a bond debt of $87 Million. (Houston, I think we have a problem !!!)

  • And in just 4 years (2012), the single family home owners were responsible for a bond debt of $200 Million. (Or as Robin would say, "Holy Interest Payment Batman !!!)

Many fiscally responsible RTM members argued that bonding for short term emergency repairs would be acceptable, but out of control bonding for new construction projects was going to start throwing Greenwich senior citizens out of there homes.

Karen Fassuliotis an attorney from RTM district 9 offered a compromise that the fiscally responsible members of the RTM overwhelmingly supported.

Ms. Fassuliotis made a motion that was seconded that would give the Greenwich public schools three quarters of a million dollars for for the GHS Architectural services.

After much passionate debate the $750,000 was rejected by the pig headed all or nothing Greenwich School Board Supporters.

It is foolish, for the Town not to be able to get High School Auditorium Drawings for $750,000 or less.

In the end 72 Fiscally Responsible RTM members lost to 115 RTM Spendthrifts and one Fence sitter who abstained.

Hopefully, the single family home owners will remember who the Fiscally Responsible RTM Members were when this Carnegie Hall East comes in over budget.

Hopefully, the voters of Greenwich will remember that the Fiscally Responsible RTM argued passionately that the same people involved with the Hamilton Avenue School Boondoggle are the key players in the 25 Million Dollar Greenwich High School Auditorium.

The mill rate for the single family home owners of Greenwich can no longer be kept artificially low by raiding the parking fund or by rolling everything into Big Ole Municipal Bonds.

Sooner rather than later, the single family home owners are going to have to pay the piper.

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05/13/08 - Greenwich Community Waterfront Events


Greenwich News Group Posting:

The Scuba Sports Club

Re: [TSSC] Re: "Experience The Sound" Concert and More, May 18th ...


Original Message ----- From: _scubaf...@aol.com To: TSSC@googlegroups.com_

Subject: [TSSC] "Experience The Sound" Concert and More, May 18th, 1 -
4 pm, Greenwich CT The Town of Greenwich Shellfish Commission is holding ...
The Scuba Sports Club


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