A Little Bit of "Meet the Bloggers" Article

Meet the bloggers: Online community reaches beyond the Web
By Elizabeth Kim, Stamford Advocate, 08/04/2008

STAMFORD - ...The blogosphere has become a full-fledged social networking scene where acquaintances can be struck through the chatter of posted comments. In Stamford, bloggers are forging a real-life community out of a virtual one - they are closing their laptops, stepping out of their pajamas and taking their online friendships offline.

The monthly gatherings, which began last June, were arranged by two Stamford residents - Kristine Redlien, a 33-year-old Greenwich middle school teacher who dishes news and gossip at www.stamfordtalk.com, and Lambert, a 37-year-old marketing executive who writes a wry and unflinching perspective on motherhood at www.managermom.blogspot.com.

Redlien said it was "surprisingly easy" to form a community of bloggers. She said she moved to Stamford seven years ago and knows how lonely the city can be. "In a way, I'm re-creating the life I had in college, where there was a lot of free time to meet people," she said.

The group keeps growing, bringing together a mix of people that otherwise might never have met.

On Thursday night, for example, the attendees included Adam Bernard, a music journalist who blogs about the state of hip hop; Kevin McKeever, a freelance writer who offers his humorous take on being a stay-at-home father; Nate Dean, a computer programmer who mulls over topics in philosophy and math; and Chris Schoenfeld, an entrepreneur who rants about inefficiencies of Metro-North Railroad.

To differing degrees, the bloggers are celebrities among themselves.

As newcomers dribbled in and introduced themselves, McKeever, 40, sipping a beer, needed only to utter his online alias, Always Home & Uncool, to elicit recognition.

"Oh, you're Home & Uncool? I love your blog!'" shrieked a blogger and mother.

Many had never met, but the awkwardness seemed minimal.

Members discovered that blogging transcends geographic boundaries. For instance, Taft, who works in Hartford and lives in Ellington, drove two hours in rush-hour traffic to make it to last week's get-together.

- Staff Writer Elizabeth Kim can be reached at elizabeth.kim@scni.com or at 964-2265. Click here to read more.

Hot Topic: More Airplanes Over Our Towns?

It's hard for me to care about things that have not yet happened, but I am glad other people in the area are more proactive.

People air FAA frustrations
By Neil Vigdor Greenwich Time 07/02/2008

NORWALK - Fairfield County residents vented their frustrations over aircraft noise last night to Christopher Dodd, Christopher Shays, Richard Blumenthal and other elected officials during a public hearing on the Federal Aviation Administration's controversial rerouting plan for the region.

Wilton resident Joe Farhi shook his head in disbelief when told the plan could increase the number of flights over the area by 300 to 500 per day, complaining that he can't enjoy the peace and quiet of his yard 90 percent of the time.

"I can't imagine it getting any worse than it is. It's ridiculous,"

Farhi told federal, state and local officials during the two-hour hearing at Norwalk City Hall.

The new routes are supposed to save 200,000 hours of delays per year at John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports in New York, Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey and Philadelphia airports by 2011, according to the FAA. One controversial aspect of the plan would shift arrivals for LaGuardia Airport east over Fairfield County from the current track over Westchester County.

Allan Weinstein, a Pound Ridge, N.Y., resident, told officials that he is worried about the plan's impact on quality of life.

"People move to these communities for quiet, peacefulness and to raise their children," Weinstein said.

Dodd, the state's senior U.S. senator, threatened during the hearing to cut the FAA's budget if the agency doesn't delay its controversial plan to reroute air traffic over the region.

Dodd accused the FAA of ignoring two letters he sent them more than a year ago expressing grave concerns over the plan and requesting information on the number of flights rerouted over Connecticut, their frequency, altitude and noise levels.

"That is arrogance," Dodd said. "We demand some answers to these questions."

A message seeking comment from the FAA was left with an agency spokeswoman.

A 13-town alliance that includes Norwalk, Stamford and Greenwich sued the FAA in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second District of New York in early November, arguing that the agency failed to take residents' noise and other environmental concerns into account when developing new flight paths.

Connecticut filed a similar lawsuit against the FAA the same day over the plan, which was adopted by the federal agency in September and could start being implemented in January 2009. The lawsuits are being consolidated into a single case.

"Let no one doubt, when the state of Connecticut files a lawsuit, we don't walk away from it," said Blumenthal, the state's attorney general and a Greenwich resident. "As your lawyer, I want to be blunt and honest with you, the FAA is no pushover."

The FAA would be forced to wait until the lawsuits are resolved before rerouting planes under an appropriations amendment that Dodd could propose later this year

If the controversial plan is allowed to go forward, "what is today an outcry, will be a revolution on your hands," Dodd said at a news conference earlier in the day.

Shays, the longtime congressman for Fairfield County, said he regularly gets complaints from constituents about aircraft noise.

"They are literally having to go inside on a Sunday and (can't)) enjoy their homes because the noise is ridiculous," Shays said.

The FAA has said that it held more than 100 public hearings before adopting the plan, including one in Stamford. That was of little consolation to Fairfield County officials, however.

"We all want to reduce delays, but this is really not the way to solve (this)," Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseloff said at a news conference earlier in the day. "Arrogance has no place in government."

Dodd questioned the fruitfulness of the hearings, saying that he was told that they were more informational.

"Welcome to the hearing that the FAA never had," Dodd said. "All they did was make us listen to them."

The 13-town Alliance for Sensible Airspace Planning claims that noise levels will increase dramatically throughout much of southwestern Connecticut, quadrupling in places such as New Canaan, Wilton and Ridgefield, if the new routes are allowed to go into effect.

Darien Selectman Callie Sullivan said residents in her town are also concerned about the environmental effects of routing planes at lower altitudes over the busy Interstate 95 corridor.

"We have a tremendous amount of pollution," Sullivan said at a news conference earlier in the day.

One factor that could have a major influence on how the alliance proceeds is the upcoming release of a report on the new routing plan by the federal Government Accountability Office. The report, which is due July 31, will look at whether the FAA followed the proper process for developing the plan, as well as the environmental and economic impact of the new routes. Click here to read more.

Negative-Toned Article about Stamford Police

Police efforts to cut gas costs fail; department goes $200K over budget
By Stephen P. Clark Stamford Advocate 07/07/2008

STAMFORD - Despite efforts to save on gas costs, the police department spent nearly $200,000 more than budgeted in the last fiscal year, which ended last week.

Police officials attempted to cut costs by requiring officers to walk their beats and team up in squad cars more often, and by banning them from idling. But it wasn't enough to keep the gas budget from jumping to nearly $500,000 - up from $227,000 in 2005-06 and $381,000 in 2006-07.

Skyrocketing gas prices and the nature of police work are to blame, department officials said.

"If you want to cover the city and keep it one of the safest in the nation, we need to have police cars out there 24-7," said Lt. Sean Cooney, a department spokesman. "An aggressive patrol is one of the ways we keep Stamford safe. That requires a large amount of gasoline."

The department has a gas budget of $434,000 this fiscal year, but Cooney said it is likely that will not be enough. The city buys gas at a discount as part of a program that includes other municipalities in lower Fairfield County. Stamford locked in gas prices at $3.28 per gallon and diesel at $3.94 per gallon for three months until August.

Besides gasoline costs, the police department is struggling to control overtime spending, which reached a record high of $4.8 million the last three fiscal years. The city is trying to fill a new civilian position to oversee police spending. But the only candidate offered the job, which pays $79,000 to $102,000 per year plus benefits, turned it down.

Last fiscal year, the police department started with a gas budget of $292,000. But the department needed a $100,000 appropriation, which city board approved in March, to cover a shortfall. The department finished the fiscal year with another $100,000 deficit, which will be offset by savings from other accounts, including one for recruiting and hiring, Cooney said.

The department used about 165,000 gallons last fiscal year for 150 police vehicles, including boats, motorcycles and vans. City and police officials last week could not provide the number of gallons used in previous fiscal years.

Chief Brent Larrabee earlier this year told the Board of Representatives Fiscal Committee that shift commanders instructed officers to park their patrol cars for one hour on each shift and walk to reduce fuel consumption. The initiative is called "park and walk," which helps officers get to know their beats and gather information about drug dealing and other crimes.

Larrabee also said that the number of two-officer cars jumped by about 25 percent in recent months.

The initiatives are "good police work" but have a "marginal impact" on conserving gas, Cooney said.

Officers have been employing "park and walk" techniques for years, Cooney said.

"We've encouraged officers to do that when their workload permits," he said. "You get out the car, talk to people and develop relationships. You'll see things just by standing on a driveway that you won't see driving by in a police car."

But "park and walk" isn't practical if officers are constantly responding to 911 calls, he said.

"The problem is we're understaffed. The workload doesn't permit it," he said. "We can't require people to park and walk if they're too busy."

Requiring officers to team up in cars also poses problems, Cooney said.

"This is something we've encouraged for a long time. Pick a partner and do so," he said. "But we're not going to make people ride together who don't want to."

Sgt. Joseph Kennedy, head of the police union, said officers are encouraged to team up for safety reasons.

"If there are ways for the city to save on fuel costs, I'm all for it," Kennedy said. "But if we're talking about why I would want a two-man car, the energy side would be low on the totem pole."

The most impractical initiative is banning officers from idling cars, Cooney said.

"You need to have the air conditioner in the summer and heating in the winter," he said. "It's very problematic to tell a police officer while he's sitting in his car to turn his car off."

Linda Cannady, vice chairwoman of the Fiscal Committee, said the department's reversal on the effectiveness of the initiatives is puzzling.

"I'm lost at how they decided they're good initiatives if they're not working," she said. "They need to come up with some initiatives that could work, and enforce them."

Cannady said she wants to know whether officers use patrol cars for personal reasons.

"If they do, that's something that could be cut out," she said.

Kennedy said a township in New Jersey places a surcharge on speeding tickets and uses that revenue to pay for gas.

"That's one way to do it," he said. "You're only assessing the fines to people who break the law."

Cannady said she is skeptical that police will find ways to save on gas costs.

"I don't think the initiatives will be enforced, No. 1," she said. "And every initiative that gets presented, they already have reasons for not implementing them, so what's the point?"

Cooney said police are always thinking of ways to save on gas costs but there is a bigger picture.

"Let's remember that our practices have led to one of the safest cities in the nation for almost 10 years," he said. "So let's not mess with that." Click here to read more.

July 9 Police Blotter

Police blotter Stamford Advocate 07/10/2008
Stamford
Arrests:

* Megan Guiffra, 23, of 16 Depinedo Ave., Stamford, was charged yesterday with violation of a protective order, third-degree criminal mischief and second-degree breach of peace.

* Cynthia Olmstead, 41, of 79 Manhattan St., Stamford, was charged yesterday with possession of drug paraphernalia within 1,500 feet of a school, housing or day care, and interfering with an officer or resisting arrest.

* Natasha Pennywell, 25, of 13 Lipton Place, Stamford, was charged yesterday with first-degree failure to appear in court.

* Radine Winston, 52, of 198 Custer St., Stamford, was charged yesterday with first-degree failure to appear in court.

* Juan Cardona, 36, of 55 Lockwood Ave., was charged Tuesday with third-degree assault and disorderly conduct.

* Anikenko Guthrie, 35, of 85 Main St., East Haddam, was charged Tuesday with second-degree failure to appear in court.

* Edris Jolicoeur, 27, of 62 Reynolds Ave., Stamford, was charged Tuesday with conspiracy to commit credit card theft, credit card fraud, conspiracy to commit illegal use of a credit card, sixth-degree larceny and credit card theft by transfer.

* Amos Kendrick, 37, of 40 Stillwater Ave., Stamford, was charged Tuesday with conspiracy to commit credit card theft, credit card fraud, conspiracy to commit illegal use of a credit card, sixth-degree larceny and credit card theft by transfer.

* Melvin Murphy, 49, who gave his address as the homeless shelter on Pacific Street, was charged Tuesday with second-degree breach of peace.

* Misael Rivera, 21, of 12 Frederick St., Stamford, was charged Tuesday with sixth-degree larceny.

* Robert Ross, 62, of 19 Orchard St., Stamford, was charged Tuesday with second-degree breach of peace.

* Christopher Simonelli, 18, of 28 Pine Hill Ave., Stamford, was charged Tuesday with second-degree failure to appear in court.

* Tasheem Stephens, 25, of 86 Courtland Ave., the Bronx, N.Y., was charged Tuesday with risk of injury to a child and disorderly conduct.

* Sydney Thompson, 47, of 48 Fair St., Norwalk, was charged Tuesday with possession of narcotics and possession within 1,500 feet of a school, housing or day care. Click here to read more.

The Bartlett Arboretum is Awesome!!!

Bartlett's legacy lives on at preserve
By Rebecca Haynes Weekend Editor Stamford Advocate

You can hike the Black Birch Trail or wander through the Sundial Garden. Or if you prefer, stroll down Azalea Road or take a walk to the Meadow.

With names so inviting and scenery to match, it's hard not to relax on the grounds of Stamford's Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens, a 91-acre preserve on Brookdale Road that is a refuge and educational resource.

"It's so nice and peaceful here," Stamford resident Delia Fine said on a recent sunny morning, sipping coffee and reading the newspaper while sitting in an Adirondack chair under the shade of a Korean Evodia Rutaceae tree. "It's a great spot, whether you want to walk your dog or just read the paper. What they do here with trees and plants is extraordinary. More people need to know about it and support it."

Fine said she people-watches during her sojourns to the arboretum once a week or more.

"One day, I felt like I wandered into 'The Sound of Music' when I looked and there was a group of nuns in their habits jogging by," she said. "It's worth the drive over. Fairfield County is pretty fortunate to have a place like this."

Originally the home and research laboratory of Francis Bartlett, the property, then 64 acres, was purchased in 1965 by the state and designated as the Connecticut State Arboretum. Bartlett, founder of the F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Co. and a noted dendrologist, used the property as his home, training school and research laboratory. He assembled a large collection of woody plant specimens from all over the world and created a hybridized blight-resistant chestnut tree now named for him.

After the state bought the property, volunteers spearheaded its transition to the Bartlett Arboretum, creating a foundation that would become the Bartlett Arboretum Association. When it opened in 1966, the grounds were managed by the state Department of Environmental Protection. Operations and programming were managed by the University of Connecticut's Department of Plant Science.

In 2001, the city obtained the title to the land and turned over management responsibility to the Bartlett Arboretum Association. An adjacent 27 acres of city property was added, bringing the total acreage to 91.

Today, 15 acres are lawns and formal gardens. The remaining land includes 10 hiking trails, a 7-acre Red Maple wetland, a pond and a 3-acre wildflower meadow. The arboretum showcases collections of conifers, Champion trees, nut trees and pollarded trees - deciduous trees kept small and compact through rigorous pruning.

The method is common in Europe and Asia and was begun on the property by Bartlett to study pest management, said Jack Dillon, arboretum executivedirector.

"They also provide a really cool-looking sculptural garden," Dillon said.

The most valuable tree on the property is a weeping Japanese hemlock, he said. The tree is a graft created by Bartlett, who inserted a hemlock shoot into the base of a butternut tree. The new tree thrived under Bartlett's care and is now about 80 years old.

Aside from gardens that feature native plants, the arboretum has a tropical garden with plants from Asia and South America.

"Essentially, we want to show people as much diversity as possible," said Eric Morgan, plant collections manager.

Guided hikes and tours are offered regularly. Informal classes on horticulture and gardening also are offered. School and Scout programs engage young people. There also are classes for professional horticulturists.

A farmer's market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. will be offered each Wednesday through September. Summer Music Sundays presents classical music from 10 to 11 a.m., featuring students from the Yale Graduate School of Music. Evening concerts from 5 to 7 p.m. will feature The Wilfers on Sunday; Richard "Cookie" Thomas, July 20; Orrin Star & The Sultans of String, July 27; Ellen Woloshin & Jim Dawson, Aug. 3; Citigrass, Aug. 10; Big Apple'achia, Aug. 17; and Red Molly, Aug. 24. Sunday morning concerts are free with garden admission; evening concerts are $5 for members, $10 for nonmembers and free for ages 16 and younger.

A summer camp program also is under way.

Todd DuPont, director of summer camps, led a group of Saplings - 4- and 5-year-olds - on a nature walk recently. As he helped the young hikers over the rocks embedded in the Rose A. Thielens Memorial Nature Walk and Trail, he began answering questions and reinforcing the themes he raised during their classroom time.

"I see the blue thing," one camper said as the group made its way up the trail, pointing to a small blue triangle painted on a tree.

"What is the blue thing?" DuPont asked, drawing their attention to the trail marker.

Singing birds, buzzing bees, groups of damselflies, chipmunk holes and animal tracks all held the attention of the six small campers during their walk, which included a jaunt through the Red Maple swamp, courtesy of a boardwalk that keeps hikers from getting wet.

"Look at the dragonflies," one young charge said as campers grabbed the binoculars hanging around their necks for a closer look. "No, they're damselflies," said another.

"Is there any butterflies?" one camper asked DuPont.

"If you look for trees with flowers, then you'll see bees and butterflies," DuPont said.

Kate Sutin of Stamford brings her son, Peter, 3, every Wednesday, when admission is free. Recently, they walked through the Sundial Garden, looking at the flowers in bloom.

"He likes the flowers and the trails, the pond and the tulip trail," Sutin said. "He loves the greenhouse the most. My son loves everything that grows. Every day he says, 'Mom, I want to plant something.' "

- Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens, 151 Brookdale Road, is open year-round from 8:30 a.m. to sunset. The Visitors Center, which houses a small art gallery and a horticultural resource library, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday but closed on national holidays. Leashed dogs are welcome on the woodland trails. Admission is free for members, $6 for nonmembers and free for ages 16 and younger, and for everyone on Wednesdays. Call 322-6971 or visit www.bartlettarboretum.org. Click here to read more.

Slightly Positive-Sounding Article About Whitnum

This article actually portrays Whitnum really positively, probably because the article gives very little background on her and includes quotes from a lot of other people who are only talking about the debate aspect.

Newcomer Whitnum makes bid for debate with Himes
By Neil Vigdor, Staff Writer, Stamford Advocate, 06/24/2008
Now that she's on the ballot for a congressional primary, Greenwich Democrat Lee Whitnum is trying to turn up the heat on Jim Himes, the party-endorsed candidate, to accept a head-to-head debate.

Whitnum contacted the League of Women Voters of Norwalk yesterday about organizing a debate before the Aug. 12 contest, the first congressional primary in the 4th District since 1987. The winner will face U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays of Bridgeport, New England's lone Republican House member, in November.

"This party needs to be shaken up," said Whitnum, 48, a former software engineer who is a substitute teacher in Stamford.

Himes, who is also a Greenwich resident, was unanimously endorsed at a party convention last month. He has yet to decide whether he will accept a debate with Whitnum. A spokesman for his campaign said Himes was attending a Connecticut AFL-CIO union convention in Hartford yesterday and was unavailable for comment. The campaign released a statement that made no mention of Whitnum.

"We're considering requests from a number of organizations to debate Chris Shays in the fall, and we will give the same consideration to any request from a reputable organization for a debate this summer," said Maura Keaney, Himes' campaign manager.

Whitnum qualified Thursday for the primary, collecting signatures from 2,459, or 2 percent, of the registered Democrats in the district, which includes 17 municipalities in Fairfield County and a sliver of New Haven County.

State Democratic Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo said Whitnum would benefit from any debate.

"I am sure that Lee Whitnum would like to debate Jim Himes because I guess she would feel that it would give her some publicity," DiNardo said. "However, Jim Himes has been out there talking about the issues since he started this campaign. So I don't think his campaign would feel there is any advantage to him debating her."

A number of Himes' supporters have questioned Whitnum's viability as a candidate and said the upcoming primary is a major distraction from trying to defeat Shays in November.

"She's a ridiculous candidate. She has no support. It wastes his time. It wastes his money," said Ann Galloway, 66, of Stamford, one of the convention delegates who backed Himes.

Galloway, a retiree, added that debating Whitnum could be a double-edged sword for Himes.

"On one hand, I think that if they had a debate, it would be very embarrassing for her, and anyone who came would be very impressed by Jim Himes," Galloway said. "On the other hand, he's running a race against a money machine and a very powerful Republican establishment that knows they're going to lose seats, and this is their last hurrah in Connecticut."

Whitnum blasted those questioning the substance of her campaign, saying she has taken stands on tough issues, such as immigration, the war in Iraq, health care expansion and education.

Tom Shannon, a Shelton Democrat who signed Whitnum's petition to force the primary, said the competition is healthy for democracy.

"I don't see why there shouldn't be a debate," said Shannon, 22, who works in marketing and sales. "I do like Lee Whitnum as a candidate. I feel that she's just more in touch with the working class than Jim Himes is."

Diane Lauricella, president of the League of Women Voters of Norwalk, said the nonpartisan group is considering Whitnum's request, in consultation with its other Fairfield County chapters and league officials at the state level.

"We haven't had that kind of primary in a while," Lauricella said.

Jara Burnett, who is the president of the League of Women Voters of Connecticut and an officer in the Greenwich chapter, said lining up a moderator and getting people to attend a debate could be difficult during the summer.

"It's not that we're opposed, but it comes at a difficult time," Burnett said.

Burnett said she could see why Whitnum, a self-described underdog, wants a debate, however.

"The thing is, the challenger always wants a debate. The other person is often not so anxious," Burnett said. "Part of me thinks it would be a good thing to do." Click here to read more.

Danger of Bikes and Motorcycles on the Roads

Yay, a sensible, positive editorial from the Advocate staff. I like to think my enraged response to the recent, less well thought-out editorial on school closings had something to do with this.

Pursuit of lower mpg has dangers 6/25/08
In congested Fairfield County, the concept of "sharing the road" isn't exactly a foreign one. But if gasoline prices remain where they are or climb even higher, the nature of who's doing the sharing will evolve - a process that has already begun.

There are more motorcycles and two-wheeled scooters on our roads now that [sic] ever before, which means all drivers, those sitting atop four wheels and those on two, will need to take more care out there.

Drivers of cars and, especially, SUVs, which have poorer sight lines, need to keep a particular eye out for bike and scooter riders. For obvious reasons, they are harder to see, and much more likely to get caught in blind spots. Not only could that produce a greater number of collisions, but more disastrous ones as well. A bump between two cars that would result in a bent fender can be a whole other beast if one of those vehicles is a motorcycle or scooter.

But traffic safety is a two-way street. Motorcycle and scooter riders need to be aware that they are the minority out there, and the ones in greatest danger. Strict adherence to traffic rules and hyper vigilance are called for - especially on the part of older bikers/scooter riders, who might not have much experience on the machines. A report in The Baltimore Sun several years ago found a sharp increase in fatalities among motorcycle riders ages 40 and older.

According to a story last Saturday by our reporter Chris Gosier, there currently are 87,588 motorcycles registered in Connecticut, up 40 percent from June 2003. That is a remarkable rise, if not very surprising. The lure of two-wheelers, both motorcycles and scooters, is obvious as local pumps inch toward $5 a gallon.

Greenwich psychotherapist Kevin Root told reporter Hoa Nguyen that his Toyota Highlander sits largely idle these days as he's out on his recently purchased Honda scooter, which he only has to fill up once every couple of weeks. Stamford resident Dominick Bria's Yamaha Vino gets more than 70 miles to the gallon. With gas prices being what they are, he could recoup the scooter's $3,000 price tag in less than a year.

But four-wheel and two-wheel motorists have often had an uneasy relationship. Many bike riders say car and truck drivers don't respect them as much as they do their four-wheel brethren. Car and truck drivers, on the other hand, complain about motorcyclists hot dogging it.

The truth is no one holds the deed on dangerous and, at times, downright foolish driving. Many of us need to improve on that count in general, regardless of with whom we're sharing the road. The fact that there will be more motorcycles and scooters out there just ups the urgency.

On that note, we defer to Fritz Blau, owner of Fritz's Harley-Davidson in Stamford, who recently took exception to the headline we had put on a story about this issue.

"Instead of ('Cars vs. cycles')," he wrote in a letter to the editor, "the article should have been titled 'Cars with cycles.' "

He's right. Cars with cycles is the situation now more than ever, and in all likelihood, it'll keep on growing. It's up to all of us to make sure that more road fatalities doesn't join the long list of consequences of the high gas prices. Click here to read more.

Younger Workers: Getting the Hell Out of the FC

Seriously. This area can stink for young people. It costs too much to do fun things (50 bucks for concerts at the Palace? WHAT?) and there are very few free fun things that don't revolve around children. (Is there any decent music on a regular basis around here? I think the only place is Monster B's. I do not mean cover bands, people.) I'm glad the Advocate covered this topic, but I'm not glad their news stories disappear after two weeks, causing me to have to waste my time reposting them here. If they try to get me in trouble for this, I am going to stand out in front of their building with a mean sign. I'm giving proper credit, so I think it should be OK.

Area economy at risk as younger workers leave state
By Richard Lee Business Editor 06/13/2008

Fairfield County prides itself on its educated work force, but that status may be in jeopardy with an exodus of younger college-educated residents and the retirement of baby boomers.

Christopher Bruhl, president and chief executive officer of The Business Council of Fairfield County, yesterday told an audience of more than 50 area executives that southwestern Connecticut's economy could be affected by the flight of educated workers.

"We (Connecticut) are leading the nation in exporting our 25- to 34-year-olds. The work force has a growing number of under-educated people," said Bruhl. Forty percent of Fairfield County, however, have college degrees, compared with the national average of 27 percent.

Bruhl referred to 2004 figures showing that the county experienced a 21 percent decrease in the 25-to 34-year-old population from 141,437 in 1990 to 111,849 in 2004.

Connecticut had a 30 percent decrease in the same demographic during the same period, placing the state last in U.S. rankings.

Education of immigrants and inner-city children remains the key driver in developing an educated work force to replace retirees and those who are leaving the state, he said, as the state contends with a widening income gap among its residents.

"More people are leaving Connecticut than being replaced by international immigration. We're looking at an absolute labor scarcity, as well as a skills mismatch," Bruhl said.

Fairfield County, however, continues to benefit from its proximity to New York City's thriving business center, Bruhl said, as many of the region's residents commute to the city for their jobs, and companies move from the city to the county.

Despite being an integral part of Connecticut's economy, Fairfield County looks to its neighbor to the west for its economic stability, he said.

One of the newest corporate arrivals in Stamford takes a different view.

"We've had terrific cooperation from the mayor (Dannel Malloy) and the state in moving the project forward," said RBS spokesman Christopher Riley, referring to the 12-story, 500,000 square-foot-building expected to open in early 2009 and employ 1,850.

The education and transportation challenges mentioned by Bruhl should be everyone's concern, he said.

The region continues to face clogged highways and crowded commuter trains, but he credited the state for its effort to increase commuter cars on Metro-North Railroad.

"New rail cars are coming, and there's a trend to better access to the railroad," Bruhl said, noting plans to increase parking at train stations.

Health care also is a challenge, he said, contending that the cost and availability of health care are reaching breaking points.

"We're getting to the point where society will have to talk about rationing health care," Bruhl said. Click here to read more.

I Like the Day Laborer Clinic!

Stamford Advocate article: Group marks a year of assisting day laborers
By Stephen P. Clark 6/17/2008

STAMFORD - A group that helps day laborers collect unpaid wages is celebrating its first anniversary this week.

The Stamford Day Laborer Wage Clinic was created to provide free legal assistance to low-income day laborers and other workers who claim employers denied them earned wages.

The clinic, a project of Connecticut Legal Services, aims to help laborers overcome their fears and enforce their employment rights.

"This project has become very important for the community of day laborers in Stamford," clinic co-founder and Legal Services attorney Megan McLeod said in a statement. "By focusing on education, we hope to empower day laborers, making them less fearful of the system and more likely to challenge their employers' employment practices."

McCarter & English LLP is sponsoring the reception for volunteers, which will be held 6 to 8 p.m tomorrow at SBC Restaurant and Brewery on Summer Street.

Ninety-four volunteers - 36 attorneys, 20 paralegals and law students, and 38 residents - work at the clinic.

It "provides some of the most vulnerable members of our community with an opportunity to achieve justice," McCarter & English attorney and Legal Services board member Amy Haberman said in a statement.

McLeod conceived the idea for the clinic in 2006 after she helped two day laborers collect $7,000 in back wages and more laborers started visiting her for help.

One month before opening the clinic, McLeod and another Legal Services attorney, Jennifer Mellon,
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won a temporary injunction in U.S. District Court against Dorian Ambrosi, owner of Fambro Home Repair, for threatening and harassing two day laborers when they tried to collect their wages for 100 hours of work.

In its first year, the clinic helped 176 day laborers and other workers collect more than $45,000 in unpaid wages, with an additional $56,000 in outstanding judgments and settlements.

The biggest judgment came in October for $44,000 against Ambrosi. But the clinic attorneys have not been able to collect the money.

The clinic is open 6 to 8 p.m. the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at the Connecticut Legal Services Stamford office, 20 Summer St.

The clinic moved there in September after leaving the original office in St. Mary's Church on Elm Street.

Clinic co-founder and Legal Services attorney Nadine Nevins said it moved because the church wasn't comfortable or safe - the clinic operated on different floors that required volunteers and laborers to use the stairs often. The number of day laborers did not decrease since the move, she said.

"A few years from now, we hope most employers will realize that they cannot exploit immigrant day laborers and get away with it," Nevins said.

In the next year, the clinic wants to represent more female laborers who are not being paid for cleaning houses or providing day care, she said.

"We haven't reached that population," Nevins said. Click here to read more.

ANOTHER Falling Object at Trump Parc Hits a Car

Object falls at the site of Trump Parc
By Monica Potts, Stamford Advocate, 06/07/2008

STAMFORD - For the second time in two weeks, an object fell yesterday from the Trump Parc construction site and struck a vehicle, police said.

A 3-foot-long piece of cable about a half-inch in diameter fell from the 29th floor, said Lt. Sean Cooney, a city police spokesman.

Cooney said the object hit the back of a VW Jetta occupied by an unidentified Greenwich man at about 2:50 p.m. The driver was not injured, but the car's roof caved in, and its rear and side windows shattered on impact, he said.

Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy said he will speak with the city engineer, the building department and those in charge of construction at the Trump Parc site.

"We're going to have to sit down with these folks, maybe close the job, until we get some level of satisfaction about these procedures," he said. "A second incident in a short period of time tells me people are being reckless."

Malloy said the city notified the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. He said he would review what actions the city could take this weekend.

Construction of the 34-story, 170-unit tower on Washington Boulevard and Broad Street began last year. The building is to be completed next summer.

Cooney said the Police Department will work with the other agencies to ensure safety measures were taken.

"It's a very busy street, and it's a very large building," he said. "The building itself is very close to the street. There's quite a lot of vehicular traffic, and there's quite a lot of pedestrian traffic."

Paul Slaney, chief operating officer of George A. Fuller Co., the tower's builder, said the reason the object fell has not been determined.

On May 23, a 10-pound piece of metal fell 25 stories, hitting a Crystal Rock water delivery truck, injuring its 34-year-old driver.

The metal went through the truck's cab and struck the driver in his right shoulder.

Robert Kowalski, the area director of OSHA's office in Bridgeport, said the investigation into that incident remained open. Click here to read more.

Traffic Calming Sessions Coming Up June 08

Comment sought on traffic woes
By Angela Carella Stamford Advocate 05/31/2008

STAMFORD - Residents concerned about traffic in their neighborhoods may talk about it with city engineers in meetings that begin Monday.

Engineers have been meeting with residents for help in creating a master plan for solving traffic problems citywide. City Traffic Engineer Mani Poola said they have been working on the plan for about 18 months.

They divided Stamford into 16 areas and scheduled opening and closing meetings in each to discuss how traffic-calming devices could alleviate problems, Poola said.

The opening meeting for North Stamford residents is Monday; the closing meeting for Newfield is Tuesday; the closing meeting for Roxbury, Cedar Heights and Castlewood is Wednesday; and the closing meeting for downtown residents is Thursday.

The following week, Bull's Head residents meet Tuesday, June 10; Hubbard Heights and West Side residents meet Wednesday, June 11; and the closing meeting for North Stamford is Thursday, June 12.

Few people are attending the meetings, even though many are concerned about speeding and other problems, Poola said.

"We have had some good responses, but we would like to see greater participation. Some meetings have only 15 or 20 people," Poola said. "If we get a large crowd, we will get a lot of input, and that will help us work it out properly."

After engineers hear from residents at the meetings, they go into the neighborhoods to observe traffic and determine what type of traffic-calming device will help, Poola said. Devices include roundabouts, bump-outs, striping, curb extensions and textured pavement. But the most common is speed humps.

"We have been trying to do traffic calming for six or seven years," Poola said. "Most of the devices we installed are speed humps. There are more than 100" citywide.

As the devices were installed in one area, however, new traffic problems developed in adjoining areas, he said.

"Instead of doing it piecemeal, we decided to go for a larger-scale program" and create a master plan, Poola said.

The June 12 meeting is the last. After that, engineers will finish the master plan, which will set project priorities in each neighborhood. Then, depending on how much money is budgeted, "we will leave it to city representatives and the neighborhoods to decide which ones to do," Poola said. "We want to make sure it's done in a democratic way."

The meetings are called charrettes, or interactive neighborhood gatherings, and begin with a slideshow to introduce the types of traffic-calming devices, followed by a discussion of problems in the neighborhood. Residents then are asked to vote for the most urgent problems.

After that, participants break into groups to come up with solutions, and the ones that are mentioned most are investigated by engineers to see if they will work. Engineers then recommend final projects and present them to residents before they are incorporated into the master plan.

At last year's meeting in Westover, for example, residents identified their most pressing problems: blind spots and speeding on Skyview Drive; young drivers and bus traffic around Westhill High School; motorists running stop signs at Skyview Drive and Westwood Road; motorists using Brodwood Drive and Bartina Lanes as short-cuts; and speeding on Westover and Roxbury roads.

Residents suggested installing roundabouts, road stripes, sidewalks and signs, and raising the pavement at intersections where motorists often run stop signs.

"A lot of citizens don't participate in the process, then when it's implemented, they protest," Poola said. "This is a time to participate."

Car talk

City engineers will meet with the following neighborhoods in the next two weeks to hear traffic problems:

* North Stamford (opening meeting): 7 p.m. Monday, June 2, in the cafeteria of Scofield Magnet Middle School, 641 Scofieldtown Road.

* Newfield (closing meeting): 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 3 in the media center at Turn of River Middle School, 117 Vine Road.

* Roxbury-Cedar Heights-Castlewood (closing): 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 4 in the faculty cafeteria at Westhill High School, 125 Roxbury Road.

* Downtown (closing): 7 p.m. Thursday, June 5 in the fourth-floor cafeteria of the Stamford Government Center, 888 Washington Blvd.

* Bulls Head (closing): 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 10 at Cloonan Middle School, 11 W. North St.

Hubbard Heights-West Side (closing): 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 11 in the media center at Westover Elementary School, 412 Stillwater Ave.

North Stamford (closing meeting): 7 p.m. Thursday, June 12 in the cafeteria of Scofield Magnet Middle School, 641 Scofieldtown Road.

For information, visit www.stamfordtrafficcalming.com. Click here to read more.

Initial Article About Greenwich Cupcake Drama

Serious allegations? Are you joking? Or... just not giving us the whole story?

Principal's suspension puzzles town parents
By Hoa Nguyen Staff Writer Stamford Advocate 05/29/2008

GREENWICH - Glenville School Principal Marc D'Amico was suspended pending an investigation into "serious allegations," school officials said yesterday.

D'Amico, who took over at Glenville School three years ago, was suspended yesterday with pay, officials said in a letter sent home to parents.
D'Amico could not be reached for comment. Officials declined to elaborate on the allegations except to say it involved the human resources department.

"It's a confidential personal matter," district spokeswoman Kim Eves said.

Some parents and a town official said they believed it involved access to the school and stemmed from a complaint by a parent who had wanted to visit his child on the student's birthday.

But with district officials providing little information on what was being investigated, several parents said they were left with more questions than answers yesterday.

"Not knowing exactly what happened is kind of scary," said Asami Nakamura, parent of a third-grader at the school.

Many parents learned of D'Amico's suspension through an e-mail that parent-teacher association leaders sent late Tuesday night, which said more information about the suspension may be forthcoming after a meeting between the PTA leaders and Superintendent of Schools Betty Sternberg yesterday morning. But by the end of school, there still was no update, the parents said.

Donald Strange, the former principal of Western Middle School, said administrators have asked him to come out of retirement and serve as Glenville's principal for at most the rest of the year, Strange said yesterday.

"My role is to support the staff, kids and staff the best I can to have a smooth school year end and prepare for the move to the modular," he said. "The rest of the situation is really not my bailiwick. It's totally out of the realm of my work." Click here to read more.

Cupcake-Based Suspension in Greenwich

Cupcake delivery started dispute that led to principal's suspension
By Hoa Nguyen Staff Writer Stamford Advocate

GREENWICH - A controversy consuming Glenville School began as a mission to deliver cupcakes to a third-grader's classroom and a dispute between a principal and a parent over school policy on celebrating birthdays.

At stake is the job of suspended Glenville School Principal Marc D'Amico, who, his lawyer said, does not deserve to lose his job.

"This man is being proposed for removal," Hamden lawyer John Gesmonde said. "I will confirm it was about cupcakes and birthday cakes."

But parent Frank Carbino, who said he was prohibited from delivering cupcakes to his daughter's classroom earlier this month, believes his reputation is on the line.

"All I've wanted to do was just clear my name of the whole thing," Carbino said. "It's more of an integrity thing."

Carbino said he went to the main office of Glenville School shortly before 2 p.m. May 6 to deliver cupcakes to his daughter who was turning 9 that day. But, he said, the school secretary said the cupcakes were to be left at the counter for his daughter to pick up and take back to her class without him. He protested, saying his wife had cleared the birthday plans with the teacher the day before.

Carbino said he was asked to wait to speak to D'Amico, who told him school policy prohibited parents from personally delivering birthday cakes or treats.

Carbino said that when he returned home, he fired off a letter to district officials telling them D'Amico had singled him on that particular occasion.

But district officials told Carbino the principal was right and the school had a policy dating back to "forever" asking parents to refrain from delivering birthday treats, Carbino said.

Carbino said that when he went to the school's Web site, he found the document with a section titled, "Birthday Celebrations," had been created at 2:18 p.m. May 6, a few minutes after he had argued with D'Amico and left the school.

But Gesmonde said that after the run-in with Carbino and learning that other parents ignored the rule, D'Amico believed that he needed to make things clear by adding the section to the student handbook.

Celia Fernandez, co-president of the parent-teacher association and a parent who supports D'Amico keeping his job, said she sees it from both sides. Parents deliver birthday cakes to their children's classrooms, but school officials also have a practice of telling parents who sign in at the main office to leave cupcakes for pickup.

D'Amico, who has been asked to refrain from speaking on the matter, expects to meet with the superintendent on Monday, Gesmonde said. Assuming that the principal did something wrong, an apology may be in order, Gesmonde said.

"Between an apology and termination, I think probably listening to the parent, maybe communicating to the parent could have been clearer and that may be the basis for an apology," Gesmonde said. Click here to read more.

DUI Roadblock Announced for Stamford

Police step up traffic watch before holiday
By Jeff Morganteen Stamford Advocate 05/21/2008

STAMFORD - A nationwide seat-belt safety campaign, Click It or Ticket, began Monday in Stamford, and it's safe to say some motorists got the message.

At a checkpoint on the Route 1 border with Greenwich, officers dished out 136 tickets - 58 for seat-belt violations, 77 for other motor vehicle safety violations and one for using a hand-held cell phone, according to police.

The Click It or Ticket campaign is organized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Stamford police also will increase drunken driving enforcement by setting up a sobriety checkpoint tomorrow night downtown.

Roving patrols will be on the lookout for drunken drivers through Memorial Day weekend, Lt. Sean Cooney said.

The sobriety checkpoints and patrols are funded by a $64,000 grant from the state Department of Transportation, Cooney said.

Police have set up at least one checkpoint a month with the grant money, which lasts until September, he said.

Connecticut drivers wear their seat belts more often than the national average, Cooney said. About 16 percent of motorists in the state do not wear their seat belts, compared with 18 percent nationwide.

"Most of the Connecticut drivers have gotten the message that they and others around them are protected," Cooney said.

During the holiday weekend, officers on patrol will look for signs of drunken driving, such as driving too slowly or swerving erratically, Cooney said.

"Memorial Day is a big one," he said. "We'll expect, especially if the weather is nice, a lot of people out downtown. We expect to make a number of arrests."

Roving patrols allow officers to cover more ground than the checkpoints, which require about eight officers, Cooney said.

The Stamford Click It or Ticket campaign will continue until June 1. Click here to read more.

Letter Rips Apart DUI Roadblocks

To the editor: The sobriety checkpoint planned for Stamford on Thursday will serve to funnel limited state and federal grant money away from measures that have proven to be most effective in combating drunken driving (news story, May 21).

Because they are highly visible by design and publicized in advance, roadblocks are all too easily avoided by the chronic alcohol abusers who are the core of today's drunken driving problem.

Conversely, the number of driving-under-the-influence arrests made by roving patrol programs is nearly 10 times the average number of DUIs made by checkpoint pro-grams, according to testimony by a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation official.

By focusing scarce law enforcement resources on roadblocks, Stamford police will strip Connecticut's roadways of their most valuable tool for catching drunk drivers. Stamford residents and taxpayers would benefit from employing the most effective tactics to catch drunk drivers: roving police patrols.

Sarah Longwell

Washington, D.C.

The writer is managing director of the American Beverage Institute. Click here to read more.

I Detest the Advocate's Comments System!!!

This is just a rough draft. The Advocate comments system, to me, is a mess. Not only is it full of rambling fools, there’s no “click here to have follow up comments sent,” so if I want to keep tabs on a discussion, I can’t. (Don’t subscribe to comments—that’s what they call it-- for an immigration article, because those all get 40 “send the illegals home” comments.)

I don’t know if it’s just that the Advocate has too wide of an audience to get a meaningful discussion started, or if... if... I just know that I have not had any meaningful interactions or learned a damn thing from the Advocate comments that they now put at the end of all articles. How can I keep up with 8 articles that I comment on if there is no follow up email system? Am I going to BOOKMARK all of those sites and check them the next day? NO!

I tried to install commentful on my computer to keep track of my comments and it didn’t work. I didn’t feel like asking my computer genius husband for help. Anyway, people shouldn’t have to download applications to keep track of comments. Publications and websites should do it for us. One reason I love blogger is that you, dear reader, after you comment, can click the “Click here to have follow up comments sent to (your email).” That way you’ll know when someone responds to you, and you can respond back, and they’ll know you commented again because they also subscribed to the comments feed by clicking that button.

See? Click here to read more.

Watch Out at Saltwater Grille

Here is the review of Saltwater Grille from 7 or 8 months ago. I'll go eat there soon to see if service has improved. Looking at this review now, it's not as mean-sounding as I thought it was. I guess 9 months of Stamford Talk has hardened me.

SCOOP: Saltwater Grille is a trendy restaurant on Harbor Drive. It attracts a crowd, but the staff seems irritable.
MY TAKE: I read a surprisingly optimistic blurb about SWG in the weekend section of the Stamford Advocate. I can’t describe SWG in such hopeful terms. Sure, it has harbor views, but it overlooks other people's boats and an office building next door. Yes, there’s a nice patio, but you can only sit on it if you’re eating. That pretty patio also lets the sun set directly in your face.
Stopping by for a drink means being relegated to the narrow, crowded bar: the farthest spot from the water. When we came with friends for happy hour, the bar seats and tables were full. We tried standing in the aisle with the rest of the revelers, but waiters bumped us as they rushed by. We asked to sit at one of the empty indoor tables, but the staff seemed offended. We returned to the bar area, huddled near the tables, and tried not to get run over by the waitresses storming by. That’s the real problem with SWG: the staff is dismissive, bordering on contemptuous.

Later that night, our impatient waiter sneered when we asked, “What do you have on tap?” and “You don’t have mojitos?” A friend who eats there regularly says that it always seems like one waiter is working fifteen tables.
It’s unfortunate that poor service and layout make SWG so unpleasant. The food is expensive, but it's good, and every dish has an interesting twist. Too bad the waiters find your presence so inconvenient.
VERDICT: Don’t go to SWG expecting a relaxed evening or excellent service. If you find the secret to being treated well, let me in on it. Click here to read more.

National Police Week Parade

Police march to honor their own
By Jeff Morganteen Stamford Advocate 05/08/2008

STAMFORD - Before mounting his police motorcycle yesterday, Officer Joseph Russo recalled how a young colleague was killed in White Plains, N.Y., in January.

Stamford police had attended the funeral, he said, and now it was time to repay the favor. Russo, an officer in the Mount Vernon, N.Y., Police Department, was one of 300 officers who traveled to Stamford yesterday to honor police killed in the line of duty.

"My department couldn't wait to send us out here," Russo said before he and his motorcycle unit joined others from Darien and Newark, N.J.

More than 40 police departments from the tri-state area and Massachusetts descended on Stamford yesterday to march in a parade held by the Stamford Police Department.

The review began at 6:30 p.m. at Veterans Park on Atlantic Street. Led by an armored vehicle, officers riding motorcycles, Segways and horses marched to Stamford police headquarters at 805 Bedford St. In the rear, officers played bagpipes as others marched in formation.

A police helicopter flew overhead as trained dogs barked at onlookers through open windows of Bridgeport patrol cars.

Stamford Police Chief Brent Larrabee said the parade recognized past, present and future police officers.

"It's not just about any one person," Larrabee said. "It's about those who have served and those who will serve."

The march was timed to coincide with National Police Week, which begins Sunday, said Stamford Officer Jessica Bloomberg, the event's principal organizer.

After the ceremony, Bloomberg also organized at a downtown bar the first benefit for the Killed in the Line of Duty Fund, a new fund to support fallen officers' families.

The parade grew to more than 40 departments after about 20 participated last May and Assistant Police Chief Robert Nivakoff told her to expand the idea this year, Bloomberg said.

"We need to keep better care of each other here," she said. "God forbid someone is killed in the line of duty."

The department plans to improve the annual event each year. Larrabee said. Yesterday's parade was met with limited crowds. Many onlookers were diners already seated outside along Bedford Street.

A ceremony after the parade honored the last four Stamford officers killed in the line of duty by placing a wreath on their memorial in front of police headquarters.

In 1974, Officer William McNamara was killed by another officer while responding to a robbery at a liquor store; David Troy was shot and killed in 1960 while responding to a robbery. In 1938, George Kelley and Andrew Schlechtweg were killed in separate motorcycle accidents.

Rob Roqueta, a 35-year-old Stamford resident who watched the parade while standing outside a bar on Bedford Street, said he admired the camaraderie among the different police departments.

"It shows a lot," Roqueta said. "It's like a fraternity." Click here to read more.

Whole Foods Not Coming?!?

But I was just getting excited about it!!!
Lord & Taylor withdraws its application
By Monica Potts, Stamford Advocate 05/09/2008

STAMFORD - An application for expansion of the Lord & Taylor store at its Bulls Head site, a plan that included a Whole Foods and other retail stores, was withdrawn last week.

National Realty Development Corp., the site's developer and owner of the Lord & Taylor department store chain, had requested a 60-day application extension from the Zoning Board in March.

Representatives from the company and their lawyers did not return calls seeking comment yesterday.

"We can't tell you what happens next," Land Use Bureau Chief Robin Stein said.

Any new proposal would have to go through another application process, including new public hearings, he said.

The new building, at about 300,000 square feet, would have been roughly double the size of the existing store and was to include a 190,000 square-foot Lord & Taylor, a 60,000 square-foot Whole Foods market along with 50,000 square feet of mixed retail.

The new plan also would have roughly doubled parking on the site to more than 1,200 spaces, split between a two-level deck on the lot's northern end and a five-level deck on the southern portion.

Proponents and detractors of the plan formed community groups, which passed out fliers and built Web sites. The last public hearings in January drew crowds of more than 100 to the Government Center's cafeteria.

Nearby residents and store owners objected to the plan, saying its scale was too big for the neighborhood and not pedestrian-friendly, the parking decks were unattractive, and the added traffic would be dangerous in their neighborhood and is counter to the city's traffic-calming initiatives.

Zoning Board members had echoed some of those concerns in comments at a public hearing in January.

Supporters had expressed interest in keeping the Lord & Taylor store and bringing a Whole Foods to Stamford.

The city's economic director, Michael Freimuth, spoke in favor of the plan at a November public hearing. He said Stamford had been losing retail business to other communities.

"Money is leaving the community," he said. "It's critical that we hit the refresh button."

Many residents who spoke at hearings expressed concern about what would be built at the site, which is at the intersection of High Ridge and Long Ridge Roads, if the proposal was not approved.

The proposal faced its first challenge when the Planning Board voted in November not to recommend for Zoning Board approval the two zoning code changes related to the application.

The board expressed concern that the two changes - allowing the developer to build a bigger garage than allowed without adding a "green" roof and use more commercial space than allowed, would set an undesirable precedent.

The plan was later modified, and an environmentally friendly roof was added over the main building.

The developer also launched a public relations effort in response to some criticisms, sending brochures to city residents that included postcards supporters could send in.

Stein had referred to the plans as overly dependent on cars and not pedestrian friendly during the November meeting, perhaps a sign of things to come.

"It's probably not a model of smart growth," he had said at that meeting. "I describe this more 20th- than 21st-century planning." Click here to read more.

Really Boring Beer Column in Advocate

I am sorry to be so negative, but beer could be so interesting, and this Advocate column just isn't. It needs to be more user-friendly rather than directed at beer brewers. The beginning is good, but the middle gets too technical.

What Brewing: Searching for soul By Jim Zebora
Greenwich Time Managing Editor Stamford Advocate

If barley is the heart of beer, hops are its soul. They contribute flavor, aroma, bitterness, body and so much more to a brew.

But these days they also contribute to beer's increased cost.

It may not be the worst of the world's crises, but the rising price of hops, delicate flowers that grow on a tall vine, certainly adds to the pain in the wallet caused by $4 gas and $5 milk.

Try finding a quality craft brew on a package store shelf for less than $8.99; it's almost impossible. Even budget beers that were selling for $12 per 30-pack a few months ago are three or four bucks higher today, though not all of that increase can be blamed on hop prices.

The reasons for hop inflation are myriad, but all pretty much within the bounds of an Economics 101 class. After several years of oversupply, when growers often had to sell their hop crop below cost, the opposite is now true.

Hops have had a couple of lousy years in the field, with crop yields well below normal. In addition, many hop farmers curtailed production rather than sell below cost and did not ramp up their growing as prices increased.

In some cases, they devoted their fields to more profitable crops and have not gone back to the Fuggles, Cascades, Saaz, Goldings and Northern Brewer varieties that make beer so fine to drink.

The result is that hop prices have at least doubled, and at the extreme hops can cost five or six times what they did a few years ago.

Big commercial brewers have been somewhat insulated from the rise in hop prices. Companies such as Anheuser-Busch Inc. get a big percentage of the hops they use from their own farms in the Pacific Northwest and so are not competing on the open market for limited hop supplies.

The big brewers also tend to use fewer hops per barrel than smaller brewers, for recipe and scientific reasons, so their cost per barrel is less affected by hop prices. Budweiser hasn't seen the same percentage price increase at retail as have microbrews, for example.

The real casualties are microbrewers specializing in very hoppy beers - those with names such as Hop Devil, Hop Trip, Big Hop Harvest Ale, Hop Heaven, etc. - who can use three or four times the amount of hops per barrel as the big kids.

This is partly because they are seeking to give their customers the hoppiest experience they can, and partly because hop utilization - a measure of the alpha acids and other components they release into the brew as it is boiled - increases with the size of the batch.

Large breweries make beer in vats roughly the size of small oil tankers, but I've seen one very tiny micro whose brewing vat was barely bigger than a turkey fryer.

As a homebrewer, I quickly learned that hops varied in price depending on the variety, the preparation and the packaging. Noble hops such as Kent Goldings (used in pale ales) and Saaz (used in pilsners) could cost twice as much as varieties with more bitterness but less aroma and flavor.

The hop flowers are sometimes used in original form, but processing them into pellets gives greater yield, and also makes them easier to ship and store.

Back in the years of plenty, I could sometimes buy a pound of bittering hops for $8, and noble hops could be as low as $1 per ounce. Today, homebrewers are seeing three- and fourfold price increases in this essential ingredient.

Of course, hops aren't the only reason that beer is costing more. Cereal grain prices are also rising due to the diversion of much corn production to ethanol, and energy prices for brewing, conditioning and delivery are also boosting the bill.

Like oil, gasoline, bread and so many other staples of modern life, beer is simply getting more expensive. And we beer lovers just have to suck it up while we're guzzling it down.

*

Jim Zebora, managing editor of Greenwich Time, is a dedicated homebrewer and a contributor to Zymurgy, the magazine of the American Homebrewers Association. His column appears once a month. His e-mail address is jim.zebora@scni.com. Click here to read more.

Antares pushes Stamford projects to NYC companies

Feb 28: The Advocate - Local News
NEW YORK - Antares executives met with real estate brokers in Manhattan on Tuesday night to pitch their projects and Stamford as a desirable, less expensive alternative to Manhattan.

Well, from the home prices around here, I'd say someone thinks it's a desirable area! Click here to read more.

Firm will study trolleys for Stamford

From Feb 18: STAMFORD - The city has selected a San Francisco company to study a trolley service that would connect downtown, the South End and Bulls Head.

I didn't get this up on this blog of resources in time, so it disappeared into the mysterious place where all old Advocate articles go. Click here to read more.

Reverse 911: Could Be Cool

Stamford to test 'reverse 911' system
By Angela Carella, Assistant City Editor, Stamford Advocate

STAMFORD - City officials tomorrow will test a new "reverse 911" emergency system that can notify residents about public safety incidents by phone, e-mail, text message and digital device.

Home and business phone numbers in Stamford that are publicly available are in the system automatically, according to a statement from Mayor Dannel Malloy's office.

Those homes and businesses will get a test call tomorrow.

Residents with private numbers may sign up to be included by visiting www.cityofstamford.org and clicking on the link that says, "Sign up now - services by Connect-CTY." Residents also may call 977-4153 to sign up. They may supply up to three phone numbers and two e-mail addresses, the statement said.

Residents whose phones have call blocking may join the system by adding 977-4140 to their list of approved numbers.

Those who are hearing impaired and have TTY/TDD receiving devices may join by clicking on to the city's Web site and entering their contact information.

Anyone who does not receive a test call tomorrow should enter their contact information on the city's Web site or call 977-4153.

Like other cities, including Norwalk, New Canaan and Greenwich, Stamford will use the reverse 911 system to notify residents about "planned and unforeseen public safety matters," the statement said.

It allows city officials to record, send and track messages to thousands of residents, businesses and agencies in minutes through a single phone call. The system also can send text messages to cell phones, e-mail accounts, personal digital devices and receiving devices used by the hearing impaired.

The service is Connect-CTY, supplied by Blackboard Connect Inc., formerly NTI Group Inc., according to the statement.

"We're always looking for ways to improve communication with residents and are excited to now have the capability to send important notifications within a matter of minutes," Malloy said in the statement. "The Connect-CTY service will enhance citywide communication and play a key role in our emergency preparedness and response efforts."

The system can be used to mobilize emergency response teams, coordinate agencies and organize volunteers. If only one neighborhood is affected by an emergency, the system can contact just those residents. So if a rainstorm is flooding Waterside, only Waterside residents would get messages.

"I urge residents to register their contact information into the system's secure data base to make sure everyone is prepared to receive time-sensitive information," Public Safety Director William Callion said in the statement. "With the Connect-CTY service, we will be able to quickly notify residents in the event of a natural or manmade disaster such as a chemical leak, fire or severe storm."

The cost for Stamford was not available yesterday, but Greenwich signed a two-year, $58,000 contract for the same system, which began running in December. New Canaan began using the same system in October after signing a one-year contract for $17,500, and Norwalk spent $91,649 for a one-year contract. Click here to read more.

School Clusterschmuck Continues

Starr's proposal to close Stark inflames debate By Donna Porstner
Stamford Advocate 04/29/2008
STAMFORD - Elected officials are unhappy with the latest school closing plan, saying flip-flopping and indecision is needlessly upsetting residents.

Schools Superintendent Joshua Starr on Thursday night proposed closing Julia A. Stark Elementary on Glenbrook Road and moving Toquam Magnet Elementary students and teachers into the building.

Whether some or all Stark students would be allowed to finish there is unclear. Starr said the Board of Education could phase out Stark's program gradually or redistribute its students and staff all at once.

The plan came as a surprise to many because Stark was not one of five schools the school board's Redistricting Committee had been considering for closure. Members only two weeks earlier had narrowed the list of schools it would consider closing to two - Toquam and Rogers magnet elementary schools.

Pauline Rauh, chairwoman of the Board of Representative's Education Committee, said Starr caught parents and school board members off-guard by making the presentation during a meeting in which Toquam and Rogers were on the agenda. Stark parents should have been told their school would be discussed, she said.

"It came without notice to the very constituents who should have been informed," said Rauh, a former school principal. "I found that distressing."

Parents across the city worry their child's school could be next, officials said.

"It's really detrimental to the well-being of the school district to have a school-closing-of-the-month theory, especially when so many of the Rogers parents had embraced the concept of closing Rogers and moving to the interdistrict magnet school," said state Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford.

McDonald, a Glenbrook resident and Stark graduate, said constituents have been asking him to intervene in the redistricting process for months and he kept quiet until learning one of Starr's reasons for shuttering Stark is the school's failure to meet state testing standards.

By saying state sanctions are increasing for Stark under No Child Left Behind legislation, the superintendent is implying the state is angling to close the school, he said. McDonald said he spoke with the state education commissioner, who confirmed that is not the case.

"It was an extraordinary announcement for the superintendent to unleash on the community without any forewarning, without any involvement of parent groups or teachers who try to improve the school," McDonald said. "And to announce it at a public meeting when you infer it is the result of state involvement, when that's apparently untrue, is bizarre behavior. It's not the right way to run an operation like this."

Starr said he came up with Stark plan because it would increase the number of magnet seats and would allow the city to have three elementary schools south of Interstate 95, where there's a large density of students. Adding a third school would mean fewer low-income students would be bused across town to attend school, he said.

"I think there are some questions to ask about who gets bused in the city of Stamford," Starr said. "I simply want to raise that issue to the Board of Education so they understand the implications. That's what a superintendent does."

At the same time, he said, the redistricting process opened the door for structural changes at Stark, which could be required to make adjustments if test scores don't improve.

"I never in any way, shape or form said the state plans to close Stark school. However, there is certainly increased state accountability legislation that we are preparing for," Starr said.

The district could be required to make staffing changes at Stark, bring in an outside management firm or convert the building to a charter school if test scores again don't meet state goals next year, Starr said.

City Rep. Jerry Pia, a former school board member who represents Glenbrook, said transferring Stark students to another building is not the answer.

"You don't move children so the overall score of the school looks good," he said. "You set up programs and you teach them how to learn."

Rauh said Starr "put the whole town in a state of unrest with this presentation" and residents are disappointed with the school board's indecision.

"Confidence in what they're doing and how they're doing it has been shaken," she said.

McDonald said the Stark plan only made matters worse.

"It's a really unique skill to infuriate every contingent of parents in one meeting," he said.

Starr said it's not fair to blame him for introducing another option late in the process when it was Mayor Dannel Malloy who made the board reconsider its plan to close Toquam earlier this year.

Malloy removed $2.8 million earmarked in next year's capital budget to furnish the new interdistrict magnet school in the Cove, forcing members to reconsider moving Toquam students into the new building.

Malloy favored closing an older school building and came back with the plan to close Rogers and move those students to the new environmental science school.

The Board of Education should start over and hire a consultant to come up with a redistricting plan, Rauh said.

"You need objectivity and expertise," she said.

Board of Education member Rosanne McManus said hiring a consultant would only delay the process by 12 months while an outsider learns about the district and neighborhoods.

"I don't think we need a consultant. I think we are ready to go," she said. "The redistricting plan will move fairly easy once we decide which school to close."

The board has used consultants in the past and there were complaints then as well, Starr said.

"My recollection was folks weren't happy with that either," he said. "Redistricting is hard, hard work and I think are experiencing that now."

Redistricting Committee Chairwoman Susan Nabel did not return a phone call seeking comment. Click here to read more.

A 50-Inch Plasma in the High School Library?

TV in library draws static- Advocate 04/28/08- Donna Porstner
(This just seems like a waste of money. Why have a silent, always-on TV in a library? This isn't an airport.)
STAMFORD - The picture on the big-screen television in Westhill High School's media center is crystal clear, but it's having trouble with a different kind of reception.

The 50-inch plasma has stirred complaints from students and a school board member who question the need for a television in a library where students are supposed to study or write papers on one of the 70 computers.

Board of Education member Susan Nabel said she's appalled the city spent money on a flat-screen TV for a school library.

"I just hate the idea of there being a flat-panel, laser television right above the checkout desk," she said at a Facilities Committee meeting last week. "I don't believe a large-screen TV should be predominantly displayed in a media center."

Nabel said she learned about the television by reading an opinion piece about it in the school newspaper, The Westword.

Editor in Chief Stephen Meno said there was a buzz on campus when the TV arrived.

"At first it was like, why is it there? And what's the point of it when all it does is play CNN all day?" he said. "I think the general student body is like, the money should go someplace else."

The television was purchased with $1,810 in a capital account for computer replacement, technology management services director Michael Pensiero said.

Westhill Head librarian Jan Benedict said it was installed two months ago to be on par with Stamford High, which received a similar television when it was renovated after flooding in 2006.

"Not only were we trying to level the playing field with Stamford High, but also with AITE, which has similar technology," Pensiero said. "It's important to us that the schools are equal."

It can be used to show PowerPoint presentations and to advertise school events, he said.

"I wasn't sure how I felt about it at first, and now if I forget to turn it on, and I look over, I feel closed off from the world," Benedict said.

The television is left tuned to CNN without sound, but librarians can turn up the volume if there's breaking news, she said.

During a mid-day visit to the school last week, dozens of students were typing on computers near the television, almost oblivious to it.

It is not intended to be used for instruction, Benedict said. For that, the school has portable televisions that teachers can take into classrooms to show movies on videotapes and DVDs, she said.

It's the only set in the building hooked up to live television.

"It's our window to the world," Benedict said. "I think it's wonderful." Click here to read more.

Oh! Another Crazy School Closing Plan!

Starr: Close Stark, move Toquam there By Donna Porstner, Stamford Advocate, 04/25/2008
STAMFORD - Schools Superintendent Joshua Starr last night proposed closing Julia A. Stark Elementary and moving Toquam Magnet Elementary's teachers and students into the Glenbrook Road building.

Stark should close before any other school because it is traditionally the lowest performing and the district will soon be required to make changes to comply with federal No Child Left Behind legislation, he said at last night's Board of Education Redistricting Committee meeting.

By being proactive with changes at Stark, Starr said, "We clearly get ahead with the state, showing them we are serious about accountability."

It's only a matter of time before changes must be made at Stark, because state sanctions are increasing, he said,

The Redistricting Committee erred in deciding not to consider performance in deciding which school to close, Starr said.

"It doesn't pass the smell test that we'd be closing a great school - Toquam," Starr said.

Toquam students are among the district's highest achievers on state tests.

Members recently narrowed their list of potential schools to be shuttered to two - Toquam and Rogers Magnet School - largely based on the size of the student body and number of students walking to school.

With its planned redistricting, the school board is trying to balance the student population in each building based on economic background.

At the same time, board members are planning to close a building to save about $5 million. They are trying to increase the number of students walking to school in the process to reduce transportation costs.

Moving Toquam students and teachers, and its popular Bank Street program, to the Stark building would create five magnet schools in 2009, giving parents more choice in where children attend school, Starr said.

Some or all Stark students could be allowed to stay until they graduate, the superintendent said, though he would prefer to immediately close Stark and redistribute its students and staff to other buildings.

The number of buses would not increase, but bus rides would be longer for some children under his plan.

It was the second time in recent weeks the committee was thrown a curve ball.

Members were preparing to close Toquam until last month, when Mayor Dannel Malloy, a nonvoting school board member, convinced them to consider closing Rogers and moving those students to the new interdistrict magnet school when it opens on the Clairol property in 2009.

Starr acknowledged he is coming late to the game with the Stark plan. The committee has been working on a redistricting plan for 14 months.

"I wish I thought of it two months ago," Starr said.

Redistricting Committee Chairwoman Susan Nabel said she was "totally nonplussed" by the Stark plan.

Malloy said it makes no sense to fight the Rogers plan when parents support it - especially when the Rogers' building needs the most repairs.

If Rogers were moved to the new environmental-science magnet, Starr said the district could create a preference zone that includes students now assigned to Rogers, but cannot assign students directly to the new magnet school. They would be given preference but would have to apply, he said.

They could stay until the sixth grade, when some would have to move to other middle schools, because the district needs the seats for students from other districts, he said. Since it is an interdistrict school funded by the state, at least 25 percent of students must come from other towns.

Malloy said the Rogers students should be allowed to stay through eighth grade because about 14 percent of the pupils leave in any given year and there would be enough room.

Even if Stamford residents constituted more than 75 percent of students, the state would not pull funding for the school, he said. Malloy said there are interdistrict schools that have been open for eight years that don't have the required numbers of out-of-towners and still get state funding.

School board member Monica Hoherchak said she's concerned that under the mayor's plan, the district would lose about 200 seats for Rogers' International Baccalaureate program. After all current Rogers students graduate, there would be 336 students in the IB program in kindergarten through fifth grade, down from 530 today.

Malloy warned members not to muddy the redistricting decision, which he said should be focused on integrating school buildings based on family income, with discussions about the academic programs that would be offered.

"It sounds like policy and curriculum to me, more than redistricting," Malloy said.

Starr said he would post detailed information about the possible scenarios on the Board of Education's Web site at www.stamfordpublicschools.org. Parents will be invited to comment on the proposals during a public hearing May 5 at Cloonan Middle School.

Nabel said board members are going in circles and need to reach a decision.

"We need to move. We need to make a choice here," she said. "Parents are waiting for us to finish what we started." Click here to read more.

Two men robbed in Scalzi Park

4/25/2008 STAMFORD - Two city men were robbed at gunpoint and pistol-whipped Wednesday night in Scalzi Park, police said.

Police are searching for three suspects who approached the victims, ages 25 and 28, as they walked through the park about 9 p.m., said Lt. Sean Cooney, a police spokesman.

The suspects demanded cash, and two of them pulled out handguns, Cooney said.

They pistol-whipped both victims in the face before fleeing with about $100 cash and a cell phone, police said. They broke the nose of one victim and cut the other in the face, Cooney said.

Both were treated at Stamford Hospital, where medical workers alerted police.

The incident remains under investigation.
- Zach Lowe Click here to read more.

Happy Hour to Raise $ for Stamford Dog Park

Dog Park group slates 'Yappy Hour'--04/25/2008

STAMFORD - Friends of the Stamford Dog Park, which is working to create the first off-leash dog park in Stamford, will host "Yappy Hour" for dogs and their owners from 3 to 5:30 p.m. tomorrow at Murphy's Townhouse Cafe, 97 Franklin St.

The event will include information about the park, which has been authorized by the Stamford Parks and Recreation Commission to be established at the Hunt Complex Park on Courtland Avenue.

There will be snacks, a cash bar, prizes and a canine trivia competition. Admission is $10 per person. Dogs are free.

For information, call Eileen Heaphy at 425-9782 or visit www.stamforddogpark.com. Click here to read more.

Finally, a Lead in the Marco Paoletta Murder Case

Photos released in roadside shooting
By Zach Lowe 04/23/2008
STAMFORD - Police yesterday released photographs of an unknown person who was with a city man minutes before the man was found shot to death on the road outside the Jewish Community Center in January.

The man in the photos is considered a person of interest in the Jan. 3 shooting of Marco Paoletta Jr., 51, said Capt. Richard Conklin, head of the detective bureau. Police are asking for the public's help in identifying and locating him.

Police found Paoletta's body on Vine Road near Turn of River Middle School, and have said they believe the killer targeted Paoletta and knew he was playing racquetball at the community center.

The photos show the man and Paoletta entering and leaving the Newfield Avenue community center together minutes before the shooting.

Paoletta was shot once in the head. Police have not commented on a motive.

The images are from the community center's security cameras, Conklin said.

About five hours after Paoletta's body was recovered, authorities in Norwalk found his car burning on Christy Street. Tests showed the car had been doused in gasoline or some other accelerant before it was set on fire.

Paoletta, known to his friends as "Chickie," was a lifelong Stamford resident who worked in the credit division of a bank in Bridgeport.

His siblings said they were shocked by his death and could not think of anyone who would harm him.

Police did not recover a weapon and have not commented on what kind of gun the killer used.

The images show a Hispanic man in his 20s between 5 feet, 6 inches and 5 feet, 8 inches tall with long black hair.

- Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call the police department's tip line at 977-5111. Click here to read more.

A Woman More Established on the Gossip Scene

From the Advocate's "Dish" with Susie Costaregni:
'Borat' and Fisher check out local restaurant scene 04/20/2008

Scene . . . Actors Isla Fisher ("The Wedding Crashers") and Sacha Baron Cohen ("Borat") were seen dining last week at Napa & Co. in Stamford. Rumor is that the engaged couple have been staying at the Courtyard by Marriott in Stamford. Fisher is in town filming "Confessions of a Shopaholic." Also seen at the popular restaurant recently were Hillary Swank, the Smothers Brothers and Greenwich residents Alex and Steven Cohen, founder of Stamford-based SAC Capital Advisors.
*
Out there . . . "Everybody's Fine," starring Robert De Niro, Kate Beckinsale, Drew Barrymore and Sam Rockwell, will begin filming this month in Stamford on Bedford Street and other areas in the city.
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Scene . . . New Canaan resident Jill Goodacre, the supermodel wife of crooner Harry Connick Jr., was seen shopping Monday at J.Crew and Vineyard Vines in Greenwich.
*
Scene . . . Greenwich resident Hannah Storm, author and former co-anchor of "The Early Show" on CBS, and her husband, NBC sportscaster Dan Hicks, were seen dining recently at Valbella in Riverside with New Canaan residents Jonathan Whitcomb of Diserio Martin O'Connor & Castiglioni LLP, and his wife, Rachel.
*
Scene . . . Football great and current radio host Boomer Esiason was seen last Sunday at Darien Ice Rink.

Susie Costaregni
- Got a tip? Seen a celebrity? E-mail Susie Costaregni at the dish@scni.com Click here to read more.

Ed Letter: Pro-Antares

Citywide benefit 04/08/2008
To the editor:
The fact that Harbor Point, Antares' long-anticipated redevelopment of Stamford's South End, is moving forward is exciting and positive news. Its vision for a revitalized new waterfront neighborhood fits well with Stamford's master plan, and this transformation would make the community a jewel for all Stamford residents to enjoy.

Harbor Point stands out from so many other development projects for its commitment to improving the streets and sidewalks, reclaiming the waterfront and its addition of public parks and open spaces. I attended the mayor's press conference announcing the deal to create a special taxing district, which is now before the Board of Representatives (news story, March 27). Because of the huge public benefits of this project, I encourage the board to approve the deal.

The South End revitalization is long overdue, and Antares' Harbor Point project is world class in every conceivable way. This is a smart growth, environmentally friendly, transit-oriented development that would create thousands of jobs. The South End deserves it, and Stamford needs it.

Vicky Papson
Stamford
The writer is a member of the Stamford Chamber of Commerce's Antares Subcommittee. Click here to read more.

Rating of police didn't seem to include the poor

Advocate: 04/08/2008 To the editor:
In response to "Police get high overall marks" in Stamford (news story, March 4), I want to comment and ask some questions, please.

I am the community director of the Waterside Coalition, and when we asked our residents if they received the survey, by and large the answer was "no." I myself, a resident of Waterside, did not receive one until I asked for one. Who were the random that were chosen? Judging by the end of the article, with the average income of $102,200, it is easy to see that it was not the low-income poor, who live in neighborhoods that might rate lower, who shared their opinion and insight as part of this survey. Does Stamford really think that the communities are not aware of the real issues?

My next question is: Will Stamford now sign off on this survey and believe that all is well with the "easy" majority, so we will stamp out the minority with the results? It's a valid question, and one that needs addressing.

So there is no injustice in Stamford? I guess we look good on paper and in the paper, so we should be grateful, right?

Low-income individuals and individuals of any color may be the minority in the view of the community. But in moving forward, we need to be the majority when it comes to the voice of the people.

No better time than an election year to prove that!

Johnna Paradis
Stamford Click here to read more.

Advocate: Protecting pets from coyote attacks

Staff Reports- 04/17/2008

Stepping out the front door these past few mornings and taking a deep breath of the sweet, warm air has been a pleasure long forgotten. The last few months were pretty mild as winters go, but that doesn't make the rejuvenating weather any less welcome.

However, the onset of spring brings a rash (sometimes literally) of potential hazards, one of which has occurred with increasing frequency over the past several years. Pets enjoy the good weather as much as humans, and often can't wait to get outside. But there are dangers out there these days that they aren't prepared for, that can turn a backyard jaunt into a tragedy.

As we continue to chew up undeveloped land in our communities, we encroach on wildlife habitats and open ourselves to encounters we'd rather avoid.

Enter the coyote.

News earlier this month of an attack that left a small dog in North Stamford clinging to life served as a reminder that our pets can be vulnerable to predators when they are outdoors. A 13-year-old Lhasa Apso went missing early in the morning of April 6, and was found by his owners hours later in a wooded area bleeding from puncture wounds in the neck. Something, most likely a coyote, picked up the 18-pound dog and carried it away.

Incidents like this have become increasingly common over the past decade. The case that received the most attention was when the dog belonging to Greenwich residents Kathie Lee and Frank Gifford was killed by a coyote in 2003. But that was one of many.

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In the five years prior to that attack, nearly 50 similar incidents were reported around the state.
Just a cursory perusal of our records shows several dogs killed by coyotes in recent years in our area, including a 2004 incident in which a Jack Russell terrier was killed in his back yard in Greenwich.

"We sometimes field several calls a week, and this problem has been increasing over the last decade," Chris Vann, a wildlife biologist for the state Department of Environmental Protection, told our reporter Donna Porstner.

Experts say coyotes are more likely to attack cats than dogs. And while they are a particular danger when it's dark, coyotes and other wild animals are hard to predict. That means pet owners have to be ever-vigilant about their animals. Experts say to monitor your dogs when they are outside, especially smaller canines, and keep cats inside. That last one won't go over well with many cats, or their owners. Cats are very independent creatures, and like their space to roam. While some think it isn't right to make them stay inside, it is a decision that owners will have to make.

Pet owners should also know that some security measures used to protect their animals won't work on predators. For example, underground electric fences might be effective in keeping dogs in the yard, but they won't keep animals out.

Owners are asking for trouble if they leave food outside for their pets, or if food smells are emanating from garbage cans. That goes for table scraps in compost piles, food scraps on barbecue grills and fruit that has fallen from trees.

If dogs and cats must be left alone, a 6-foot fence is the best way to protect them.

"People may live in an area for years and never suspect their yard is a potential hunting ground," says Mr. Vann of the DEP.

An unsettling thought. But it's one pet owners shouldn't forget if they want to protect their dogs and cats. Click here to read more.