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.
*
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.

Ed Letter: Save Rogers Magnet School

Successful school should not close 04/16/2008

To the editor:
I was absolutely outraged with what I read in The Advocate on April 11 regarding the potential closure of The International School at Rogers Magnet. Reading between the lines, it appears from out of nowhere, the Board of Education will be closing the school, shutting down the International Baccalaureate program and moving all non-magnet students to the new school they're building with a new, untested, and unproven curriculum of study.

Worst of all, those of us with children in the school as part of the magnet program would be sent back to our district schools that we opted out of attending to begin with.

Was it not a few months ago that Rogers was being honored as the most improved school in Fairfield County? Was it not a few weeks ago that we received a No Child Left Behind Act report showing that Rogers was one of two schools in the whole city that would qualify to be removed from the "in need of improvement" lists with one more year of good test results? Was it not just the other week that we were celebrating the successes of the International Baccalaureate program to such an extent that there was consideration of extending the program to the middle school years?

And now what message is the Board of Education giving? That one of the most successful schools in the city should be shut down? That the most improved school not just in the city, but in the entire county, should be crossed out as an unsustainable success?

Should Rogers go, what will Stamford offer parents with elementary school children? The academic successes of Rogers and Westover are to be celebrated and duplicated, not shut down and discarded. Most towns celebrate their successful schools. Towns with successful school systems not coincidentally have higher property values.
Parents want to live in communities with good schools, and our school board seems to be saying that good schools are not what Stamford is about.

John C. Ross
Stamford Click here to read more.

Ed Letter: Save K.T. Murphy School

K.T Murphy is vital to the identity of its community 04/04/2008

To the editor:
Neighborhoods are an important mechanism in our society, and an integral part of community life. They not only enhance our personal lives, but sustain the livability of our cities.
The mayor and school board should pay heed. As evidenced by the furor being raised on the message boards, it is obvious that K.T. Murphy Elementary School is a huge element in a living, breathing community, and has a fiercely devoted following. This isn't just a random group of parents saying "please don't close our children's school" (new story, April 1); this is an entire community telling you that this school is their heart.

While understood that everyone loves their schools, how many places exist where the devotion is intergenerational? Where else do you find such passion expressed by a legion of alumni that spans decades? Though the Cove has certainly become more transient in recent years, there are still plenty of life-long residents there for whom Murphy School is a piece of their personal history, and many more who are in the process of building the memory.

K.T. Murphy is part of a century of Cove history, and is as defining an element of the neighborhood as Cove Island. They both bring a community together.

Any attempt to dissolve that community spirit by closing Murphy School ought to be viewed as a deliberate dismantling of a neighborhood, and should be met with opposition at every turn. Cove residents must fight to preserve the quality of life here, which includes our neighborhood school!

Lois A. Hogan
Stamford Click here to read more.

Little Doggie on the Mend

Dog recovering after unknown predator's attack
By Donna Porstner 04/12/2008

STAMFORD - The Lhasa Apso attacked by a wild animal in his North Stamford back yard early Sunday is back home with his owners and regaining his strength.

Rascal was released Wednesday from a Norwalk animal hospital, where he received around-the-clock care.

"He's pretty slow, and he sleeps a lot - and he looks really awful - but he's moving along," his owner Lynne Stone said. "He just kind of moves from one soft spot to another."

Rascal, who is 13 - 91 in dog years - is taking five medications, one for pain, one anti-inflammatory drug, plus antibiotics.

"He's just like a little old man," Stone said.

The pooch had been outside for about 10 minutes when Stone noticed he had gone missing at about 5 a.m. Sunday. She and her husband, Ted, found him hours later bleeding from the neck in a wooded area behind their home on South Lake Drive. From the puncture wounds on his neck, they presume a coyote picked up the 18-pound dog and dragged him there.

"I am amazed he's made it. He must have a pretty strong little will in there," Stone said. "He thanks everyone for their well wishes."

The Stones received phone calls from strangers concerned about the dog after a story about the attack appeared in The Advocate.

Coyote attacks on pets have become more prevalent in lower Fairfield County in the past 10 years, state environmental officials said.

In 2003, Kathie Lee and Frank Gifford's 15-year-old Bichon Frise, Chardonnay, was killed by a coyote in the back
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yard of their Greenwich home.

Chris Vann, a wildlife biologist for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said coyote attacks on pets have become more common with suburban sprawl and the movement of coyotes into established residential neighborhoods.

"We sometimes field several calls a week, and this problem has been increasing over the last decade," Vann said.

Pet owners are urged not to leave food outside because it attracts coyotes, and they are warned not to leave dogs unattended in the dark.

"People may live in an area for years and never suspect their yard is a potential hunting ground," Vann said. Click here to read more.

Wikipedia Entry: West Side of Stamford

West Side of Stamford-- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The West Side of Stamford, Connecticut is one of the poorest and most violent sections of the city. It is located north of the Waterside neighborhood, west of Downtown and east of Greenwich, Connecticut. The different sections of the West Side including Vidal Court, Fairfield Court, Spruce Street, Friendship Building and the infamous Southwood Square (formally known as Southfield Village).

One version of the boundaries of the West Side has it located between Stillwater Avenue, Broad Street, West Main Street and West Avenue up to Exit 6 Interstate 95.[1]

The West Side has had a problem with violent crime for years. "Despite efforts to curb it, the area is still a breeding ground for drug dealers, and gangs, such as the Bloods, the Crips, the Merrell Avenue Posse and the Haitian Posse," according to an April 2007 article in The Advocate of Stamford. "A shootout last year [2006] between factions of the Crips that left two people injured spurred a citywide police sweep called Operation Clean Streets."[2]

Ethnic groups

The West Side has a large Italian American population, but much less than in the past. After World War II and the emergence of Italian-Americans from the working class, Blacks became a larger presence, and more recently Haitian Americans and Hispanics have moved to the neighborhood. The Roman Catholic Sacred Heart Church on Schuyler Avenue in the neighborhood was built for Italian-Americans in the early twentieth century at a time when Roman Catholic Churches were organized for groups by national origin.[citation needed]

Many Italian-Americans in the neighborhood in the Twentieth century immigrated from Minturno, Italy and communities near it. The Minturnese Social Club, founded in 1939 and only made up of members whose families hailed from Minturno, had 120 members in 2007. A Minturnese tradition, the Festa de la Regna ("Festival of Wheat") celebration of harvest day and honoring the Maddona delle Grazie, is still honored with an annual procession. On July 8, 2007 the procession was held on Stephen Street after a Mass said in Italian at the Sacred Heart Church. The procession included women in traditional black and white dresses, a float with miniature palm treas, a stuffed rooster, sheaves of wheat and an Italian flag, a marching band, a woman in red, white and green traditional dress with a sheaf of wheat and men carrying a yellow throne with a portrait of the Maddona delle Grazie.[3]

Another group of Italians in Stamford, came here from Settefrati, Italy. They also have a Social Club located on 23 Virgil Street, in Stamford, CT. The Settefratese tradition in Stamford is to have a Mass for their Patron Saint, La Madonna di Canneto, followed by Sagne e Fagioli at the Club.

Local institutions

Stamford Hospital with a campus of more than 10 acres, is the largest institution in the neighborhood[4], the Yerwood Community Center is located in West Stamford, as is Lione Park, and the Westover Elementary School. The public E. Gaynor Brennan Golf Course is to the north

The New Covenant House soup kitchen, established in 1978, is in the neighborhood and is the only soup kitchen set up to help people in Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan and Darien. Run by Catholic Charities of Fairfield County, the soup kitchen provides daily hot meals and extreme nourishment to the homeless.[5]

Pellicci's Italian restaurant has been located at the same address on Stillwater Avenue since 1947. The family-owned restaurant is known for unpretentious, old-fashioned Italian cooking. Joe DiMaggio, Nancy Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Walter Cronkite have all dined there. The eatery sells more than 1,000 poinds of baked chicken a week.[6] Click here to read more.

Letter to Stamford Talk from Chowhound

Hi Stamford Talk, you've been sent the following by a Chowhound moderator:

We really do understand your frustration with our request not to post about Napa & Co. It's even more frustrating for all of us to have to ban discussion of good places. But we really do need you to stop posting about them.

The problem is, it's not possible for us to block just the insiders who violate the rules about posting on their place -- they use too many IDs (literally dozens of them in the case of Napa & Co, from names you'd recognize like Fairfield Foodie, John Leah, tdchow, TwoSuns, to many one time names) and post too many dishonest posts. (We're not counting the new nametag you registered last night to post about Napa, which we've deactivated.)

With a lot of work, we've been able to confirm that the posters mentioned above are all employed at Napa or related to an employee. We just don't have the resources to continually examine each and every reply that comes in on Napa, deciding if the poster is a legitimate poster, an innocent newbie who doesn't know any better, a disgruntled regular poster like yourself, or one of the sleazy bunch who got the place banned in the first place.

Luckily, we don't have many places on our banned list because word has gotten out and most restaurant owners, staff and family members realize the risk isn't worth the reward. We only put this measure in place when there's been a concerted campaign to post phony reviews which will bring people into a restaurant. And even then, it's not intended to punish the place -- we don't even normally send emails like this, since we don't want to damage the restaurant's business, we just want to keep our site honest. You seem really frustrated, though, so we're hoping opening up a little with the details will help you understand why we have to do what we've done.

It's no accident that Chowhound is a sleaze-free, hype-free site where like-minded chowhounds swap chow tips. We've had to moderate carefully to create that environment and we have to occasionally delete honest posts like yours to keep it that way. We hope you can accept that and maybe come to appreciate it.

We know that the Napa & Co ban has been particularly hard on the Tristate community, since it's a restaurant many of you would like to discuss. With the intense history of dishonest postings on this place, sadly, we've been left with no other choice.

We're hoping that now you're acquainted with the details on this situation you'll be better able to abide by our guidelines (including the prohibition on registering more than one posting alias.)

The Chowhound Team
Chowhound.com
For Those Who Live to Eat Click here to read more.

Stamford Coyote Incident

Owner blames coyote for attack on her dog
By Donna Porstner Staff Writer 04/08/2008
STAMFORD - Rascal, a 13-year-old Lhasa Apso, is clinging to life after his owner said it was attacked by a coyote Sunday morning in her North Stamford back yard.

Lynne Stone, who lives on South Lake Drive near the New York border, said Rascal was in the back yard, which has an electric fence, for about 10 minutes early Sunday when she heard an unusual sound. She looked outside but didn't see anything. It was about 5 a.m. and still dark, so she took a flashlight but still couldn't find the 18-pound pooch.

Hours later, Stone and her husband, Ted, found Rascal unresponsive and barely breathing with puncture wounds in his neck next a lake behind their home. They rushed him to a Norwalk 24-hour emergency animal care center.

"He's basically in the equivalent of doggy ICU," she said. "He's hooked up to a little intravenous."

From the bite marks on his neck, the Stones presume a coyote carried him away.

Though the doctor said the dog's prognosis is good, it is not known whether Rascal can survive without costly round-the-clock medical care.

Rascal's sister Squirmy, who went inside minutes before the attack, was unharmed.

Though coyotes in residential areas generally pose no threat to humans, they often prey on small dogs and cats.

The state Department of Environmental Protection recommends owners supervise their pets while outdoors or keep them fenced in to protect them - particularly this time of year, when wild animals are looking for food for their
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young.

"Most animals are wary of people, and will stay away if someone is there," DEP spokesman Dennis Schain said.

The DEP warns pet owners not to leave food or trash outside, including pet food, table scraps in compost piles, food scraps on barbecue grills, and fruit that has fallen from trees, because it can attract coyotes.

Though older, smaller dogs in yards with electric fences can be taken by coyotes, Stamford Animal Control Officer Laurie Hollywood said there is no way of knowing what kind of animal attacked Rascal.

"If it's puncture wounds obviously another animal did it, but to say what animal did it would be guessing," she said. "Hopefully, it was an isolated incident. It could be the neighbor's chocolate Lab. You just don't know."

Pets in Stamford have gone missing in recent years, but there have been no reported incidents of coyotes killing or wounding pets, Hollywood said.

"We get sighting calls at all the time, but we haven't had anyone actually report a coyote taking their animal in probably a couple of years," she said.

It's rare for coyotes to leave their prey alive, she said.

Since coyotes and other animals pose a threat, Hollywood recommends owners with dogs under 15 pounds keep them supervised and leashed while outdoors.

"Everybody likes these little teacup dogs these days - that's something you need to stay there and protect - they can't really protect themselves," she said.

Coyotes are particularly dangerous because they often stake out their prey for two weeks and learn its routine so it knows when to attack, she said.

"They know which houses have animals because of the urine scent in the yard," Hollywood said. "They know which animals are weaker and which ones to target."

If dogs and cats must be left alone a 6-foot fence is the best way to protect them, she said. Electric fences do not prevent other animals from entering the yard, she said.

Stone plans to leaflet her neighborhood to warn other pet owners.

"We knew there were coyotes in the area. I should have been more vigilant," she said. "Sometimes small dogs make good breakfast treats." Click here to read more.

Pedestrians in Stamford: Maligned, Misunderstood

Advocate: Pedestrians are in jeopardy at station- 04/07/2008
To the editor:

If Stamford police officers wants to make our city safer, they need only to place themselves at the Springdale train station at the evening rush.

Commuters trying to cross Hope Street, using the crosswalk, take their lives in their hands daily. Cars drive by at high speeds, honking their horns and shooting angry looks as we try to cross the street on our walk home. The sign by the side of the road does not get their attention, and most drivers feel inconvenienced to have to stop.

I just hope that a solution is found before someone gets seriously injured.

Phyllis Pugliesi
Stamford Click here to read more.

Portable Classrooms are Gross

My opinion: I doubt these double-wide trailers are as nice as the Board of Ed member and school facilities managers say there are.

Rep: Take students out of 'substandard' portable classrooms
By Donna Porstner Staff Writer

STAMFORD - The chairwoman of the Board of Representatives' Education Committee says 500 students ought to be removed from "substandard" portable classrooms before the Board of Education closes an elementary school.

"We talk about equity and equality, and if you start with an environment that's not good to learn, you are one step behind," said Rep. Pauline Rauh, D-6.

The Board of Education plans to close an elementary school when the new interdistrict magnet school opens in 2009. Declining enrollment and limited funding have been cited as reasons.

Many of the 28 modular classrooms in city grammar schools do not have running water, making bathroom visits a "field trip" and messes difficult to clean, said Rauh, a former school administrator who represents downtown.

"The life of elementary school children is their hands are being washed all the time," she told three school board members who attended one of her committee's meetings at the Government Center Thursday night.

It was the second time in four months Rauh implored school board members to consider the long-term needs of students in the modular units before closing a building.

"I think you are right when you say we haven't discussed that in-depth, but what's the alternative?" said James Rubino, who chairs the Board of Education's Facilities Committee.

Rauh suggested keeping all 12 elementary schools and dispersing preschool classes run by Childcare Learning Centers Inc. into neighborhood schools
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across the city. The nonprofit company has been discussed as a potential tenant of a school building that would be vacated.

Parents of 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds might be reluctant to send their children across town, so preschool classes in neighborhood schools may be ideal, she said.

Rauh said she fears the Board of Education will close a school only to come back a few years later and seek a large capital appropriation to replace the portables classrooms. The oldest units are 18 years old.

While some portable classrooms had three-to-five-year lifespans when they were purchased, School Facilities Manager Al Barbarotta said the district has extended their useful lives by installing new roofs and making other repairs.

"Most of the teachers like them," Barbarotta said. "We don't get very many complaints about them at my level."

The school board's Redistricting Committee decided in February to continue counting the space provided by modular classrooms as it considers where to send students in years ahead.

Rubino said it wouldn't make sense, financially, to disperse preschool classes throughout the city.

"I think it's economies of scale," he said in an interview after the meeting. "If CLC is looking for a place to house 400 kids, it's more economical to put them all in one place.

CLC runs subsidized preschool and daycare programs for nearly 1,100 children at 17 sites. CLC officials have said they are seeking a central location to consolidate their 15 satellite operations.

Monica Hoherchak, another school board member, said in interview after Thursday's meeting that CLC officials have told them clients don't mind driving to a central campus.

Board of Education President Richard Freedman did not attend the meeting but said in an interview Friday that there is no reason to discontinue using the portables.

"In many cases - if not most cases - they are the nicest classrooms in the building, so this whole issue of equity - it's just not the case," he said.

Demolishing portable classrooms and redistributing those students to other buildings would be more disruptive and unpopular than closing one building, Freedman said.

"It's like any other piece of real estate: If you maintain and keep it in working condition, it should last a long time," he said.

* Click here to read more.

Parking Shortage in Stamford? Nooooo!

Sometimes life in Stamford seems all gloom and doom.

Parking? There may not be empty spaces in Bell Street garage
Stamford Advocate article By Wynne Parry 03/23/2008


STAMFORD - Take a weekday spin through one of the three city-run parking garages, and you'll see plenty of empty spaces - even at Bell Street garage, the most popular.

But with development projects and more commuters on the way, the days of abundant parking may be numbered, said Ben Barnes, the city's director of operations.

Hoping to head off a parking shortage at the largest and most centrally located Bell Street facility, Barnes has asked a longtime tenant, Saturn of Stamford, to move the new vehicles it keeps on the roof parking level to the Bedford Street garage.

Tom Waurishuk, Saturn's general manager, is not happy about moving when other businesses rent space for their employees in the same garage.

"There is a wonderful thing, it is called first-come, first-serve, and we were there first," he said.

Saturn began storing the cars for its Stamford dealership at the garage about 13 years ago, Waurishuk said. Since then, the city dealership closed about two years ago, so the cars now are taken to White Plains, N.Y., to be sold.

In all that time, Waurishuk said he has watched much of the Bell Street garage sit empty, adding, "I don't believe it will ever fill up; it never has."

The city has sold daytime permits for 720 of Bell Street's 850 spaces, including Saturn's. In addition, the garage gets an average of 110 "transient" parkers each day, Barnes said.

Many of the latter group arrive downtown in the evening, so the garage can handle many more
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permits and transient drivers than it has spaces. "It's not unlike the airline business, where it makes some sense to oversell," he said.

A midmorning drive through the Bell Street garage on Thursday revealed about three levels of occupied spaces and another three that were mostly empty.

However, this may change as development plans bring in more drivers and existing parking is lost to construction, particularly near the train station and in downtown.

In the next few years, the city is likely to lose the lease for the St. John's parking lot it operates that is owned by the Diocese of Bridgeport. These 246 spaces are across the street from the Bell Street garage.

In the past two weeks, Barnes said he received requests for several hundred additional spaces in the Bell Street garage from four entities, including UBS.

"People are apprehensive about the availability of parking, so they want to lock up as much as they can," he said.

UBS rents 350 spaces at the Bell Street garage, but the additional request was prompted by Antares' development plans for the former Manger Electric site, part of which UBS uses for parking near the train station.

Train commuters, plagued by a shortage of spots and long waiting lists to park at the station, may face more problems when a 23-year-old station parking garage is replaced.

Also, W&M Properties, owner of the Metro Center office building at Station Place and Washington Boulevard, has approval to build an office tower and three apartment buildings on the same block as the train station.

Moving Saturn from the Bell Street garage makes sense, said City Rep. Robert "Gabe" DeLuca, R-14, chairman of the Transportation Committee. "My feeling is open more space for the public."

Despite the move, the terms of Saturn's lease would remain the same, earning the city $172,800 over three years.

Saturn is the best entity to move because it simply stores cars and won't need to ask workers to walk farther, Barnes said. Click here to read more.