[...] we are being asked to fund money to build a complex that will be used, at most, three months out of the year -- and this defies logic. The RTM ultimately approved "seed" money, but where is the report that was promised -- what will be built and how much, the cost of ongoing maintenance and the ecological impact of the substantial blasting of rock at the site? How about money to repair the dilapidated Eastern Civic Center, which is utilized year round and is in total disrepair, for which we spent $700,000 for a new roof.

Since June 2009, Obama has added 1.2 million jobs to the economy, more than half of what Bush added during his entire eight year tenure. [...] why does his proposed tax plan, as analyzed by the non-partisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, afford the wealthiest 1% tax breaks that are three times larger, in percentage terms, than the bottom 80%? Republicans say that creating jobs is their top priority, but stood in the way of a payroll tax break for 160 million workers (that Moody's Analytics estimated would add 750,000 jobs) because it was to be paid by a small tax increase for the wealthiest Americans. Under Obama, the federal workforce is smaller than it was when Reagan took office, in no small part due to the Democratic administration of Bill Clinton, which lowered the federal payroll by 380,000.

The plan proposes drop-offs of vehicles at the Mercedes sales center at 261 West Putnam and would be open until midnight. Since the proposed service site is not contiguous to the sales center, a valet service will shuttle cars to/from the 217 West Putnam site across a residential street, Edgewood Drive, near an unsafe intersection. [...] Penske Auto Group may be planning to expand their 217 West Putnam Avenue facility in hopes of servicing additional brands of cars in the future since the Penske Auto Group website shows 40 dealership brands. Concerned citizens should contact P&Z to request safe traffic flow on the effected streets and preservation of the nearby residential neighborhood, as specified in the Greenwich Plan of Conservation and Development. Team In Training is the world's largest and most successful endurance sports charity training program. Since 1988, the program has helped more than 540,000 people achieve their dream of completing a 5K, marathon, half marathon, triathlon, 100-mile bike ride or hike adventure.

The seven-week program opened my eyes to the roles the police play in keeping our community safe -- often at risk to their own lives. In "hands-on" classes, police in their respective fields taught us that it takes a special breed to want to enter the police profession. In recent news about The Greenwich Reform Synagogue breaking off from their "contract" with The Stanwich School, the town continues to be faced with potential grand development on Stanwich Road and Cat Rock Road. Whether condominiums, townhouses, or apartments for whomever, this residential and evergreen setting, along with all of residential Greenwich, cannot tolerate the spread of such a carbon footprint. Don't bring even more traffic in, and as for the proposed use of the 11-acre site for whomever, prevent the history of two septic failures and a boil water advisory, the blasting, contamination (the vast surrounding neighborhood is on well water) and environmental destruction from continuing. Even in sensitive areas such as construction for a church, a school, a corporation and the like, demand the regs of the POCD be enforced -- or the healthy and green spaces of Greenwich will disappear either blatantly or in a subtle and unexpected fashion.

Barbara O'Neill is presented as an experienced educator, an insider with many years experience to help Greenwich Public Schools. A BOE member needs to pay attention to details, "the fine print," so to speak, in, for example, the GPS budget and policy manual. What a novel idea it is to have a person with teaching and educational experience on our Board of Education. The citizens of Greenwich will be well served by Barbara's intellect and ability to build consensus during a time when it appears that consensus is at an all-time low. Barbara will neither accept status quo nor simply object to proposals without offering alternative solutions. Having worked with eight superintendents, Barbara knows the qualities that are needed to effectively lead this district and to ensure adherence to the long-standing values of our town. Due to the complexity and scale of issues that surround the high school, GHS PTA presidents typically have significant interaction with the board, providing a unique perspective on the interactions and dynamics among board members. The Boards of Education we have each worked with in the past functioned most effectively for the school system when they did so with respect for each other and the Greenwich Public Schools administration and staff. What distinguished them from the current board is the understanding that once the majority of the board voted on a course of action, all board members, including dissenting ones, moved forward as a united group for the betterment of the schools. The opportunity exists in this election for voters to make the change, because there are four Republican candidates vying for two seats. Barbara is a seasoned veteran of the Greenwich Public School System who leaves a legacy of effective program development, an outstanding staff and, most importantly, many children who have benefited from an outstanding education as a result of her administration. With her knowledge of the intricacies of our different schools, the curriculum, the teachers and the administrators from the building level to the superintendent level, Barbara will hit the ground running. Barbara will balance competing priorities, providing an environment where all students can achieve their potential while also being a responsible steward of our tax dollars. During that time, I watched him routinely address difficult situations by doing his homework, listening to other viewpoints and keeping board discussions on point so that decisions could be made and executed, while maintaining an atmosphere of respect and collegiality. Bill has approached his candidacy for tax collector with diligence and forethought -- preparing for the job by taking classes on the topic and reaching out to other tax collectors in the state to better understand the job challenges and how to manage them. [...] if you compare Ms. Ponns Cohen's campaign with the campaign the ex-BOE/PTAC leaders are waging, she has been a breath of fresh air with respect to politics today. Marianna has consistently refused to engage in "negative politics" and has run on her record, which is impressive in spite of her critics. If you want to improve our school system, ensure transparency and have a voice in how our schools are governed then you should vote, as I will, to re-elect Marianna Ponns Cohen. Marianna has demonstrated the intellectual ability to analyze and discuss critical, and often complicated, issues that will determine the future course of our children's education. The public is best served by more, not less, discussion of the issues our schools face, and the proposed solutions the board is considering. Anna Saras Povinelli is a mom with years of experience working inside the GPS System toward positive outcomes for our students at many different schools across town. With so many qualified candidates this year, Anna stands out as not just someone who can navigate the school system but someone who can stand aside and recognize real areas where there's room for improvement. Anna has a history of demanding excellence and refusing to be a `rubber stamp' for programs and matters which don't make sense for Greenwich. Please join me in voting for Anna Saras Povinelli on Nov. 8, so we can begin to rebuild the great public school tradition Greenwich deserves. Barbara O'Neill is a trained educator with many years of experience in our district, and Peter von Braun is a businessman with a successful track record in strategic planning and management. Among her volunteerism, she served as president of the Hamilton Avenue PTA as well as an executive board member of the PTA Council. Barbara and Peter have the ability and the willingness to think independently and work collegially with the rest of the board to solve the issues currently facing the school system. With this in mind, the board and the new superintendent have a vested interest in those stated goals. Peter is a firm believer in local control of the school system so that all of the students in the Greenwich Public School system achieve their fullest potential. Tod Laudonia is a Republican running for re-election as our tax collector on his current, very impressive, record. First and foremost is a 99.65 percent rate of collection during the worst economic environment in a generation. Tod is spearheading initiatives to improve customer service and the taxpayer's ability to navigate the system. If you too are in favor of a tax collector who collects 99.56 percent of the taxes as well as the largest amount of prepaid taxes while cutting office expenses, you will join me in voting for Republican Tod Laudonia, our tax collector. After receiving a tax bill for my leased car, I talked to Tod Laudonia, our tax collector, regarding the charges. In all the years I have been leasing cars I have never received a credit for an overpayment, and I want to publicly thank Tod for his expertise in the matter and for taking the time to help me. Would they advocate a random $1 million BOE budget cut at the annual RTM budget meeting, after it was rejected by the BOE and BET Educational Committee, as the only incumbent, Ms. Marianna Ponns Cohen, had done unilaterally last May? Ms. Ponns Cohen's ambivalence in her response was shocking as she questioned whether she spoke at the May meeting, denied advocating such a cut and then claimed the intent of the cut was to reallocate the funds within the BOE budget. To be certain my recollection was correct, I checked the online archives at Greenwich Community TV website at gctv.greenwich.org. The two Democratic nominees are guaranteed election, but all voters-including Democrats -- have a chance to make sure that the best two Republican candidates are chosen. Before retiring in 2009, Barbara worked for the Greenwich Public Schools for 35 years, the last 16 of these as the Advanced Learning Program Coordinator. Peter's business background, as a partner in the consulting firm of McKinsey and as CEO of several private companies, will allow him to make a strong contribution as the BOE hires a new superintendent and focuses on improving academic achievement. Just as important, Barbara and Peter have the people skills to work with their other six Board members and with school administrators. If Barbara and Peter are elected, the BOE will be able once again to concentrate on its real task -- improving achievement for all kids. Peter combines his 24 years of town government experience, including four years as the first selectman, and 10 years each on the BET and RTM, his sense of fiduciary management responsibility from 18 years of business experience with a national financial institution in Greenwich and his lifelong knowledge of the town and its residents. Peter knows the importance of the town's flat organizational structure and respects the need for cooperation between the Board of Selectmen, the BET and the RTM. Peter has honored his commitment to keep our taxes modest and predictable, to maintain our quality of life and to preserve the character of our residential neighborhoods. Let me first me thank all the talented and hard-working people serving as elected officials and all those distinguished and accomplished people willing to place their names on the ballot to serve our town. Drew is one of those people who can walk into a room of strangers and leave with all of them as friends, while still remembering each individual's stories. For 17 years he has had a distinguished, award-winning career as a member of Greenwich Emergency Services. Because he knows and understands our residents and their needs so well, he is best equipped to help our town determine the most effective emergency preparedness and response techniques. More than any other politician I have known, Drew is accessible, caring, hard-working and a true team player. Carmella has played a very important role in town politics for her whole career while juggling responsibilities that come along with being a daughter, mother, grandmother, wife and good citizen -- no small feat. Setting aside the letter's acerbic tone, let's review. In the past nine years the Greenwich collection rate has ranged between 99.0-99.6 percent, reflecting taxpayers' attention to their obligations as well as the general wealth of our community. Tell that to two individuals who, respectively, placed a $41,000 and a $10,000 check in the tax collector's "drop box." The state statute says the taxpayer is responsible for their taxes. After a month that set a new record for poor customer service, the town's tax collector is consciously choosing to lower service even more. Bill Grad is a responsible manager who will bring professionalism, customer service and accountability to the Greenwich tax collector's office. Barbara and Peter share a commitment to our community's goals of improved student learning and fiscal responsibility. [...] they also recognize that the board's interaction sets the tone for the district, impacts thousands of students, and communicates our community's core values. The process of reconciling differences of opinion to arrive at the best group decision is hard work; civility, mutual respect and a sense of shared responsibility are what make this possible on well-functioning boards. The election of tax collector should not be determined by political party. Bill Grad's personality and educational background make him the better candidate. Lou Caravella, who held the position of tax collector for 11 years, has endorsed Bill Grad over Tod Laudania, calling Bill a man of passion and integrity. Caravella noted that Bill Grad has extensive business and management experience and that "he can hit the ground running when he takes office." The Greenwich BOE faces many challenges right now -- declining test scores, revolving door issues with the superintendent position, nonresidents attending our public schools, as well as accountability issues on these topics. The BOE definitely needs new blood to push forward and tackle these issues to improve student achievement in Greenwich. Having worked with her in business, she is meticulous, results-oriented and a true consensus-builder when faced with complex and difficult issues and tasks. In Greenwich, we have witnessed a decade of declines in student performance at a time when comparable Connecticut school districts have seen marked improvement in academic performance. Haven't we learned our lesson time and again from hiring retired or retiring superintendents with very rigid ideas about the BOE, education and our schools? Shouldn't we also be concerned that a long-time member of the teachers union may stand in the way of turning our school system around? Less directly, it touches on the quality of life in Greenwich, on the reputation of Greenwich, and on the real estate values of Greenwich. The latter had her in the classrooms of all 11 elementary and three middle schools, which allowed Barbara to see first-hand the similarities and differences among our 14 schools that funnel into Greenwich High School. In her nearly 30 years as a resident, Mrs. O'Neill has found time to serve the community outside of her profession, whether it has been through our local food bank, Neighbor-to-Neighbor; through her affiliation with the Greenwich Land Trust; or as a member of the board of Friends of Greenwich Point. Dave has a strong financial background, drawing from his experience at the Private Client Group at Wells Fargo Advisors, where he serves as first vice president in Old Greenwich. Next, he has demonstrated strong leadership skills not only in Town Hall as a selectman, but through his many associations with the non-profit organizations and community groups. The taxpayers of Greenwich deserve Board of Education members who are willing to publicly ask questions and challenge the school administrators at this critical time. Let us help return the school system to its prior status by electing Marianna Ponns Cohen to the Board of Education. [...] Peter opened the new Public Administration Safety Complex, helped lead the MISA project through the funding process, is guiding the Central Fire Station through the various approvals required and managed many infrastructure projects through various stages of completion. Tesei's Plan for Greenwich is straightforward: control property taxes, provide first-rate education, preserve our neighborhoods, promote excellence in the delivery of town services and invest in town facilities and schools.

At the request of many legislators, myself included, the General Assembly will hold hearings on the readiness and response of the state's utilities in the next few weeks. If this legislative effort is successful, municipalities and utilities will have a coordinated storm recovery plan for any kind of significant weather event, you will know how repair crews are contracted for in our area in advance of any storm and you will better understand management recovery decision-making performance based on a CL&P and UI provided GPS tracking system for out-of-state contracted repair vehicles with a built-in reporting delay for safety reasons indicating where crews are working and where work has been completed. Given today's very affordable technology that allows us to track a package to nearly a foot of where it is en route and determine with certainty when it will show up at any destination, we can expect nominally better transparency as to subcontracted crew deployment, improved reaction times to storm induced power outages and predictability regarding power restoration. The senior management team of the electric utilities clearly need a few days away from their normal routine to better understand how this could have happened after last year's power outages and how to manage much more effectively recovery efforts in future storms.

Serving on the RTM allows interested citizens to have an influence on town government by voting on the budget, appointments to boards and committees, ordinances and other items which come before the RTM. Interested candidates should place their names on the ballot for the November 8 election for the term beginning in January 2012. Petition candidates must gather signatures from a minimum of 25 registered voters in their district and submit the list to the Town Clerk's office along with a required form by 4 p.m. Any registered voter in District 5 who is interested in filling the vacancy should contact Laura Erickson at 203-698-3267 or via email at LErick67@gmail.com or Mary Ferry at 203-637-9385 for more information and should plan to attend the District 5 meeting on Thursday, September 15, at the Riverside Elementary School Media Center at 8 p.m. Ted Laudonia was again nominated by the RTC for tax collector in spite of a disastrous first term replete with statements going out late, lost taxpayers' checks and lack of information -- coupled with a surprising disregard for the general confusion and inconvenience that ensued. The office of tax collector is not a policy-making position and, therefore, should not be subject to partisan politics. Members run and serve on a non-partisan basis and are elected by the voters in the town's 12 voting districts. For more information on the District 7 election process and the responsibilities of RTM members, interested citizens should call Chairman Valerie Stauffer at 203-869-7451 or e-mail her at Stauftek@ aol.com.

BET Chairman Stephen Walko has finally asked the question that should have been asked years ago: "Are we sitting on a site (Greenwich High School) where it simply becomes cost prohibitive to do the auditorium project?" He would have known the answer is "yes," economically, legally and environmentally had the Town of Greenwich simply followed its own Charter as well as state laws and federal acts. In the late 1960s, the Town of Greenwich purchased "The 10 Acre Swamp," and seized seven adjacent homes through the doctrine of eminent domain in order to assemble a 53-acre parcel large enough to erect a single high school in central Greenwich for use by the entire town. The town also agreed to leave the swampland undisturbed and to maintain the woodlands as a buffer between the school and the surrounding residential neighborhood. All properties containing swamps, everywhere in the United States, were categorized as "Wetlands" subject to Clean Water Act supervision. Contrary to notations on the MISA "final" site plan, virtually the entire high school property, including all current artificial turf playing fields is, according to The POCD; municipal, state, and federal records; and all prior Board of Education site plans, still formally designated as a "Wetlands" subject to public review and the permitting process made part of The Clean Water Act. In 1975, The Planning and Zoning Commission granted The Board of Education a "hardship variance" to move the single natural turf high school playing field from the northern end of the property to the southern end because the original field could not be used due to "swamp-like" conditions. The Board of Education, in executing that new construction, failed to obtain the required permits from the Army Corps of Engineers, notwithstanding town ordinances requiring it to do so. In an effort to keep the relocated natural turf playing field dry, the town installed a concrete culvert, diverting West Brothers Brook, which ran straight across the combined property. According to recent statements made by the Director of the Conservation Commission, the town may have imported massive quantities of "fly-ash" from the Cos Cob Railroad Power Plant, again without permits, to fill in the swamp so that it could construct the single natural turf playing field 10 feet higher than the drainage culvert. All high school storm water runoff cascaded across the Post Road, down onto neighboring properties, and then directly into Long Island Sound. In 1999, as part of a proposal to install nighttime lighting on its one athletic field, the Board of Education also apparently decided to install seven artificial turf athletic fields in the swampland, again without seeking or obtaining federal, state, and municipal Clean Water Act permits, or providing any of the mandated public notices. In 2007 the Board of Education first publicly proposed the "Greenwich Performing Arts Center" (renamed "MISA" to disguise its true intended purpose and environmental impact.) This project, again without any of the required environmental impact studies was, and is, in flagrant disregard of the Clean Water Act, as well as the town's own charter and stipulations made as part of the 2003 court ordered settlements. Contractors cannot cart away or replace the contaminated fill material without first filing a Notice of Intent (NOI) and a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) with the Army Corps of Engineers, as well as valid Clean Water Act Section 404 and Section 402 permits which may take years to obtain. There is no defense against the charge that the town has willfully ignored federal, state and local regulations, as well as court orders, by turning the approval process on its head; starting construction before providing notice; failing to first create an environmental impact statement; and completely disregarding its obligation to obtain required permits. Perhaps the most disturbing was his cavalier attitude to the public by being reluctant to extend a grace period for payment resulting from a late mailing of the tax bills. Bill Grad, a former entrepreneur as well as a corporate executive, has had senior management positions, executive fiduciary experience and personnel supervision experience. [...] Msgr. Alan Detscher and Father Frank Hoffmann look over this activity with gratitude knowing that this is what building a church community is all about, knowing that this single event is what enables St. Catherine's to provide many of the educational opportunities, the spiritual enrichment, and the numerous works of social justice for which the parish has always been known.

No more blue bins at the curb, no separate mixed paper collection and no need to transport your own cardboard to Holly Hill. All items that went in the blue bin -- newspapers, glass, plastic, cans -- and all that mixed paper can now be commingled with even more materials such as all plastics, milk and juice cartons, all types of cardboard, frozen food containers, caps and lids both plastic and metal, rigid plastic (e.g. toys), plastic bags, CDs, ceramics, Pyrex and small scrap metal items. Do not include tissues, paper towel, plastic wrap or food/chemical contaminated items. Despite the backlash from parents against Ms. Cohen, whose disruptive behavior resulted in the resignation of the superintendent of schools, the Republicans voted to put her name on the party's November ballot. While some in the party may support her positions, I think even her most ardent defenders must admit that sending 676 emails to the superintendent, many antagonistic in content, serves only to disrupt and ultimately deter from our childrens' education. With regards to Tax Collector, Mr. Laudonia received the nomination unopposed, with a first term on his resume marked by statements going out late, lost taxpayers' checks (still not located or explained), and a general disregard for the inconvenience and confusion caused. With tax season here, and no one in the tax office staff taking vacation days, Mr. Laudonia finished third in the senior town golf tournament, apparently exempt from the moratorium on taking time off during tax season. Advocates also have been pushing for a federal law providing a path to legalization for qualified illegal immigrant students and other young adults, but the federal legislation known as the DREAM Act has failed repeatedly in Washington. (Hartford and New Haven are already notorious sanctuary cities.) We were told by our Democrat Governor that taxes must be raised and workers must be laid off to offset the huge Conn. budget deficit. Are the parents of these illegal immigrants paying taxes in the State of Connecticut? The only way this makes any sense at all is that the Democrats are trying to insure that Conn. remains a blue state by coddling illegal immigrants.

Nearly 400 people showed up to run, walk, climb, crawl, swing and leap for leukemia and lymphoma research. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed Caribbean music while eating an authentic luau barbecue provided by Creative Catering of Georgetown and mingling among vendors giving out lots of goodies. Lovely is campaign assistant, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Pineapple Classic 5k with obstacles In defense of not raising the U.S. debt limit this past weekend, GOP spokesman Sen. Coats (Ind.) declared "Stop spending money we don't have..." Take care of all this country's citizens instead of selectively protecting the wealthiest household and corporations who (literally as well as figuratively) prosper most.