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Friday, July 30, 2010

07/30/10 Reader Submitted Comments: Former Stamford Mayor Malloy Is Far From Being The 'Clean Elections' Candidate

DOM at MLK EventImage via Wikipedia


Editor,

As a Stamford employee I think the taxpayers of Connecticut should br made aware of who the real Dan Malloy is and what he stood for.

When Malloy was the mayor of Stamford there was a corrosive and cancerous pay-to-play system that steered political donors to no bid city contracts.

This pay-to-play system was one that Malloy willingly exploited then and is has exploited in his bid for the Democratic nomination for Governor.

If Dan Malloy is sent to Hartford he will further bring down the a state that is on life support.

Name Withheld By Request

COMMENT:

Many Connecticut voters have forgotten about the state's attorney's probe of Malloy's home improvements, and whether he had done anything to benefit the contractors who were working on his house, including steer them city business.

Over and over similar schemes helped undo the careers of Gov. John G. Rowland, and much more recently, Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez, who appears to be headed to prison on a bribery conviction.


=============================
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07/30/10 DARIEN ROUNDUP: The Good Old Days in Darien / Ed Chrostowski

This map shows the incorporated and unincorpor...Image via Wikipedia

This Just In To The Darien Newsroom ....

There were fewer than 11,000 people here when I arrived in 1950, but Darien was far from just a sleepy little town bisected by a highway and the railroad tracks.
Red Door eyes expansion (Norwalk Citizen News)
Darien_020107_ The Red Door Spa in Darien, Conn. on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007. Chris Preovolos/Staff photo Staff Photo Chris Preovolos Photo: ST / 00001962A View Larger Image Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa, a luxury day spa and hair salon, is planning to expand its presence in Fairfield County and has hired a Stamford real estate broker to seek ...
As soon as the conversation turns to running, Chris Dickerson's entire composure transforms.
Police recovered the blue yarmulke and pea coat believed to have been worn by a man who robbed a bank near the Goodwives Shopping Center last week.
Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to DarienRoundup@gmail.com

Thursday, July 29, 2010

07/29/10 We Report You Decide: Did Stamford Fire and Rescue Chief Robert McGrath Get His Promotion After Working On Dan Malloy's House?

Robert McGrath was a Stamford firefighter working three days on, three days off.

On Robert's days off he operated a small heating and air-conditioning business to make ends meet.

Then this Stamford fireman got his big break....

Robert got the chance to do heating and air-conditioning duct work on the120-year-old barn that Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy was transforming into a house.

Robert also did many jobs for several of Dan Malloy's brothers.

Dan Malloy chose to use Richard who was on the Stamford City payroll to work on his future home even though there are hundreds of Heating And Air- Conditioning contractors with in a 30 minute drive of his home.

A short time after that Richard was promoted to Assistant Stamford Fire And Rescue Chief and then soon after that was appointed as the Stamford Fire and Rescue Chief.

Stamford Fire and Rescue Chief Robert McGrath later told Stamford Advocate reporter Louis Porter that the work on Dan Malloy's home did not have anything to do with his advancement to Assistant Fire Chief and later Fire Chief.

Another contractors who did work on Dan Malloy's Ocean Drive East house was Rick Sharper.

Rick told The Associated Press he got the job and dealt with Marc Lyons, a friend of Malloy who was involved in hiring city employees and contractors to work on then Mayor Dan Malloy's house.

Rick said after he did work on the mayor’s house Marc Lyons later arranged a lot of work for him at city high schools.

Marc Lyons, who was a Malloy family friend was the construction manager at Stamford High School and after the Mayor's house was completed he became manager of all of the city and school facilities in Stamford..

Stamford Board Of Finance Member Joesph Tarzia was quoted in the press saying, "The Malloy administration has reduced controls over city purchasing. Malloy dismantled the internal audit department”

07/29/10 DARIEN BRIEFING: Teen's cross-country journey to benefit city school

This Just In To The Darien Roundup Newsroom .....

Teen's cross-country journey to benefit city school By DANIELLE CAPALBO Times Staff Writer STAMFORD -- It's not your average fundraising effort that requires a month and a half of physical training.
Darien Public Schools administrators want to foster an atmosphere over the coming school year in which educators challenge students academically, collaborate with each other, and strengthen management operations, according to a presentation at Tuesday night's Board of Education meeting.
Reflecting on the latest standardized test scores released by the State Department of Education, Superintendent of Westport Public Schools Elliott Landon said Tuesday that "good is not good enough for us." The results of the 2010 Connecticut Mastery Test and Connecticut Academic Performance Test are in a ' two exams administered every spring to ...
Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to DarienRoundup@gmail.com

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Rick Torres Receives the Endorsement of Republican Liberty Caucus


Rick Torres for Congress 2010

Rick Torres receives the endorsement of Republican Liberty Caucus

Darien Friends,

I want to share with you the exciting news that last night, after speaking on the Mark Levin radio show, I received the endorsement of the Republican Liberty Caucus.


The Republican Liberty Caucus writes that "Candidates endorsed by the RLC share our commitment to the ideals of individual rights, limited government, and free enterprise and are working to implement those principles within the Republican Party."

With the endorsement of the Republican Liberty Caucus I am now all the more confident in our ability to defeat my big government RINO opponent on August 10th.

I know that yesterday I asked you for your financial support and many of you were beyond generous in contributing to my campaign. To those who donated, I cannot thank you enough.

But we are still short of our $10,000 goal and we need to raise the rest of our goal to ensure victory. If you did not donate yesterday, I need your commitment to please make a contribution today of $50 or more to help pay for my GOTV effort.

These are the GOTV projects we still need to fund:

$1571.13 to circulate our campaign palm-cards the Friday before the primary ($55= one thousand palm cards).

$1468.50 for election-eve GOTV calls ($50=1420 robo calls).

$1100 for front page newspaper ads in the weekly papers ($50=1/3 an ad in the Easton Courier).

$3,000 for radio ads in the district ($60=1 radio ad).

As you can see, your contribution of $50 or more will go to real tangible projects to spread our message of liberty to voters throughout the district. Victory is within our grasp. With me you have the chance to elect a true friend of liberty in the northeast. Please make a donation of $50 or more right now to ensure victory against my big-government RINO opponent on my August 10th primary. Thank you in advance for your commitment.

P.S. If you have not done so already, please watch my new video on Socialism and share it with your friends.


Sincerely,

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07/28/10 Connecticut Gubernatorial Democrats Stuck On Stupid As They Ask,'Who Is The Biggest Racist?"

Why In The World Would Dan Malloy
Want To Play The Race Card?


In this day and age it is almost inevitable that a campaign will stray from policy issues to questions of character and conduct.

Greenwich resident Ned Lamont recently became a target of such scrutiny and said the negative attack was planted by a desperate and trailing Dan Malloy.

Mr. Malloy who is trying to benefit from playing the race card, argues that this is a means of assessing an opponent's temperament and morality.

Whether Mr. Malloy's attempt at playing the race card will be decisive in assessing the ability of Ned Lamont to govern is ultimately up to each individual voter.

In the current race to become Connecticut governor front runner Ned Lamont has taken a hard "nonpolicy" hit.

Mr. Malloy is hoping that his race card maneuver will cause the popular Ned Lamont's to have an increase in "negative numbers".

The race card is a proven campaign method of narrowing a race.

In articles and press releases printed below, you will read about Ronald Keene, a former executive vice president of Lamont Digital Systems Inc., who sued Mr. Lamont in 2002.

Mr. Keene alleged his firing and failure to gain stock, bonuses and commissions from sales were the result of racial discrimination. Lamont denied the allegation of bias and the parties settled the case the following year.

Mr. Keene's contention of a racial factor could be accurate, erroneous or the result of a misunderstanding.

Mr. Keene's racial allegation could also have been just a legal tactic to gain the upper hand in an employee termination lawsuit. It would not be the first time that something like this has happened in America.

Businesses often find legal settlements to be the least costly course of action.

There is clearly no pattern of racial lawsuits at Lamont Digital Systems, this was a one time event.

However, Dan Malloy's Administration has been named in over 100 Connecticut Commission on Human Right's And Opportunities's complaints, as well as, scores of Federal lawsuits filed by Stamford employees.

The Republican Gubernatorial Opponents Are Enjoying Every Minute Of Dan Malloy's Attempt To Play The Race Card

If Former Stamford Dan Malloy's Desperate Maneuver Succeeds,
Then The Republican Party Will Probably Use The Race Card On Him In The General Election

Former Lamont Employee Claimed Racial Bias In 2002 Lawsuit


By JON LENDER
Hartford Courant

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont, locked in an Aug. 10 primary battle with former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, was sued in 2002 by a black former executive in his cable television company who claimed that he'd been mistreated on the basis of race, federal court records show.

Ronald Keene — executive vice president in the Delaware corporate office of Lamont Digital Systems Inc. for less than two years ending in mid-2000 — sought at least $1 million in U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania. Keene claimed he was "maliciously" fired after being denied stock, bonuses and commissions from sales activity. The mistreatment was "because of plaintiff's race, which is African American," the suit said.

Lamont, a Greenwich multimillioniare entrepreneur, denied Keene's allegation of bias as well as other claims, such as eligibility for sales commissions. The case was settled in September 2003, months after a judge denied Lamont's motion to dismiss the suit and moved it toward trial, documents show.......

Then Dan Malloy Quickly Fired Off This Press Release:......

Responding to a story in today's Hartford Courant in which it was revealed that Ned Lamont was sued for racial discrimination, and that he settled the suit privately with a confidentiality agreement, Dan Malloy, the Democratic Party's endorsed candidate for Governor, released the following statement:

"Since the beginning of this campaign, I've said that my experiences as a prosecutor and Mayor are why I'm confident I can do the job Connecticut's next Governor needs to do. Ned has said time and again that he should be the next Governor because of his business experience. That's why Ned needs to answer the questions raised in today's Hartford Courant story - because they're about his business.

"There's another reason he needs to answer them: the Governor. We just saw Gov. Rell try to fire a commissioner and enter into a confidentiality agreement with the employee. It blew up in her face, and it should've blown up in her face. Government doesn't work when it's secretive. It only works when it functions in the open, in a way that everyone can see.

"Here are the questions he should answer:

· Why is the statement confidential?

· What did he or his company acknowledge doing?

· Were certain employees denied benefits that other employees of similar seniority and status received?

· How much money was the employee paid in order to keep quiet?

· Why does a Connecticut-based company have a corporate headquarters in the State of Delaware?

· Is there a tax benefit to doing so?

· What happened to all of Ned's employees? He's said numerous times that he hired "hundreds and hundreds" of people, yet the company today has only 36 employees, including just 8 in Connecticut.

"I know what Ned will say in response: 'this is an unfair, desperate attack.' That's wrong. He's asked tough questions of me, and I've answered every one of them. Campaigns are tough, and they should be tough - because the job we're seeking is a tough job. You get asked tough questions in a campaign, but you get asked tougher questions when you're Governor. If you can't answer questions in a campaign, how will you answer them as Governor?

"I think Ned should answer these questions, and I'd prefer that he do that in a debate with me. Ch. 3 and CPBN want to have Ned and me debate on August 3 - and if Ned doesn't show up, the debate is going on without him. Most candidates would probably be thrilled. While I'm grateful for their offer, I'm not thrilled to be there alone. I'm more than happy to give up half that time if Ned will show up.

"One more thing: Ned's been saying he doesn't want to debate me because debates are only about '1 minute canned response.' My response to that is, let's not do that. Let's just have a conversation between the two of us. A civil conversation in which we ask each other questions, and challenge each other's responses.

"Back in May I said I wanted this to be a campaign filled with substantive debates where we both answer tough questions. We don't have much time left, but there's still time for that debate to happen.

"I hope Ned will change his mind."

This Caused The Lamont Campaign To Fire Off This Press Release .....

Lamont for Governor campaign manager Joe Abbey released the following statement regarding Dan Malloy's missive from earlier today:

"Dan's long list of questions today betrays an outright ignorance and hostility toward Connecticut small businesses. That press release was clearly written by someone who has never worked in small business or created jobs in the private sector.

"Dan has said time and time again that his years of experience running for political office entitle him to be governor. But throughout the nearly 10 years running that he's been running for governor, serious questions have been raised about his performance as mayor and the manner in which he talks about it. He should answer those questions.

"There's another reason he needs to answer them: Governor John Rowland. As Connecticut continues to try and erase the stain of a pay-to-play scandal in the governor's mansion, transparency and accountability in government are critical to our future. That is why it is so important for Dan to respond to the following:

• How many of the 55 civil rights complaints and 37 federal lawsuits were filed by employees reporting directly to you, or to your senior staff members?(Source: Greenwich Time -- http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Sunday-print-exclusive-Racism-in-Greenwich-508827.php and public records).

• When did you first learn that three of your employees, two of whom you named employee of the month, were embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the city on your watch, as reported by the Courant? (Source: Hartford Courant -- http://articles.courant.com/2010-07-23/news/hc-stamford-arrests-fedele-malloy-07220100723_1_stamford-mayor-dannel-malloy-criticizes-michael-fedele)http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Sunday-print-exclusive-Racism-in-Greenwich-508827.php

• Why do you continue to advance claims about your record on jobs that have been fully debunked by the Courant? (Source: Hartford Courant --http://www.courant.com/community/stamford/hc-malloy-jobs-0628-20100628,0,480540.story)

• Is it true that Stamford lost a net of 8,000 jobs during your term as Mayor?

• After you were investigated in 2004 for awarding lucrative no-bid contracts to companies that contributed to your political campaigns, did you continue to accept contributions to your previous or current campaign from companies that either held contracts with the city or aspired to do so? (Source: New York Times --http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/23/nyregion/23stamford.html?scp=3&sq=Stamford&st=nyt)

"I understand why Dan was so defensive in his statement saying, 'I know what Ned will say in response: 'this is an unfair, desperate attack.' That's exactly what it was.

"I hope Dan will address these questions on Thursday when he and Ned appear together in Windham, but in the meantime let's have that civil conversation on the issues Dan's always talking about."


All Of This Reminded Greenwich Roundup About the Incident That Made Him Wonder What Values Dan Malloy Taught The Fruit Of His Loins ......

No I Am Not Talking About The Malloy Boy Arrested For Dealing Drugs

No I Am Talking About The Other Malloy Boy


The lawsuit, filed in May, accused the city of "failing to act in part because one of the callers is the son of Stamford Mayor Daniel Malloy."

The exact amount the Board Of Education paid the family of Candace Owens, now an 18-year-old Stamford High graduate, was made public yesterday after The Advocate filed a Freedom of Information request last week.

The Board of Education spent an additional $25,000 on legal expenses, including representation by a Hartford law firm, Shipman & Goodwin LLP, school board spokeswoman Sarah Arnold said.

The case was terminated two weeks ago at a settlement conference, according to court records. As part of the settlement, the Board of Education denied any wrongdoing and liability.

The school board has 30 days from the settlement date to pay the Owens family by check to their attorney, Norman Pattis. The entire $62,500 tab will come out of a $375,000 legal fund.

"The case was resolved to the mutual satisfaction of both parties," said Patrick Fahey, one of the attorneys who represented the Board of Education.

He declined to comment further.

Neither Pattis nor Robert Owens, the father of Candace Owens, returned phone messages.

The Board of Education attempted to keep the terms of the settlement from being disclosed because of a confidentiality clause. But the Freedom of Information Commission said that any settlement funded by taxpayers is public record unless it is sealed by the court.

The settlement marked the end of a yearlong controversy that stoked racial tensions and political drama.

Last February, at least one of five teenagers sitting in a car left messages threatening to kill Owens, who is black, and repeatedly used a racial epithet. In one of three messages, one of them referred to her as "dirty" and threatened to burn her house down and tar and feather her.

The group included Malloy's youngest son, Sam Malloy, then 14. The mayor released a statement in March saying his son cooperated with police and did not know the alleged ringleader, Evan Kopek, or Owens before the night of the calls. He has declined comment since then.

Kopek, now 18, was a former friend and classmate of Owens. Two days before the phone incident, they had a shouting match during class. School officials suspended Kopek for that but would not discipline him and the other boys for an incident committed off school grounds unless the police made an arrest, which drew criticism from the state National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Owens left school for six weeks, saying it was traumatic to attend with the alleged callers. She returned after Kopek was arrested in late March. Another teen was arrested later that spring. School officials would not say whether they disciplined Kopek after the arrest.

The lawsuit said the decision to delay suspensions amounted to a failure to protect Owens. The suit accused the city of violating the federal Title IX rule banning discrimination in schools that receive federal funding.
The school system has "continued to do nothing to protect Ms. Owens from repeated harassment and intimidation by the young men and their friends," the suit stated.

None of the students involved in the case attends Stamford High any more, Arnold said.

Candace Owens was arrested in an unrelated harassment case in October. In November, Kopek pleaded to being a youthful offender and had his case sealed. He will have no criminal record. He faced charges of first-degree harassment and second-degree intimidation by bigotry or bias.

It is not known whether Malloy's son was charged because he is a juvenile.

What Other Bloggers Are Saying:

Derogatory Dan Strikes Again


My Left NutMeg


When the media tried to use the arrest of three Stamford city employees on embezzlement charges to start a cat fight between Ned Lamont and Dan Malloy, Lamont chose not to take the bait and declined comment.

Why? Presumably because the allegations, absent any evidence that Malloy was complicit in their alleged crimes, had zero bearing on the governor's race.

But Dan Malloy isn't stupid enough to be gracious.

Today the Courant reported on a 2002 lawsuit against Lamont Digital alleging racial discrimination. ("Hold the presses! Breaking news!!)

In less time than it takes to write $505,000 worth of checks to pay for renovations on your $2-million dollar mansion, Dan Malloy released a statement in which he, a former personal injury lawyer of all things, expressed shock -- SHOCK! -- that lawsuits get settled out of court with confidentiality agreements attached....


Tuesday, July 27, 2010

07/27/10 DARIEN BRIEFING: Man turns himself in on sex assault charges

This Just In To The Darien Newsroom .....

Joshua Green , 25, of 8 Catherine St., Darien, turned himself in for second-degree sexual assault and risk of injury to a minor on a warrant Friday.
Police charged an Indiana man selling magazine subscriptions door to door with soliciting without a permit and interfering with a police officer on Friday, June 18.
Darien woman scammed out of $4,400 (Darien News-Review)
A Hoyt Street resident reported being the victim of a secret-shopper scam on Tuesday, June 29.
Darien_020107_ The Red Door Spa in Darien, Conn. on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007. Chris Preovolos/Staff photo Staff Photo Chris Preovolos Photo: ST, CHRIS PREOVOLOS / 00001962A Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa, a luxury day spa and hair salon, is planning to expand its presence in Fairfield County and has hired a Stamford real estate broker to seek locations ...
An undercover operation by the Darien Police Department led to the arrest of two Norwalk men and the seizure of nearly 40 grams of marijuana on Friday.
Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to DarienRoundup@gmail.com

07/27/10 Video: Rick Torres on Socialism v. Capitalism


Rick Torres for Congress 2010

Video: Rick Torres on Socialism v. Capitalism

Darien Friends,

Please take a moment to view my latest video on the evils of Socialism and the virtues of Capitalism.


As you may know, I have twice suffered under socialist regimes. First as a child under Fidel Castro in Cuba and then again upon my return to Bridgeport when I lived in public housing. I have a keen ear to tyranny and I know that we must act now to stop it.

I ask that you please watch my video on socialism. If you believe that I am a strong warrior for freedom, property rights, and our liberties I implore you to please support my Campaign.

We are 14 days away from the primary and my big government opponents can sense that we are gaining momentum. In these final days I need your financial support of at least $50 to ensure that we can effectively get out the vote.

Your financial support of at least $50will get us closer to our goal of raising an additional $10,000 to get out the vote. Our polling indicates that we need roughly 10,000 votes to win this primary. Your support of $50 or more will allow us to reach more than 60 registered Republican voters by mail to remind them to vote for me on August 10th..

With your financial donation today I know that we can defeat my big government Republican opponents. If we let them win then voters in my district will have two big-government choices on the ballot in the fall. I am willing ready and able to defend our natural rights in Washington, but I need your financial commitment in these final days to help me do so.


Sincerely,

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Saturday, July 24, 2010

07/24/10 DARIEN BRIEFING: Kelly gets 'Smarter' with app

This Just Into The Darien Newsroom.....

Kelly gets 'Smarter' with app (Connecticut Post)
Jeff Kelly, vice president of the Darien real estate firm Kelly Associates, holds a mobile device showing the Smarter Agent app tailored to Kelly Associates Wednesday, July 21, 2010.
The scores for the Connecticut Mastery Test are in and they certainly bode well for New Canaan.
Police reports (New Canaan News-Review)
Julia G. Ozzano, 19, of West Avenue, Darien, was charged with possession of less than 4 ounces of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia at 12:28 a.m. on Tuesdaym July 13.
The Board of Selectmen spent a substantial portion of its regular meeting Monday night discussing a possible timeline for three upcoming capital projects.
A few showers early with scattered thunderstorms arriving for the afternoon. A few storms may be severe.
Clamdigging around Rowayton (Norwalk Citizen News)
Last week, the Norwalk Land Trust reported that the Norwalk Conservation Commission is recommending using $155,000 from the City Open Space fund to complete the Norwalk Land Trust's purchase of the 2.2 acre parcel at 34 Sammis St.

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