Urban Outfitters, for those of you unaware of the trendy store, caters to college-age people who have a bit more edge to them than the GAP. Okay, a lot more edge, and the GAP sadly has been taken over by pea-brained stylists who have been single-handily destroying the brand. Don’t beleive me? Trends translate to in-stores sales which translate into earnings per share which translate into stock price and we have thus in purest market driven form: Continue Reading

from a press release:

Audubon Greenwich to host renowned raptor scientists for conference

On International Migratory Bird Day Weekend
Friday, May 7 – Saturday, May 8, 2010

At Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich CT, 06831

Monitoring and Managing Raptor Populations:
Forging a Collaboration of Professional & Volunteer Conservationists

People from across the hemisphere will join Audubon in Greenwich for a collaborative conference to discuss raptor management priorities and identify opportunities to engage volunteer Citizen Scientists in conservation. The scientific conference is open to the public and begins at 6:00 pm on Friday night with a reception and an opening presentation by Dr. Chris Farmer, Senior Research Biologist at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and the Acopian Center for Conservation in Orwigsburg, PA. His talk will focus on the status of the American Kestrel and highlight the struggles of this iconic species.

Saturday will begin with Audubon’s traditional International Migratory Bird Day events, including an early morning bird walk at 6:30 am, followed by the Annual Birders Breakfast at 8:00 am in the Ketay-Asnes Barn at Audubon Greenwich. Advance registration is recommended for the breakfast event whereas it can easily sell out. Registration for the main conference will begin at 9:00 am in the Kiernan Nature Art Gallery at Audubon Greenwich, with a full day of presentations, lectures, and workshops at 9:30 am.

Audubon is delighted to welcome the conference’s Keynote Speaker Laurie J. Goodrich, Senior Monitoring Biologist at the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. Her presentation,” From Counts to Conservation: Geography and Conservation of Migratory Raptors in the Americas,” will focus primarily on how two forest hawk species- Broad-winged Hawk and Sharp-shinned Hawk- highlight trends in eastern raptors, their conservation challenges, and the actions needed to protect them. In addition, Mark LaBarr, Conservation Program Manager, Audubon Vermont, will discuss “Habitat Management is for the Birds: Assisting Private Landowners in Bird-focused Land Management.” He will describe how effective land and habitat management is critical to protecting breeding and migratory habitat for birds,

Audubon is also pleased to feature a presentation by Elisa Peresbarbosa Rojas & Eduardo Martinez, two scientists from the highly regarded conservation organization in Mexico, ProNatura Veracruz. They will discuss “The Veracruz River of Raptors Project: threats, opportunities, and long-term conservation strategies.”

After a brief lunch, the conference will continue in the afternoon with three panel discussions highlighting ‘Hawk Watch Practices & Protocols,’ ‘Opportunities for Cross Border Collaborations,’ and ‘Putting Science To Work: Projects That Need You. These important topics for conservation initiatives and are sure to yield interesting results.

Throughout the weekend, conference participants will have a unique opportunity
to gain better insight into the conservation challenges facing raptor populations �and to develop the collaborative strategies needed to maintain stable populations. Audubon looks forward to welcoming all those concerned about raptors to “Monitoring and Managing Raptor Populations,” and working together to create new conservation solutions.

This conference is open to all members of the public and registration can be completed online (http://greenwich.audubon.org) or by phone. Please contact Audubon’s Events and Communications Manager, Jeff Cordulack at 203-869-5272 x239 to sign up.

BIOGRAPHIES

Chris Farmer: Dr. Farmer is the Senior Research Biologist at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Kempton, Pennsylvania. �He coordinates the Sanctuary’s long-term research program on the breeding biology of the American Kestrel. �He is also the statistical analyst for the Raptor Population Index, a collaborative program of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, The Hawk Migration Association of North America, HawkWatch International, and Bird Studies Canada to use migration counts as a means to monitor North American Populations of Raptors. �He is primarily a population ecologist, and performed his doctoral research on the population responses of Sitka Black-tailed deer to habitat alteration and predation pressure. �Dr. Farmer is a member of the Ecological Society of America, The Society for Conservation Biology, the Raptor Research Foundation, and the American Ornithologists’ Union, which he represents on the board of directors of the Ornithological Council.

Laurie J. Goodrich, Senior Monitoring Biologist, has worked at Hawk Mountain since 1984. Her work includes supervising Hawk Mountain’s raptor migration counts and database management, acting as liaison with North American raptor migration sites, and the Veracruz (Mexico) River of Raptors program, research on raptor migration behavior and ecology, and research on the effects of forest fragmentation on nesting birds. �She also assists on data management for Raptor Population Index initiative and is involved with on-going sanctuary monitoring and land conservation efforts. Laurie received her M.S. in Ecology from Rutgers University, NJ, in 1982 studying the impacts of disturbance on nesting Least Terns, a state-endangered species. �Her B.S. (1977) in Biology is from Hobart & William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY. �She is currently enrolled at Pennsylvania State University pursuing a Ph.D. in Ecology with research on habitat use by migrating raptors. �Prior to Hawk Mountain, Laurie worked with the NJ Department of Fish, Game and Wildlife conducting piping plover and least tern surveys, and research on raptor migrant behavior in Cape May. �She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Raptor Research Foundation, and the Pennsylvania Ornithological Technical Committee, and the Berks Conservancy natural resource committee. �She is working with Audubon Pennsylvania on the Kittatinny Ridge Conservation Planning initiative, and publishes regularly in both scientific and popular venues.

Mark LaBarr, Conservation Program Manager for Audubon Vermont. He oversees the Champlain Valley Bird Initiative which, along with Audubon Vermont’s Forest Bird Initiative, works directly with private landowners for avian habitat conservation. Mark chairs the Vermont Endangered Species Committee’s Scientific Advisory Group on Birds as well as the Vermont Grassland Bird Working Group. His other work includes the Vermont Common Tern Recovery Project and running the Green Mountain Audubon Center’s bird-banding station.

Eduardo Martinez Leyva is the Bird Projects Coordinator for ProNatura Veracruz. He has a Degree in Biology from the University of Veracruz and from 1998 to 2005, he has coordinated many different projects including the use of landscape for birds in fragmented rainforest in south Veracruz, bird breeding and survivorship studies in cloud forest, similar studies in coffee plantations in central Veracruz for the Institute of Ecology of Xalapa and in pine-oak forest in southwest Arizona for the University of Arizona. He has also coordinated raptor migration counts and banding stations in central Veracruz through the years and in 2006, he joined ProNatura Veracruz to manage the Veracruz River of Raptors Project, the passerine banding program, and all other bird monitoring projects for ProNatura Veracruz.

Elisa Peresbarbosa Rojas, the Conservation Sub-Director for ProNatura Veracruz, has a Biologist Degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and has an Masters Degree in Marine Ecology from the Ensenada Center of Scientific Research and Education, where she studied breeding colonies of marine birds in the High Gulf of California. She worked in the National Secretariat for the Environment, Natural Resources and Fisheries from 1997 to 2001 and has worked in Cooperative Programs with the USA and Canada for the conservation of migratory birds. She helped develop the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and updated the management plan for North American Water birds. She has worked for ProNatura Veracruz for the past six years, coordinating and supervising conservation projects in the coastal area of Veracruz. One of her current priorities is to promote international alliances and collaboration in an effort to more effectively achieve the conservation of migratory birds in North America.

Not only is there an epidemic child hood obesity problem that prompts school systems accross the land to ban cup cakes while eliminating phys ed and recess, but now we see that the old skool parental advice of go outside and play and don’t come back before dinner is a societal impossibility.

A Hartford family will now suffer the nanny state intrusion into their lives over this incident:

Monday afternoon Simone Harris, 26, �left her three children, ages 1, 2 and 9 in her car while she went shopping at BJs. The temperature at the time was 29 degrees, and according to the police report the children were alone for at least 14 minutes.�The car wasn’t left running there there was no heat. A customer complained to a private security officer, the police were called, she was arrested and later posted a $10k bond. � The children were placed into care of the their grandmother, and the police notified the state Department of Children and Families.

There are lots of interesting tid bits in here. Harris must have been 17 when she had her first child. Leaving three kids unattended in a car on a brisk winter day is probably not a good idea, but hardly the end of the world. Arresting the woman, traumatizing the kids, and thinking its okay that kids have to be supervised every single minute of their lives is by far worse.

State Senator Bob Duff is encouraging people to help out the local food bank. He forwarded this message:

Please join me in helping The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, Inc. There is so much need this year and I know that none of you want to see a family go without this Thanksgiving. After speaking with the executive director, I asked her to send me an email, which is below.

Thank you,
Bob

From: Kate Lombardo [mailto:klombardo@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Wed 11/18/2009 11:40 AM
To: Sen. Duff, Bob
Subject: Your community needs your help…please

The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, Inc.
461 Glenbrook Road
Stamford, CT 06906
Ph (203) 358-8898
Fax (203) 358-8306
www.foodbanklfc.org

Serving the towns of Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan,
Norwalk, Stamford, and Wilton
November 16, 2009
Dear Neighbor,
Every now and again there comes a time when we must reach out and help our neighbor. The severe economic crisis has brought us to one of those times.

The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, Inc. is trying to feed 15,000 families this Thanksgiving. So many families are treading water just trying to keep pace with paying their bills and feeding their children. Fairfield County is home to many individuals who have been laid off. Therefore they are seeking help from their community, some for the very first time in their lives.

Our proud senior citizens are being forced to choose between taking their medication and eating. These individuals worked hard to build, protect and nurture our nation. They did this so that they and future generations could live the “American Dream”. That dream does not include hunger.

The Food Bank serves the towns of Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan, Darien, Norwalk and Wilton. Last year, The Food Bank distributed 1.2 million pounds of food to non-profit agencies such as food pantries, homeless shelters, and soup kitchens.

Please make a donation and help us provide those in need with a wonderful Thanksgiving Day meal and respite from the harsh conditions of hunger and poverty.

All donations are tax deductible.

Thank you for your support,

Sincerely
Kate Lombardo
Executive Director

Sure it’s easy to string a couple of headlines;
Pair steals man’s pants at gunpoint on Stamford’s South End
Man beaten, robbed and thrown over a fence in downtown Stamford
and extrapolate that crime as one commenter here likes to say “is out of control.” But the reality is that crime incidents do not constitute an assessment on the trend without looking at the long range and the recent history. For that the uniform FBI statistics say what they’ve said all along, Norwalk and Stamford are low crime areas to live. But all is not equal. Connecticut magazine once again did a rate the towns survey and behold the town of Fairfield beat out Greenwich as the most desirable place to live. And how did Fairfield ran? From the Stamford Advocate:

Municipalities were rated in five categories, with 1 as the best score and 17 being the worst. Fairfield rated a 1 in education, 2 for crime and economy, 15 for cost and 4 for leisure.

After Greenwich, West Hartford is ranked third in the survey, Stamford took fourth, Milford was fifth and Danbury came in sixth. Norwalk was ranked ninth, while Bridgeport tied with Meriden for sixteenth — last place.

What’s interesting about the Norwalk ranking is that so many people decry Stamford as a town they don’t want Norwalk to become. Get we demand better? Is it really satisfying to rank 9th out of 16th these days? Fairfield has a 85.2% election voter turn out rate. is Norwalk really content with its less than 45% turnout? According to the Advocate, Greenwich ranked second after Fairfield,then West Hartford , Stamford cam in fourth fourth, Milford cam in fifth and even Danbury came in ahead of Norwalk at sixth. Danbury?

It wasn’t so in 2006, when the last time the rankings came out. Stamford, for all it’s big city and higher crime incidences ranks lower in crime than Norwalk in a magazine reader survey. Interpret as you wish, but �here’s Norwalk’s score in context then:

*tie

�The owner of Norwalk’s David Harvey Jewelers provided police with a real-time description�of his store� being burglarized early Sunday morning, leading to the arrest of three California men.

Benjamin Roseman received an alarm in his Fairfield home and� turned to his computer to view�the image from a video camera he installed in his�store at 51 Wall St.�He alerted police, resulting in Officer Michael Cote�stopping an SUV at gunpoint behind the store with the three men allegedly in it.

Police were investigating whether the trio also was responsible for last week’s�burglary of the Farah Shanal�Jewelery store��at 36 E. Putnam Ave. in Greenwich. After cutting off the store’s electric service, the perpetrators made off with an estimated $500,000 in merchandise.

Arrested in Norwalk were Alexander Fuentes-Martinez, 33, of Arleta, Calif., Manuel Martinez, 24, of Los Angeles, and Juan Mayorga, whose hometown�was unknown. Each was held in lieu of $250,000 bond on numerous charges, including conspiracy to commit third-degree burglary, first-degree criminal tresspass, and first-degree larceny. They appeared in Superior Court in Norwalk Monday for arraignment.

Alexander Fuentes-Martinez

Manuel Martinez

Juan Mayorga

Beginning Monday, Aug. 17, the state Dept. of� Transportation will be conducting a bridge maintenance project on I-95 north and south from Exit 2 in Greenwich to Exit 16 in Norwalk. The project is to continue to Friday, Aug. 28. Work is scheduled to occur from 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., Monday through Thursday evenings.

For more information, visit the ConnDOT website: www.ct.gov/dot/cwp/view.asp?a=2135&Q=445036

Norwalk’s various institutions will be hit by bonding that Rell is proposing to stop. So does Stamford. Bond issuances are solely at the discretion of the Governor.

Norwalk:

Darien

• Grant-in-aid to the Darien Arts Center for�infrastructure renewal projects
  • $50k

Westport

• Grant-in-aid to the town of Westport for new construction at the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts
  • $1,000,000
• Grant-in-aid to the Westport Historical Society for retirement of outstanding debt
  • $600k
• Grant-in-aid to the Saugatuck Senior Cooperative inWestport for roof replacement
  • $250k

Greenwich

• Grant-in-aid to the town of Greenwich for renovation of existing, or construction of new, exhibition areas, teaching spaces and the science gallery at the Bruce Museum
  • $750,000

Bridgeport

• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport, for purchase and installation of a public safety video surveillance system
  • $300k
• Grant-in-aid to the Barnum Museum Foundation, Inc. for renovations at the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport
  • $1.250,000
• Grant-in-aid to Bridgeport for the design and construction of the Congress Street Bridge
  • $10,000,000
• Grants-in-aid to municipalities and organizations that are exempt from taxation under Section
• 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, for cultural and entertainment-related economic development projects, including projects at museums, provided (A) $ 1,000,000 shall be made available for the Bridgeport Downtown Cabaret
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport, for revitalization of the Hollow Neighborhood
  • $500,000
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport, for improvements to the Palace Theater
  • $250,000
• Grant-in-aid to the Connecticut Zoological Society for the planning and development of the Andes Adventure Exhibit at the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport
  • $800,000
• Grant-in-aid to Bridgeport for a feasibility study for the Congress Street Plaza urban renewal area in Bridgeport
  • $250k
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport for planning and implementation of the Upper Reservoir Avenue Corridor Revitalization Initiative Project
  • $250k
• Grant-in-aid to the Fairfield County Housing Partnership for land acquisition, design, development and construction of an independent living facility in Bridgeport
  • $750k
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport for the Madison Avenue Gateway Revitalization streetscape project
  • $2,500,000
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport for the Black Rock Gateway project
  • $1,000,000
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport for purchase of a water taxi, construction of docks and construction of the Pleasure Beach retractable pedestrian bridge
  • $3,000,000
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport for the design and construction of the Congress Street Bridge
  • $5,000,000
• Grant-in-aid to the Bridgeport Port Authority for improvements to the Derecktor Shipyard, including remediation, dredging, bulkheading and construction of Phase 2 of the Derecktor Shipyard Economic
  • $1,750,000
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport for improvements to Bluefish Stadium
  • 400,000
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport for repair and improvements on State Road 59 between the North Avenue and Capitol Avenue intersections, including median and sidewalk renovations
  • $1,000,000
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport for the Black Rock Gateway project
  • $1,000,000
• Grant-in-aid to the City of Bridgeport for the remediation of the waterfront including any predevelopment costs
  • $10,000,000
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Bridgeport, for day care, a community room and a playground at West End School
  • $350k
• Grant-in-aid to Action for Bridgeport Community, Inc. for acquisition and renovation of property for an early learning center
  • $1,200,000
• Feasibility study for establishment of an education center in the city of Bridgeport
  • $250k

Fairfield

• Grant-in-aid to the Fairfield Theatre Company, for purchase and installation of a sprinkler system
  • $100k
• Grant-in-aid to the town of Fairfield for repair and improvements on State Road 59 between the North Avenue and Capitol Avenue intersections, including median and sidewalk renovations
  • $850,000

Stamford

• Grant-in-aid to the city of Stamford, for radio systems to improve police and fire department communications
  • $500k
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Stamford, for park restoration and infrastructure improvements
  • $500k
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Stamford, for the Holly Pond Tidal Restoration project
  • $750k
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Stamford, for�improvements to the playgrounds and athletic fields at Springdale School
  • $100k
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Stamford, for purchase by the Stamford Health Department of a mobile medical unit for the uninsured and elderly
  • $250k
• Grant-in-aid to the Stamford Hospital Foundation for�purchase of a digital mobile mammography unit
  • $500k
• Grant-in-aid to the city of Stamford, for architectural, engineering and other site preparation services and costs for the Hunt Center for Pre-K Education in Stamford
  • $500k
• Grant-in-aid to the Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut in Stamford for expansion
  • $500k

One of the striking things about this list is how much state aide goes to Bridgeport versus the rest of Fairfield County. Then again, look at the overall bonding list and see the distribution overall. WTNH is reporting that these bonding projects were approved as far back as 2007.

The odd thing is that much of these bonds whether you agree that the state should incur debt or not, go to rebuilding or building something. In short, the types of jobs that spur the economic activity in the state of Connecticut. SOme of which I bet has to do with matching funds from federal grants. Yet here is Rell halting the funding for projects that would put many people to work. It’ll be interesting to see what the spin in all this is beyond the legislature, when the cities who are most affected now have to cough up money for projects.

A hat tip to SecondhandRose for pointing out the WTNH story that led to the list.

Talk about invasive species, the Norwalk Tree Alliance and the Norwalk Tree Advisory Committee is asking you to watch out for the invasion of the mile-a-minute vine. The vine has been spotted in Norwalk. Sheffield Island, someone’s property on Blue Mountain Road and a CL & P substation on East Rocks Road.�

According to the press advisory, the weed is called the mile-a-minute vine—or devil’s tearthumb—because it can grow up to six inches in a single day. Maybe Barry Bonds will investigate harnessing the potential, but in the meanwhile other plant species die off as they get covered by the weed.

From the press advisory:

Dave Tracy, president of the Norwalk Tree Alliance, said his organization is concerned because of the potential impact on both the public and private components of the urban forest.

“It’s a real sunlight hog,”�Tracy�said. “We are hopeful that�Norwalk’s residents�will help us to spot any infestations so the spread of the vine can be minimized or even reversed.”

Hal Alvord,�Norwalk’s tree warden and director of public works, said the vine�“poses a significant threat to the progress the city has made over the past few years to enhance the health and vitality of the urban forest. A vine can overtake a tree in a single season. We urge residents to report any sightings.”

Reports can be made to the�Norwalk�Customer�Service�Center�online at�customerservice@norwalkct.org or by calling the center at (203) 854-3200.

Those who contact the center will be told how to eradicate the weed safely by pulling the stem from the ground and bagging the entire growth. Thick gloves are essential because of the barbs on the stems

Periscaria perfoliata, to give the vine its latin name, originated in�Japan�and has been dispersed over the years in the�U.S.�by birds and ants.

The vine is identifiable by its light green triangular-shaped leaves, the small curved barbs on the stems and the saucer-shaped leaves called ocrea on the stem nodes.

Generally the vine is found on the edges of woods, wetlands, stream banks,��roadsides and uncultivated open fields. The plant attaches itself to other plants with the barbs and extends to higher light intensity. Flowers and deep blue berries emerge seasonally.

Logan Senack,�Connecticut’s invasive plant coordinator, working out of UConn at�Storrs, suggests: “Early detection and rapid response can lessen the ecological damage. Finding populations early can make control and removal much easier, less expensive and less time-consuming.”

Senack also reveals the weed has been reported in�Stamford,�Greenwich,�Westport, Weston and�Monroe.

Wow, thinking out 15 years. Greenwich plans for the future:

A Capital Improvement Plan public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday Jan, 14 at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall Meeting Room.

First Selectman Peter Tesei will outline what the 15-year CIP proposal entails and detail what the upcoming fiscal year’s 2009-10 CIP includes. Mr. Tesei met with department leaders last week and requested they scale back their budget requests according to Roland Gieger, budget and systems director.

The CIP public hearing will be carried live by Greenwich Community Television on Cablevision Channel 79 and live on the Internet. GCTV Channel 79 can be viewed live by accessing Gctv.greenwich.org and clicking on the “Watch Now” link.

Needless to say we could sure use our Norwalk Channel 78 to have a watch now link.