Hey Greenwich! Did You Know ... About Mooring Fee Collections & Byram Traffic Patterns?

Today is Wednesday, May 16, 2012 and it's National Coquilles St. Jacques Day!

This day in history:

In 1774, at Versailles, Louis, the French dauphin, marries Marie Antoinette, the daughter of Austrian Archduchess Maria Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor Francis I.

In 1929, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hands out its first awards, at a dinner party for around 250 people held in the Blossom Room of the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California.

The first songwriter hired by Motown, Mary Wells gave recording label its first #1 hit when "My Guy" reached the top of the Billboard pop chart on this day in 1964.

Things you should know:

Mooring survey continues; so will collection of town mooring fees

Attention all boaters! Those whose boats are tied up to one of the 800+ moorings in Greenwich waters will have to pay the annual $100 mooring fee. There has been disagreement between Harbormaster Ian MacMillan and the Board of Selectmen over whether the fee should be collected.

The selectmen settled the issue with a 2-1 vote last week when it approved the fee collection while MacMillan continues his survey and documentation of the moorings along Greenwich's coastline. The selectmen agreed to a June 15 deadline for MacMillan to complete the survey and inspection of moorings.

Once that's complete the town will send notification to registered mooring users the fees are due. The survey is to help determine which moorings may be abandoned, and allow some of the 40 boaters on a waiting list to use the moorings.

Meanwhile the selectmen's Harbor Management Committee continues its review of how to better manage the town's waterfront.

Traffic snag in Byram

Plans to ease traffic flow in Byram along the major artery connecting the western Greenwich hamlet to Port Chester, NY seems to be stuck in the yellow caution light phase.

Town a left turn signal at the Mill and Water streets intersection from westbound to eastbound, and eliminate the no turn on red restriction at the Mead and Delavan Avenue intersection. They also recommended to the Board of Selectmen to change the pedestrian-only crossing signal to a pedestrian and traffic signal.

However, residents and business owners oppose the change saying those changes, coupled with the recent restriction of traffic on New Lebanon Avenue to one-way traffic (southbound) will only exacerbate congestion and reduce pedestrian safety. Of particular concern is the safety of students of New Lebanon School, nearly all of whom walk to the neighborhood school; as well as pedestrians who use the Byram Archibald Neighborhood Center and the Byram Shubert Library.

The selectmen agreed to conduct a field trip to the neighborhood to view traffic patterns before making a recommendation, which ultimately will have to be approved by the state Traffic Commission.

Traffic alert:

Connecticut Light & Power continues its power line and equipment upgrades around town. Drivers should expect some delays on:

• North Street, between the Merritt Parkway and Fairfield Road
• Sound Shore Drive
• Station Road
• Indian Field Road
• Circle Drive
• Loughlin Avenue
• Bruce Park Avenue Extension

Meetings today at Greenwich Town Hall:

 09:30 AM  Selectmen's Nominations Advisory Committee

 07:30 PM  state Rep. Livvy Floren Nominating Convention

If you prefer the clicker instead of being there, there's Greenwich Community Television (GCTV) on either Fios Channel 24 or Cablevision's Channel 79.

And if you prefer movie entertainment, here's the schedule for:

* Sources: history.com