News Highlights in Town

Remembering their fallen brethren

The look of the two-story marble entry of the Greenwich Police Public Safety changed a bit last week.

Since the facility opened, there have always been flags in the lobby – the  American flag and the state flag. It would be in front of those flags that a memorial would stand whenever a retired officer passed away.

Now a blue, gray and white flag adorned with three black ribbons stands sentry near the entry as a memorial to the three Greenwich Police Officers who died in the line of duty – the last officer died more than 65 years ago.

The officers honored are:

Patrolman William J. Robbins: He died of head trauma on May 17, 1929, three days after his police motorcycle was hit by a motorist on the Post Road.

Officer Joseph P. McCormack: On May 17,1927, McCormack and another officer made a routine motor vehicle stop. The officers were able to nab one of the three men who fled the car. McCormack guarded the suspect while his partner walked to a call box a few blocks away to call headquarters. At the same time, a car pulled up to McCormack and the suspect. The two men inside the car, shot McCormack in the back and escaped with the prisoner. The bullet hit McCormack’s spine, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, until he died in New Year’s Day 1944. The suspects were identified as members of a gang of bandits from Boston and were arrested.

Detective James J. Butler: Detective Butler and his partner, Det. Thomas Burke were investigating a report of two turkeys stolen from a backcountry home on Jan. 16, 1950. They were confronted by a suspect brandishing a pistol. He fired four shots – one hit Burke, two others hit Butler in the stomach. As the suspect took aim to fire at Burke again, Butler – laying wounded on the ground - was able to fire a fatal shot, hitting the suspect in the head. Butler died of his injuries on April 18, 1954.

Capt. James Heavey said that eventually officers would like to establish a small law-enforcement museum to display various antique and vintage law enforcement equipment such as radios, uniforms and badges.

Paying for all that snow

Just days after seven more inches of snow fell in town, the Board of Estimate and Taxation unanimously approved the transfer of $615,000 from various Public Works Department accounts to help cover the shortfall in the snow removal budget.

Using a 30-year average, the town budgeted about $700,000 for storms accumulating a total of 30 to 35 inches of snow. But eight storms and about 60 inches of snow later – including the Dec. 26 blizzard that dumped more than two feet of snow – the DPW budget was all but dry.

Although it’s probably too late to do anything about the appropriations in the proposed 2011-12 budget that is now under review by the BET, First Selectman Peter Tesei said he doesn’t believe there is a need to change the standards used to calculate the snow removal budget. Some years, Mother Nature is kind and there are few storms and much less than the 30-year average snowfall, while others, including this winter seems to be more of an anomaly, Tesei said.

“I can’t see increasing it and taxing people for something that might not happen,” Tesei said.

Nominating Dr. Sidney Freund as School Superintendent of the Year

The Greenwich PTA Council President Sue Rogers announced at Thursday night’s monthly Board of Education meeting that it is nominating Greenwich Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Sidney Freund  for the Connecticut PSTA Superintendent and Principal Parent/Family Involvement Award.

Among the criterion for the award, the nominee must promote family involvement for student success, welcomes all families into the school community and supports student success.

The Connecticut PTSA will announce the winner of the statewide award at its convention April 1 -2 in Hartford.