Westporters Host Barbara Boxer

Westport First Selectwoman Diane Goss Farrell greets Sen. Barbara Boxer today as Westport Democrats gathered at a private home for a fundraiser for the Californian. State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal looks on. WestportNow.com photo

Well Suited for the Water

Mike McNeil, 51, of Easton, was among today's penguin plungers at Compo Beach. McNeil works for Northwestern Mutual, one of the event's sponsors, where he is a financial rep. The plunge, with 240 participants, raised $74,000 for the Special Olympics. See more photos below and on the Community page. (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE) Thom Burrows for WestportNow.com

Everyone into the Water

Today's Special Olympics Penguin Plunge at Compo Beach attracted young and old, male and female. (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE). Thom Burrows for WestportNow.com

Firefighters Take the Plunge

The Westport Fire Department penguin plungers today included firefighters Nate Gibbons, Jeff Thompson, Greg DiGiovanni, and Fire Chief Denis McCarthy (rear). (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE). WestportNow.com photo

Getting Ready for the Plunge

Before today's Special Olympics Penguin Plunge at Compo, there were speeches, coffee, hot chocolate and donuts. The air temperature was 52F and the water temperature was 40F.(CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE). WestportNow.com photo

Penguin Plunge Draws Several Hundred to Compo

Today's Special Olympics Penguin Plunge drew several hundred persons to Compo Beach.(CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE). WestportNow.com photo

Coffee, Bagel, and CNN, Please

Patrons at Oscar's Deli had a little CNN with their coffee and bagels this morning. The cable network's "On the Story" broadcast live from the Main Street eatery to get local reaction to the conviction of Westport's Martha Stewart in her stock fraud trial. WestportNow.com photo

More Martha Media Mania: CNN Hosts Morning Program from Westport

Oscar's Deli customer speaks out on CNN. CNN/WestportNow.com photoThe intense media interest in Martha Stewart's hometown in the wake of her jury conviction continued today with CNN hosting part of its "On the Story" morning program from Westport.

The live broadcast from Oscar's Deli on Main Street followed Friday's media blitz on the town after Stewart was found guilty on all counts in her federal stock fraud trial in Manhattan.

The CNN crew remained at Oscar's into the afternoon, broadcasting additional interviews live.

Shorn Again

By Fran
WestportNow Consumer Correspondent
fran@westportnow.com

In an uncertain world, isn’t it nice to know there are still some things certain in life? Ice melts on the Saugatuck River in March. Days grow longer in spring. And so does hair.
A Westport tradition, the Compo Barber shop has been in continuous operation since 1959. (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE). WestportNow.com photo

Which is certainly good news to those in the world’s most recession-proof profession, the barbers.

And it also helps to explain the disproportionate plethora of hair salons populating Westport’s commercial landscape.

Many of these are only too glad to offer men’s haircuts priced well above the cost of a barbershop cut. (Worth it? You be the judge.)

First let me mention a really special place just over the Southport border.

SNIP at 3397 Post Road has a mini roadsters and Barbie cars for barber chairs, a TV at every station, waiting area toys and video games to keep siblings occupied, and enough distractions to soothe the most scissors-averse toddler.

Southport's SNIP: A snappy convertible, cartoons on TV, and Mommy by my side. Who minds a haircut? (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE). WestportNow.com photo

Open seven days, no appointment necessary, and at $20 for a child’s haircut, the cost is right down there. Dad can get a good cut too at $25.

Being the mother of sons I’ve learned a little something about barbershops in town. So here they are, and how much they cost.

Don’t forget to tip. And don’t forget your lollipop.

Price of a basic man’s haircut (price of a 10-year-old or under boy’s haircut shown in parenthesis):

Let’s hear it for the barbers:

Mario & Mike Haircutters $17
Arnie's Clip Joint/Mr. Joseph's Hair Stylist $20
Riverside Barber Shop $20
Compo Barber Shop $21
Snip (in Southport) $25 ($20)
Karen & Frank's $25 ($20)>
SNIP in Southport is open seven days a week with no appointment necessary, the lowest prices in the area, and plenty of toys, TV’s and distractions. WestportNow.com photo

“Salon Cut”, Nice Price:

D. Sabrina $25 ($20)
Ultima Thule $25 ($20)
Antony's Hair Styling & Barbering $25
Gina's Hair Designers $25
Amalfi Coiffeurs $27 ($20)
Act One Salon $28 ($20)

Getting Fancy:

Marisa the Salon $30 ($25)
Paul Albert Salon $30 ($25)
Mane Groove $35 ($20)
Harry's Hair Design $38

Top Dollar (Worth it? Let’s hope your hair grows slowly):

Artistex by Odete and Co. $40 ($28)
Effi's Salon $40 ($35)
Greg & Tony $40
Nu Wave Salon $43 ($30)
La Place de Petite $45 ($30)
Peter Coppola Salon $45
Salon Salon $50 ($25)
Rick Garcia Salon $57 ($37)
Phillip Bruce Salon $60

Saturday, March 6, 2004

10:30 a.m. - Compo Beach - Special Olympics "Penguin Plunge" registration, hit the water at noon

Farrell on Reval: Ryan Firm Will Continue, May Appoint Special Panel

Westport First Selectman Diane Goss Farrell said today the firm which carried out the now postponed and controversial 2003 property assessment will continue to work on the list.

She also said she is considering appointing a special "working" committee to help ensure that the next version of the list is as complete and fair as possible.

In an interview with WestportNow, the Westport chief executive said her decision announced Thursday to seek state permission to postpone implementation of the state-mandated reval was not a difficult one once she had all the information.

"Once I got the complete list Wednesday afternoon, it quickly became apparent it was going to take much longer to refine than I had thought," she said.

"I was not about to implement a list that had so many questions outstanding. The goal has to be to make it as fair and equitable as we can."

A number of Westporters had complained to Farrell that some homes were grossly under assessed while others appeared to be over assessed in the initial list made public Jan. 20.

A revised version made available only in the assessor's office this week and reflected in about 900 change notices sent out Monday sparked new protests.

Residents of the Compo Beach area were especially vocal about the assessments, but they were not the only complainers.

Farrell said she has yet to talk to John Ryan, head of the firm hired to carry out the assessment, as he is on vacation.

"I put in a call to him and we'll discuss it," she said. "We have a contract with Ryan and will honor it to work on the continued refinements, but we want to make sure the final product is the best we can get."

Farrell said with the time pressure off – assuming the state grants permission to postpone the reval – she wants additional eyes on the process and that may mean appointing a special panel.

She said in addition to staff members, it might include members of the Representative Town Meeting (RTM), the Board of Finance and the public.

Farrell declined to discuss Glenn Werfelman, the assessor she placed on a 30-day leave.

Her announcement Thursday did not give a reason for her action regarding Werfelman, but he is known to have been under much strain recently.

Deputy Assessor Kevin Murowsky was named to take over day-to-day duties of the assessor's office.

It was on Werfelman's watch that the office saw a buildup in a backlog of about 1,700 building permits whose value needs to be added to the grand list. The First Selectwoman only learned of the problem last month.

Farrell has estimated that the backlog, with some outstanding permits going back to 1998, could mean as much as $2 million added to the town coffers.

Asked whether an audit of the office might be in order, Farrell said, "That certainly is a possibility."

Farrell said Finance Director Donald J. Miklus and Town Attorney Ira Bloom had been working with Murowsky on procedures to be followed in trying to collect on the back permits.

She said a memo on the matter has been sent to the RTM which on Tuesday will consider a $150,000 request to hire a firm to help clear up the backlog.

Farrell said she was aware that some RTM members were suggesting that the appropriation be postponed. But she said it was more important than ever to get the firm in as soon as possible so taxes owed to the town could be collected.

Farrell said with the reval postponement, residents need not make appointments with the Board of Assessment Appeals to protest amounts cited in the assessment notice mailed in January or in the revised notices mailed this week.

"They should only seek appointments if they want changes to the 1999 assessments, which will remain in place," she said.

Farrell urged all taxpayers to retain for possible future use any comparison information they may have gathered about their property.

Asked about the criticism she had come under at recent brown bag lunches over the reval, she said she fully understood the emotions aroused when people felt their properties, and those of others, had not been valued fairly.

"I know it has had a devastating impact on some and that is why I have said all along that I wanted the list to be as accurate as possible," Farrell said.

She added that she was grateful for the public input that helped identify the "anomalies" in the list and welcomed continued public participation.

Editor's note: The editor of WestportNow is also Moderator of the RTM.

Stewart: "I Am Distressed But Will Appeal and Fight to Clear My Name"

In a "Dear Friends" letter posted on her Web site, Westport's Martha Stewart said she is distressed by today's jury verdict but will fight to clear her name.

"I am obviously distressed by the jury's verdict but I continue to take comfort in knowing that I have the confidence and enduring support of my family and friends," Stewart said.

"I will appeal the verdict and continue to fight to clear my name. I believe in the fairness of the judicial system and remain confident that I will ultimately prevail.

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the words of encouragement I have received from thousands of supporters.

"It is your continued support that will keep me going until I am completely exonerated."

Initially, the message said, "I am obviously distressed by the jury's verdict, but I continue to take comfort in knowing that I have done nothing wrong and that I have the enduring support of my family and friends."

The reference to having done "nothing wrong" was quickly dropped, however. The sentencing guidelines that judges use consider whether defendants have accepted responsibility for their actions

Before leaving Manhattan Federal Court, Stewart was asked by a New York Daily News reporter to comment on the fairness of the trial.

"The fairness of the trial?" Stewart replied, her voice cracking and her eyes red. "The unfairness of the trial, that's the right comment."

Martha Stewart Guilty Verdict Brings Media to Westport for Reaction

News that Westport's Martha Stewart and her former stockbroker were found guilty in their federal stock fraud trial brought members of the media scurrying to her hometown looking for reaction.

A television satellite news truck takes up a position outside Westport Town Hall following the Martha Stewart verdict. WestportNow.com photo

On a drizzly Friday afternoon, however, reaction was not easy to come by.

Photographers and camera crews gathered outside Stewart's Turkey Hill Road South home on chances that she would return there this evening. They found a private security guard in a red SUV sitting in her driveway.

The Westport Police Department stepped up patrols in the area but, as in the past with developments in the Stewart case, did not place a patrol car there, a police source said.

A New York TV station reported that Stewart left the courthouse and returned to a lower Manhattan building where her daughter has a penthouse apartment.

At Old Mill Beach, lights were burning bright in the home of Mariana Pasternak, Stewart's friend who delivered damaging testimony during the trial. The press had yet to show up there.

At Town Hall, First Selectwoman Diane Goss Farrell was busy answering calls from reporters and doing television interviews. A satellite truck from a New Haven station took up a position outside the building.

"Any time someone goes to jail, it is regrettable," Farrell told an Associated Press reporter. "But it affirms that the system seems to treat everyone fairly."

The Westport official kept her eyes glued to a small television set in her office as she fielded the calls, occasionally turning the sound up to hear snippets from those being interviewed.

She said someone called to alert her that a verdict was imminent and she turned on the television. Others in the office came in to watch, too.

"I was surprised as anyone," Farrell said.

She told New Haven Channel 8 that she knows Stewart as a hard working, driven, tough at times woman who is generous to Westport.

"She helped us with the acquisition of some very sensitive land on the shoreline, and she worked with other groups," Farrell said.

Yet Farrell said keep watching. Stewart, who has made home living an art and become part of Westport lore, is not headed to jail just yet, she said.

"Looking at Martha's life, this is another chapter but it's not the end."

The AP story on Westport reaction said some residents said Stewart "had not made many friends among townspeople. They described cold or unpleasant encounters. But nobody said they were rooting for her to be thrown in jail."

"Westport businessman John Reznikoff said he thinks Stewart's celebrity made her a target," the AP said.

"What I marvel at is the pleasure that people take at seeing rich and well-known people knocked off their pedestal," Reznikoff, an antiques dealer, told the news agency.

"If she was an average housewife and didn't have the financial means, she would have been acquitted."

The AP said Stewart "has a bad rap among the town's hair and makeup artists, said Danny Quaranca, a hair colorist at Artistex by Odete and Company."

"She's not the nicest person, but that's no reason to put her in jail," it quoted Quaranca as saying.

The AP also talked to Michael Connelly, owner of the Country Store and Deli, who said Stewart wasn't particularly friendly when she ran in to get a cup of coffee recently.

Connelly, 40, said he hasn't been following the trial and has no opinion about whether Stewart should have been convicted, the report said.

"I have no reaction. I'm kind of on the fence with it," he told the AP. "When she came in here, she could have been nicer."

The AP later reported that about two hours after the verdict, a woman brought flowers wrapped in pink paper, to Stewart's home.

The woman, a Westport resident who did not want to be identified, left the flowers with the guard at Stewart's gate.

Nancy Sherter, who identified herself as a neighbor of Stewart's, said the verdict was outrageous, according to the AP.

"There's so much of that going on," she said, referring to corporate scandals that have rocked Wall Street. "They targeted her because she's a woman. I'm shocked. I thought she would be acquitted."

News crews wandered mostly deserted Main Street during the evening looking for potential interviews, but they found more people willing to talk near Barnes and Noble on Post Road East, not far from Stewart's home.

Martha Stewart Trial: Stewart Guilty on All Counts

A federal jury today found Westport's Martha Stewart guilty of lying to investigators over a suspicious stock sale.

Stewart, 62, stood stone still in the courtroom and showed no emotion as she heard the verdict, which ended a seven week trial. She later said she would appeal.
Martha with Paw Paw and Tutu on steps of her Westport home. Marthatalks.com photo

She remains free but was ordered to report to the Probation Department Monday.

The eight women and four men returned their verdict on the third day of deliberations. Stewart was found guilty of one count of conspiracy, two counts of making false statements and one count of obstruction of agency proceedings.

Wearing a black pantsuit, Stewart solemnly left the courthouse among a throng of hundreds of people and a small group chanting "We Love you Martha."

She will be sentenced on June 17. Each count carries a possible prison term of five years and a $250,000 fine, although legal experts believe Stewart will receive a sentence of less than five years, perhaps only 18 months, based on federal sentencing guidelines.

In the trial, related to her suspicious sale of stock in biotech company ImClone Systems Inc., her co-defendant, former stockbroker Peter Bacanovic, was found guilty on four of five counts. His lawyer said he will appeal.

Sources said that after the verdict, Stewart retired to an upstairs anteroom in the courthouse and hugged Bacanovic, the Daily News reported.

Her lawyer, Robert Morvillo, told her, "We failed you and I'm sorry," another source said.

One of the jurors, Chappelle Hartridge, told reporters that the panel felt Stewart's background as a stockbroker played a part in the verdict.

"She should have known her moves were illegal," he said.

He said he also believed the verdict "was a victory for the little guy who loses money in the market because of this kind of transaction. It sends a message to bigwigs in corporations they have to abide by the law. No one is above the law."

Stewart worked briefly as a stockbroker before starting a home catering business that spawned her media empire.

As the judge polled the jurors individually, Stewart looked from juror to juror, glancing down at the verdict sheets and tossed her hair from her eyes but remained stoic.

Her daughter Alexis slumped in her front row seat and put her head in her hands as her mother was found guilty.

Westport Democrats Elect Officers

The Westport Democratic Town Committee met Thursday night to elect officers and appoint district leaders. They included (l to r) Martha Aasen, re-elected DTC chair after serving in that role for eight years, Lynn Hogan, secretary; and Mark Marcus, vice chairman. Not shown is new treasurer Gerald Bodell, who replaced outgoing treasurer Barbara Schwimmer. WestportNow.com photo

Friday, March 5, 2004

2 p.m. - 136 Riverside Ave. - Positive Youth Development Community Resources Committee
8 p.m. - Seabury Center - Westport Arts Center presents a chamber music concert featuring Frederic Chiu, Charles Neidich, and Fred Sherry

Farrell Seeks to Postpone Reval for a Year, Puts Assessor on Leave

Westport First Selectwoman Diane Goss Farrell announced today she will seek a one-year delay in implementing the town's property assessment and has placed Assessor Glenn Werfelman on a 30-day leave of absence.

It was a stunning – and unexpected -- vote of no-confidence in the controversial assessment and the official who oversaw it.

It was Werfelman who had failed to inform her of a backlog in paperwork in his office affecting the reval that went back at least five years.

The announcement gave no official reason for putting him on leave, but he is known to have been under severe strain in recent weeks.

Farrell's action, announced in a news release, followed by 24 hours a citizens brown bag lunch that may have been her toughest since coming into office in 1997.

For more than 90 minutes, resident after resident complained that an updated version of the property valuation list was still unfair. A number of them said they had not had a problem with their valuation until receiving new notices this week.

The release made no direct reference to citizen complaints, merely saying that the list required "too many refinements to meet the time frame for implementation prescribed by state statute."

"First Selectwoman Diane G. Farrell announced today plans to request of the Connecticut Office of Policy & Management postponement of the property reevaluation for one year," the announcement said.

"In addition, Westport Tax Assessor Glenn Werfelman has been placed on a 30-day leave of absence. Deputy Assessor Kevin Murowsky has been designated Acting Assessor during this period."

Farrell said delaying the revaluation for a year "will enable the Assessor’s Office to improve the grand list by updating the backlog of building permits, and refining the mass appraisal work conducted by John Ryan & Associates."

She said, "It was not until this week that the revised grand list was available for review."

Farrell added, "In consultation with Second Selectman Carl W. Leaman, Finance Director Donald J. Miklus, and veteran Board of Assessment Appeals member Garson Heller, it was determined that the list required too many refinements to meet the time frame for implementation prescribed by state statute."

The announcement raised a host of questions that were not addressed by the town official, including:

 If the list is to be further refined, will the Board of Assessment Appeals still hold hearings on the values already published?

 Will the Ryan firm still be involved in refining the list? If not, who will be and at what cost?

 Will the town try to immediately seek back taxes from owners of properties which were among those in the backlog – or is that effort put off, too?

Reaction to the postponement was swift.

Evan Seidman, president of the Compo Beach Improvement Association, said in a statement that his group, which had been among the most critical of the 2003 assessment, applauded Farrell's action.

"We hope that the additional year will provide all of our elected officials and all taxpayers with an opportunity to both address the issues of concern identified in connection with the assessment prepared by Ryan, including correcting the tremendous backlog of building permits and reviewing the research presented identifying a significant underassessment issue, and make the Westport assessment process more transparent and better understood by all residents," Seidman said.

He said his group stands ready to provide research and assistance to Farrell and Murowsky "as they take advantage of this additional time" and looks forward to a "more equitable assessment and a better assessment process in the future."

Lauren Ives Ward, a Compo Beach area resident in an e-mail message to WestportNow, said, "I couldn't be more thrilled."

"The reval was flawed from the beginning," she said. "My property assessment doubled, but I didn't protest because I know that beach property is valuable.

"However, when two-plus acres on Turkey Hill Road South are assessed well below my .2-acre on Bradley Street, I take issue with that.

"Those undervalued properties will sell well above what I could ever sell my property for, and that is not fair."

She added that she hopes Werfelman "never darkens the doorway of Town Hall again" and suggested the town hire an independent auditor to perform a complete audit of his office.

"It is my feeling that this recent problem is only the tip of the iceberg," she said.

Martha Stewart Trial: Second Day of Deliberations

Jurors at the trial of Westport’s Martha Stewart stock trial finished a second day of deliberations today after indicating they were focused on a charge of perjury against Stewart’s former stockbroker.

In a note to the judge before wrapping up for the day, the jurors asked about the standards of evidence required to convict on the count.

It accuses Peter Bacanovic of lying in sworn testimony to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Feb. 13, 2002, about Stewart's sale of ImClone Systems stock.

U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum told jurors before deliberations that perjury requires special rules: Jurors must rely on testimony from two witnesses, or one witness whose testimony is supported by a document.

Deliberations were expected to resume Friday morning.

In a note today, the jurors asked the judge whether it was enough to have the testimony of one witness plus a document created by the same witness.

"I think the short answer is yes," Cedarbaum said.

Specifically, jurors said they were wondering about a line in the perjury charge in which Bacanovic told the SEC he simply gave Stewart the price of ImClone in a message he left for her on the day she sold.

Stewart's personal assistant, Ann Armstrong, testified that Bacanovic never left a message about the price but said ImClone was "going to start trading downward."

Jurors asked the judge whether it was enough to have Armstrong's testimony, plus the message log Armstrong kept, as the two pieces of evidence to satisfy the perjury charge.

The government said it was enough; Bacanovic's lawyers said it was not. The judge appeared to agree with the government, but said she would allow written arguments to be submitted overnight.

Earlier today, the jurors, who were in their second day of deliberations, asked to review testimony on what Bacanovic told the SEC about the day Stewart sold her ImClone stock.

They indicated in a note to the judge that they were focusing on what Bacanovic told the SEC in two interviews on Jan. 7 and Feb. 13, 2002.

An SEC lawyer has testified that in the first interview, which was not taped, Bacanovic claimed he spoke to Stewart on Dec. 27, 2001, the day she sold her stock. Bacanovic's assistant, Douglas Faneuil, actually handled the sale.

Bacanovic backed away from his claim in a follow-up interview Feb. 13, and his lawyers have questioned the accuracy of the SEC lawyer's recollection about the initial interview.

Claiming he had spoken with Stewart is an element of the charge against Bacanovic of lying to investigators. He and Stewart are accused of repeatedly lying about the circumstances of her stock sale.

The defendants claim Stewart sold her 3,928 shares of ImClone because they had a pre-existing agreement to sell when the stock price fell to $60.

The government says that was a cover story and Stewart actually sold because Bacanovic ordered Faneuil to tell her that ImClone CEO Sam Waksal was trying to sell his shares.

A negative government report the next day about an ImClone cancer drug sent the stock tumbling.

Stewart's lawyer now concedes she received the Waksal tip but maintains Stewart was accurate when she told investigators in April 2002 that she had no memory of it.

The jurors also asked today to see documents related to tax planning that Bacanovic did for the homemaking mogul in late 2001.

Bacanovic was selling some of Stewart's stocks at a loss to offset capital-gains taxes for the year. Jurors asked to see a Dec. 24, 2001, e-mail in which Bacanovic told Stewart he had completed the sales.

The ImClone trade came three days later, and Faneuil testified that Bacanovic initially claimed Stewart had sold ImClone for tax loss purposes, when in fact the stock was sold at a gain.

Westport Property Transfers Feb. 23-27, 2004

Property transfers as reported by the Westport Town Clerk's office for the period Feb. 23-27:

Seiler Lu E. to Terence J. Brannigan and Laurie Cizek, 1 Blue Coat Lane, $679,000.

Nicholas and Elisabeth R. Lombardo to Willys D. Devoll Jr., 2 Vineyard Lane, $672,500.

Brian Slater and Lourdes M. Fuentes to John A. and Jeffica Swanciger, 361 Wilton Road, $720,000.

Arturo Guillermo Massa and Maria A. Torti to Victor Teicher and Heidi Ann Liebermanvict, 81 Easton Road, $10,000.

Duskin Jasper to Christoper Kaminski and Valerie Vernay, 7 Sue Terrace, $569,000.

John J. and Patricia J. Horrigan to Linda M. Durakis and William R .Green, 27 Greenacre Lane, $905,000.

Duskin Jasper to Christoper Kaminski and Valerie Vernay, 7 Sue Terrace, $569,000.

John J. and Patricia J. Horrigan to Linda M. Durakis and William R .Green, 27 Greenacre Lane, $905,000.
Theodore R. and Susan M. Kanton to Richard M. and Karen J. Freeman, 5 Big Pines Road, $935,000.

Raymond Hill and Debra A. Hill to Kenneth W. and Julie K. Moore, 21 Turkey Hill Circle, $1,559,000.

Estate of Eileen Boyle to Brennan Builders LLC, 46 Westfair Drive, $400,000.

Sunil K. and Shobha Rajpal to Relocation, 3 Porters Lane, $920,000.

Relocation to Theodore G. and Venitia G. Schwarz. 3 Porters Lane, $920,000.

Thursday, March 4, 2004

10 a.m. - Kings Highway Elementary School - Positive Youth Development Parent Resource Committee
2:30 p.m. - Town Hall Room 201A - Planning & Zoning Commission Subcommittee
3 p.m. - 21 Imperial Avenue - Friends for the Center for Senior Activities
7:30 p.m. - Town Hall Auditorium - Planning & Zoning Commission

Izzo Votes Against Five-Year Forecast: "It Goes Against My Grain"

The Board of Selectmen tonight approved by a 2-1 vote the administration's five-year capital forecast. First Selectwoman Diane Goss Farrell and Selectman Carl Leaman, both Democrats, voted for it while Republican Selectman John Izzo (r) voted against it. "I'm not willing to spend this kind of money," Izzo said. "It goes against my grain. I'm not willing to go into that kind of debt." (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE). WestportNow.com photo

Westport First Selectwoman Comes Under Tough Questioning on Reval

In what may have been her toughest brown bag lunch since coming to office in 1997, Westport First Selectwoman Diane Goss Farrell today came under persistent criticism over the town's controversial 2003 property assessment.

At the end of more than 90 minutes of alternately listening and responding to her critics, the normally cheerful chief executive who is running as the Democratic candidate for congress in the 4th District was clearly exasperated.

"It's a lousy process," she said, referring to the state-mandated revaluation of the town's properties. "It's no fun for any of us. We're trying to do the best job we can."

At another point she said, "There is no reason anyone wants to do a bad job here," and "You'd be crazy to think that I wouldn't be responsive."

Farrell was asked repeatedly about a revised property assessment list which was approved by Assessor Glenn Werfelman Saturday to meet a state deadline but which has yet to be made public in full via the Internet as the initial version was Jan. 20.

"I hope to have it out by Friday," said Farrell, who explained that Town Hall employees were still working to make it as accurate as possible.

She did not address why the list available to the public on a computer in the assessor's office was not yet deemed worthy of wider distribution on the Internet.

A number of residents had used the Internet version of the earlier list to compare valuations with sales of the same property in recent years.

This lead them to conclude that several hundred or more of the properties had been under assessed.

Several questioners told her they had seen the revised list in the assessor's office and that there were still glaring discrepancies between some properties and their recent sales price.

"We're never going to get to 100 percent accuracy," Farrell said. "It's not going to happen."

She said although she was in Paris this weekend visiting her daughter who is studying there, the revised list had undergone close scrutiny from a number of people.

She said they included Selectman Carl Leaman and Garson Heller, a longtime member of the Board of Assessment Appeals.

"Some additional experience was put against the list," she said, "It was not just Ryan," a reference to J. F. Ryan Associates, the firm which carried out the valuation.

When several questioners suggested throwing out the revaluation and hiring someone to do a new one – possibly a more accurate and more costly physical inspection of homes – Farrell said there was not sufficient evidence to take that action.

"I can't say that is an appropriate conclusion," she said. "We need to look at the new list and then see."

When Heller was asked whether he endorsed the revised list, he was somewhat circumspect.

"I don't want to make a comment," he said. "I have not seen the revised list." But he added, "I am confident Town Hall will make efforts to resolve the issues."

The luncheon brought out Westporters who had not protested their valuation before.

Among them was Sandy Yu, a resident of Fairfield Avenue in the Compo Beach area. She said the latest assessment list had raised the value of her property $220,000 over the list of six weeks ago.

"I could never sell my house for that amount," she said. "Maybe someone gilded my house. I can't imagine in 30 days the house went up that amount."

Yu, who attended the luncheon while her young daughter played at her side, said she did not object at first because she thought her assessment was fair.

"It's scary. I don't know why," she said. "I called the assessor's office and the answer was 'I have no idea.'"

Adam Sappern of Buena Vista Drive said he was "dragged into this unwittingly."

"I thought the first assessment on my property was fair," he said. He said he then received a revised notice this week increasing the value that he does not believe is fair.

"What troubled me was that there was no supporting documentation," Sappern said. "I went down to the assessor's office and got a lot of blank stares."

He added, "I don't want to make this a 'me' issue, but it's an 'us' issue."

Westport Iraq War Vet Visits Brown Bag Lunch

Westport Iraq War vet Sgt. Alex Chung, 25, visited today's citizens brown bag lunch at Town Hall and received a standing ovation from attendees. Chung, whose mother Sonny (sitting next to Police Chief Al Fiore) works in the records division of the Westport Police Department, returned home Jan. 24 after almost a year in Iraq. Asked by a lunch guest whether the U.S. war against Iraq was worth it, Chung replied, "I think it was definitely worth it…for us to quit now would be a waste." (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE). WestportNow.com photo

School Bus Driver, Unfamiliar With Route, Gives Kids a Scare

A Westport school bus driver, a last-minute substitute who was unfamiliar with his route, gave some Saugatuck Elementary School pupils and their parents a scare Tuesday, police said today.

Police said they were alerted to a problem at 3:45 p.m. by a parent who said her 9-year-old daughter had called from her school bus to say the driver was behaving erratically and may be drunk.

Investigating officers instead found driver Francisco Valiente, 55, of Stratford, was simply confused about his route.

"He was not familiar with the streets, he was holding a map and trying to drive, and the kids were trying to help him by shouting instructions," said Sgt. David Kassay, a police spokesman.

"Some of the kids were upset and crying."

When police arrived at an upper Main Street address where the bus had stopped, they found his Dattco company supervisor already on the scene.

Police said the driver did not speak English very well and that may have contributed to the confusion.

The parent whose daughter had called her from the bus had told the driver to remain there until police arrived.

The supervisor then drove the bus and delivered the children to their homes, Kassay said. Also on the bus was Saugatuck Principal Robert Buckley.

Schools Supt. Elliott Landon said the driver was a last-minute substitute for another driver who had called in late or sick.

"He got lost, stopped the bus and radioed in for instructions and help," he said. "It's unfortunate, but it happens from time to time that drivers get lost."

Landon added, "Needless to say, the driver doesn't drive for us any more."

Lou Gagliano, a Westport resident, happened to be driving by when the incident occurred.

"It was a mess," he told WestportNow.

"You had ths school bus stopped in the middle of the road with a van blocking it and four women, presumably mothers of kids on the bus, yelling at the driver who obviously was lost and couldn't speak English very well."

Gagliano said he pulled to the side of the road and began to direct traffic as cars backed up.

"One of the women had pulled her van in front of the bus so it couldn't move," he said. "I told them to call the police and told the woman to move her van."

He said he estimated there were more than 30 children on the bus at the time, many of them crying.

"They clearly felt that they were at some risk," Gagliano said.

He said Peter Isabel, the school's transportation director, arrived on the scene promptly and was able to calm down the students.

"I don't honestly know how it could have happened logistically," Gagliano said.

A call to the Dattco Westport office was not returned.

Martha Stewart Trial: Her Fate is Now in Hands of the Jury

The fate of Westport's Martha Stewart is in the hands of jurors today.

Following instructions from the judge, the 12 jurors and six alternates are deciding whether she is the innocent victim of overzealous prosecutors or if she engaged in a criminal coverup of a stock trade, tripped up by her own arrogance.

The jury got the case shortly before noon.

The jury made requests twice in its first few hours to review voluminous evidence from the trial, including segments of the testimony of Douglas Faneuil, the star government witness.

But jurors ended the day without reaching a verdict. Their deliberations were to resume Thursday morning.

In her final instructions to jurors, U.S District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum urged them to consider the stock fraud case with "complete fairness and impartiality."

"You are the sole and exclusive judges of the facts," she said.

"You are to discharge this final duty with complete fairness and impartiality. You must have no bias or prejudice for or against the government or the defendants."

The competing versions of Stewart's role in her sale of ImClone Systems Inc. stock in 2001 were presented Tuesday in final, impassioned pleas by Stewart's defense lawyer and a federal prosecutor.

Stewart, 62, looked on impassively as Robert Morvillo, a veteran criminal trial attorney, put on a dramatic performance in his closing argument.

At times his voice fell to a near whisper as he sought to connect with the jurors and alternates who have heard more than six weeks of testimony and evidence.

"Martha Stewart's life is in your hands," Morvillo said softly. "I urge you to acquit Martha Stewart and let her return to her life."

But assistant US attorney Karen Patton Seymour, in a last rebuttal by the prosecution, said Stewart and her Merrill Lynch stockbroker, Peter Bacanovic, lied to Securities and Exchange Commission investigators to avoid the consequences of their own actions.

They may have failed, she said, because of their own "arrogance."

"Smart people make mistakes, and smart people do dumb things," she said. "The fact that this wasn't all tied up and perfect doesn't mean that it didn't happen."

Jurors are considering four federal counts of conspiracy, lying to investigators, and obstruction of justice against Stewart. Bacanovic faces the same charges.

Each count carries a possible prison term of five years. A verdict could be delivered before the end of the week.

Prosecutors allege Stewart sold her stock for $228,000 after Bacanovic directed his assistant at Merrill Lynch, Douglas Faneuil, to tell Stewart that ImClone CEO Sam Waksal and family were trying to dump the company stock.

They were selling in anticipation of a negative opinion from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding ImClone's anticancer drug Erbitux.

Morvillo said the government's theory of a conspiracy between Stewart and Bacanovic to lie to investigators was implausible.

He attributed alleged false statements Bacanovic and Stewart made in the months following her stock sale to faulty memories and innocent mistakes.

If the government's allegations of conspiracy are true, he added, it would be a "conspiracy of dunces," because their allegedly concocted stories did not even match.

Westport Goes for Kerry in Big Way

Workers at the Long Lots Elementary School had plenty of time on their hands Tuesday as Westport Democrats went to the polls in the party's presidential primary. Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry easily carried the town with 73 percent of the vote. The Town Clerk's office said 2,105 persons voted, about 43.5 percent of the 4,839 registered Democrats in town – double the turnout four years ago. WestportNow.com photo

Wednesday, March 3, 2004

10:30 a.m. - Town Hall Room 102 - International Hospitality Committee
Noon - Town Hall Room 309/307 - Citizens Brown Bag lunch
4 p.m. - Town Hall Room 201 - Beautification Committee
6:30 p.m. Westport Police Department classroom - Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) information session
6:30 p.m. - Town Hall Auditorium - Special Board of Selectmen meeting
7 p.m. - Town Hall Auditorium - Water Pollution Control Authority public work session
7:30 p.m. - Town Hall Room 201 - Flood and Erosion Control Board

Kerry Easily Carries Westport With 73 Percent of the Vote

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry easily carried Westport today in the state's Democratic presidential primary, winning 73 percent of the vote. North Carolina Sen. John Edwards was a distant second with 16.5 percent.

The Town Clerk's office said Kerry had 1,536 votes while Edwards had 347.

It said 2,105 Democrats cast ballots, or about 43.5 percent of the approximately 4,839 registered Democrats in Westport -- about double the figure of four years ago.

The final totals were:

1536 John F. Kerry
347 John Edwards
81 Howard Dean
63 Dennis J. Kucinich
30 Joe Lieberman
28 Wesley Clark
15 Al Sharpton
2 Lyndon H. Larouche, Jr.
3 uncommitted

Martha Stewart Trial: Defense Wraps it Up

The lawyer for Westport's Martha Stewart today implored jurors to let her "return to her life" by acquitting her of federal charges.

"Martha Stewart's life is in your hands," defense lawyer Robert Morvillo said in closing arguments in Manhattan federal court. "I ask you to let her return to her life, and improving the quality of life for all of us."

"If you do that," Morvillo said, echoing Stewart's well-known slogan, "it's a good thing."

Lawyers on both sides concluded their closing arguments, and jurors were expected to begin deliberating Wednesday after they receive lengthy legal instructions from the judge.

Morvillo said "nobody is disputing" whether Stewart was told ImClone Systems founder Sam Waksal was trying to sell ImClone shares.

But he maintained she had a sale agreement with her broker and was telling the truth when she told investigators she did not recall being tipped about Waksal.

Earlier, Morvillo insisted that prosecutors had not disproved the central defense element - that Stewart and her broker had a plan to sell her ImClone Systems stock when the price fell to $60 per share.

Inconsistencies in the stories Stewart and broker Peter Bacanovic told investigators about the $60 deal show it was not the careful cover story prosecutors have claimed it was, Morvillo said.

"The government is accusing Martha Stewart of participating in a confederacy of dunces," he said. "Nobody could have done what Martha Stewart and Peter Bacanovic are alleged to have done and done it in a dumber fashion."

He also said Stewart never would have risked her life's work and reputation to help the broker in a conspiracy to lie.

Prosecutors contend the $60 story was concocted to cover the real reason Stewart sold - that Bacanovic ordered his assistant to tip her that Waksal and his family were selling ImClone shares.

In a brief rebuttal for the government, prosecutor Karen Patton Seymour said Morvillo's suggestion that a conspiracy would have been a stupid idea was invalid because it is "what white-collar criminals do every day."

"Smart people make mistakes, and smart people do dumb things," she said. "The fact that this wasn't all tied up and perfect doesn't mean that it didn't happen."

Seymour told jurors it was important to reach a conviction in the case because the nation's criminal-justice system depends on making sure law enforcement agents are not lied to.

Stewart at first placed the $60 agreement as happening in October or November 2001, and Bacanovic on Dec. 20, 2001. Stewart sold her shares - about $225,000 worth - on Dec. 27, 2001.

Stewart also told investigators that Bacanovic had handled her trade, when it was actually assistant Douglas Faneuil. Morvillo said simple mistakes did not make Stewart a criminal.

"Just because somebody misses things, because somebody makes an inaccurate statement, doesn't mean that they're lying, doesn't mean that they're intending to deceive," Morvillo said.

Standing at a microphone before the jury, his voice alternating between a whisper and nearly a shout, Morvillo said repeatedly that the government's case was argument and inferences.

Among the charges against Stewart and Bacanovic are conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements to investigators.

Bacanovic's attorney, Richard Strassberg, completed his closing argument Tuesday morning by insisting his client was an honorable broker "caught in the crossfire" in the government's dogged pursuit of Stewart.

He suggested Bacanovic would have struck a cooperation deal with the government and testified against Stewart to save himself if he were actually guilty of the accusations against him.

"He's here because he's not a liar," Strassberg said. "And so his life is on the line here, ladies and gentlemen, before you."

Both defense attorneys spent time in their arguments trying to damage the credibility of Faneuil, the former Merrill Lynch & Co. assistant who was the star government witness.

Faneuil, who has his own cooperation deal with the government, testified that Bacanovic ordered him to tip Stewart about the Waksal selling and then pressured him repeatedly to lie about it.

Strassberg called Faneuil a manipulative liar, and Morvillo called him "the living definition of reasonable doubt" - a remark that drew laughs from the jurors.

The judge overseeing the trial dismissed a securities fraud count against Stewart last week. The charge accused her of deceiving investors in her own media company by claiming she sold ImClone because of the $60 agreement.

The remaining counts against Stewart carry up to 20 years in prison if she is convicted, but federal guidelines could reduce the sentence to roughly a year. Bacanovic faces 25 years if convicted, but could have his sentence similarly reduced if convicted.

Westport Town Attorney Urges Passage of Planning Bill

Westport Town Attorney Ira Bloom has urged a state legislative committee to approve a bill clarifying a court ruling that he said placed administrative burdens on municipal land planning agencies by requiring them to enforce obsolete and out of date regulations.

Bloom testified Monday before the legislature's Planning and Development Committee about a court ruling on Wilton's Poirier v. Zoning Board of Appeals case.

The case "broadly interpreted" state statutes, Bloom said, and found that a home on a 1954 subdivision was permanently exempted from all zoning changes enacted subsequent to 1954.

"As a result of this case, municipalities are faced with requests from property owners and developers to build upon their lots or expand their existing homes based upon standards from the regulations in effect when the subdivision was originally approved," he said.

"Towns and cities are required to scramble to locate such older regulations and we are finding that in some instances, those regulations have been lost or destroyed."

Bloom said as a further result of the decision, it is possible that one subdivision could be governed by, as example, height and coverage regulations at one level, while the adjacent subdivision built a few years later could be governed by different height and coverage regulations.

"This results in inconsistencies within districts and neighborhoods, as well as administrative problems," he said.

Bloom, a member and legislative liaison for the Planning and Zoning Section of the Connecticut Bar Association, said the proposed bill is intended to clarify this situation and remain consistent with what the association believes is the original intent of state planning statutes.

The legislation would for a period of 10 years after recording of a subdivision, exempt lots on the map from any change in zoning regulations and protect indefinitely characteristics of the lot, such as lot size, dimension or frontage, he said.

"We strongly believe that the bill would protect homeowners who purchase lots on subdivisions and builders who develop properties," Bloom said.

"At the same time, it would offer stability and consistency to municipal plans of development and logic to municipalities."

He added, "We are pleased that this bill successfully balances the needs and concerns of homeowners, municipal officials, and builders by striking a proper balance among competing concerns."

Happy Birthday to Us: WestportNow Marks First Anniversary

If you are wondering why there’s a cake and a balloon in our masthead and stars tumbling down on your WestportNow today, wonder no more – it’s our birthday!

Today WestportNow turns one year old.

In an age where startups, especially Internet ones, sometimes never make it beyond the first couple of months, we’re happy to get the first year behind us -- and look forward to many, many more.

We are grateful for the way Westporters -- and those interested in Westport – have taken to us. We now have thousands of regular readers not only in Westport but around the country and around the world.

Westport is unique in so many ways – and we are especially pleased to make it a little more unique by providing Westport with one of the few full-time, independent community news and information sources on the Internet.

We are humbled, too, to have been cited by CyberJournalist.net, an Internet journalism site, as “a great model for local community publishing.”

Inquiries about our publishing efforts roll in regularly and have come from as far away as New Zealand.

In its first year, WestportNow published more than 1,500 news stories, features and pictures – many of them exclusives. Readers have been especially appreciative of our Fran's Lists consumer columns -- a unique service to the community.

Many of our stories and photos have come from WestportNow readers – either direct contributions or news tips that have led to stories and photos.

One of the advantages of Internet publishing is the ability to interact with readers on an almost real-time basis.

We intend to step up this interactivity by offering even more news and features, some of them directly from you via a corps of “community correspondents.”

More on that in the future.

Some readers have asked what they can do to support WestportNow.

The answer is simple – tell your friends, neighbors and business associates about us. Make use of our classified ads feature. And tell potential advertisers about us.

With no subscription revenue, WestportNow is completely dependent on advertising dollars, referral fees, and the like to keep us afloat.

The site is one of the most cost-effective advertising buys in the community. So next time you visit a merchant or purchase a service, ask if they have considered advertising on WestportNow.

Instead of once a month, or once or twice a week exposure in print, the advertiser can enjoy the benefit of thousands of visits a month – and the unique ability to change the ad on a moment’s notice.

As always, we welcome your suggestions and input to editor@westportnow.com. And again, thank you for your support.

Gordon Joseloff
Editor-Publisher
WestportNow.com

A New Addition to Westport's Natural Products Scene

RUBB Natural Bath and Beauty, the latest addition to Westport's natural products scene, opened Monday in the Compo Shopping Center. Owned by Westporter David Potsubay, RUBB offers a wide variety of natural skin care, makeup, soaps, aromatherapy and bath products as well as a customer lounge with complimentary South American teas. WestportNow.com photo

Tuesday, March 2, 2004

10 a.m. - Town Hall Room 309 - Administrative Review Committee
5:30 p.m. - Town Hall Room 201- Human Services Commission Mental Health Committee
7 p.m. - Town Hall Room 309- Shellfish Commission

Westporter Bested in Chicken Soup Contest

Westport's Gail Barzilay mixes up her chicken soup during the "Best Chicken Soup in America" competition in New York sponsored by the National Jewish Outreach Program.(See WestportNow Feb. 12, 2004). Barzilay was one of five finalists in the recent contest, which was won by Rosely Himmelstein of New York. The winning recipe is available here. Contributed photo

Rowland, Legislative Leaders Announce Rail Improvements

Gov. John G. Rowland and legislative leaders today announced plans to accelerate the purchase of $60 million in rail cars for Metro-North's New Haven Line.

But a longtime advocate for commuters, Jim Cameron of the Connecticut Rail Commuter Council, said the plan made barely a dent in the problem.

The plan, announced by Rowland and House Speaker Moira Lyons, D-Stamford, includes $35 million in funding previously planned for new rail cars and adds $25 million in additional state bonding.

The money will be used to immediately purchase 20 cars, adding 2,000 seats to the railroad - a project that would not otherwise have been fully funded for 18 months.

"The patient is dying and Doctors Lyons and Rowland slap on a bandage and say 'we've done all we can,'" said Cameron.

He said Rowland and Lyons have recaptured previously authorized funds for the 20 new cars.

"But 20 new cars is roughly 6 percent of the existing fleet," Cameron said.

"Clearly, this winter's problems on the railroad have shown us we need 100 per cent replacement of our 343 cars -- not 'a 6 percent solution.'"

Rowland also announced that he has sent a letter to state budget and transportation officials directing them to report back within 60 days on a multiyear plan to replace the existing fleet.

The governor also sent a letter today rejecting a proposal by 4th District Congressman Christopher Shays who called for an increase in the state gasoline tax to pay for new rail cars and other improvements to the Metro-North system.

The Republican governor urged the Republican representative – who has publicly called for Rowland's resignation -- to focus on improving federal funding for transportation.

Wilton Road Accident Sends Four to Hospital

Westport firefighters clean up after a head-on accident this afternoon on Wilton Road near Partrick Road. Four persons in one car – a mother and her three children – were taken by Westport EMS to Norwalk Hospital. Their injuries were not believed life threatening. Occupants of the other car were treated at the scene. (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE). Thom Burrows for WestportNow.com

Brief Power Outage Hits Saugatuck Area

A brief power outage hit the Saugatuck area this afternoon. Power company workers initially feared it would take hours to restore service, but it was back within the hour.

The exact cause of the outage was not known, but one resident reported some kind of an explosion on the west side of the Saugatuck River between the I-95 overpass and the railroad bridge.

The affected area appeared to be south of Bridge Street and perhaps concentrated in the Charles Street area of Saugatuck, according to fire officials on the scene.

The Westport Police Department placed portable stop signs in the area as traffic lights went black.

Sure Sign of Spring Thaw

In a sure sign of spring thaw in New England, John Reznar empties maple sugaring sap buckets at dawn today on the Wakeman family property on Cross Highway. The sap of sugar maple trees begins "running" when temperatures are above freezing during the day but still below freezing at night. (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE). Emily Laux Roche for WestportNow.com

Martha Stewart Trial: Prosecution Begins Closing Arguments

The prosecution began its closing arguments today in the trial of Westport's Martha Stewart, telling the jury that Stewart knew going into a meeting with federal authorities in 2002 that she would lie about her sale of ImClone Systems stock.

"She would conceal from the FBI and the (Securities and Exchange Commission) the true reason for her sale," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Schachter. "Martha Stewart would lie."

His summation took about three hours and ended with him urging the jury to use common sense in their deliberations. He said if they did, they would find the defendants guilty on all counts.

Schachter argued that Stewart and her co-defendant, broker Peter Bacanovic, hatched a cover story claiming that they had a prearranged agreement to sell ImClone shares when they fell to $60.

"Martha Stewart probably thought she would never get caught," said Schachter.

But she "left behind a trail of evidence," including an altered phone log, which combined with the testimony of brokerage assistant Douglas Faneuil, proves her guilt, he said.

If you believe Douglas Faneuil's testimony, this trial is over," said Schachter.

He argued that Faneuil is credible because he came forward on his own and admitted he had lied to law enforcers about "a powerful person."

Faneuil lost his job and pleaded guilty to a crime that could put him in prison for a year. Given all that, "Why on earth would somebody make this up?" the prosecutor asked.

Last week, U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum tossed out the government's most serious charge, that Stewart lied to investors in her own media empire, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, by saying her ImClone Systems sale was proper.

Before the closings began today, Cedarbaum informed the jury that the top count had been removed "for reasons of law that are not of your concern. It should not enter into your deliberations in any way."

Cedarbaum's action left prosecutors to try to persuade a jury of eight men and four women to convict Stewart of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and lying to investigators.

In his closing argument on behalf of Bacanovic, lawyer Richard Strassberg spent more than two hours attacking the credibility of Douglas Faneuil, Bacanovic's former assistant who was the government's star witness.

Faneuil initially told the government he handled Stewart's stock sale after Stewart asked for a stock quote. But he changed his story in June 2002, saying Bacanovic ordered him to pass along the Waksal tip, then pressured him to lie.

Faneuil and the government have a cooperation agreement - clear motive for him to lie, Strassberg said, even alluding to Sunday night's Academy Awards by suggesting Faneuil was acting on the stand.

Strassberg insisted Faneuil was starstruck by Stewart, and suggested it was he - not Bacanovic - who came up with the idea to tell Stewart about the Waksal selling.

"He lies by just twisting a few little facts, a few key facts," Strassberg said. "But those facts are crucial."

Strassberg stressed Bacanovic's reputation as a trustworthy, meticulous broker at Merrill Lynch. He said Bacanovic never would have risked his career for the Stewart trade, which made him just $450 in commissions.

"It makes no sense, what it is they're asking you to believe," Strassberg said.

He also compared the government's case with a house of cards.

"When you push on it, when you look at it closely, it collapses," he said. "Because it has no substance. It has no foundation."

Strassberg's closing argument was to continue Tuesday morning, and Stewart lawyer Robert Morvillo was also to present his closing argument Tuesday. Jurors could begin deliberations as early as Wednesday.

Bacanovic faces charges that carry 25 years, but sentencing guidelines could mean a much shorter sentence if he is convicted on all counts.

The counts against Stewart carry up to 20 years in prison, although federal sentencing guidelines could result in a sentence of just a year or so.

Revised Property Assessment List Completed, Notices Go Out

A revised 2003 Westport property assessment list was completed over the weekend and notices went out today to about 900 residents informing them whether any changes were made in their property's valuation, according to Assessor Glenn Werfelman.

"I signed off on it Saturday in the Town Clerk's office," he said, completing a review of assessments that had sparked controversy since the original list was published in mid-January.

Werfelman said "900 plus or minus" notices were sent to all residents who had raised issues with J. F. Ryan Associates, the firm hired to do the assessment. The list contains more than 10,000 properties.

He said notices also were sent to those whose assessments had changed, up or down, as a result of the review but who did not personally come forward.

Some residents, especially those near the water, had complained their valuations were too high.

They and others also identified properties they believed had been valued too low -- especially compared to their recent sales price.

"I don't know what (the number) exactly changed," Werfelman told WestportNow. He declined to even estimate whether the number was dozens or hundreds.

"Why would that make a difference?" he asked. "I'm satisfied with the result and signed off on it. If people still don’t like it, they can go to the Board of Assessment Appeals."

The assessor, who with his staff has spent numerous hours on the review, added, "At this point, I'm pretty tired of it."

Werfelman said copies of the revised list would be made available today.

But by day's end, the town's Information Technology department said no updated computer file of the list had been received from Ryan Associates.

Werfelman said the list would not indicate which property valuations had changed – something First Selectwoman Diane Goss Farrell had told her brown bag luncheon Feb. 25 it would include.

Farrell was traveling this weekend and will not be back at work until Tuesday, according to her office.

Rough Weekend, Reg?

Staples senior Reggie Yemma, 17, makes her way down the rough terrain in the 13th annual U.S. Extreme Freeskiing Championships in Crested Butte, Colo this weekend. Yemma came in a close third in the junior girls division. See story below. (CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE). Contributed photo