The Halloween Haul

Gideon Fountain writes….

We’ve had, oh, about 75-80 kids so far tonight.  Those lucky folks nearby on Greenwich’s Maher Avenue?  They tell me it’s usually 1,200-1,500 kids!  Think about that; I spent about $40 today on full-size KitKat, Hershey’s, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and I’m almost out.  If I lived on Maher and was similarly generous, I’d be out $850-1,000!

Another interesting note is the observation that Port Chester and Stamford parents drive their kids over here for trick’r’treating because, well, the pickings are better and the car traffic is lighter. So, once again, Greenwich takes care of everybody!  Perhaps State Rep. Rosa DeLauro, presently demanding free diapers for Connecticut’s poor will next turn her government-expanding gaze towards candy!  It’s not fair that Greenwich has better candy, dammit, we need a new law, or at least a new tax!

Let's see, a bee, a baby, and..um..a Gypsy Princess? (75 more after this!)

False Credentials

I always thought that people who didn’t exagerate their credentials were at a disadvantage because so many people do it that a little, or a lot of, of interviewers just expect it. If you tell the truth, perhaps the interviewer thinks you are even less than that. I don’t know, but it seems plausible.

Whats worse is when someone makes up their service from whole cloth . This website talks about people who like to say they have served in the military, when they in fact have not. The opening line says it all:

It starts off simple enough. A casual mention of military service. And, oh by the way, a Purple Heart and a few other honors earned. How can you not trust a man who served his country so gallantly?
From there, confidence builds, one story weaves into even more glorious tales until, at some point, the fabrication is woven so tightly you begin to suspect…
How can one person achieve so much in such a short time? It’s almost too good to be true.

I know the “stolen valor” law was declared unconstitutional, but people who delude themselves into thinking their made up high credentials make them someone they are not have no place in our public discourse. This happens in military, business and most assuredly politics. Fluffing up something you actually did is one thing, but stealing by association from those who deserve their honors is something entirely different.

Really Big Shoe

Now that peace has been restored here in Blogy-blogy-blogy-stan-stan (Thanks, Herminator), I would like to make an observation about some comments made regarding Gideon’s photo. It was not Gideon making any bad gesture, au contraire. To quote that sage Dandy Don Meredith, Gideon was in fact saying to me, “Frank, you’re number one!”. Thanks Gid!

The Frankie & Giddie Show

Gideon Fountain writes:

Well, Chris Fountain will be back soon (I swear) so none of this will matter, but I still regret getting his business parter mad at me.  And dammit, the whole thing still mystifies me!  I fully expected Frank to say something like, “Gid, it’s a bargaining ploy, you knuckle-head!”, in regard to the Greenwich Reform Synagogue/Stanwich School hullabaloo. Instead, he defends the idea of building condos high up on Stanwich Road!

The Planning & Zoning Board’s approval of a school is certainly different from approving what would quickly become many, many proposals to build condominiums, once zoning restrictions were abandoned, right?

In defense of Bill Grad, I’ve since been told by a few sources that he is not the instigator here, but my entire “research” on this subject consisted of reading the one and only article that Greenwich Time deigned to publish and Grad, identified as President of GRS, and the head of the committee handling this, naturally becomes the point man (hey, and the guy’s a real estate agent, how bad could he be??)

And one other mystery:  Why does Frank give a rodent’s-rear-end what Gideon Fountain, full-time real estate agent, part-time, substitute, co-blogger says about anything?  I’m flattered, of course, but honestly, aside from real estate (and Jaguars), I doubt I’m having much influence on popular opinion.

Meanwhile, Frank Farricker actually does have power and influence!  He can pick up the phone and be front-page news the next day! Unless I’m calling about a real estate ad, the Greenwich Time would send me into voice-mail faster than you can say “Jack Robinson”.

Gideon Fountain catching up on the Daily Farricker..er...that is, Greenwich Time!

New House “Mandatory Requirements”

Spec(tor) house at 8 Baldwin Farms North...Gid likes.

Gideon Fountain writes:

My house has almost none of the features that I’ve now decided should be “mandatory” at all (expensive) new houses.  I developed this list while walking through 8 Baldwin Farms North (Wilson Alling, listing broker).  It’s just off Round Hill Road, south of the Merritt Parkway.  It’s a spec house built by Greenwich builder Marc Spector (not to be confused with James Bond arch-enemy “SPECTRE”), who seems to get it right every time.

Here then is my list of things that new houses oughtta have:

• Huge kitchen with huge center-island.
• Large “mud-room” (Spector’s had two)
• 3-car, over-size garage
• Big laundry room with 4 machines, and places to fold stuff
• Loads and loads of closets, on all floors, with built-in shelves
• 2nd floor “study area” with cork-board  walls
• Lower level that is pleasant and has decent ceiling height
• Big, rubber-floored exercise room, glass walls are a plus
• Media room, doesn’t have to be gi-mungous
• Generator

Of course, this house had plenty of other features, like a perfectly sited pool, attractive wine-cellar, truly beautiful bathrooms (not done in the usual “spec-house beige”!), and on and on.  Obviously, the master bedroom/bath needs to be well-designed, with plenty of closets, fireplace, etc., as this one was. They’re asking $7.9M and, for that, you should get all the good stuff.  But there are brand-new houses out there, some cheaper, some more expensive, that are missing quite a few of my “mandatory 10″.  Not acceptable.

Let It Snow

Just in time to cool off the passions of Greenwich, snow is in the air for this Saturday. On such day, I am out looking at homes with a client and their 1 year old child. Personally, I can’t stand October snow, but then again it reminds me of Christmas in New Zealand, where you go to the beach and have a barbie instead of snowball fights, but the stores still have snowmen and painted winter in the windows. Its just plain odd, like October snow. At least Uncle Mike has early business

Gideon Couldn’t Have Been More Wrong

OK, enough with the give and take.

Gideon’s post misses one quite large issue which was mentioned by the newspaper, but isn’t so important to Gideon’s worldview/narrative. That is that there was NEVER A CONTRACT between the two parties! Stanwich and GRS entered into a letter of intent four years ago. Four years without a contract. Would Gideon let his clients do that? I suspect he would want to posture or tell his client to find another property. Nonetheless, when GRS got tired of waiting, Stanwich still wouldn’t do the deal from what I can see. Yes, it is a good deal for both, but don’t both parties have to agree for a deal to be a deal? So cut the boo-hooing.

Another case of boo-hooing on gideon’s part is his sudden and unequivocal love and adoration of the Greenwich zoning code. Lest we forget that on the exact same site, the Planning and Zoning Commission – including yours truly – approved the construction of one of the largest single use buildings ever proposed in the Town of Greenwich. Now, to Gideon who conflates the GRS proposal with a Dunkin Donuts or a gas station, no mention of this monster building which to my reckoning, is not in conformity with the RA-2 zone. So what is it, Gid? Zoning should permitted for uses you like, but not for those you do not?

Finally, Gideon had to throw Bill Grad under the bus in his campaign for Tax Collector because of the reprehensibly bad information he was working under. I understand the knee-jerk desire to drive a shiv into those on the other side, can’t say that I haven’t felt that in my time, but to malign a friend in that manner is not something I can accept. Bill Grad is a hard-working, dedicated man who will serve the Town with dignity and skill when he is elected. Run him down for anything he may have done, but don’t construct a non-existent narrative to push your side.

Still, sorry about the deletion