Byram Area Events: Join Temple Shalome for a special Rosh Chodesh

Join us for a special Rosh Chodesh service and the Bat Mitzvah of Sarah Baden Sunday, March 6th 10:30 am followed by a luncheon Please RSVP to: lori.baden@templesholom.com or (203) 542-7172

Temple Sholom | 300 East Putnam Avenue | Greenwich | CT | 06830

02/17/11 The Raw Byram News Feed

News Reports About Byram, CT

Police: NY woman caught shooting up heroin Greenwich Time A New York state woman passing through town was arrested Monday after police said they found her injecting heroin while sitting in a gray Mercedes-Benz in a Byram parking lot. A concerned person called police to report a woman possibly injecting ...

Youths lead police on chase, shut down Greenwich train tracks Greenwich Time Metro-North Railroad service was suspended briefly in Greenwich on Wednesday evening after police spotted three youths on the train tracks near Byram Road on the western side of town. An officer approached the juveniles, but they immediately ran from ...

---

Please send your comments, news tips and press releases to ByramRoundup@gmail.com

02/09/11 Three Byram residents charged in N.Y. stabbing

Four people -- including three Byram residents -- have been arrested in connection with a Port Chester, N.Y., stabbing that occurred late last month, according to police.

Lt. James Ladeairous, of the Port Chester Police Department, said officers had been investigating a Jan. 23 stabbing that occurred after a fight broke out at a Parker Avenue party.

David Enrique Lopez, 19, of Port Chester, was at the party when he allegedly broke a window and was thrown out of the house by the victim, who was hosting the party.
"He came back with the three other people and the girl knocked on the door," Ladeairous said. "When the victim looked out, he only saw the girl so he opened it. Then they all busted in on him."

The victim was stabbed with a folding knife. His injuries were not serious, police said.

The three other people who assisted Lopez that night have been identified as 18-year-old Tamar Constanza, Nicholas Madinabeitia, 19, and Stewart Castro, 20, all of Byram.
"We are not sure which one stabbed him," Ladeairous said. "They all fled the area."
Police spoke with partygoers who gave them information on the three men. Constanza, Madinabeitia and Castro were arrested days after the stabbing. Lopez was arrested earlier this week. They were each charged with first-degree burglary. More charges could be pending.

"Lopez knew we were looking for him and he turned himself in," Ladeairous said.

02/09/11 Nino Sechi Interview

SENIORITY By Anne W. Semmes: Nino Sechi, 84

Read more: http://www.greenwichcitizen.com/default/article/SENIORITY-By-Anne-W-Semmes-Nino-Sechi-84-1005837.php#ixzz1E1bBne9d

Do you live in Greenwich?

All my life. I was born in Greenwich.

Are you married?

No. My wife, Elene died last June. You're getting to me here. We were married 59 years. She was a Salerno. There are Salernos all over town.
Do you have any children?

Yes, one girl and two boys. And five grandchildren.

Are you retired?
Yes.

What did you do when you were working full time?

I started off as a reporter for Greenwich Time right after college, as sports editor. I worked for Charlie Piro and Bernie Yudain, Bill Fink and Bill Young. I used an Underwood typewriter. I still have it. I learned to type at Greenwich High School, 95 words a minute. It saved my life! During WWII when I was in the U.S. Army in the Philippines, I was asked by a soldier if I could type. He said would I rather go after the Japanese in the mountains, or do some typing for him. I chose the typing.
After the war, I worked for the Daily Item for seven and a half years. I wrote newsletters for American Machine Foundry in Greenwich, then for the International Paper Company in New York City -- the largest paper manufacturer in the world. I was division vice president and personnel manager for the company for 20 years. I moved on to Con Edison, managing their pension and 401K plans. I've dealt with paper all my life.

What was the most important thing you learned in your work?

Accuracy in everything I did. To be meticulous in getting everything done.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Miss Sullivan, my teacher at Greenwich High school, had us writing essays. She gave me a good mark and told me, "You ought to do some writing some day." That writing first tied into sports.

What was a significant memory or defining moment in your childhood?

I was walking down old Victoria Street when I was 8 years old -- it was during the Depression at the end of the 1930s. I found a $5 bill on the road. I came into the house and said to Mom, "I've got $5." "Where did you get it?" she asked. "You found it on the street?" Then, we hear a neighbor screaming at her husband, "What happened to that money?" My mother said to bring that money back to the neighbor. I wasn't happy; back then, that money would have fed me for a week. What's not yours is not yours, my mother said. That was a defining moment. I learned a lesson.

What are your main hobbies and interests?

Gardening. I love gardening. And giving back to the community. I do a lot for the community. I'm still giving, anything I can do for families. Did you know there are 500 needy families in this town? I'm a member of the Old Timers and the Chickahominy Reunion Association.

Are you computer-savvy?

Yes, I'm computer-savvy. I write my column every two weeks for the Greenwich Time. I've been doing it for seven years. I write about the western end of town, Pemberwick, Byram, Chickahominy, what problems are occurring in the town, the housing shortage.

Do you have a favorite sport?

Baseball.

Do you have a favorite book? A recent one you enjoyed?

Walter Cronkite's "A Reporter's Life."

Do you have a favorite work of art?

Mona Lisa.

What music do you listen to, and what is a favorite piece of music?

WQXR, classical music. I'm in love with Midge Woolsey's voice.

Do you have a favorite movie?

"Deliverance." I never got over that movie.

Do you have a favorite actor or actress?

Meryl Streep I love. She's good in everything. Al Pacino.

What is a TV show that you watch regularly?

I don't watch a lot of TV.

Who do you think was the best president of the United States?

I liked Reagan and I liked Truman.

If you could tell the president of the United States one thing now, what would it be?

I'm praying for him to get us out of this economic downturn. I believe in prayer.

What is your greatest guilty pleasure?

I don't think I have any.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

A lot of people are so disrespectful of others.

Do you have any regrets in life?

No regrets.

What achievements in your life are you most proud of?

I thought I was very good to the kids and I'm getting the same support from them, because I need it. I talk to my kids every day. They're very supportive, for which I'm very thankful.

If you had a magic wand what would you wish for?

Peace on earth, for all of us.

What if anything are you deeply concerned about?

I'm concerned about the wars that could destroy our civilizations.

Best piece of advice for the younger generation?

Be honest with people -- try to help people.

What brings you your greatest joy?

When I read about people I know who are being successful. I feel a lot of joy for them.

What are you looking forward to?

At 84 years of age?

Continued good health.

Pemberwick Couple plead not guilty in Byram burglary spree

A former Byram property manager and his wife pleaded not guilty Monday in state Superior Court to charges stemming from a burglary spree that took place at the condominium complex where he once worked.

Michael Orr, 33, and his wife Elissa Temple-Orr, 32, both of 8 Susan St., East Longmeadow, Mass., appeared separately before a judge, one week after police charged the duo in a string of burglaries that occurred at the Greenwich Shore Apartments between January 2009 and September 2010.

Temple-Orr appeared first, wearing a black suit and blue-collared shirt. Her attorney, Wayne Keeney, entered a procedural not guilty plea on her behalf and asked for a new court date.

Michael Orr, who is being held on a $500,000 bond, appeared minutes later in a sweater vest and white-collared shirt. Orr stood silently as his not guilty pleas were entered. Temple-Orr had left the courtroom by the time her husband appeared.

Orr is charged with eight counts of third-degree burglary, five counts of first-degree larceny, one count of second-degree larceny, two counts of third-degree larceny and one count of fourth-degree larceny. His wife is charged with one count of first-degree larceny and one count of fourth-degree larceny.

Following the hearing, Orr's attorney, Sharon Friday, declined to comment on the case. When asked for comment, Keeney said his client had little to do with her husband's charges.

"Her participation in this matter is, at worst, peripheral," Keeney said.
Although Temple-Orr is not charged with burglary, police said they found her in possession of some of the stolen items.

Orr and his wife first came under scrutiny in late September 2010 when a traffic stop led to the discovery that the two were living in squalid conditions on Pemberwick Road, according to police. Their 6-year-old child was taken away at the time.

Police had stopped Orr's vehicle because they suspected him of dealing heroin. As police approached him, Orr attempted to toss away a wax bag containing heroin, which he had taken out of his pants pocket, according to police. After a search of his home, police found "numerous dirty, uncapped syringes" that were easily accessible to the child, they said.

Police also found men's jewelry worth about $16,000 that had been reported stolen in a residential break-in at Greenwich Shore Apartments, located on Ritch Avenue, earlier that day. Police said that arrest led to a more in-depth investigation into a string of similar thefts at the condo complex.

At the time, Orr was charged with risk of injury to a minor, possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia, and second-degree larceny. Temple-Orr was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and second-degree larceny. Those charges are pending.

Consolidated Management Group Inc., the company that manages the property where Orr once worked, said they were shocked by the charges because Orr was well liked. Police said they do not anticipate any further charges.

Orr remains held on a $500,000 bond. Both Orr and his wife are scheduled to appear back in state Superior Court on March 2.

02/02/11 Joseph John Steponik

Joseph John Steponik, 92, U.S. Navy veteran, landscape architect and a Byram native of Bradenton, Fla. since 1985, died Jan. 27, 2011.

He spent two years in the Civilian Conservation Corps in Connecticut and Wyoming, five years with Homelite Corp. of Greenwich, and 40 years in landscape contracting in Greenwich.

Steponik was an avid golfer and longtime member of Bruce Golf Course of Greenwich, and Manatee Golf Course in Bradenton. He was also a longtime member of Knights of Columbus No. 39, in Greenwich.

Steponik was a member of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Church in Bradenton. He is survived by his wife, Mary Miles of Bradenton; two sisters, Rose Seponik and Stephanie D'autilio both of Greenwich; a niece, Patty Ann Fox and nephews Richard and Robert D'autilio. He was predeceased by his four brothers: Andrew, Frank, Willliam and Johnny and his sister Helen.

A memorial service was held on Jan. 31 at Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory, in Bradenton.

A memorial service will be held in Greenwich at a later date.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.brownandsonsfuneral.com