Fairfield County Business Journal 110419 by Westfair Business Journal

PRINT JOURNALISM: BECAUSE IT STILL MATTERS. NOVEMBER 4, 2019 VOL. 55, No. 44

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A rendering of the main entrance to Urby Stamford.

Urby Stamford is open for business

INSIDE PAGE

VACATION DAYS

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WORKING ENVIRONMENT

BACK FROM THE BRINK STAMFORD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RETURNING TO PROMINENCE UNDER HEATHER CAVANAGH

CITY’S INFAMOUS ‘HOLE IN THE GROUND’ IS GONE

BY KEVIN ZIMMERMAN kzimmerman@westfairinc.com

tamford’s notorious “hole in the ground” is no more. Almost exactly two years since ground was broken on the long-vacant site at the corner of Greyrock Place and Tresser Boulevard, Urby Stamford is open for business. The $200 million residential

development — the result of a joint venture between Ironstate Development Co. and Brookfield Property Group — came in on budget and “mostly on schedule,” according to Ironstate President David Barry. Barry said residents began moving in last month. “It’s been really exciting so far,” he said, noting that Urby signed about 30 leases in its first three weeks. Interest in the 464 units that

are available has been high, Barry said. That statement was confirmed by Leasing Manager Alexandra Novoa, who said that along with General Manager Jason Pennypacker and Property Manager Casey Craig, has been leading daily tours around the complex at a rate of about 10 a day. Though marketed primarily to 20- and 30-somethings, Urby has drawn “a really diverse mix,” Pennypacker said. “We’ve been getting really great feedback so far.” “Typically, families are looking for more space and houses,” Barry said. “So the Urbys tend to draw the younger end of the spec» » URBY

BY KEVIN ZIMMERMAN kzimmerman@westfairinc.com

early bankrupt 18 months ago, the Stamford Chamber of Commerce is now on much more solid footing, thanks almost entirely to the efforts of President and CEO Heather Cavanagh. That she’s done it in a little over a year stands as a testament to her being “a ball of energy,” said Chamber Treasurer David Cingari, owner of David’s Soundview Catering. “She’s very positive, very into it. She’s made a huge difference.” Cavanagh was lauded several times at the cham-

ber’s 32nd annual meeting and awards ceremony on Sept. 26. There was a sense of excitement over what she has done to transform the perception of the chamber as a somewhat moribund organization to one that’s well-positioned to prosper. She said the key to reinventing the organization was bringing it into the 21st century. “Almost everything was being done by hand,” she said. “Things were falling through the cracks, due more to human error than anything. So much was being done by mail, which can lead to things not being read. Even registering someone for an event meant manually typing that informa» » CAVANAGH

‘You need to feel the love from the state’ MANUFACTURING, GOVERNMENT MUST UNITE TO IMPROVE BUSINESS CLIMATE IN CONNECTICUT

MAIN OFFICE TELEPHONE 914-694-3600 OFFICE FAX 914-694-3699 EDITORIAL EMAIL bobr@westfairinc.com WRITE TO 701 Westchester Avenue, Suite 100 J White Plains, N.Y. 10604

BY KEVIN ZIMMERMAN kzimmerman@westfairinc.com

haring a time, date, venue, and even a guest speaker, a pair of Oct. 25 networking events in Trumbull also shared a message: All parties in the business community must work together for the benefit of everyone. First Selectman Vicki Tesoro set the tone during her opening remarks at the Trumbull Economic & Community Development Commission’s annual Business Appreciation event. “Working together collaboratively and respectfully,” she said, is the way to underscore her oft-repeated mantra that “Trumbull is the place to be.” And, at the Made in Connecticut: 2019 Manufacturing Summit, Colin Cooper made similar remarks. “We have a very collaborative environment in Connecticut,” the executive chairman of Whitcraft Group, who was announced just four days earlier as the state’s first-ever chief manufacturing officer, said. Cooper said he’d already received “scores if not hundreds of emails from folks. Their enthusiasm is palpable. Virtually every one offered to help in some manner.” That the Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC) and the state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) are working to provide support to Connecticut’s businesses — while also working to draw new companies to the state — is an example of how working together can reap rewards, according to CERC President and CEO Peter Denious and DECD Commissioner David Lehman. The latter — a Greenwich resident who took over the DECD in March after 15 years at Goldman Sachs — spoke at both events, held in different ballrooms at the Trumbull Marriott Shelton. “What’s happening in Trumbull is what I think we need to make happen on the state level,” Lehman said. The challenges in achieving that, Lehman said, are the same ones that have been invoked for years: high taxes, an aging transportation infrastructure and “the perception — and probably the reality — that we are not busi-

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

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Publisher Dee DelBello Managing Editor/Print Glenn J. Kalinoski Managing Editor/Digital Bob Rozycki Associate Publisher Anne Jordan Group Associate Publisher Dan Viteri NEWS Bureau Chief • Kevin Zimmerman Senior Enterprise Editor • Phil Hall Copy and Video Editor • Peter Katz Senior Reporter • Bill Heltzel, Reporters • Georgette Gouveia, Mary Shustack Research Coordinator • Luis Flores ART & PRODUCTION Creative Director Dan Viteri Art Director Sebastián Flores, Kelsie Mania, Fatime Muriqi From left: Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner David Lehman (left) and Connecticut Chief Manufacturing Officer Colin Cooper at the 2019 Manufacturing Summit, held Oct. 25 at the Trumbull Marriott Shelton.

ness-friendly.” The commissioner touted Gov. Ned Lamont’s still-to-be-finalized CT 2030 infrastructure plan, which he described as an $18 billion, 20-year proposal aimed at fixing not only the state’s highways and railroads but also establishing a commercial airport “in south-central Connecticut.” Lehman also pledged “tax certainty,” so that companies considering coming to or expanding their presence in the state won’t continue to be scared off by Connecticut’s fluctuating tax rates.

CERC IN TRANSITION

Denious — who took the CERC reins in August, having previously been head of global venture capital at Stamford’s Aberdeen Asset Management — said he was focusing on working closely with the DECD to provide more resources for the business community. He remarked that CERC may be renamed, as the current name “is a mouthful.” That Connecticut’s business

environment is so diverse is both a boon and a challenge, Denious added, noting that it can be difficult to get its leading sectors — not to mention its 169 municipalities — to “join up” and form a united front. “We need to develop a longterm economic plan for at least the next 10 years,” he said, adding that CERC and DECD are not looking to simply present such a plan as a fait accompli. Connecticut needs “to play a lot more offense” when it comes to drumming up business, Lehman added. “You need to feel the love from the state.” Part of Cooper’s remit, Lehman said, is to engage with manufacturers of all sizes to see what they, and other companies, need to excel. To achieve that, the manufacturing office needs to be “driven by a manufacturer, not a bureaucrat.” Cooper said his chief priority is strengthening workforce development, especially as interest in blue-collar jobs continues to wane and the “silver tsunami” of retiring workers continues to grow.

“We need a larger and deeper workforce,” he said, which will require retraining a significant number of manufacturing employees to meet the demands of “Industry 4.0.” That is the name given to the trend toward automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies and processes such as cyber-physical systems (CPS), the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI).

ADVERTISING SALES Manager • Anne Jordan Metro Sales & Custom Publishing Director Barbara Hanlon Account Managers Beth Emerich, Marcia Pflug, Gina Fusco Events Sales & Development • Marcia Pflug Events Coordinator • Olivia D’Amelio AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT & CIRCULATION Circulation Manager • Sylvia Sikoutris Telemarketing Director • Brianne Smith ADMINISTRATION Contracted CFO Services Adornetto & Company L.L.C. Human Resources & Payroll Services APS PAYROLL Administrative Manager • Robin Costello

INDUSTRY 4.0

Industry 4.0 was also the theme of a panel discussion featuring Stanley Black & Decker Vice President of Business Development Marty Guay, Hartford Steam Boiler Vice President, Industrial IoT Solutions Jack Webb and CONNSTEP Director, Strategic Growth and Technology Jeff Orszak. “We’re moving from jobs that are dull, dirty and dangerous to high-tech jobs — where people work with their heads, not with their hands,” Guay said. “It’s a big culture change — and the only

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Priceline: Americans leave 7 vacation days unused

person who wants a change is a wet baby. “The pioneers get the arrows. The settlers get the land.” He added that changing mind-sets requires a “psychological enema.” “We are really bullish on Connecticut’s manufacturing future,” he said. “It’s actually a good place to be.” The panelists vowed that small- and medium-sized manufacturers will benefit from their larger brethren’s experiments with automation and the like.

BY PHIL HALL phall@westfairinc.com

pproximately 44 million working Americans will end the year with seven or more paid vacation days left to use this year, according to a report. The 2019 Priceline Work-Life Balance Report, released by the Priceline division of Norwalk-based Booking Holdings Inc., polled 1,000 working Americans with 55% receiving more than 10 paid vacation days each year. However, 53% admitted leaving available vacation days unused at year’s-end and 33% said they left at least half of their vacation

days unused. One out of four respondents who failed to take a vacation said they chose to stay in the workplace because they felt it would be too expensive to travel. As for those who get away on vacation, many of them find they cannot turn off their work duties. The report found 29% of respondents acknowledging their company or supervisor expected them to be “available” while on vacation, 38% felt pressured to check their work email and voicemail while away and 15% took their work with them during the break. Work guilt is particularly acute among younger employees as 47% of Generation Z

respondents and 34% of millennials felt pressured to check email and voicemail while on vacation compared with 24% of baby boomers. Still, not everyone was happy with being on vacation: 26% of respondents grumbled about using their time off attending “other people’s events,” such as weddings and bachelor/bachelorette parties. And there are other ways to have a vacation without taking a full week off, with more than one in three respondents confessing to fake an illness to score a sick day and 27% inventing “a random story” to secure a free day away from work. The online survey ran from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4.

Strategic. Competitive. Profitable.

CBIA MANUFACTURING REPORT

The sector’s challenges were underscored by CBIA/CONNSTEP’s first Connecticut Manufacturing Report. Workforce topped manufacturers’ concerns with 60% of poll respondents saying it was their most significant need. Marketing/business development was second at 14%. And 56% said it was “difficult” to both find and retain young workers. The primary obstacles to finding qualified young workers included a lack of skills or expertise (35%) and proper work ethic (31%), while the difficulty in retaining those workers was attributed primarily to the cost of living (37%) and competition from other firms (33%). Asked what methods they use to attract/ retain young workers, 25% said offering a flexible work schedule, followed by engagement and recognition programs (20%). On the technology side, 31% of respondents said their primary need was production integration assistance, followed by access to R&D testing, training staff and financial assistance (all 19%). While 52% said their workforce was staying the same size, 26% said it was growing. Seventy-two percent of respondents said their companies are in profit, from 75% last year, as 16% are breaking even, from 13% in 2018, and those operating at a loss remained the same at 12%. According to the report, Connecticut manufacturers employ over 160,000 workers — roughly 10% of the state’s workforce — paying more than $14.9 billion in wages each year and contributing $30.8 billion annually to the state’s economy. Workers earn an average annual salary of $96,279, above the state’s $74,561 yearly per capita income.

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NOVEMBER 4, 2019

In Brief New leases signed at 1 Dock St. in Stamford

The Curb consists of 232 residential units. Photo by Patrick Sikes Photography.

and short-term coworking space with private offices and conference rooms. The Curb, which opened its first building in January, offers residents such amenities as a sundeck with pool and grills, outdoor games and firepits, a dog park, running and walking trail and fitness center with on-demand workout classes.

EDGEWELL SELLS INFANT, PET CARE BUSINESS TO CANADIAN FIRM FOR $122.5M

1 Dock St. Image courtesy ClearRock Properties.

Leases totaling more than 32,000 square feet at 1 Dock St. in Stamford have been signed, according to Newmark Knight Frank. An undisclosed tenant took the entire fifth floor of the building — 16,713 square feet — while The Cholula Food Co. signed for 11,500 square feet on part of the sixth floor along with the entire seventh floor. Both tenants were represented by James Ritman, executive vice president and managing director, and Janey Steinmetz, associate director, at NKF. The two new leases, along with an expansion that nearly tripled the footprint of current tenant Six One Commodities to 4,600 square feet, made up the bulk of the building’s recent leasing activity. NKF’s Senior Managing Director Tim Rorick and associate Jack McDermott represented landlord Juster Properties and ClearRock Properties. NKF also assisted with the relocation of two tenants to accommodate the larger space requirements of the two new tenants.

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DANBURY APPROVES ZONING CHANGE TO TRANSFORM MALLORY HAT FACTORY INTO TRANSITIONAL HOUSING

Plans to transform the long-abandoned former Mallory Hat Factory site in Danbury into a transitional housing facility have moved forward with a change in the city’s zoning regulations. The Danbury Zoning Commission unanimously approved changes to its regulations to allow the site at 88 Rose Hill Ave. to be redeveloped as a 20-bed residence to be operated by the Women’s Center of Greater Danbury. The Danbury City Council initially approved Mayor Mark Boughton’s request to transfer the city-owned property to the Women’s Center in 2017. In addition to aid from the city of Danbury, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development provided a $1.3 million brownfield cleanup grant to the Women’s Center for the project. The Women’s Center said it is nearing its own $5 million fundraising goal to begin work at the 5-acre property.

BJ’S TO OFFER SAME-DAY ALCOHOL DELIVERY FROM TWO FAIRFIELD COUNTY STORES

BJ’s Wholesale Club is offering same-day delivery of beer, wine and spirits from two of its Fairfield County stores. BJ’s members who are 21 years old and older will be able to order alcohol from the company’s website for delivery that day. In Connecticut, the retailer is offering the service from its Fairfield and Brookfield stores, as well as its Southington and Waterford locations. BJ’s has a third Fairfield County location in Stratford, but the service is not offered there.

SECOND BUILDING OPENS IN NORWALK LUXURY APARTMENT COMPLEX THE CURB

A second building in the Norwalk apartment complex The Curb has opened. The new building at The Curb at North 7 consists of 232 residential units featuring wood-finish plank flooring, quartz countertops, walk-in closets, full-size washer and dryer and private balconies. The space also features Workspace at the Curb, a flexible

Edgewell Personal Care Co. has sold its infant and pet care business to the Montreal-headquartered Le Holding Angelcare Inc. for $122.5 million. According to the Sheltonbased Edgewell, Angelcare will acquire the rights and assets of its Diaper Genie, a diaper disposal system and Litter Genie, a cat litter disposal system, from Edgewell Personal Care Brands LLC. Angelcare will also gain the exclusive rights to the Playtex brand in the infant and pet spaces, including in cups, bottles and mealtime products that are under license in the U.S. and Canada from Playtex Marketing Corp. and under license in other countries from HBI Branded Apparel Enterprises LLC.

NORWALK’S PEPPERIDGE FARM IN YULETIDE PARTNERSHIP WITH RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL

Norw a l k-h e a d q u a r t e r e d Pepperidge Farm is getting a jump on the year-end holiday spirit by being named the official cookie partner for this year’s presentation of Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular. As part of the partnership,

Pepperidge Farm is creating a spiced shortbread “toy soldier” cookie inspired by the iconic “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” performed by the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes. The new cookies will be available in national retail chains later this month and throughout the holiday season, and it will also be sold at Radio City Music Hall during this year’s Christmas Spectacular. Each bag of cookies comes with a special ticket offer for select performances of the Christmas Spectacular production.

NORWALK’S COLANGELO NAMED LEAD AGENCY FOR NYC FIRM’S RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA LINE

Norwalk’s Colangelo has been named the lead strategic agency to launch and develop the brand platform for a New York City firm’s first recreational marijuana product. Vireo Health International, which bills itself as “a leading science-focused, multistate cannabis company,” has been focused on medical marijuana but has launched its recreational brand 1937 — named after the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 — which “signifies our right to reclaim cannabis and to stand up for wellness, social justice and equality for all,” said Jennie Leuzarder, Vireo’s vice president of sales and marketing. The company is licensed in 11 states and territories, including Arizona, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico and Rhode Island. Financial terms of the deal with Colangelo were not made available.

In Brief

Citrin Cooperman Corner My Foresight is 20/20… or Is It?

BY ROB BROWN, CFP®, CPWA® AND CLINTON LYNCH, CFP®, CPWA®

ROB BROWN AND CLINTON LYNCH

Ridgefield’s The West Lane Inn has been sold.

RIDGEFIELD’S THE WEST LANE INN SOLD FOR $2.3 MILLION

HOMESQUARE ACQUIRES HOME RENOVATION PROVIDER TDS HOMELINE

Ridgefield’s historic The West Lane Inn has been sold to a pair of residents for $2.305 million. West Lane Holdings LLC, consisting of Christine Carnicelli and Danille Petrie, bought the 18-room facility, which is on 2 acres, from longtime owner Deborah Prieger. Prieger’s family acquired the property — built in 1849 — in 1972 and converted it from a mansion into a boutique hotel in 1978. The sale was conditional on the new owners maintaining it as a hotel, which Carnicelli and Petrie said is their plan. The West Lane Inn is at 2 West Lane.

HomeSquare, a home maintenance services provider focused on the Westchester and Fairfield markets, has acquired TDS Homeline Inc., a home renovation, improvement and maintenance service provider for the residential market in Fairfield County. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. TDS Homeline’s owner Don Freitag and senior managers Dan Adams and Shannon Freitag will join HomeSquare, along with their technician team. Valley128 Holdings LLC, a Greenwich investment holding company, owns a controlling interest in HomeSquare, which has offices in Stamford, Norwalk, Scarsdale and Pleasantville.

DESTINATION MATERNITY STORES IN REGION FACE UNCERTAINTY AS RETAILER FILES FOR CHAPTER 11

GREENWICH’S GHK CAPITAL PARTNERS ACQUIRES MINNESOTA CABINETMAKER

Another wave of retail store closings could impact the region as Destination Maternity Corp., a national retailer for maternity apparel and accessories, has filed for Chapter 11 protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Destination Maternity listed $260.2 million in assets and $244 million in debts in its bankruptcy petition. The New Jersey-headquartered company operates 446 stores in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico under the Destination Maternity, A Pea in the Pod and Motherhood brands. It also runs 491 shops within a shop in department stores and baby specialty retailers. The company plans to shutter 183 stores as part of the Chapter 11 process, although no specific locations have been named. There are Destination Maternity stores in Danbury, Nanuet and Westport. Stores under the Motherhood Maternity banner can be found in Danbury, Scarsdale, Stamford, Trumbull, West Nyack, White Plains and Yonkers.

Photo courtesy Dura Supreme.

Greenwich private equity firm GHK Capital Partners has acquired Dura Supreme Cabinetry of Howard Lake, Minnesota, for an undisclosed amount. Dura manufactures semi-custom and custom, framed and frameless cabinetry for a nationwide network of dealers. It employs about 400 people at its 220,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Howard Lake and has been in business for more than 60 years. As part of the transition, Tony Sugalski has joined the company as CEO. Also, Chief Operating Officer Perry Fails has added the title of president. All key senior executives are remaining with the company.

Imagine you wake up tomorrow, pour your morning brew, flip open your iPad, and start reading the Wall Street Journal. Suddenly, by some strange twist of fate, you realize you are reading the stock market results one week into the future, rather than to yesterday’s closing prices! This has always been a dream of many financial professionals, as well as individual investors. In actuality, no one has consistently predicted short-term stock market performance. In fact, it has been said that, when it comes to the market, there are two types of investors; those who don’t know what the stock market will do and those who don’t know that THEY DON’T KNOW what the stock market will do! Undoubtedly, as it relates to short-term market movements, the Yogism “it is dangerous to make forecasts, especially about the future,” holds a lot of truth. Conversely, if you said the market goes up, in the long run, the past 100 years of data would support your claim. The average return of the S&P 500 has been roughly 10% annually from 1926-2018. So, if we know that the market has produced positive results over time, despite the short-term unpredictability of outcome, why do many investors seem to still lose money and underperform the market? Dalbar Inc. has been the industry leader in studying investor behavior for the past few decades and has come up with some surprising conclusions. Over a cited period of 20 years, the average individual investor underperformed the stock market by close to 4% per year. Why the huge discrepancy? Well, there are a number of factors, but much of it is believed to be tied to human error. Simply put, investors are prone to making poor investment decisions and they seem to repeat their mistakes. The blunders are so far reaching, that it has spawned an academic discipline known as behavioral finance. This recently studied phenomenon seeks to examine why people make some of the financial choices they do, and what impact this has on both the stock market and personal investment returns. The following are some commonly-studied behavioral finance biases: 1) Loss Aversion - Studies show investors are two-and-a-half times more concerned about avoiding investment losses than they are about growing their investment gains. It seems that investors agree with Will Rogers, who stated 100 years ago,“I am more concerned with the return of my money than the return on my money.” So, practically speaking, loss aversion leads investors to either accept too little risk by remaining underinvested or to sell when their investments temporarily lose value. Both situations lead to underperformance over time. Stock markets are considered as irrational as the humans that drive them. In fact, some have described the full investment process as a cycle of

going from optimism, thrill, euphoria, anxiety, denial, fear, desperation, panic, capitulation, despondency, opportunity, hope, relief, and finally, back to optimism. 2) Endowment Bias – Individuals tend to place a higher value on objects that they own than they would otherwise place on that same asset. A great example is real estate; most homeowners think their house is worth more, immediately after they have moved into the property. However, in reality the likely change is the emotional attachment. The same holds true with stocks. Once investors purchase a stock, they typically value the stock more, in part to support their ego. To protect oneself against this bias, a good question to ask is, If I didn’t own this stock or real estate investment today, would I buy it at the current market price? This can be a simple way to try to remove endowment bias from the calculation. 3) Anchoring Bias - Anchoring bias occurs when we rely too heavily on the first information we receive in making a decision. For example, an investor might purchase a stock because it looks like a bargain at $100, compared to their neighbor paying $150 per share three months ago. The focus could dangerously be on the discount in price versus the actual business value. Anchoring bias transcends investment decisions and can certainly tip the scales out of your favor. 4) Confirmation bias - This bias suggests we tend to seek out information that confirms our pre-existing beliefs. One scenario might be if an investor who loves Apple products tends to consciously seek out financial reports that support their sentiment of Apple being the most revolutionary company in history, with an ever-increasing stock price. Another person who feels that a market crash is imminent might look for validation with news pundits and talking financial heads, known for their impassioned pessimism. Confirmation bias infects many investors, not to mention political viewpoints. So, how do we protect ourselves from these behavioral biases? The first step is selfawareness and acceptance of our bias and blind spots. If we cannot accept that we all have selflimiting tendencies, we will be prone to making more mistakes. The next step is to develop a plan to take as much of the emotion out of investment decisions as possible. One example of this would be taking a rules-based investment approach, such as dollar-cost-averaging over a set period, regardless of where the market is trading. A further example would be setting up a sell-price target for a stock you own. Another tactic would be to turn to a professional advisor. Good advisors should act as your strongest financial advocates and as a non-partisan sounding board. They should be the voice of reason and keep you on track, when emotions run high. Rob is a partner at Apexium Financial LP and helps clients in all aspects of financial planning and retirement income planning. Rob can be reached at rbrown@apexiumfin. com. Clinton Lynch is a managing director for Apexium Financial, LP, and has extensive knowledge pertaining to investment management, retirement planning, taxation, insurance, and estate planning. Clinton can be reached at clynch@apexiumfin.com. Apexium Financial LP (“Apexium Financial”) offers comprehensive financial planning, investment advisory, insurance and risk management services to high net worth individuals, their families and corporate clients. Visit us at www.apexiumfin.com. Apexium Financial LP is an affiliate of Citrin Cooperman.

— Kevin Zimmerman and Phil Hall

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NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Bureau Bas Smets, the property includes a central courtyard with raked seating for summer movies as well as an elevated saltwater pool and patio measuring 7,100 square feet and numerous barbecue grills and firepits.

Residents can take advantage of a large fitness facility with Life Fitness and Peloton equipment, a “woofgarden” space for dogs, smartphone building and apartment entry, video intercom for guests, Amazon Hub package lockers and filtered water stations. The lobby is integrated with an all-day café, Roost, operated by chef Mike Pietrafeso, who also runs Roost in Darien and Ada’s Kitchen & Coffee in Greenwich’s Riverside section. It is open to the public. Barry said Stamford has been “really supportive of the project,” with Mayor David Martin and community leaders attending an Oct. 24 party at the site. “We look for a combination of things” when choosing a potential Urby site, he said. “A great transportation system, good proximity to Fairfield County and New York City and a walkable, cultural fabric and a robust economy” all made Stamford stand out, he said.

Coordinator Ivan Rodriguez and Office Manager Valeria Ochoa work part-time. Bookkeeping is being outsourced, also on a part-time basis, to Brenda Williams. Cavanagh’s work also includes an ever-expanding number of events, including “Pink Fest,” an Oct. 2 event at Stamford Ford Lincoln, a portion of whose proceeds went to

Stamford Health’s breast cancer treatment initiative. It drew about 120 people. “She’s not doing events just to be doing events,” Cingari said. “It’s not just, ‘Ooh, let’s do a cocktail party.’ Participation has been higher, the energy in the room is better and she’s putting money in the bank.” The group is conducting a member survey “to find out what their interests are, what’s important to them,” Cavanagh said. “We want to get people more engaged in what’s going on in Stamford, which is booming. We want to be all-inclusive, to grow and diversify, which is what we need to do to position us for the future.” Cavanagh believes the chamber can also play a key part in bringing tourists to the city. “We get a lot of calls about tourism, about things to do here,” she said. “People ask me all the time how I do it,” Cavanagh laughed. “You just do it.”

Urby — From page 1

trum. But all are welcome.” He noted that inquiries have come from Westchester County, Boston and even Nashville. “There are a lot of people either looking to relocate or whose company is relocating them,” he said. Urby Stamford is the fourth Urby development to be completed, following Staten Island, Jersey City and Harrison, New Jersey. Barry said Urbys are in the works for Dallas and Washington, D.C. While all share some design elements, each Urby is designed to be “unique to the ethos of the area,” the developer continued. “Stamford has a mix of fiveand seven-story buildings, and Jersey City is 69 stories tall,” he noted. Urby Stamford technically consists of 11 buildings, though they are all interconnected, sharing a common underground parking area. The project’s second and

Cavanagh — From page 1

tion in and putting it into folders. That can be a huge cost by itself.” The organization is in the midst of a website redevelopment and a software conversion designed to provide its roughly 1,000 members with more ease and transparency. “Everything is more automated,” Cavanagh said. “We’ve set up a membership portal that’s user-friendly. We’re open 24/7 now. Before we just weren’t open when people were ready to do business, at 2, 3, 4 in the morning. I know that I do a lot during off-hours.” Such an approach also cuts down on redundancies and what Cavanagh calls “inaccuracies” in billing and accounts receivable. “There were questions about where some of the money was going,” said one member of the Chamber’s

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

An elevated pool is among the amenities at Urby Stamford.

final phase, which will add 184 units in its two remaining buildings, will begin in January and take about 15 months to complete, Barry said. The apartments include windowsill shelving, built-in bookcases, closet drawers

Board of Directors. “It was an old-school way of doing things, and not always in a good way.” “Stamford’s a big city, but in some ways it’s also a small city,” said one. “Business was done a certain way for 20 years, because that was the way it was always done,” Cavanagh said. “When I became president and CEO in July of 2018, I realized that we needed to make certain changes to ensure a positive future.” Cingari said it “was not doing well” when Cavanagh took over. Jon Winkel, founder of Stamford Innovation Week and recently named executive director of the nonprofit Stamford Partnership, said that while he was unaware of the chamber’s fiscal situation, “I understand Heather has done an amazing job at The Stamford Chamber of Commerce since taking the helm. Under Heather’s leadership, the Chamber

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and shelving, pocket doors and window treatments. Kitchens feature modern appliances with concealed dishwashers. GE washer/dryers and individual heating/cooling systems are included in each apartment. Monthly rents range

from $1,985 for studios, $2,280 for one-bedrooms and $2,900 for two-bedroom units. Designed by the Amsterdam-based architecture and interiors firm Concrete, with landscaping by Brussels-based firm

From left: Heather Cavanagh, Gov. Ned Lamont and Joseph Baiocco, partner at Stamford law firm Wilson Elser, at the Stamford Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting on Sept. 26. Photo by Bernie Weiss.

has clearly accelerated its growth as a connector and experience driver for local businesses and businesspeople.” Before joining the chamber as director of events and marketing in November 2016, Cavanagh spent time as the executive director of the WestportWilton and the Darien chambers — experiences

she said have been invaluable as she reinvents the Stamford group. “It’s certainly not a 9-to5 job,” the Darien resident said, noting that her tenure has included three moves — its current address at 970 Summer St. “is hopefully the last one” — and that she’s basically been a one-woman show. Events and Communications

Study: 23% of workers have quit or considered quitting a job due to poor working environment BY PETER KATZ pkatz@westfairinc.com

study by a London-based software company concluded that about one-third of workers prefer traditional closed offices or cubicles to open plan offices and other environments. Diskette Limited collects data analyzing human activity and interaction. It looks for patterns of behavior to emerge and uses the research along with principles of neuroscience and behavioral economics in software development. On its wundamail.com website, the company has published the results of a study done in conjunction with its Diskette Behavioural Research operation. The study is titled “The State of the Workplace 2019.” An online survey was produced to gather data about current and preferred working environments from people who were active in the workplace. The survey contained multiple choice and essay questions and gathered data such as experience level, gender and age range. There were 2,660 participants in the study. The results showed 35.5% of respondents preferred a closed-office environment big enough to accommodate a small team while 23% favored an open plan workspace. Those who preferred a traditional closed-office environment cited reasons that included lack of noise and being able to use office equipment they prefer such as ergonomic chairs. The study said preferring an open-plan office implies a strong desire for flexible working. The study found 18.1% prefer the atmosphere of a single-person study, 17.4% would rather work in the “comfort of my sofa at home” and 6% would rather work in a nonwork-related space such as a library or coffee shop. Study participants expressed a belief that flexibility is the key to higher productivity. A total of 68.9% of respondents said f lexibility in where they worked, having the ability to schedule their work around other commitments and an ability to no longer waste time, energy and patience in commuting, was either definitely important or important to a degree. The study found that established department heads and executives are more likely to prefer remote working than entry-level workers. When asked to identify the negative aspects of their workplaces, study participants highlighted poor light, air temperature levels, cramped desks and what was described as “poor office culture.” Their workplace was cited as

having a negative influence on mental well-being by 16% of those participating in the survey. The study sought to determine the influence a working environment has on an employee’s negative attitude toward his or her job. It found that 23% have quit or considered quitting a job as a result of a poor working environment. “The cost of hiring and training each new member of a staff can prove monumental, whereas simply altering working conditions and environments could lessen the financial and logistical burden,” the study said.

TRI-CHAMBER EXPO & BUSINESS NETWORKING Wednesday, November 13, 2019 •1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

One University Place, Stamford Free Admission • Exhibitor Tables: $300 Parking Exhibitors & Attendees May Park in the Target Parking Garage of City Lot Behind Target (Summer Street Parking Garage) For more information: greenwichchamber.com norwalkchamberofcommerce.com | stamfordchamberofcommerce.com Don’t miss this special event, featuring businesses from three dynamic Chambers in Fairfield County. In addition to exhibitors, this event will also include hundreds of Chamber members networking and connecting in a striking setting. Mark your calendar and reserve a table with your local Chamber!

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NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Parties divided over eight-figure Purdue Pharma bonuses BY PAUL SCHOTT

xyContin maker Purdue Pharma and Connecticut Attorney General William Tong remain at odds over a company plan to pay more than $40 million in employee bonuses, as a bankruptcy court judge reviews the proposal. White Plains, New York-based Judge Robert Drain is likely to schedule a hearing and make a decision on the prospective payments. Tong and about two dozen other state attorneys general have contested the proposed bonuses, which they said would diminish the funds needed to tackle the opioid crisis. Purdue has argued that the payments are necessary to maintain operations and prevent mass departures at a company that has shrunk its workforce by about 65 percent since 2017.

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“This is just not business as usual, and the fault for that lies with Purdue and the Sacklers (who own the company),” Tong said in a statement. “As a Stamford resident, I am always mindful of the impact of these proceedings on local employees — many of whom have no responsibility for the misdeeds of their employer. But my focus has to be on stopping the opioid epidemic and securing the necessary resources for addiction science, treatment and recovery.” Purdue declined to comment on its plan, but it has previously defended the proposal. “These programs are essential to retaining employees who are critical to preserving the value of the company for the ultimate benefit of the American public,” it said in an earlier statement. “Denying people who are doing important work under extremely challenging conditions their fair compensa-

Purdue has argued that the payments are necessary to maintain operations and prevent mass departures at a company that has shrunk its workforce by about 65% since 2017.

tion would cause them to leave and destroy the value of the company, which will benefit no one.” Purdue and Rhode Island-based Rhodes Associates, which is also owned by Sackler family members, have proposed paying “certain” unnamed employees next year a total of $26.5 million for “annual incentive plans.” In addition, the companies run “longterm results plans” for some employees. They intend to distribute next year through that program $7.9 million at Purdue and $1.4 million at Rhodes. Drain has allowed the continuation “only on an interim basis” of bonuses intended to help keep about 120 employees who are not top-level executives. Those payments would be worth $1 million to Purdue employees and $900,000 to Rhodes workers this year, and about $6.7 million to Purdue workers and $1.7 million to Rhodes employees in 2020. Drain’s order prohibited “any amounts on account of severance obligations to former employees.” It was not clear how many people would be affected by the severance decision. In filings last month, Purdue enumerated about $1.15 million in planned severance payments. From that total, $660,000 was allocated for workers at its facility in Durham, North Carolina, which it has agreed to sell to Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk. The company has said that “fewer than 80” work at the Durham plant, with “approximately 14” positions set to be cut as a result of the sale. Purdue earmarked another $485,000 in severances “on account of other employees.” John Taormina, a former Purdue employee, wrote to Drain that the company’s HR department had told him that “until further notice” he would not receive his final seven weeks of severance. “Seven weeks may not sound like much, but since my unemployment benefits have ended, my family and I count on these funds until I find a new permanent position,” Taormina wrote. “My COBRA (health insurance) payments alone are in excess of $800 per month, so losing the severance pay is very distressing for us.” About 500 employees remain with Purdue, including slighter fewer than 250 based at its downtown Stamford headquarters, according to court filings and company statements. About 1,100 worked for the firm at the start of 2018. Several hundred employees were laid off last year as part of the disbanding of the company’s sales force. Attrition has further reduced the ranks. Paul Schott is a staff reporter with Hearst Connecticut Media. He can be reached at pschott@stamfordadvocate.com or 203-9642236.

Connecticut pressing for greater diversity on corporate boards BY ALEXANDER SOULE

decade, as well as the focus of the Thirty Percent Coalition’s “Adopt a Company” campaign through which Connecticut and other signatories sent letters to 185 companies that lacked women on their boards. Under Nappier, the Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds boosted its net assets by nearly $1.9 billion for the 2018 fiscal year ending in June that year to $36 billion, a new high and representing an investment return of 5.9 percent. Alexander Soule is a staff reporter with Hearst Connecticut Media. He can be reached at Alex.Soule@scni.com or 203-842-2545.

onnecticut’s state treasurer and other Northeast institutional investors revealed an initiative that would press corporate boards to adopt a version of the NFL’s “Rooney Rule” that requires franchises to interview minority candidates. The new Northeast Investors’ Diversity Initiative is modeled on a similar effort among Midwest states, with participating investors managing $283 billion in assets. The Northeast group includes state treasury offices for New York City, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont and Maine, as well as a quartet of private investment firms. Connecticut’s former treasurer Denise Nappier had pressed for greater diversity on corporate boards, with her successor Shawn Wooden now taking up the cause alongside neighboring states on the argument that companies with diverse executive teams outperform peers that lack that variety of backgrounds. New York’s and New Jersey’s state governments have yet to join the coalition. Wooden’s office oversees six pensions and nine trust funds that contain assets earned by some 194,000 state and municipal employees and retirees, with an investment advisory council overseeing private-sector funds that invest those moneys on the state’s behalf. An existing Connecticut Horizon Fund initiative aims to extend fund management duties to a greater number of financial advisers led by women or minority managers, as well as those based in Connecticut. As of June 2018, minority-owned firms represented 40 percent of the nearly 40 money managers in a public market portion of the program that manages $1 billion in assets, with women-owned firms accounting for nearly 30 percent of that portion of the Connecticut Horizon Fund. A smaller “fund of hedge funds” program had 13 minority-owned firms among nearly 30 in all, with a half-dozen entities led by women. “As investors, we want companies — especially those in our backyard — to understand the critical role that diversity and inclusion play in good governance, and how good governance maximizes returns,” Wooden was quoted as saying in a press statement. “We’ll be able to focus engagement on companies in our region and support them with important tools to create more inclusive, effective boards that protect shareholder value.” Wooden noted the Rooney Rule has been the subject of numerous shareholder resolutions over the past

PRINT PRINT JOURNALISM: JOURNALISM: BECAUSE BECAUSE IT STILL IT STILL MATTERS. MATTERS. westfaironline.com

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NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Rachel Gould Ad 10 x 5.625 Ad.qxp_Layout 1 10/29/19 3:13 PM Page 1

Seeking Excellence For The Long Term Aquarion Water Company is proud to support all of this year’s

honorees for the 2019 Millennial Awards. Their backgrounds, interests and activities are both forceful and dynamic. Aquarion is also extremely proud to congratulate our very own Rachel Gould, Accounting Manager, on being selected as one of this year’s award winners. Rachel’s passion for the field of accounting led her to complete her Bachelor of Science and Masters degrees in Accounting at Fairfield University. As both a member and secretary of Beta Alpha Psi, she tutored fellow students. Rachel obtained her CPA certification in 2015 and began her career at Blum Shapiro where she was quickly recognized as Rookie of the Year. Today, Rachel is an integral part of Aquarion’s accounting team.

Congratulations, Rachel!

Westchester Institute for Human Development is extremely happy to congratulate our very own

Brendan Klein, Youth Advocacy and Engagement Coordinator We are so proud of Brendan for his outstanding work using social media to provide social opportunities for young people with disabilities. Congratulations Brendan and all the amazing 2019 Millennial Award winners!

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

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Westfair to honor millennials than members of earlier generations when they were young, with lower earnings, fewer assets and less wealth.” The study also found that the severity of the 2007 global financial crisis and recession that followed “may have left a lasting impression on millennials, who were coming of age at that time, much like the Great Depression left a lasting impression” on its generation. The study referenced a Pew Research Center report defining millennials as individuals born between 1981 and 1997 and the U.S. Census Bureau defining the end date for the millennial category as 2000. A study of millennials by the White House Council of Economic Advisors in October 2014 stated that millennials comprise the generation that will shape the U.S. econ-

BY PETER KATZ pkatz@westfairinc.com

estfair Communications Inc., publisher of the Westchester and Fairfield County Business Journals and WAG magazine, has selected the winners of its Millennial Awards for 2019. Thirty-two individuals from Westchester and Fairfield were chosen. The event recognizing their achievements is scheduled for Nov. 21 at Serafina by the Italian Center in Stamford. A study released in November 2018 by the Federal Reserve Board said that relative to members of earlier generations, millennials are more racially diverse, more educated and more likely to have deferred marriage. The study stated, “Millennials are less well off

From top left: Pakeeza Alam, Ina Gjoni Allkanjari, Kelly Andersen, Amanda Ayala, Theresa Baker, Tom Burbank, Nate Checketts, Michelle Eva Marie Colacion, Alexandra Cooley, Nicole Cuglietto, Amanda DiPreta, Laura Donovan, Lauren Enea, Rachel Gould, Rebecca Graziano, David Jones, Adam Kirshner, Brendan Klein, Loni Richards, Manette Macias, Jillian McDonnell, Victoria McGruder, Chelsea Merola, Krystina Murawski, Tugba Pal, Nitin Sekhri, Stelios Stavrianos, Nicole Thomas, Ken Tuccio, John Varamo, Cassandra Vogel and Adam C. Weiss.

» » MILLENNIALS

CONGRATULATIONS to all of the award winners at the 2019 Millennial Awards, especially:

Kelly Andersen, MBA

Laura Donovan

Marketing Director for Wealth Continuum Group

Founder of Sonder Financial

Helping Financial Advisers take their business to the next level by providing unrivaled access to best practices, resources and support. Learn more about our team of industry experts by visiting us at wealthcontinuumgrp.com. FCBJ

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Millennials — From page 11

omy. It referred to policies that the Obama administration put into place to address various challenges the millennial generation faces. Among them are: making student loan payments more affordable; promoting digital literacy and innovation; pushing for equal pay; supporting policies to create better-paying jobs; enhancing job training programs; and increasing access to affordable health care. The millennials to be honored at Westfair’s event were selected by a panel of experts for their entrepreneurial spirit, passion and the lasting impact they’ve been having in Westchester and Fairfield. They are: Pakeeza Alam, a urogynecologist at CareMount Medical; Ina Gjoni Allkanjari, operations manager at Avanti Systems USA; Kelly Andersen,

A study of millennials by the White House Council of Economic Advisors in October 2014 stated that millennials comprise the generation that will shape the U.S. economy.

marketing director for the Wealth Continuum Group; Amanda Ayala, a singer; Theresa Baker, director, health care sponsor finance at Webster Bank; Tom Burbank, vice president of service operations at Atlantic Westchester; Nate Checketts, co-founder and CEO of Rhone; Michelle Eva Marie Colacion, senior manager at Deloitte Consulting; Alexandra Cooley, COO and co-founder of Greenworks Lending; Nicole Cuglietto, an attorney with Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP; Amanda DiPreta, art director of Catalyst Marketing Com mu n ic at ion s; L au ra Donovan, founder of Sonder Financial; Lauren Enea, associate at Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano LLP; Rachel Gould, accounting manager at Aquarion Water Company; Rebecca Graziano, associate director of marketing at Westmed Medical Group; David Jones, certified financial plan-

Making a mark Deloitte celebrates the creative forces in our community who think boldly and dream bigger. Deloitte is proud to recognize the 2019 Milli Award recipients, including our own, Michelle Colacion. www.deloitte.com Copyright © 2019 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved.

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

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ner, The SKG Team at Barnum Financial Group; Adam Kirshner, manager of media and metadata operations at WWE; Brendan Klein, youth advocacy and engagement coordinator at the Westchester Institute for Human Development; Loni Richards, CEO and president of Service After Service; Manette Macias, manager of lab services at Hampford Research; Jillian McDonnell, sales associate + jeweler at D’Errico Jewelry; Victoria McGruder, private wealth relationship manager at Merrill Private Wealth; Chelsea Merola, creative director at Grande Cosmetics; Krystina Murawski, owner and founder of Noomi; Tugba Pal, assistant director of physician relations services at Columbia Medical CenterWestchester Columbia Doctors; Nitin Sekhri, medical director of pain management and co-founder of WMC Headache Specialists at Westchester Medical Center;

Stelios Stavrianos, founder/CEO of Cylinder Vodka; Nicole Thomas, vice president, middle market relationship manager at Wells Fargo Bank; Ken Tuccio, founder/CEO of Best Trivia Ever; John Varamo, program manager for the city of Stamford; Cassandra Vogel, counsel at Yankwitt LLP; and Adam C. Weiss, associate attorney at Lever & Ecker PLLC. The keynote speaker for the evening will be Kristen Ruby of the Ruby Media Group. The presenting sponsor is the UConn School of Business. Sponsors in the Innovators category include Deloitte; Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano LLP; Val’s Putnam Wines and Liquors; Yale New Haven Health Greenwich Hospital; Barnum Financial Group The SKG Team; and Aquarion Water Company. Sponsors in the Mentor sponsorship category include the Center for Children’s Advocacy and CR Rajni Menon.

19 0 2 L A I N N E #MILL

E SP NOT EAK Y E

KR IS

CELEBRATING A GENERATION

Y TEN RUB

CEO of Ruby Media Group. A PR firm.

By 2020, millennials will represent half of the workforce in the world. The Millennial Awards celebrates this new era and recognizes those outstanding millies who are leaving their footprints in the Westchester and Fairfield business communities.

POP-UP SHOPS • FOOD AND DRINKS • MAKE CONNECTIONS MUSIC PERFORMANCES • MEET OTHER BUSINESSES • NETWORK

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21 • 5:30 - 7:30 PM

At Serafina by the Italian Center | 1620 Newfield Ave, Stamford, CT REGISTER: westfaironline.com/events-2019/ For information, contact: Olivia D’Amelio at odamelio@westfairinc.com. For sponsorships, contact: Marcia Pflug at mpflug@wfpromote.com or 203-733-4545.

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NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Ask Andi Designing the future Been having a lot of discussion lately about what the next generation of the business will look like. Who will run it? Who will work in it? What kind of work we’ll be doing? And how we’re going to adapt to stay current. Wondering if you have any recommendations on what to consider and how to go about planning for the future. THOUGHTS OF THE DAY: Thinking about the future is critical to ensuring success. Do a critical needs analysis. Make a plan that describes where the business goes next and how it gets there. What problems are people trying to solve and how can you make things easier? Deal with the reality of limited workforce availability. Consider ESOP as a model for future ownership if your company is strong enough. Many times, small-business owners get stuck with their heads down, focused on making things work well inside the business. Long-

term success comes from learning how to play well at the Owners Game. And that includes designing the future of the business and then implementing that design. It can be tempting to say that the next generation will have to worry about the future. The opportunity exists for you, as head of the company now, to set the course and lead the way into the future. Ask your team to present an assessment of where the company is and what needs to change. Don’t get defensive. Get curious. Ask

for recommendations on how best to tackle challenges. The future includes everything from who does the company do business with, to governance, intellectual capital and structure for executing work. Get employees to think about how they create value by turning problems into opportunities. Be unique. Teach people to respect differences and support each other as they tackle the unknown. Looking at your company’s most profitable work, you’ll probably find it comes from getting ahead of customers’ issues, providing solutions that are relatively easy to implement. Get your team thinking about what tomorrow’s customers will need and how to meet or exceed customers’ future expectations. With a declining birthrate, the retirement of baby

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boomers and continuing political conflict over the role of immigration, the small-business workforce is shrinking. While small businesses are often the first, and last, employers, we lose talent to larger corporate entities in the middle years, as our employees gain skills and get wooed away by promises of high earnings and great growth opportunities. Use every advantage you can think of to customize your work environment to the needs of an empowered workforce. Appeal to employee groups that want growth opportunity but often find themselves left out, minimalized or otherwise overlooked. Figure out what your employees want and then design ways to give them exactly that. Offer flexible hours, work from home, shared office space. Ask your employees to explore their networks and be on the lookout for good candi-

90th Kickoff Celebration and Westchester Women’s Hall of Fame YWCA invite.qxp_Layout 1 9/26/19 Page YWCA invite.qxp_Layout 1 9/26/19 7:077:07 AM AM Page 2 2 YWCA YWCA invite.qxp_Layout invite.qxp_Layout 1 9/26/19 1 9/26/19 7:077:07 AM AM Page Page 2 2

2019 Westchester Women’s Hall Fame Inductees Westchester Women’s Hall of of Fame Inductees 2019 2019 Westchester Westchester Women’s Women’s Hall Hall of of Fame Fame Inductees Inductees November 7, 20192019 5:30pm – 9:00pm Cheryl Brannan Cheryl Brannan Cheryl Cheryl Brannan Brannan

BOOK RECOMMENDATION: “Luck is not a plan for your Future: Design Your Tomorrow Today,” by Leslie Gallery-Dilworth. Andi Gray is president of Strategy Leaders Inc., StrategyLeaders.com, a business-consulting firm that teaches companies how to double revenue and triple profits in repetitive growth cycles. Have a question for AskAndi? Wondering how Strategy Leaders can help your business thrive? Call or email for a free consultation and diagnostics at 877-238-3535 or AskAndi@ Strateg yLeade rs .com . Check out our library of business advice articles at AskAndi.com.

NEWS NOON

Chief Ann Fitzsimmons Chief Ann Fitzsimmons Chief Chief AnnAnn Fitzsimmons Fitzsimmons

Founder of Sister to Sister Founder of Sister to Sister Honoring International (STSI) the Yonkers International (STSI) the Yonkers Founder Founder ofand Sister ofand Sister to Sister to Sister chapter of the Westchester Black chapter of the Westchester Black International International (STSI) (STSI) and the and Yonkers the Yonkers Cheryl Brannan chapter Women’s Political Caucus, Women’s Political Caucus, chapter of the ofWestchester the Westchester Black Black STEM advocate STEM advocate Women’s Women’s Political Political Caucus, Caucus, Chief Ann Fitzsimmons STEMSTEM advocate advocate Dr. Mahjabeen Hassan Dr. Olivia Hooker (Posthumous) Dr. Mahjabeen Hassan

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Dr. Mahjabeen Hassan Dr. Dr. Mahjabeen Mahjabeen Hassan Hassan

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The Woman’s Club of White Plains CV Rich Mansion, White Plains, NY

Register at www.ywcawpcw.org thanks the Westchester Women’s Hall of Fame (WWHOF) Selection Committee, which represented and prior Women’s Research ManyMany thanks to thetoWestchester Women’s Hall of Fame (WWHOF) Selection Committee, which represented YWCAYWCA and prior Women’s Research & & Education Foundation (WREF) Board Leadership, a or number of Westchester women’s membership organizations andprior past WWHOF inductees. Education Foundation Board Leadership, aofnumber of 914-761-7111 Westchester women’s membership organizations andprior past WWHOF inductees. Many Many thanks thanks to the toWestchester the (WREF) Westchester Women’s Women’s Hall of Hall Fame Fame (WWHOF) (WWHOF) Selection Selection Committee, Committee, which which represented represented YWCAYWCA and and Women’s Women’s Research Research & & For more information: nicolette@hrginc.net Education Education Foundation Foundation (WREF) (WREF) Board Board Leadership, Leadership, a number a number of Westchester of Westchester women’s women’s membership membership organizations organizations and past and past WWHOF WWHOF inductees. inductees. photo: kingofreads.com photo: kingofreads.com

photo: kingofreads.com photo: kingofreads.com

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YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester YWCA YWCA White White Plains Plains & Central & Central Westchester Westchester

ning to build. They are a tool to keep ownership inside the company and provide retirement value. With 40% higher productivity vs. non-ESOP companies, they’re a great tool to reward and motivate.

29 - 2019 19

YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

dates who are interested in your company’s mission. Develop a reputation as a great employer. Use that to bring in and retain the best and the brightest. You don’t want to try to govern the company past the time you’re no longer involved. Set up a structure for governance that ensures balance and encourages teamwork. Avoid the temptation to build future governance on the model you’re probably familiar with — one person at the top making all the decisions — the weakest governance model. Get people involved on teams, looking at problems and solutions from multiple points of view. Encourage employees to respect and appreciate different points of view. Debate with respect. They’ll learn governance skills that will serve them well in the future. Learn about ESOPs. They take work and plan-

90th Kickoff Celebration and 90th Kickoff Celebration and 90th 90th Kickoff Kickoff Celebration Celebration and and Westchester Women’s Hall Fame Westchester Women’s Hall ofof Fame FCBJ Westchester Westchester Women’s Women’s Hall Hall ofof Fame Fame November 7, 2019 November 7, 2019 November November 7, 2019 7, 2019

+ + +

FOCUS ON

EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY FAIRFIELD COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

‘Our biggest passion is saving people money’ PREVU OFFERS USER-FRIENDLY PLATFORM FOR HOMEBUYERS BY PHIL HALL phall@westfairinc.com

homas Kutzman and Chase Marsh were no strangers to the real estate experience, but they always found the process somewhat unpleasant. “Fees were too high and the whole process was very antiquated,” complained Kutzman. “We both bought and sold properties over the years, and we felt, ‘Why are we paying these fees?’ ” The duo, who had known each other for a decade, previously worked together in equity trading markets. They recognized that the real estate industry was not keeping pace with other sectors in terms of user-friendly technology platforms. “When we looked at how other technologies transformed several major industries, it was very clear that real estate was one of the next industries,” Kutzman added. “We wanted to create a plat-

form based on what people are accustomed to today, which is to have more control over your experience and more transparency in the process. We wanted to bring that to the forefront, to the consumer. And by creating that digital experience, a person could buy a home or an apartment online and pass along a significant amount of savings, so we give back two-thirds of the commission we get from representing someone.” In 2016, they launched Prevu as a customer-focused digital home buying platform. They opened their first brokerage in the New York metro area in 2017 and Connecticut in 2018. The choice of the neighboring markets for the debut was not arbitrary. “When you think of real estate, this model works particularly well in high-priced markets where the savings are significant,” said Marsh, who is a Greenwich resident. “On average, we’ve

Chase Marsh (left) and Thomas Kutzman, co-founders and co-owners of Prevu.

saved homebuyers $23,000 per transaction,” added Kutzman. So, how does Prevu work? “You sign up on the platform and are asked basic questions about size, the number of bedrooms, your budget and so forth,” said Marsh. “We populate the listings that meet your criteria. You have the ability to make an offer directly online or share listings with your agent or our concierge.” “On every single listing, we show the anticipated commissioned rebate is on every property,” Kutzman

added. “So, you know early in the process what you could receive as a rebate, assuming that it is a quote. From every listing, you can click a button to schedule a private showing. Every day, there are new property alerts. And every Friday, you get open-house alerts, so you don’t have to go jotting them down on pieces of paper. Everything is guided for you and there is also messaging on the platform. We are here to help with a zero-pressure environment.” Marsh cited Prevu’s competition as a mix of old-school

and cutting-edge rivals. “We like to bucket our competition into traditional brokerages: Houlihan Lawrence, Douglas Elliman, etc.,” he said. “We sort of bucket into a second bucket of tech-enabled, like Compass.” In September, Prevu closed on a $2 million seed funding round led by Corigin Ventures, a prominent seedstage venture capital firm focused on companies in the real estate technology and consumer industries, including Compass. “We’ve had our eyes on this space ever since we invested in Compass in 2012,” said Ryan Freedman, general partner at Corigin, who joined Prevu’s board of directors following the completion of the seed round. “The traditional home buying process is ripe for change, as buyers are empowered now more than ever to take control into their own hands — especially

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when it comes to search and exploration,” he said. “Prevu has built an amazing brand around working with ‘smart buyers,’ and these consumers are thrilled to be able to put 2% of their purchase back into their pockets. We’re excited about partnering with Chase and Thomas and look forward to helping them build a very large business.” Prevu is planning to expand its platform into the full home buying and homeownership experiences. “This … will become a onestop shop for homebuyers,” said Kutzman. “Brokerage is only one step that could include mortgage, title, moving, homeowner insurance. On our platform, we can layer in other services that become a seamless experience for the homebuyers.” “When we look at this pie, we believe we have the ability to educate consumers,” stated Marsh. “Our biggest passion is saving people money.”

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Focus On EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY

Fairfield University to debut doctorate in clinical nutrition BY PHIL HALL phall@westfairinc.com

airfield University’s Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies is set to become the first Connecticut school to offer a doctorate in clinical nutrition program. The program, which will debut in September 2020, will be available in either a three-year, full-time initiative or a four-year, part-time program offering. Admission to the program is open to students who have

completed a bachelor’s degree in any discipline, with required prerequisites. The program is in the initial phases of accreditation with the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) and the university expects the process to be completed by next summer. According to Meredith Wallace Kazer, dean of the Egan School, the program culminates a process that began in 2014 when the school sought to expand beyond its longstanding academic slate. “Five years ago, we began to explore what other programs could complement

Enhance Your Business Career with an MBA From Southern

our very effective nursing offerings,” she said. “We began with public health — that was the first major we added and we enrolled our first class last year. We also added social work at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Nutrition was another area that we felt would complement our interprofessional team and we began exploring it several years ago.” Kazer explained the new program would take advantage of recent changes that have shaped nutrition education while adding elements to reinforce student leadership abilities.

• Traditional evening program with concentrations in accounting, ﬁnance, healthcare administration, international business, management, and marketing • Accelerated weekend program with hybrid format of online and Saturday classes can be completed in 17 months

“The program features rigorous coursework starting from basic food safety and principles of nutrition all the way through community and clinical nutrition, with experiences in the community area delivering nutritional care,” she continued. “It culminates with higher-level competencies in leadership, evidence-based practices, business management — all of those skills that will guarantee that a dietician will be successful in whatever clinical environment they will be in.” Kazer stated the introduction of the program is coming at a time when health care professionals are giving more credence to the value of nutrition in the healing process. “As nurses, we know the impact of nutrition,” she said. “That has not been integrated into the plans of care as we had hoped. We see a population that is continuing to live a longer life and we are seeing the effects of nutrition on that life span. There is a much closer view of the role of nutrition, all the way from infants up to adults. These students will not only be the ones practicing evidence-based care, but they will be the ones reviewing it and making sure products have impacts and good outcomes, and then deciding whether that is something that should be implemented into the plan of care for a healthy lifestyle.” The program will also work with the surrounding communities, which Kazer said are in need of information on the health benefits of proper nutrition. “People are really clamoring for this information,” she said. Kazer said the Egan School has received numerous inquiries from students around the country. She acknowledged that relatively few schools offer a doctorate in this subject, but she is hopeful other institutions will follow the university’s lead.

• Faculty with real world business expertise and strong business connections Flexible. Affordable. Professional. For more information, visit SouthernCT.edu/mba

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Focus On EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY

XPO Logistics expanding tech initiatives with MIT alliance BY KEVIN ZIMMERMAN kzimmerman@westfairinc.com

PO Logistics, which has long prided itself on being at the forefront of technology in the transportation and logistics business, is expanding its reach even further by joining an MIT alliance and readying its XPO Innovation Lab for public use in 2020. The Greenwich firm is the first global logistics company to join the MIT Industrial Liaison Program (ILP), which pairs its research resources with industry-leading corporations to solve global business challenges. Other members of the ILP include Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, the German company whose North American headquarters are in

Mario Harik

Ridgefield; Fujifilm, the Japanese concern whose North American base is in Valhalla, New York; General Electric, Goodyear Tire; and a host of other global companies. “There are a lot of benefits” to joining the ILP, said XPO Chief Information Officer Mario Harik. “We are very much focused on technology and how to build technical solutions and innovations that will push the company forward, and this gives us access to the engineering technology at the university.” In addition, Harik said, “The MIT DNA is all about innovation and providing efficient outcomes for companies, customers and people. While we share quite a bit of content with the university, we will now also be able to look at how we can leverage the technology

they’re developing.” There is also the human resources factor, Harik said. “Our focus is on the best and the brightest,” he said, “and this partnership gives us access to engineering talent that is about to graduate or has recently graduated. We’re very excited about that.” The company invests approximately $550 million annually in innovation with a global technology organization of 1,800 professionals. XPO CEO Bradley Jacobs emphasized the importance of technology to his company when discussing its third-quarter results, which were released on Oct. 28. The company’s revenue for the quarter decreased by more than 4% to $4.15 billion during the three months ended Sept. 30, from $4.34 billion during the same period last year. On an unadjusted basis, XPO’s

profit rose by 15.8% to $117 million, up from $101 million during the same three months in 2018. “All the wins that we have gotten are driven by technology innovations,” Jacobs told CNBC soon after the results were released. Jacobs also told CNBC that the U.S. has been in “an industrial recession for over a year now,” with a decrease in industrial output directly related to the tariffs introduced by the White House. XPO plans to unveil its Innovation Lab in High Point, North Carolina, to the public next year. The company has used the site for R&D related to robotics and artificial intelligence for a number of years. Some tech interns have come through that facility and XPO foresees doing some work with MIT in the Innovation Lab as well.

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NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Focus On EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY

Welcome to the 21st century bank robbery

here is a famous quote from notorious bank robber Willie Sutton. When asked why he robbed banks, Sutton was documented as saying, “I rob banks because that’s where the money is.” It was an obvious answer to an almost rhetorical question. The last few years have seen a startling rise of customer data breaches — stolen account information, bank account numbers and even personally identifiable information like names, addresses and Social Security numbers exposed — leaving a bad taste in the mouths of customers who rely on and expect their companies to keep their information safe and secure. We want to be confident that the businesses we frequent will keep our data

CONTRIBUTING WRITER | By Matthew Szulman

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

intact. Due to hackers and criminals becoming more sophisticated than ever before, this simple request is getting harder to obtain whenever we try and buy something. Well-funded companies — ones with such tremendous revenue that they believe they are immune to any kind of data tampering — have found themselves falling victim to cyberattacks. Business Insider last year listed 21 of the more noteworthy data breaches of 2018, including powerhouses like T-Mobile, Facebook and Google+. Unsuspecting users of these companies had been unaware that their login credentials, passwords and email addresses were in jeopardy of falling into the wrong hands. Cyberattacks have targeted medical and health

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care companies, with confidential medical records exposed to cyber criminals. Capital One’s data breach of its servers, which exposed its customers’ credit scores, transaction data and linked bank account numbers, provides a reminder that even the largest companies in the world can be struck by a breach at any time. The vulnerability of companies to potential security hacks is why many countries have stepped up to keep private information a top priority. India passed its Personal Data Protection Bill, which, according to Gov.UK, “controls how your personal information is used by organizations, businesses or the government.” India’s citizens are granted access to what statistics the government and companies have

in their databases, which is a step in the right direction in knowing where your sensitive information is going. Other preventive measures have been taken in the form of digital wallets. Digital wallets are commonplace in countries like India, China and Japan. They are slowly making their way to the U.S. as a secure form of virtual payment, and users and merchants are becoming increasingly educated on the various security features. Mobile wallets contain unique, encrypted data, so your card’s account numbers aren’t transmitted while making a payment, nor is your full account number displayed. Digital wallets, like a credit or debit card security feature, require that the first 12 numbers of a transaction be hidden or “X’d” out. This offers

the same security and protection that banks offer. Tokenization, a process which helps replace sensitive data, makes consumers’ mobile transactions individual and stand-alone every time. This means a merchant doesn’t get a real account number but, rather, a card number for a one-time purchase. If a would-be thief got the number, once the transaction is complete, that number is virtually useless. You would be hardpressed to find a breach of a digital wallet because customers’ account information can only be accessed using a password or their fingerprint if added on a mobile device. A 2018 survey asked what would prevent someone from using mobile payments and 47% said “security fears.” Banks and companies

that have used proven methods of security in the past have shown to have a chink in their armor because hackers are finding more intricate ways of thievery, some that cybersecurity specialists may have never heard of. Banks and retailers need to understand that digital money is the future and the future is secure if the public embraces the change and gets on board. I’ll bet if Willie Sutton were alive today and was asked the same question of why he robbed banks, he might say, “I rob banks because I couldn’t rob a digital wallet.” Matthew Szulman is a PR/content coordinator at Passfeed, an e-commerce shopping app headquartered in New York. He can be reached at Matthew@ Passfeed.com.

Focus On EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY

CONTRIBUTING WRITER | By Michael Guberti

Grow your business with these 4 Facebook ad campaigns

f you want to spread the word about your business, Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp ad campaigns can help you reach more people. Online ad campaigns allow you to discover which images or videos connect with your audience, get real-time stats to check the live performance of your campaign, scale what’s working and stop what’s not performing. Here’s how to grow your business with four campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp, all platforms that are owned by the same company, Facebook.

BOOST YOUR POSTS

If you have a Facebook or Instagram post that is performing well, boost it to reach more people. Look at the posts you have published in the last seven days. Which ones received the most

likes, comments and shares? Those metrics show what your audience is interested in. When you find your winning post, boost it by deciding on a budget, timeframe, audience and placements. You can add a call-to-action button in the boosted post to encourage people to take action. Make a note of the number of likes, comments and shares you have before and after you boost the post. This strategy is an excellent introduction to Facebook and Instagram advertising.

RUN A MESSENGER AD

A messenger ad encourages people to communicate with your business in Facebook Messenger. This type of ad can create conversations with your prospects. You can prompt people to book an appointment with you or sign up to receive more information about your products or services. If you send

a message to a prospect via Facebook Messenger, a notification appears on the lock screen of their mobile device, often causing the phone to vibrate or make a sound. You leapfrog every app in the person’s phone and appear on the lock screen of their device. If someone messages your Facebook page, you can build a list of Messenger subscribers, people who have demonstrated they want to receive messages from you via Messenger. I’ve seen open rates between 67% and 97% for broadcasts sent to audiences between 250 and 600 people. Because Messenger wants to protect its community from spam, make sure to send messages that create authentic conversations or answer people’s questions. If you send overly promotional messages, Messenger may ban your account. You can also test advertising in WhatsApp, a messaging and

voice calling app.

CREATE AN EMAIL CONVERSIONS CAMPAIGN

You can send people to a landing page to collect their name and email address in exchange for a free item of value. That item can be a PDF, checklist, worksheet, video series, audio file, coupon, 7-day challenge or something similar. True to the name, a landing page is a page that someone lands on when they click on your ad. The person viewing the landing page should have two options: provide their contact information or leave the page. Eliminate the opportunities for someone to click away from the page. Place the opt-in box for people to enter their name and email address “above the fold,” meaning that someone does not have to scroll down the page to enter their contact information. Put the media outlets

you have been featured in on the page to demonstrate credibility. Insert a testimonial from a customer or a quote from yourself explaining how transformative your resource can be for the viewer.

CREATE A LEAD FORM CAMPAIGN

This type of ad can help you acquire someone’s name, email address, phone number and other information without the person leaving Facebook. Let’s walk through an example. Someone is scrolling through their Facebook feed. They see your ad and if they are interested, they click it. A rectangle opens in Facebook asking the person to submit their name, email, phone number and other information you’re asking for. That information is pre-loaded into the rectangle by Facebook so the person does not have to type it out. If the person clicks submit,

their information is sent to your Facebook Ads account. Download that information and have a member of your team or yourself follow up with that lead. You must follow up with the leads from your Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp ad campaigns to have a chance at nurturing a sale.

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

According to the World Bank, there are roughly 7.5 billion people in the world and 2.5 billion of them use at least one of Facebook’s apps: Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp. You can advertise on these platforms to reach almost anyone. Michael Guberti is the founder of Michael Guberti’s Digital Marketing Services, a full-service digital marketing agency. He can be reached at michael@michaelguberti. com.

THE SPIRIT OF SUCCESS A spirit of ambition, innovation and community that will fuel your achievements in the classroom, in the workplace and in life. Discover more at: www.sacredheart.edu

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NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Focus On EDUCATION & TECHNOLOGY

s cyber threats have grown and evolved, so have the strategies used to defend against them. It’s no longer enough to have a firewall, update your computer and install antivirus. Next-level cybersecurity protection involves both proactive and reactive measures that work together to keep your business safe. Consider some of the following next-level measures the right IT partner can help you put in place. Your employees can be your greatest asset or your biggest liability when it comes to keeping your network safe. Cybersecurity policies must be disseminated, read and enforced to set a corporate stance on cyber defense and risk mitigation. The key to turn employees into an asset is consistent employee training.

CONTRIBUTING WRITER | By Buddy Pitt

Cybersecurity: Are you prepared? One-and-done training is not good enough. Cyber threats are constantly changing and you need to make sure your employees stay current on identifying the latest threats. The ability to access your data can make or break your business. That’s why you need to do everything you can to keep it available and safe. Unfortunately, accidents happen, hardware fails and data can be stolen or maliciously encrypted and held ransom. An expert managed security partner will protect you from all of this by implementing a custom, multilayered defense plan that ensures your business remains operational in any situation. It will include: • Redundancy for critical components so that a single failure won’t put you out of business. • Enhanced threat detection and analysis to intercept and

neutralize attacks before they do damage. • Consistent data backup practices, data redundancy policies and planning for how to recover from lost data, failed systems or a natural disaster. • An incident response team of trained security professionals who stand ready to jump into action to do remediation and guide you through regulatory, legal and insurance engagements as needed. Proactive network monitoring is a surefire way to know immediately when any part of your network is performing abnormally. You may even catch attempted cyberattacks before they penetrate your network. This is a major advantage when you consider that the average data breach takes 196 days to be detected. The sooner you identify a problem, the sooner you

can take proactive measures to fix it. Proactive network monitoring will also give you an overall understanding of the health of your network. It can help identify failing hardware before it crashes and spotlight traffic bottlenecks that may be slowing down your network. Network assessments are a critical tool to identify vulnerabilities in your network before they can be exploited. They can also help identify breaches that may have already occurred but you don’t know about. Whereas a network assessment is checking for the overall state of your network’s function and performance, penetration testing seeks to find and exploit weaknesses. For example, a penetration test could include sending a controlled, fake phishing email to all of your employees. If any of your employees fall

for it, you are now able to proactively train them how to spot phishing emails, so the next time a real attack comes they’ll know what to do. Did you know 60% of small to midsize businesses shut down after a cyberattack that results in lost data? There are many factors that contribute to this statistic, but a major one is that cyberattacks are expensive. But most general business insurance plans do not provide coverage for a cyberattack. And if your clients and business partners are not already asking you if you have coverage, they will be soon. The regulatory requirements for notifying those affected by a data breach and purchasing identity theft protection for all affected can bankrupt a company, not to mention potential downtime and lost revenue. In addition, there are legal and liability impli-

cations that require a knowledgeable advisor to navigate. Cyber liability insurance is typically very affordable if your current IT vendor is doing a good job — but it does require technical knowledge to complete the application. A good IT partner should be able to help you with the application process. Look for a company that employs security professionals, focuses on operational excellence in every step of their process and has staff dedicated to proactive monitoring and response. You want to find a partner who values quality, efficiency and consistency — who will take the time to know your business and build a custom solution designed just for you. Buddy Pitt is the director of client services at Danburybased Network Support Co. He can be reached at bpitt@ network-support.com.

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A PIVOTAL YEAR

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NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Good Things GREENWICH HOSPITAL RECEIVES $800,000 FOR PEDIATRIC SERVICES The Greenwich Hospital Foundation recently announced that $800,000 was received in support of the hospital’s pediatrics department. The Greenwich Hospital Auxiliary Board agreed to equally fund and name the labor and delivery waiting room as well as the neonatal intensive care unit nursing station. Since its establishment in 1950, the Greenwich Hospital Auxiliary has donated more than $11 million to the mission and future of the hospital. These philanthropic gifts have purchased hyperbaric medicine technology, a new MRI machine and a hospital-wide satellite TV system. In 2014, the auxiliary made a $1 million pledge toward the expansion of cardiovascular services while in 2018, the auxiliary provided $200,000 toward emergency telestroke services and in 2017 it underwrote the purchase of surgical equipment and a biopsy device for the breast center.

JLL PROMOTES ITS VICE PRESIDENT Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) has promoted Peter Rader, vice president, to regional education practice lead for the firm’s project and development services group. In his expanded role, he will oversee and manage all project management assignments related to educational facilities for JLL throughout the tri-state region. Rader has more than 25 years of experience in the design and construction industries. He is a licensed architect and is highly skilled at overseeing all phases of the construction process, from feasibility and programming, through design, construction and project closeout.

THE MICHAEL BOLTON CHARITIES EVENT CELEBRATES 25 YEARS

Julie vanderKroef demonstrating aerial drone photography.

HOUSATONIC HABITAT TO HOLD AERIAL DRONE LUNCH AND LEARN SESSION

Michael Bolton and Chris Wragge.

“Chords of Hope,” the Michael Bolton Charities (MBC) event Oct. 12, celebrated 25 years of supporting children and women at risk of poverty, abuse, neglect, homelessness and domestic violence. Chris Wragge, WCBS-TV news anchor, served as master of ceremonies. Event cochairs were Jen Danzi and Alan Oyugi. The

event honored Igor Tulchinsky, founder, chairman and CEO of WorldQuant, a global quantitative asset-management firm, and Founder of WorldQuant University, a not-for-profit. The evening was attended by more than 200 guests and featured a special performance by Bolton and his band. A

surprise cash matching donation was made by long-time supporter Warren Trepp who matched up to $25,000 from the audience. Founded in New Haven in 1993, The Michael Bolton Charities has supported organizations nationwide that work diligently to respond to the needs of women and children at risk.

ATTORNEYS FROM LAW FIRM WITH INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS INCLUDED IN ‘BEST LAWYERS’

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From left: Zachary A. Hummel, Barry C. Hawkins, Carolyn Cavolo, Scott M. Gerard and Kent S. Nevins.

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NOVEMBER 4, 2019

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Shipman & Goodwin LLP, a full-service, 100-year-old law firm with nearly 170 attorneys in offices throughout Connecticut, New York and Washington, D.C., serves the needs of local, regional, national and international clients. Among the 43 Shipman & Goodwin attorneys selected for inclusion in the 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in

America directory, five work in the firm’s Fairfield County offices, either in Stamford, Greenwich or both. The five attorneys are: Zachary A. Hummel, Stamford. Recognized for employment law and labor and employment litigation for more than 10 years. Barry C. Hawkins, Stamford. Rec-

ognized for real estate litigation and real estate law for more than 25 years. Carolyn Cavolo, Stamford and Greenwich. Recognized for real estate law. Scott M. Gerard, Stamford. Recognized for real estate law. Kent S. Nevins, Stamford. Recognized for real estate law for more than five years.

Danbury-based Housatonic Habitat for Humanity will hold a Lunch and Learn session on aerial drone photography with Julie vanderKroef on Nov. 6 at 11:30 a.m. at 51 Austin St. in Danbury. The session is sponsored by Fairfield County Bank and is part of the Realtor Lunch and Learn series. The event is for Realtors, architects, landscapers, developers and others whose businesses would benefit from a bird’s-eye view. A $10 donation is suggested. Register at https://hhhdronephotography.eventbrite.com.

XYLEM PARTNERS TO PLANT TREES IN STAMFORD Employee volunteers from Xylem Inc., which is headquartered in Rye Brook, New York, a global water technology company dedicated to solving the world’s most challenging water issues, teamed up with Stamford-based national nonprofit Keep America Beautiful and Stamford Mayor David Martin to plant 30 trees at Stamford’s Cove Island Park. The tree-planting initiative is part of Xylem’s Global Month of Service in which Xylem colleagues and stakeholders partner with local community organizations on environmental and sustainability initiatives. Xylem and the Keep America Beautiful Employee Engagement team worked with the Stamford Parks Department on the strategic tree-planting initiative with the objective of protecting local water resources. With 2018 revenue of $5.2 billion, Xylem does business in more than 150 countries through a number of market-leading product brands.

Information for these features has been submitted by the subjects or their delegates.

ONS AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTER RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD Orthopaedic & Neurosurgery Specialists (ONS), headquartered in Greenwich, a provider of multispecialty orthopedic and neurosurgery services in Connecticut and Westchester County, New York, announced that its Stamford Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) has received a 2018 National APEX Quality Award for Excellence in Healthcare. The Stamford ASC, an ambulatory surgery center, is part of ONS. This national distinction recognizes outstanding health care providers who have demonstrated excellence in patient satisfaction and overall care during the previous calendar year, according to a statement from SPH Analytics, the national health care analytics firm behind the awards. For eligibility, a minimum of 300 patient surveys from each SPH client were collected and analyzed from Jan. 1, 2018, to Dec 31, 2018. More than 633 health care facilities in the U.S. were eligible for the award; 96 were selected as winners. The Stamford ASC was one of only three facilities selected from the state of Connecticut.

A SPICY SUCCESS!

Andrew R. Lubin

ATTORNEYS RECOGNIZED BY CONNECTICUT SUPER LAWYERS 2019 Sandy Hart serves up chili prepared by The Simsbury Inn.

A spirited crowd of more than 3,000 enjoyed red hot chili at the fifth annual Simsbury Spooktacular Chili Challenge on Sunday, Oct. 20. The outdoor Simsbury Meadows Performing Arts Center was filled with families enjoying music, trick-or-treating and entertainment along with plenty of beer and chili sampling.

ANTI-LITTER PARTNERSHIP ‘DON’T TRASH CONNECTICUT: NIP IT IN THE BIN’ LAUNCHED IN NORWALK

The professional competition returned this year with participating local restaurants, including The Simsbury Inn, Abigail’s Grille & Wine Bar, Andy’s Italian Kitchen, Avon Country Deli, Benny’s of Simsbury, Iron Horse Pizzeria & Sports Pub, Z Catering at La Figata, McLean + Sodexo, Millwright’s, Plan B, The Riverview and Soma Grille. The

Riverview took home the “Best Darn Chili” title and the Chili Bowl trophy, which will be proudly displayed in the venue until next year’s challenge. Taylor Kinsler of NBC Connecticut, Ray Dunaway of WTIC News Talk 1080 and noted local chef Chris Prosperi of Metro Bis were among the celebrity judging panel.

WHIPLASH FASHION SHOW BENEFITS THE ALDRICH

Neubert, Pepe & Monteith PC, a general practice law firm located in New Haven, with offices in Fairfield and White Plains, New York, announced that six of the firm’s attorneys have been selected to the 2019 Connecticut Super Lawyers and Super Lawyers Rising Stars lists. Andrew R. Lubin of Trumbull, firm principal and the only attorney of the six honored from Fairfield County, was also selected to the Top 50 Connecticut Super Lawyers list 2019. Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a directory featuring top legal talent from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Knowledge is Power

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Photo by Melanie Dawn Peringer.

Photo courtesy of Three Tiers for Connecticut.

Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling thanks Girl Scouts, Live Green Connecticut, members of the wine and spirit industry and other volunteers that took part in a community litter cleanup at Veteran’s Memorial Park Sunday,

Oct. 20. The cleanup marked the kickoff of the “Don’t Trash Connecticut: Nip It in the Bin” campaign, an anti-litter partnership between Three Tiers Connecticut and Live Green.

Whiplash 2019, a fashion show fundraiser for The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, was attended by 125 fashionistas Thursday, Oct. 17 at the museum. The event raised $11,770 to support The Aldrich’s exhibition and education programs. Catwalk looks were created by WEST

boutique of Westport with hair and makeup looks by Whip Salon. Key sponsors for the event included SUX Straws, @beausoleilshop, Cylinder Vodka, Bailey’s Backyard and PIY Pizza. Guests enjoyed an evening celebrating creativity with signature cocktails, a silent auction, dancing and more.

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NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Facts & Figures BUILDING PERMITS Commercial AP Construction, Stamford, contractor for Greenwich Academy. Build new lower school at 200 N. Maple Ave., Greenwich. Estimated cost: $11,500. Filed Sept. 2019. Buckley Construction, Yorktown Heights, New York, contractor for Greenwich Avenue Ltd. Perform replacement alterations at 80 Greenwich Ave., Greenwich. Estimated cost: $3,500. Filed Sept. 2019. Carballo, Carlos F. and Lizbeth Carballo, Greenwich, contractor for Carlos F. Carballo. Expand covered porch over patio at 368 Stanwich Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $35,000. Filed Sept. 2019. CES Danbury Solar LLC, Danbury, contractor for The Stanwich School. Install roof-top solar panels at 257 Stanwich Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $285,000. Filed Setp. 2019. Convent of Sacred Hearth, Greenwich, contractor for Convent of Sacred Heart. Build exterior staircase at 1177 King St., Greenwich. Estimated cost: $525,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Darek Franek Construction, Stamford, contractor for First Church of Round Hill. Remove and re-roof 464 Round Hill Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $89,780. Filed Sept. 2019. Greenwich Country Club, Greenwich, contractor for Greenwich Country Club. Set up for a private party at 19 Doubling Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $6,500. Filed Sep. 2019. Meehan, Robert, Old Greenwich, contractor for Robert Meehan. Convert home office at 50 Havemeyer Lane, Old Greenwich. Estimated cost: $2,500. Filed Sept. 2019.

Items appearing in the Fairfield County Business Journal’s On The Record section are compiled from various sources, including public records made available to the media by federal, state and municipal agencies and the court system. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this information, no liability is assumed for errors or omissions. In the case of legal action, the records cited are open to public scrutiny and should be inspected before any action is taken. Questions and comments regarding this section should be directed to: Bob Rozycki c/o Westfair Communications Inc. 701 Westchester Ave, Suite 100 J White Plains, N.Y. 10604-3407 Phone: 694-3600 • Fax: 694-3699

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Nu Conn Dismantling LLC, Stamford, contractor for Easy Street Properties LLC. Perform replacement alterations at 2 Arch St., Greenwich. Estimated cost: $36,000. Filed Sep. 2019. Shonali, Ramnathsing, Old Greenwich, contractor for Ramnathsing Shonali. Replace windows and doors at 145 Shore Road, Old Greenwich. Estimated cost: $20,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Signature Pools Inc., Norwalk, contractor for Robert Bodey. Construct a swimming pool and safety barrier at 33 Huested Drive, Old Greenwich. Estimated cost: $135,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Signature Pools Inc., Norwalk, contractor for 269 Palmers Hill Road LLC. Construct a swimming pool and safety barrier at 18 Hillcrest Lane, Old Greenwich. Estimated cost: $72,500. Filed Sept. 2019. Sound Beach Partners LLC, Stamford, contractor for 99 East Elm Properties LLC. Construction a new single-family residence at 99 E. Elm St., Greenwich. Estimated cost: $1,500,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Town of Greenwich, contractor for the town of Greenwich. Perform replacement alterations at 101 Field Point Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $5,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Turner Construction, Milford, contractor for the town of Greenwich. Perform improvements to the museum gallery space at 1 Museum Drive, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $1,500,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Usowski, Frank, Old Greenwich, contractor for Baywatch Partners. Rebuild retaining wall at 43 Mianus View Terrace, Old Greenwich. Estimated cost: $2,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Werner Construction Management, Cos Cob, contractor for the Convent of Sacred Heart. Alter library, including new glass partition wall and new trophy cases at 1177 King St., Greenwich. Estimated cost: $48,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Zarra LLC, Greenwich, contractor for House of Monty Overlook D. Construct a new single-family residence at 70 Overlook Drive, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $750,000. Filed Sept. 2019.

Residential Barker, Flavia, Greenwich, contractor for Stephen M. Zide and Janet B. Zide. Set up for a private party at 35 Binney Lane, Old Greenwich. Estimated cost: $11,000. Filed Sept. 2019.

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ON THE RECORD

Bogacki, Jacek, Greenwich, contractor for Jacek Bogacki. Replace second-floor windows at 46 Alexander St., Greenwich. Estimated cost: $4,500. Filed Sept. 2019. Brank, William, Greenwich, contractor for Norbert W. Young. Renovate bathroom at 15 Huckleberry Lane, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $25,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Braydan Construction LLC, Stamford, contractor for Lorese H. McQuinn. Replace storage space with studio at 8 Vista Ave., Old Greenwich. Estimated cost: $350,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Brown Roofing Company Inc., Naugatuck, contractor for Ozair Minty. Remove and re-roof 12 Knollwood Drive, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $24,399. Filed Sept. 2019. Builder Atelier Development Corp., Ridgefield, contractor for Morris and Arlene Goldfarb. Construction a new residence at 3129 Sumner Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $450,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Cassin Jr., Joseph Matthew, Greenwich, contractor for Joseph Matthew Cossin Jr. Construct new residentence at 10 Wooddale Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $3,000,000. Filed Sept. 2019.

Edgewater Development LLC, Old Greenwich, contractor for David Eisenberg. Renovate kitchen area at 20 Gillian Lane, Riverside. Estimated cost: $150,000. Filed Sept. 2019.

MLC Development LLC, Greenwich, contractor for Rocco Chiappetta. Replace siding, sheathing and insulation at 11 Oak Street West, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $30,000. Filed Sept. 2019.

Fairfield County Roofing, Greenwich, contractor for Joseph Yusi and Tina Yusi. Replace asphalt roof at 16 Lyon Ave., Greenwich. Estimated cost: $7,200. Filed Sept. 2019.

New England Carpentry Inc., White Plains, New York, contractor for David Petshaft. Remove and renovate kitchen and master bath at 1 E. Putnam Ave., Unit 3, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $100,000. Filed Sept. 2019.

Flouty, George and Claire Flouty, Riverside, contractor for George Flouty. Repair basement at 27 Cary Road, Riverside. Estimated cost: $10,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Glen Gate Co., Wilton, contractor for Joel M. Altobello. Remove and re-roof 371 Stanwich Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $35,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Guilfoyle, Denis, Stamford, contractor for Denis Guilfoyle. Renovate single-family residence at 2 Winthrop Drive, Riverside. Estimated cost: $25,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Haxhiu, Endrit, Greenwich, contractor for Endrit Haxjiu. Replace windows, siding and roof at 408 Riversville Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $21,000. Filed Sept. 2019.

Clean Cuts LLC, Trumbull, contractor for Jason Setiawan. Renovate bathroom at 125 Byram Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $15,000. Filed Sept. 2019.

Hobbs Inc., New Canaan, contractor for Steven F. Mandel. Remodel bathroom and install 14 devices at 20 Bobolink Lane, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $125,000. Filed Sept. 2019.

Connecticut Framing & Construction, Berlin, contractor for Robert Grant. Remove and re-roof 52 Center Drive, Old Greenwich. Estimated cost: $6,000. Filed Sept. 2019.

Hobbs Inc., New Canaan, contractor for Harold Ritch. Renovate master bathroom at 10 Fort Hills Lane, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $102,000. Filed Sept. 2019.

Corey Fogg, Cos Cob, contractor for i Darryl and Meghan Pardi. Renovate garage to create gym area at 96 Club Road, Riverside. Estimated cost: $50,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Crawford, Peter, Rowayton, contractor for Thomas Nolan. Perform replacement alterations at 232 60 Sound Beach Ave., Old Greenwich. Estimated cost: $72,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Double RA Construction Corp., Rye Brook, New York, contractor for Marie C. and Frank J. Severo. Remove and re-roof 15 Henry St., Greenwich. Estimated cost: $4,320. Filed Sept. 2019. DXL Construction Inc., Redding, contractor for Gabriella M. Bagnato. Renovate gas line, kitchen cabinets, floor and paint 6 E. Lyon Farm Drive, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $25,000. Filed Sept. 2019.

JNC Inc., Greenwich, contractor for Richard Lehman. Construct a new three-car garage at 190 Clapboard Ridge Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $250,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Marr, Richard, Cos Cob, contractor for Richard Marr. Renovate first and second floors at 19 Stone Ave., Cos Cob. Estimated cost: $80,000. Filed Sept. 2019. McCauley, Sean, Stamford, contractor for Rhoda T. Molin. Replace kitchen and bathrooms at 453 E. Putnam Ave., Unit 4, Cos Cob. Estimated cost: $50,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Milbank Builders LLC, Stamford, contractor for David West. Remodel second-floor bathroom at 22 Hilton Heath Road, Cos Cob. Estimated cost: $30,000. Filed Sept. 2019.

Palmer, Debbie and Biagioni, Greenwich, contractor for Debbie Palmer. Enlarge garage for two cars at 34 Concord St., Greenwich. Estimated cost: $100,000. Filed Sept. 2019. PDB Construction LLC, Seymour, contractor for William Earls. Build a new single-family residence at 17 Dandy Drive, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $550,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Piro, Matthew and Britt Piro, Cos Cob, contractor for Matthew Piro. Install new bathrooms, kitchen and floors at 20 Thomas St., Cos Cob. Estimated cost: $60,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Pych, Anna, Riverside, contractor for Anna Pych. Renovate kitchen and relocate first-floor bath at 14 Knoll St., Riverside. Estimated cost: $100,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Rene Antanesian, Hicksville, New York, contractor for Mill Pond Company LLC. Install new kitchen for bagle store at 207 E. Putnam Ave., Cos Cob. Estimated cost: $150,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Sareyan, Alex and Nancy Marshall, Greenwich, contractor for Alex Sareyan. Replace stock pool fence at 297 Round Hill Road, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $4,500. Filed Sept. 2019. Sawyer, Douglas and Herrin Sawyer, Greenwich, contractor for Douglas Sawyer. Renovate bathroom and kitchen at 48 Ridge St., Greenwich. Estimated cost: $65,000. Filed Sept. 2019. St. Roch’s Church, Greenwich, contractor for St. Roch’s Church. Set up for a private party at 10 St. Roch’s Ave., Greenwich. Estimated cost: $1,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Tejada, Henry and Susan Tejada, Greenwich, contractor for Henry Tejada. Add two bedrooms and one bathroom at 15 Almira Drive, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $79,200. Filed Sept. 2019. TGC Excavation LLC, Norwalk, contractor for Northway Capital. Perform replacement alterations at 30 North Way, Old Greenwich. Estimated cost: $20,000. Filed Sept. 2019.

Town of Greenwich, contractor for the town of Greenwich. Set up for a private party at 285 Sound Beach Ave., Old Greenwich. Estimated cost: $150. Filed Sept. 2019. Trinity Solar Cheshire, contractor for Victor Shinsky. Install roof-top solar panels at 18 Bishop Drive, Greenwich. Estimated cost: $23,000. Filed Sept. 2019. Velardo Site Management Inc., Ossining, New York, contractor for Tom Skrelja. Construct a new single-family residence at 1 Whitney Drive. Greenwich. Estimated cost: $850,000. Filed Sept. 2019.

COURT CASES Bridgeport Superior Court Ebert, John C., et al, Stratford. Filed by the town of Stratford. Plaintiff’s attorney: Jackson Law Group Connecticut LLC, Shelton. Action: Action: The plaintiff filed a certificated tax lien against the defendant’s property for the unpaid tax with interest fees and charges. The plaintiff claims foreclosure of the mortgage, possession of the mortgage premises, monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. FBT-CV-19-6090019-S. Filed Sept. 23 Menegazzo, Eduardo, et al, Stamford. Filed by Stephanie Collado, Stamford. Plaintiff’s attorney: Weber & Rubano LLC, Wallingford. Action: The plaintiff suffered a collision allegedly caused by the defendant and sustained severe and painful personal injuries. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. FBT-CV-196090214-S. Filed Sept. 30. Monaco, Lori, New Milford. Filed by Theresa Alexander, Naugutuck. Plaintiff’s attorney: The Loricco Law Firm, New Haven. Action: The plaintiff suffered a collision allegedly caused by the defendant and sustained severe and painful personal injuries. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. FBT-CV-196090163-S. Filed Sept. 26. Paola, Angelo, Monroe. Filed by Midland Funding LLC, San Diego, California. Plaintiff’s attorney: London & London, Newington. Action: The plaintiff was assigned the defendant’s debt. The defendant was the holder and user of a credit card and defaulted in making payments. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs. Case no. FBT-CV-19-6090174-S. Filed Sept. 27.

Facts & Figures Danbury Superior Court Lepinsky, Marianella, et al, Brookfield. Filed by Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB as trustee of Upland Mortgage Loan, Anaheim, California. Plaintiff’s attorney: Bendett & McHugh PC, Farmington. Action: The plaintiff was assigned the defendants’ mortgage. The defendants defaulted on the terms of the agreement and have failed to pay the plaintiff the amount due. The plaintiff claims foreclosure of the mortgage, possession of the mortgage premises, monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. DBD-CV-196033037-S. Filed Aug. 19. Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company, Stamford. Filed by Gavy Duran, Danbury. Plaintiff’s attorney: Cooper Sevillano LLC, Bridgeport. Action: The plaintiff was walking on the Danbury Train Station platform, when she slipped and fell due to a slippery substance. As a result, plaintiff suffered injuries. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. DBD-CV-19-6033768-S. Filed Sept. 27. Oakes, David H., et al, Ridgefield. Filed by Bank of America NA Plano, Texas. Plaintiff’s attorney: Bendett & Mchugh PC, Farmington. Action: The plaintiff was assigned the defendants’ mortgage. The defendants defaulted on the terms of the agreement and have failed to pay the plaintiff the amount due. The plaintiff claims foreclosure of the mortgage, possession of the mortgage premises, monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. DBD-CV-19-6033019-S. Filed Aug. 19. Quattro, Seth, et al, Brookfield. Filed by Jean Mikhael, New Milford. Plaintiff’s attorney: Coyne Von Kuhn Brady & Fries LLC, Shelton. Action: The plaintiff suffered a collision allegedly caused by the defendants and sustained severe and painful personal injuries. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. DBD-CV-196033121-S. Filed Aug. 21.

Rudnicki, Cynthia J., Ridgefield. Filed by Holly Pais, Danbury. Plaintiff’s attorney: Ventura Law, Danbury. Action: The plaintiff suffered a collision allegedly caused by the defendant and sustained severe and painful personal injuries. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. DBD-CV-196033457-S. Filed Sept. 9.

Stamford Superior Court Flynn, Mary L., et al, Norwalk. Filed by U.S. Bank Trust National Association, Irvine, California. Plaintiff’s attorney: Jordan Wesley Schur, Westport. Action: The plaintiff was assigned the defendant’s mortgage. The defendant defaulted on the terms of the agreement and has failed to pay the plaintiff the amount due. The plaintiff claims foreclosure of the mortgage, possession of the mortgage premises, monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. FST-CV-196043106-S. Filed Aug. 8. Garavel, Matthew P., et al, Ridgefield. Filed by Rosemary F. Guitton, Stamford. Plaintiff’s attorney: Wocl Leydon LLC, Stamford. Action: The plaintiff suffered a collision allegedly caused by the defendants and sustained severe and painful personal injuries. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. FST-CV-196043709-S. Filed Sept. 19. Hightower, Dori B., et al, Stamford. Filed by Jill Gilbert Callahan, Greenwich. Plaintiff’s attorney: Lucas & Varga LLC, Southport. Action: The plaintiff received law services from the defendants knowing that the defendants’ billing practices were unorthodox and questionable. Therefore, the plaintiff requested invoices about the case. Despite the repeated requests, the defendants did not submit and delayed the invoices. The defendants’ billing methods were unscrupulous and deceptive and caused the plaintiff expenses of the representation. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. FST-CV-196043719-S. Filed Sept. 20.

Rak Construction LLC, Stratford. Filed by Builder Services Group Inc. d.b.a. Fairfield Insulation, Brewster, New York. Plaintiff’s attorney: Greene Law PC, Farmington. Action: The plaintiff agreed to provide defendant with insulation material and labor. Defendant has failed to pay plaintiff in accordance with the terms of their agreement and the payment is in default and as a result the defendant has breached the agreement with the plaintiff. The plaintiff seeks monetary damages less than $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. FST-CV-19-6043120-S. Filed Aug. 9. Tarnowsky’s, Steven, Widow Heirs and Devisees, et al. Filed by Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, Fairfield. Plaintiff’s attorney: Glass & Braus LLC, Fairfield. Action: The plaintiff was assigned the defendants’ mortgage. The defendants defaulted on the terms of the agreement and have failed to pay the plaintiff the amount due. The plaintiff claims foreclosure of the mortgage, possession of the mortgage premises, monetary damages in excess of $15,000, exclusive of interest and costs and such other and further relief the court deems appropriate. Case no. FST-CV-19-6043936-S. Filed Oct. 7.

DEEDS Commercial ABBY1021B LLC, Stamford. Seller: YJ Connecticut Real Estate LLC, Mamaroneck, New York. Property: 102 Woodside Green St., Unit 1B, Stamford. Amount: $200,000. Filed July 29. Bicoastal Holdings LLC, Stamford. Seller: Lana C. Lee, Stamford. Property: 110 Davenport Drive, Stamford. Amount: $1,741,000. Filed July 31. Camacho Castaneda, Juan Diego and Jennifer Leigh Camacho, Stamford. Seller: Thinking Integral Group LLC, Stamford. Property: 295 Roxbury Road, Stamford. Amount: $700,000. Filed Aug. 1. Camacho Vargas, Gabriela M., Stamford. Seller: RMS Colonial Road LLC, Stamford. Property: Unit 55, Ainslie Square, A Planned Community, Stamford. Amount: $577,212. Filed July 30. Cuccovia, Elizabeth Ann, Stamford. Seller: RMS Colonial Road LLC, Stamford. Property: Unit 57, Ainslie Square, A Planned Community, Stamford. Amount: $587,277. Filed July 31. Devery, Laura, Brooklyn, New York. Seller: Jolie Vita-Romano, Stamford. Property: 44 Strawberry Hill Ave., Stamford. Amount: $235,100. Filed Aug. 2.

Jagadeesh, Narasimhaiah and Kavitha Jagadeesh, Morrisville, North Carolina. Seller: 42 Weed Hill Avenue LLC, Stamford. Property: 42 Weed Hill Ave., Stamford. Amount: $505,000. Filed July 26.

Alvarez, Elizabeth and Alba L. Soto, Stamford. Seller: Tushar Rawal and Rita Mubashir, Stamford. Property: 31 High Clear Drive, Stamford. Amount: $524,500. Filed Aug. 1.

Greavette, Michael and Heather Wagner, Stamford. Seller: Barry W. Langsam and Lynda J. Langsam, Stamford. Property: 117 Blackwood Lane, Stamford. Amount: $830,000. Filed July 29.

Leb-Gonzalez, Felix Agustin, Norwalk. Seller: P & M Global LLC, Stamford. Property: 26 Knapp St., Norwalk. Amount: $310,000. Filed June 28.

Balaux, Jacy and Kyle Balaux, Norwalk. Seller: Joseph A. Villalta and Ariana M. Villalta, Norwalk. Property: 22 Field St., Norwalk. Amount: $675,000. Filed June 28.

Heeks, Patrick, Stamford. Seller: Kathleen T. Wagner, Stamford. Property: 1633 Washington Blvd., Unit 4C, Stamford. Amount: $297,500. Filed July 26.

Li, Ming Feng, Stamford. Seller: Super Group Hanover LLC, Stamford. Property: 21 Hanover St., Stamford. Amount: $703,000. Filed Aug. 1.

Cherry, Matthew, Stamford. Seller: Leonard B. Mackey Jr. and Allison Mackey, Greenwich. Property: 233 Southfield Ave., Stamford. Amount: $487,000. Filed Aug. 2.

Ingber, Clifford J., Stamford. Seller: Sobonneth Ung and Taoli Ji, Stamford. Property: 1 Strawberry Hill Ave., Unit 11D, Stamford. Amount: $375,000. Filed July 31.

Mesa, Gonzalo and Prakaidao Hoets, Norwalk. Seller: Mortgage Assets Management LLC, Norwalk. Property: 73 Truman St., Norwalk. Amount: &215,000. Filed June 28.

Chetta, Linda, Norwalk. Seller: Helen P. O’Neill, New Canaan. Property: 50 Aiken St., Norwalk. Amount: $218,000. Filed June 27.

Kress, Emily B. and Nathan W. Kress, Stamford. Seller: John S. Lannamann and Kelli M. Lannamann, Stamford. Property: 145 Highline Trail, Stamford. Amount: $1,315,000. Filed July 30.

Miller River Financial LLC, Stratford. Seller: Gloria Leone, Norwalk. Property: Lot 57, Byrd Road, Norwalk. Amount: $250,000. Filed June 27. Petrafesa, Vincenzo, Stamford. Seller: Knickerbocker Partners LLC, Westport. Property: 136 Knickerbocker Ave., Stamford. Amount: $520,000. Filed July 30. Petrocelli, Robert H. and Anne H. Petrocelli, Rye, New York. Seller: Blacksmith Partners LP, Stamford. Property: 7 River Oaks Drive, Stamford. Amount: $1,340,000. Filed July 31. Silvey, Anthony D. and Evzen Sinmaz, Stamford. Seller: 121 Overbrook Drive LLC, New York, New York. Property: 121 Overbrook Drive, Stamford. Amount: $682,500. Filed July 30. Titan Equities LLC, Norwalk. Seller: 7 Grove Street, Norwalk LLC, Redding. Property: 7 Grove St., Norwalk. Amount: $905,000. Filed June 28.

Residential Adams, James L. and Mary Dupigny, Stamford. Seller: Eugene DeVita, et al, Trumbull. Property: 84 Stephen St., Stamford. Amount: $435,000. Filed July 31. Albornoz, Ricardo and Yesica Rendon, Brooklyn, New York. Seller: George Reymer and Tanya Reimer, Stamford. Property: 167 Davenport Ridge Road, Stamford. Amount: $678,400. Filed Aug. 1. Alim, Mashurul H., et al Norwalk. Seller: Doreen Rich, Norwalk. Property: 16 Elmond Ave., Norwalk. Amount: $550,000. Filed July 1.

Coppola, Rosa, Stamford. Seller: Paul Levy and Julie Stephens, Stamford. Property: 40 Oenoke Place, Unit 1, Stamford. Amount: $441,000. Filed Aug. 1. DeLaurentis, Laura, Port Chester, New York. Seller: Christopher D. Munger, Stamford. Property: 32 Elaine Drive, Stamford. Amount: $525,000. Filed Aug. 1.

Laux, Edward and Barbara Laux, Stamford. Seller: Carla J. Foran, Stamford. Property: 33 Farms Road, Stamford. Amount: $1,360,000. Filed July 31. Lin, Linda, Stamford. Seller: John Lin, Stamford. Property: 180 Mountain Wood Road, Stamford. Amount: $0. Filed July 26.

Devito, Michael and Stephanie DeVito, Stamford. Seller: Bruce Lee, Stamford. Property: Unit C1, Quayside Condominium, Stamford. Amount: $387,500. Filed Aug. 2.

Lyons, Sibley Mason, Stamford. Seller: Deborah A. Venuti, Stamford. Property: 49 Glenbrook Road, Unit 105, Stamford. Amount: $330,000. Filed July 29.

Dzierzbinski, Danuta and Adam Kalinowski, Stamford. Seller: Eric H. Dollman and Jill D. Dollman, Parkland, Florida. Property: 111 Palmers Hill Road, Stamford. Amount: $932,111. Filed July 31.

McManus, Tami and Brendan McManus, New York, New York. Seller: Slohan O. Frey and Derrick W. Benny, Stamford. Property: 79 Harbor Drive, Unit 313, Stamford. Amount: $415,000. Filed July 29.

Fegan, Thomas and Jayne Spiegel, New Rochelle, New York. Seller: Katelyn Lopez, Stamford. Property: 100 Hope St., Unit 29, Stamford. Amount: $420,000. Filed July 29.

Meza, Reina I., et al, Stamford. Seller: Mohammed E. Rahim, Stamford. Property: 18 Elmwood St., Stamford. Amount: $440,000. Filed July 29.

Felix, Claudette S., Stamford. Seller: Manzoor Ahmed and Anowara Ahmed, Darien. Property: 59 Courtland Ave., Unit 2E, Stamford. Amount: $200,000. Filed July 29. Gabriel, Alex, Woodside, New York. Seller: Rosa Coppola, Stamford. Property: 58 Travis Ave., Stamford. Amount: $533,500. Filed Aug. 1. Golam Kabir and Jesmin Akther, Stamford. Seller: Giovanna Pascarella and Antimo Pascarella, Stamford. Property: 50 Van Buskork Ave., Stamford. Amount: $650,000. Filed July 26. Gonzalez, Jesus F. and Rosario Farias-Corona, Norwalk. Seller: Kimberly Drosos, Monroe. Property: 14 Pleasant St., Norwalk. Amount: $300,000. Filed June 28.

FCBJ

Mills, Toni and Karl Madrecki, Stamford. Seller: Clare Powell, Stamford. Property: 123 Harbor Drive, Unit 202, Stamford. Amount: $580,000. Filed July 31. Murray, Ann P., Stamford. Seller: Kevin J. Quick, Stamford. Property: 43 Harbor Drive, Unit 102, Stamford. Amount: $430,000. Filed July 30. O’Halloran, Ryan C. and Catherine L. O’Halloran, Stamford. Seller: Anthony J. Angotta and Donna M. Angotta, Stamford. Property: 62 Turner Road, Stamford. Amount: $525,000. Filed Aug. 1. Onetto-Winder, Marti and Angela Lopez-Tejada, Norwalk. Seller: James H. Williams and Sandra D. Williams, Florence, South Carolina. Property: 0 Gibson Court, Norwalk. Amount: $498,000. Filed June 27.

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

Facts & Figures Padiginati, Sujith Kumar, Stamford. Seller: Jerry A. Straus and Nancy V. Straus, Stamford. Property: 51 W. Rock Trail, Stamford. Amount: $1,116,000. Filed Aug. 2. Perreca, Elizabeth A., New Canaan. Seller: Tracey M. Ceglio and Michael R. Ceglio, Norwalk. Property: 72 Dry Hill Road, Norwalk. Amount: $430,000. Filed June 27. Ping, Li-Jen, and Bi-Cheng Ping, Leominster, Massachusetts. Seller: Patrick Quinn, Stamford. Property: 49 Glenbrook Road, Unit 110, Stamford. Amount: $270,000. Filed July 29. Pugni, Joseph R., Stamford. Seller: Judith B, Santos, Montvale, New Jersey. Property: Unit 318, Royal Pavilion Condominium, Stamford. Amount: $175,000. Filed July 31. Sable, Jonathan, East Rockaway, New York. Seller: Michelle Chiafari, Stamford. Property: 154 Coldspring Road, Unit 6, Stamford. Amount: $275,000. Filed Aug. 2. Schwartz, Andrea Pataro, Stamford. Seller: Ludivia Espinal, Stamford. Property: 27 N. Hill St., Unit 1B, Stamford. Amount: $156,000. Filed Aug. 2. Selover, Simone A., Yonkers, New York. Seller: Matthew D. Goehlert, Scituate, Massachusetts. Property: 27 W. Main St., Unit 10. Norwalk. Amount: $179,650. Filed June 27. Staugler, Carrie A., Stamford. Seller: Michael J. Murray, Stamford. Property: 17 Pierce Place, Stamford. Amount: $499,000. Filed July 30. Tenn, Judy, New Rochelle, New York. Seller: Bruno Coelho, Stamford. Property: Unit Q, Gatewood, Stamford. Amount: $382,500. Filed Aug. 1. Tornese, Francis N. and Kristen E. Tornese, Stamford. Seller: Robert J. Czako and Gerda H. Czako, Stamford. Property: 87 Barmore Drive East, Stamford. Amount: $524,000. Filed July 26. Warren, Christopher and Luisa M. Correa, Stamford. Seller: Brian Magda and Mariam Magda, Stamford. Property: 36 Cerretta, No.30A, Stamford. Amount: $360,500. Filed Aug. 1. Yoakum, Ralph, Stamford. Seller: Jean F. Daniel and Michelle D. Daniel, Stamford. Property: 50 Davenport Drive, Stamford. Amount: $727,000. Filed July 30.

FORECLOSURES Marceus, Maria, et al. Creditor: The Bank of New York Mellon, Anaheim California. Property: 107 Pond St., Bridgeport. Mortgage default. Filed July 1. Braxter, Betty E., et al. Creditor: Wells Fargo Bank, Fort Mill, South Carolina. Property: 729 Boston Ave., Unit 9A, Bridgeport. Mortgage default. Filed July 2. Cruz, Vilma, et al. Creditor: Laelia LLC, Houston, Texas. Property: 1661 E Main St., Bridgeport. Mortgage default. Filed July 17. Diaz, Juan, et al. Creditor: Wells Fargo Bank, Fort Mill, South Carolina. Property: 65 Ridgebrook Drive, Bridgeport. Mortgage default. Filed July 2. Estate of Terrell L. Jones, et al. Creditor: US Bank National Association, Houston, Texas. Property: 1276 Park Ave., Bridgeport. Mortgage default. Filed July 17. Forti, Dawn M., et al. Creditor: Ditech Financial LLC, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Property: 30 Colony St., Bridgeport. Mortgage default. Filed July 2. Holkon 7 Properties LLC, et al. Creditor: Benchmark Municipal Tax Services LTD, Bridgeport. Property: 687 Lindley St., Bridgeport. Mortgage default. Filed July 3. Maruhn, Jeanette G., et al. Creditor: JPMorgan Chase Bank National Association, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Property: 45 Pearl Harbor Place, Bridgeport. Mortgage default. Filed July 3. Ortiz, Jesus, et al. Creditor: Benchmark Municipal Tax Services LTD, Bridgeport. Property: 957-B William St., Bridgeport. Mortgage default. Filed July 11. Ortiz, Jesus. Creditor: JPMorgan Chase Bank National Association, St. Paul, Minnesota. Property: 211 Arctic St., Bridgeport. Mortgage default. Filed July 17. Pettway Sr., Noland, et al. Creditor: Benchmark Municipal Tax Services LTD, Bridgeport. Property: 1081 Stratford Ave., Bridgeport. Mortgage default. Filed July 16. Thomas, Chanell, et al. Creditor: Round point Mortgage Servicing Corp., Charlotte, North Carolina. Property: 196 Fairview Ave., Bridgeport. Mortgage default. Filed July 9.

Zeide, Nolan and Leah Zeide, Stamford. Seller: Stephen Schatteman, Stamford. Property: 233 E. Hunting Ridge Road, Stamford. Amount: $960,000. Filed Aug. 2.

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

FCBJ

Washington, Derek L., et al. Creditor: Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, Bridgeport. Property: 278 Priscilla St., Bridgeport. Mortgage default. Filed July 8. Washington, Derel L., et al. Creditor: US Bank National Association, Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Property: 372 Hanover St. (rear), Bridgeport. Mortgage default. Filed July 1.

JUDGMENTS Ancrum, Robert, Bridgeport. $3,601, in favor of The United Illuminating Company, New Haven, by Nair & Levin PC, Bloomfield. Property: 90 Orland St., Bridgeport. Filed June 28. Caro, Dayana, Fairfield. $610, in favor of Western Connecticut Medical Group, Bethel, by Flanagan & Peat, Danbury. Property: 207 Fairchild Ave., Fairfield. Filed Sept. 12. Caro, Dayana, Fairfield. $360, in favor of Western Connecticut Medical Group, Bethel, by Flanagan & Peat, Danbury. Property: 207 Fairchild Ave., Fairfield. Filed Sept. 12. Cesay, Amie, Fairfield. $18,192, in favor of Discover Bank, New Albany, Ohio, by Schreiber Law LLC, Salem, New Hampshire. Property: 111 Judd St., Fairfield. Filed July 15. Dossous, Dieudele, Bridgeport. $1,612, in favor of Cavalry SPV I, LLC, Valhalla, New York, by Tobin & Marohn, Meriden. Property: 2612 North Ave, Unit E18, Bridgeport. Filed June 11. Eaton, Stefania, Fairfield. $1,425, in favor of Robert Kravecs Jr., D.M.D., Fairfield, by Philip H. Monagan, Waterbury. Property: 425 Judd St., Fairfield. Filed Aug. 15. Espanol, Susan G., Fairfield. $7,109, in favor of Discover Bank, New Albany, Ohio, by Schreiber Law LLC, Salem, New Hampshire. Property: 273 Papermill Lane, Fairfield. Filed Aug. 2. Flynn, Kevin E., Fairfield. $6,608, in favor of Cach LLC, Greenville, South Carolina, by the Law Offices of Howard Lee Schiff PC, East Hartford. Property: 161 Knapps Highway. Fairfield. Filed Oct. 21. Glover, Richard, Fairfield. $753, in favor of Midland Funding LLC, San Diego, California, by Schreiber Law LLC, Salem, New Hampshire. Property: 319 Old Stratfield Road, Fairfield. Filed Aug. 26.

Gonzalez, Ezequiel, Bridgeport. $2,294, in favor of Cavalry SPV I, LLC, Valhalla, New York, by Tobin & Marohn, Meriden. Property: 197 Roger Williams Road, Bridgeport. Filed June 11. Hilaire, John R., Bridgeport. $22,335, in favor of Absolute Resolutions Investments LLC, Bridgeport, by Cohen, Burns, Hard & Paul, West Hartford. Property: 2534 Autumn St., Bridgeport. Filed July 2. Jackson, Lashonda, Bridgeport. $2,029, in favor of The Southern Connecticut Gas Company, Orange, by Nair & Levin PC, Bloomfield. Property: 68 Sherman St., Bridgeport. Filed July 8. Kaushik, Neeru, Fairfield. $491, in favor of Western Connecticut Medical Group, Bethel, by Flanagan & Peat, Danbury. Property: 805 Kings Highway East, Fairfield. Filed Sep. 12. Malachi, Darryll Alvin, Norwalk. $34,316, in favor of American Builders & Contractors Supply Company Inc., New Haven, by Sugarmann & Sugarmann, New Haven. Property: 1033 Old Town Road, Bridgeport. Filed July 9. Nagy, Richard, Fairfield. $10,700, in favor of Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York, by Jacobs & Rozich LLC, New Haven. Property: 1071 Jennings Road, Fairfield. Filed Oct. 21. Romero-Lopez, Paula C., Bridgeport. $2,960, in favor of Sikorsky Financial Credit Union Inc, Stratford, by Tobin & Marohn, Meriden. Property: 68 Janet Circle, Unit 12, Bridgeport. Filed July 2. Romildo, Luciana R., Bridgeport. $12,184, in favor of Discover Bank, New Albany, Ohio, by Schreiber Law LLC, Salem, New Hampshire. Property: 147 Wetmore Road, Bridgeport. Filed July 8. Serrano, Andrea, Bridgeport. $2,587, in favor of Cavalry SPV I, LLC, Valhalla, New York, by Tobin & Marohn, Meriden. Property: 70 Bennett St., Bridgeport. Filed June 11. Sexer, Sanford, Southport. $3,916, in favor of American Express National Bank, Salt Lake City, Utah, by Mark Sank & Associates LLC, Stamford. Property: 295 Cedar Road, Southport. Filed Sep. 23. Snyder, Gail M., Fairfield. $7,833, in favor of Discover Bank, New Albany, Ohio, by Schreiber Law LLC, Salem, New Hampshire. Property: 5 Greenlawn Drive, Fairfield. Filed July 15.

LIENS

Sims, William and Helen Sims, 42 Hadley St., Bridgeport. $594, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 5.

Federal Tax Liens Filed

Stanley, Junior, 575 Carroll Ave., Bridgeport. $344, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 5.

Bunch Jr., Johnnie R., 70 Gem St., Stratford. $30,537, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 2.

Steeley, Jason J., 99 McNeil Terrace, Stratford. $24,704, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 2.

Burgos, Robert, 356 Charles St., Bridgeport. $364, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 5.

Tilson, Charles N. and Lauren Tilson, 445 Ruth St., Bridgeport. $15,996, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 3.

Dabrowski, Grzegorz, 69 Carroll Ave., Bridgeport. $27,327, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 3. Dawes, James F., 57 Creston Road, Stratford. $15,345, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 2. Elaicin-Subtus, Marie, 53 Fremont St., Bridgeport. $161, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 5. Erazo, Junior, 224 Goddar Ave., Bridgeport. $22,827, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 3. Feliciano, Hector, 705 Hart St., Bridgeport. $6,328, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 2. Freeman, Mazie, 138 Holly St., Bridgeport. $509, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 3. Galeano, Alberto and Mary Ortiz, 62 Porter St., Bridgeport. $386, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 5. Gay, Timothy, 594 Birmingham St., Bridgeport. $13,121, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 2. Jackson, Jerome, 234 Dover St., Bridgeport. $2,609, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 3. Miranda, Claudio and Pamela A. Miranda, 277 Nichols Ave., Stratford. $75, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 2. Miranda, Pamela, 277 Nichols Ave., Stratford. $38,690, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 2. Newkirk, Michelle L., 299 Willow St., Bridgeport. $16,004, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 3. Ortiz, Jesus, 41 Dekal B Ave., Bridgeport. $463, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 5. Parker, Damian D., 832 Atlantic St., Unit 2E, Bridgeport. $15,360, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 3. Pond, Donna Jean and Jeffrey Pond, 1369 Wood Ave., Bridgeport. $28,469, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 3.

Tilson, Charles N., 445 Ruth St., Bridgeport. $5,846, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 3. Tosado Jr., Wilfredo, 3300 Park Ave., Unit 6, Bridgeport. $18,987, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 3. Vasques Morillo, Ana M., 110 Westfield Ave., Bridgeport. $452, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 5. Wilson, Timothy, 323 High Ridge Road, Bridgeport. $9,776, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 3. Wright, Latonya M., 230 Pond St., Bridgeport. $3,110, civil proceeding tax. Filed July 3.

Mechanic’s Liens The Bridgeport Roman Catholic Diocesan Corp., Fairfield. Filed by Livers Bronze Co., by Charles Livers. Property: 5151 Park Ave., Fairfield. Amount: $104,932. Filed Sep. 10. Togridis, Olivia Victoria and Fotis Togridis, Fairfield. Filed by Molina’s Home Improvement LLC, by Jose T. Molina. Property: 65 Mason St., Fairfield. Amount: $3,900. Filed Sep. 30.

LIS PENDENS 206 Jewett Ave. LLC, et al, Bridgeport. Filed by the Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for Benchmark Municipal Tax Services Ltd. Property: 206 Jewett Ave., Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed June 28. 68 Seymour Street LLC, et al, Bridgeport. Filed by the Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for Benchmark Municipal Tax Services Ltd. Property: 68 Seymour St., Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed June 28. Bergin Properties LLC, et al, Bridgeport. Filed by the Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for Benchmark Municipal Tax Services Ltd. Property: 128 Colony St., Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed June 28.

Facts & Figures Blaisdell, Carol, et al, Bridgeport. Filed by the Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for Benchmark Municipal Tax Services Ltd. Property: 1105 Huntington Turnpike, Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed June 28. Bosse Jr., Hamilton, et al, Bridgeport. Filed by the Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for Benchmark Municipal Tax Services Ltd. Property: 998 Hancock Ave., Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendant’s mortgage. Filed July 2.

Ortiz, Jesus, et al, Bridgeport. Filed by the Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for Benchmark Municipal Tax Services Ltd. Property: 667 William St., Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed June 28. Perez, Ivonne A. and Rafael Otero, Bridgeport. Filed by O’Connell, Atmore & Morris LLC, Hartford, for Bayview Loan Servicing LLC. Property: 145 Gurdon St., Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed July 2.

Cerda, Aridio R., et al, Bridgeport. Filed by Bendett & McHugh PC, for US Bank National Association. Property: 66 Davis Ave., Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendant’s mortgage. Filed July 1.

Robinson, Ishmael, et al, Bridgeport. Filed by Milford Law LLC, Milford, for Carrington Mortgage Services LLC. Property: 187 Beverly Drive, Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed July 1.

Davis, Brinton L., et al, Bridgeport. Filed by the Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for Benchmark Municipal Tax Services Ltd. Property: 1017 Howard Ave., Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed June 28.

Sachem Capital Realty LLC, et al, Bridgeport. Filed by the Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for Benchmark Municipal Tax Services Ltd. Property: 660 Lindley St., Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed June 28.

Eaton, Stephen, et al, Bridgeport. Filed by Zullo & Jacks LLC, East Haven, for Bridgewell Capital LLC. Property: 64 Woodmont Ave., Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed July 2.

Shelley, Paul, et al, Bridgeport. Filed by Jacobs & Rozich LLC, New Haven, for Solange Geffrard-Rechaia. Property: 681 E. Main St., Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed July 1.

Hardison, Burnest, et al, Bridgeport. Filed by Marinosci Law Group PC, Warwick, Rhode Island. Property: 161 Dekalb Ave., Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed July 2.

Syc, John A., et al, Bridgeport. Filed by the Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for Benchmark Municipal Tax Services Ltd. Property: 41 Pleasant St., Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed June 28.

Jackson, Starr A., et al, Bridgeport. Filed by the Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for Benchmark Municipal Tax Services Ltd. Property: 62 Grove St., Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed July 2. Johnson, Beryl, Bridgeport. Filed by McCalla Raymer Leibert Pierce LLC, Hartford, for US Bank Trust National Association. Property: 29 Glenbrook Road Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendant’s mortgage. Filed July 2. Main Street Business Management Inc., et al Bridgeport. Filed by James N. Nugent, Milford, for Manuel Moutinho. Property: Hart Street, Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed July 2.

SOFTWARE Oracle America, Inc. has openings for Software Developer positions in Stamford, CT. Job duties include: Design, develop, troubleshoot and/or test/ QA software. May telecommute from home. Apply by e-mailing resume to santhosh. sivaramakrishnan@oracle.com, referencing 385.20617. Oracle supports workforce diversity.

Valencia Island LLC, et al, Bridgeport. Filed by the Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for Benchmark Municipal Tax Services Ltd. Property: 74 Circular Ave., 2B, Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed July 2. Walowitz, Francine J., et al, Bridgeport. Filed by the Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for Benchmark Municipal Tax Services Ltd. Property: 2625 Park Ave., Unit 12J, Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed June 28. Zaldumbide, Delfin, et al, Bridgeport. Filed by the Law Office of Juda J. Epstein, Bridgeport, for Benchmark Municipal Tax Services Ltd. Property: 178 Wood Ave., Bridgeport. Action: foreclose defendants’ mortgage. Filed July 2.

LEASES Okhiria, Olabode, by Marylou Weeks. Landlord: Success Village Apartments Inc., Bridgeport. Property: 100 Court D, Building 60, Apartment 182, Bridgeport. Term: 35 years, commenced September 2019. Filed Sept. 12.

Pyvovarchuk, Igor and Mariia Pyvovarchuk, by Marylou Weeks. Landlord: Success Village Apartments Inc., Bridgeport. Property: 100 Court D, Building 49, Apartment 365, Bridgeport. Term: 35 years, commenced Aug. 23, 2019. Filed Aug. 30.

MORTGAGES Blondet, Juan and Sylvia Blondet, Fairfield, by Maria E. Bakies. Lender: Carrington Mortgage Services LLC 1600 S. Douglass Road, Suite 110, Anaheim, California. Property: 27 Garden Drive, Fairfield. Amount: $346,359. Filed July 15. Brown, Michael T. and Kimberly F. Brown, Fairfield, by Kevin M. Black. Lender: Neat Capital Inc. 2560 55th St., Suite 101, Boulder, Colorado. Property: 115 Mine Hill Road, Fairfield. Amount: $500,000. Filed July 15. Clauson, Matthew R. and Jessica L. Clauson, Fairfield, by Seth J. Arnavite. Lender: Bank of America NA, 101 S. Tryon St., Charlotte, North Carolina. Property: 58 Fallow Field Lane, Fairfield. Amount: $580,000. Filed July 22. Crotty, Tara, Fairfield, by Jason J. Morytko. Lender: TD Bank NA, 2035 Limestone Road, Wilmington, Delaware. Property: 140 Alden St., Fairfield. Amount: $284,400. Filed July 15. Frey, Sebastian and Karina Frey, Fairfield, by Lendia Shanee Draines. Lender: Wells Fargo Bank NA, 101 N. Phillips Ave., Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Property: 481 Algonquin Road, Fairfield. Amount: $100,000. Filed July 22. Heath, Carmen, Fairfield, by Thomas J. Vetter. Lender: American Neighborhood Mortgage Acceptance Company LLC, 700 E. Gate Drive, Suite 400, Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Property: 224 Fairchild Ave., Fairfield. Amount: $140,000. Filed July 15. Hoag, Alison S., Bridgeport, by John K. Cohane. Lender: E Mortgage Management LLC, 3 Executive Campus, Suite 520, Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Property: 87 Ameridge Drive, Unit 87, Bridgeport. Amount: $104,000. Filed June 3. Iragorri, Maurice and Sara Iragorri, Fairfield, by Robert V. Sisca. Lender: Luxury Mortgage Corp., 4 Landmark Square, Suite 300, Stamford. Property: 208 Village Lane, Southport. Amount: $661,600. Filed July 15. Kelly, John and Suzanne K. Freda, Fairfield, by Matthew H. Corrente. Lender: Wells Fargo Bank NA, 101 N. Phillips Ave., Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Property: 260 Roselle St., Fairfield. Amount: $460,750. Filed July 15.

Marzano, Matthew, Bridgeport, by Candace V. Fay. Lender: TD Bank NA, 2035 Limestone Road, Wilmington, Delaware. Property: 518 Gregory St., Bridgeport. Amount: $164,500. Filed June 10. Morgan, Joshua Michael and Amanda Marie Morgan, Fairfield, by Edward L. Sinclair III. Lender: Mortgage Research Center LLC, 1400 Veterans United Drive, Columbia, Missouri. Property: 1133 Mill Plain Road, Fairfield. Amount: $467,268. Filed July 22. Rush, Michael E. and Mary M. Rush, Fairfield, by Murdock Smith. Lender: United Wholesale Mortgage, 585 S. Boulevard East, Pontiac, Michigan. Property: 130 Pheasant Lane, Fairfield. Amount: $326,000. Filed July 22. Shagoury, Alexandra, Bridgeport, by Anthony Voumurs. Lender: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, 1111 Polaris Pkwy., Columbus, Ohio. Property: 91 Rowsley St., Unit 4, Bridgeport. Amount: $112,500. Filed June 10. Shimaitis, Thomas John and Susan Kraeger Burns, Fairfield, by Dina Tornhelm. Lender: US Bank National Association, 4801 Frederica St., Owensboro, Kentucky. Property: 69 Lampwick Lane, Fairfield. Amount: $600,000. Filed July 22. Tomlin, Damon and Kathleen Tomlin, Fairfield, by Peter Ambrose. Lender: William Raveis Mortgage LLC, 7 Trap Falls Road, Shelton. Property: 1912 N. Benson Road Fairfield. Amount: $690,000. Filed July 15.

NEW BUSINESSES Bermudez Services LLC, 7 Fern St., Norwalk 06854, c/o Roman Bermudez. Filed June 12. Bloom Beauty Bar, 515 West Ave., Norwalk 06850, c/o Nichole Zimmardo. Filed June 5. Butter Em Up Popcorn, 14 Elmcrest Terrace, Norwalk 06850, c/o Christian Williams. Filed June 5. Data Verify Flood Services, 250 E. Broad St., Columbus, Ohio 43215, c/o Flood Zone Determination Services DBA. Filed June 14. Erwin Garcia Landscaping, 15 Benedict St., Norwalk 06850, c/o Erwin Garcia. Filed June 14. FVL Home Services LLC, 60 Clinton Ave., Norwalk 06854, c/o Randall Viquez Guerrero. Filed June 12. G2 Auto Group Connecticut, 24 Ferris Ave., Norwalk 06850, c/o Niloy Shah. Filed June 14.

Gloria Dean South Trucking LLC, 15 Harriet St., Norwalk 06851, c/o Gloria Dean Samuel. Filed June 19. Go 2 Car Needs Connecticut, 24 Ferris Ave., Norwalk 06850, c/o Niloy Shah. Filed June 14. H & H Glass & Doors, 13 Orange St., Norwalk 06850, c/o Hebert Fernando Delgado. Filed June 18. Heckmann Building Products, 110 Richards Ave., Norwalk 06854, c/o Gotham Building Supplies LLC. Filed June 11. Kosta’s Classic Upholstery, 12 Fitch St., Norwalk 06855, c/o Kosta’s Classic Upholstery. Filed June 10. Lavander Spa, 84 West Ave., Unit D1, Norwalk 06854, c/o Rosanna Rodriguez. Filed June 10. Liquipel, 1 Selleck St., Norwalk 06855, c/o After Inc. Filed June 13. MSC Home Improvement LLC, 19 B Clinton Ave., Norwalk 06854, c/o Manuel C. Sichiquezhungo. Filed June 20. Oak & Almond, 544 Main Ave., Norwalk 06851, c/o Tuscan Oven of Norwalk LLC. Filed June 4. Orlens Variety Plus, 115 New Canaan Ave., Norwalk 06850, c/o Rudrak LLC. Filed June 6. Paintego, 1750 Sedgwick Ave., Bronx, New York 10453, c/o Edvardas Kucinskas. Filed June 17. Peace of Mind Consultants, 40 E. Sidney St., Mount Vernon, New York, c/o Michelle Sawyer. Filed June 5. Remax Regal Properties, 515 West Ave., Norwalk 06850, c/o Regal Real Estate LLC DBA. Filed June 17. Sabrinas Pet Care, 18 School St., Norwalk 06851, c/o Sabrina Picca. Filed June 17. Soundview Norwalk Apartments, 32 Prospect St., Norwalk 06850, c/o CSC Morningside Gardens Limited Partnership. Filed June 14. Souper Subs N Salads, 99 New Canaan Ave., Norwalk 06850, c/o Myway LLC. Filed June 14. Stephanie Ryann, 1 N. Water St., Norwalk 06854, c/o Stephanie Straface. Filed June 11. The Spot Deli, 69 Windfield St., Norwalk 06855, c/o Jesse Acevedo. Filed June 10.

FCBJ

The Spot, 48 Westport Ave., Norwalk 06851, c/o Katherine Eggart. Filed June 20. Weekend Warrior Golf, 15 Trailside Drive, Norwalk 06951, c/o Christopher Giolitto. Filed June 12.

PATENTS Apparatus for repeatable staging and holding objects in a 3-D printer using an array of pins. Patent no. 10,457,069 issued to Jeffrey J. Bradway, Rochester; Erwin Ruiz, Rochester; Paul M. Fromm, Rochester; Linn C. Hoover, Webster. Assigned to Xerox, Norwalk. Electromagnetic shield for an electronic device. Patent no. 10,462,895 issued to Elijah Auger, Fenton, Michigan; Ssabin Oana, Howell, Michigan. Assigned to Harman, Stamford. Location classification for intelligent personal assistant. Patent no. 10,458,840 issued to Meenakshi Barjatia, Salt Lake City, Utah; James M. Kirsch, Salt Lake City, Utah. Assigned to Harman, Stamford. Machine-readable security mark and process for generating same. Patent no. 10,462,326 issued to Edward N. Chapman, Rochester. Assigned to Xerox, Norwalk. Methods and compositions particularly for treatment of attention deficit disorder. Patent no. 10,449,159 issued to Ricardo Alberto Vargas Ricon, Mississauga, Canada; Joseph Reiz, Markham, Canada. Assigned to Purdue Pharma LP, Stamford. Method and system for optical character recognition (OCR) of multilanguage content. Patent no. 10,460,192 issued to Sainarayanan Gopalakrishnan, Chennai, India; Rajesekar Kanagasabai, Chennai, India; Sudhagar Subbaian, Coimbatore, India. Assigned to Xerox, Norwalk. Method and system for variable data printing in a 3D print system. Patent no. 10,459,430 issued to Jonathan D. Levine, Rochester; David R. Vandervort, Walworth; Donald M. Pangrazio III, LeRoy; Robert Eero Nuuja, Rochester. Assigned to Xerox, Norwalk. Object holder with pneumatic clamping frame for a direct-to-object printer. Patent no. 10,457,071 issued to Timothy P. Foley, Marion; D. Clay Johnson, Rochester; Mark A. Atwood, Rush; Eliud Robles Flores, Rochester. Assigned to Xerox, Norwalk. Split grounding bushing with removable spacer. Patent no. 10,461,443 issued to Lawrence J. Smith, Stamford. Assigned to Bridgeport Fittings LLC, Stratford.

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

W F B In IG O AT R th e D R T CH ec E H em V be E E r2 A 3i L ss

REVEALING THE THRIVING THIRTY BEST COMPANIES IN FAIRFIELD COUNTY Following the release of THE CATEGORIES ARE: the winners on December 23, Most Entrepreneurial you will be able to vote for Most Family-Friendly Greenest them in seven categories Most Pet-Friendly at westfaironline.com. Most Visionary Most Promising for Future Generations Most Socially Conscious

Join us as we celebrate the Thriving Thirty and the seven BEST OF THE BEST

APRIL 28 AT 5 P.M. at the Crown Plaza • 2701 Summer St., Stamford Business organizations partnering with the Fairfield County Business Journal are: Bridgeport Regional Business Council, The Business Council of Fairfield County, Darien Chamber of Commerce, Fairfield Chamber of Commerce, Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce, Greater Norwalk Chamber of Commerce, Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce, Stamford Chamber of Commerce, Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce For information, contact: Olivia D’Amelio at odamelio@westfairinc.com. For sponsorships, contact: Barbara Hanlon at bhanlon@westfairinc.com or 914-358-0766.

PRESENTED BY:

SILVER SPONSORS:

BRONZE SPONSOR:

HOSPITALITY SPONSOR: