June 19, 2020 by Greenwich Sentinel

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June 19, 2020

The Greenwich Weekly Newspaper, where we celebrate our hometown. Exclusively Greenwich news and events.

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INSIDE Greenwich Hospital has received an anonymous donation to establish up to a 30-bed, dedicated, state-ofthe-art unit for patients with COVID-19 or other infectious diseases. See Page 2 The ribbon cutting ceremony officially marked the completion of the first phase of Armstrong Court's transformation to modern housing by the Housing Authority of the Town of Greenwich (HATG). There are 18 new construction townhouses contained in 6 buildings representing Phase 1 of the overall Armstrong Court redevelopment project. See Page 4 If you are looking to revamp your patio with new f u r n it u r e t h is su m mer, head over to the Greenwich Exchange for Women’s Work, a non-profit organization that supports artisans-consignors. See page 4

Greenwich Emergency Preparedness Critical

By Richard Kaufman

As mass protests against p ol ic e br ut a l it y a nd r a c i a l injustice continue across the c o u n t r y, s o , t o o , d o e s t h e C OV I D - 1 9 p a n d e m i c . A d d in Hurricane Season, which officially started on June 1 and runs through November 30, and there's a perfect storm of events that could cause challenges for many cities and towns. So the Town of Greenwich is well-prepared and equipped to handle anything that may come. In Greenwich, there have been several small peaceful protests and rallies in recent weeks. Lt. John Slusarz of the Greenwich Police Department said communication has been key in keeping officers and protest

organizers safe. "Our basic game plan is to allow people their voice. Most people contact us ahead of time and say, 'My group is coming to the police station on Saturday at midnight to protest something.' We'll talk about what the needs are for that particular group. If it's at night, they'll need lighting. Are they going to walk from one place to another? These are the issues we need to address to keep you safe and to make sure that everybody is orderly," Slusarz said, adding that the GPD routinely looks at how other departments are handling both good and bad situations so they can be prepared. "Our mandate is to let the people have their event and speak what's on their minds, and to

keep it from becoming a riot." pretty straightforward and open protests in town. The police chief All off icers are trained in about our record and how we [James Heavey] and I have been

"You can have it all kind of come on top of you in one shot, so you have to be prepared," said Greenwich Emergency Management Department director, Dan Warzoha. crowd and riot control, Slusarz said. "We're trained and we're equipped, and we can handle that. Fortunately, people that are coming here recognize that the Greenwich Police Department isn't the enemy. We've been

Ed itor ia l: Th is Su nday, June 21st, is Father’s Day, the annual “celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society.” See page 6 Letters to the Editor: thank you notes, and letter from Fred Camillo, Icy Frantz and Michael Mason as well as others. See page 6 & 7 Local calendar of events. See page 8 & 9 Obituaries. See Pages 10 & 11 On Faith by Terry Elsberry. A surprising prayer. " I’ve seen a lot in my years as an American—and a patriotic one at that." See Page 12 On Faith by Marek Zabriskie: A generalization can be made that liberal m a i n l i ne chu r che s h ave focused on social justice and outreach while evangelical churches have focused on personal salvation. See Page 13 On Faith by Andrew Williams: The fundamental reason for loving our neighbor is not simply because God commands us to love them. See Page 13 Worship Services & Events Calendar. Page 12 & 13 Wildly Successful: The Bald Eagle - Jim Knox See Page 19 M a m a To l d M e T h e r e Would be Days Like This Dr. Robert Fucigna, M.D. How do you stop your glasses from fogging when wearing a mask, and how children look up their parents and want to act like them. Page 2 Finding Positivity Amidst a Crisis - Bob Arnold Page 15 How the Coronavirus if Reshaping the Real Estate Market - Mark Pruner There are significant rises in sales of houses on larger lots, like after the Great Recession, and rentals may be returning to the early 20th century standard. Page 19 Puzzles Pages 19/20 Editorial on Father's Day Page 6

in direct contact with each event. They're trained to do that, that's their schtick, and my job is to provide logistical support. If the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was needed for an event,

See EMERGENCY page 4

CCI’s Virtual Walk-A-Thon Unites Community

The Hyatt has beg un implementing layoffs and restructuring roles across its global corporate functions, as of June 1, 2020. These actions will impact around 1, 300 people around the world and 151 here. See Page 5 Greenwich Library will take the first step toward establishment of in-person services by launching NoContact Pick Up of Library materials by appointment on June 15. See page 4

conduct business," Slusarz said. T h e t o w n' s E m e r g e n c y Management Department plays a secondary role to the GPD during protests, said department director, Dan Warzoha. "[Protests] are clearly in their venue, and we've had some small

By Campbell Coughlin

Master Bespoke Tailor Umberto Pitagoria in his store on Greenwich Avenue. Pitagoria has been making bespoke suits, shirts and trousers for over 50 years. Photo by Foster Steinbeck.

A Greenwich Tailor's Tale

Umberto Pitagora's quest to make the perfect suit after 50 years in business. By Foster Steinbeck After 50 years in the business, Master Bespoke Tailor Umberto Pitagora has no plans to retire. Why would you retire when you’re on a quest to make the perfect suit? “Painters never retire. They keep doing because they want to do something different. To me, it’s the same,” Pitagora said. “I want to reach perfection, which can never be done. Perfection doesn’t exist … but I want to [get] the closest I can.” Called the “Obi-wan Kenobi of Suit Making” by Men’s Fitness i n 2 01 7, P it a g o r a h a s b e e n creating bespoke suits — custommade suits built by taking over a dozen measurements from each of his clients, creating the exact outlines for the suit pieces and then creating the suit pieces so each of them f its together perfectly around clients — since opening his business in 1970. Despite being in business f i ve d e c a d e s a g o, P it a g o r a said working with clients still energizes him and that he has

no plans to stop making suits, b a r r i n g u n fo r e s e e n h e a lt h complications. For Pitagora, he is continually striving to learn how to create suits that are like a second skin for his clients, the art of weaving the client’s body shape and measurements in combination with their desires, accompanied by his sartorial advice. “No one knows everything about this trade. If somebody tells you he knows 100 percent of the business, it’s a lie,” Pitagora said. “You’re never finished.” Suits from scratch While suits can be ordered custom-made w ith some measurements f rom other tailoring stores, Pitagora creates suits from the ground up. No two of his suits are exactly alike, as he works with each client — often CEOs, doctors and lawyers — to make one or several suits to match their body. “There [are] no two bodies that [are] same, that’s what I can tell you,” Pitagora said. “Like [how] the brains are the same, but we all think different[ly].

The shape of the people, they are different.” He f i rst t a ke s ex tensive measurements and notes of the client’s body measurements, body shape, and personal wishes. He then designs each individual piece of clothing used to make the shirt, jacket and trousers — such as the shirt’s arms and the jacket’s lapel — using parchment paper outlines based on the client’s information. Pitagora then creates the pieces of the individual suit using the parchment outlines with the fabric and other details he and the client have agreed on. Clients have an extreme level of customization with their suits, with Pitagora saying everything, from the placement of the shirt’s buttons to the shape and size of the lapel, is customizable. “My motto is ‘the customer is always right,” Pitagora said, pausing with a smile, “with my approval.’” Pitagora estimated each suit takes around 50 man-hours to create. After all the pieces are

See TAILOR page 4

O n S a t u r d a y, J u n e 6 t h , Community Centers Inc. (CCI) held its first Virtual Walk-a-thon. The original goal of the Walka-thon was to raise $6,500 (for CCI’s 65th anniversary). Thanks to the commitment of people in the Greenwich community, CCI quickly doubled that goal. C o m mu n i t y C e nt e r s I n c . (CCI) is a small non-profit based in Greenwich. CCI was founded in 1955 in order to bring together the community centers of Greenwich (previously funded by the United Way) under one board. Since then, CCI has strived to help their clients “build skills that empower [them] to overcome educational, social, and economic barriers.” Their programs are focused on people of all ages, and range from classes and homework help to community building events and therapeutic programs. In light of the Coronavirus pandemic, CCI has been delivering groceries, supplies, and premade meals to families and elderly members of the Greenwich community, feeding more than 170 families twice a week. CCI w ill continue these programs with the money raised from the Virtual Walk-a-thon. CCI’s Executive Director, Gaby R at t n e r, u n d e r s t a n d s t h e s e services are vital to the wellbeing of the Greenwich community. “We know that we’re needed by our clients, and that means a lot to us and we work very hard to meet their needs, especially now” said Rattner. “We know this walk took place in a larger context, and it’s important to acknowledge the people we serve.” The mastermind behind the Virtual Walk-a-thon was Nick Barile, a board member at CCI. “[We knew] that several of our events were going to get cancelled

this year,” said Barile, referring to social distancing regulations, “and so I was thinking ‘maybe I’ll do a solo walk, and have people come and pledge X amount of dollars per mile that I do.’” From there, he called Rattner and asked for her input. As they discussed the event, R attner suggested that they get all of the CCI board members and the lo c a l Gr e enw ich com mu n it y to par ticipate in the Walk-athon. “What I loved about this when Nick f irst proposed this to me [is that] this is really, truly something that you can do anywhere, and really help to make a huge difference on your own terms” said Rattner, thrilled at the opportunity to bring the community together, regardless of distance. On Saturday, that opportunity became a reality when CCI board members, Greenwich residents, and elected officials walked all across Greenwich. They could be found any where from Cos Cob park to Tod’s Point. None of this would have been possible w it hout t he suppor t of t hei r sponsors, who pledged donations and cheered on walkers from a l l c o r n e r s o f t h e c o u n t r y. “I p ersona l ly have sp on sors from Manhattan, sponsors from Westport, sponsors from California, and sponsors from Westchester” Said Rattner, who walked three miles on Saturday. As of Wednesday, June 17, CCI raised $15,000, exceeding their original goal by more than $9,000. Rattner’s said, “we’re grateful for the support and the recognition that certainly the wa l kers have a f forded CCI... we’re enormously grateful for the financial support, and I just think it’s great that people really loved the idea and wanted to be part of it.”

Changes You Need to Know at Holly Hill Permit fees, tipping fees, food waste & composting programs

By Zilana Lee In recent weeks, many Greenwich residents have found themselves spending a great deal of time at home observing precautionary measures for the pandemic. Some have taken the opportunity to do some spring cleaning, clearing out attics and garages, and finding themselves taking trips to the Holly Hill waste disposal and recycling facility. Various changes to the facility have been implemented amid COVID-19, such as new traffic patterns and a requirement to wear a mask. In addition, other changes are about to come into effect regarding fees and a new food scrap recycling program. On May 11, the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) revised Chapter 9, Section 5 of the Town Code in regard to Waste Collection and Disposal. As of July 1, 2020, residents w ill be required to obtain a new permit costing $25 per household in order to drop off acceptable solid waste at the Town disposal area. The permit application can be accessed on the Town of Greenwich P u blic Work s website (https://w w w. greenwichct.gov/265/ Waste-Disposal-

Recycling). No permits will be issued at Holly Hill. In addition, other fees have been implemented for the disposal of solid waste by licensed waste collectors who have to pay a tipping fee on each ton of acceptable solid waste. These amendments to the section will expire on October 31, 2021 unless extended by the RTM. The town has also taken a step forward towa rds becom ing more susta ina bly responsible by participating in the Food Scrap Recycling pilot program beginning Monday. This program is being launched in partnership with Waste Free Greenwich, Greenwich Recycling Advisory Board, and Greenwich Green & Clean. The drop off program will be voluntary and free to a ll residents. The m ission beh ind this initiative is to turn food scraps into nutrient rich compost, increase awareness about the benefits of food composting, and change food waste habits. Residents can collect food scraps at home in a container and bring them to the Food Scrap Recycling drop-off site at Holly Hill. From the facility, the material will be sent to a commercial composting facility.

A permit like this one will be required beginning July 1 at the dump. You can apply for yours at www.GreenwichCT.gov online.

Acceptable food scraps for disposal at the drop-off site include meat and poultry, dair y, eg gshells, cof fee g rounds, and leftover, spoiled, and expired food. For the full list of what you can dispose, go to https://www.wastefreegreenwich. org/rot. In addition to the new fees and Food Scrap Recycling Program, there have been changes to programming. Household Hazardous Waste Day, which takes place annually in the spring and was previously scheduled to take place on May 2, 2020 in the Island Beach Parking Lot at Arch Street has been postponed. A new date will be posted to the Town of Greenwich website. A l s o, t he B o ok Sw ap pr o g ra m i s temporarily on hold, but residents may recycle books per recycling guidelines if needed. Holly Hill Facility is located at 4 Holly Hill Lane behind the CVS on West Putnam Road and continues its normal operation hours: M-F 7:00 AM – 2:30 PM and Sat 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM. To prevent traffic, the facility strongly recommends going on weekdays.

Page 2 | Greenwich Sentinel

SUMMER STAND OPEN FOR THE SEASON FROM THE FIEL H S E D FR

HEALTH NEWS

Hospital Building New Unit to Combat Infectious Disease By Anne White Greenw ich Hospital has received an anonymous donation to e s t a b l i sh up to a 3 0 -b e d , dedicated, state-of-the-art unit for patients with COVID-19 or other infectious diseases. According to the hospital, the new unit will geographically group patients with COVID-19 to minimize infection transmission to staff and other patients in the hospital. T h e C OV I D - 1 9 U n i t w i l l include designated spaces where staff will keep personal protective equipment (PPE), allowing them to carefully put on and remove protective gear, including isolation gowns, gloves, N95 respirators, face shields, or positive pressure protective suits that include a powered air-purifying respirator, also known as PAPR suits. The hooded PAPR suit with

ESCAROLE

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built-in face shield uses a portable battery-powered blower to draw air throug h a f ilter. It allows the caregiver to breathe more naturally while feeling a constant airf low. The single-unit PAPR c om bi ne s r e spi rator y, he ad , eye and face protection and can be customized for many work environments. R e c o g n i z i n g t h e unprecedented challenges Greenw ich Hospital f rontline workers face during the COVID-19 pandemic, the anonymous donors looked to impactful, forwardthinking solutions. Commenting on their decision to support Greenwich Hospital these generous donors said in a statement, “The protection and wellness of the front-line staff and their families is key to successful patient care and to the safety of the broader population of patients a nd ca reg ivers at Greenw ich

Hospital. We hope this gift helps our greater community for many years.” The anonymous gift will be used for the construction of the specialized and isolated changing spaces for staff working in the COVID-19 dedicated unit as well as purchase of specialty PAPR suits and supplies. Construction of the new, dedicated u n it is anticipated to begin as soon as possible as a top priority for the hospital. “ D u r i n g t h e m a ny we e k s of caring for patients w ith c o r o n a v i r u s , o u r f r o n t- l i n e caregivers gained insight into opportunities for eff icient and sustainable room desig n and infection protection. "The resources provided by this gift will assure continued safety, comfort and protection,” said Norman Roth, President & CEO of Greenwich Hospital.

Mama Told Me There Would Be Days Like This! By Dr. Robert Fucigna, M.D kids want to put on a mask! They another layer or membrane of

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Mama told me "sit up straight, breathe in, and wash your hands!" I know it sounds silly but today we have to listen to what mama said. If we all wash our hands every day, frequently, maybe even every hour, even when you're at home, we can win! It's such a good habit; brush your teeth, make your bed, all good habits - but the most important new habit is, cover your face! I mean your nose and mouth. I say, we can help more people in our little tiny town by wearing a mask and really that's what it's all about. Currently in Asia you can pick up funny masks, you can pick up surgical masks, (with the blue on the outside) you can even put a clown nose on your mask. But the most interesting thing I have found is how much the

want to be like mom and dad, they 'wanna' wear a mask when they see grandma. They want to teach us all a little lesson. I was on the beach watching a dad run after his grandchild's mask which f lew off, titillating the waves. Charlie wanted that mask badly! Grandpops had a lot of reasons to get the mask but mostly because little Charlie wanted to wear it!!! And be like his granddad. Really, it's so easy to be a good role model, I mean all I have to do is wash my hands and wear a mask. Sure makes it a lot better. So, how do I stop the fogging up of my glasses? Well, I've seen a lot of stuff out there on the web, some people want to wash with soap and leave the soap on, some people have anti-fog cloths like they use when they go skiing. Which, by the way, is just placing

solution on the surface. They help somewhat! But if I can get a good tight fit around my nose and leave room on the side by my cheeks for my breath to go out, I think I might reduce that fog. Or, we can use tape to tack down the top near the bridge of our nose, so we don't fog up. Maybe a little tape around the bridge might help, and to have some air come out the side of your cheeks helps too. We will find an answer eventually. So, remember what mama said, there would be days like this. Wash your hands. And cover your mouth with a mask. Next time - how to safely bring fireworks into the social distancing scene (hint -polycarbonate safety eyeglasses). Sent from my eye phone! Dr. Fucigna can be reached at (203) 348-7575.

RMA Zoom Event

Discussing Academic Health Systems. The Retired Men’s Association of Greenwich, Inc. (RMA) will present a Zoom talk with Dr. Ed Miller discussing: “Academic Health Systems and Their Role in Providing Health Care.” The program will take place on Wednesday, June 24 at 11 a.m. Preregistration is required, contact info@greenwichrma.org Economic and efficiency forces drove hospitals to affiliate with one another during the past 35 years. Such affiliations can provide medical educational functions, economies of scale and negotiation, and voluntary referral patterns. Academic healthcare systems are only one way that hospitals have chosen to affiliate with one another. They are associations of hospital

and clinics centering around a large tertiary care hospital and medical school, such as Johns Hopkins, C o lu m b i a , a n d C o r n e l l . O u r community hospital, Greenwich Hospital, participates in this type of association by being a member of the Yale New Haven Healthcare system. Miller will discuss the merits of academic health care systems and their role in providing health care. Fruitful as these affiliations are, their bonds have also been tested during unanticipated emergencies such as the current corona virus pandemic. Miller attended college at Ohio Wesleyan, medical school at the University of Rochester, trained in anesthesiology and physiology at

Harvard Medical School and the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, and worked for 11 years at the University of Virginia hospital, including running their Surgical ICU. He has published over 150 research papers on anesthesia, became professor and chairman of the department of anesthesiology at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University and then at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and served as the Dean of the Medical Faculty of Johns Hopkins Medical School and Chief Executive Officer of the Medical School and the Johns Hopkins Hospital for 15 years. Having presided over an outstanding healthcare system, he is well equipped to explain and evaluate it.

Free Infrared Thermometers The State of Connecticut will be distributing 50,000 infrared thermometers it has secured for small businesses, nonprof its,

and places of worship to support safe reopening activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Entities t hat wou ld l i ke to r e q ue st a

thermometer can fill out the forms located at ct.gov/coronavirus in the “Access to Personal Protective Equipment” section.

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First Bank of Greenwich Community Corner GEMS, There for the Community By Richard Kaufman For Tracy Schietinger, Executive D i r e c tor of G r e e nw ich Eme r ge nc y Medical Services (GEMS), helping people and positively impacting the community is a passion. Schietinger has been working in the EMS field for 29 years, and she's been with GEMS for 14, serving as the nonprofit organization's leader since 2017. "I love being able to work with people and being able to make a difference in someone's life, whether that's a patient or a co-worker. I like to be a part of a team that makes a difference. I can't see myself doing something else. It fulf ills me," Schietinger said. But for GEMS, it's not just all about

patient quickly. "We support the community and this community supports us more than any other town I've worked in. It's great to have that give and take," Schietinger said. O ve r t he l a s t few mont h s , t h at c om mu n it y supp or t for GE M S h a s been amplified due to the coronavirus pandemic. Schietinger said the support show n to her staf f throug h food donations, cards, and warm wishes has been heartwarming. "The support means the community knows what we're doing. They appreciate it, and we appreciate them," Schietinger said. Working during the pandemic has certainly been difficult, as GEMS has had to navigate the complexities of providing

"It's a small town community bank that's very supportive of the needs, especially of nonprofits in town. It's great to work with them," she said. FBOG Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager, Amy Huertas; GEMS Executive Director, Tracy Schietinger; Retail Banking Manager, Emily Newcamp. (Richard Kaufman photo) being there for people when they're most vulnerable, sick and scared. It's about community outreach. A lon g w it h e me r ge nc y me d ic a l r e sp on s e , GEM S pr ov ide s me d ic a l standby for town events, and CPR and first aid training for residents, including every single student in sixth, eighth, tenth and twelfth grade. Through it's High School Explorer Program, which is for students between the ages of 14-18 who have a common interest in emergency medicine and their community, GEMS provides services like ambulance tours, education for younger children, and blood pressure screenings. The explorers also work with the elderly in town to complete a "File of Life" kit. The free kit consists of a refrigerator magnet with an attached red plastic pocket holding a card on which residents ca n record v ita l in for mation a bout medical conditions, medications, and emergency contact names and phone numbers, so if emergency personnel are called, they can identify details about the

adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to staff. "At the very beginning of March, we were fine. Once we started to run into problems, it became extremely stressful on the staff because they were concerned a b out p o te nt i a l l y g e t t i n g i n fe c te d and bringing it home to their family,"

Greenwich EMS did,” Schietinger said, adding that GEMS will use the pandemic as a lesson going forward. Prior to the coronavirus, GEMS was already working on building a relationship with the First Bank of Greenwich. The

Schietinger said, noting that GEMS still can't procure N95 masks. GEMS was able to purchase a different kind of full-face respirator for its staff. Schietinger said GEMS was "unwavering" in their commitment to ser ving the residents of Greenwich through tough times. "In EMS, we're trained to adapt and overcome, and that's exactly what

pandemic helped foster that relationship as GEMS looked to enroll in the Payroll Protection Program (PPP). "We appreciate all their help that they gave to us during this time. They helped us tremendously when I don't think a bigger bank would. They treated us as if we truly mattered. That meant a lot to myself and the director of finance," Schietinger said.

GEMS is also enrolled in the bank's Charitable Checking Program. The program is simple and easy. If you're a member of the bank, and a nonprofit organization you support is part of the program, your checking account balances, along with other supporter balances, are used to calculate quarterly bank donations to that organization. All donations come directly from the FBOG, and no monies are withdrawn f r om t h e n onp r o f it or s upp or te r s' accounts. The bank will make quarterly monetary donations to each organization enrolled. "As a nonprof it in town, all of our capital items -- our ambulances and the equipment inside of them -- 100 percent of that is purchased through donations. So that type of relationship through charitable checking will help us continue to purchase all of our capital items. They're looking to help us, and we're looking to help the community," Schietinger said. A my Huertas, Assistant Vice

President & Branch Manager at FBOG, has worked closely with GEMS. "It's great how their services are free. They're part of a lot of local events that happen here in town," Huertas said. "The Charitable Checking Program is perfect for them. Just by having their operating account with us, they get a percentage of what they have on deposit quarterly. If their supporters bank with us, they also get a portion of their deposits as donations as well. It's great for them." Schietinger is conf ident the relationship with FBOG will be a long one. "It's a small town community bank that's very supportive of the needs, especially of nonprofits in town. It's great to work with them," she said. It's because of the support from the community and from the FBOG that makes Schietinger proud to work in a town like Greenwich. "It's so heartwarming to say that I work in a town that cares," she said. "I don't live in town, but I want to work here. I feel that this is my home."

Chitra Ramcharandas, A Talent for Artful Giving By Anne W. Semmes Greenwich’s Chitra Ramcharandas has a distinctive way of creating jewelry and colorful paintings. So, when the pandemic arrived, she was in her element - inside. It was thus a treat to visit her to see what she had been creating. But one must first traverse her extraordinary garden of colorful flowers - a hint of what was to come in her work studio. “I’m like a painter with a palette,” she says with a warm smile, laying out a tray of her necklaces, colorful strings of rock crystal, rose quartz, amber, aquamarine, and topaz. Necklaces often with intriguing pendants. “They have a variety of talismans,” she says pointing to one necklace full of pendants. Another has a single Tibetan agate pendant - and what’s that old coin on the citrine bead necklace? “That’s a Charminar coin,” she says, depicting a landmark monument in her hometown of Hyderabad, India. In Hyderabad, she told, families have their own goldsmiths they use for generations. “The family will make a design and give it to their goldsmith to make. They might provide a pendant they want gems to be added to.” She tells of her late mother’s often worn diamond earrings, the diamonds she asked her goldsmith to place in a pendant. She tells of the bead stringers that sold

beads in the Hyderabad markets – “They had big trays of pendants.” In the 13 years Chitra has been making jewelry – she is a widow now with a son living in California, she shops for beads online at eBay, and goes to gemstone shows and antique shops. There are those visits home to Hyderabad, and in the past to a favorite shopping area on Portabello Road in London. She sells her necklaces from $80 to $200 but is not busily marketing them. “I do it for the sheer joy,” she says. But she does have a booth in an antique center on Cape Cod where she and her sister have a timeshare. Her painting life started in elementary school. “I’m a colorist,” she says, “and that translates to jewelry making.” In this pandemic she gravitated more to painting, she says, producing a number of 8x10 mixed media collage paintings ($75 each), and a few large size paintings, to the extent she is running out of storage space. So, a fine idea came to her of Artful Giving, to sell her paintings with 90 percent of the proceeds to go to the buyer’s favorite charity. “I’d like to incentivize people to give,” she says. She tells of having donated her paintings to nonprofits, including the Laurel House in Stamford. And it is there at Laurel House that Chitra donates her time as a volunteer, teaching art therapy to the mentally ill. Chitra herself is surely incentivized.

Chitra Ramcharandas displays some of her colorful necklace creations and mixed media collages. Photo by Anne W. Semmes.

LOCAL NEWS

Page 4 | Greenwich Sentinel

Oasis Worthy Furniture on Sale

By Zilana Lee

If you are looking to revamp your patio with new furniture this summer, head over to the Greenwich Exchange for Women’s Work, a non-profit organization that supports artisans-consignors. The Greenwich Exchange offers vintage, home-made, and handcrafted items including linens, children’s clothing, antiques and

collectibles, and holiday gifts. Enter through the shop and step outside to the lovely garden courtyard where there is an array of vintage restored furniture and pieces from Brown Jordan including t a ble s , cha i r s , a nd pla nter s. Customers who buy a $750 of garden furniture will receive $100 off; this offer lasts until June 30. The Gre enw ich E xcha nge located at 28 Sherwood Place has

been open since 1935. The founders of the Exchanges set out to provide a shop where women in need could earn money by consigning their home-made items to the Exchanges shop. As you enter the shop, there a re g loves, mask s, a nd ha nd sanitizer available for customer use. Greenwich Exchange is operating at normal hours: M-F 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM and Sat 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.

Celebratory Ribbon Cutting of the New Townhouses at Armstrong Court. Photo by Bob Capazzo

HATG's New Armstrong Court By Anne White

Sampling from top left: Tall white planter; Semi-circular tall planter; Brown Jordan sled chairs white and navy; Woodard vintage wrought iron tea cart restored powder coated finish with new glass and tires; Antique white Victorian bench; Vintage Mid-Century Modern Circular umbrella table with four matching chairs.

WE REPAIR WHAT YOUR HUSBAND FIXED

The ribbon cutting ceremony officially marked the completion of the first phase of Armstrong Court's transformation to modern housing by the Housing Authority of the Town of Greenwich (HATG). There are 18 new construction tow n houses contained in 6 buildings representing Phase 1 of the overall Armstrong Court redevelopment project. While the Housing Authority is part of the town government and the members of its Board of Commissioners are appointed by the Board of Selectmen, the Hou s i n g Aut h or it y op e r ate s independently. The responsibility for the f inancing falls on the Housing Authority, not the town government. The ex ist i ng bu i ld i ng s at Armstrong Court were originally constructed in 1951 as a 144-unit family development contained in six buildings. With the addition of 18 new units in the first phase and rehabilitation of the buildings, the total redevelopment will result in 150 units, an increase of 6 units. Town and state officials were among the 100+ attendees. "This is a transformative step toward the future of affordable housing for the Town of Greenwich, helping residents to shape their lives productively and create new beginnings," said Anthony Johnson, Executive Director of the Housing Authority. "We are committed to providing the opportunity to live in quality, affordable housing through fiscally responsible asset management of our resources, and these 18 units are an exceptional example of our capabilities." Local officials in attendance included the First Selectmen Fred Camillo, Second Selectman Lauren Rabin, and Selectman Jill Oberlander; State Sen. Alex Kasser, State Reps. Livvy Floren, Stephen Meskers, and Harry Arora; Former F i rst S elec t ma n Peter Tesei, Former Selectman Drew Marzullo and State Sen. candidate Ryan Fazio. Mem b er s of t he B o a r d of Estimate & Taxation in attendance included Chairman Michael Mason, Leslie Moriarity, and Miriam Kreuzer and were joined by Board of Education Member and State Rep. candidate Joe Kelly. Several members of the RTM wer e pr e s ent , i nclud i ng t wo recognized by Sam Romeo: Linda Moshier and Irene Dietrich. Camillo praised the project leaders saying, "Greenwich is a wonderful community, and it is very diverse. It is expensive to live here, so affordable housing is crucial to our community, but it

also critical that we get it done right. Sam, Tony, and the Commissioners have done it right.” As for the new townhouses themselves, Camillo called them "a point of pride for not only the Town, but here in Chickahominy. Keep doing what you are doing; you’ve got a lot of support." The Commissioner of Housing from the State of Connecticut, Seila Mosquera-Bruno, congratulated the Housing Authority's efforts and promised future support: " The Depa r tment of Housing invested $3.4M in these homes; and will continue supporting your development efforts. We have funded phase II and III, so that you can continue your work, we don't want you to stop. MosqueraBruno recognized the need in the community; 'We need more homes like these, affordable to families. We all know how difficult it is to build homes with affordable rents, especially in Fairf ield County; however, the completion of phase one shows that it can be achieved." A considerable amount of support from the State of CT, CHFA, and DOH was also cited by Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) CEO Nandini Natarajan who said, "Armstrong Court is a significant investment for CHFA. In the first 3 phases, CHFA is investing more than $16 million in Tax-Exempt Bonds. However, we are not alone in our investments. CHFA is one member of a strong financial partnership assembled by the Housing Authority of the Town of Greenwich. Our partners at DOH are also making a significant investment (of $12.2 million) along with Enterprise, the tax credit syndicator, who purchased the Low Income Housing Tax Credits (of $18.1 million in federal 4% and 9% LIHTCs). In addition, there are other private investors, and Eversource, that purchased state tax credits and provided energy rebates." The new unit mix includes six two-bedroom units and 12 threebedroom units, with 1 ½ bathrooms in each. The units were constructed on previous underdeveloped land and under Energy Star standards with energy efficiency features. The first 18 units will serve as replacement housi ng to ease the relocation and rehabilitation logistics of the second phase. Phase 2 will include the gut rehabilitation of Buildings #1, 3, and 6, expected to begin in late summer. Each construction phase is slated to take 12 months. Residents will be shifted within the complex while the units are gutted and rehabilitated. After each phase of construction is complete, residents are moved into the newly

refurbished units. The next phases of the redevelopment project will combine the current one-bedroom and two-bedroom units to produce more th ree-bedroom, t wobathroom units. Sa m Romeo, Cha i r ma n of the H ATG Board, said, “This represents the future of the HATG, with plans to build nearly 300 units, increasing affordable housing in Greenwich. This is important for everyone, making Greenwich a more attractive place to build and to thrive in our neighborhoods. We are moving forward into a very bright future. I thank everyone who helped us along the way.” The Housing Author it y of the Town of Greenwich was the developer of the new construction. Charles E. McDonald served as the architect with A. Vitti Excavators as General Contractor. HATG will serve as Property Manager, as it has considerable experience in managing affordable housing. "The Housing Authority of the Town of Greenwich, unlike most housing authorities, directs and controls its projects without the need for a private development partner. This is possible because of the strength and expertise of our team," explained Johnson. The Town has also invested in the Greenw ich Pool a nd rejuvenation of By ra m Pa rk , which is nearby. Through Family Centers, the Armstrong Court Preschool offers School Readiness classes for income-eligible families with children ages 3-5 years. The preschool also houses the Greenwich Head Start Program. Both are sponsored by HATG. The Housing Author it y of the Town of Greenwich defines it mission more broadly than the conventional notion of brick and mortar. They also encourage a sense of community, purpose, and personal growth, helping residents to shape their lives productively. Work i ng i n u n iq ue collaborative partnerships that tap a mu ltitude of resou rces available within the Greenwich community and from state and federal organizations, the Housing Authority has implemented a broad-based group of support services to strengthen family life, foster stable home environments, drug-free living, independence, and self-sufficiency. There a re 8 37 u n its i n 1 5 pr op er t ie s u nder t he H AT G , including home-ow nership condominiums, scattered-site housing, various developments, a nd Pa r s on age Cot t age . T he Housing Authority also administers 343 families through the Section 8 Program. Total residents served through all programs is 2,574.

CT Moves to Phase 2 of Reopening On this past Wednesday, June 17th, Connecticut • Indoor recreation (e.g. bowling, movie will moved into Phase 2 of its reopening plans, eligible theaters, etc.) business will need to self-certify with the state online • Libraries before opening. Eligible businesses include: • Outdoor events • Amusement parks • Personal services (e.g. nail salons, tattoo • Hotels parlors, etc.) • Indoor dining • Sports and fitness facilities (e.g. gyms, • Indoor museums, zoos, and aquariums fitness centers, pools, etc.)

Summer at the Library Complete Home Repairs Maintenance Honey-do Lists Real estate get-readys Aging in place RELAX WE ’ VE GOT THIS

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Greenwich Library will take the first step toward establishment of in-person services by launching NoContact Pick Up of Library materials by appointment on June 15. “The safety of our patrons and staff is our top priority, so we have planned the logistics of this service very carefully and deliberately in consultation with the Library Board of Trustees, Town officials, and other Fairfield County libraries,” said Barbara Ormerod-Glynn, Greenwich Library Director. “We have missed seeing everyone at the Library over the last few months, and although the Library closed its doors in March, staff has continued to purchase new books. They are now focused on getting nearly 2,000 items ready for you to check out, starting on June 15.” As of Monday, patrons could

place holds on books and materials in the Library catalog using the same process as in the past. Once holds are ready, an email notification is sent with a link to a form to choose the date and time for pick up. When you arrive at the Library at your selected hour for pick up, you stay in your car, call the appropriate location phone number, and wait for staff instructions. Staff will place items on a cart by the Library’s front doors. The numbers to call are: Main Library: (203) 625-6505; Byram Shubert Library: (203) 531-0426; Cos Cob Library: (203) 622-6883. Pick up is available at the Main Library Monday-Thursday 107, Friday and Saturday 10-4. Pick is available at the Byram Shubert Library Monday-Wednesday 10-4, Thursday 12-7, Friday and Saturday 10-4. Pick up is available at the Cos

Cob Library Monday 12-7, TuesdaySaturday 10-4. For your safety, please be sure to observe all social distancing rules during pick up. Staff are taking extensive safety precautions when they locate and prepare items for pick up. Library Book Drops at the Main Library, Byram Shubert, and Cos Cob are also open. All due dates have been extended until July 1. All returned items will be held in quarantine for three days before being placed back on shelves. The buildings remain closed to the public. The Library team is available to help you access collections, virtual programs, and services. Visit our website greenwichlibrary.org for more information or call (203) 6227900 to reach a librarian.

EMERGENCY From Page 1

we'd set that up, and provide any situational awareness that's needed," Warzoha said, adding that the town would be in touch with state officials. The Emergency Management Department's primary role is to coordinate the emergency r e sp on s e pla n s a mong t he town's f irst responders and other organizations, like the Red Cross and Greenwich Hospital. Those outlets play key roles in responding to incidents of mass casualty, bioterrorism, or disaster, stemming from events

like storms. Hurricane Season officially began on June 1, and will run through Nov. 30, and according to Zach Krauss of SWCTweather. com, we’re already off to an active start. “The 2020 hurricane season has already started by breaking the record of the most named storms (3) by June 15, and this is a premonition of the season to come. Most sig ns lean towards an active hurricane season,” Krauss said, noting a b ove average se a su r face temperatures, with no El Nino cond it ions ex p e c te d, we a k tropical Atlantic trade winds, and a strong West African monsoon. “That being said, I do not

LOCAL NEWS think there are any indicators of an above normal chance of one of these storms making it up to Connecticut. However, with such an active season, our sample size of storms increases and thus our chance of seeing one up here increases.” Warzoha said that beginning i n l a t e Fe b r u a r y, h e w a s warned about an active storm season, and it's something he is continually monitoring. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Warzoha said the town has had to prepare how to implement a storm response in this new world, specifically how it relates to shelter facilities. Greenwich has a flowing plan for town officials, first responders,

and residents leading up to, during, and after a storm. "We're really concerned about the challenges that if we had to shelter, given the COVID-19 pandemic, how do you shelter and social distance?" Warzoha said. "Not only as a town, but as one of the 14 towns in Southwest Connecticut in what's k now n as Reg ion 1, we've been working on this aggressively, as well as the St ate O f f ice of Emer genc y Management. Nobody's sitting back on their laurels saying, 'Oh, we had a pandemic, we're not going to get hit with a storm.' That's not wise thinking." Warzoha added that the town needs to think about how

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to juggle recovery from the pandemic, a possible second surge of the coronavirus, the regular flu season, and a possible bad storm season. "You can have it all kind of come on top of you in one shot, so you have to be prepared," he said. The planning and monitoring process is ongoing. "The town has the facilities and the resources as far as personnel and experience to tackle these kinds of events. We're going to do that," he said. "We've got more than enough storm experience, and we've got to be able to modify that experience into some sheltering challenges. We've already met

PITAGORA From Page 1

created, Pitagora employs the help of other tailors to put the parts together. Dr. Vincenzo Castellano, who has worked with Pitagora to make a couple of suits, pants and shirts, said he appreciates Pitagora’s collaborative nature. Having shopped at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan and other luxury stores and brands, Castellano said he spends a c omp a ra b le a mou nt for at Pitagora’s business but receives a better suit. “Sometimes, w ith those compa n ie s, I fe el you're paying for the name. But with Umberto, you're paying for the exclusivity,” Castellano said, praising Pitagora’s mastery. Pitagora said the most rewarding part of his business is seeing the client’s satisfaction after everything has been put together, and he sees their reaction. “When the customer smiles wearing the suit, that’s what I need,” Pitagora said. “It’s a pleasure. That pleasure, it’s worth a lot.” Long-time customer Joseph Franceski f irst met Pitagora in 2010, and has since made over a dozen suits, spor t coats, t rousers, a nd sh i r ts with Pitagora. Franceski calls Pitagora “maestro” and the clothes “projects,” out of respect and appreciation of Pitagora’s skills. Franceski said his favorite part of producing projects with Pitagora is seeing the f inal product, complimenting the octagenarian’s unique taste and mastery. “It ’s a joy to work w it h him. He k nows what I like, we play off each other. It’s the old fashioned tailor customer experience, where you’re not buying something off a shelf,” Franceski said. “You’re creating

Master Bespoke Tailor Umberto Pitagora demonstrates how he irons shirts after making them from scratch, based on the client's unqiue body measurements and body shape. Photo by Foster Steinbeck

Umberto Pitagora shows a marked measurement form, used to record the numerous measurements and shape of the outlines required to make the suit. Photo by Foster Steinbeck.

s om e t h i n g , you’r e m a k i n g something.” Pitagora’s past Pitagora started working as an apprentice tailor in Nicastro, Italyf, during the early ’50s. At

14-years-old, Pitagora initially wanted to undertake a mechanic apprenticeship in a nearby town. However, with his family unable to afford the travel expenses and no plans for higher education,

Pitagora began his tailoring apprenticeship. W it h few opp or t u n it ie s in Italy, Pitagora came to the United States in the late sixties w it h d r e a m s o f s t a r t i n g a

Hyatt Lays Off 1,300; 151 People Locally By Anne White The Hyatt has begun implementing layoffs and restructuring roles across its global corporate functions, as of June 1, 2020. These actions will impact around 1,300 people around the world. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hyatt has taken numerous actions in an effort to meet cha l lenges the i ndustr y is faci ng including reductions of companywide expenditures, extended salary reductions for the Senior Leadership Team and Board of Directors, and temporary work and/or pay reductions for all corporate colleagues. "COVID-19 has thrown our industry into unknown territory," said Mark Hoplamazian, President and Chief E xe c ut ive O f f icer, Hyat t . " W h i le parting ways with our colleagues is excruciating, we must be sensitive to commercial realities so we can continue to fulfill our purpose of care over the long term - through this pandemic and for what lies beyond. Our goal is to emerge from this crisis with strength, and ultimately position our business and our world-class teams for when the hospitality industry rebounds and when our guests and customers once again choose Hyatt." Laid off Hyatt colleagues will be elig ible to receive severance pay, outplacement services, and benefits

commensurate with their years of ser v ice. Col leag ues ex per ienci ng pressing financial hardships may also seek financial support from the Hyatt Care Fund. I n a let ter to F i rst S ele c t ma n Fred Camillo, Sherry Hicks-Buckles, General Manager of the Hyatt Regency G r e e n w i c h s a i d " T h e C OV I D -1 9 pandemic initially prompted numerous r e st r ic t ion s on t ravel a nd g r oup meetings that resulted in a drop in our business. As a business that caters to global travelers and hosts large events a rou nd the world, th is pa ndem ic impacts us immensely. Due to this crisis, employees at the Hotel have been impacted by temporary furloughs, beginning on 3/22/20. " We w e r e h o p e f u l t h a t t h e restrictions and associated loss in revenue would be temporary. "Since that time, it has recently b e come appa r ent t hat t her e w i l l b e lon ge r-te r m r eve nue i mp ac t s as a result of the continued spread of the virus, extensions of various government-mandated “shelter-inplace” and “mass gathering” orders, cancellation of conferences and events, and significant decline in travel, all of which have resulted in the sudden and unexpected effective shutdown of much of our business. "While there are encouraging signs that our economy can begin to reopen

in some areas, it has now become clear that the demand for travel, events, and hospitality ser vices will take substantially longer to resume than previously anticipated. With likely on-going social distancing until a reliable COVID-19 vaccine or treatment becomes available, we cannot predict when our way of doing business will return to “normal.” "With such a significant reduction in our business in a rapidly evolving situation, we have to make painful choice s t hat wou ld have se eme d unthinkable just a short time ago. The reality is we need to take further action to support the long-term operation of the company in a completely new operating environment. We i n i t i a l l y a n t i c i p a t e d t h a t employee furloughs at the Hotel would be temporary. Due to the sudden, dramatic, and unforeseeable additional i mp a c t o f t h i s p a n d e m i c o n o u r business that is outside of our control, unfortunately, we must now plan for extended layoffs that may exceed 6 months. "While our hope remains that some or all of these layoffs will be temporary and last less than 6 months, we must prepare for longer-term employment losses. This is a partial closure; not all employees at the Hotel will be impacted."

tailoring store. Haas Tailoring, an American company, financed his trip abroad in exchange for his labor in their production factory in Baltimore. Pitagora said his inability to

with the Red Cross in regards to that, a nd we're goi ng to keep meeting with them as to how we staff and manage our sheltering set ups in a pandemic environment." Residents are encouraged to check out the "Ready Guide" on the town website, under E m e r ge nc y P r ep a r e d ne s s . The guide outlines almost any weather, natural disaster or terrorist-related situation, with useful tips, checklists, guidelines for household emergency plans and important phone numbers and contact information. On the website, there is also the f u l l f low i ng pla n t he tow n follows during hurricanes and nor’easters. pronounce “H’s” caused much laughter when people asked where he worked during his first year in America. After a year in Baltimore, Pitagora moved to Darien, Conn. in 1968 to work at a friend’s tailor shop for two years. In 1970, Pitagora bought a retiring tailor’s store in Wilton, Conn., with all of its equipment for $5,000. He remained in that same store for 47 years, until relocated the business to Greenwich Avenue as it was closer to his home. Pitagora credits the business’s longev it y to the quality of the suits and his f inancial choices, saying he never took out a loan to fund the business. Thanks to the business’s success, Pitagora said he was able to fund his children’s’ college education fully. H o w e v e r, P i t a g o r a i s saddened by the fact bespoke tailoring is dying off, saying the trade isn’t financially viable until years of necessary training, near-insurmountable in this day and age. Custom Tailors & Designers Association president A lan Rouleau echoed similar thoughts on the future of the trade. “The trades have fallen by the wayside because people have b e c ome ver y u s e d to immediate gratif ication,” the Bespoke Tailor said. “We, as custom tailors, don’t draw the average p erson com i ng i n. Custom-made clothing is not for everybody.” P itagora sa id he has no immediate plans for the business in the future but is hoping for someone to inherit the store to keep the art of making bespoke suits alive. However, he knows the search will turn up fruitless. A time will come when I have to close, and that’s it,” Pitagora said. “I wish I found a young guy. I would give [this store] for free, just to keep it going.”

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PUBLISHER Beth@GreenwichSentinel.com Elizabeth Barhydt EDITORS & COPY EDITORS Editor@GreenwichSentinel.com Peter Barhydt, Daniel FitzPatrick, Caroll Melgar, Stapley Russell, Anne W. Semmes, Emma Barhydt

Father’s Day

Editorial Page Thank you Notes

Letter to Sentinel Foundation

Letter: Trees on Greenwich Ave

By Caitlyn Hone

By JoAnn Messina

I want to send out a thank you to the Greenwich Sentinel Newspaper and associates for granting me the Greenwich Sentinel Award. The award has only previously been given to amazing adults who h ave d e mon s t rate d le a d e r sh ip skills and go above and beyond in our community. I have always had a passion for helping out in my community and trying to make the lives of the people around me easier. Earning this award has reassured me that I'm going in the right direction and am having a positive impact on my community. Thank you, Caitlyn Hone

This Sunday, June 21st, is Father’s Day, the annual “celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society.” Time was when the active presence Letter to the GAF and participation of a father in a nuclear By Tammy Oliver family was the overwhelming norm, and I would like to express my sincerest gratitude for the graduation issue of the the concept of fatherhood – what it was and paper. As a parent, I saw all the things what was expected of it – was universally that my daughter was missing out on in her senior year of high school and how understood and followed, at least in the disappointed she was that she was unable attend all the staples of her senior year. I context of the particular culture in which it to really appreciate you going out you way to was experienced. Much has changed in the do something special for all the graduating seniors in Greenwich! intervening years, both for the good and bad, with the result that the roles of father and Letter to Sentinel Foundation By Nikki Walko fathering, and even the concept of family, are I would just like to thank you for even much more complicated, nuanced and less being considered for such an award. I have my life trying to do right by those universally understood and followed. Yet in spent around me and to have someone notice that the midst of this diversity, some fundamental is an honor in it of itself. I did the work with the rugby team not for myself, but those truths remain. who were to follow. I wanted to give girls a to do something different and stand Active, positive participation by a father chance out and for that work to be recognized and in the lives of his children, regardless of then rewarded is just an amazing feeling. I grew up in town and have played so many marital, residential or other circumstances, sports for both school and town leagues and would have never thought that rugby is can be a powerful force for good in their Iwhat would be noticed. So thank you for the physical, mental, emotional and character award, but more so for showing that if you work for something that you are passionate development. Its absence can make their about someone will notice. Thank you, Nikki Walko lives more difficult. Sons need fathers to show them how to be good men, and how to Letter

It is also true that the men and women who try their best to be good parents are truly heroes.

Appreciation of classZoom guests. By Alex Popp

The Greenwich Tree Conservancy applauds the Board of Selectmen and numerous depar tments w ithin Greenwich government for creating a pedestrian and outdoor dining area at the lower end of Greenwich Avenue. The Tree Conservancy partners with many of these departments including the town Tree Division of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Public Works and most recently the Planning and Zoning Commission. In addition to these departments, the Police and Fire Departments were also part of the planning effort to ensure a smooth and safe transition to a pedestrian mall. We are proud to be part of this initiative by gifting the town 15 Crape Myrtle trees that have been planted in planters along the Avenue and later will be planted along town roads. G r e e nw ich i s for t u n ate to h ave governmental of f icials who support t he Tree Conser vancy ’s m ission to plant, preserve and protect our urban forest which benef its our real estate values as well as our health and wellbeing. Projects such as greening town parking lots, labeling trees to create our Town Arboretum, plantings at schools for Arbor Day celebrations and our Treasured Trees program, assist in this mission. Let us continue to unite in future ef for ts to preser ve and en hance Greenwich’s urban forest. Fo r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , c o n t a c t JoAnn Messina at 203 622 7380 or at treeconserv@optonline.net by email. JoAnn Messina, Executive Director

We would like to thank all of the guests joining our daily “classZoom” meetings over the past two months during distance learning. Riverside School Principal Chris Weiss Assistant Principal Safiya Keys Riverside School Faculty Greenwich Time Reporter Jo Kroeker US Representative Jim Himes CT State Representative Steve Meskers GPS Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones First Selectman Fred Camillo Upper Crust Bagel Owner Rob Guerrieri CT Governor Ned Lamont EMS 6th Graders Ainsley, Faran, Carolina, and Beliz Poetry Guy Ted Scheu Burgers, Shakes & Fries Owner Kory Wollins BeeLove Beekeeper Ray DuBois COVID-19 Survivor Gabriel Cid We enjoyed asking questions about your experiences and local events and hearing your responses. We appreciate your stories, sharing a laugh, and helping start each day on a positive note.

To Fred Camillo & the GPD By Laurence and Michelle Allen Congratulations to First Selectman Fred Camillo, Police Chief James Heavey and CT State Representative Livvy Floren. O u r tow n's f i n e l e a d e r sh ip w a s demonstrated during the recent Floyd protests. Rarely have we seen a town's leaders meet in person with dozens of protesters to listen and discuss issues. We believe their courage prevented damage to our downtown stores and nearby residential neighborhoods. Thank you. Laurence and Michelle Allen

About SOMR, Connecting, and Positive Change By Icy Frantz On Monday June 9th, a clear majority of the RTM voted to approve the town budget. While one would think that a budget vote would consume most of the RTM’s time in that meeting, it did not. As a new member to the RTM, I had spent the weeks prior to the meeting learning about the budget, attending extra zoom discussions, engaging in conversations about the budget and I listened to and read emails from town residents about the SOMR (Sense of The Meeting Resolution). I am thankful to and appreciative of all of the parents, teachers and residents who took the time to call and email. I returned all calls and emails that were personal. I also want to thank the RTM members and members

of the BET and the BOE who took the time to talk with me about the SOMR and educate me; all of these discussions were incredibly helpful. We have a lot of amazing people in this town, volunteering a lot of their time for the betterment of our community. I had originally signed up to speak in favor of the SOMR, but at 12:30 am, after listening to many speakers in favor and against the SOMR, I had a change of heart. I realized that many of my discussions with concerned citizens focused on the budget freeze made by the BET. They focused on previous versions of the SOMR. A mended, the SOMR suggested that the BET act quickly in response to any appropriations requested by the superintendent. Historically this

treat the women in their lives appropriately, with dignity, respect and love. They are their first and most inf luential role model. Daughters look to their fathers for the kind of unconditional and supportive but not indulgent love that helps build their selfconfidence and healthy self-esteem, and to show them by example how good men behave Letter with the women they love or once loved, whether married, unmarried, separated or By Michael Mason divorced. Our community has been through a It is said that you do not have to be perfect crucible of sorts. We have seen a pandemic that to be a perfect parent. That is so very true. has forced the unprecedented closure of our economy, upset our day to day lives, curtailed It is also true that the men and women who our personal freedoms and closed our schools. neighbors and familiar faces have try their best to be good parents are truly Friends, lost their jobs. Personal income has suffered. Economic uncertainty is pervasive, and racial heroes. tensions have resulted in social unrest on a These days it seems like there are multiple scale unlike anything America has seen in generations. The last three months have been forces arrayed against the survival of the truly historic. Our Town has also seen a heated and nuclear family and the presence of an actively emotional debate over the Board of Education engaged male inf luence in the upbringing budget. Debates involving the schools are almost always contentious, to a degree. of children. There are and can be many Unfortunately, this one has devolved into a heated and negative discourse that has models for successfully incorporating that more included personal attacks on my Republican influence in the lives of their children, and BET colleagues; a disappointingly harsh use of social media to denigrate our neighbors with it is essential for the good of our society that differing opinions; and a well-organized public effort to shame anyone who supported our we identify and celebrate those instances budget decision. I acknowledge that the BET made missteps – and those men – that represent effective in how we handled the public presentation of our budget decision. With COVID looming, we fathering. undertook our public meeting process as we A s Billy Gra ha m once sa id: “A good would have in any normal time. These were fact, not “normal” times. It is now clear that father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, in more public communication and input would unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable have been helpful to the process. From the time the BET Budget Committee assets in our society.” We could not agree completed their initial budget in early March, and the point where the BET revised that more. earlier budget to send to the RTM, all of the members of the BET agreed that there was Happy Father’s Day to all!

has happened 10 times out of 11; the 11th appropriation request was withdrawn. So, we spent the good portion of our meeting discussing something that already happens and will likely happen again this year! I do not think there is a single member of the RTM who does not care about education. The RTM is not allowed to increase a budget, by the way; that would have been a very different discussion. If it had been up to me, all sides of the debate on the BET would have compromised. If it had been up to me, there would have been more listening and comity in the whole process. If it had been up to me, we would be discussing how we can improve remote learning. And if it had been up to me, we would be discussing how we can elevate the

amazing teachers in our system and train the ones less effective. The SOMR did none of these things. As a former teacher, a parent, and resident of Greenwich, I care deeply about education. But at 12:30 am, on Tuesday morning, I found that the SOMR did not address my concerns about our education system in our town. I know that the BET will act swiftly to grant specific necessary appropriations. Sadly, the SOMR divided us. In my short time on the RTM, I have been engaged with work that actually connects us and helps all residents in our community, and in the future, I would be honored to get behind similar educational initiatives that are productive and promote positive change.

In the Best Interests of All

the two political caucuses centered on the amount of the reduction in the BOE’s requested budget. Democrats wanted to reduce the Superintendent’s proposed budget by $700,000 and Republicans by $3 million. Ultimately, and unfortunately too late in the budget process, the Democrats offered a reduction of $1.5million. This meant the proposed gap that separated us was $1.5million, or less than 1% of the operating budget. Was this worth all of the angst and defamatory debate that ensued? The Democrats on the BET have wrapped themselves in a shroud of glory, posing as “protectors” of schools, when in fact they were willing proponents of a $1.5million reduction in the proposed BOE budget. Instead of essentially inciting a riot over what could have been a modest reduction in the BOE budget, Republican BET members have been focused on the need to steer the town through the current financial crisis. Step one: We will record and confirm all associated costs associated with the COVID pandemic and make sure we seek maximum available state and federal reimbursements for these extra expenses. All Town departments and the BOE should be properly reimbursed for what they have spent. It is important to remember that all these expenses may not reimbursable, so the Town needs to be prepared to pay for those that aren’t. Step Two: Monitor tax and revenue collections, especially during the 90-day deferment permitted by the Governor’s executive order. The BET should be prepared to decide if we need to issue short term debt to cover any revenue shortfalls. While our Comptroller believes our current position will not require this, this could change. Step Three: Develop a complete serious financial uncertainty due to the COVID pandemic. The primary difference between understanding of the pandemic impact on

Town departments and programs, especially the schools. A reduction in various programs will naturally lead to a reduction in expenses. Unfortunately, the BOE currently has no clarity as to what their needs will be. They are relying on guidelines currently being developed by the State and Federal government. Their budget was designed for normal school operations, not those mandated by a pandemic. If the guidelines and directives result in higher expenses, the BET will be prepared to act swiftly. About the state of our economy, there has been a lot of recent speculation that the economy is rebounding faster than expected. A rising equity market has offered some hope that the skies are clearing. However, yesterday the Federal Reserve Board issued a forecast for a protracted economic recovery, not the fast one many had projected. As a result, as I write this, the Dow Jones average is down over 6%. The BET needs to base our economic assessment on a much broader set of local, state, and national economic data, not just the stock market. What we see is still troubling, and we believe there is still a need to be cautious as to how we approach taxpayer spending. How has Greenwich built its longstanding reputation as a beacon for responsible municipal fiscal management? With very prudent and conservative fiscal decision making. Many have suggested that we did not need a reduction in the Mill Rate. The answer is simple. Because of an increase in our Grand List, we needed to lower the mill rate to keep taxes f lat this year. There are those who certainly would not have suffered if they had to pay more, but we need to provide relief to every resident in our community. This includes those segments of our population that rely on low income housing and free school lunches.

Letter

Letter From the First Selectman

By Fred Camillo

As our Town reopens to a new normal, and with new and exciting dining and shopping experiences, we must remain vigilant against a virus that is still present. W it h t h at s a i d , I u r g e everyone who is out and about

Letter

enjoying the many facilities and amenities in our beautiful community, to please bring their masks with them and wear when in close proximity to others. I also caution everyone to continue to be cognizant of and practice the physical and social distancing protocols that have

kept our Town from enduring the extremely high number of confirmed COVID-19 cases per capita that was experienced in other communities. We must keep our eye on the ball, and foot on the pedal. Together, we will continue to stay ahead of the game by

exercising caution and prudence. Together, we will enjoy the Summer ahead in good health and spirits. T ha n k you , a nd I lo ok forward to seeing you all around Town in the weeks and months ahead! Fred Camillo, First Selectman

Finding a New Way Forward

By Ashley Garan Covid quarantine and all that comes with it has been hard; but these past two weeks have completely shattered me. On Wednesday, June 3rd, I received a text message from another mom at my son’s special needs school, Giant Steps AIND (American Institute for NeuroIntegrative Development) in Southport. What came through was a screenshot of a letter she received from her attorney. A letter from Giant Steps stating that: “After weeks of thoughtful consideration of alternatives, it is with a heavy heart that we announce the closing of Giant Steps CT, effective June 30, 2020. As we consider the foreseeable future, we find ourselves with the unprecedented challenge to provide our students with t he safe env iron ment t hat has always been our priority. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented us with circumstances beyond our control to effectively protect and serve our students and staff while facing such an uncertain future.” And with this awful news, panic grabbed hold, my breath gave out and my heart sank deep in my chest: our entire support system for Max, carefully established and adjusted over years, was ripped away with the words on a single page. Max is 8, almost 9, as his n e u r o t y p i c a l t w i n si s te r i s quick to interject. Max is happy and deeply loved but he is far from the little boy we imagined raising when we found out I was pregnant with boy/girl twins. Max has autism, very severe

autism. He is intellectually disabled, non-verbal, highly sensory with major aggression a n d b e h av io ra l i s s u e s . He does not understand safety or danger and will intentionally elope. Despite years of intensive therapy and plans from many seasone d ex p er ts, he is not yet toilet trained and lacks a consistent effective method for communication. He cannot go to just any school. He needs Giant Steps, he needs the people there and the relationships with those people that have taken years to build. Are there other special needs private schools? Yes, of course there are. I had reached out to them all in our search for an appropriate school, and I’ve been researching them again now. Most are not suitable or even able to accept him due to to his complex needs and behaviors. So this is another hidden casualty of Corona. As life and businesses are beginning to open back up most parents of school-aged children are looking forward to getting back to school in the fall, even if it comes in stages and looks very different for quite some time. For Max and 39 other profoundly af fected children, there is currently no real place to return to. We wrote letters appealing, pleading, begging the Board to reconsider. We rallied together and, in the midst of tremendous g rief and pressure, reached out to anyone and everyone we could. The outpouring of support from our community was significant. A petition to “Save Giant Steps School” with a goal of 1,000 signatures currently has 3,616 signatures and 890

comments. Besides parents’ heartfelt letters expressing just how u n i q u e a n d n e c e s s a r y this school is for their children, letters and calls of support also poured in from professionals in the field, organizations, and even Congressman Himes. The tone was unified: This school is a necessary resource, how can we help it to stay open and ensure a safe space for these vulnerable children to return to? We h a d (a n d s t i l l h ave) so many questions. Why not continue distance learning for the time being (special needs schools run year-round) and reevaluate come fall or even later? Surely if districts are continuing distance learning it would be better for our students to continue distance learning with the teams that know them than to start from scratch ind ist r ic t or at a new pr ivate school. Why not survey families and staff or utilize the highly educated and extremely creative therapists and educators at Giant Steps who know this specif ic group of kids and who problem solve on a daily basis to f ind solutions where others give up? What about liability waivers, or the disability exemptions that are written into the state guidelines? What will happen to the 501c3’s assets; the school building, land and equipment, once the school is no more? What experts were consulted and why were none of the people with the most to lose upon this school’s closure, given a chance to offer help? Nobody on the school Board was willing to answer. A s p a r e nt s o f k i d s w it h profound special needs, many of us had to learn the hard way

to advocate for the educational rights of our children. For us, Giant Steps was the place we f i n a l ly fe lt s a fe a nd he a r d , understood and supported. Even though we still faced significant challenges at home, we were a ble to t r u st t h at we h ad a support team, that our son was making progress in his own way in a safe, understanding and encouraging environment. Now, as a group of parents we are shifting our efforts from saving our school to finding a new way forward, mustering the skills acquired along the way and with one another to lean on. There is no greater cause to support than your own child. While I don’t know what the outcome will be for us yet, I do know that this incredible group of parents, teachers, therapists, staf f and students deserve a place to learn and grow together. You can help too. While this particular situation affects 40 children, the issues at play have devastating implications for a much broader g r o up o f s p e c i a l e du c at i o n students and ultimately our public education system at large. Although the Board made it clear that this decision to permanently close the school is final, we were told that they are open to considering a transfer. We are now reaching out to the community to help facilitate this in any way possible. If you are able to help in any way, please contact the former Parent Association leaders. We are at the forefront of this negotiation and can be reached via email at gsparentgroup@gmail.com. Thank you

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Letter from Michael Mason continued It includes those who have endured economic hardships due to this recession. This relief to those segments of our community, is more important than nonemergency spending in these uncertain and difficult times for our most vulnerable residents. Unfortunately, my Democratic colleagues on the BET have continued to exploit this budget debate for political advantage. Recently, they sent out a blast email titled; “To Supporters of Our Public Schools”. This title is disingenuous and unfair. It infers that anyone who disagrees with them is an opponent of the school system. We all want to support our

schools, and, after providing for public safety, I view them as the most important job of our Town’s government. I understand everyone’s desire to see them funded adequately. However, in an environment that has been referred to as the greatest economic dislocation in generations, I am disappointed and saddened by the hostility in the recent debates encouraged by BET Democrats. I am proud of the record of the BET over the years, especially as it applies to our schools. We keep hearing that we need to “keep our schools as the best in the state”. It has been the funding provided by successive BETs over the years

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that has helped make our school system one of the best in the state. Complaints about the BOE budget have used the word “draconian.” Draconian is defined as “unusually severe or cruel,” and in no way does that define the budget provided to the BOE for the upcoming year. These times require difficult decisions to be made, and we understand that our residents may not always agree with us. However, that is the job of an elected official. Our singular focus will always do what we believe is in the interests of all the citizens of our great Town. Michael Mason, Board of Estimate and Taxation.

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STORY IDEAS Publisher@GreenwichSentinel.com COLUMNISTS Columnists and community impact. Jenny at CommunityImpact@GreenwichSentinel.com TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IN GREENWICH ADDITIONS www.greenwichsentinel.com/community-event/

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Page 8 | Greenwich Sentinel

LOCAL CALENDAR

FRIDAY, JUNE 19 10 a.m. Online Qigong Class with Greenwich’s Donna Bunte of Donna Bunte Whole Health. Via Zoom. (Every Friday). Classes are also available on facebook.com/donnabuntewholehealth 10 - 10:30 a.m. Cos Cob Library: Virtual – Storytime with Ms. Ann. Toddlers and preschoolers (and their parents). Via Zoom. Free. Register. lmatthews@ greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced. info/signup/Calendar 1 - 1:45 p.m. Greenwich Commission on Aging: Pilates Gold. Via Zoom. 3:45 - 4:15 p.m. Cos Cob Library: Virtual – World Music with Anitra. Free. Register to get link password. lmatthews@greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced.info/signup/Calendar 4 - 5 p.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual – YA Graphic Novel Discussion Group (Grades 6-8). Via Zoom. Free. Register. 203-622-7918. emorrissey@ greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced. info/signup/Calendar 4:15 p.m. Greenwich Commission on Aging Zoom Talk: Broadway Show Tunes with James Michael, Broadway Baritone. zoom.us/j/3032051305. Or listen on your phone by calling 929-205-6099, enter 3032051305#. greenwichct.gov/190/ Commission-on-Aging 5 - 5:30 p.m. Greenwich Audubon Center: Meet the Animals Livestream - join in online to meet and learn about ambassador animals who live at the Audubon Center. facebook.com/ GreenwichAudubonCenter 10 p.m. Alliance Française of Greenwich: ‘Café FrancoAméricain’ - Conversation in English and French. RSVP for Zoom link. sbenthal@aol.com SATURDAY, JUNE 20 7 a.m. Greenwich Audubon Center: Dawn Chorus Livestream - join naturalist Ryan MacLean to hear morning birdsongs live. Birders of all ages and experience levels are welcome. facebook. com/GreenwichAudubonCenter 9 a.m. Versailles Farms Summer Stand. Versailles Farms, 56 Locust Rd. 203-862-0400. info@ versaillesfarms.com. versaillesfarms.com 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. The Greenwich Farmers Market. 2 Horseneck Ln. (Every Sat. through December). 203-380-0580. gfm-ct@optimum.net. greenwichfarmersmarketct.com 10 - 10:30 a.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual Meditation Workshop. Free. 203-622-7920. schan@greenwichlibrary. org. greenwichlibrary.evanced.info/signup/ Calendar 10:30 - 11 a.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual - Sing Along with Tom Weber. Free. 203-622-7920. dsullivan@ greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced. info/signup/Calendar 12 - 1 p.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual – Creating Visual Stories & Games (Grades 6-10). Via Zoom. Free. Register. 203-622-7918. emorrissey@ greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced. info/signup/Calendar 1 p.m. Greenwich Audubon Center: Nestbox Workshop. $10 (available kits may be purchased when you register). Pre-registration required. Select here to register. 203-930-1353. Ryan.MacLean@ audubon.org. greenwich.audubon.org/events/ nestbox-workshop

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5 p.m. St. Lawrence Society’s (SLS) “We’re Al in This Together” Dinner to Go #3. The Club, 86 Valley Rd (back parking lot). $24.95, SLS members; $26.95, non-members. 203-618-9036. trish@ stlawrencesociety.com. stlawrencesociety.com 7 - 7:45 p.m. Greenwich Audubon Center: Sunset Session Livestream. facebook.com/ GreenwichAudubonCenter MONDAY, JUNE 22 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Byram Shubert Library: Virtual – Robert Rogers Puppet Company: ‘Hansel and Gretel’. Free. Register. 203-531-0426. greenwichlibrary. evanced.info/signup/Calendar 2 - 3 p.m. Greenwich Hospital Webinar: ‘Simplifying the Facts about Diets’. Via Zoom. Free. Registration is required (link will be distributed in advance of the session). 888-305-9253. greenwichhospital. org/events 4 - 5 p.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual – YA Film Discussion (Grades 6-8). Free. Register. 203-6227918. emorrissey@greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced.info/signup/Calendar 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual – A Night Out with Friends: Contra-Tiempo Dance Company. Free. Register. 203-622-7919. dsalm@greenwichlibrary. org. greenwichlibrary.evanced.info/signup/ Calendar TUESDAY, JUNE 23 10 - 10:30 a.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual – Storytime (Toddlers & preschoolers). Free. Register. 203-622-7920. dsullivan@greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary. evanced.info/signup/Calendar 10 - 11 a.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual - Weekly Job Search Accelerator Group. Free. Register. 203-622-7920. mmartin@greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary. evanced.info/signup/Calendar 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual - Drop-in Computer Lab. Free. Register. 203-6256560. trainingcenter@greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced.info/signup/Calendar 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Webinar: ‘Plastic and the People: our shared role in keeping plastic waste out of our region’s waters’. Register. us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ tZYlceuqpzwvGNS4lx7EgTWZjSgZGKiyWxr6 3 - 3:40 p.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual – Creative Writing Workshop with Newbery Honor Author Veera Hiranandani. Free. Register. 203-622-7920. dsullivan@greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary. evanced.info/signup/Calendar 5 p.m. Alliance Française of Greenwich: International Book Club: ‘The Seine, The River That Made Paris’ by Elaine Schiolino. Free and open to all. RSVP for a Zoom link. amory777@aol.com 5 - 6 p.m. Byram Shubert Library: Virtual – International Book Club: ‘The Seine: The River that Made Paris’ by Elaine Sciolino. Free. Register. 203-531-0426. greenwichlibrary.evanced.info/signup/Calendar 5 - 6:30 p.m. Cos Cob Library: Virtual - New Yorker Stories Discussion Group. Free. Register to receive link password. 203-622-6883. lmatthews@ greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced. info/signup/Calendar 6:30 p.m. NAMI Southwest CT Online Family Support Group (Every Tuesday) – Peer-led support groups for family members of individuals living with mental health conditions. Free. Zoom Meeting: zoom. us/j/2084433181, or call: 1 646 558 8656, Meeting ID: 208 443 3181. 7 - 8 p.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual – Documentary Filmmaker Noah Hutton. Free. Register. 203622-7920. rhansen@greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced.info/signup/Calendar WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 8:30 a.m. Young Life Greenwich Krispy Kreme Donut Sale. Living Hope Community Church parking lot, 38 West End Ave. $10 per box. 203-273-8546. laurelscar1970@gmail.com. greenwich.younglife. org 9:30 a.m. Wednesdays@Whitby virtual conversations learn about life at Whitby School. Register. Free. whitbyschool.org/viritual-wednesdays-at-whitby 10 - 10:30 a.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual – Fiesta de los Cuentos - a Spanish and English storytime live via Zoom. (Toddlers and preschoolers). Free. Register. 203-622-7920. dsullivan@ greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced. info/signup/Calendar 11 a.m. Retired Men’s Association of Greenwich Zoom talk: Dr. Ed Miller: “Academic Health Systems and Their Role in Providing Health Care.” Free. Pre-registration required. info@greenwichrma. org. greenwichrma.org 11 a.m. Alliance Française of Greenwich: ‘Café Crème’ Conversation en Français. Free and open to all. RSVP for a Zoom link. clairenegrin@gmail.com 12 - 1 p.m. Greenwich Hospital Webinar: ‘Stroke Management During the Coronavirus Pandemic’. Via Zoom. Free. Registration is required (link will be distributed in advance of the session). 888305-9253. greenwichhospital.org/events

1 p.m. Greenwich Library: SCORE Webinar: A Simple Recipe for Social Media Success. Free. Register. 203-622-7920. ywang@greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced.info/signup/Calendar 1:30 p.m. Alliance Française of Greenwich: Club de Lecture en Français. Free and open to all. RSVP for a Zoom link. vponslet@aol.com 2 p.m. Storybook Trail LIVE: Join Greenwich Audubon Center for a virtual stroll along their Storybook Trail – online event. facebook.com/ GreenwichAudubonCenter 2 - 3:15 p.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual: Video Production. Free. Register. 203-622-7920. innovationlab@ greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced. info/signup/Calendar 2:30 - 6 p.m. Old Greenwich Farmer’s Market. Parking lot of the Living Hope Community Church, 38 West End Ave. (Shoppers are asked to wear masks and maintain social distance). info@oldgreenwichfarmersmarket.com. oldgreenwichfarmersmarket.com/index.html 5 - 6 p.m. Alliance Française of Greenwich: Focus on French Cinema (FFC) presents ‘Worldwide Wednesdays’ - each week FFC will recommend a Frenchlanguage film that can be viewed online at home. Free and open to all. RSVP for a Zoom link. afgreenwich@gmail.com 6:30 p.m. NAMI-CAN (Child and Adolescent Network) Online Support Groups - for parents and primary caregivers of children and adolescents, under age 21, with behavioral and emotional issues (Every Wed). Free. Zoom Meeting: zoom. us/j/2084433181, or call: 1 646 558 8656, Meeting ID: 208 443 3181. 7 p.m. Girls With Impact’s Future Ready Workshops presents: ‘Introduction to Entrepreneurship’ - Online. For girls 12-18. Free. Register. girlswithimpact.org 7 - 8 p.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual: - Date with an Author: David Ricciardi, Author of ‘Black Flag’. Free. Register. lmatthews@greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced.info/signup/Calendar 7 - 8:30 p.m. Anchor Health Initiative: Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Support Group - online. Open to all ages. Safe, private and free. 2nd and 4th Wed of the month. (us04web.zoom.us/j/508855477. Meeting ID: 508 855 477, Password: 605979) THURSDAY, JUNE 25 9 - 9:30 a.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual - Parent & Child Yoga for Tots (Ages 2-5). Free. Register. 203622-7920. dsullivan@greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced.info/signup/Calendar 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Cos Cob Library: Virtual – Qi Gong. Free. Register. lmatthews@greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced.info/signup/Calendar 12 - 1:30 p.m. Greenwich Library: YAAG Lecture: Recent Developments in Stem Cell Research and Therapy. Free. Register. kpetrov@ greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced. info/signup/Calendar 2 - 3 p.m. Greenwich Hospital Webinar: ‘Balance and Fall Prevention’. Via Zoom. Free. Registration is required (link will be distributed in advance of the session). 888-305-9253. greenwichhospital. org/events 5 - 6:30 p.m. Byram Shubert Library: Virtual - Proust Group.

Free. Register. 203-531-0426. greenwichlibrary. evanced.info/signup/Calendar 6 p.m. Breast Cancer Alliance 1st Annual Poker Tournament. GlenArbor Golf Club, 234 Bedford Center Rd., Bedford Hills, NY. $150. 203861-0014. info@breastcanceralliance.org. breastcanceralliance.org/events 7 - 8 p.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual - From Greek Mythology to Fairy Tales: What Fantastic Fictions Can Teach Adults About Real Life. Free. Register. 203-622-7920 ksoboleva@greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced.info/signup/Calendar 8 p.m. Breast Cancer Alliance Inaugural Virtual Livestream Poker Tournament. Host & live commentary by Professional Poker Player and Commentator, Jamie Kerstetter. Register. breastcanceralliance.org/events FRIDAY, JUNE 26 10 - 11 a.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual – Senior Chinese Book Discussion Group. Via Zoom. Free. Register. 203-622-7920. ywang@ greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced. info/signup/Calendar 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual – Podcasts: Why You Should Be Listening. Free. Register. 203625-6560. csherman@greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced.info/signup/Calendar 7 - 8 p.m. Greenwich Library: Virtual – Family Book Trivia: ‘Harry Potter’. Free. Register. econnell@ greenwichlibrary.org. greenwichlibrary.evanced. info/signup/Calendar ONGOING • Children’s Book Drive: The Westhill Angels, a group of high school student volunteers, have organized a contactless children’s book drive to be distributed to the families of Children’s Learning Centers of Fairfield County (CLC) as well as some of the children of hospital workers, who are temporarily being cared for and educated at CLC by some of the teachers. Books will be picked up from the bottom of the donor’s driveway by the Westhill Angel volunteers. lorymaz17@gmail.com. clcfc.org • Nominate a ‘Treasured Tree’ - The Greenwich Tree Conservancy wants to know if you have a ‘Treasured Tree’ on your property. A tree is treasured for many reasons: a special memory or story; magnificent size; unique shape; Spring flowers or Fall foliage; climb-ability. The Tree Conservancy wants to hear about YOUR Treasured Tree. Fill out the nomination form available at: greenwichtreeconservancy.org • Starter Kits containing collection bins and compostable bags continue to be offered for sale to prepare the community for the launch of the Town Food Scrap Pilot Program. To arrange delivery and payment of kits, residents should contact wastefreegreenwich@gmail.com or call Greenwich Green & Clean at 203-531-0006. For further information about the program and kit sales, visit wastefreegreenwich.org ONLINE ALANON MEETINGS Saturdays 9:30 - 10 a.m. AlAnon Newcomers. 10 - 11:30 a.m. AlAnon. al-anon.org/al-anon-meetings/electronicmeetings ONLINE AA MEETINGS Daily 9 p.m. 12 Step Study Group of AA - a recurring

discussion in the format of a book study. No prior experience required. Open meeting. Zoom video chat. Zoom id: 799-468-887, Password: 156760. aaebookguy@gmail.com. aaintergroup.org/directory.php Sundays 3 p.m. AA A New Hope Online - a Big Book Study format. Open meeting. zoom.us/j/117872240, passcode: 121314. inboundmed@gmail.com. aa-intergroup.org/directory.php BY PHONE Last Tuesday of the Month 7:30 p.m. Home Meeting of AA - discussion group with a 20-minute speaker. No computer needed however long distance charges may apply. Call: 978990-5000, then enter pin: 426546 Hole In The Sky AA Meeting Schedule 25 online/virtual meetings per week at the Hole In The Sky, 7 days a week through the Zoom Platform with video, audio and call in options. Rotating formats that include speaker, participation and mixed meetings: Monday to Friday: AA Spiritual Discussion, 6:45pm PST. zoom.us/j/705311870 Monday & Friday: AA Big Book Study, 12pm PST. zoom.us/j/867060088 Tuesday & Saturday: 12&12 Book Study, 12pm PST. zoom.us/j/295712428 Wednesday: Living Sober Book Study, 12pm PST. zoom.us/j/295712428 Wednesday: Beginner’s Workshop, 6pm PST. zoom.us/j/609275263 Wednesday: Candlelight Meeting, 8pm PST. zoom.us/j/659596548 Thursday: Secular AA Meeting, 12pm PST. zoom.us/j/295712428 Thursday: Grapevine Meeting, 6pm PST. zoom. us/j/282018390

TUESDAY, JUNE 23 7:30 p.m. Bedford Playhouse Virtual Classic Tuesdays with John Farr: ‘The Best Years of Our Lives’. Via Zoom (Meeting ID#: 841 9354 4474). Register. bedfordplayhouse.org WED, JUNE 24 4 - 5 p.m. Clay Art Center Virtual Program: ‘Giraffe Ring Dish’ (Ages 7+). Via Zoom. Register. (Curbside clay pickup available at Clay Art Center). clayartcenter.org ‘LET’S TALK’ - VIRTUAL GATHERINGS Bedford Playhouse offers ‘Let’s Talk’ - weekly virtual gatherings and conversations. Mondays: Let’s Talk Mental Health, 11am-12pm; Wednesday: Let’s Talk Parenting, 1-2pm; *Thursdays: Let’sTalk Cocktail Happy Hour, 6pm - get together with practical questions, shared strategies and a toast to our community. bedfordplayhouse.org ART CLASSES FOR CHILDREN Rowayton Arts Center (RAC) is offering two new weekly art classes via Zoom for children in Kindergarten through 5th grade, taught by Muffy Pendergast. Any extra supplies will be delivered to homes on a weekly basis. Starting the week of May 18, there will be a class for Kindergarten through 2nd grade on Tuesdays, 1-2pm and a class for 3rd to 5th grade, 4:30-5:30pm. Register at rowaytonarts.org/youth-classes-andworkshops CURTAIN CALL - Streaming Curtain Call is streaming past productions for free. Using the Vimeo platform, anyone with the link can see the library of 15 shows that have been added, and more will be added on a regular basis. A second channel features several original musicals and two plays. Here’s how to view these past shows: vimeo.com/channels/CCSOG (for Shakespeare) and vimeo.com/channels/ CCLIVE for the others.

Friday: Daily Reflections Meeting, 6pm PST. zoom.us/j/137609502 Friday: West Valley Speaker Meeting, 7:30pm PST. zoom.us/j/514586368 Saturday: Sobriety Speaks Out Speaker/Participation Meeting, 6pm PST. zoom. us/j/980772892 Sunday: Big Book Study Meeting, 12:30pm PST. zoom.us/j/787468826

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Sunday: Sunday Meeting at HITS, 4:30pm PST. zoom.us/j/831719356 Email contact: holeinthesky.zoom@gmail. com

OUR NEIGHBORING TOWNS SATURDAY, JUNE 20 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Clay Art Center Virtual Program: ‘Shark Finger Puppet’ (Ages 7+). Via Zoom. $18 per child, Clay Kits $4 each. Register. clayartcenter.org 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. Clay Art Center Virtual Program: Artist Talk with Vicky Youngman: Process & Ideas. Via Zoom. Register. clayartcenter.org MONDAY, JUNE 22 3 p.m. Bedford Playhouse Let’s Talk Mental Wellness: The Stressed Years of Their Lives. Via Zoom (Meeting ID#: 890 8095 9946). Register. 7:30 p.m. Bedford Playhouse Play Reading: ‘Days of Possibilities’ by Rich Orloff. Via Zoom (Meeting ID#: 848 3351 0163). Register. bedfordplayhouse.org

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Obituaries

Page 10 | Greenwich Sentinel

Obituaries, for which there is never a Peter. charge or fee of any kind, may be submitted She graduated from Bushwick High, Class of with photos to Editor@GreenwichSentinel. '63 and went on to receive her bachelors from com. Fordham University. After a long and illustrious career in NYC Law firms and running James Dean and Co., she was recruited to St Matthews Mary "Boo" Durkin school in Bedford, NY as a Pre-K teacher. Her love of children was illuminated each moment of the three years she spent with her three-yearold students. An avid golfer, marathon runner, traveler, and proud grandmother, Jane will be remembered as loving, caring, intelligent, a marvelous cook, and, above all, the glue that bound her family. Jane goes on to join her mother, Josephine, and father, Joseph. She will one day be reunited with her devoted and loving husband, James Dean and is also survived by her brother, three children, nephew, and f ive cherished grandchildren. The Dea n Fa m i ly wou ld l i ke to t ha n k everyone for their enduring love and support during these times. If you wish to send an expression of sympathy the family asks that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made in Jane's memor y to the Ch i ld Gu ida nce Center of Southern CT. It is with great saddness that we report the death of Mary "Boo" Durkin. Boo died at Greenwich Hospital on Thursday, June 11. The Greenw ich Sentinel w rote a stor y about Boo in the fall of 2019. An excerpt from it follows. Please see next week's issue for her full obituary. When asked to describe Mary “Boo” Durkin in one word, Kyle Silver Executive Director of the Arch Street Teen Center said heartfelt. Bea Crumbine, Greenwich’s Ambassador-atLarge, used dedicated. Longtime friend and State Rep. Livvy Floren offered up tenacious, Sentinel publisher Beth Barhydt described her as inspiring, and First Selectman Peter Tesei called her compassionate. Those are all words that Durkin has lived by over her many years of service to her friends, family, and the town of Greenwich. Durkin was born and raised in Greenwich and attended the schools in town. She married Dr. Quentin Federman, and raised their three ch i ld ren here, too. Du rk in ded icated her life to serving the community through her volunteer work, helping people of all ages and backgrounds. Her contributions to the community are too numerous to list.

Jane Dean Jane Dean, 75, passed on in her Greenwich home on Monday, June 15. She was born on May 30, 1945 at Wyckoff Heights Hospital to parents Joseph and Josephine Catalano and brother

Ursula Hanlon On June 12, 2020, Ursula W. Hanlon passed away peacefully at home with her son, Charles, at her side. She was conscious to the end, being reassured by Charles's loving embrace until her joyful, youthful spirit took its leave, returning Ursula to her Heavenly Father. Ursula was born April 3, 1920, to Doctor Joseph F. and Kathryn H. Watts of Bridgeport, CT. She attended St. Augustine's Grammar School in Bridgeport, and spent her high school years f irst at Marymount School, second at The Academy of Mount St. Vincent from which she graduated. She concluded her education at The College of Mount Saint Vincent, in Riverdale, NY, majoring in French and enjoying unparalleled sport success in basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, squash, tennis and track. On Aug. 14, 1943, Ursula married her husband of 65 years, Charles D. Hanlon who predeceased her on December 17, 2008. On July 26, 1945, with her husband serving in the 6th Marines at the battle of Okinawa, Ursula gave birth in Bridgeport to her only child, Charles W. Hanlon. After moving from Bridgeport to Riverside, Ursula became the den mother of Cub Scout Pack 19. In 1960 she went to work for IngJohn Portraiture Photographers in Stamford. Subsequent to her tenure at Ing-John, she was employed by State National Bank as a Univac operator on an early computer system. After six years in the business world, Ursula returned to her house as a homemaker pursuing her love

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of cooking and gardening. She was celebrated for her renderings of stuffed peppers and lemon meringue pie, both of which were reputed far and wide as the unchallenged non pareil among those creations. Additionally she devoted substantial efforts to gardening, with particular attention lavished on growing and nurturing the front and back hill plantings adorning the house. Both sections acquitted themselves so well, particularly during the Spring when the azaleas and rhododendrons were ablaze with many variegated shadings. In her sparse amounts of spare time, Ursula enjoyed listening to classical music, especially opera, along with her husband. Both would watch an occasional football game together. Both were faithful parishioners of St. Catherine of Siena Church in Riverside. Ursula is survived by her son, Charles, of Riverside, and her cousin, Miriam (Waters) Kelly of Carlisle, PA. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews in Westchester Count y, Man hattan, Pen nsylvania, Nor th Carolina, Florida, California and Washington. Ursula will be greatly missed by everyone until we can all meet again in the ineffable glory of our resplendent Lord. A wake will be held at Gallagher's Funeral Home, 31 Arch St., Greenwich on Saturday, June 20, both during the hours of 2 to 4 p.m. and again during the hours of 6 to 9 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 4 Riverside Ave., R iverside on Monday, Ju ne 2 2 at 11 a.m. Interment will then follow at St. Mary's Cemetery, 399 North St., Greenwich.

Margarete Catalano

Our dear sister, aunt and good f riend, Margarete Catalano, nee Burkhardt, died in the evening of June 13 after a battle with metastatic thyroid cancer, at her home in Greenwich. A native of Herrenberg/Germany, she was the eldest of four children of Helene Thumm Burkhardt, a nurse, and Wilhelm Burkhardt, a telecommunications expert. While working as a Pan American World Airways accountant at the Stuttgart airport, she met her future husband, Frank J. Catalano, a PanAm pilot. They moved to Greenwich, CT, where they married and lived for the rest of their lives. The couple had no children. The couple traveled extensively worldwide and made and kept wonder f u l f r iends. Margarete's favorite city was New York which she loved for its energy, diversity and beauty; only recently she wondered if the New York skyline 'would have the same magic without me'. Margarete worked for the United Nations Development Programme in New York and for Cadbury Beverages in Rye Brook, NY. After retirement and Frank's death in 1997, Margarete volunteered at the Greenwich Hospital Thrift S h op a n d w a s a n a c t i ve m e m b e r o f t h e Greenwich Boat and Yacht Club where she was appreciated for her humor and her generous gift of time at Club functions. Her favorite event was the annual Commissioning Day. For those who knew her well, Margarete was an exceptional critic of the English language, speak ing it f lawlessly and communicating its nuances in subtle and effective ways. She enjoyed good conversation, elegant decor, modern furniture, garden tours in Greenwich, fine international dining, good wines. She loved her cat Orange, a content vagabond who was putty in her hands and always knew he would come home to a warm heart and sleep on a soft lap. Margarete leaves behind her sister Doris Laeufer, niece Jeannette and nephews John and Norman of Germany, as well as Kathy, Anne, Marian, Philip/Wendy, Joseph, John/ Janette, Denis/Carol, Paul on the Catalano side of the family. She also leaves behind a most cherished and adored group of friends whom she considered her family. Funeral arrangements are private. The Boat Club will have a memorial on a future date. Charitable contribution may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Douglas Bookbinder Douglas Raymond Bookbinder was born on July 27, 1985 and passed peacefully in his sleep on June 2, 2020. He is survived by his loving parents Elizabeth and Paul Bookbinder and Brother Ben Bookbinder of Rye Brook, NY as well as numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Doug lived an incredibly full life and was known by many in Greenwich. He was always there with a hug and a smile when a friend walked in. He lit up each and every room he entered with his smile and humor. Doug loved anything on the water and was an avid sailor. He also enjoyed hunting and going to the shooting range. He loved spending time with his family and always loved going to Peter Lugers

for steaks with them. Doug loved music and could be found at Dead & Co. whenever they came to town. His infectious personality will be missed by so many. Burial was private and a celebration of life will be celebrated later in the summer.

James Fahy

James J. Fahy, retired Greenwich Police Lieutenant, passed away in the comfort of his home after a short illness. He was the beloved husband of Mary Ellen Monahan Fahy and dear father of the late James, Jr., his best friend. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Penny Monahan, a dear friend. Jim was born in New York City on Dec. 23, 1937 and grew up in Queens. He graduated from All Hallows High School in N.Y.C. After graduation he joined the U.S. Air Force and served active duty for 13 years before joining the Greenwich Police Department in 1968. He then joined the U. S. Army Reserves and retired after many years of military service. Jim continued his education while serving as a Police Officer and received an Associate Degree from Norwalk Community College, a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Iona College and Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of New Haven. After his retirement from the GPD in 1992 Jim was appointed Unit Chief of Security at the Division of Special Revenue for the State of Connecticut, where he served until his retirement. Ji m was proud to be a mem ber of t he Greenwich Police Department where he is a decorated Police Officer having received the numerous awards including the Greenwich Police Department Medal of Honor and the State of Connecticut Medal of Valor. During his tenure with the Department and after retirement, Lt. Fahy stayed active in many groups and organizations within the community including the Silver Shield Association, Police Emerald Society, Secretary of Police Insignia Collectors Association, International Association of Chiefs of Police, Police Anchor Club and the American Federation of Police, Redmen Home Association and the Retired Men's Association. He was a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus and a member of Acacia Lodge 85 Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. Shortly after joining the GPD he met Mary Ellen and they recently celebrated 50 years of marriage. A Mass of Christian burial was held Tuesday, June 16 in St. Mar y's Church, Greenw ich, followed by Interment in St. Mary's Cemetery.

Robert Casey Robert Peter Casey, loving son, husband and father, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at his home in Alexandria, VA at the age of 74. Bob, as he was known to his friends and family, was born on December 12, 1945 in Brooklyn, NY to Thomas and Audrey (Flack) Casey. He graduated from Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School in Queens, NY, received his Bachelors degree in Political Science from Duquesne University and was a Financial Advisor for 48 years, most recently with RBC Wealth Management. He married Jane Elizabeth Forelle on April 12, 1980 and they had one son, Taylor Gordon Casey, 26. Bob and Jane moved to Connecticut in 1980, living first in Greenwich and later in Southport, until relocating to Annapolis, MD in 2012. The Caseys moved to Old Town Alexandria in March of this year. Bob, a car enthusiast with a keen interest in the investment business, enjoyed a wide range of professional sports, but especially hockey, taking time to visit The Forum in 1980 while on his honeymoon in Montreal. He was known for his generous spirit, strong sense of personal style and caring concern for his friends and family. Bob was preceded in death by his father, Tommy. He is survived by his mother Audrey, his wife Jane, his son Taylor, his brothers Paul and John and several nieces, nephews and grandnieces/nephews. A memorial service and celebration of Bob's life will be held at a later date.

Marylou Vontobel Mary Lucy Quatrone Vontobel, of Greenwich, passed away on Saturday, June 13, 2020 at the age of 82. She was predeceased by her husband, George E. Vontobel Jr.; her parents, Joseph John Quatrone and Emily Catherine Todero; her brother, Frank Quatrone and her sister

Dominica Quatrone Purcell. She is survived by her loving children George E. Vontobel, III, William Vontobel and MaryJoe Quinn; daughter-in-law, Karen Nota Vontobel and sonin-law Michael P. Quinn. She also is survived by five loving grandchildren: Candice Vontobel, Elizabeth Vontobel, Cutter Quinn, Amelia Vontobel and Kaylee Vontobel; as well as aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews. A private family service will be held at a later date.

Charles Gennarelli Charles Gennarelli, of Greenwich, CT and also, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, passed away June 4, 2020 at age 81. Charles was born June 3, 1939, to Valentino and Mary Gennarelli. C h a r l e s w a s t h e S r. V i c e P r e s i d e n t , Creative Director for the J. Walter Thompson Advertising Agency in NYC. He is responsible for campaigns that included, Kodak, Goodyear, Mercedes Benz and was the brains behind the renowned, "Binaca Blast" and the Merrill Lynch, "Bullish on America" ads. Charles was dedicated and focused on his work and brought forth with him a positive spirit. Charles, along with his beloved wife, Carole and cherished son Christopher, were avid sailors who spent their weekends racing on the Long Island Sound. He is survived by his wife Carole, son Christopher, daughter-in-law Kiersten, and loving grandchildren, Carissa and Gavyn. Charles is also the brother of Louis Gennarelli of Dallas, Texas. A memorial service will be held in his honor at a later date to be announced. In lieu of f lowers, we kindly ask that you make a donation to the American Association of Cancer Research, aacr.org

Maria Carino Maria Pennella Carino of Greenwich, Aug. 10, 1938-June 14, 2020. Born in Avellino, Italy Maria came to America at age 19, went to school to learn English and received her high school diploma. She married Louis Raiente of Greenwich and they had a son, Carmine Raiente. For many years she helped support the family by working at Bantam toys in Port Chester, NY. Later on in life she married Gerardo Carino Sr. and had her second son, Gerardo Carino Jr. Her energy all through her life was incredible. She worked hard as a cleaning woman for many years and she loved her home and yard. She had one of the biggest and "best gardens in Chickahominy." Maria became a widow with a special needs son when he was 15 and she devoted herself to taking care of him at home up until a year before her passing. She was predeceased by her husband Gerardo Carino Sr., her parents and siblings. She is su r v ived by her t wo lov i ng sons, Carmine Raiente, Gerardo Carino, Jr. and her devoted daughter-in-law Darlene Raiente who she called "the daughter I never had." "Nani" also left behind two beloved granddaughters Krystle O'Connor, (Phillip) Kaitlyn Raiente, and her pride and joy, her 4-year-old great-grandson Phillip Jr., as well as cousins, nephews and nieces. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Abilis Inc. (Abilis.US) or Special Olympics of CT (give.specialOlympics.org). A private family service will be held at St. Mary's Cemetery.

Sondra Rudy Sondra Darnell Rudy, 87, died Friday, June 5, 2020 in Huntersville, NC. Born Aug. 18, 1932 in Torrance, CA and raised in the Los A ngeles area, Sondra resided at The Pines in Davidson, NC where she was an avid bridge player, master gardener, active in the residents' association and book groups. She traveled widely. Smart and principled, she was often a rabble-rouser and tormentor of the administration. Formerly a longtime resident of Greenwich, CT, she had l ived i n Ci nci n nati, OH a nd Tustin, CA. She was a g raduate of UCL A with an MBA from NYU. She retired from Xerox Corporation. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Greenwich, CT, where she had served as deacon, elder and clerk of Session and was active on numerous committees. After moving to Davidson, she became an affiliate member of the Davidson College Presbyterian Church, leading their book club for many years, helping with Room at the Inn and participating in mission trips. A lifelong volunteer, Sondra participated g e n e r o u s l y i n nu m e r o u s o r g a n i z a t i o n s including American Red Cross, Loaves and Fishes, Neig hbor to Neig hbor, and many schools, libraries, and cultural organizations. An avid sewer, she made clothes and costumes for her children, and much-loved quilts for her own grandchildren and those of her friends, as well as for newborns in the neonatal intensive ca re u n it. Ma ny remem b er her cook i ng, whet he r gou r met me a l s for c om mu n it y music performances or creative cakes for children and grandchildren. Sondra shared her knowledge with many so that they might continue her work. She is survived by her three children: Bruce Rudy of Boulder, CO (Caren McCready); Alice Price of Glenside, PA (William Price); and Barbara Frith of Charlotte, NC (J. Patrick Frith), and nine grandchildren. There are no scheduled memorial services, but those who wish to honor her memory may volunteer or donate to a charity of their choice. Most importantly, she would want you to VOTE.

Edmund Damon Edmund Holcombe Damon, "Ted", 90, of Kennebunk, ME and former longtime resident of Greenwich, CT, died Monday, May 25, 2020 at his residence surrounded by his loving family. Fa m i ly c a me f i r st for Te d . T he most important things in Ted's life were his "three girls" â&#x20AC;&#x201C; his wife Florence, and daughters Elizabeth and Leslie, whom he loved deeply. Other great loves included hot fudge sundaes and summers spent on Heron Island in South Bristol, Maine. He was known for his kindness, compassion, and generosit y of spirit. He enjoyed music and would spontaneously break out in song. He had a great sense of humor, could recite many favorite long poems by heart and was an award-winning painter. He was a compassionate listener and trusted mentor and friend. His extensive and varied library reflected his intellectual curiosity and desire for self-development. His love of life and positive attitude carried him through the last chapter of his life. Ted was born Aug. 5, 1929 in St. Louis, MO, the son of Ralph S. and Harriet Holcombe Damon. He graduated from Choate School, Amherst College, class of 1951, and received his master's degree in Business Counseling from the University of Bridgeport. A US Air Force veteran, Ted served 3 years during the Korean War and 7 years in the Reserves. He was a distinguished graduate from Officer Candidate School and attained the rank of 1st Lieutenant during his service in Strategic Air Command Intelligence. Ted began his long history of successful corporate leadership with Strategic Materials Corp. He spent the next 18 years with the Singer Company, NYC, where he served as Vice President of Corporate Development and a member of Singer's management committee. In 1983, he became President and C.E.O. of Pantasote, based in Greenwich, CT, a position he held until 1989. Ted served on the boards of the Milton Roy Company, Bombay Company, S t e ve n s G r a p h i c s C o r p o r a t i o n , A r n o l d Foods Company, Newpac Industries, Barnes Engineering, President's Association, and Desai Capital Management, Inc. Ted's reply to a greeting regarding his wellbeing was always "Outstanding!" Yet it was his community contributions which were "outstanding." While a resident of Greenwich, Ted was actively involved in his community serving as Vice-Chairman of the American Red Cross (Greenwich Chapter), as President of The United Way of Greenwich, board member of the Greenwich Community Fund and the Child Guidance Center and helped to establish the Fairfield County Community Foundation. In his personal quest for spiritual understanding, Ted was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, where he was chairman of the church council and an Elder for 20 years. He later became a lay leader and Trustee at the First Church of Round Hill. After moving to Maine, Ted combined his unwavering dedication to investing in the lives of young people with his desire to share his passion for lifelong learning by founding the Education Foundation of the Kennebunks and Arundel. The Foundation enhances excellence in the public schools by providing students with opportunities for hands-on learning, allowing them to engage the world in a meaningful way and to "let the students know they are creative, each and every one in their own way." Ted heard from many RSU 21 students and parents expressing their excitement and gratitude for the life-changing experiences offered by EFKA. Ser v ice to his Maine com munit y a lso included his role as President of the United Way of York County, where he chaired the Children and Youth Focus Group, a founding member of the Communities for Children for Kennebunk, and Trustee of York County Children's Aid Society. Ted was an active member of the Chu r ch on t he Cap e i n Ken nebu n k p or t , wher e he b e ga n it s i nvolvement i n B on Appetite, a meal program for those who need help, currently being served in the Second Congregational Church in Biddeford. An avid tennis player, he was a former member of Edgcomb Tennis Club as well as a member of Webhannet Golf Club. Ted is survived by his wife of 64 years, Florence Drake Damon of Kennebunk, two daughters Elizabeth Damon Armstrong and her husband Thomas M. Armstrong, Jr., and Leslie Damon and her husband Richard S. Noone, all of Yarmouth, a granddaughter Alexandra Armstrong, of South Freeport, a sister-inlaw Arlene Dickinson of Kennebunk, many nephews, nieces and cousins. A fa m i ly ceremony was held at Hop e Cemetery, Kennebunk. A celebration of Ted's extraordinary life will be held at a later date. His charge to all of us would be to have an outstanding day! Memorial contributions may be made to the Education Foundation of the Kennebunks and Arundel and the Good Shepherd Food Bank.

Corinta Kotula Corinta Nirvana Ciano Kotula passed away on Nov. 2, 2019. Born on June 15, 1928, Corinta had a full, exciting, and successful life which she lived with incredible energy and with her wonderful spirit that she shared with all, and in all she did. Corinta was born to a family dedicated to the support and performance of the arts. Corinta sang in her first choir at the age of five at the Congregational Church of Linden, Malden, Mass. In the Boston area, she became a professional church soloist, chorister, recitalist and opera singer. Corinta was premier ballerina at the Geraldine ParĂŠ Ballet Company. She studied drama and elocution under the direction of Doris

Bramson Whitehouse of Boston. As member of the Professional Women's club, when invited she presented dramatic readings and recitals along the Eastern Seaboard. She was a member of the Order of The Eastern Star/ Masonic Order. Corinta received an Associates Degree from The Leland Powers School of Radio and Television. She attended Manhattanville College and studied Political Science and the full curriculum of the study of Music. Corinta also studied Philosophy at NY University-Special Program. In New York, Corinta studied voice with famed opera singer and teacher Crystal Waters and with Professor C. Waldemar Alves of Leipzig, Germany. She also studied drama and dance attending the Modern School of Dance and the Herbert Berghoff Studio of Drama. Corinta was a member of The Provincetown Players group and as a member of the Collegiate Chorale, NY, directed by Ralph Hunter, she sang under the direction of Leonard Bernstein, Erich Leinsdorf, William Steinberg, and other international conductors. Corinta performed leading roles in opera in the Northeast and as a student, in Italy. Corinta was a member of the Concert Choir Sunday Series of the Riverside Church of New York. She also sang with the Greenwich Choral Society under the direction of John Nelson. In Italy, at the Pantheon Plaza she was requested to assist tenor Antonio Scossi and sang favorite arias from the Italian repertoire. On the island of Elba, Italy, Corinta sang daily at the Meeting House. Corinta was a member of The First Presbyterian Church of Greenwich and a choir member. In the early years she composed a Kyrie, Arias, and Introits, and songs, which were presented at the Schubert Club. The Kyrie was first presented at FPCG and then by Minister of Music, Lowell Lacey at The First Congregational Church of Greenwich. Corinta enjoyed that aspect immensely. The Kotula family has resided in Greenwich since 196 4. Corinta joined the Greenwich Philharmonia Guild in 1978 and was invited to serve on the Philharmonia Board in 1980, in 1983 quondam The Greenwich Symphony. Corinta was a Vice President and was the Chairman of Corporate Contributions since 1980. Her late husband, Stine Kotula prepared the early programs for the GSO and was an ardent supporter. Corinta developed a dual career in business and performance. In business she worked in Research and Development of the Fuller, Smith & Ross Advertising Agency; was Administrator to Chairman of the board of The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research; Corporate Secretary of The Kotula Company; Vice President of the American Salvage Company; General Manager of the Connecticut Chamber Orchestra; Proprietor of Casa Ciano Imports; Executive Director of The Newspaper Features Council, a National Organization: As Executive Director of The Newspaper Features Council, Corinta had the pleasure of inviting Hilary Clinton to be key-note speaker to a national meeting of newspaper editors held in Washington, D.C. In the Newspaper Industry, Corinta was a member of the National Cartoonist's Society. Corinta also organized tours for American artists to perform in Italy, and conversely Italian artists to perform here. Notably, Giovanni Sollima, Cellist and now esteemed Professor of Santa Cecilia di Roma, who performed brilliantly with the Greenwich Symphony in 1986. When Corinta was Executive Director of The Newspaper Features Council, she suggested the performance of "The Peanuts Gallery Piano Concerto" to be performed on behalf of Greenwich, CT's Young People's Concerts. Corinta made all the arrangements for the piece, composed by Ellen Taffee Zwillich, to be performed and for Snoopy, from the Charles Schulz Peanuts Strip, to come to Greenwich in 1998 and in 2003 and perform the samba in the third movement. When the children were asked which music program they liked the best, they voted for "Snoopy!" Some of Corinta's past aff iliations were: Member of the Professional Women's Club, Chairman of The Rondo Music Society, General Manager of The Connecticut Chamber Orchestra, Vice President of Public Affairs, Gateway Classical Music Society; Performer and Officer, The Amato Opera Theatre; Board Member & President of The Sally Amato Opera Guild; Carl Yost Meistersingers, Mendelsohn Club, Schubert Club of Fairfield County and Member of the Greenwich Symphony Guild. Corinta Co-Chaired the 1979 Greenwich Symphony Benef it, CoChaired the GSO Soiree in 2007, Chaired the GSO Soiree in 2008, and Co-Chaired the GSO Soiree in 2009. Corinta was a Life Member of San Giovanni al Mare (Music Festival) Gaeta, Italy; Life Member of Soni Ventorum, Palermo, Sicily; and Member of the British Arts Society of Berlin, Germany. Corinta is greatly missed, and she is survived by her three sons, Antek Stanislaw Kotula, Andro Stine Kotula and Arno Ciano Kotula, four grandchildren and numerous family members in the US and Italy. A memorial event, to happen in Greenwich, CT, is planned and a public announcement regarding the event will be published as its time draws near.

Barbara Korntheuer Barbara M. Korntheuer, 95, passed away peacefully at her home in Naples, Fla., on May 31. She is now where she wanted to be, with her dear husband, Walter, who passed away three months ago. Theirs was a storybook marriage of 69 beautiful years together that was an inspiration to many. Barbara (aka Bobbie) was born in Mount Kisco, NY, and raised and educated in Port Chester, NY. She was the daughter of Herbert Woodger, from England, and Annie McGrigor Croucher Woodger, from Scotland. Bobbie's father was an award-winning horticulturist

and superintendent of the Percy S. Straus estate, called Hilholme, in Port Chester. For Bobbie, life on the estate was all about being outdoors. With her brother, Herb, she would roam the woods, walk along streams for miles, ride horses, and climb trees. It was an idyllic life, untouched by the Great Depression that raged outside Hilholme. Bobbie attended classes in a one-room schoolhouse and graduated at age 16. As a young woman she was named queen of Port Chester in 1941. Her late husband Walt's famous story was that he saw her picture in the newspaper and decided right then and there that she was the one he wanted to marry. They met at the local bank where they both worked, she as the head bookkeeper at the young age of 17. Walt's courtship lasted several years, and he finally got her to the altar in September 1950. Bobbie later worked as an accountant for Chesebrough-Ponds in Greenwich, CT. She was a volunteer at the United Hospital in Port Chester and a very active parishioner at churches in Por t Chester; Dennis, Massachusetts and Naples. Along with her husband, she was devoted to volunteerism and community service. Both were reputed for their donations of time to many organizations that helped the disabled, the young, and the poor. Bobbie was ahead of her time. She had a strong and independent spir it, yet she was fiercely loyal to her family. She was an incredibly supportive wife, a loving mother, a doting and joyful grandmother, and a special friend to many. She and Walt taught us all how to be united as a couple and how to face things together. Barbara is survived by her three loving children, William, Diane (Peter Grzybala), and Paul (Linda Griffith); two grandchildren, Kim Grzybala (f iance Rick Mooney) and Emma Korntheuer; and her beloved nieces, whom she adored. The family wishes to thank her wonderful caregivers, Laurie and Cory, who were angels to them both. A memorial service and celebration of her life will be held at a later date. Burial w i l l b e pr ivate at t he Greenwoo d Un ion Cemeter y in Rye, N Y. In lieu of f lowers, memorial contributions can be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Naples (250 Sixth Street South, Naples, FL 34102), the Congregational Church in South Glastonbury (PO Box 187, South Glastonbury, CT 06073), or the Dennis Union Church (P.O. Box 2020, Dennis, MA 02638).

John Kirwin John Patrick Kirwin, age 83 passed away peacefully in his sleep May 21, 2020 at home. He was born in Greenwich, CT; he moved to Florida in the late 1950's following his service in the Army. He was predeceased by Mar y Frances Kirwin, his wife of 40+ years; and Sean Kirwin, his son, sisters Mary Lou Kirwin Russo and Edythe Kirwin McGorty, his mother Edith Kirwin Duff and his stepfather Howard Duff. He is survived by Jane Medress Burwick, his stepdaughter, Kira Kirwin, his granddaughter, Zach Medress, his grandson, Johanna Kirwin, his daughter-in-law, his sister Joan Ecay and her husband Tom Ecay, Karen Charatan his niece, as well as many other nieces and nephews he was fond and proud of. A veteran of the military, as he aged, john always had a soft spot for the guys who served in the armed forces and were wounded. He always considered that those men deserved better care and contributed to their needs whenever he could. John was a lifetime member of the elks, as well as a son of the American Legion. His perpetual good nature with people worked wel l for h im. First when he a nd his friends opened a lounge called TJ's in Ft. Lauderdale in the 1960's as a bartender ex t raord i na i re , a nd later i n sa le s of RV memberships that took him and his wife Mary around the country from California, to Texas, Virginia, Massachusetts, and even Alaska. At every post he won over clients and staff and progressed rapidly to management. John continued in that business until his retirement in Clermont, FL, in the home he and Mary had built. A warm, cheerful man, John left an indelible impression with his gentle thoughtful style, unf lagging sense of humor and eagerness to help others. In recent years, John led a quiet life, learning to use his iPad for solitaire games, while staunchly refusing to adapt to technology and open his email! He always enjoyed a good scotch before dinner, the occasional stop at the local pub for camaraderie and even welcomed company once in a while at home while revering his solitude, reading detective stories to entertain himself at night along with a few favorite TV shows (blue bloods being top of the list). He took great pride in his home and mastered the art of managing household maintenance his wife had insisted he avoid when she lived. At the onset of Mary's illness, John made it clear he would care for her no matter the diff iculty as she wanted to remain in their home to the end. He chose to stay there as well, living with their personal happy memories. Despite the physical separation from friends, he managed to maintain contact by phone with his family and friends in every corner of the country. John was always up to tell a good story! He'll be affectionately remembered and missed by us all.

On Faith

Page 12 | Greenwich Sentinel

On Faith Feature

An Unexpected Prayer

By the Rev. Terry Elsberry I’ve seen a lot in my years as an American—and a patriotic one at that. I’ve lived through the Viet Nam War and the divisions it caused. I remember John Kennedy’s assassination. I remember the Kent State shooting. I remember 1968— the year of riots and assassinations. I lived through, pretty close at hand, 911. I’ve lived through the Iraq war, and—seemingly endlessly, the war in Afghanistan. I remember Newtown, been horrified by the number of shootings of innocent Americans by other Americans. I remember all these painful and tragic occurrences. They hurt us deeply at the time, as a nation, as individuals. But these past weeks have made a permanent dent in our national psyche that is in some ways unlike the others for depth of confusion. It’s not just the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. It’s not just the demonstrations—some, unfortunately, violent; most, I’m glad to see, non-violent. It’s that the demonstrations have moved b eyond ou r b orders to ma ny ot her countries as well. And the whole thing has been taking place against the desperate reality of the Corona Virus—still taking lives, still robbing people of their jobs and livelihood, still spiking now in new parts of the country. Too much, you must be feeling if you’re like me. Too much anger. Too much pain. Too much suffering. Too much injustice. Too much unfairness. Too much anxiety about what the future might bring.

S O W H AT I S T H E R E F O R U S CHRISTIANS TO DO? Obviously, we can take a stand for justice, equality, compassion and caring. There’s something else we can do. I keep coming back to it. Whatever we do to help people who need food or jobs or help of some kind, whatever we might do to take a stand for equality, we need to do something else. We need to pray. We must pray. We have to pray. As the people of God, you and I need to be praying, we need to be interceding, we need to be crying out to the Lord for His intervention, His help in healing our nation. A long w ith intercession, there’s another kind of pray I have in mind. It might surprise you, because the kind of prayer I’m suggesting may not be exactly what you’ve thought of before. Of course, we have to specifically pray the Lord will end the virus, guide scientific researchers to finding some kind of virus or antidote and soon. Of course, we need to pray for the people who need them to get jobs, homes, food, medical attention. Of course, we need to pray for an end to violence, where ever and however it rears its ugly head. O f c ou r s e , we n e e d to p r ay for equality—racial, religious, gender equality— everywhere the needs exists. We need to pray specifically for these things. But when I look at the overall picture of this country I love so much, when I try to climb higher, to gain some higher p ersp e c t ive t ha n t he one I usua l ly inhabit, I’m reminded of a very different

kind of prayer we might consider praying these days. It’s a kind of praying that may come as a surprise to you. It’s a prayer in which we thank God when to the natural eye it looks like we don’t have much to thank Him for. C a l l it c o u nte r i nt u it i ve . C a l l it nonsensical, if you’re a basic kind of guy like me. Because of what I’ve experienced in my life, I call it powerful. I first learned about this kind of prayer when the Lord showed me how to make it work in my own life. It happened years ago. I was still quite a young man. I was pretty happy and welladjusted but I’d lost a job and needed a new start. All my searches had led to nothing. Having come to know the Lord and His goodness and the help He offers us in times of trouble, I made a decision. I would barricade myself in the guest bedroom for an entire day, with timeout only for lunch. I would isolate myself for the day, with no interruptions and—as we read in the Bible—wait on the Lord. I would ask Him for guidance. Beg Him to show me what to do, where to go from here. I spent the morning praying, Bible in hand, hoping He’d give me some great revelation about my future. To no avail. Nothing came. I broke for lunch, came back to my prayers. But how much praying can you do in a day? I was out of prayers. I was feeling discouraged, frustrated, doubtful if the Lord was going to give me anything at all. Maybe, I thought, the whole day had been a total waste of time. Finally, in a fit of frustration, I flung

myself face down on the carpet. I said something like, “Lord, if you’re here, show me what to do.” Immediately a Bible verse shot through my mind. It was from a book in the Old Testament I barely knew existed: the prophet Habakkuk. The verse was Habakkuk chapter 3, verses 17-19. It goes like this: “Though the fig tree should not blossom, And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail, And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold, Yet I will exult in the Lord. I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places.” I knew enough about Habakkuk to know that he wrote this from his own experience. He wrote this in a desperate time when Judah was about to be conquered by a foreign power. As a prophet of God, Habakkuk was heartsick that such an awful thing was about to befall God’s people. But what did Habakkuk do in the face of seeming disaster. He sat down and wept, right? No, he didn’t. He made the choice, he made the decision to do the opposite. Instead of gloom, Habakkuk chose the opposite. He chose thanks. Here he praises and thanks the Lord DESPITE all these problems. In that moment, I felt led by the Lord to do the same. I began to thank Him, out loud, for all my many blessings. Instead of feeling sorry for myself and my situation, I chose a higher path. The path of praise and thanksgiving. I thanked God. I even sang an old camp

chorus about thanking Him. And in a matter of a few minutes, I got my answer. In a matter of minutes, I saw the way clear to my happy new beginning. So for us, as Americans, as American Christians confronted by our country’s myriad and manifest problems, along with asking the Lord to change things for the better, let’s take a page from the prophet and let’s thank the Lord for all the blessings we have as free Americans. Because when we thank the Lord in tough times, with our thankful attitude comes a new and positive way of seeing things, of doing things, of overcoming trouble and making a more constructive new beginning—for us and for these United State. By thanking Him in dark days, we remind ourselves that we’re not alone He’s there in the darkness with us, beside us to see us through to a brighter tomorrow. As it is for you and me, may it be with our country we love so much. As I was writing this, I happened to take time out to read today’s comments in the daily devotional “God Calling.” Here’s what I read: “OFFER UNTO ME THE SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING AND PAY YOUR VOWS T O T H E MO S T H IGH , A N D THEN CALL UPON ME IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE AND I WILL DELIVER YOU. “ Terry served as Associate Rector at Christ Church from 1986-1994, and has now returned as Priest Associate. He recently retired as the Rector of St. Matthew’s Church in Bedford, NY, where he served for the last 23 years.

Worship Services & Events ASSEMBLIES OF GOD Harvest Time Church 1338 King St., 203-531-7778 www.htchurch.com In-Person Worship Services: Sundays: 8:30, 10 & 11:30am (tickets will be made available each week via Eventbrite. Services will continue to be live-streamed). Online Sunday Worship available at htchurch.com & social media outlets. Walking with The King, Mon 8pm. Find Freedom, Tue 8:30am, via Zoom. GriefShare: Wed through June 24, 1-2:30pm. Pray with the Pastors: Thu, 8pm. HTKidz Worship – a weekly Bible story and simple activities parents can do at home to reinforce the lesson (bit.ly/HTKidzList). ‘GriefShare’ online weekly meeting (credentials to participate will be supplied to you when you register).

22, 7pm, tent on the St. Agnes campus, sign-up, lori.wilson@stcsta.org. No-Contact Food Drive for Neighbor to Neighbor: Tuesdays, 9-11am, (there will be a car or SUV with an open trunk in the parking lot across from St. Catherine’s church, please drop your bagged grocery donations in the trunk). St. Mary Church 178 Greenwich Ave.; 203-8699393 www.stmarygreenwich.org

Sunday Service via FB Live: 11:30am.

Virtual Daily Mass: Mon-Sun, 12pm, with Fr. La Pastina on Facebook. Visit EWTN.com for daily Mass at 8am with encore at 12pm. Confessions resume: Saturdays, 2:45-3:45pm, on the patio. Summer Rosary: Sun & Tue, 7:30pm, via YouTube Live. Public Sunday Mass: June 21, 9, 10:30am & 12:15pm, on the patio (must make reservation in advance by calling the Parish Office Thu or Fri, 9am3pm and speak to the receptionist (Voicemail reservations cannot be honored).

Greenwich Baptist Church 10 Indian Rock Ln; 203-869-2807 www.greenwichbaptist.org

St. Michael the Archangel 469 North St.; 203-869-5421 www.stmichaelgreenwich.com

Online Worship - Sunday, 11am, streamed through Facebook and website (greenwichbaptist.org/ livestream). Sunday Morning Prayer: Sun, 8:30-9:15am, via Google Meet. Bible Study: Sun, 9:30-10:30am, via Google Meet.

Sunday Mass: 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30am, outdoors in the parking lot (make a reservation: signupgenius.com/go/ stmichaelgreenwich). All Masses and Adoration will continue to be livestreamed.

BAPTIST First Baptist Church 10 Northfield St.; 203-869-7988 www.firstbaptistgreenwich.com

CATHOLIC Sacred Heart Church 95 Henry St.; 203-531-8730 www.sacredheartgreenwich.org In-person Mass: Sat: 4pm; Sun: 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30am. (Registration for attending any Mass is required. Call or leave your message or text only at: 203559-9256 or email: sacredheartgrn@ optonline.net. Registration closes by 1pm on Fridays). Sacrament of Reconciliation (Church) by appt.; Sacrament of Baptism: Sun, 12:30pm (call the parish office in advance). Weekday Masses will resume on June 29. St. Catherine and St. Agnes St. Agnes: 247 Stanwich Rd; St. Catherine of Siena: 4 Riverside Ave; 203-637-3661 www.stc-sta.org Daily Mass under the Tent: MonFri, 5:15-5:45pm (sign up through homepage). Virtual Daily Mass: Mon-Fri, 7-7:30am, (sign up through homepage). Virtual Mass via Zoom: Sun 10:30am & Wed 1:30pm (Daily). Virtual events: Rosary: Mon, 1:30pm; Prayer and Conversation: Tue & Thu, 1:30pm; Stations of the Cross: Fri, 1:30pm. The priests of the parish will celebrate Mass privately for your intentions. Parish Partners offers hotline & daily prayer at 203-637-3661 x375. In-person Book Discussion Group resumes: ‘The Universal Christ’, by Richard Rohr (Chapters 16 & 17): June

St. Timothy Chapel 1034 North St.; 203-869-5421 Outdoor public celebration of Mass: Mon-Sat: 7:30 & 9:30am, St. Timothy’s Chapel. Sun: 7:30, 9:30 11:30am, St. Michael’s Church. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: Wed, 10am-4pm & Sun, 12-1pm. Confessions: Wed, 1011am & 3-4pm, St. Timothy’s chapel (make a reservation: signupgenius. com/go/stmichaelgreenwich). All Masses and Adoration will continue to be live-streamed. St. Paul Church 84 Sherwood Ave.; 203-531-8741 www.stpaulgreenwich.org Online daily Mass at EWTN.com, 8am with encore at 12pm. Daily Mass also available on Bishop Robert Barron’s website at wordonfire.org/daily-mass. Confessions by appointment only – leave a message at 203-531-8741 ext. 2. Public Mass Celebration - the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time: June 20, 4pm, reservations are required by visiting the homepage or calling 203-531-8741 ext. 4 or dial 203-542-0551. St. Roch Church 10 St. Roch Ave.; 203-869-4176 www.strochchurch.com Mass - via live streaming: Mon-Sat 8am (Latin), Mon-Sat 9am (English), Sun 7:30am (English), [Concelebrated for Previously Scheduled 7:30am & 9:30am Mass Intentions], Sun 1pm (Spanish) [Concelebrated for Previously Scheduled 11:30am & 1pm Mass

Intentions]. The Church will be open as follows (for private prayer): M-F 10am8pm, Sat 3-6pm, Sun 9am-12pm. Eucharistic Adoration (silent): M-F 7-8pm, Sat 5-6pm, Sun 9am-12pm. CHRISTIAN SCIENCE First Church of Christ, Scientist 11 Park Place; 203-869-2503 www.christiansciencect.org/ greenwich Sunday and Wednesday services via live tele-conference: 203-680-9095, code is 520520*. COMMUNITY First Church of Round Hill 464 Round Hill Rd.; 203-629-3876 firstchurchofroundhill.com Worship services are cancelled until further notice. The office is also closed until further notice. (If you need to reach Rev. Leo W. Curry, pastor, or any other personnel, call 203-629-3876 and leave a message or email fcroundhill@ outlook.com) Round Hill Community Church 395 Round Hill Rd.; 203-869-1091 www.roundhillcommunitychurch. org Sunday Worship & Church School - Online: Sun 10am, youtu.be/ CNjyLHzsRlI. Face Masks for BGCG: for more information on this project, contact jjacullo@optonline.net. CONGREGATIONAL The First Congregational Church 108 Sound Beach Ave; 203-6371791 www.fccog.org Online Worship Service: Sun 10am, through live-streaming on YouTube and broadcast on WGCH (or tune to AM1490 or FM105.5). Virtual Community Hour: Sun 11am, via Zoom (meeting ID: 909 415 108, password: 003930). Connect during the week: Monday: Music on Mondays (sent by Craig Symons); Wednesday: Wisdom on Wednesdays (sent by Rev. Patrick Collins); Thursday: Faith Formation at Home for All (sent by Rosemary Lamie); Fridays on Facebook (live @ 3pm with Rev. Patrick Collins). North Greenwich Congregational 606 Riversville Rd.; 203-869-7763 www.northgreenwichchurch.org Online Worship Service: Sun 10:30am, via Zoom. Please email Rev. Halac at Pastor@northgreenwichchurch. org any day and at any time until 9am on Sunday and you will receive an invitation link. Second Congregational Church 139 E Putnam Ave.; 203-869-9311 www.2cc.org

www.churchoftheadvent.org Service: Sun 9am Holy Eucharist. Sunday School during academic year. Christ Church Greenwich 254 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-8696600 www.christchurchgreenwich.org Outdoor Worship: Sun, 9am, Tomes-Higgins-Front Lawn (during Summer weather permitting), registration is required, akryzak@ christchurchgreenwich.org. Virtual Worship Service: Sun: Holy Eucharist, 10am, livestream. Sunday Forum via Zoom, 11:15am. Morning Prayer: Weekdays, 8am, on Zoom. Evensong: Thu, 5pm, livestream. Morning Prayer live-sessions: 7 & 9am at dailyoffice. org. Prayer of the Cloud Meditation via Zoom: Mon, 7-8pm. Organ Recitals: Fri, 5:30pm, Facebook Live. Virtual ‘Packathon’ – ongoing (onrealm. o r g/P a r i s h C h r i s t C h u/-/g i ve/ outreach). St. Barnabas Episcopal Church 954 Lake Ave.; 203-661-5526 www.stbarnabasgreenwich.org Virtual Morning Prayer: Sun, 10am. Virtual Coffee Hour, 10:45am. Sunday Service in-person resumes: June 21, 8-9am & 10-11am, registration required, signupgenius.com/ go/4090e4aadac2ea3ff2-sunday1. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 200 Riverside Ave.; 203-637-2447 www.stpaulsriverside.org Online Morning Prayer: Sun, 10:1511:15am. The Book of Common Prayer is available online in PDF format: stpaulsriverside.org/online-worshipresources. Faith At Home - crafted devotional materials for families and individuals available at dofaithathome. org. Mass on the Grass: June 21, 10:15-11:15am. VBS Art Camp: June 22-26, 9am-12pm, $125/week or $25/day (family discounts available), ann.post@ stpaulsriverside.org. Evening Prayer: June 21 & 25, 7pm, via Zoom. St. Saviour’s Episcopal Church 350 Sound Beach Ave; 203-6372262 www.saintsaviours.org Online Worship Services on Youtube. In-person resumes: June 21, 11am.

available Service

JEWISH Chabad Lubavitch of Greenwich 75 Mason St.; 203-629-9059 www.chabadgreenwich.org

EPISCOPAL

Services available via Zoom. PJ Library Zoom Storytime: MonThurs, 3pm & Fri, 2pm. June 19: Daily Tanya and Hayom Yom Inspiration Rabbi Deren and Andy Wels, 8:30-8:50am (zoom. us/j/4881360762); Sermons, Songs, and Candlelighting, 6:307pm (zoom.us/j/4881360762).

Anglican Church of the Advent 606 Riversville Rd.; 203-861-2432

Congregation Shir Ami 1273 E. Putnam Ave, PO Box 312,

Services available online, details at 2cc.org. Contemporary Worship: Sat, 5pm. Traditional Sunday Service: 10:30am.

Must a Christian Fight for Justice? By Marek P. Zabriskie A generalization can be made that liberal mainline churches have focused on social justice and outreach while evangelical churches have focused on personal salvation. That trend can be seen in churches across the United States. As a lifelong Episcopalian, my experience is that Episcopal chu r che s a r e out st a nd i ng at outreach. We excel at helping those in need and addressing poverty. We carry out this area of ministry better than we do when it comes to teaching the Bible and evangelizing. It is embodied in the very words of our Baptismal Covenant, where we are asked, W i l l yo u s e e k a n d s e r v e Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human

being? (Book of Common Prayer, p. 305) To each question, we respond, “We will with God’s help.” While we a lso com m it to “proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ,” most Episcopalians prefer to preach our sermons through our actions rather than our words. A s a r e s u lt , m a ny o f o u r members are passionate about outreach, service, mission trips, helping those in need, addressing social injustice and reducing poverty, yet we struggle to know where in the Bible we are urged by God to carry out this work. The good news is that we serve. The late Verna Dozier, a wonderf ul teacher of the Bible, spoke for many mainline Christians when she wrote in her book, “The Dream of God,” “I believe the Christian church has distorted the call, narrowed it from a call to transform the world to a call to save the souls of

individuals who hear and heed a specific message, narrowed it from a present possibility to a future fulfillment.” The Bible speaks emphatically about social justice and our need to work together to reduce and eliminate poverty. The Good Book calls all believers to fight against injustices, exercise compassion, treat everyone with equality, care for widows, orphans, strangers and the poor. From the beginning to the end, the Bible urges us to care for t he na ked, t he homeless, the immigrant, the refugee, the marginalized, the weak and the defenseless. The Bible speaks more about issues of wealth and poverty than about any other ethical issue – by far. On the other hand, mainline churches have many members whose religion revolves around attending church, serving in a ministry that supports beautiful worship or gracious hospitality,

both of which are often centered on our own membership. “Why do we need to focus so much on the poor?” some lament. “Shouldn’t everyone work hard in order to get ahead? I have no guilt about what I have. Let others work hard and make a living for themselves,” they say, as if poverty were a convenient choice. Such a viewpoint can hardly be called Christian - as if Jesus spent most of his time organizing worship services and receptions t hat fol lowe d t hem. Worsh ip is at the heart of our faith and ever y th ing moves out f rom there in service to others in the name of a loving, forgiving and compassionate God. The overall mandate of the Bible is to serve others in need. The Rev. Dr. Katherine Grieb, professor of New Testament at the Virginia Theological Seminary notes, “…every part of the Bible is concerned with care for the poor and warnings to those who have

economic privilege to use their wealth wisely and for the common good, not just for themselves.” Hence, the Bible has inspired Christians to found hospices, which became the forerunners of today’s hospitals, and to create schools to educate church leaders. These schools evolved into the g re at u n iversit ies of O x ford, Cambridge, Paris, Bologna and Salamanca, which gave bir th to culture and the pursuit of knowledge on all sorts of subjects. It was monks working tirelessly in scriptoriums who kept knowledge and learning alive in the Dark Ages. Monasteries served as learning centers, homeless shelters, food distribution centers and hospitals for the community. St. Benedict of Norcia created what he called “a simple rule for beginners” in Italy around 500 A.D., which was the basis for monastic communities, founded on a principle of equality – an idea that was virtually unknown in the

Western world. Every monk or nun, whether he or she was born a noble or a p easa nt, was to b e t reate d equally. Each monk had a vote in the weekly chapter meetings that governed the monastery, whether he had been a member of the monastery for decades or had just joined. The English Houses of Parliament first met in the Chapter Room of Westminster Abbey, a nearby Benedictine abbey. The parliamentarians employed some of Benedict’s principles to govern their actions. This included that each representative was entitled to one vote. The Rule of St. Benedict therefore helped give birth to our modern concept of democracy, wh ich has done wonders for addressing social justice and combatting poverty. The Rev. Marek P. Zabriskie, is Rector of Christ Church Greenwich

Unlocking God’s Love In You For Another Person By Bishop Andrew Williams and more healers The f undamental reason for loving our neighbor is not simply because God commands us to love them, nor is it because they are loved by God and are therefore worthy to be loved by us (although both of these are entirely valid points) – the critical reason is that God has placed in us, has entrusted to us, His own love for them. When we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in the operation of the golden rule, we unlock that deposit of love. God has demonstrated infinite love and mercy for us in giving us Jesus. He asks us not to close the circuit, not to keep that love for ourselves, but rather to participate in the open circuitry of God’s love. So, what would it be like for you to live a Spirit-led golden rule day? The operation of the Spirit-filled golden rule not only changes the lives of those around us – it transforms us. The more we live it out the more we want to daily inhabit it. The specifics are unique to each of us, but the fruit is the same – joy in the Holy Spirit and the fullness of the life of Jesus in abundance. G od thank you for the great gift of your love that is so abundant it can be shared with all. Help me to bring low any barriers that keep your love from flowing through me to my neighbors. The Golden Rule - less haters

The sage old advice is, that if you don’t want to ruin a perfectly decent cocktail party don’t mention religion or politics or at least don’t mention them in the same breath. And the same school of etiquette would say that if you don’t want to destroy a perfectly decent faith community, don’t bring politics into the pulpit. There is evidence of exactly this k ind of politesse being heeded both in the Bible and in history. In the first book of Kings, the prophet Elijah urged the people of God to see the error of some quite obviously ungodly political and societal practices (including child sacrifice) and we are told that, in the face of his remonstrations, “…the people [of God] said nothing.” (1 Kings 18:21b). And in saying nothing, they cast their vote for the status quo. In much the same way, whilst the nineteenth century reformer, William Wilberforce, declared, "So enor mous, so dreadful, so irremediable did the [slave] trade's wickedness a p p e a r t h a t m y ow n m i n d was completely made up for abolition. Let the consequences be what they would: I from this time determined that I would never rest until I had effected its abolition.” In stark contrast, many British churches in the 1800s “said nothing ” in the face of slavery and so cast their vote in favor of the slave trader.

The same can be said of faith communities that remained silent during the civil rights movement. The paradox is that not to be political will always have political consequences. Jesus had another idea. He called us to be salt and light. Specifically, He told us, “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13a, 14a). As salt and light, we are called to serve, engage with, and love the world. Isaiah records God’s clear mandate: “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to lose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6). O u r d i f f i c u lt i e s a r e n o t occasioned when a person of faith becomes active in politics, nor are they precipitated when a person of faith adheres to a particular political party. The cha l lenge c ome s when a ny particular party is held out as God’s holy, and only political platform. Pastor and author, Tim Keller, recounts the following true story: “I know of a man from Mississippi who was a conservative Republican and a traditional Presbyterian. He visited the Scottish Highlands and found the churches there as strict and as orthodox as he had hoped. No one so much as turned on a television on a Sunday. Everyone memorized catechisms and Scripture. But

one day he discovered that the Scottish Christian friends he admired were (in his v iew) socialists. Their understanding of government economic policy and the state’s responsibilities was by his lights very left-wing, yet also grounded in their Christian convictions. He returned to the United States not more politically liberal but, in his words, ‘ hu m b le d a nd ch a s te n e d .’ ” Keller concludes, “He realized that thoughtful Christians, all trying to obey God’s call, could reasonably appear at different places on the political spectrum, with loyalties to different political strategies.” As people of faith, do we imagine that our political ambitions are somehow binary? By that, I mean that we can either elect to “say nothing” (thereby following the dubious example of the people of God in the first book of Kings) or throw our whole weight behind one party and thereby have no option but to buy wholesa le, what British ethicist James Mumford r efers to a s, “pack age - de a l ethics.” Is it possible, however, that the community of faith has the greater potential to serve and assist in raising the level of political debate and even bridge partisan divides? In Jesus’ words, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” we have what is argued to be the greatest ethical maxim ever devised. It is breathtakingly b r i l l i a nt . T h e G o l d e n R u l e

takes our own sense of selfpreservation and redeploys it for the good of others. Of the Golden Rule, Martin Luther, the great reformer, said, “It was certainly very clever of Christ to state it this way.” We all are born with certain baggage. We are who we are, where we were born, who we were born as, how we were raised. And it is too easy to get stuck inside that person. We usually focus on how we are being treated. When we are asked, “How did your day go today?” we hear, “How did people treat us?” The Golden Rule turns that on its head and asks, “How did you treat others?” The Golden Rule invites us to crawl inside another person’s life and to see and feel the world through his or her eyes, experiencing the world as if you were that person. The Golden Rule invites us to take a leap of sanctified imagination and then take action accordingly. And by God’s Spirit, the Golden Rule w ill inev itably lead to our participation in political processes — but as we do so, we learn how to listen with more love, more peace, some added forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and a lot more self-control. Does this all sound like the idyllic rose-tinted ramblings of a Bishop? Possibly. And yet, when the white nationalist, Robert Bowers, who killed 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue on October

27 2018, arrived at an emergency room with several bullet wounds, the doctor and nurse waiting to him at Allegheny General Hospital were Jewish. Indeed, the hospital’s president, Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, belongs to the Tree of Life congregation that Bowers mer c i le ssly at t acke d. They tended to Bowers, as they would attend to any patient. “We’re here to take care of sick people,” Cohen said. For me, their actions are the finest political speech that I have heard in a very long time. Here we see the embodiment of the Jewish concept of tikkun olam — the rabbinical teaching that, under God, we each have a duty to repair a broken world. Whatever our political allegiance, we all need a holistic faith that shares the love of God in word and in deed because the world is in a holistic mess. The journalist William Falk writes prophetically, “Our world is badly in need of repair. Our wounds need tending. We need more healers and less haters.” Holy God, I want to participate in your great work of healing and restoration, bringing the same transforming love that I receive to those around me - even those most unlike me. Give me your Spirit's strength and humility to do this, not begrudgingly, but filled with joy and peace. Amen.

Worship Services & Events Riverside; 203-900-7976; Shirami.info@ gmail.com www.congregationshirami.org All services, programs and celebrations are available online via Zoom. Shabbat/Oneg: June 19, 7:309:30pm, Zoom link to be provided. Greenwich Reform Synagogue 92 Orchard St.; 203-629-0018 www.grs.org Online programs streamed virtually on Zoom.us: Tot Shabbat with Rabbi Gerson and Cantor Dunkerley, Fri, 5pm. Shabbat services with Rabbi Gerson and Cantor Dunkerley, Fri, 7pm. Jewish meditation and text study with Rabbi Gerson, Tue-Fri, 12pm. Storytime for Kids with Rabbi Gerson, Tue-Thu 5:30pm. Kids Sing Along with Cantor Dunkerley, Mon-Thu, 10am. Annual Congregational Meeting – online: June 25. Temple Sholom 300 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-8697191 www.templesholom.com

286 Delavan Ave.; 203-531-8466 Worship Services Live-streamed at firstpaul.com/live-stream. METHODIST Diamond Hill United Methodist 521 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-8692395 www.diamondhillumc.com Online Worship via Zoom. Hangout with Pastor Carol: Tues-Sat, 5-6pm, zoom.us/j/262529082 (No agenda, no structure - just stop by to hang out, talk about what is on your mind. Join in for any portion or the whole hour. Prayer requests accepted). Via phone: Dial-in: +1-929-436-2866 US (NY), Meeting ID: 262 529 082. ‘What Happened to the Disciples?’, Wed, 7:30pm, via Zoom (or Dial-in: +1 929 436 2866 US. Meeting ID: 940 2222 0303, Password: 516742). First United Methodist Church 59 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-629-9584 www.fumcgreenwich.com

LUTHERAN

Virtual Sunday Worship, 9:30am, via Zoom (203 629 9584). Virtual Daily Gathering: Mon-Fri, 3pm, Zoom. Talking with Your Hands, Mon 3pm. Reading this World as a Christian, Tue 3pm. Back to Rock – music with Mr. Bruce, every Tue, 3pm, via Zoom. Reading the Shape of Scripture, Wed, 3pm, via Zoom. Spring Bible Study, Thu, 3pm, via Zoom. Tea & Talk, Fri 3pm, via Zoom. Worship with NYAC: June 14, 9:30am.

First Lutheran Church 38 Field Point Rd.; 203-869-0032 www.firstpaul.com

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal 42 Lake Ave.; 203-661-3099

The Service of the Word is streamed live at 10am on Sundays. Holy Communion is offered throughout the week (at First Lutheran) by appointment.

Worship via teleconference: Sun, 11am and until further notice (Dial-in number: 425-436-6380, Access code: 612220).

St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran

NONDENOMINATIONAL

Services – live-streamed: Fri 6:30pm; Sat 10am; Sun 8:30am. If you have an emergency and need to reach a member of the clergy, dial 203-8697191 ext. 3. Temple Sholom Annual Meeting: June 22, 6:30-7:30pm. Lunch ‘N Learn: June 23, 12-1pm.

Revive Church 90 Harding Rd., Old Greenwich (Old Greenwich Civic Center) www.myrevive.org Online sermons available on Facebook (facebook.com/ myrevivechurchgreenwich) and on Youtube. All groups will be online. Direct any prayer needs to the prayer chain at 203-536-2686 or revivecfm@ gmail.com. Stanwich Church 202 Taconic Rd.; 203-661-4420 www.stanwichchurch.org Worship online: Sun, 10:45am, (stanwichchurch.org/live-streaming). Prayer Hour: Mon 7pm, Wed 6:30am, Fri 7am, via conference call (Dial 515-6065410, punch in access code: 119748#). Alpha Online Sessions: Mon, 7:308:45pm, register. Facebook Live with Pastor David: Wed 7pm. Student Small Groups: Fri 6:30pm, via Zoom. InPerson Worship Service resumes: June 21, 10am (limited capacity), registration needed. Seniors and College Student Bible Study: June 23, 7-8:15pm, via Zoom The Albertson Memorial Church 293 Sound Beach Ave; 203-637-4615 www.albertsonchurch.org Sunday Services and all church activities have been cancelled until further notice. Trinity Church 1 River Rd.; 203-618-0808 www.trinitychurch.life Online Sunday Services: 9:45am, youtube.com/c/ TrinityChurchLife/ live. Digital Devos (a 30-minute ‘dropin’ devotional and prayer via Zoom call: Tue & Fri, 11:30am; Thu, 7pm,

TrinityChurch.Life. Alpha (online): Tue, 7:30-8:45pm. Give and receive help during Covid-19 – join the Covid-19 Crisis Care Team or request help and support, visit TrinityChurch.Life. PRESBYTERIAN First Presbyterian Church 1 W. Putnam Ave.; 203-869-8686 www.fpcg.org Online Worship: Sun 10-11am at fpcg.org/live. Sunday School online, 10:15-11am. Email info@fpcg.org with questions. Beginning June 3: Summer Wednesdays (Online) - Join Ellie and Tara on Zoom every other Wed, 4:305:30pm, ages 4-4th Grade, email ellie. strathdee@fpcg.org (a Zoom link will be sent out bi-weekly). Grace Church of Greenwich 8 Sound Shore Dr., Suite 280 203-861-7555 www.gracechurchgreenwich.com Worship is cancelled indefinitely. Sermons available on the website. Living Hope Community Church 38 West End Ave; 203-637-3669 www.LivingHopeCT.org Worship Service online: Sun, 1011:15am (YouTube or Facebook). Coffee and fellowship: Sun, 11:15am12pm, via Zoom. Following the service prayer teams will be available to pray for you (fill out a form on the webpage). Wednesday Prayer: Wed, 8:30-9am. Men’s Prayer Night: June 19, 7-8pm. Young Life Greenwich Krispy Kreme Donut sale: June 24, 8:30am, parking lot, $10/box, 203273-8546, laurelscar1970@gmail. com, greenwich.younglife.org

Page 14 | Greenwich Sentinel

LOCAL COLUMNS

A Moment of Transformation

By Margaret Allred Finnerud

Dear Greenwich, We write with gracious thanks for your support for our work and for your continued partnership in ministry. Individually and through your congregations, you represent the lifeblood of Greenw ich Chaplaincy Services at a time when our work of spiritual care to the elderly, their families and the staff of seven Greenwich facilities has become even more critical. The pandemic for us represents a moment of transformation as we learn to minister telephonically and digitally as well as personally. Our chaplains “visit” daily to maintain the connections so important to those who are fragile and confined. We stand ready to support, as ever, when loss o cc u rs. A nd while we have not been able to worship communally, we continue to provide care in all the ways available as we work remotely. While many in Greenwich may assume we are supported with public funds, more than ever we rely on private, philanthropic

support. The facilities we serve are experiencing financial strains and some have stepped back from their financial contributions. Thus far, we have continued chaplaincy nonetheless through the personal generosity of chaplains who work some hours without compensation at those locations. We would like in this year to rectify this by renewing our relationships with all those who value our services—facilities, donors, families and friends. While so much grief and loss has come our way with the pandemic, we have all recognized the special needs of elderly in nursing homes—the fundamental work of Greenwich Chaplaincy Services since its founding in 1968. We know that you recognize us as an extension of the ministry of the congregation as pastoral caregivers to members of your faith community. This year we need your f inancial help more than ever as we adapt for the longer term to the requirements of a COVID-19 reality. What does this mean? We will train more to learn new technical skills and even

likely re-tool to reach more people through virtual visitation. We plan to reach out to families who are experiencing separation from their loved ones. Our partners who also serve remote clients will teach us how to lead worship without a present congregation. These are just a few of the new ministries we envision as we prayerfully discern God’s call in this unprecedented time. T h e r e a r e m a ny w a y s t o support us including through o u r w e b s i t e : h t t p : // w w w. greenwichchaplaincy.org. We hope you will consider a gift this year as you are able that acknowledges the importance we all place on spiritual care to elderly residents in Greenwich profoundly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. With all thanks and God’s blessings, T h e Re v . M a r g a r e t A l l r e d Finnerud is the Executive Director of the Greenwich Chaplainc y Services and can be reached at revmeg14@gmail.com.

Children Change the World

By David Cohen

There are important changes taking place in the world, with the goals of equality and fairness. These will occur on a systemic level. However, educators, parents and other adults in children’s lives have a different type of opportunity. We can instill the values that help children know that people are equal; that everyone needs to be treated fairly. It is so much easier to support healthy development in our children, than it is to undo prejudices that have already been formed. Young children learn from their immediate environment – home, school and community. While the news and other media are great resources for adults, these are not relatable or appropriate for children. Children learn from experience and from watching others. Therefore, we need to choose our resources and then follow through with our actions. Books, stories and, for the creative folks, puppets, provide a great beginning point. Stories can present challenges and obstacles, as well as some productive ways to overcome. When characters feel frustrated, how do they react? When someone is being treated unfairly, how is the situation resolved? When someone needs help, to whom do they turn? There are certainly many good answers for these questions, and we may each have a dif ferent opinion regarding those answers. We just need to commit to thoughtful consideration and intentional teaching. If your goal is for your child to be proactive in social justice, you need to provide the

tools and the experience in doing so. After reading a book about a character who was being excluded from the group, find a natural opportunity to discuss

be perfect, but you need to honest. It is such a powerful lesson when an adult owns a mistake and takes the steps to fix it. “I had a hard day at work and I ended up saying something unkind to my friend. I’m

We just need to commit to thoughtful consideration and intentional teaching. If your goal is for your child to be proactive in social justice, you need to provide the tools and the experience in doing so. further (no child wants a quiz or an interrogation). Ask questions about how the character might have felt? Were people being fair or unfair? How could you have gotten involved? You will then have a point of reference when something happens in real life. As important and impactful as books can be, you are still a primary source of learning. How do you handle frustration? Do you blame others or display fear of people who are different? Do you celebrate diversity? Do you challenge people when you see something unfair? Only you can answer these questions. But, know that children have excellent honesty detectors. This is where the hard work comes in. You don’t need to

going to give a call and apologize.” You should also describe empathy when you see it. “I was surprised when that person was so angry at the store. I wonder what happened to make them so upset. What are some other ways that people can deal with anger?” The point is, don’t hide your emotions or handle every situation behind closed doors. Life has so many teachable moments where children can learn how to be good people. There is a lot of imperfection in the world. The choices that we make with our children today will have a direct impact on what the world looks like in the future. Let’s be thoughtful and honest, taking any steps that we can to be positive role models.

Finding Positives in a Crisis By Bob Arnold It goes without saying that the COVID-19 crisis has changed all of our lives in the most unimaginable of ways. In what seemed to be in the blink of an eye, thousands of people right here in our community found themselves out of work as restaurants, hair salons and other service-related establishments were forced to close. Many of these hard working residents were already living paycheck-to-paycheck, and the sudden loss of income made supporting their families a nearly impossible task. The closures of schools and early education centers have also impacted our children’s education. Without structured daily academic interaction, students of all ages are at greater risk of falling behind important developmental benchmarks – leading to a widening of the growing Achievement Gap. To further compound a difficult situation, those parents fortunate enough to remain employed must now balance distance learning with their own professional responsibilities. Lastly, but certainly not least, the COVID-19 crisis has threatened the overall wellbeing of our communities. In Greenwich alone, nearly 800 of our neighbors tested positive for the virus and about 50 have died. In addition to the physical ramifications of the coronavirus, the great sense of loss, stay-at-home orders and evolving safety protocols have all taken a toll on our mental health. Yet, despite these challenges and the ongoing uncertainty, some significant beacons of light have cut through the fog. Since the

beginning of the pandemic, all of us at Family Centers have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support and genuine concern for those experiencing extreme hardship as a result of the crisis. Greenwich has always been a generous community, and this spirit of togetherness has been on full display over the past three months. During difficult times like these, it’s not uncommon for many people have to a deep desire to provide a lift to others in need. Thanks to the quick action of the Greenwich United Way, Fairfield’s County Community Foundation and other wonderful community funding partners, a number of emergency relief funds have been established to help funnel much-needed dollars to families severely affected by COVID-19. Here at Family Centers, our own Emergency Family Relief Fund has also served as a critical lifeline. Since March 13, we’ve been able to distribute nearly 1,600 “minigrants” totaling more than $500,000 to help our most vulnerable families and individuals access groceries, rent and other basic living necessities. None of these efforts would be possible without the generosity, thoughtfulness and nimbleness of our incredible philanthropic partners. It’s truly heartening to bear witness to the amazing things that can be accomplished when our community acts as one. Another positive that can be gleaned from the past several weeks is the increased access to a variety of important support services. Family Centers, like many area providers, was forced to move quickly from a traditional “bricks

and mortar” set-up to a virtual one in order to address the everchanging human issues caused by COVID-19. While challenging at first, telehealth and videoconferencing technology has made the expertise of physicians, mental health professionals, educators and case workers accessible by the touch of a button. And with so many of our neighbors coping with stress, anxiety and grief as a result of this extended quarantine, these services are in high demand. In less than three months, our Outpatient Behavioral Health counselors and School Based Health Centers social workers conducted a combined 3,300 virtual therapy sessions. Also, since sessions can now be conducted virtually in the privacy of a patient’s home, the stigma typically surrounding mental health counseling has been greatly reduced. These advances and greater accessibility ultimately translate to a healthier community. There is still a great deal of work to be done, but I am confident that the Greenwich community is up for the task. As long as we continue to lean on each other, find ways to lift up those who need help and avail ourselves to the bevy our resources right here in our backyard, there is no doubt we will emerge from this crisis a stronger community. Bob Arnold is the CEO of Family Centers. Providing a comprehensive and innovative network of health, education and human service programs, Family Centers helps more than 21,000 children, adults, families and individuals overcome a variety of obstacles and reach their potential each year. For more information, visit www.familycenters.org.

Elliot Kim and members of the Greenwich High School Performers Showcase Club perform at River House Adult Day Center

It Takes a Villlage By Stephanie Radman If you look up the word “volunteer” in the dictionary, you just might find a photograph of Greenwich High School student, Elliot Kim, next to the definition. Elliot has been a longtime volunteer at River House Adult Day Center (River House) in Cos Cob. He cofounded the Greenwich High School Performers Showcase Club, which is a group of very talented student musician volunteers who perform at various local community centers, including River House. When Elliot and the musicians perform for our clients, you can see a sea of smiles, feet tapping and bodies rocking back and forth to the delightful music. For that, all of us at River House are extremely thankful. Elliot Kim is currently a senior at Greenwich High School, and he will be attending Dartmouth College this fall. Elliot began playing piano at age five and he studied classical piano at the Manhattan School of Music for nine years. As a winner of over a dozen international piano

competitions, he has performed at major concert venues such as Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, and Palazzo Ducale in Italy. Elliot’s performances abroad include masterclasses at international music festivals in Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany and France. Like many area nonprofits, we were forced to cancel our major annual fundraiser, “Rosé on the River,” an elegant dinner with cocktails that was due to be held at our facility on the beautiful Mianus River on May 1, 2020. Months ago, Elliot Kim agreed to perform for River House at our event. You could almost see his smile as he replied to us via email, “ Thank you so much for considering me for this amazing opportunity. I would love to perform and be a part of this special event for River House”. We were all saddened to have to cancel our fundraiser but we marched forward, taking care of our clients and their families the best way that we know how. Elliot Kim would come through yet again for River House. Elliot

knew the importance of our spring fundraiser. Elliot contacted us this spring to tell us that he would be gathering student performances to upload to a YouTube page whereby people could enjoy the music and perhaps donate to a GoFund Me Page on behalf of River House. Well, the music played and the donations c a m e i n . E l l iot K i m a nd t he Greenwich High School Performers Showcase Club have already raised over $5,000.00 for River House Adult Day Center. All of us at River House are very grateful for Elliot Kim, all of the musicians and also those who made donations. If you would like to see the remarkable talents of these special student mu sic ia n volu nte e r s , ple a s e v i s i t : ht t p s : // w w w.yo u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ? v = 2 j E x H Wo y Z I&feature=youtu.be. If you would like to donate to the GoFundMe page, please visit: https://www. gofundme.com/f/virtual-benefitconcert-for-the-river-house?utm_ source=customer&utm_ m e d i u m = c o p y_ l i n k & u t m _ campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1.

GenZ Men and Women By Jennifer Openshaw GenZ – the largest segment of the world’s population with 2.46 billion globally -- is worse off now than they were before Covid-19. Gen Z – the cohort that follows millennials and were born after 1996 – is just now entering the workforce. Well, at least they were. With the oldest turning 23 this year, this generation is facing systemic issues that could have a long-term ripple effect on their financial and mental well-being. The good news is that the George Floyd crisis may finally be a turning point for people of color. Even before the virus broke loose, our national survey found that securing a job was one of their top concerns – with 59% saying it was a key worry occupying their minds, followed by mental health. A full 23% had said that their single greatest concern was getting a job, according to the report, What’s Inside the Minds of GenZ? With 40 million Americans out of work, companies putting the brakes on hiring, and economic pressures that are likely to keep earnings down, the outlook for GenZ isn’t so bright. What will the future bring for this generation? And what can employers and parents do? Let’s start with the outlook. • D e l aye d c o l l e g e d e g r e e s , mounting pressures – The “Covid academic slide” is expected to hurt students, with as much as one-third of their academic progress in the previous year lost, particularly in math. Col leges a re re-i mag i n i ng learning on the fly. The University of Connecticut, for example, is having to re-register all students and offer programs both in-person and online, adding to costs. Others are predicting that colleges could lose up to 20% of students. The impact could be felt in college tenures that stretch to five years or more, adding to student costs and pressures. S t u d e nt s , l i k e my 2 3 -ye a rold col lege n iece, Isa b el le, feel ove r w h e l m e d by a n i n c r e a s e d workload from professors: “They’re giving us double the work,” she says. “It’s like they think we need more to fill out time.” • Hybrid learning come Fall – Our educational systems – from UCONN to the all-girls school Ethel Walker -- are shifting to a combination of in-person and online learning this Fall. As we speak , options under consideration range from a combination of in-person and live, online to splitting up the day half-andhalf: half of students attend school in person from 8 am-12 noon and then shift to remote learning from home while the rest of the class heads to school in the afternoon. College leaders tell me the move to hybrid will cost them more as they offer two delivery models – while

parents and students will have to reregister for classes in some cases – yet another item on the to-do list. • Job uncertainty -- With the economic impact of Covid-19 still in the offing, even Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell warns, “There’s a whole new level of uncertainty.” Companies are still in a hiring freeze. It may take several years – three to five -- before we return to the growth we enjoyed before. Many GenZ students are now turning to the idea of having an experiential gap year as a way to delay college and the uncertainty – but with travel and in-person activities limited – options will be few and far between And let’s not forget that venture capitalists and corporate America are all re-thinking innovation: where are the new hotspots for growth? How do we use digital to drive our business? What talent do we need to drive that growth? The college student once considering owning a gym or being a doctor may not need to re-think given the huge pivot to digital-based engagement. • Lower savings over time – Perhaps the greatest impact is on their earnings. In 2019, the average starting salary hovered about $51,000 according to Korn Ferry. Yet black Americans with a college education earn only two-thirds of what whites with only a high school diploma earn. The loss of revenue for companies means that salaries may well go down for new hires – especially with such a large labor supply. The $50,000 starting salary may well drop to $30,000, adding up to a loss of tens of thousands over time. The rule of saving 10-15% of your gross salary in your 20s will result in far less in the bank account – unless they’re living with Mom and Dad. A nd c omp a n ie s a r e c ut t i ng benefits like 401(k)s – a key factor for GenZ employees when choosing an employer. What can GenZ do? First, k now what companies are hiring today. Word has it that Facebook is scooping up talent, hiring “anyone qualified” as one person told me. Check out industries growing not just now – but as we look to a new world. Changing health care models, education, use of robotics to name a few. I f you’r e a mong t he 3 0% of GenZers who say running a business would most boost your confidence, re-think your model… and how your skills can fit in with employers who also need to shift. And, don’t ignore the importance of networking. So, ask around…parents, friends and teachers; they might be willing to help get your foot in the door, even if, for only a sidegig job. GenZ already comes to the table with a unique set of digital skills. Every business, from schools to Fortune 500 companies, needs to maximize their

digital strategy now more than ever. Second, re-think Summer, Gap Year. One of the worst things one can do is to sit back because traditional gap year experiences don’t exist. “There’s a tremendous disconnect between what kids do after school or summer, like dishing ice cream, and what they could be doing to build their futures,” says Lynda Applegate, a Harvard Business School professor and advisor of Girls With Impact. Students should turn to online internships and experiences to keep their resume current, their professional skills improving and their network building. Girls With Impact, the live, online business and innovation Academy for teen girls, made a concerted push to help families impacted by Covid-19. The result: nearly 1,000 teens from across the nation are learning entrepreneurship and what it means to launch a product, business or idea. Many are developing Covid-related venture ideas – any of which will give a big boost to their resumes and college applications. A nd t he outcomes – f rom a doubling of conf idence, f inancial literacy and more – continue to prove that live, online, instructorled education can help those from all backgrounds. A series of Future Ready workshops has also been launched, complementing the virtual Summer camps. Th i rd, seek a remote-based mentor – With millions of Americans working from home, companies are looking for digital-based volunteering opportunities for their employees. A n d G e n Z v a l u e s o l d e r, experienced mentors, according to our research. Now may be the perfect time to find a mentor – whether through a formal program like the above or through your school or neighborhood network. No need to travel – a nd the support, guidance and professional development may well help GenZ with the anxiety they’re facing. Fo u r t h , t a k e t h e f i n a n c i a l pressures off. Some colleges are delaying tuition payments – like Davidson College. Others, like Southern New Ha mpsh ire Un iversit y a re offering an “innovation scholarship” for all incoming freshmen covering 100% of first-year tuition. Check out the options for your current or target college. Remember that delaying college might just put you further behind. The Takeaway: The future may be uncertain for GenZ. But one thing is clear: Now, more than ever, it’s imperative to lean in, not sit back. Take these steps to be sure that, when the market is ready, you’re able to stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs in the future.

Page 15 | Greenwich Sentinel

LOCAL NEWS

Greenwich High School Sailing

Team recounts season on the virtual sea By Foster Steinbeck In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Greenwich High School sailing team’s season was canceled, with no competitions or practices. In response, the team shifted its practice from the water to their phones and computer screens by using Virtual Regatta Inshore, a sailing video game, and Zoom calls. “I'm actually very impressed by the team, their participation and their optimism throughout this whole thing,” GHS Senior and Sailing Co-Captain Demarest Janis said. “People [were] trying to make the best of it and they still love the sport. They want[ed] to keep up with it and get better and improve throughout the season.” After the Interscholastic Sailing Association curtailed, then canceled the 2020 spring season on April 2, GHS Sailing Coach Henry Millette remained hopeful the team would at least get some practice time on the water. Days before the team’s season kickoff event, Gov. Ned Lamont ordered all Connecticut schools to be closed. The seniors didn’t get to compete in their final season in high school. In light of the circumstances and Greenwich High School’s directive, the team rallied together, using VR Inshore to keep their sailing skills fresh, while Millette scheduled various activities throughout the week, like guest lectures and race competitions with other schools. “It was definitely a good way to keep me stimulated,” said GHS Senior and Sailing Co-captain Max Anke, “so that I’m not just sitting there forgetting some things. It was a good way to stay engaged.” Learning from video games The practice time on VR Inshore was far from busywork, reported the co-captains and coach. Millette said the hours spent on

A phone screenshot of boats race towards the finish in VR Inshore in the championship finals of a tournament organized by GHS Sailing Coach Henry Millette. The race was won by a composite team of sailors from Great Mills and Leonardtown High School, both located in Maryland. the app allowed the team to focus on race strategies and tactics, rather than the physical act of sailing. Millette praised the team’s quick adjustment to the virtual season. “We're going to go into next season having a much greater gap of understanding of strategies and tactics that enable us to focus a little more on maneuvers,” Millette said. VR Inshore pits players against one another, with each controlling one boat in a sailing race where they try to move through a predetermined course in the fastest time. The app also supports team racing, where players race in groups, typically three people, to have the best race placement collectively against other teams. The app only allows for players to sail in racing events. In real-world sailing races, the trick is balancing two intertwined challenges. Sailors, two per boat,

must utilize the wind, terrain and other ex ternal factors to best maneuver their boats while simultaneously focusing on tactics and strategies, such as what to do when another boat blocks your wind - winning race placements for team racing and right-of-way rules - to get the best finish. “Sailing is like a game of chess because you really think two steps ahead and anticipate everyone’s next move,” Anker said. “Like anything, if you don’t use it, you lose it.” In-game, the students could focus more on race strategies and tactics as they only had to factor in the wind to best steer their boats. Thanks to VR Inshore’s design, several external factors, and sailing techniques, like trimming the sail and potential buildings on a nearby shore, were not factors players needed to take into account. Millette frequently arranged

intra-team races and competitions to keep the students’ minds engaged, with the team and Millette using Zoom calls to communicate with each other. As a result of the reduced variables and increased focus on racing’s macro-decisions, students were able to experiment with new strategies and ideas with zero consequences. Both co-captains praised the game’s ability to help develop students’ skills. “If you mess up, you mess up,” Janis said. “It’s not like you’re racing [in real life], you don’t have to worry about crashing your boat into another boat,” Lemons to Lemonade In addition to advising students in VR Inshore, Millette set up jeopardy competitions about sailingrelated topics, arranged guest speakers - such as St. Marys College of Maryland’s renowned Sailing

Coach Adam Werblow — to talk to the students and gave whiteboard lectures on sailing theory and strategies all over Zoom calls. Millette also organized non-off icial tournaments with individual sailors and teams from other schools. Millette reported approximately 200 individual students, including the roughly 30 GHS students, participated in competitions. In one instance, Greenwich High competed internationally against Albert Park College, an Australian High School. The majority of students used their phones to sail and their computers to participate in zoom calls. When in practicing and competing VR Inshore, the students’ biggest concern was disconnecting from the race, as a result of patchy internet connection or accidentally hitting their phones’ power button (a sad fate which has befallen too many

young sailors). “Considering what we were up against, the season was probably a 9/10,” Millette said. “We did a really good job making lemonade out of lemons.” Millette, who has been coaching sailing for 10 years, said the GHS sailing team students stand out as a very calm, collected, and laidback group of sailors. Even when they express audible frustration, Millette said the kids catch themselves and let it go quickly. “It’s really, really easy to lose a temper or panic or have a gut reaction because things in sailing happen so quickly and because you can have things out of your control happen, like a bad wind shift for you,” Millette said. “Sailing’s a sport where you have to let go of frustration very quickly in order to progress, and these kids are very good at it.” The GH S’s sa i l i ng se ason wrapped up at the end of last week with a final tournament and speeches from Janis and Anker. Last year, Millette set-up a JV sailing team to help bring on and teach new students sailing and is looking to recruit more sailors for the next season. If things return to normal in the fall, Millette said the team has the potential to make it to the New England Schools Sailing Association’s racing championships and ISSA’s national invitational tournament. Both co-captains said they appreciated Millette’s efforts to keep the team engaged by setting up a sche du le a nd u nof f icia l competitions. “I feel like during this quarantine a lot of people have been really bored and not very busy, but he [Millette] made it really fun for everyone,” Janis said.

Bibiana Pinto and H.O.P.E. Rhythmic Gymnastics

By Liz Leamy

It is a time for the books with so many people in the world, nation, and here in town, who are courageously soldiering their way through this cunning and frightening Covid-19 pandemic over the past number of months. During this period, there have been numerous inspirational stories that have emerged, particularly the news that the H.O.P.E. Rhythmic Gymnastics School based at the Saint Catherine of Siena gym in Riverside, has had such a profound and powerful impact on so many young girls who live in and around Greenwich and the Fairfield and Westchester County areas since it was first started a few years ago. A Dynamic Organization H . O . P. E . ( H u m a n i t a r i a n Organization for Physical Education) is a nonprofit organization whose primary mission is to nurture young females to develop into strong and graceful women through their learning and experience in Rhythmic Gymnastics. It is comprised of more than 70 gymnasts ranging from age four through 14, working at the beginner through advanced competitive levels. This ever-growing and dynamic contingent has been training at the spacious Saint Catherine of Siena gym up until this past March (when public spaces were closed due to CDC guidelines enforced due to the pandemic) under the auspices of Bibiana Pinto. Pinto is H.O.P.E.’s vivacious and ever-focused founder and director who is a former Brazilian World Championship competitor and lives in Riverside w ith her husband, Aug usto Pinto, and two children, Marcus, and daughter Amanda who is a competitive Rhythmic Gymnast. Ever si nce P i nto fou nde d H.O.P.E., she has proven to be quite a force in the community as well as throughout around the entire East Coast based on her work and results and development of her students. From the outset, Pinto’s laser-focused approach with her school and students has brought an educational and training program of rhythmic gymnastics to scores of young girls here in town as well as to so many others based in and around the surrounding Westchester and Fairfield County areas. She has helped them develop their skills to the point of where they have been able to compete at invitational, state, regional, and national levels. Since March, Pinto has been conducting classes via the Zoom internet platform to instruct and train her students. She has effectively managed to build a powerful and apt

Top Left: Top left to right: Coach Bibiana Pinto, Penelope, Linda, Claire V, Kayah, Sofia K, Coach Rocio Montes, Coach Gigia Perenze, Amanda. Bottom left to right: Maria, Anja, Sofia F, Lucia, Claire P; Top Right: H.O.P.E. Beginner Group about to enter at competition carpet at Match Point Competition in Brooklyn Left to right: Lucia, Claire V, Kayah, Sofia F, Anja with Brazilian RG Consultant, Coach and Judge Cristiane Pinho.; Lower Right: H.O.P.E. Recreational class 4-5yrs old aiming flexibility, strength and focus since young age. stable of rhythmic gymnasts who have been scoring top placements at competitions held throughout the New England and North Atlantic regions, as well as throughout the Midwest, including major cities such as Chicago. During this time, H.O.P.E. has managed to build a reputation as a top-ranked rhythmic gymnastics training center in the area where young girls have the opportunity to excel and develop their skills in regard to this popular Olympic sport. “The Greenwich community should be proud for being the home of such a great Rhythmic Gymnastics team,” said Pinto. She noted that as of May 2017, the H.O.P.E. contingent had only a few students at the recreational level, while three years later, the school had many of its students standing on the podium as medal winners at major competitions. “Against all odds,” she said, “with very limited budgets and very restricted training hours we have been able to build a strong competitive team at the lower levels of Rhythmic Gymnastics.” A School of Life Lessons In addition to racking up some well-deserved hardware over the past few years, Pinto’s students, most importantly, have been learning some vital life lessons, including the critical role of hard work, discipline, goal setting, and the idea of pushing oneself to continually strive for better in one’s daily routine, among other things. “Rhythmic Gymnastics is a

women-only sport,” said Pinto, “that helps girls develop team spirit and requires hard training and discipline that pays off by empowering girls to turn into strong women who are full of grace and personality with a positive selfimage and attitude. The girls can develop skills and experiences that have a lifelong impact on their lives. Practicing Rhythmic Gymnastics at a competitive level, girls have all the benefits of a serious Olympic sport structure.” By all means, this is a paramount thing, especially considering this program is a way to help continue to build sports among the female sect here in town and the area. “In Rhythmic Gymnastics,” said Pinto, “girls can be girly with beautiful make up and Swarovski leotards and still be powerful and strong. Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport created and developed by women with girls’ development in mind. There is no other sport that sends a stronger message of girl empowerment than Rhythmic Gymnastics.” A Structured Training Regimen Pinto’s approach seems to be most effective in regard to how she structures class scheduling, which revolves around a routine in which her students train three to four times a week, two to four hours in every class. During these sessions, Pinto’s gymnasts work at different things such as stretching, balance, and

conditioning, in relation to the ribbon, rope, hoop, ball and clubs, and different types of apparatus used in this sport. (There is also the ‘freehand’ method, which means the gymnast does not use any kind of apparatus in their performance.) G i r l s d o n’t o n l y p e r f o r m individually, but also compete in groups of five gymnasts who work in complete synch with one another, performing with incredible c ol la b orat ion a nd app a rat u s exchanges. “Rhythmic Gymnastics is a sport that combines the elements of ballet, gymnastics, dance and apparatus manipulation,” said Pinto. “It requires great focus, impressive eye-hand-foot coordination, jaw-dropping flexibility and a tremendous commitment.” According to Pinto, Rhythmic Gymnastics is a very complex and demanding sport that seeks perfection in every move. “This is something that can only be achieved by training countless hours at the gym and through strong will power,” said Pinto. Pinto, who offers a diverse variety of interesting and informative classes at her school, works with a staff of international volunteer coaches who round out the H.O.P.E. team in stalwart fashion. In addition, she offers scholarships to those fa m ilies who have daug hters interested in pursuing or learning Rhythmic Gymnastics at the school, who might be working with a stricter spending plan, making the school accessible to everyone regardless of

any array of life challenges. “H.O.P.E. was created to help underprivileged girls practice this beautiful Olympic sport through need-based scholarships and to help make Rhythmic Gymnastics a popular and affordable sport in the U.S.” P i nto sa id t hat R hy t h m ic Gymnastics is still largely an ‘unknown’ sport that is frequently mistaken for its long-distance cousin of Artistic Gymnastics (this sport is done by World and 2016 Olympic champion Simone Biles as an example.). Always Building Certainly, Pinto’s success seems to be largely due to the fact that she always seems to be thinking about new ways to educate and grow the knowledge and experience of her students, colleagues and herself. Earlier this month, she conducted an international Rhythmic Gymnastics educational forum via the internet platform Zoom that involved topranked coaches and athletes from Brazil, Italy and the U.S. This summit, attended by more than 80 individuals, was a hit in every sense of the word as each coach and gymnast who was present addressed different methods of training as well as skill and artistic execution to continue growing the sport at an optimal level. “ We p a r t n e r e d w i t h t h e Italian Team Ginnastica Athena - their Italian national judge and Head Coach is Robert Borrone, the Brazilian Team Ritmo & Arte,

and their judge and Head Coach, Cristiane Pinto and the U.S.A. in a joint effort to expose the girls to new techniques that come with different accents,” Pinto shared. “This is really great for the girls. It’s important information and exposure.” As Pinto continues to build her school, she is hoping to acquire sponsors in order to continue on this golden road and further build the sport of Rhythmic Gymnastics here in the area. “H.O.P.E. still has a young team in development and we are only at the starting levels of the sport.” she said. “In order to keep going to competitions and aiming to the top places at the podium, we need more space, training hours and staff. With our current non-profit structure and lack of availability of proper space here in town, H.O.P.E. gymnasts cannot compete successfully against other clubs that have state-of-the-art facilities with a highly paid full-time exclusive staff. The amazing and impressive results we have had so far are due, I believe, to the passion and commitment of our community work, but in a highly competitive sport, our passion won’t take us very far without investments.” Last year, in May 2019, Pinto staged a memorable exhibition to help promote Rhythmic Gymnastics in Greenwich and the surrounding area at the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center that was a big hit on all counts. This exhibition drew a packed house of more than 200 people (including First Selectman Fred Camillo, who had stopped by), members of the H.O.P.E. school as well as several contenders who had visited from Boston and New Jersey performed solo and group numbers to help promote the sport. At the end of the day, the biggest thing for Pinto and the H.O.P.E. organization, with its philosophy that anyone can accomplish anything once they set their mind to it, is the profound impact that it has on so many young girls. “At H.O.P.E., we utilize Rhythmic Gymnastics as a tool to teach the girls powerful life lessons,” said Pinto. “Rhythmic Gymnastics is a precious gem well hidden in the Eastern European communities and here in the U.S. I am sure as the Americans continue to discover the power and benefits of Rhythmic Gymnastics, and as it starts to become as popular as Artistic Gymnastics, we will be the next superpower of this amazing Olympic modality.” For mor e i n for m at ion , contact: Bibiana Pinto, info@ h o p e g y m n a s t i c s . o r g , w w w. hopegymnastics.org. (914)282-3134, and Instagram: @h.o.p.e.rhythmic.

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Page 16 | Greenwich Sentinel

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Data Compiled by Cesar Rabellino (203) 249-9866 Address

Original List

List Price

Sold Price DOM BR FB Acres

SqFt

61 Orchard Place B 23 Shannon Lane 72 Havemeyer Place A 46 Terrace Avenue 8 Ridge Road 166 Old Church Road 26 Nimitz Place 178 Cat Rock Road 53 Park Avenue 42 Winding Lane 38 Aiken Road 45 Stanwich Road 10 Crossway 176 Shore Road 14 Dawn Harbor Lane 36 Lismore Lane

$1,099,000 $1,339,000 $1,500,000 $1,695,000 $1,899,000 $1,850,000 $1,999,000 $3,200,000 $2,299,000 $2,549,000 $3,800,000 $3,795,000 $5,850,000 $5,895,000 $6,100,000 $9,750,000

$1,099,000 $1,279,000 $1,395,000 $1,695,000 $1,899,000 $1,850,000 $1,999,000 $2,295,000 $2,195,000 $2,549,000 $3,800,000 $3,495,000 $4,900,000 $5,895,000 $6,100,000 $8,600,000

$1,018,750 178 $1,125,000 232 $1,240,000 301 $1,600,000 9 $1,708,500 88 $1,800,000 223 $1,903,125 1,005 $1,940,000 331 $2,100,000 404 $2,475,000 51 $3,200,000 2,322 $3,300,000 244 $4,250,000 419 $5,700,000 248 $6,000,000 21 $7,575,000 315

1,707 3,088 2,402 2,540 3,520 3,229 4,407 4,794 3,248 3,966 6,755 6,001 4,494 7,706 7,438 9,821

3 4 2 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 3 6 5 6 5 6

2 3 2 3 4 4 3 4 3 3 4 4 3 7 6 6

0 2 0.19 0.39 0.54 0.47 2.8 0.19 2 4.44 1.12 0.51 0.54 0.89 2

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in two weeks, exterior of house in process of being painted, interior painting, new air handlers, two year old roof on front while rear roof is covered by sola r panels. Home is incredibly efficient boasting amazingly low utility bills. This house truly ‘walks the walk’ of m inim izing your carbon footprint. A s pa r t of a 5 -home development , t her e i s a ½ acre common area that all 5 homes share and ma inta in. It is a per fect place to throw a frisbee or practice for your favorite sports. The neighborhood is quiet, mature, and very kid friendly.

A large rear terrace off the kitchen/family room, has a retractable awning overlook ing the peaceful yard with mature trees and a fabulous site for a future pool. 5 BD | 3.5 BA | 4,215 SF MLS# 1234567 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties Robert Pulitano Sales Professional Cell: (203)561-8092 robertpulitano@bhhsne.com www.berkshirehathawayhs.com/

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Data Compiled by Cesar Rabellino (203) 249-9866 Address

List Price

Price/SqFt

50 Lafayette Place 1I 52 Lafayette Place 2F 36 High Street 21 Whiffletree Way 21 11 River Road 112 51 Forest Avenue 140 27 Maplewood Drive 26 Hartford Avenue 31 Scott Road 69 Riverdale Avenue UNIT 104 2 Putnam Hill 3G 26 Old Wagon Road 9 Ridge Road 21 Cary Road 81 Sheephill Road 49 William Street A 633 Round Hill Road 8 View Street 5 29 Marshall Street 40 Sheephill Road 19 Tod Lane 3 Stanwich Lane 53 Cognewaugh Road 38 Oval Avenue 33 Edgewater Drive 7 Pleasant View Place 5 Bolling Place 47 Lexington Avenue 10 Westview Place 5 Osceola Drive 18 Circle Drive 2 Sheldrake Road 40 Havemeyer Lane 10 Mackenzie Glen 545 Cognewaugh Road 48 Londonderry Drive 11 Tinker Lane 310 Old Church Road 294 Round Hill Road 1 Bradbury Place 1076 Lake Avenue 16 Binney Lane 22 Normandy Lane 132 Cedar Cliff Road 284 Riverside Avenue 291 Round Hill Road 35 Dawn Harbor Lane 29 Glen Avon Drive 95 Richmond Hill Road 8 Hobart Drive 20 Langhorne Lane 31 Dublin Hill Drive 14 Rockwood Lane

$349,000 $525,000 $679,000 $680,000 $750,000 $755,000 $849,900 $865,000 $875,000

$468 $420 $429 $448 $591 $593 $325 $392 $301

$879,000 $895,000 $899,000 $949,000 $950,000 $998,000 $1,025,000 $1,150,000 $1,199,000 $1,250,000 $1,275,000 $1,337,500 $1,425,000 $1,450,000 $1,499,000 $1,550,000 $1,595,000 $1,650,000 $1,795,000 $1,895,000 $2,175,000 $2,250,000 $2,259,000 $2,350,000 $2,375,000 $2,375,000 $2,395,000 $2,475,000 $2,795,000 $2,995,000 $3,049,000 $3,390,000 $3,575,000 $3,595,000 $3,849,000 $3,950,000 $4,200,000 $4,400,000 $4,495,000 $4,750,000 $4,995,000 $5,575,000 $6,850,000 $6,995,000

SqFt

Area

745 0 1,250 0 1,584 0.11 1,517 0 1,270 0 1,273 0 2,616 0.2 2,205 0.12 2,911 0.45

1 3 3 3 2 2 4 4 4

1 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 3

South Parkway South Parkway Byram Riverside Cos Cob Old Greenwich Cos Cob Byram Banksville

$405

2,172

Glenville

$566 $665 $368 $556 $573 $407 $204 $364 $546 $630 $483 $589 $509

1,580 1,352 2,582 1,710 1,741 2,516 5,638 3,292 2,289 2,025 2,771 2,420 2,850

10 0.31 0.17 0.21 0.2

$716 $435 $1,004 $595 $513 $596 $639 $705 $588 $581 $594 $532 $521 $787 $557 $500 $497 $713 $785 $641 $530 $922 $856 $786 $537 $724 $613 $946 $898

2,166 3,670 1,643 3,019 3,694 3,651 3,521 3,204 4,000 4,090 3,999 4,506 4,751 3,550 5,381 6,100 6,823 5,017 4,578 6,007 7,456 4,553 5,138 5,719 8,853 6,902 9,100 7,240 7,786

3 3 3 3 4 2 5 3 4 3 4 4 4 3 3 4 3 7 4 5 5 4 5 5 5 4 4 3 6 7 7 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6

2 2 2 3 2 2 0 2 2 3 2 3 3 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 4 5 3 3 5 5 7 5 3 3 6 6 6 6 7 7 5 4 5

South of Post Road Old Greenwich Cos Cob Cos Cob North Mianus South Parkway North Parkway South of Post Road North Mianus Riverside North Parkway North Parkway Cos Cob Riverside Old Greenwich North Mianus South of Post Road South of Post Road Riverside South of Post Road South of Post Road South Parkway Old Greenwich South Parkway Cos Cob South Parkway South Parkway South Parkway South Parkway Riverside North Parkway Old Greenwich Riverside Riverside Riverside North Parkway Riverside Riverside North Parkway South Parkway North Parkway South Parkway South Parkway

2.09 0 0.23 0.14 5.06 0.37 0.27 0.21 0.19 0.68 0.12 0.31 0.17 0.39 0.54 0.24 0.21 1.16 1.32 2.5 2.06 0.85 2.01 0.4 4 0.33 1 0.73 0.39 1.73 0.95 0.71 4.14 1.08 5.02 4.07 1.54

How the Coronavirus is Reshaping the Market Everything Old is New Again in Greenwich

By Mark Pruner How is the Covid virus reshaping the Greenwich real estate market? The short answer is in many ways. We are seeing significant rises in sales of houses on larger lots reversing the trend that we saw post-Great Recession. It looks like everything old is new again and larger houses with amenities on larger lots are back in fashion. Also, rentals may be returning to something more like the early 20th Century. Rentals & Condos For condos, apartment style units with shared hallways and elevators whether for sale or rent are down while townhouse style condos sales and house rentals are up. I just had a condo get an accepted offer in five days. Where we see the most dramatic change in Greenwich real estate is in high-end rentals. Last year at this time we had leased out 25 rentals over $15,000, this year we have 92 rentals or an increase of 268%. If you go even higher, last year we had 11 rentals for over $25,000/mo, this year we have 34 rentals.

2020 Rentals Over $15,000/mo – 1/1 – 6/17/20 At the very top of the rental market, we had a summer rental for $38,000/mo last year. This year we had a summer rental go for $80,000/mo in 10 days and it rented for $5,000 over list price. We had 24 rentals this year for over $30,000/mo and all but 6 were rented in less than 30 days. Of those same 24 high-end rentals all but 4 went for list price or better. One house was put on for $32,000 per month on January 1st this year. It sat around for 73 days until the virus hit when all of a sudden it got multiple offers and rented for $50,000/mo, or 156% of the original list price.

When you map the rentals, you can see that these high-end rentals are all over town. You have them in backcountry, the old golden triangle in mid-country around Clapboard Ridge, the post-recession golden triangle around lower Lake Ave and North Maple and what really stands out is the demand for waterfront rentals. Now some people would have argued that the owners of these high-end home rentals being fairly well-to-do themselves would be unlikely to rent out their homes to strangers, but for at least 67 additional families in Greenwich the never-renters would be wrong. For these owners, the prospect of taking a long summer vacation, renting out their house, and coming back to $45,000 to $150,000 of additional money, is too enticing to pass up. Summering in Greenwich? It will be interesting to see what happens in 2021. In the early 20th Century Greenwich was a place where a lot of New Yorkers would summer. There used to be a trolley line down Sound Beach Ave in a village that was then called Sound Beach. They would bring people from the train out to a group inns in and around the intersection of Sound Beach Avenue and Shore Road in what is now Old Greenwich. In the 60’s I used to deliver newspapers to the last of those two inns. Chris Franco did a wonderful job of renovating one of these inns into several beautiful condos through the use of a historic overlay. Another former inn is on the market just around the corner at 5 Holman Lane for $1,890,000. You can still see the reception area and the wide porches where rockers use to be set up for the guests. It will make a nice home someone. House Sales Sales of single family homes are also seeing the Covid effect. Last year as of 6/13 we had sold 41 houses on 2 acres or more, this year we have sold 53 houses or an increase of 29% over last year for larger lots. These large lot sales accelerated in May. We are also seeing more buyers coming into the market each week. Below is my Greenwich transaction index chart, which continues to go up in a jagged pattern, but the trend is clear. This sort of increase in a pandemic shows a lot of motivation by buyers.

Fortunately, for us, the number of infections and hospital admittances is going down, so I expect to see even more buyers going forward. The falling number of Covid cases also means that we are finally seeing more inventory come on the market as people are more willing to have their houses shown. We are up to 570 house listings, but last year at the end of June we had 729 single family home listings. We are still down quite a bit, but at least we are seeing net additions coming on faster than the sales are going off the market in our delayed 2020 “spring” market. As to those going off the market, larger lots in backcountry are doing better this year than last year. The must have amenity for many is a nice, inground pool. (Check out my new seven bedroom listing at 1076 Lake Avenue that has everything including the heated pool.) The two-acre zone in mid-country, where buyers get a fair amount of space and are still relatively close to town is also very popular with folks fleeing the high-density of New York City. (I’ll have a listing in that area to talk about next week.) While I’m continuing to get inquiries from Greenwich people looking to list their homes, I’m also getting inquiries from Greenwich residents that are looking to buy within Greenwich. Many our local residents that had been waiting to move up have decided that now is the time to do so when prices are still at pre-pandemic levels. This window won’t last much longer as lower inventory and higher demand from both Gothamites and Greenwich residents are only pointing in one direction. The rest of this month promises to be a busy time in Greenwich real estate. Mark Pruner is the Greenwich Sentinel real estate section editor and a realtor with Berkshire Hathaway. He lives in backcountry Greenwich and as been very busy there with buyers and sellers. He can be reached at 203-969-7900 or mark@bhhsne.com

CATARACT AWARENESS MONTH

HAVE YOU SEEN THE OPHTHALMOLOGIST?

See Dr. Robert Fucigna TODAY 2019 Rentals Over $15,000/mo – 1/1 – 6/17/19

203-348-7575

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Wildly Successful

Page 19 | Greenwich Sentinel

Lessons from the Bald Eagle

By Jim Knox While the eagle is equipped w it h propor tionately la rge and extremely powerful eyes conferring exceptional sight, it is the eagle’s vision which truly leads to its success. As kids, my brother Bruce and I explored Fairfield County’s beaches. At first, hand-in-hand with our dad, we scanned the high tide wrack lines for sea shells, crab shells, and skate egg cases. To us, Long Island Sound was the ocean, and the ever-changing trove of ocean treasures never disappointed. In time, under our dad’s watchful eye, we’d venture into the tide pools and the beckoning grasses of the salt marshes beyond to search for live creatures, yet before we’d climb into our Volkswagen Beetle for the ride home, we’d always gravitate back to the wrack line. We’d lift the brown and green kelp mats to reveal smoothed blue and green beach glass, colorful shells and untold sizes and patterns of feathers. For each of the largest,

black, brown or white feathers, I’d hold them up and ask, “Hey dad, is this an eagle feather?” “It might be,” he’d answer hopefully. “Let’s find out.” Together, we’d look at the bird books and field guides he bought us and invariably, my “eagle” feathers proved to be those of Herring Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls and other common Connecticut species. Yet, I always held out hope. Well, my hope held strong. A generation later, when my wife and I brought our kids to our local beaches or rivers to swim or hike, we answered the same question dutifully, yet this time there was a difference. The eagles were back. After a virtual absence of decades, the birds had returned, and with them, a sense of awe. Boasting an 8-foot wingspan, 2-inch long, recurved talons and more than double the gripping force of an NFL lineman, the Bald Eagle is one impressive creature. This apex predator has no known enemies at adulthood and will prey on creatures more than three times its body weight. It’s no wonder this regal bird was selected as the national symbol of the United States of America. Yet the Bald Eagle has stiff competition. Other species which share its wild haunts possess equally i mpr e s sive a r m a ment a nd skills. How does this iconic raptor gain the upper hand to rule from the Alaskan coast to the shores of the Potomac? How does it command dominion over

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resources for years on end? In a word…vision. Perhaps chief among the Bald Eagle’s astounding adaptations is its unparalleled eyesight. Birds of prey, and eagles in particular, have been renowned for their eyesight for millennia. Capable of spotting a fleeing mouse from more than a mile aloft, the eagle reminds us that the term “eagle-eyed” is no casual expression. Bald Eagles in particular employ their visual acuity to compensate for intense glare, reflection and refraction to detect swimming fish below the Bald Eagle at Tod's Point water’s surface before executing their swift, precise prey grasp. While the eagle is equipped limbs just below the crowns of nest. This is a true investment w it h propor tionately la rge towering trees adjacent to water and no small undertaking as

expand its range of potential prey by size and mass; with the females tackling larger, heavier prey while the males focus on smaller, more fleet species. This divide and conquer approach serves both parents and everhungry, rapidly-growing eaglets extremely well. From the Mianus, to the Housatonic, to the Connecticut, soaring Bald Eagles are no longer a rare sight high above Fairf ield County waterways. With rigorous protection, the birds have rebounded. If there was ever a species worthy of emulation, this is it. By investing in each other, dividing rearing responsibilities and selecting key habitat in which to raise their broods, each eagle pair displays a keen sense of vision, commanding prime access to resources from year to year and generation to generation. Having the privilege of caring for these magnificent creatures over the years, I have gained a unique and valued perspective on both their behaviors and the lessons those behaviors can impart. Ultimately, It is the synergy of the eagle’s physical and behavioral vision which yields a creature that employs it will be used season after its strengths to conquer the day, season in rearing their eaglets and rule its world. for decades. The nests a re immense, reaching widths up Jim Knox serves as the Curator to 9.5 feet, depths up to 20 feet of Education for Connecticut's and weights in excess of two Beardsley Zoo and as a Science tons! What’s more, Bald Eagles Adviser for The Bruce Museum. are dimorphic, with females Jim has a passion for working with averag ing 25% g reater size wild creatures and for sharing and mass than males. This that passion with audiences of all difference enables the pair to ages.

From the Mianus, to the Housatonic, to the Connecticut, soaring Bald Eagles are no longer a rare sight high above Fairfield County waterways. and extremely powerful eyes conferring exceptional sight, it is the eagle’s vision which truly leads to its success. In establishing territor y, Bald Eagles very carefully select habitat dominated by water, which supports copious prey and especially advantageous nesting spots. Specifically, they seek the protection of massive

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Astrology for Week of June 21, 2020 CANCER 22 June-23 July The next few weeks will be among the most heartening and exciting of the year. Today’s Solar Eclipse in your sign will brighten your outlook, boost your confidence and give you the courage to start out on a path or plan that will transform your life.

CAPRICORN 22 Dec-20 Jan Even if you’re inclined to forgive and forget, a little voice at the back of your head should tell you to get tough with someone who has taken one too many liberties. If you don’t react strongly now the situation will require even more drastic action at a later date.

LEO 24 July-23 Aug It’s not like you to be intimidated by situations or people you have no reason to fear. So don’t let a sudden blip in your confidence undermine your belief in your ability to compete at the highest level. You can rise to any challenge, so do so.

AQUARIUS 21 Jan-19 Feb Any minor health issues which surface over the next few days are linked directly to your work regime. You seem to have pushed yourself too hard in one direction. Get plenty of rest between now and next weekend, even if it means missing a deadline.

VIRGO 24 Aug-23 Sept There’s nothing wrong with wishful thinking and this is a time to let your imagination roam far and wide. Even if an idea seems outrageous initially, a little more thought should convince you that there is a way to turn it into a profitable reality.

PISCES 20 Feb-20 March Something in your life needs changing: you know what it is and what must be done. You also know this is the perfect time to deal with it. Nobody can force you to act but if you don’t you may have to wait a very long time before you get another chance.

LIBRA 24 Sept-23 Oct You’ve had your share of problems in recent weeks but today’s midheaven Solar Eclipse will help you to put them in perspective. You might also remind an employer or someone else in a position of influence that they cannot afford to overlook your talents.

ARIES 21 March-20 April Today’s Eclipse will throw relationship problems into sharp relief. But if you’re observant of the ways others react, it should be obvious what needs doing to resolve the issue once and for all. Whether or not you do so is, of course, another matter entirely.

SCORPIO 24 Oct-22 Nov If you ask the same old questions don’t be surprised when you get the same old answers. Approach a seemingly insoluble problem from a different angle this week and see what effect it has. The Solar Eclipse in Cancer will open your mind to new possibilities.

TAURUS 21 April-21 May You may think you know everything about a certain person – but how much of what you see is real, and how much an act? You may be surprised, even shocked, by what you discover but the real surprise is how easily you were taken in.

SAGITTARIUS 23 Nov-21 Dec You are unnecessarily anxious about the future and what occurs in the next 48 hours may add to your worries in unexpected ways. But once Mars enters Aries next weekend you’ll start to see that what you have to look forward to far outweighs your fears.

GEMINI 22 May-21 June Don’t instantly run to help a colleague or loved one who asks for your immediate assistance. It’s likely they could quite easily take care of the problem themselves but they know you find it hard to resist a cry for help. Don’t allow yourself to be taken for granted.

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courses which are both readily defensible and offer superior, u n i mp e de d v iews o f t h e i r hunting territory. In so doing, t hey a re “com ma nd i ng t he high ground” in the intensely competitive world of predator and prey. Once a nest site has been selected, the bonded pair begin the construction of their

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Sudoku, above: each row, column, and nonet can contain each number only once. Answers on page 7.

Discover your inner artist. Engaging in coloring, in addition to being stress relieving, can lead being more creative at analytical thinking. Scientists have noted positive changes in heart rates and brainwaves of adults as they color. Coloring also sharpens the memory. So grab your colored pencils or markers and see what you can do with this beautiful eagle.

Have Some Fun!