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The Greenwich Weekly Newspaper, Local, local, local.
July 30, 2021
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St. Roch Feast Not to Be Missed
The Local News You Need to Know 211 Bear Struck by Motor Vehicle According to an Easton Police Department Press Release, on July 26, 2021, at about 6:19 pm the Easton Police Department received a report of a black bear being struck by a motor vehicle on Rt. 136 west of Wilson Road. Upon arrival officers found a bear that was suffering from serious injuries and had to be put down. DEEP was notified and responded for the removal of the bear. The bear was approximately 125 pounds and bore CT DEEP Tags #211. #211 was objectively adorable with a facebook page devoted to him and hundreds of photos. The many who interacted with him and the almost 5,000 facebook followers lamented his passing, set up a memorial fund, and have made efforts to make the section of Rt. 136, where he was struck by a car, safer for bears which are known to cross there. Inner-City Foundation Awards $6M in Grants The Inner-City Foundation for Charity and Education has announced that it will award $6 million in grants, providing grants to 43 local Fairfield County programs. The charity announced its plans to dissolve and to distribute its considerable assets earlier this year. COVID UPDATE: Hospitalizations Down 2 Patients currently hospitalized with COVID-19 dropped by 2 in the state with 103 total hospitalizations in Connecticut as of July 28. The most recently reported total number of deaths is 8,286. In Fairf ield County current COVID-19 hospitalizations are a total of 38; Hartford County is 30; New Haven County is 26 and all other Connecticut counties are reporting less that ten or zero hospitalizations due to COVID. Republican Town Committee (RTC) Candidates The Greenwich Republican Town Committee (RTC) has formally endorsed a group of candidates for the regular November 2021 town elections. First Selectman: Fred Camillo Selectwoman: Laura Rabin Town Clerk: Jackie Budkins Tax Collector: Heather Smeriglio Board of Estimation and Taxation (BET): Leslie Tarkington, Bill Drake, Karen Fassuliotis, Michael Basham, Dan Ozizmir, and Nisha Arora B oa r d of Educ at ion ( BOE) fou r Repu bl ic a n candidates will be on the ballot for two seats: Michael-Joseph Mercanti-Anthony, Megan Galletta, Cody Kittle, and Claire Muldoon. Voters may choose up to four candidates for the BOE — but only two from each party may be elected. Board of Assessment: Mark Pruner, Jeff Reardon, and Kit Mill Constable: Martin Blanco, Donna Maloney, John Thompson, and Charles Thivierge
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Mark your calendars an set aside time to have fun at the St. Roch’s Annual Feast, returning from August 11 through August 14. The roads will be closed from St. Roch Avenue at Alexander Street to Hamilton Avenue from 6 to 11 p.m.
St. Roch Church and the Annual St. Roch's Feast By Dan FitzPatrick Adapted f rom the St . Roch Annual Feast booklet Before there was a St. Roch Catholic Church in Chickahominy, there was a St. Roch Society and a St. Roch Feast. This is the story of how they all began. Morra de Sanctis is a town in the province of Avellino, Italy, east of Naples. Its patron saint is St. Roch (San Rocco), and the center of town contains a large monu ment in h is honor. St. Roch was a French ma n who made a pi lg r i mage to Rome, and on the way cared for people stricken by the plague which was ravag ing Europe during that time. Eventually, he fell sick himself, but a faithful dog brought him food daily to help him recover; as a result, he is known as the patron saint of dogs and protection against plagues a nd ot her ser iou s i l l ne sse s. Italian immigrants who settled in Chickahominy, East Port Chester (Byram) and Port Chester formed a mutual aid society called the “Societa Morresa di San Rocco.” They gathered yearly in midAugust to celebrate the feast day of their patron saint, St. Roch. The early Catholics of
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You Can Vote Now at Town Hall By Anne White
Illustrated by Wajih Chaudhry
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Why Wait?
By Jill S. Woolworth, LMFT Titration is the chemical process of slowly adding drops of one substance into a test tube containing another substance until a certain reaction occurs. Sharing our personal stories deserves a similar careful process. People haven’t earned the right to know our whole story when they first meet us. What works best is when we share a few drops of vulnerability at a time—and wait to see if our gesture is well received and reciprocated. Another way to imagine this process is as a fisherman baiting a hook, hoping a fish will bite. Think of intimacy as “into-me-see.” In order to develop healthy intimacy, it helps to choose our friends
thoughtfully and test them as we go. We can become more sensitive to our own l e ve l o f w i l l i n g n e s s to share, and let others see into us gradually. Sharing our vulnerability is the key to whole-hearted living. For best results, it happens slowly. David and Eric decided to share a dream, a goal, a disappointment, and a fear with each other. Each of these things was a vulnerability drop. As a result, their friendship deepened. Greenwich resident, Jill Woolworth is author of the book, The Waterwheel, which is available locally at Diane's Books (203-8691515) or info@dianesbooks. com) or at Amazon.
Chickahominy walked to Sacred Heart Church in Byram for Mass, which during the winter months was a hardship, especially for the children. Father Sullivan, pastor of Sacred Heart, and Angelo Roina, president of the Saint Roch Society, contacted the local bishop about building a church in and for the community. The property was purchased by the Morresa in 1918 and soon thereafter transferred to the Diocese of Hartford (the separate Diocese of Bridgeport was not established
u nt i l 195 3) for t he pu r p os e of building St. Roch Church. Most of the neighborhood (and would-be parishioners) consisted of Italian ma son s a nd stone c ut ters who had settled in the area to work at the nearby Byram Quarry, which supplied stone for the Brooklyn Bridge, the base of the Statue of Liberty, and what would become St. Roch Chu rch. A nyone a nd everyone who desired to help were
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It's Time to Let the Arts Uplift Us
By Stuart Adelberg If anyone had told me, two years ago, that our entire world would be turned upside down by a virus, I would have looked at them with more than a hint of skepticism. It sounds a little like the plot of a bad horror movie. Who could believe that a previously unknown illness could shut down cities throughout the world, halt commerce, isolate us from family and friends, overwhelm our healthcare systems, and, most tragically, take millions of lives? But that’s what happened. Fortunately, healthcare professionals and the world’s greatest scientific minds came to our aid with unprecedented heroism and speed, waking us from this nightmare, giving us hope, and finally enabling us to safely begin returning to our most cherished activities. While we feel a sense of gratitude and relief, the impact of this pandemic on every aspect of our lives will not easily be forgotten. In the midst of a troubling year, many of us sought creative ways to enjoy the things we typically like to do – some, more effectively than others. “Zoom” has become a h ou s e h old wor d a s v i r t u a l gatherings replaced meetings, religious ceremonies, and social events. As a movie lover, I know that many people took to the small screen, not only to enjoy the rich array of made for TV fare, but also to view the f ilms that they might otherwise have seen in a theater. Some friends have noted how wonder f u l t h is was, a nd suggest that virtual events might become the norm, while video on demand may replace future trips to the movie theater. I can state unequivocally that this will never suffice for me! A theater is more than a large living room with lots of seats, it
is a gathering space that envelops and engages the audience. A movie house doesn’t simply show you a film, it places you in the center of it, surrounded by sounds as if you’re in the middle of an orchestra, encircled by others sharing in the occasion. Theaters are darkened to eliminate distractions so we can devote 100% of our attention to the experience. A film is not something merely to be seen, it is a medium to be absorbed. I have never forgotten where I am while watching my television, but this often happens to me when experiencing a riveting film in the theater. A quality movie is truly a work of cinematic art, the big screen is the canvas on which it was painted, and the theater is the museum that lends a sense of artistic formality to the work. Going to the theater is an evening out, while a night at home is just . . . a night at home. S o w hy do e s t h i s m at te r? B e c au s e r ig ht now, I b el ieve that being totally absorbed by a b e aut i f u l , me a n i n g f u l , a nd enlightening film can be downright therapeutic. The time is right to sa fely come to t he t he ater and, as the Emcee says in the music a l Ca ba ret, “ le ave you r troubles outside!” Spend a few hours in another time or place, live alongside the characters on the screen, explore the lessons of a documentary, embrace the language and scenery of a foreign film, experience the time when a classic film was released. We can’t and shouldn’t erase the memory of the past year. But getting out and embracing the inspiration that comes from the cinema can help us move forward with optimism and an appreciation for the beauty and interesting experiences that the future is sure to bring. Hope to see you at the Avon! Old Greenwich resident, Stuart Adelberg, is the Executive Director of the Avon Theatre Film Center, a historic, non-profit, community supported independent cinema in downtown Stamford . Stuart has a long history of involvement and leadership with the region's non-profit and human service communities.
"If people are traveling and because of COVID, we don't know what's going to happen. Why put it off?" Town Clerk , Carmen Budkins The specia l election for the 36th state Senate seat is just weeks away but you can vote right now at the Town Clerk's office. The 36th state Senate district covers all of Greenwich and parts of Stamford and New Canaan. The special election to fill this seat will take place on August 17 and the campaigns are well underway but voting is available right now. The candidates are John Blankley (D); Ryan Fazio (R) and Alexis Gevanter (D). To w n C l e r k C a r m e n Budkins says, "If people are traveling and because of COVID, we don't know what's goi ng to happ en . W hy put it off?" Budkins says it is easy to come in right now and vote in person. Head over to Town Hall and go to the Town Clerk's office. There you will receive an absentee ballot application. F i l l it out, ha nd it i n , a nd receive your ballot within a few minutes while you wait. You can fill out your ballot and hand it back right away. The officials at the Town Clerk's office will verify it right then and you are done. This is perhaps the least w e l l-k n ow n a n d s i m p l e s t way to vote absentee without waiting for the United States Post Office. You can also avoid the post off ice by taking your ballot with you, filling it out at home, and dropping it into any one of the three ballot boxes in Greenwich. There is one in the lobby of tow n ha ll and there are two boxes that are available 24 hours a day. One is in the parking lot at town hall and the other is in the Public Safety Complex located just off Greenwich Avenue. The Town Clerk's office is open from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM Monday through F r iday for vot i n g i n t he special election. As of July 28, 1,365 absentee ballots had been requested and 283 people had already voted.
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Marcia Cleveland - True Grit Marathon Hall of Fame Swimmer By Anne W. Semmes In these prime July swimming days, with the annual Swim Across America Fairfield County event coming up next weekend on our Greenwich/Stamford border, it’s timely to remember that July 29 day, 27 years ago when Greenwich’s own Marcia Cleveland swam successfully across the English Channel - 20.8 miles in nine hours 44 minutes, in 60-degree water temperature. In that year of 1994, Marcia was 30 years old, married, living in New York City, with her parents in Riverside. But in a call to Marcia now based with family in Winnetka, Illinois, she credits the pivotal swim training she did off Greenwich Point in the two years preceding that Channel swim for having, “completely made the difference.” Picture Marcia in swimsuit, cap, and goggles, skin covered with a layer of Vaseline, stepping into the surf in the fall with waters anywhere from 58 to 55 degrees. “There wasn’t anyone standing around making either of us do this (Marcia swims often with a training partner for safety): it was something from within, the desire and the drive to succeed, knowing this was one of the steppingstones in the process.” This quote comes from Marcia’s book, “Dover Solo,” sadly missing from Greenwich Library, that splendidly spells out her preparing for and experiencing that Channel swim, making her the 445th person then to do so. But Marcia wasn’t alone on the Greenwich Point beach. She recalls one Halloween making that longest two-hour swim in 55-degrees, with her observing husband Mark Green, “on the shore freezing to death in his ski jacket.” Mark was with her every stroke in that nine plus hour Channel swim aboard an escort boat. “I just worked really hard at Greenwich Point and it's a nice course. I did five and six hour swims there. And it just really made the difference, physically as well as psychologically for me. I swam through eight foot waves. I swam through jellyfish. I didn't enjoy it, but it really made the difference for me getting to the level I was able to get to.” In those near freezing autumnal waters, Marcia first experienced mild hypothermia, a condition that can bring an end to a swimmer. “When I got out of the water, my teeth chattered and I shook uncontrollably for hours,” she writes. Her fingers and hands would cramp “so badly” (known as “Channel Cramp”)
Marcia Cleveland and training partner Robert Makatura on the beach at Greenwich Point in 1992.
Marcia Cleveland swimming past the World Trade Towers in the Manhattan Island Marathon in 1991. At right, Cleveland in the English Channel traffic headed for France in 1994. they would be useless for quite a while.” Twenty minutes in a 116-degree shower was needed to straighten them out. “She kept jumping in the pool with her clothes on,” is how Marcia’s mother, Carolyn Cleveland traces Marcia’s urge for swimming beginning age one and a half. Lessons soon followed. By age three she was jumping off the diving board, swimming unassisted to the side. Her mother, with other children, took time to swim laps with Marcia in an indoor pool. “I was simply where I wanted to be,” she writes. By age eight she was on the Sharks Swim Team, then on the varsity swim team at Greenwich High School (GHS), achieving All-American status. “She rarely missed a workout,” recalls her GHS coach Mark Newcombe, “and although she trained seriously, her rapport with
her team mates was solid and was recognized at Greenwich High as a cocaptain her Senior year.” Her modus operandi became, “Being motivated towards something I personally consider achievable gets my engine revving.” After Yale, she worked in advertising i n Ne w Yo rk C it y w h e r e s h e m e t husband-to-be-Mark (a jogger) who passed the “Pre-Marital Swim Test.” “He knew it was something that made me happy and content and he never felt threatened by it,” she writes. So, married in 1990, Marcia kept swimming, joining the Master team in Manhattan, becoming a part of the U.S. Masters Swimming organization. By August of 1991 she was ready to make her first marathon swim - around Manhattan Island, 28 1/2 miles, “and that’s a lot of currents,” she says, and mind you, a longer swim than the 20plus mile Channel swim. A s t he f i rst fema le to t a ke t he cha l lenge, she fou nd i n her seven and a half hour swim the Manhattan waterways surprisingly clean. “If you go to Long Island Sound and you see how the tide changes every six hours and it whisks the top layer of water off, swimming in the top three feet in the water is totally fine. The most I ever hit was a plastic bag.” But five years on she would better her Manhattan Island
marathon swim to f ive hours and 57 minutes, setting a record for American women. So, what is it about marathon water swimming that really grabs you, Marcia? “I like the planning and preparing for something, and then accomplishing something that's pretty hard. It takes a lot of grit and determination to do that. There's a lot of unknowns that come in the way of every single swim. So, you learn a lot. I've met so many great people. But I think it's the accomplishments of doing something and putting a plan together and making it work.” So, it’s July 29, 1994 at 4 a.m. beneath the white cliffs of Dover, and Marcia is about to jump into the pitch black water from the escort boat. “I kicked off my shoes, kissed Mark goodbye, and walked to the back of the boat. I felt as if I was about to walk the plank…I was shaking from fear…Those first two hours were the most challenging part of the swim…84 strokes per minute swimming at 2.2 miles per hour…a pain in my left shoulder six hours into the swim getting progressively worse … The phrase most clearly defining my mindset was, ‘YES YOU CAN!’” But when Marcia is asked what she is most proud of, besides being elected to the International Marathon Swimmers
Hall of Fame, its having swum the 21-plus mile North Channel between Ireland and Scotland, in July of 2018, at age 54. “It was so incredibly hard. And I just kept going; I was feeling the effects of hypothermia and I didn't even know to the extent that I was. There were jellyfish, everywhere and the water was 53 degrees. I gave it everything I had. and I still had about four hours [of 9 hours, 26 minutes] to swim…So the fact that I finished is just pretty amazing.” So, that’s a 24 year jump from the English Channel challenge to the North Channel, with some impressive swims in between, plus raising two children. Did she imagine her 50’s would be so spectacular? “I never would have expected that in my 50’s, f lashing my AARP card. But there’s definitely a group of us…just being supportive of each other… who just continue to see how far we can go.” The Swim Across America Fairfield County event did not exist in Marcia’s early swim years. But in August of 2017, she became the first solo finisher in the 17-mile Swim Across the Sound marathon from Port Jefferson, L.I. to Bridgeport. “It's a really great race, because they raise money for the living expenses of people who are living with cancer…It was a very difficult day, and they postponed the start of the swim two hours which affected the tides.” After nine hours of hard swimming with 46 minutes to go, Marcia was still not seeing the coast of Connecticut. “So, I just kept my head down and kept going. I just thought there's people there who are getting radiation and chemotherapy today, and they can't give up today or tomorrow or the next day, so I can't give up now.”
GBC Accepting Submissions for Summer Photo Contest
NativePollinatorPlant ENTRIES DUE BY 8.31.21
ENTER THE GREENWICH BOTANICAL CENTER
PHOTO GRAPHY CONTEST Greenwich Botanical Center Win prizes CONTEST: and the promotion submittedPlants photos of PHOTO Native of Pollinator native pollinator plants such as:
Greenwich Botanical Center launches its NATIVE POLLINATOR PLANT PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST during pollinator week and is now accepting submissions through August 31st.
SINGLE STEMS
MEADOWS
NATIVE HYDRANGEAS
GARDENS
PLANTS IN CONTAINERS
PROFESSIONAL
The contest is open to anyone who has planted pollinator plants in their garden thru August 31, 2021, no matter where they were purchased. Winners will be announced on September 18 @ 2:00pm during a gallery viewing in the GBC auditorium of all hard copy entries. There will be a digital version of all entrants during the show with educational exhibits.
With summer in full swing, it’s time to appreciate the natural beauty around us. The Greenwich Botanical Center (GBC) is hosting their Native Pollinator Plant Photo Contest this summer! The GBC invites Greenwich and surrounding communities to acknowledge and appreciate the native plants growing in our unique New England ecosystem for a chance to win prizes and be featured in the local press!
about native plants in the area, you can purchase books or informational resources at the GBC’s boutique and greenhouse, located at their headquarters at 130 Bible St, Cos Cob. The g reen house a lso of fers native plants for purchase that you can cultivate in your own homes. The GBC has several n at ive s for pu r ch a s e i nclud i n g A z a le a parade, Aquilegia, Digitalis Lutea, Asclepias tuberosa, Asclepias ‘Hello Yellow’, Geranium
The aim of this photo contest is to get residents excited about supporting and understanding natural ecosystems and the importance of native plants.
Need Inspiration? Here are a few ideas for your photo composition: PERSPECTIVES
NativePhotos Hydrangeas...cannot go wrong andby photographing & entry forms must by beplanting emailed 8.31.21 to these beautiful crowd pleasing shrubs that add structure to any garden. Marketing@greenwichbotanicalcenter.org • Pollinator Plant...sometimes is in the simplicity of a solo specimen but make sure the or submitted onlinebeauty at greenwichbotanicalcenter.org audience understands its role in pollination. •
• Contain It! What could be more exciting than corralling the wild into manageable areas so that wildlife can come up close especially if that container educates its audience about its value in nature.
Join us for the Awards Reception on • Backyard Beauties...show us your pollinator plot full of native2:00pm plants and pollinators. Saturday, September 18th, ENTRIES DUE • Go Native...any picture of a native found on our Greenwich properties and paths with an artistic at the Greenwich Botanical Center BY 8.31.21 representation of which pollinator is supported by it.
NativePollinatorPlant
ENTER THE GREENWICH • Professional Perspective...time to let our landscapers and land managers show us how it is BOTANICAL CENTER done. ENTRY FORM PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. ENTRY DEADLINE: AUGUST 31. 2021
1. All images must be taken of native pollinator plants. Bonus if your plant was purchased at the Greenwich Botanical Center Greenhouse. Make sure to mark the plant in your image. 2. All photography and editing must be the work of the entrant. 3. No more than 3 entries per entrant. 4. All entries must be accompanied with an entry form. 5. Images are to be sent to Marketing@greenwichbotanicalcenter.org /Photo Contest, JPEG format or Mail to: Greenwich Botanical Center, P.O. Box 1600, Cos Cob, CT 06807
PHOTOGRAPHY
CONTEST
Win Pollinator prizesPlant and the promotion Attn: Native Photo Contest.
of submitted photos of native pollinator plants such as:
For more information contact us at 203-869-9242 or email LisaC@greenwichbotanicalcenter.org. Finalists will be notified by September 10th and asked to bring their original artwork or an 8x10 image of their photograph or artwork mounted on foam core to the awards reception.
SINGLE STEMS
MEADOWS
Please join us for the Awards Reception on Saturday, September 18th, 2:00 pm at GBC, 130 Bible Street, Cos Cob, CT. Prizes will be awarded, and winning submissions will be promoted on GBC’s social media, GBC website and in local press.
NATIVE HYDRANGEAS
PLEASE PRINT PLANTS IN CONTAINERS
GARDENS
PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES
NAME____________________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS________________________________________________________________________________
Photos & entry forms must be emailed by 8.31.21 to
CONTACT PHONE #: ______________________________ Email _____________________________________ Marketing@greenwichbotanicalcenter.org
or submitted online at greenwichbotanicalcenter.org
DESCRIPTION__________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________
If I am a finalist, I will bring my entry to the reception on Saturday, September 18th to be displayed. Upon submission, all entries will become the property of Greenwich Botanical Center (GBC). YES! Initial here ______.
Join us for the Awards Reception on FOR OFFICE USE: Date Submitted____________ Received by:18th, ___________________ Entry #____________ Saturday, September 2:00pm Greenwich Botanical Center | P.O. Box 1600; 130 Bible Street | Cos Cob, CT 06807 at the| Greenwich Botanical Center 203-869-9242 GreenwichBotanicalCenter.org | info@greenwichbotanicalcenter.org
The GBC is accepting submissions until August 31. Submissions are open to anyone of any skill level who spots beautiful native species within their own gardens or around town. Visit greenwichbotanicalcenter.org for more information on how to enter. Native plants such as the Aquilegia, or Colu m bi ne , a nd G era n iu m Mac u lat u m, or Spotted Geranium, thrive in our local environment and can be great subjects for photo submissions. These species help support our natural ecosystems by participating in the native cycles of flora and fauna. Native plants work to promote biodiversity and attract native plants and animals, helping them thrive and survive in the areas they historically call home. The aim of this photo contest is to get residents excited about suppor ting and understanding natural ecosystems and the importance of native plants. It aligns with the GBC’s mission of developing interest and involvement in horticulture, nature, and the arts through educational programs, outreach, and special events. Submissions can be posted on Faceb ook a nd I nst ag ra m by t ag g i ng @ G r e e nw i c h B o t a n i c a l Ce nte r, s u b m it te d th roug h a for m on the GBC website, or sent by mail to 130 Bible St, Cos Cob. Visit g reenw ich bota n ica lcenter.org for more information. To get some inspiration or learn more
maculatum, Pycnanthemum muticum that can all be submitted for the photo contest. All of this merchandise can be purchased online and picked up at the GBC’s greenhouse and boutique from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The GBC also hosted a lecture series in the Spring entitled Native Plant Lecture Series that featured numerous local academics and horticulturists sharing their perspectives on the importance of native plants. These lectures have been recorded for future viewing and can be purchased at the GBC. Contact info@ greenwichbotanicalcenter.org for access. The GBC is partnering with the Greenwich Sentinel as their proud media sponsor and Greenwich Grown as another organization dedicated to the conservation of native species. Winners will be announced on September 18 at 2 p.m. during an awards reception and gallery viewing of all hard copy entries in the Greenwich Botanical Center auditorium. There will also be a digital display of all photo submissions at the show. Prizes will be awarded and the winning submissions will be promoted on GBC’s social media, GBC website, and in the local press. Visit the GBC’s greenhouse and boutique to purchase native plants, books on the subject, local artisan goods, and more. Learn more about the GBC’s initiatives and mission at greenwichbotanicalcenter.org.
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
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Glenville – A Company Town By Mary A. Jacobson
S e e h o w M arth a Ste w art rav e d a b o ut u s!
JUNE 22, 2021
Restoring A Tag Sale Find at Patty's Portico in Port Chester, New York Before all those fun summertime gatherings, it’s always a good idea to take stock of any outdoor furniture that may need repairing or restoring.
SEE THE ARTICLE HERE
Whenever I get the chance, I often enjoy shopping at antiques shops or tag sales - one never knows what one will find. Earlier this year, I purchased a vintage outdoor living set at a neighborhood estates sale. It was a bit timeworn and painted black, but I knew with a little restoration work and a fresh coat of color, the pieces would look fantastic. I enlisted the help of Patty DeFelice, owner of Patty's Portico: Outdoor Furniture Restoration & Powder Coating - a family inspired business that has been serving the New York City area for more than 25-years. Patty and her team stripped the furniture all the way down to the metal, removed any rust that had developed, covered everything with a zinc-rich primer, and then powder coated each piece using electrostatic application methods.
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To d a y, o n e m a y w a l k i n Glenville to a unique repurposed mill along the Byram River and its picturesque waterfall without rea l i zi ng t he r ich ness of t he industrial history of that site. From 1899 to 1978, the American Felt Company (AFC), once considered to be the largest producer of felt in the U.S., operated there. From 1974 to 1992, interviews were conducted by seven different volunteers of the Oral History Project w ith 15 indiv iduals associated with the American Felt Company. They encompassed everyone from machine operators to plant manager, each with his or her own perspective of living in Greenwich and working in the plant. The interviews speak to a time when everyone knew their neighbor; when manual labor was endured and respected; and when one’s pride in country, community, family, and occupation was central to one’s life. Fe lt w a s a n u b i q u ito u s product. It was found in ever y thing f rom pianos to locomotives to refrigerators to the popular “poodle skirts” of the 1950s. Wool was the predominant fiber in the production of felt. The process began with compressed bales of wool delivered to the plant from around the world. “Pickers” would pull them apart to remove the burrs and specks. “Picking” was followed by other labor-intensive processes called “carding,” “hardening,” “hydroextracting,” and “shearing” before achieving the final uniform surface texture of felt. The children of Glenville had vivid memories of their fathers wo rk i n g at t h e m i l l . S o p h i a R i a kow s k i r e c a l l e d h e r d a d working at AFC in 1908, taking care of the boiler rooms. “He used to shovel the soft coal into the furnace to keep the furnace going and going . . . as young kids we used to take a wheelbarrow and wheel it close to the furnace so that my father wouldn’t have to keep going back and forth. It was wicked, and it was awful, awfully hot in there.” For housing, Andrew Sczesny, who worked in the cutting
American Felt Company sign (courtesy of American Felt Company)
1980s renovation of AFC into The Mill complex with condominiums, offices and restaurants (Courtesy of Robert E. Schwartz, architect) department of AFC from 1940 to 1978, explained, “The company had these homes, and they rented them out to the people that worked in the mill, for the company only. They only had to pay one dollar a month for one room. Of course, if there were three or four rooms, four dollars a month. They were glad to pay even though they didn’t make too much money at the time. They had a place and they didn’t have to go far from their home to get to the job.” During the Depression, AFC kep t t wo sh i f t s goi n g . Ch ie f i n s p e c t o r M i c h a e l Zy g m o n t remarked, “That kept many of the people in Glenville alive.” However, help was plentiful and “if you didn’t do your job to their
canvas canteen cover had a felt lining. After the war ended, there was a great demand for new products. A s To m G i l l i c k e x p l a i n e d , “American industry, with its new ideas and products, had been put on the back burner during World War II. Now, they were all trying to build more automobiles and refrigerators and everything else. All these G.I.s were coming home and wanted to start families. So, there was tremendous demand for every type of felt we could make. We were running twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.” However, by 1967, AFC became a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Ruberoid Company, which made roofing products, and then of GAF (General Aniline and Film Corporation), which produced industrial chemicals. After ten years, according to Gillick, GAF “made up its mind that it was going to dispose of the business, and the business was sold.” I n t h e 1 9 8 0 s , d e ve l o p e r s Ralph Schacter and Sy Schwartz, through careful restoration and renovation, turned the salvageable a r e a s o f t h e A F C p l a nt i nto “The Mill,” with its restaurants, apartments and offices, keeping the historical integrity of the structure largely intact. Today, “The Mill” is undergoing another su bsta ntia l renovation as its buildings are being caref ully updated into high-end apartments and new businesses. As developer Ralph Schacter obser ved, “Nobody makes anything anymore in Greenwich… The m ill is ver y impor tant historically for the people, that somet h i ng was done here i n Greenwich, one of the last factories that produced something.” The American Felt Company inter view transcripts may be read at the Greenwich Library Oral History Project off ice and are available for purchase. The Oral History Project is sponsored by the Friends of the Greenwich Library. Visit the OHP website at glohistory.org.
satisfaction, they’d hire somebody else because help was plentiful… When I started in 1933, we worked 55 hours a week. Fifty-five hours for $16.60 a week…When the NRA (National Recovery Act) came into the picture, we worked forty hours a week and made fifty cents an hour. So that was twenty dollars a week, and we didn’t know what to do with our time.” World War II had a big impact o n A F C . A c c o r d i n g to p l a nt chemist and marketing manager Tom Gillick, “Virtually the entire production of the plant was taken over by the military, and then came the Marshall Plan and lendlease. So, we were re-equipping Mary A. Jacobson, OHP blog armed forces around the world.” editor. For ex a mple , ever y sold ier ’s
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ColdwellBankerHomes.com 278 So und Be a ch Av en u e | O ld G reen wich , C T 0 6 8 7 0 • 6 6 Field P o i nt Ro a d | Gre e nw i ch, C T 0 6 8 3 0 Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. ©2021 Coldwell Banker Realty. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Realty fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.
Page 5 | Greenwich Sentinel
REAL ESTATE DASHBOARD NEW LISTINGS
Address
REAL ESTATE DASHBOARD EDITOR Mark Pruner | Mark@GreenwichStreets.com | mark@bhhsne.com
Data Compiled by Cesar Rabellino (203) 249-9866 Price/ List Price SqFt AC BR FB SqFt
160 Mead Avenue H 44 Hickory Drive 304 Valley Road 40 Ettl Lane 5 51 Forest Avenue 162 48 Spring Street 2 1044 North Street 36 Griffith Road 40 Hillside Drive 10 Hillcrest Lane 69 Brother Drive 54 Hillcrest Park Road 74 North Street 297 Riversville Road 23 Welwyn Road 175 Cat Rock Road 148 Clapboard Ridge Road 2 Sparrow Lane 8 Dewart Road
$639,000 $698,000 $810,000 $849,000 $999,000 $1,200,000 $1,250,000 $1,295,000 $1,700,000 $1,950,000 $2,195,000 $2,950,000 $2,990,000 $3,300,000 $3,350,000 $3,600,000 $3,695,000 $4,495,000 $8,995,000
$381 $422 $467 $414 $746 $604 $518 $561 $595 $449 $626 $635 $1,219 $866 $745 $705 $688 $863 $1,216
1,678 1,656 1,736 2,050 1,340 1,987 2,415 2,309 2,855 4,347 3,508 4,643 2,453 3,810 4,498 5,109 5,369 5,210 7,398
0 0.39 0.25 0 0 0 0.96 0.3 0.44 1.01 0.51 1.05 0.4 3.51 0.46 2.6 2.67 1.03 2.71
2 3 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 6 4 4 4 6 6 6 6
2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 3 2 4 5 3 3 5 6 7 6 5
Byram Glenville Cos Cob Glenville Old Greenwich South of Post Road Banksville Riverside South Parkway Old Greenwich South of Post Road Old Greenwich South Parkway Glenville Riverside Cos Cob South Parkway South Parkway South Parkway
NEW SALES
Address
Data Compiled by Cesar Rabellino (203) 249-9866 Original List List Price Sold Price DOM BR FB Acres SqFt
93 Weaver Street 17 Le Grande Avenue APT 8 47 Lafayette Place 3A 5 Douglas Drive 3 Whiffletree Way 3 1 Mulberry Lane 63 Loughlin Avenue 20 Lyon Farm Drive 20 40 Bruce Park Drive 40 Elm Street 2D 18 Bramble Lane 3 Old Wagon Road 7 Grey Rock Drive 130 Woodside Drive 51 Pine Ridge Road 52 Indian Head Road 29 Horseshoe Road 233 Milbank Avenue 5 46 Pine Ridge Road 19 Flagler Drive 7 Stallion Trail 4 Saw Mill Mews 36 Copper Beech Road 17 Hendrie Drive 20 Bush Avenue 24 Thunder Mountain Road 4 Fairgreen Lane 425 Maple Avenue 24 Rock Ridge Avenue
$699,000 $775,000 $789,000 $795,000 $835,000 $999,999 $1,095,000 $1,250,000 $1,400,000 $1,349,000 $1,550,000 $1,950,000 $1,799,000 $2,095,000 $1,995,000 $2,275,000 $2,295,000 $2,150,000 $2,250,000 $2,795,000 $2,198,000 $2,695,000 $2,595,000 $3,995,000 $5,990,000 $7,495,000 $6,995,000 $9,995,000 $14,750,000
$699,000 $775,000 $775,000 $795,000 $835,000 $999,999 $1,095,000 $1,250,000 $1,400,000 $1,349,000 $1,550,000 $1,835,000 $1,799,000 $2,095,000 $1,995,000 $2,275,000 $2,295,000 $2,150,000 $2,250,000 $2,495,000 $2,198,000 $2,695,000 $2,595,000 $3,995,000 $5,990,000 $6,995,000 $6,995,000 $9,995,000 $14,750,000
$699,000 $750,000 $760,000 $827,000 $855,000 $885,000 $1,140,000 $1,250,000 $1,320,000 $1,330,000 $1,550,000 $1,800,000 $1,885,000 $2,095,000 $2,100,000 $2,175,000 $2,200,000 $2,200,000 $2,250,000 $2,300,000 $2,400,000 $2,475,000 $2,620,000 $4,420,000 $5,775,000 $6,700,000 $6,850,000 $9,400,000 $13,000,000
59 83 42 48 8 55 50 23 77 96 7 104 12 33 48 99 72 5 20 84 36 44 14 9 39 319 64 63 365
4 2 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 2 3 4 5 4 4 4 5 3 4 4 4 4 5 6 7 6 6 6 7
REAL ESTATE DASHBOARD CONTRIBUTORS Robert Pulitano | RobertPulitano@bhhsne.com Cesar Rabillino | CesarRabellino@bhhsne.com Pam Toner | PamToner@bhhsne.com
Area
2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 2 3 3 3 3 5 4 3 5 6 5 5 8 8
0.6 0 0 0.33 0 0.15 0.17 0 0.75 0 0.28 0.28 0.28 0.38 1.22 0.58 1.15 0 1.17 2.25 2.02 1.15 1.1 0.82 1.49 2.69 0.36 2.6 2.42
1,681 1,211 1,347 1,692 1,997 1,981 2,030 1,904 1,891 1,510 2,165 3,478 4,320 2,582 3,496 2,534 4,070 2,789 3,796 3,372 5,695 4,775 3,462 5,172 7,861 8,822 6,392 9,371 9,489
FEATURED OPEN HOUSES Data Compiled by Rob Pulitano [203] 561-8092 Address
Area
Price
Day/Time
105 Lockwood Road Riverside $1,785,000 Sun 1-3 PM 157 N Water Street #1 Greenwich $2,100 Sat 12-2 PM 17 Marks Road Riverside $2,970,000 Sun 12:30-2:30 PM 37 Almira Drive Greenwich $799,000 Sun 12:30-3 PM 15 Reynwood Manor Greenwich $7,750,000 Sun 2-4 PM 1044 North Street Greenwich $1,250,000 Sun 1-3 PM 29 Stanwich Road Greenwich $3,795,000 Sun 1-3 PM 28 Putnam #28 Greenwich $675,000 Sun 1-3 PM 6 Susan Lane Riverside $1,995,000 Sun 1-3 PM 23 Welwyn Road Riverside $3,350,000 Greenwich 5.25x10.5.qxp_Layout 1 3/26/21 10:48 AM Page 1 Sun 1-3 PM 15 Highland Place Greenwich $530,000 Sun 1-3 PM
Broker
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For Aquarion Customers in Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Stamford and Westport
Smarter Watering Begins With You
Smarter watering is watering without wasting such an important, irreplaceable resource while also keeping your lawn and garden looking their best. Most importantly, it can be as easy as following Aquarion’s mandatory irrigation schedule. Or go a step further…upgrade to a high-efficiency, irrigation system. It’ll do all the work for you and may even qualify you for a variance from the schedule. Either way, you’ll reduce what the EPA has identified as one of America’s biggest water wasters – lawn and garden overwatering. Meanwhile, you’ll make more water available for vital needs throughout your community – like for fire protection and drinking. And that’s just plain smart. Questions? Contact Aquarion’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-732-9678 or speak to a licensed irrigation professional. For more information about the irrigation schedule and variance options, visit www.aquarionwater.com/watering.
Mandatory, Maximum Twice-Weekly Sprinkler Irrigation Schedule Last Digit of Your Address Number Please Water Only On: 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 (even numbers) Sunday & Wednesday 12:01 am – 10:00 am, or 6:00 pm – Midnight
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1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 (odd numbers)
Saturday & Tuesday 12:01 am – 10:00 am, or 6:00 pm – Midnight
No address number
Sunday & Wednesday 12:01 am – 10:00 am, or 6:00 pm – Midnight
Gloria Falcon 203.559.1604 gloriafalcon@bhhsne.com Cesar Rabellino 203.249.9866 cesarrabellino@bhhsne.com Greenwich | 136 East Putnam Avenue | bhhsNEproperties.com
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Environmental Advocacy Group Signals Hope for the Future By Anjali Kishore It’s a sentiment echoed in politics on every level: the kids are the future. Across the country, young people are organizing, marching, and protesting for a multitude of causes. Youth has become an asset, signifying a cleareyed perspective and unparalleled energy. In Greenwich, it’s evident that the new generation of young voters and teenagers is more active than ever, with countless walkouts, protests, and new student groups springing up in the last five years. This trend was evident on Saturday morning, when the fullystudent-led Greenwich Environmental Advocacy Group, joined by members of local government, gathered outside Town Hall to promote the passing of a Climate Emergency Resolution (CER), and send a signal that Greenw ich is serious about combating climate change. In the audience were State Representative Steve Meskers, Senator Jim Himes, Selectwoman Lauren Rabin, and Selectwoman Jill Oberlander, to name a few. The elected officials on Saturday were visibly in awe of the
passion exhibited by the group, with Oberlander stating, “I’m so impressed with the activism and interest that we see out of our younger generations, encouraging all of us to be better everyday.” The ra lly was spearheaded by rising Greenwich High School seniors Nima Gupte and Isabelle Harper, who recognized a blind spot in the town’s generally politically active culture: in an email to the Sentinel, GEAG explained, “We formed the GEAG because we saw that, although there are many environmental organizations doing amazing things in terms of education and awareness, we weren't seeing many environmental groups protesting or interacting with the government to create change. In addition, outside of school clubs, there was a gap in environmental groups that were led by youth.” A long with fellow GHS students and members of GEAG Sarah Tocci, Karime Perez, Sam Jaffe, Sophie Lenschow, Sophie Brachet and Hanna Klingbeil, Gupte and Harper have joined forces with 350.org, an international
non-profit dedicated to reforming how we source our energy, to shed light on the issue. GEAG is off icially the Greenwich chapter of the grassroots organization, which was created in 2008 and has since campaigned against t he Da kot a Acce ss a nd Keystone X L pip el i ne s, to stop f rack i ng i n South America, and petitioned large organizations and school to divest trillions of funds away from fossil fuels. The GEAG is formally the Greenwich chapter of 350.org. The Climate Emergency Resolution being suppor ted at Tow n Ha l l on Saturday is a declaration that formally ack nowledges the current climate crisis as an emergency and recognizes possible steps the town will take in order to address the crisis. The CER would be a largely symbolic measure, but hopefully one of many steps towards a more sustainable future for the town. It’s especially important for Greenwich to t a ke ac t ion for a few re asons: symbolically, “Greenwich holds a lot of power as a town that other places in CT look up to. We have amazing public
education, very good public safety, beautiful streets, etc. If Greenwich were to sign a CER, it would set a good example for other towns to follow. Stamford, Bridgeport, New Haven, Middletown and New Britain have already passed a CER, so Greenwich signing onto one will lead the state in the right direction”, according to Gupte. In a more practical way, being right on the Sound puts us on the front lines of the issue. Rising ocean levels would impact coastal areas first, and though Greenw ich faces volatile weather already as a result of being on the water, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, even minor f luctuations in climate would signif icantly impact local weather. These trends are particularly troubling for future generations, a big part of the reason that young people are so involved with the issue.“It’s been disheartening as a young person,” I’m only 17 and just during my lifetime, things have already gotten so much worse. I know a lot of students and young people have a lot of climate anxiety about the future. Will
we be able to breathe clean air and get clean water?” The situation seems dire, but the future is in good hands with young activists at the helm of the issue. In their remarks, Harper and Gupte emphasized intersectionality -- discussing how climate change affects distribution of wealth and resources, human welfare overall, and ecosystems around the world -- and the power of legislative action, making clear to the audience that this group and generation as a whole will not just be satisfied with social progress and well-meaning speeches, but would push for tangible change. Harper summed up the sentiment of the dozens of group members, saying, “We are the voices of the future, and I think politicians know that.” After Saturday’s rally, attended by dozens and applauded by local lawmakers, one thing is for sure: the voice is impossible to ignore. The Greenw ich Env ironmental Advocacy Group meets weekly and is open for membership to all Greenwich residents. For more information, contact greenwicheag@gmail.com.
Page 6 | Greenwich Sentinel
Local Planning: Calendar of Events
MY VOTING POWER: myvotingpower.org Tuesday, Aug. 3 7 p.m. Special Election Debate: Ryan Fazio, Alexis Gevanter, and John Blankley. Greenwich Town Hall. RSVP. hello@myvotingpower.org GREENWICH LIBRARIES: greenwichlibrary.org Friday, July 30 10 a.m. Outdoor Toddler Storytime. On the front lawn of Cos Cob Library. 203-622-6883. lmatthews@ greenwichlibrary.org 11 a.m. Outdoor Storytime. On the front lawn of Cos Cob Library. Register. 203-622-6883. lmatthews@greenwichlibrary.org 3:45 p.m. World Music with Anitra. Outside of Cos Cob Library. Register. 203-622-6883. lmatthews@ greenwichlibrary.org Saturday, July 31 11 a.m. Virtual – Mad Science: Light...Color...Action! children@greenwichlibrary.org Monday, Aug. 2 10 a.m. Summer Storytime in the Courtyard at Greenwich Library. 203-622-7940. children@ greenwichlibrary.org 12 p.m. SCORE Webinar: Operator to Business Owner Shift. 203-622-7924. ywang@greenwichlibrary. org 4 p.m. Virtual – Chair Yoga with Kristin. 203-531-0426. Tuesday, Aug. 3 10:30 a.m. Outdoor Spanish Storytime. On the front lawn of Cos Cob Library. 203-622-6883. lmatthews@ greenwichlibrary.org 11 a.m. Petite Concert in the Courtyard at Greenwich Library. 203-622-7940. children@ greenwichlibrary.org 5 p.m. Virtual – Lizzie Rockwell Reads Anne Rockwell Books. children@greenwichlibrary.org 6 p.m. Virtual – Clean Up Your Laser Engraved Pictures with GIMP. 203-622-7979. innovationlab@greenwichlibrary.org Wednesday, Aug. 4 10 a.m. Summer Storytime in the Courtyard at Greenwich Library. 203-622-7940. children@ greenwichlibrary.org 3 p.m. Virtual – Afternoon Story/Craft (ages 2 1/2 and up). 203-622-6883.
Thursday, Aug. 5 11:30 a.m. Virtual – Qi Gong: mindful movement and breathing. lmatthews@greenwichlibrary.org 7 p.m. Virtual – “Children in Art” with Beth S. GershNesic Ph.D. children@greenwichlibrary.org Friday, Aug. 6 10 a.m. Outdoor Toddler Storytime. On the front lawn of Cos Cob Library. 203-622-6883. lmatthews@ greenwichlibrary.org 11 a.m. Outdoor Storytime. On the front lawn of Cos Cob Library. Register. 203-622-6883. lmatthews@greenwichlibrary.org Saturday, Aug. 7 10:30 a.m. Virtual – Cooking Demo: Julia Child’s Coq au Vin with Luca & Grandchildren. 203-531-0426. GREENWICH HOSPITAL: greenwichhospital.org/events 888-305-9253 Monday, Aug. 2 12:30 p.m. Webinar: Hip Replacement Education. Tuesday, Aug. 3 12:30 p.m. Webinar: Parkinson’s Disease Support Group. Wednesday, Aug. 4 5:30 p.m. Webinar: Leading Trends in Spine Surgery. Thursday, Aug. 5 12 p.m. Webinar: Bariatric Informational. NEIGHBOR-TO-NEIGHBOR: ntngreenwich. org Tuesdays, 9 - 11 a.m. Food Drive (drive-thru) at St. Catherine of Siena’s parking area across the street from the rectory entrance, 4 Riverside Ave. (Nonperishable foods, personal care products, large sized diapers (5 & 6) and pull-ups, and knit hats (hand knit or store bought). Thursdays, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Food Drive at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church parking lot, 200 Riverside Ave. BOOK EXCHANGE: books4everyone.org Saturday, July 31 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. Book Exchange – choose from a huge selection of books. Holly Hill recycling Center. Free, or, donate books. (Open every Fri & Sat. FRIENDS OF GREENWICH POINT: friendsofgreenwichpoint.org Saturday, July 31 4 p.m.
Greenwich Point Summer Concert Series: Oh La La! Jazz Band. Founders Rock at Tod’s Point. Free. Sunday, Aug. 1 9 - 11:30 a.m. First Sunday Bird Walks at Greenwich Point Park. (Bring binoculars). Meet near the main concession stand at the south end of the beach. All ages. (Group size limited, up to first 15 participants). EDUCATION FORUM: repfiorello.com Tuesday, Aug. 3 10 a.m. DEI, SEL, CRT and more – The World Salad of Education: Why Parents Should be Concerned. Ferguson Library, Stamford (in-person and on Zoom). Kimberly.Fiorello@housegop.ct.gov FRIENDS OF MIANUS RIVER PARK: friendsofmianusriverpark.org Monday, Aug. 2 9 a.m. ‘Pliking’ event - a combination of jogging/hiking and ‘plocka upp’ (Swedish for ‘to pick’): jogging while picking up garbage. Meet at the bridge on Merribrooke Lane, Stamford. (Bring gloves and a small trash bag). 203.918.2548 SUMMER MOVIE NIGHTS: greenwichcommunity.org Monday, Aug. 2 7:30 p.m. Greenwich Communities and Community Centers, Inc. of Greenwich (CCI) Summer Movie Nights: “Despicable Me.” Armstrong Court. Free. 203-869-1276. gaby.rattner@ccigreenwich.org TOWN CONCERTS: greenwichct.gov/493/ Special-Events-Concerts Wednesday, Aug. 4 7:15 p.m. Wednesday Night Concert Series: LP’s – Best of 70’s & 80’s. Roger Sherman Baldwin Park. Weather postponement/cancellation information: 203-861-6100 (after 4pm). BYRAM VETERANS: Thursday, Aug. 5 7 p.m. Byram Veterans Association Karaoke Night with Ike. Hornik Hall, 300 Delavan Ave. 203531-9846. LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF GREENWICH: lwvgreenwich.org Friday, Aug. 6 7 p.m. Candidate Forum: CT State Senate District 36 with John Blankley (Pt. Cand) Ryan Fazio (R), and Alexis Gevanter (D). Via Zoom. Register and submit questions: bit.ly/ LWVGCandForum36th FREE MUSIC FRIDAYS: Friday, July 30
12:30 p.m. “Free Music Fridays” on Greenwich Avenue: Billy & the Shoemen. Across the street from the Senior Center. GIRLS WITH IMPACT: girlswithimpact.org/ calendar Saturday, July 31 10 a.m. Workshop: Step Up Your Professional Skills – How to Be a Leader in the Workplace. (Open to all young women 14-24). Via Zoom. Free. Register. AUDUBON CENTER: greenwich.audubon. org/events Saturday, July 31 10 a.m. Dazzling Dragonflies. 613 Riversville Rd. Tickets start at $15. All ages. Registration required. 203930-1353. ryan.maclean@audubon.org ONS PANEL: onsmd.com/events Wednesday, Aug. 4 5:30 p.m. Webinar: Leading Trends in Spine Surgery. Via Zoom. Free. Register.
YWCA GREENWICH: ywcagreenwich.org Through Friday, Aug. 20 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Camp TAYITO – for Boys & Girls Kindergarten to Pre-Teen. Financial Aid available. 203-8696501, ext. 251. a.smith@ywcagreenwich.org BRUCE MUSEUM: brucemuseum.org Sunday, Aug. 1 & 8 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Family Gallery Tours. 1 Museum Dr. Best for ages 6-10. Free with admission. No reservations required. Tuesday, Aug. 3 9 a.m. Digital Bruce Beginnings - The Beach. Online. Free. GREENWICH YMCA: greenwichymca.org Tuesday, Aug. 3 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Beginner Bridge with The Perfectly Polite Bridge Group. YMCA members, $30; nonmembers, $35. New players welcome. (Register by Monday, 6pm). 203-524-8032. Wednesday, Aug. 4 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. - & 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. Relaxed Bridge with The Perfectly Polite Bridge Group. Members, $10; non-members, $12. New players welcome. (Register by Tuesday, 6pm). 203-524-8032. Through Please turn to page 11
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Page 7 | Greenwich Sentinel
LOCAL NEWS
$6 Million in Grants The Inner-City Foundation for Charity & Education will award $6 million in g rants, the charity announced today, providing grants to 4 3 local Fairfield County programs. The charity announced its plans to dissolve and to distribute its considerable assets earlier this year. “We wish we could have gone back and given funds to everyone we have supported over the years – about 200 g rantees over 30 years,” said Executive Director Karen Barry Schwarz, “but that was not feasible. We looked at those grantees that we regularly supported over the last 10 years or so and chose carefully from a large group of proposals. We’re delighted that our donors’ funds will be doing good in Fairfield County for many years to come, and in some cases, in perpetuity.” The Fairf ield County programs that will each receive a portion of the $6 million in funds from The Inner-City Foundation for Charity & Education in its dissolution include the following:
Open Door Shelter Pacific House Person-to-Person
LOBSTERS (ALL SIZES) JUMBO ALASKAN KING CRAB LEGS
Shepherds St. Catherine Center for Special Needs
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St. Joseph Parenting Center Stamford Public Education Foundation
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Sterling House Community Center Thomas Merton Center Tiny Miracles Foundation
Kolbe Cathedral High School celebrates receiving a scholarship endowment of $500,000 from The Inner-City Foundation for Charity & Education. Pictured here, left to right: Jane Lafond, rising Kolbe Cathedral High School senior; Dick Matteis, Board Member, The Inner-City Foundation for Charity & Education; Camille Figluizzi, Kolbe Cathedral Principal; Pam Pagnani, Board Member, The Inner-City Foundation for Charity & Education; Eudell Mason, rising Kolbe Cathedral High School senior.
Bridgeport Neighborhoods Together
Catholic Charities of Fairfield County Morning Glory Kitchen
Bridgeport Rescue Mission
Center for Family Justice
Building One Community
Circle of Care for Families of Children with Cancer
Caroline House
MAINE STEAMERS
Shelter of the Cross/Renewal House
Bridgeport Caribe Youth Leaders
Cardinal Shehan Center
MONTAUK SWORDFISH
Sacred Heart University
Catholic Charities of Fairfield County Immigration Services
All Saints Catholic School
Happily Serving Greenwich for Over 120 Years!
Future 5 HomeFront Homes with Hope Inspirica Junior Achievement of Greater Fairfield County
Domestic Violence Crisis Center Domus Foundation
Carver Foundation of Norwalk
Kolbe Cathedral High School Malta House
Emerge
Catholic Academy of Bridgeport Catholic Academy of Stamford
Kids in Crisis
Mercy Learning Center
Family ReEntry
New Covenant Center
Foundations in Education
Today's Students Tomorrow's Teachers Women's Center of Greater Danbury In a closing statement to donors, E xe c ut ive D i re c tor Karen Barry Schwarz added, “For almost three decades, The Inner-City Foundation, with your help, has helped to feed the hungry, house the homeless, and educate those living in poverty in Fairfield County, granting $38 million to 200 local programs over the last 30 years. It has been our distinct honor, and our mission, to help families in need, helping to construct with them a path to a better future. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting us, and our friends in need, over all these years. We hope you will continue the good work we began together.”
Local Public Company Market Watch GREENWICH INDEX COMPANY AmBase Corporation
SYMBOL
52 HIGH
52 LOW
PRICE*
ABCP
$0.45
$0.20
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EFC
$19.60
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Hudson Pro
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Interactive Brokers Group, Inc.
IBKR
$80.57
$46.43
$61.65
Oxford Lane Capital Corp.
OXLC
$7.88
$4.06
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Oxford Square Capital Corp.
OXSQ
$5.22
$2.29
$4.79
Starwood Property Trust Inc.
STWD
$27.00
$13.76
$26.08
StoneRiver Inc.
SPNS
$35.85
$24.30
$24.99
Townsquare Media Inc.
TSQ
$14.39
$4.35
$12.18
Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc.
UBA
$19.97
$8.22
$18.83
W.R. Berkley Corp.
WRB
$81.87
$58.44
$72.94
XPO Logistics Inc.
XPO
$153.45
$72.21
$137.78
Ellington Financial LLC
* as of close of business 7/28/21
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Page 8 | Greenwich Sentinel
ST. ROCH From Page 1
put to work. The foundation of the church was soon completed, but because there was no more money, a makeshift roof was placed over the top and a chapel was furnished with an altar and pews. The chapel was dedicated on May 14, 1922. Father Rice, assistant pastor of Sacred Heart, came every Saturday morning to instruct the children in religion, and to prepare them for the sacraments. Either Father Sullivan or Father Rice celebrated one Mass each Sunday in the basement chapel under the makeshift roof. Many local societies performed volunteer work and held fund raisers to raise money to help finish the church. The St. Roch Society, the St. John Society, the Society of Mount Carmel, the Society of St. Gerard, the Children of Mary, the St. Anne Sodality, and the Holy Name Society each hosted celebrations and/or feasts in honor of their particular saints and donated money to build St Roch Church. The largest of these fundraisers was “The St. Roch Feast” sponsored by the St Laurence Society specifically to raise the funds needed to finish the St. Roch Church. By 1928, $5,000 had been saved, and work was able to begin on the upper church. That date is inscribed on the cornerstone at the north west corner of the church building. The parish will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2028. By 1937, the new chu rch was f inancially able to stand independently of Sacred Heart. The f irst pastor of the newly incorporated church was Fr. Vincent Finn. He had to rent an apartment, for there was not yet a rectory. With much volunteer work and more funds raised from the annual St. Roch Feasts, the rectory was built. Later a convent for the Sisters of St. John the Baptist was added and, in 1952, a nursery school was started. Property was purchased for a school site and St. Roch School opened in 1958. It was then that Grigg Avenue was renamed “St. Roch Avenue.” Unfortunately, due to a drop in religious vocations, St. Roch School closed i n Ju ne 1969. The school building was then repurposed and renamed the Christian Life Center, and today serves as the parish’s Religious Education Center. For many years it housed the Greenwich YMCA Early Learning Center u nt i l t hat faci l it y close d i n August 2020. The building currently is used by the Grace Daycare & Learning Center, a Chr istian nurser y school, a nd Com mu n it y Center s of G r e e nw i c h , I n c . , a c h a r i t y dedicated to meeting the needs of the less for tu nate in ou r com mu n it y wh ich pa r t ners with St. Roch Church to provide m e a l s t o 5 1 f o o d -i n s e c u r e families in Greenwich on a biweekly basis. St. Roch celebrated the 90th anniversary of the annual Feast in 2010. Ironically, 2020, which wou ld have b e en t he 10 0 t h anniversary, was marked by the COVID19 pandemic, a modernday equivalent of the plague. True to the charism of its patron, St. Roch Church rose to the challenge. Under the leadership of its pastor, Rev. Carl McIntosh (“ Fat h e r M a c ” ), S t . R o c h’s became the first (and for some time the only) catholic church in Greenwich to remain physically open ever y day for socia l ly distanced worship, and the first to offer a 24/7 livestream online feed for virtual attendance at Mass or private prayers and contemplation. The an nual Feast was held in conformity w ith health g uidelines, and though smaller than normal, was a success. And organizers are busily at work preparing for the 2021 Feast, which will be held from Wednesday, August 11, through Saturday, August 14, and which will culminate in a procession and feast day ser v ices on Sunday, Aug ust 15. Hopefully, St. Roch and his faithful dog will smile upon the celebrations once again this year and bless everyone with good weather! St. Roch Parish is located in the Chickahominy neighborhood of Greenw ich. https://w w w. strochchurch.com/
Page 9 | Greenwich Sentinel
Spotlight on: Chickahominy By Dan FitzPatrick It is often said that G r e enw ich i s a tow n m ade u p o f n e i g h b o r h o o d s . We celebrate that fact at the top of the front page of every issue of the Sentinel. One of those neighborhoods has a special history and an interesting story behind its unique name. About a mile long and bounded by the Central Greenwich downtown to the e a st, We st P ut na m Avenue to t he nor t h , By ra m to t he we s t a n d t h e M e t r o N o r t h railroad tracks to the south, the neighborhood of Chickahominy
w a s mo st ly fa r m la nd u nt i l a f te r Wo rl d Wa r I . I n t h e early years of the last century, Italian immigrants, many stone masons, settled there to work at the stone quarries located along the western side of Byram Cove. A number of their descendants live there still, in homes their fam ilies have enjoyed for generations. The community grew with the advent of the trolley service, which began in Greenwich in 1901. In 1951, the Town of Greenwich built the Armstrong Court complex in Chickahominy to help ease the housing crunch caused by the inf lux of returning World War
II veterans, and just last year added 18 more townhouse units to the complex. The current makeup of the neighborhood is now q uite diverse, but it has retained a strong sense of community and considerable pride in its history and identity. Housing turnover is historically very low. The heart of Chickahominy, both locationally and spiritually, is St. Roch Church on St. Roch Avenue across from the town’s Hamilton Avenue School. (Its fascinating story is told in an accompanying article appearing elsewhere in this issue.) Every
year, the parish celebrates the Feast of St. Roch with a multiday street festival featuring a variety of foods (including its famous pizza fritta), music and carnival rides. This year’s feast will be held from Wednesday, August 11 through Saturday, August 14, culminating with a procession and the celebration of Mass on Sunday, August 15. So how exactly did Chickahominy get its name? L e gend ha s it t hat lo c a l residents served in the Union A r my ’s V Cor ps du r i ng t he Civ il War and fought in the Battle of Gaines’ Mill ( June
27, 1862) along the banks of t he Ch ick a hom i ny R iver i n Hanover County, Virginia, near Richmond. That battle, which is sometimes also referred to as the Battle of Chickahominy, was the second bloodiest battle in American history at the time, and Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s first major victory in that war. The Union forces were forced to retreat across the Chickahominy River, burning the bridges behind them. While it was a defeat, seven different Union soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor for their bravery at the Battle of
Gaines’ Mill. Upon their return, the Greenwich veterans n a me d t hei r neig h b orho o d C h ick a h om i ny a s a w ay to commemorate the sacrifices of their comrades-in-arms. The current residents of Chickahominy take great pride in their neighborhood, its name and its history. Next time you drive down Hamilton Avenue, give a thought and a nod to all the people – past and present – who contribute to the variety and very special nature of our wonderful town.
Photos from years past at the St. Roch Feast which is held every year in August. It is a popular destination for families, local leaders, and fried dough lovers. This year the Feast will take place from August 11 to August 14. The annual raffle is being held and you can request your raffle tickets at https://www. strochchurch.com/ online.
Page 10 | Greenwich Sentinel
PUBLISHER Beth@GreenwichSentinel.com Elizabeth Barhydt
Editorial Page Cartoon
EDITORS & COPY EDITORS Editor@GreenwichSentinel.com Peter Barhydt, Daniel FitzPatrick, Stapley Russell, Anne W. Semmes
Lazy Days of Summer The dog days of summer are upon us. This weekend brings with it the unofficial halfway point of summer. When we think of the lazy, hazy days of summer we normally think of August, but this past week’s heat wave has had us running from air conditioned office to car to home. And back again. Thankfully next week looks like we will have some relief from the staggering heat after this weekend’s storms pass. August is the time of year when many from Greenwich are elsewhere. Already our Facebook feeds are showing photos from faraway places such as Aspen, Scotland, Acadia and, of course,
As a special bonus everyone who uploads a photo though the Sentinel app will be automatically entered into a raffle to win two Neighbor tickets to this year’s Greenwich Town Party! Nantucket. Greenwich seems to empty out during the month. There is less traffic around town, and you can actually find a parking space on Greenwich Avenue without having to circle the block. We love this month. For those of us who remain in town it feels as though there is a little more breathing room. The pace is less hectic. We are able to get done some of those projects we have been putting off. It is also the perfect month to just slow down a bit. American author Sam Keen wrote: “Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.” Take time for a walk at the beach or read a book. Even our pets seem to relax and enjoy lying under a tree. If you are in our neighborhood at dusk and hear insistent barking, chances are good it is our goofy black lab barking at fireflies while his sister watches with amusement as he chases them around the yard. We have noticed a larger firefly population this summer which must be a good thing. A word of caution about our fury friends, if it is too hot outside for you, it is too hot outside for them. Make sure they have enough water and never, ever leave them in a car with the windows rolled up. The Sentinel has had a busy summer so far. Our annual (except for last year) Sentinel Award was held at the beginning of the month. It was a great evening up at the Audubon where we celebrated our 2020 honoree Pam Pagnani as well as our 2021 honoree Stephanie Dunn Ashley. And finalizing our new Sentinel app, which will be launched within days. Now, several of our interns have completed their time with us and are off with their parents for far away adventures. Even our offices seem a little quieter. We are going to take some of our own advice. The middle two weeks of August we will not be publishing a printed copy of the Sentinel. Our reporters will still be hard at work covering news and happenings around town and those stories and photographs will be put up on social media and on our website (and our new app!). We are going to use this time to focus on several new initiatives which we will announce in September. We will be back in full production with our print edition on August 27, with lots of information on Labor Day weekend and early fall activities. As you enjoy the second half of summer, we encourage you to send us photos of your summer adventures. You can send them to us through the new Sentinel app, which is available at the iStore and Google Play. Just search “Greenwich Sentinel.” The photos can be of your adventures around town, from an island get away, summer hike, or your favorite tree. Let us see how your summer is
OPED
Former State Senators Support Ryan Fazio By William Nickerson & L. Scott Frantz The former state senator representing the 36th District has resigned, bringing about a special election on Aug. 17 to fill the vacancy. The district covers Greenwich and parts of Stamford and New Canaan. The strongest candidate is Republican Ryan Fazio. He is determined to bring a positive change to our state government and create a better future for our families. He is focused on reducing taxes and the cost of living, both of which are unacceptably high. Ryan will support our local police and work hard to reduce crime rates. He is passionate about education and will work to raise academic standards in the schools. Rya n g rew up i n Greenw ich a nd attended the local public schools. He has volunteered as a tutor and advocate for inner city school kids and has also delivered meals to the home-bound elderly in Greenwich for years. He has great experience in the private sector working in renewable energy in Stamford. More recently, he has also shown his ability to work across the aisle in government as
a town legislator on the Representative Town Meeting and as a member of the first selectman’s Energy Efficiency Committee. Now he is poised and ready to bring a positive change as our state senator. By contrast his opponent seeks to join the legislative majority Democratic party which has presided over financial mismanagement for many years in the most partisan ways. Disinformation is often the order of the day in today’s politics, so here are the facts as to the majority’s performance:
which leaves a shortfall of $76 billion. Ignoring the wishes of Connecticut voters who overwhelmingly adopted an amendment to the State Constitution to establish a spending cap, the majority party used a series of legal, interpretive and procedural gymnastics to declare the cap invalid.
• Plugging in one-time federal pandemic aid relief into this year’s budget, giving the appearance of a balanced budget, when in fact these funds will not be available next year when a shortfall is thus assured. • Enacted two of the largest tax increases in Connecticut’s history, increasing The state is at a crossroads. Continued every tax in sight from income tax, sales fiscal mismanagement will accelerate the tax, business tax, estate tax and gift tax. trend of people and business moving out The state now has the second highest of state, as with General Electric. But it is taxes in the nation. not too late. By electing Ryan Fazio voters will be • Allowing long-term debt to soar up to $85 billion — third highest in the nation putting in place a strong change agent. Electi ng h is opponent wou ld sig na l per capita. • Fully 25 percent of the budget is now acceptance of the dismal status quo. It is required to service the state’s debt, even time to begin the Connecticut turnaround. with current low interest rates. • P r ov ide d on ly 3 8 p er c ent of t he required funding for the state employee pension plan, fifth worst in the nation,
William Nickerson served as the state Senator for the 36th district from 1991 2009. L. Scott Frantz served as the state Senator from 2009 - 2019.
The strongest candidate is Republican Ryan Fazio. He is determined to bring a positive change to our state government and create a better future for our families. LETTERS
Deep Community Roots Matter for State Senator A candidate who is running for a n elec te d p osit ion i n the state legislature should have a deep knowledge of the district they represent. That level of familiarity can only be learned by having lived and volunteered in the district for an extended period of time. With long roots in place comes civic participation to those who are interested. Participation in local gover n ment is a natu ra l extension. Deep community roots grow with time, and in the case of the upcoming Specia l Election for State Senate, one of the two main candidates has them, while the other does not. Rya n Fa zio g rew up in Greenwich and chose to stay and make a life here. He has worked a nd volu nteered locally for many years and he serves in local government. By contrast, his main Democratic opponent just moved to Greenwich a little more than t wo years ago f rom San Francisco. Over many years, Ryan has also maintained a steady c i v i c i nvo l ve m e nt i n o u r community. Whether acting as a tutor for underprivileged school children, delivering meals to homebound seniors, becoming an elected member of the Greenwich RTM, or
when we are considering sending a State Senator to Hartford who will represent the best interests of our community, that person should have a certain depth of knowledge about the community they represent serving as a member of the F i rst S ele c t ma n’s Energ y Committee, Ryan has demonstrated a willingness to get involved not only as a com mu n it y ac t iv ist but also as an elected member o f t h e l o c a l g ove r n m e nt . This cannot be said of his main Democratic opponent— although the petition Democrat candidate has been involved in town government for years. Outside the main Democratic candidate’s political activity, there has been no consistent i nvolvement i n t he tow n , because she has lived here for only two years.
I respect that she is running for office, which is not easy. However, when we are considering sending a State Senator to Hartford who will represent the best interests of our community, that person should have a certain depth of k nowledge about the community they represent. It is questionable that someone who has spent as little time in Connecticut as Mr. Fazio’s ma i n D emo c rat opp onent would have a pulse on the issues that matter most to us. Our current State Representatives, our First Selectman and Selectwomen,
our Tax Collector and Town C l e r k h a ve e a c h e n t e r e d of f ic e w it h de ep r o ot s i n our community. At a time when major local issues— l i ke lo c a l Z on i n g R i g ht s , School Regionalization, and the demonization of Fairfield County (specifically Greenwich) as a bastion of injustice by Democrat leaders in CT—have resonated with constituents, it is paramount that our local elected l e a d e r s h a ve a p r o f o u n d understanding of what matters to us. Rya n Fazio has clea rly demonstrated that he does.
Page 11 | Greenwich Sentinel
State Senate Special Election Candidate Profiles
Blankley, Traditional Democratic Values By Laura Kapp John Blankley, a Democrat running as a petition candidate for the 36th district state Senate race, is a unique figure in the Greenwich political arena with decades of both political and business experience and generally liked by Democrats and Republicans. Blankley does not represent either of the two major political parties in this special election. He only recently jumped into the race as a petition candidate after an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for the seat.
He noted that even though he no longer is running as a Democrat, he has “not altered my long-held opinions for any political purpose.” In order to earn a spot on the ballot as an unaffiliated candidate, Blankley needed 568 petition signatures, which he far surpassed, with a final tally of 693 signatures. He received signatures and support from Republican, Democrat, Independent, and unaffiliated voters. Blankley’s focus as a candidate is using his 40 years as a resident of the 36th district and his non-affiliation with any major political party to provide the
most true and accurate representation of his constituents. He is “guided solely for what is right, not what is political or convenient.” He continued, “I will go to Hartford with only the voters in mind, not the special interests or political trends.” He sees his lack of party affiliation as appealing to voters, noting that the local unaffiliated bloc has expanded dramatically over the last several years while ideology on the left and right has polarized. Ultimately, Blankley believes people are focused on good governance over identity politics.
Blankley believes that what sets him apart from his opponents is his extensive experience in business, politics, and within the Greenwich sphere itself. He has been in private business for f if ty years and tow n government for twelve, explaining that he has lived in Greenwich for longer than other candidates have even been alive. Blankley’s public service includes serving on the Representative Town Meeting and its Finance Board, the
Please turn to page 17
Fazio Focuses on Schools, the Economy By Anjali Kishore The 2020 elections were a pivotal moment for many reasons, with a significant amount of change on the state, local, and national levels. One seat on the state level stayed the same: Alex Kasser, state Senator for Connecticut's 36th district held off challenger Ryan Fazio with a margin of less than one percent. Then in June of this year, Kasser sudden ly stepped dow n f rom her position. The unexpected vacancy of fer e d a n opp or t u n it y for Ry a n Fazio, a Republican who in the 2020
election cycle went from a Greenwich Representative Town Meeting (RTM) member to a rising star in the next generation's Republican Party. A Greenwich native, Fazio has been volunteering in local politics and giving back to his home town community for a while. After graduating from Northwestern University with a degree in economics, he returned to Connecticut to pursue a career in commodities with a focus on renewable energy. This business focus is ref lected in what Fazio says is one of his top priorities for the district and the state
as a whole: the stagnant economy. Fazio’s approach to the economy is three-pronged, prioritizing economic deregulation, lowering taxes, and cutting state government spending. I n h i s wo r d s , “ T h e f a i lu r e o f Connecticut’s economy is completely the fault of its state government, which has punished work, job creation, and investment in our community at every turn...It’s not a coincidence that our taxes, debt, and regulatory burden is so high, while our income growth has been so poor. Reversing these realities to Ryan Fazio chats with a group of stimulate our economy is an imperative.” children. Bob Capazzo photo.
Fazio’s policy goals are undoubtedly ambitious, especially in a state that is currently in a one party “trifecta”, with Democrats holding the Governor's off ice and a signif icant majority in both chambers of the legislature. Fazio emphasizes the importance of building good relationships across the political spectrum, with the goal of creating "a coalition of liberals, moderates, and conservatives across our state.” Fazio himself is an alum of the Greenwich Public School system. As a beneficiary of the public education
Please turn to page 17
Gevanter Makes Gun Violence Central Issue
By Albert Huang
Alexis Gevanter is a mother of two young boys, a g un v iolence prevention advocate, an attorney. The Democratic delegates u n a n i m ou sl y vo te d to e n do r s e Gevanter for the 36th District state Senate seat on July 6th. G evanter was born in New York and raised in Princeton, NJ. She graduated from William and Ma r y w it h a BA i n gover n ment and a minor in women’s studies.
NEWS BRIEFS From Page 1
Democrat Town Committee (DTC) Endorses Candidates T h e D e m o c r a t i c To w n Committee (DTC) has formally endorsed a group of candidates for the regular November 2021 town elections. First Selectman: William Kelly Select woman: Janet Stone McGuigan Town Clerk: Mary Saleeby Tax Collector: Trevor Crow Board of Estimation and Taxation (BET): Laura Erickson, Miriam Kreuzer, Leslie Moriarty, Jeff Ramer, Stephen Selbst, and David Weisbrod B o a r d of E duc at ion ( B OE): K at h l e e n S towe a n d L au r a Kostin Board of Assessment: Joe Huley, Howard Richman, and Bill Grad Constable: Dawn Fortunato and Donnie Romeo Multiple People Arrested for Stealing Political Sign Multiple indiv iduals have been arrested w ith charges of L a r ceny 6 a f ter ste a l i ng political signs reading “Do You Like Freedom” and “Do You Enjoy Freedom”. The f irst individual was seen taking the sign and throwing it away in a nearby dumpster, while the second repor tedly stole the sign and drove away with it in their vehicle. Both individuals ad m it ted themselves to the p ol ic e , a nd h ave up c om i ng court dates. Great Captain Island Ferry Fe r r y S e r v i c e t o G r e a t Captain Island will be provided on the days and times following, weather permitting. Friday July 30, leaving Arch Street at 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., and leaving GCI at 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Monday, August 2, leaving Arch Street at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., and leaving GCI at 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. ADA Anniversary This past Monday marked t he 31st a n n iversa r y of t he adopt ion of t he A me r ic a n s with Disabilities Act in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush. Greenwich celebrated
She began her career in law after graduating from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, located in New York City. After graduating law school, Gevanter worked around New York as a litigation associate and labor and employment associate. Soon after, Gevanter moved to California and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2015 and worked for Sheppard Mullin. In 2018 Gevanter moved to Greenwich and started her family here.
with an event outside of the new library cafe, where First Selectman Camillo and Abilis CEO Amy Montimurro spoke. July 26 has been designated and proclaimed as Americans with Disabilities Day by First Selectman Camillo. River House Fundraiser Nearly 150 attendees were at the River House Adult Day Center this past week for their fundraiser for their “Fund-AClient” Scholarship Fund. Guests of the event gathered to enjoy conversation, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres games, a silent auction, and live music by Cover Story. Turtle Crossing & Nesting Animal Control urges residents to take caution when driving near wildlife this season. It’s nesting season for turtles particularly, as well as bunnies, birds, sq uir rels, opossums, raccoons, and skunks. Recently, many turtles have been run over by cars. Animal Control reminds residents to take care when approaching or helping animals. If you are trying to help a turtle to cross the road, shovels can be helpful to scoop them up. Otherwise, you can pick them up by their shell from behind, closer to their hind feet, and move them in the direction in which they were going. Never pick them up by their tails, be cautious of snapping, and call for assista nce if necessa r y. Please also be mindful if you are mowing your lawn. Free Summer Movie Nights Greenw ich Com mu n ities and Community Centers Inc of Greenwich have announced “Summer Movie Nights”, a free series of family-friendly movie screenings in town. The schedule is as follows: on Monday, July 26, there will be a screening of Madagascar at Wilbur Peck Cour t, on Monday, August 2, there will be a screening of Despicable Me at Armstrong Court, and on Monday, August 9, there will be a screening of Boss Baby at Adams Garden. The events will all begin at 7:30. Attendees are asked to bring their own blankets or lawn chairs, and to enjoy the free food including hot dogs, popcorn, s n ow c o n e s , c o t to n c a n d y, and drinks.
“My husba nd's compa ny is based in Greenwich and we were drawn to the thriving downtown, beautiful coastline, and excellent schools. It’s also close to NYC and our families, we have friends here, and it's beautiful. Basically, it's why everyone wants to live here! It's the perfect place to live and raise a family. It's idyllic, which is why we are so happy here.” Gevanter’s campaign has run on the platform of three core principles: p u b l i c s a f e t y, p r o s p e r i t y, a n d
Pharmacy Thefts A third pharmacy was ta rgeted for a brea k-i n last week. On July 13, there was an attempted break-in at the Greenview Pharmacy in Byram. This report comes after two pharmacies on Greenw ich Avenue were broken into just a few weeks ago. New A s s i s t a nt P r i n c ip a l Appointed at North Mianus Greenwich Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Toni Jones has appointed Kathleen SmithRamirez as the new assistant p r i n c ip a l o f N o r t h M i a nu s School, effective immediately. Dr. Smith-Ramirez most recently held the position of assistant principal at North Street School, and comes to North Mianus to provide support for the North M ia nu s S cho ol Com mu n it y and help to navigate two school sites as North Mianus continues constr uction mov ing into the Fall. Greenwich Tax Deadline The deadline to pay taxes is approaching. First-half real e s t a t e , m o t o r ve h i c l e , a n d personal property tax bills on the 2020 Grand List are due no later than August 2. On August 3, the interest will revert back to 3%. Residents can pay their taxes in person by visiting the Tax Collector's office at Town Hall on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., online via the town website, or by mailing a check to: Town of Greenwich Tax Collector PO Box 3002, Greenwich, CT 06836-3002 Heat Alert and Cooling Stations Fairfield County has issued a heat alert this week, with temperatures set to climb into the 90s. In response, Greenwich has opened up six cooling stations throughout town. The cooling station at Greenwich Main Library will b e op en on we ekdays f r om 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on weekends from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The cooling station at Perrot Memorial Library will be open on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The cooling station at Byram Shubert Library will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays,
progress. Gevanter’s f irst core principle is public safety. She has four years of experience as a g un v iolence prevention advocate working with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. Gevanter says she was inspired to take action after witnessing the Las Vegas shooting on TV. On the night of October 1st, 2017, Gevanter said her son was napping peacefully Alexis Gevanter, right, with Lt. next to her as she turned on the TV Gov. Susan Bysiewicz. Albert Huang photo. Please turn to page 17
and Saturdays, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, and from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays. The cooling station at Cos Cob Library will be open from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Mondays, and f rom 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesdays-Saturdays. T h e B e n d h e i m We s t e r n Greenwich Civic Center cooling station will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays, and 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturdays. The Greenwich Public Safety Complex John Margenot Atrium will be open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Absentee Ballots Available to all Voters in Special Election A bsentee ba l lots w i l l be available to any registered voter for the August 17 special election. The COVID-excuse has been extended by the state legislature, but those who are out of town on vacation may also excuse t hem s elve s f r om i n p ers on voting by checking that they will be out of town on election day on their absentee ballot request form. GPD Add Training Officers The Greenw ich Police Department has announced a new set of field training officers, who will have the role of giving new police officers just out of the Academy a second set of instruction. The new recruits must undertake four levels of training when coming to Greenwich, each with a phase of tasks that must be learned, going from basic to more nuanced. This curricula, as stated by Captain Zuccerella, “forms the foundation upon which new officers build during the remainder of the program and into subsequent years of service”. COBS Raises Money for Swim Across America COBS Bread of Greenwich and Stamford will be hosting two barbecues, donating $1 from every sale of their hamburger and hot dog buns, soliciting donations in their stores, and feeding Swim Across America Fairfield County swimmers and volunteers on August 8, the day of the open water swim. T h e f i r s t b a rb e c u e w i l l be held at 5 R iverside Lane, Riverside on July 31, and the second will be held at 1057 High
Ridge Rd., Stamford) on August 1. Both events will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This Weekend at Tod's Point This weekend at Tod’s Point, the free outdoor concert series will continue, with the Oh La La! Jazz Band performing on Saturday, July 31 from 4-6 p.m. at the Founders Rock. This weekend, there will also be a first Sunday bird walk on August 1 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Bring binoculars and meet near the main concession stand at the south end of the beach. All ages are welcome. FF County Impact Additions Ker r it h Mack ay, K r isten Rosenbaum, and Jennifer Servedio, all from Greenwich, have joined the Board of Impact Fair f ield Count y, the area’s premiere women’s giving circle. Mackay will serve as cochair of communications, R o s e n b au m a s c o - c h a i r o f g rants, and Ser vedio as cochair of Events for the Board of Directors.
Jim Knox to Speak at RMA The speaker at the RMA's Au g u s t 1 1t h pr o g ra m w i l l be Jim Knox, Zoologist and Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo's Curator of Education, who w ill be discussing "Sav ing A n i ma l s f r om E x t i nc t ion : Tales of Species Recovery in Connecticut and Beyond”. The event will take place at 11:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, preceded by a social break at 10:40 a.m. Concerts Under the Tent The Parish of St. Catherine of Siena and St. Agnes will be concluding its 2021 Summer Series “Concerts Under the Tent” with a final concert on Sunday, August 8, at 2:00 p.m., where favorite songs from all over the world will be sung by choir and parish soloists Michael Orzechowski, Hernan Berisso, Andrea Howland, and Elisabeth Quigley. The concert will take place under the tent on St. A g nes Ca mpus L aw n (2 47 Stanwich Road), and attendees are asked to bring their own r e f r e s h m e nt s . A d m i s s i o n is free, and donations are welcome.
DEATHS
(full obituaries on page 12)
Pamela Miller Pamela Sewall Jayne Miller, devoted wife, dedicated mother, indefatigable organizer, and lifelong horticulturalist, died peacefully July 22. She was 89 years old. Dana McHale Da na McHa le, a l i fet i me resident of Greenw ich, died suddenly on July 22. She was 32 years old. Catherine Spezzano Catherine M. Spezzano (Kay) age 80, of R iverside passed into eternal rest peacefully on Wednesday, July 21 with her family by her side. Joan Menna J o a n T. M e n n a , 8 5 , o f Brewster, M A a nd for merly of Greenw ich, passed away peacefully on July 21, in her home. Frank Raffa Frank P. Raffa, Jr. "Uncle Frank", 82, a longtime resident of Port Chester and formerly of Greenwich, died July 21. Steven Steinberg Steven K . Steinberg of Cos Cob, CT and Palm Beach Gardens, FL passed away on July 19, 2021 at his home surrounded by family after a brief and brave battle with an aggressive form of cancer at the age of 62. Peter Trefny Peter Martin Trefny, age 77, passed away on Sunday, July 18 of natural causes. Christopher Iannaccone Christopher Paul Iannaccone, of Old Greenwich, passed away peacefully at home with his family on July 12. Emily Ogden Emily E. Ogden, a beloved mem ber of the Greenw ich Community for more than 52 years, passed away in the early morning of July 10. Karen Coddaire Karen Stroh Coddaire lived a l i fe of love , a lt r u ism a nd compassion. She went home to the arms of God on Sunday, June 11 at the age of 59. Mary Vartuli Ma r y A nton iet ta Va r tu li passed away peacefully with the love of her family surrounding her on Oct. 20, 2020. She was 91 years old.
Page 12 | Greenwich Sentinel
OBITUARIES Pamela Miller P a m e l a S e w a l l Jay n e M i l l e r, devoted w i fe, ded icated mot her, indefatigable organizer, and lifelong horticulturalist, died peacefully July 22. She was 89 years old. She was born Aug. 15, 1931 in New York City and grew up in New Canaan, CT and Small Point, Maine. S h e at te n d e d We s tove r S c h o o l , Briarcliff Junior College and then Barnard College before joining General Dwight Eisenhower’s 1952 presidential campaign as a receptionist at the campaign’s Manhattan headquarters. Following Eisenhower’s election, she remained in New York City to work for NBC studios. She married Donald F. Miller in 1954 and moved to Greenwich, CT in 1956, where the couple lived out their lives. Upon settling in Greenwich, Mrs. Miller dedicated herself to raising her children, caring for her homes on Parsonage Road, North Street, and Lyon Farm, and contributing to the Greenwich community through her horticultural interests. A devoted wife, she and Mr. Miller enjoyed 63 years of marriage, working side-by-side supporting their family and tending their homes and gardens, until his death in 2017. An attentive and untiring mother, she supported her four boys through countless school activities and sporting events at the Greenwich Country Day School and Greenwich Skating Club. Even as her sons progressed to college, g raduate studies, and eventual marriage and professional lives, she and Mr. Miller remained keenly interested and involved in their lives. She had an uncanny knack for remembering details of her children’s friends, activities, and interests. She reveled in planning family holiday gatherings and in organizing family trips to Florida, Europe, the Caribbean, and Galapagos Islands. Mrs. Miller enjoyed memberships at the Greenw ich Field Club and Round Hill Club, and was an enthusiastic participant at large social gatherings as well as intimate dinners with friends and family. She loved to host parties on the terrace at her North Street home, preparing her own meals and decorations, and displaying her thoughtfully cultivated gardens and landscape. She joined Hortulus, the Greenwich horticultural club, in 1963. Through her nearly 60 years of membership, she dedicated her prodigious energies to horticultural projects and competitions, as well as organizing innumerable club activities. She was a frequent prizewinner for daffodil and vegetable displays. Through her long tenure, she served as Chair of most every committee in Hortulus, and was president from 1985-1987. In connection with Hortulus, she was a longtime Board member of The Mews. As well, through the 1990s she served in several national administrative roles for the Garden Club of America. She received the Hortulus Presidents Prize in 1994, the Beezie Brownell award in 1998, and was awarded the Garden Club of America Medal of Merit in 2008. Born into the Sewall shipbuilding family of Bath, Maine, she spent every summer of her life with her extended family near Bath at Small Point beach. As her children grew and moved away to their own lives, she enthusiastically welcomed her sons and daughters-inlaw and her many grandchildren every August to her Small Point home. Here she gloried in full family gatherings,
large multigenerational meals, and family picnics on the beach. She always loved the chaos of a full house. In her f inal years, she received thoughtful, dedicated care at EdgeHill in Stamford, CT. She w a s pr e de c e a s e d by he r brother Kennon Jayne of New Canaan, CT. She is survived by four sons and daughters-in-law: Sumner B. Miller and Jacquelyn Miller of Baltimore, MD; Drs. Kennon S. Miller and Jennifer Newkirk of Providence, RI; Dr. Donald M. Miller and Evelyn S. Miller of Hanover, NH; Malcolm E. Miller and Tina C. Miller of New Canaan, CT; nine grandchildren; two step-grandchildren and a step great-grandson. There will be a memorial service at St. Barnabas church on Lake Avenue in the autumn. Mrs. Miller will be buried next to her husband Donald F. Miller and her extended Sewall family in the family plot in Bath, Maine. In lieu of f lowers, contributions in memory of Pamela J. Miller may be made to The Mews in Greenwich (themewsingreenwich.org/donations).
Dana McHale
Dana McHale, a lifetime resident of Greenwich, died suddenly on July 22. She was 32 years old. Dana was born in Greenwich, CT to Bartholomew J. and Susan Iversen McHale on May 15, 1989. She attended North Street School, Central Middle School and graduated Greenwich High School (class of 2008). Dana had many and varied artistic interests ra ng ing f rom painting, jewelry making, flower arranging, and collages. Most of her work was done through the Silvermine School of Art where she took many classes. She was a member of The Stamford Art Assn., Greenwich Art Society, The Ely Center of Contemporary Art, and the Art Society of Old Greenwich. She was awarded prizes at various art shows with these organizations. Dana was an avid swimmer. She was always the first into a pool and would jump into the Atlantic Ocean on the many family vacations to Nantucket Island or to Cape Cod, Mass. She was a member of the Greenwich YMCA, where she formed lasting friendships with members and the staff. D a n a w a s a volu nte e r at t h e Hospit a l Th r i f t Shop, Nat ha n ia l W it he r el l a nd T he Mews , a l l of Greenwich. She was a member the Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut for a number of years. Dana is survived by her mother (Susan) and father (Bartholomew), 3 younger sisters: Marg uer ite of Medford, Ma, Annette and Violet both of Portland, Me: Beloved uncle: Kent McHale of Greenwich, CT, and 5 Cherished aunts: Monika McHale of G r e e nw ich , C T, A my Mc H a le Pinchbeck of Darien, CT, and Holly McHale Biggins of Philadelphia, Pa, Ann Iversen Parke of Lincoln, Ma, Margaret Iversen of London, England, and 10 cousins scattered across the US and England, and a large extended family whom she loved dearly. Bu r ia l w i l l b e pr ivate , at t he request of the family. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Epilepsy
Foundation of Connecticut or to the Friends of The Cos Cob Library in memor y of all their suppor t and friendship shown to Dana through the years.
Maureen Curry Maureen T. Curr y, 82 , passed away peacefully at The Greens of Greenwich on July 23, 2021. Born in Brooklyn, NY on April 30, 1939 to Irish immigrants, John Curry and Bridget Whelan, Maureen graduated from Bishop McDonnell High School and went on to attend Michigan State University where she earned a BA and teaching credentials in 1962. She loved children and taught Kindergarten through 12th grade in London, Ontario, Ca nada where she a nd her t hen husband adopted their only child. Upon returning to New York in 1977, Maureen worked at Cartier on 5th Avenue as a sales associate for several years. She then became a circulation manager for The Greenwich Times and ultimately earned her real estate license, a job she loved and from which she never really retired. Maureen relocated to Greenwich in the early 90’s. She enjoyed daily walks at Tod’s Point, going to the gym, dancing and socializing. She was an avid arts supporter, organizing exhibits for local artists at Greenwich area businesses, and a docent at The Bruce Museum. She also sang joyfully in her church’s choir for a number of years. M a u r e e n i s s u r v i ve d b y h e r daughter Ann, granddaughter Logan, younger sister Patricia, niece Martha, nephews Tom and John, and numerous cousins in Ireland. Please send any memorial donat ion s to t he Gre enw ich A r t Society or the Alzheimer’s Association.
Catherine Spezzano
Catherine M. Spezzano (Kay) age 80, of Riverside passed into eternal rest peacefully on Wednesday, July 21 with her family by her side. She was born Aug. 26, 1940 in Little Bras D'or, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. Daughter of the late John and Catherine (Kate) McLeod. Beloved sister, wife, mother, grandmother and aunt. Kay is survived by her devoted husband Richard, sons Richard, John (Sandra), Wayne, Mark (Candice), Steven (St ac y), g ra ndch i ld ren – Samantha (Chris), Rit (Shawnee), Meghan, Kathleen, Dennis, Joseph, Andrew, Jena and many nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her sisters Marilyn (Charlie-deceased), K im berly ( Urba n), brothers Da n (Sharon), Dennis, Larry (Sharon), Reginald, Cleo, Charlina and Pauline. Kay was predeceased by her siblings Anna (Glenn), Florence (Tom), George, James, John and Patrick (Linda). Kay loved to cook and host family gatherings, taking walks at the beach and spending time with her family, who meant everything to her. We wo u l d l i k e t o t h a n k Constellation Hospice and all her careg ivers, especially Lisa Ryan who was so helpful to us in our time of need. We also want to thank Dr.
We tell stories, we share laughs, we shed tears...
We gather together in their honor...
Because they lived. 134 Hamilton Ave Greenwich, CT 06830 203-869-5968 www.coxeandgraziano.com
Lodato for everything she's done for Kay. The family received friends on July 28 at the Castiglione Funeral Home, Greenwich. A Mass of Christian Burial was held on Thursday, July 29 at St. Catherine of Siena Church, Riverside, fol lowe d by bu r ia l at St . M a r ys Cemetery. In lieu of flowers consider a donation to: Constellation Hospice, 240 Indian River Road, Orange, CT 06477.
Joan Menna
Joan T. Menna, 85, of Brewster, MA and formerly of Greenwich, CT, passed away peacefully on July 21, 2021 in her home. Joan was born in Greenwich to Yolanda (Belmont) and Peter Telerico. She attended Greenwich High School and the University of Bridgeport's School of Dental Hygiene. Jo a n w a s m a r r ie d to Joh n S . Menna II, who pre-deceased her in 2008. They were married in St. Mary Church on Greenwich Avenue and remained longtime, active members there, helping as Eucharistic Ministers and teaching CCD classes. Joan was an active supporter of her children's activities, an avid hockey mom, and a busy member of the PTA and GHS Reunion Committees. She worked for many years as a dental hygienist and also an elementary school teacher's aide but always found time to prepare wonderful family meals and visit her extended family in Greenwich. In 1994, Joan and John moved to their summer home on Cape Cod. Joan was active in her parish, St. Joan of Arc, and spent years playing golf with the 18-holers at Captains Golf Course. Working with the golf commission and serving as president of the 18-holers kept her busy outside of her life as a Brewster "Parkie." Brewster Park had always been Joan's "happy place" and she enjoyed her final days there surrounded by her beloved friends and loving family. Joa n , who wa s a f fe c t ionately called "Ami" by her grandchildren, is survived by her four children, their spouses and 10 grandchildren; Nancy (Menna) and David Machesney and their children Christopher and Emily, Joanie (Menna) and Keith Fowler and their children Kaitlyn and Bretton, John (III) and Linda Menna and their children Chase, Collin, Cameron and Callie, and Peter and Kelly Menna and their children, Grace and Sophia. She is also survived by her sister Gayanne T. Peckham of Scottsdale, AZ, and was predeceased by her sisters Marilyn T. Santore and Joy T. Hirschhorn. A memorial service was held on Tuesday, July 27 at St. Mary Church, Greenwich. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in Memory of Joan T. Menna to the Hopper-Belmont Foundation which recognizes, encourages, and supports young talent who have a passion for tack ling the toughest challenges in health and wellness: The Hopper-Belmont Foundation, 12 Salem Street, Suite 100, Cos Cob, CT 06807 (Hopperbelmont.org). Or, Beacon Hospice, an organization dedicated to providing families with the gift of care when facing life's biggest challenge: Beacon Hospice, 68 Center Street, Suite 19, Hyannis MA 02631.
Frank Raffa
Frank P. Raffa, Jr. "Uncle Frank", 8 2 , a l o n g t i m e r e s i d e nt o f Po r t Chester died July 21, 2021. He was born July 31, 1938 in Greenwich, CT to the late Frank and Rose Fitchben Raffa. He was raised and educated in Port Chester having attended Our Lady of Mercy Grammer School and graduating from Archbishop Stepinak High School in 1956. He went on to attend Saint Jerome's Seminary in Kitchner, Ontario, Canada and then attended New York School of Interior Design in New York City. Mr. Raf fa after completing his ac t ive m i l it a r y ser v ice w it h h is brother Richard in the Connecticut Army National Guard went to work at the Port Chester branch of Mahopac Furniture Company and in 1972 when the two branches seperated, became
V i c e -P r e s i d e nt o f R a f f a's Tow n Furniture, Inc. In 1993 he became President after the loss of his father. In 1996 the family decide to downsize the business and developed the property into individual commercial space through their real estate corporation, Frank Raffa, Inc. Mr. Raffa fully retired in 2018. He was a parishioner of the Parish of Saint John Bosco/ Our Lady of Mercy Church in Port Chester, NY, the Port Chester Chamber of Commerce, the Port Chester Kiwanis Club, The Port Chester Knights of Columbus, The Seton Circle and did some volunteer work for the Port Chester Salvation Army. M r. R a f f a i s s u r v ive d by h i s beloved sister Carol A. Raffa Guss and her husband Dr. Stephen H. Guss of Fairfield, CT, and sister-inlaw Jacquline Curcio Raffa of Cos Cob, CT. Besides his parents he was predeceased by his brother Richard Raffa. Frank was a very friendly, caring and compassionate man. He enjoyed the friendship of many people. To know "Uncle Frank" is to love him. He will be missed by all who were fortunate enough to have made his acquaintance. Visitation was Wednesday, July 28 at Craft Memorial Home, Inc., Port Chester, NY. Mass of Christian Burial was on Thursday, July 29 at the Parish of St. John Bosco/Our Lady of Mercy Church, Por t Chester. Inter ment followed at Saint Mary's Cemetery, Rye Brook, NY. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the Parish of Saint John Bosco, 260 Westchester Ave, Port Chester, NY.
Steven Steinberg
Steven K. Steinberg of Cos Cob, CT and Palm Beach Gardens, FL passed away on July 19, 2021 at his home surrounded by family after a brief and brave battle with an aggressive form of cancer at the age of 62. Steve was born on Oct. 7, 1958 in Troy, NY. He grew up in North Haven, CT where he played basketball and swam for his HS team. He was an Eagle Scout and graduate from The University of Connecticut. Steve was a 33-year employee of Prudential Financial, Inc. retiring as a Vice President in 2012. He and his wife Sindy founded Rosie's Frozen Yogurt in Greenwich, CT and on Martha's Vineyard in 2014. Steve raised his family in Greenw ich, CT where he was an active and beloved member of the community. It was no secret to his many friends that his greatest love was for his family. Steve touched many lives and will be fondly remembered and greatly missed for his friendship, generosity, sense of humor, mitzvahs and k indness. Steve had this incredible boisterous laugh that will be remembered by all. Steve is su r v ived by h is w ife Sindy, sons Brent, Dylan and David, his mother Ruth A nn, brother Howard, daughter-in-law Bailey and his large extended family. Steve was predeceased by his father Barr y Steinberg. Steve loved to spend time at his homes on Martha's Vineyard and in Florida but more than anything, he loved to spend time with his family and his dogs Lola and Gracie. A Funeral Service was held on Thursday, July 22 at Temple Sholom, Greenwich, followed by interment at Temple Sholom Cemetery, Greenwich. Mourning /Shiva was observed on Friday, July 23 through Saturday, July 24. Donations i n Steve's memor y can be made to Hospice of Martha's Vineyard.
Peter Trefny
Peter Martin Trefny, age 77, passed away on Sunday, July 18 of natural causes. He was born on March 23, 1944 in Greenwich, CT son of the late Ulric and Mary Trefny. He was a 1961 graduate of St Mary's High School and attended the University of Connecticut before enrolling in the US Army. He served 4 years, stationed in Panama, before receiv ing an honorable
Page 13 | Greenwich Sentinel
COMMUNITY CALENDAR continued
Forest Days: Little Rangers - preschool enrichment program. Ages 3½-6. 130 Bible St. LisaC@ greenwichbotanicalcenter.org Through Tuesday, Aug. 31 All day Native Pollinator Plant Photography Contest – open to anyone who has planted pollinator plants in their garden. For entries visit: bit.ly/GBC-PhotoContestOnlineForm GREENWICH HISTORICAL SOCIETY: greenwichhistory. org Monday, Aug. 2 - Friday, Aug. 6 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Elementary School Art Camp (for students entering 2nd5th grades). 203-869-6899. hlodge@greenwichhistory.org Thursday, Aug. 5 6:30 p.m. Music on the Great Lawn Series: Gunsmoke. 47 Strickland Rd. Grounds open 5:30. Bring your picnic. Registration is required. ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE OF GREENWICH: afgreenwich. org Wednesday, Aug. 4 5 p.m. ‘Worldwide Wednesdays’ join in for lively discussions on French films. Open to all. Donation. RSVP for a Zoom link. Friday, Aug. 6 10 a.m. ‘Café Franco-Américain’ Conversation in English and French. RSVP for Zoom link. sbenthal@aol.com Through Friday, Aug. 27 Greenwich Arts and Language Summer Camp. In person. Ages 5-12. education@ afgreenwich.org GREENWICH YMCA: greenwichymca.org Through Friday, Aug. 20 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. • Summer Camp: Discovery Camp (Entering Grades 1-6). (Rising kindergarteners are eligible to attend Discovery Camp). • Summer Camp: Mini Camp (3-5 years). GREENWICH PERFORMING ARTS STUDIO: greenwichperformingarts. com Monday, Aug. 2 - Friday, Aug. 13 Broadway Review. (Ages 7-10). Hyatt Regency Greenwich. 203-273-7827. director@ greenwichperformingarts.com Through Friday, Aug. 13 Summer Acting & Musical Theatre Workshops (Ages 7-10). Hyatt Regency Greenwich.
203-273-7827. director@ greenwichperformingarts.com GREENWICH ROTARY CLUB: greenwichrotary.org Wednesday, Aug. 4 6:30 p.m. Weekly Wednesday lunch meeting. Riverside Yacht Club, 102 Club Rd. Full Dinner, wine on table, cash bar: $68/person. RSVP to Sally Parris: sally. parris@cbmoves.com SWIM ACROSS AMERICA: swimacrossamerica.org Sunday, Aug. 8 8:30 a.m. 15th Annual Swim Across America Fairfield County Open Water Swim. 96 Cummings Point Rd, Stamford. TAI CHI: experiencetaichi. org Tuesday, Aug. 3, 4 p.m., First Congregational Church of Greenwich, 108 Sound Beach Ave. Wednesday, Aug. 4, 8:30 a.m. Binney Park. Registration is required. Tuition is paid as a donation made directly by the participant to abilis, Neighbor to Neighbor, or the First Congregational Church. GREENWICH NEWCOMERS CLUB: greenwichnewcomers.org Tuesday, Aug. 3 4 p.m. Wellness Group – Yoga stretch, breathe, balance & strength. Cos Cob Park, Sound Shore Drive. Thursday, Aug. 5 9:30 a.m. Wellness Group – Summer Yoga. Online. All levels. Free. Registration required. OLD GREENWICH FARMER’S MARKET: oldgreenwichfarmersmarket.com Wednesdays 2:30 - 6 p.m. Opening Day. 38 West End Ave, Old Greenwich. Held rain or shine. (No dogs allowed). info@oldgreenwichfarmersmarket.com GREENWICH FARMER’S MARKET: greenwichfarmersmarketct. com Saturdays, through Nov. 19 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Arch Street & Horseneck Lane Commuter Parking Lot. (Parking is free during market hours). (No dogs allowed). 203-380-0580. gfm-ct@ optimum.net ARCH STREET archstreet.org Virtual Yoga Takeover. 7th-12th Grade. Every Tue. & Thu., 4-5pm Free. Online. Open Studio. 7th-12th Grade. Wednesday, by Appointment Only. Free. FRIENDS OF GREENWICH POINT: friendsofgreenwichpoint. org Ongoing Spring Scavenger Hunt @ Greenwich Point - Looking for something fun to do? Come out and explore the Point in springtime with a family friendly scavenger hunt. Break out your binoculars and explore all areas of the Point!
NAMI SOUTHWEST CT: namisouthwestct.org/ online-support Wednesday, Aug. 4 6:30 p.m. NAMI-CAN (Child and Adolescent Network) Online Support Group - for parents and primary caregivers of children and adolescents, under age 21, with behavioral and emotional issues (Every Wednesday). Free. Contact admin@namict.org for the meeting password. RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE: RedCrossBlood.org Friday, July 30 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Stamford Church of Christ, 1264 High Ridge Rd, Stamford. Monday, Aug. 2 1:30 – 6:30 p.m. Christ Church Greenwich, 254 East Putnam Ave, Greenwich. Saturday, Aug. 7 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. 800 Long Ridge Rd, Stamford. TOWN AGENCIES MEETINGS: greenwichct. gov/calendar Monday, Aug. 2 10:30 a.m. Architectural Review Sign Meeting. Town Hall - Cone Room. 1 p.m. Planning & Zoning Commission Briefing. Via Zoom. 3 p.m. FS Energy Management Advisory Committee Meeting. Town Hall - Mazza Room. Tuesday, Aug. 3 5 p.m. Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting. Via Zoom. Wednesday, Aug. 4 7 p.m. Architectural Review Committee Meeting. Town Hall - Cone Room.
Upcoming Events Friday, Sept. 10 6:30 p.m. Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich Annual Benefit: Moonlit in Mykonos. In-person and at-home options. e.givesmart. com/events/lA1 Monday, Sept. 13 Children’s Learning Centers of Fairfield County 5th Annual Golf Outing. Tamarack Country Club, 55 Locust Rd #2522, Greenwich. Tuesday, Sept. 14 1 p.m. Breast Cancer Alliance Ninth Annual Golf Outing. The Golf Club of Purchase, 10 Country Club Dr, Purchase, NY. breastcanceralliance.org
Roaring-Twenties Saturday, Sept. 18 Dance for S.E.L.F Gala. Burning Tree Country Club, 120 Perkins Rd, Greenwich. ulrika_drinkall@hotmail.com
See Dr. Fucigna
Saturday, Sept. 25 YMCA of Greenwich Annual Gala. Burning Tree Country Club, 120 Perkins Rd. 203-8691630. egrant@gymca.org. Monday, Oct. 4
SEE
DR. FU-
CIGNA
Regional Hospice 10th Annual Golf Classic. Salem Golf Club, 18 Bloomer Rd, North Salem, NY. makingthebestofeveryday. org Tuesday, Oct. 12 12:30 p.m. Greenwich United Way Annual Golf Tournament. Greenwich Country Club, 19 Doubling Rd. bit.ly/3kHINcj
Can I buy a vowel?
Wednesday, Oct. 20 Breast Cancer Alliance 25th Anniversary Luncheon & Fashion Show - Fashion Show Presented by Richards. 203-861-0014. info@ breastcanceralliance.org. breastcanceralliance.org Saturday, Oct. 23 & Sunday, Oct. 24
Robert J. Fucigna, M.D. Advanced Ophthalmology.
1455 East Putnam Avenue, Old Greenwich (203) 348-7575 • www.aoct.co
Concours d’Elegance Greenwich. Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, 100 Arch St. greenwichconcours.com Thursday, Oct. 28 6 p.m. Avon Movie Masquerade Cocktails and Costumes fundraiser. The Delamar Greenwich Harbor, 500 Steamboat Rd. 203-967-3660. avontheatre.org
Our Neighboring Towns BEDFORD PLAYHOUSE: bedfordplayhouse.org Thursday, Aug. 5 6:30 p.m. Joanna Rajendran / My Guru Wears Heels Revisited. FERGUSON LIBRARY: fergusonlibrary.org Tuesday, Aug. 3 10 a.m. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Social Emotional Learning & Critical Race Theory in Schools: Why Parents Should Be Concerned. Main Library. Register. Thursday, Aug. 5 2 p.m. Friends Virtual Author Series: Susan Ronald, Author of “The Ambassador.” Via Zoom. Register. C2 EDUCATION: c2educate.com Tuesday, Aug. 3 11 a.m. Summer Workshops for Middle School Students: Writers Workshop - Persuasive
Writing. C2 Education of Stamford, 1117 High Ridge Rd. Free. Register. ROWAYTON ARTS CENTER: rowaytonarts.org Sunday, Aug. 1
4 - 6 p.m. “Photography and Sculpture” show - opening reception. 145 Rowayton Ave, Rowayton. Free and open to the public. Show on view through Aug. 29.
Saturday, Sept. 18 ‘Roaring Twenties’ Family Centers 2021 Benefit. Private home in Greenwich. familycenters.org/product/
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Friday, Aug. 20 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. • Summer Camp: Discovery Camp (Entering Grades 1-6). (Rising kindergarteners are eligible to attend Discovery Camp). • Summer Camp: Mini Camp (3-5 years). GREENWICH BOTANICAL CENTER: greenwichbotanicalcenter. org Monday, Aug. 2 - Thursday, Aug. 5 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
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Page 14 | Greenwich Sentinel
Is There Something More Awesome Than A Trip To Space?
By Nathan Hart It was a hot, humid night. I had never seen the stars shine so brilliantly amidst an ink-black sky. I was 11 years old, lying on my back in the middle of an athletic field, gazing skyward. It was the second evening of my first weeklong sleepaway camp. As I lay there, I could feel the soft blades of grass tickling my neck, arms, and legs. When my camp counselor pointed out the visible Milky Way above us, I suddenly felt so very, very small in the vast Universe. For the first time, I could almost feel the rotation of the Earth beneath me and I was aware of our singular position in the solar system.
That night was a milestone as my sense of wonder and awe instilled a deep reverence for the God who created grass fields and galaxies alike. The stars above felt as a close as the earth beneath, like I could’ve reached out and touched them. Coupled with the experience of beholding the cosmos I also attended the camp’s evening meetings where we heard messages from the Bible about how much God—the one who created the Universe—loves even me. This summer, my own children, ages 11 and 13, are experiencing sleepaway camp for the first time. My daughter is at Camp Roger in Michigan (along with her cousin) and my son is going to FOCUS camp on Martha’s Vineyard. FOCUS is the Fellowship of Christians in Universities and Schools; they run local Christian fellowships throughout the school year for students in Independent Schools along the East Coast, including here in Greenwich. And they host a
Life abundant is not just a string of happy days but it’s life in all its fullness, the joy, the sorrow, feeling celebration and defeat, knowing despair and the sweetness of hope. superb, fun, and amazing camp on their property on Martha’s Vineyard during the summer. I pray that my kids also experience the wonder of God in their own unique ways at sleepaway camp. I pray that as they step away from the light pollution of their everyday lives, they gaze through the window of Creation into the heart of God. I’ve been mildly interested in the fact that three of Earth’s billionaires are reaching for the heavens this summer. R ichard Branson, Jef f Bezos, and Elon Musk all have rocket programs launching humans into space. If you had
camp, the students sing a song called The Servant King. It’s about how God not only created the whole Universe, he also made himself small enough to be known by us. He came to earth in the person of Jesus who showed us how much God truly loves us. By dying on the cross to pay the penalty of our sins—all the ways we’ve spoiled a perfect Earth— he gave us access to the New Creation of his eternal love. When campers sing The Servant King, they sing these lyrics: “Come see His hands and His feet: the scars that speak of sacrifice. Hands that flung stars into space, to cruel nails surrendered.” That’s an amazing thing. If Jesus is God, then the same hands, so to speak, that “flung stars into space” were nailed to a cruel cross. God saved the earth he made. That’s a wonder more awesome than spaceflights.
told me about this back when I was an 11-year old gazing up at the Milky Way, I would’ve thought it made perfect sense: who wouldn’t want to reach toward the stars? Perhaps there is a young child, full of wonder, inside these men, inside all of us. Some of us might even feel envious of a billionaire’s ability to see space with their own eyes. But as I think about that, I realize I don’t need a spaceship to see the heavens. Jeff Bezos’ rocket might’ve gone a few miles above the surface of the earth, but my view from summer camp was just as awesome (not to mention a Rev. Dr. Nathan Hart is the Senior lot more affordable). Plus it came with Pastor of Stanwich Church. the message of the gospel. At FOCUS
Worship Services Information
Assemblies of God Harvest Time Church 1338 King St., 203-531-7778 www.htchurch.com In-Person Worship Services: Sun, 8:30, 10 & 11:30am (meeting on a limited basis in accordance with CDC guidelines and Connecticut’s executive orders). All services are streamed on the church’s website and social media outlets. Bible Study: The Glory of Christ, Wed, 7pm. Read The Bible 2021: join here facebook. com/groups/bible2021. Baptist First Baptist Church 10 Northfield St.; 203-869-7988 www.firstbaptistgreenwich.com Sunday Servings: 11:30am, Facebook Live or for Devotion: 11-11:25am (Dial in 701-802-5355, Access code 360922). Greenwich Baptist Church 10 Indian Rock Ln; 203-869-2807 www.greenwichbaptist.org Worship: Sun, 11am (in person and online through Facebook & YouTube). Adult Bible Study: 9:30am. Prayer Gathering: Fri, 6-7pm, Chapel. Catholic Sacred Heart Church 95A Henry St.; 203-531-8730 www.sacredheartgreenwich.org Mass: Mon-Fri, 7am, in the Chapel. Sat, 4pm. Sun: 7:30, 9:30, 11:30am. Confessions: Sat, 3:20-3:50pm. Prayer Group: Thu, 5-6pm, in the Chapel, 38 Gold St, all are welcome. Volunteers needed for the following Ministries: Money Counters, Religious Education Teachers and Assistants, Prayer Shawl, Hospitality, contact the Rectory at 203-531-8730. St. Catherine of Siena and St. Agnes St. Agnes: 247 Stanwich Rd; St. Catherine: 4 Riverside Ave; 203-637-3661 www.stc-sta.org Masses: Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri: Daily Mass at St. Catherine’s Church – in-person and livestream, 7am; 5:15pm, St. Agnes, in-person. Sat (1st Sat of the month): Confessions at St. Agnes Church – in-person (specific dates in the bulletin), 3-4pm; Vigil Mass at St. Catherine’s Church – in-person and livestream, 5pm. Masses - Sun: 7:30am, St. Catherine’s – in-person and livestream; 9am, St. Agnes – in-person; 10:30am, St. Catherine’s – in-person and livestream; 11am, Language Masses: St. Agnes & Lucey Parish Hall – in-person, (French: 2nd Sun of month; Italian: 3rd Sun of month & 4th Sun of month in May; Spanish: 4th Sun of month); 5pm, St. Agnes – in-person. *Under the tent from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Ongoing: Food & Essentials Drive for Neighbor to Neighbor (there will be a car or SUV with an open trunk in the parking lot across from St. Catherine’s church on Tuesdays, 9-11am for drop-off donations. Donations can also be dropped at the Sign-in table at Sat, Sun or Daily Mass at St. Agnes). St. Catherine’s Players presents ‘St. Catherine’s Follies: A Celebration of 40 Years’: July 30 & 31, 7:30pm, Under the Tent at St. Agnes Church, Tickets by donation & online. Holy Listening - rooted in Ignatian spirituality principles: Aug. 7, 8:30am, St. Agnes under the tent, lori. wilson@stc-sta.org. St. Mary Church 178 Greenwich Ave.; 203-869-9393 www.stmarygreenwich.org Public Mass: Sunday: 9 & 10:30am, 12:15 & 5:15pm. Saturday Vigils: 4 & 6:30pm (Spanish Mass). Daily: Mon-Fri, 12:05pm. Confessions: Sat, 2:45-3:45pm (Alcove to left of Altar). St. Michael the Archangel 469 North St.; 203-869-5421 www.stmichaelgreenwich.com Mass: Mon-Fri: 7:30 & 9am. Sat: 9am & 5pm (Vigil Mass). Sun: 7:30, 9, 10:30am, 12 & 5pm. Confessions: Sat, 4:15-4:45pm; Wed, 1011am & 7-8pm. Eucharistic Adoration: Wed, 9:30am-8pm; Confessions (Times are subject to change). Angel Group: 2nd Thursday of the month, 7-8:30pm at St. Michael’s Church. Feast of the Transfiguration: Aug. 6, all day. St. Timothy Chapel 1034 North St.; 203-869-5421 Mass: Sat: Vigil Mass, 4pm. Sun, 11am. St. Paul Church 84 Sherwood Ave.; 203-531-8741 www.stpaulgreenwich.org
Mass: Mon-Thu: 9am; Sat: 4pm (Vigil); Sun: 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30am. Confession: Sat, 3-3:45pm. Mass on Holy Days: Vigil: 5:30pm, 9am & 12:15pm. Visit the website for information regarding the Bereavement Group (twice monthly) and weekly volunteer opportunities at the Don Bosco Kitchen and Food Pantry with the St. Paul Mercy Volunteers. All masses are available via livestream through the website. St. Roch Church 10 St. Roch Ave.; 203-869-4176 www.strochchurch.com Mass: (Reservations and/or for viewing via live streaming): Mon-Fri: 7:30pm; Sat: 5pm; Sun: 7:30am (Concelebrated for Previously Scheduled 9:30am Mass Intentions), 10:30am, 12pm (Spanish). Mass Intentions: consult the bulletin for time. 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 www.firstchurchofroundhill.com No in-person service at this time. (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 Worship, Children’s Ministries and Youth Fellowship: Sun. 10-10:30am, in the Church, registration is required. Weekly service also available online. Thrive: biweekly high school gathering, Wed, 6pm. Foundations: biweekly middle school gathering, Fri, 6pm. November Bible Study: Stories of Advent, Mondays at 11 am, registration required. Family Gathering: July 31, 2-4:30pm, Round Hill Community House, church@roundhillcommunitychurch.org. Congregational The First Congregational Church 108 Sound Beach Ave; 203-637-1791 www.fccog.org Worship: In-Person & Virtual: Sundays, 10am. Live-streaming on YouTube and Facebook, and broadcast on WGCH (1490 AM). Connect during the week: Friday: Friday Email Blast (sign up by calling the church office); Church school before worship most Sundays, 9am for preschoolers through grade 6. Online programming available via Zoom. A joyful community diverse in spiritual backgrounds and beliefs. North Greenwich Congregational 606 Riversville Rd.; 203-869-7763 www.northgreenwichchurch.org Online Worship Service: Sun, 10:30am, via Zoom (email Rev. Halac at Pastor@northgreenwichchurch.org or call the church). Second Congregational Church 139 E Putnam Ave.; 203-869-9311 www.2cc.org Saturday: Evensong Worship, 5pm. Sunday: Summer Worship, 9:30am. All are welcome. Details at 2cc.org. Episcopal Anglican Church of the Advent 606 Riversville Rd.; 203-861-2432 www.churchoftheadvent.org Service: Sun, 9am, Holy Eucharist. Sunday School during academic year. Christ Church Greenwich 254 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-869-6600 www.christchurchgreenwich.org Worship: Sun: Eucharist, 8am (in-person); 10am (in-person & livestream/on-demand); Choral Evensong (in-person & livestream/ on-demand), 5pm; Compline, 8pm (livestream/on-demand). Mon-Fri: Morning Prayer, 8am (via Zoom). Tue: Eucharist, 10am (in-person). Thu: Choral Evensong, 6:30pm (in-person & livestream/on-demand). “Something Different” Summer Outdoor Worship: Sundays through August, behind the Tomes-Higgins House (rain location: Parish Hall), bring a chair or blanket. Volunteers needed
for Domus’ Work & Learn Program in Stamford. Back-to-School Backpacks for Neighbor to Neighbor: July 30, 9am-12pm, Tomes-Higgins House. St. Barnabas Episcopal Church 954 Lake Ave.; 203-661-5526 www.stbarnabasgreenwich.org Sunday Worship: Spoken Eucharist, 8am, Church; Holy Eucharist with music, 10am, Church and Livestream; Family Eucharist, 10am, Parish Hall. (sign up for in-person service: signupgenius.com/go/4090e4aadac2ea3ff2-sunday1). Coffee and Morning Prayers Podcast: Mon-Fri. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 200 Riverside Ave.; 203-637-2447 www.stpaulsriverside.org Worship: Sundays: Rite 1, 8am (in-person in the sanctuary & streamed). 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month: 10:15am, in the Sanctuary. 2nd & 4th Sunday of every month: in the Meadow, 10:30am (weather permitting). Sunday School continues in Selleck Hall. Yoga on the Meadow: Fridays, 10am. Ongoing: Neighbor-to-Neighbor Food Drive: Every Thu, 10-11:30am, in the parking lot. St. Saviour’s Episcopal Church 350 Sound Beach Ave; 203-637-2262 www.saintsaviours.org In-person Outdoor Service: Sun, 11am. Online Worship Services available on Youtube. Jewish Chabad Lubavitch of Greenwich 75 Mason St.; 203-629-9059 www.chabadgreenwich.org Services available via Zoom. PJ Library Zoom Storytime: Mon-Thurs, 3pm & Fri, 2pm. Camp Gan Pre-Shabbat Family Dinner: July 23, 3:15pm. Congregation Shir Ami 1273 E. Putnam Ave, PO Box 312, Riverside; 203-900-7976; www.congregationshirami. org All services, programs and celebrations are available online via Zoom. Greenwich Reform Synagogue 92 Orchard St.; 203-629-0018 www.grs.org In person Shabbat Services and Tot Shabbat are back! All in person services are also live streamed on Zoom. Join Rabbi Gerson and Cantor Rubin every Friday at 6 pm for Shabbat Services, and once a month for Tot Shabbat at 5:30 pm. Enrollment for Sunday Religious School & Mid-week Hebrew School is now open. JCC-GRS Summer Preschool Program at GRS: through Aug 20. GRS Summer Open House: Aug. 8, 3pm. Temple Sholom 300 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-869-7191 www.templesholom.com Services: live-streamed via Zoom and Facebook: Fri, 6:30pm; Sat, 10am; Sun, 8:15am. Lunch ‘n Learn: Tue, 12-1pm, via Zoom. Limited in-person Friday night Shabbat service, registration is required, lori.baden@templesholom.com. Adult Education With Rabbi Mitch: “Confronting Antisemitism & Senseless Hatred”: Aug 5, 7-8:30pm. Lutheran First Lutheran Church 38 Field Point Rd.; 203-869-0032 www.firstpaul.com Indoor Service: Sun, 10:30am. Bible Study: Sun, 11:45am. St. Paul Lutheran Church 286 Delavan Ave.; 203-531-8466 www.firstpaul.com Indoor Service: Sun, 9am. Bible Study: Sun, 10:15am. Wednesday After-School program: Snacks & Crafts, 3-4pm; Bible Stories & Catechesis, 4-5pm; Community Dinner, 5:30pm (all are welcome); Bible Study on Romans (adults), 6:30pm. Methodist Diamond Hill United Methodist 521 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-869-2395 www.diamondhillumc.com Sunday Worship Services: In-person or online, 10am, followed by a time of Fellowship. Wednesdays: Virtual Noonday Prayer & Evening Bible Study. (Details at diamondhill.com).
First United Methodist Church 59 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-629-9584 www.fumcgreenwich.com Virtual Sunday Worship, 9:30am, via Zoom (203 629 9584). Virtual Daily Gathering: MonFri, 3pm, Zoom. Talking with Your Hands: Mon, 3pm. Reading this World as a Christian: Tue, 3pm. Back to Rock – music with Mr. Bruce: 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. Bethel African Methodist Episcopal 42 Lake Ave.; 203-661-3099 Worship via teleconference: Sun, 11am and until further notice (Dial-in number: 425-4366380, Access code: 612220). Nondenominational Revive Church 90 Harding Rd., Old Greenwich (Old Greenwich Civic Center) www.myrevive.org Worship Service: Sun, 10am, Holiday Inn 980 Hope St, Stamford. Online Sermons available on Facebook (facebook.com/myrevivechurchgreenwich) and on Youtube. All groups are 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 Events marked by an * require registration at: stanwichchurch.org/event
Outdoor Sunday Service: 10am (livestreamed). Hymn Sing: Aug. 1, 11:15am. Summer Baptism: Aug. 1 (call to sign up). The Albertson Memorial Church 293 Sound Beach Ave; 203-637-4615 www.albertsonchurch.org Sunday Service: 7pm, via Zoom. Virtual Children’s Lyceum (ages 5-14): 3rd Sunday of the month, 10-10:40am. Healing Service: 3rd Thursday of the month, 7-7:30pm. (Email Albertsonpcc@gmail.com for registration and Zoom Links). Trinity Church 1 River Rd.; 203-618-0808 www.trinitychurch.life In-Person Services: Sun, 9:45am, Hyatt Regency Greenwich, 1800 E Putnam Ave. Online Services: Sun, 9:45am, youtube.com/c/ TrinityChurchLife/live. House Churches: Sun, 9:45am, Fairfield County, CT & Westchester County, NY. Alpha (online): Tue, 7:30-8:45pm. Receive Private Zoom Prayer: Sundays, 1111:30am. Presbyterian First Presbyterian Church 1 W. Putnam Ave.; 203-869-8686 www.fpcg.org Sanctuary Worship: Sun, 10am (Traditional Service); 5pm (Contemporary Service), register. Online Worship: Sun, 10-11am at fpcg. org/live. Sunday School online, 10:15-11am. The Prayer Room: Tue, 11am & Thu, 8pm. First Presbyterian’s Summer on the Sound: through Aug 29, 8:30am service (weather permitting), Tod’s Point in the Seaside Garden (no reservations, permits, or passes needed). Grace Church of Greenwich 8 Sound Shore Dr., Suite 280 203-861-7555 www.gracechurchgreenwich.com Worship: Sun, 10am, Woman’s Club of Greenwich, 89 Maple Ave. (Outside. Please bring a mask and a chair or a blanket). All Bible Study studies through zoom (email gracechurchofgreenwich@gmail.com for zoom links). All are welcome. Living Hope Community Church 38 West End Ave; 203-637-3669 www.LivingHopeCT.org In-Person & online (LivingHopect.org/livestream) worship: 10am. Coffee & fellowship after the service on the patio, weather permitting. Alpha class-interactive online sessions to explore the big questions of life: Wed, 7pm beginning Sept. 8, register at livinghopect. org/resources/alpha.
By Rabbi Yossi Deren
Is life fair? Why me? Why all the pain and difficulty? Milan, Italy. My b elove d g re at au nt, Mrs. Bessie Garelik, may she live and be well, was one of the first emissaries of the Chabad movement. In 1958 she was sent by the Rebbe - together with her husband Rabbi Gershon M. Garelik, of blessed memory - to establish an outpost of Jewish education and social services. Today there are thousands of such centers led by CoupleEmissaries all around the world, including our very own Chabad Lubav itch of Greenw ich. But back then, the notion of break ing down the “ghetto walls'' of religious communities was unheard of. Religious Jews circled the wagons after the devastation of the Holocaust in order to salvage what was left. The Rebbe, however, turned that idea on its head and began s e n d i n g h i s s t u d e nt s a n d followers to every corner of the globe, with the mission of engaging Jews and people from all walks of life - no matter their level of religious observance - in a spirit of unity and inspiration. But the challenges of
Page 15 | Greenwich Sentinel
Life is a Delightful Orchard
Life is an orchard. We are all privileged to work in this orchard, to invest in the planting and growing of trees that produce fruit forever. religious outreach in Milano in the early 1960s were absolutely overwhelming. A f ter one particularly disappointing failure in her work, Aunt Bessie wrote a letter back to the Rebbe at New York HQ and shared her frustrations about life. Although an objective perspective of the circumstances would likely not have elicited as sharp a judgment as she made of her situation, in her eyes she felt crushed. Her words can be summed up in one phrase - a phrase that most of us have uttered at one time or another, especially when life gets painful: Why me? The Rebbe’s response drew upon a line in Scripture from the famous Song of Songs authored by King Solomon Chapter 5, Verse 1.
G-d is speaking here, making reference to the time when the Holy Temple was built, the moment in history when His presence began to be felt and experienced on Earth by the mortal, f lawed human being of flesh and blood: “I have come to My Garden…” G-d refers to this world as a garden, an orchard. The Rebbe elaborated to Mrs. Garelik - as he would in other public talks - about the incredibly insightf ul m e a n i n g f u l n e s s t h at t h i s paradigm provides to each of us. What is an orchard? The best way to appreciate an orchard is to compare it to another context of flora - a wheat field. When one grows wheat,
there is a minimal investment of time and effort - the field is plowed, the seeds are planted and watered, and w ithin a few weeks the stalks are fully grown and ripe. The reward is commensurate with the effort a limited produce of grain that then needs to be processed. The cycle then begins again. An orchard on the other hand takes a lot of effort. After the seeds are planted, it takes years - not weeks - of cultivating the sapling into a tree that bears its fruit. But once those fruits start growing, the end product - a delicious, tasty fruit - is right there in front of you with no processing necessary. And the fruit just keeps on coming, no longer necessitating any effort. Orchards are hard work they get overgrown, messy, and dirty.
But like life itself, we should never allow painful challenges to discourage us. Keep your eyes on the ball. L i fe i s a n or c h a r d . We are all privileged to work in this orchard, to invest in the planting and growing of trees that produce fruit forever. We raise a child who needs our love and guidance. We teach a student who is thirsty for knowledge. We help the needy person who has less than us. Every act of goodness and kindness is an investment that grows endlessly! And the fruits of our labor are never difficult to find and appreciate. All we need to do is look in the right direction. So, is life fair? That’s the wrong question to ask, because in Judaism the paradigm for life
and the world we live in, is not that of a courtroom. Rather, the world is a garden, an orchard. The correct question therefore is - “Is life beautiful?” That’s a question that only you can answer, for beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. A nd the a nswer to that question depends on another question What do you choose to look at - the weeds? Or the fruit? Rabbi Yossi Deren is the Spiritual Leader and Executive Director of Chabad Lubavitch of Greenwich, the local branch of the worldw ide C habad Lubavitch movement, a Jewish educational and social service organization. www. chabadgreenwich.org
OBITUARIES discharge in 1969. He was united in holy matrimony to Adela Trefny in Nov. 22, 1969. The union was blessed with 3 children. Adela preceded his death on Oct. 18, 2010. More recently, he enjoyed spending his free time volunteering with the Holly Hill Tones singing and playing guitar at nursing homes. He also loved cooking and riding his scooter around town. He had a successful career, succeeding his father, as the sole proprietor of REAA as a well regarded real estate appraiser of properties in Greenwich. His life will be forever remembered and cherished in the lives of his children, Debra (Brian) Rosler, Kenneth (Robin) Tref ny, Jennifer and his grandchildren Jeremy Rosler, Kira Rosler, Kayla Rosler, Kathyrn Trefny and a soon to be born Emory Bosman. He is also survived by his older brother John. Calling hours were Friday, July 23 at Fred D. Knapp & Son Funeral Home, Greenwich. Burial and grave site ceremony was Saturday in St Mary's cemetery.
Christopher Iannaccone
Ch r istopher Pau l Ian naccone passed away peacefully at home with his family on July 12, 2021. He is survived by his wife, Michele; his three children, Christopher, Eva, and Grace; sisters Gail Iannacone, Karen Iannaccone, Jane Lies and her husband Dale, Mary Beth Kopecky and her husband Lenny; and nieces, nephews, in-laws, cousins, and many friends. Chris never failed to show his family and friends his generosity, humor, and support in countless ways throughout his life. Chris was an inspiration to all in his roles as a father, son, brother, uncle, cousin, friend and colleague. He gave selflessly to others, without ever expecting anything in return. The outpouring of love, admiration, and respect that he has received is a true testament to this. Chris had a successful career in investment banking where he was well regarded and respected for his intelligence, leadership skills, hard working, and diligent work ethic. Ch r is was a ma n of mu lt iple interests. He loved relaxing with his family at his favorite place Stone Harbor, NJ. He loved all sports, but especially his NY Giants and Mets. Chris loved watching his favorite m ov i e s ove r a n d ove r w i t h o u t ever tiring. He was passionate and incredibly k nowledgeable on the history of the NASA space program. He was an avid reader in multiple genres and could recall every detail from any book that he had ever read. Chris was not an "inside sitter." He enjoyed among many things running,
kayaking, riding waves in the ocean, and capturing many photos of sunsets on his camera. There were so many facets of his personality that made him the wonderful man who was loved by all. Chris was known for his sharp wit, memory, athleticism, wisdom, conf idence, and ability to relate to a diversity of people. However, his greatest and most important achievement was being the best husband and father to his loving family.
Emily Ogden
Em ily E. Ogden passed away in the early morning of July 10. She turned 90 in March surrounded by dear friends and a large extended family who all came together to celebrate her extraordinary passion for life. Emmy (aka Mom, Mumma, Nonny, MommaMia, MommaLou, Em, Golden Girl, Mrs. Onion) was a beloved member of the Greenwich Community for more than 52 years and the matriarch of a close-knit family of five children. Emmy was born in Nyack, NY to Mary and Richard Eckart. She lived most of her young life in Englewood, NJ with her parents and brother Dick. She attended boarding school at Dana Hall and graduated from Smith College. Her love of family led to 5 children with Blair Murphy and her family settled in Greenwich in 1969. Emmy promptly became involved in the community ranging from den mother and school volunteer to an award-winning gardener and business entrepreneur. She partnered with a friend to create a well-known catering business called Pampered Parties. She was involved as a volunteer at Greenwich Hospital’s Women’s Auxiliary for many years and was also very active at the Greenwich Garden Center. Emmy joined the garden club Hortulus, where she has been their longest living cherished member for 50 years. There she competed in Floral Design competitions, won most major national awards, became a Floral Design judge, ran workshops, and most importantly has been a mentor and friend to everyone in the club as well as to many of the surrounding clubs. She started a Floral Design business in her 60s with her two closest Hortulus friends called The Bees K nees, creating arrangements for weddings, parties and other engagements. Emmy found her second home at Christ Church. She was a fixture in the church and its prayer groups, became a Stephen’s Minister, worked in the Book Shop, and was an extremely active member of the A ltar Guild. Emmy had incredibly deep faith, and it gave her great comfort through tumultuous times in her life and buoyed her
during the happiest times as well. Later in life, she roamed the world with husband Peter Ogden. She was an avid athlete and learned to ski at the age of 50, swam the frigid waters wherever she travelled, fly fished in Idaho, white water rafted in her 60’s, and travelled internationally from the peaks of Machu Picchu to the valley of the Jordan R iver in Israel and throughout Europe as well. Emmy also adventured with her best pals, fondly dubbed The Golden Girls. Family has always been most important to Emmy. Emmy has 5 children: Steve, Emily (Sissy), Julie, David and Catherine, and 3 step children: Nancy, Betsy and Barbara Ogden. She has 13 grandchildren: Tyler Yates (Julie); Kathryn, Rebecca, and Matthew D’Andrea (Emily & Ron); Liam and Faithe Murphy (David); Emily, Mia, and Molly Berardino (Catherine & Tom); Stephen Murphy (Steve); Christine Ogden (Nancy Ogden); and Sonia and Mario Lauder (Betsy Ogden). There are five great grandchildren: Maggie Ogden (Chrissy Ogden); M at te o L au nder (S on ia Launder); Colin, Alexis, and Camdon Launder (Mario Launder). Emmy was predeceased by her granddaughter Sarah in 2005, grandson Tyler in 2009, husband Peter of 26 years in 2010, and son Steve in 2018. Even with these devastating losses, Emmy’s spiritual beliefs strengthened and sustained her through her grief. There is a favorite family photograph of Emmy wearing aviator goggles and a leather helmet in the open cockpit of the Red Baron (a bi-plane in Martha’s Vineyard). While she was not a fan of heights, she went up on that plane a few times with family and a friend to look down on the contours and the shorelines of the island which she adored and visited every summer for almost two decades. Emmy lived her life as such – defeating challenges with tremendous grace, love and her mischievous smile. Her love of adventure and most of all her soaring passion for life was guided by one navigational NorthStar: Love. Back down to Earth, Emmy was often surrounded by dear friends forged through deep connections that were cultivated over many years. And she was perhaps best known for an unconditional spirit of love which she conveyed through a bright light that shone through her beautiful blue eyes. Above all, Emmy had a deep devotion to helping those who were less fortunate. In the spirit of Emmy’s incredible kindness and generosity, in lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Emily Ogden Mentoring Fund, c/o Hortulus, a member of the Garden Club of America. Checks may be made payable to Hortulus, Box 4666, Greenwich, CT 06831. There will be a celebration of Emmy’s life at Christ Church on Sat u rday, S ept. 2 5 at 11a m. Her family wishes the service to be a true reflection of their Mom; her kids and grandkids ask that everyone wear happy bright colors to the church (especially f lorals). While Emmy may have left her earthly body, her family is deeply comforted knowing she is dancing among the f lowers and between the stars to her favorite songs “We Are Family" and “What A
Wonderful World.”
Karen Coddaire
Karen Stroh Coddaire lived a life of love, altruism and compassion. She went home to the arms of God on Sunday, June 11 at the age of 59. She leaves behind her former husband Michael Francis Coddaire, her daughter Marina Frances Coddaire, and her mother Nancy Campbell Stroh. Additionally she leaves behind her brothers and sisters: Brayton, Justin, Martin, Marion, and Joyan Stroh; and her eleven nieces and nephews, and two great nephews and two great nieces. Her father Paul Waterbury Stroh and her brother Todd Winfield Stroh predeceased her. Karen's family and countless more friends and loved ones will mourn her sudden passing greatly before moving forward with her spirit in their hearts. Karen's wake will take place on the 30 of July from 4-7p.m. at Leo P. Gallagher & Sons, 31 A rch St, Greenwich. Her funeral will be on the 31 of July at 10a.m. at Saint Catherine of Siena Church in Riverside, followed by her burial in Putnam Cemetery in Greenwich.
Mary Vartuli
O u r b e aut i f u l m o t h e r, M a r y A nton iet ta Va r tu li passed away peacefully with the love of her family surrounding her on Oct. 20, 2020. She was 91 years old. Mary was born in Stamford, CT to Giuseppe and Julia Vartuli on October 3, 1929. As an only child she was blessed with wonderful close cousins and lifelong friends. Mar y began her career as an executive secretary at Pitney Bowes. She later went on to work side by side with her husband, Michael Vartuli, guiding a successful residential and commercial construction business for many years. M a r y a nd M i ke ra i s e d t h r e e children in Greenwich CT and upon retirement put down roots in Hobe Sound Florida. Mary was a long time member of the Lost Lake Women's Club and Italian Club where she forged many valuable friendships through the years. She was a devout Catholic and so proud of her Italian heritage. Her cooking was legendary, especially her homemade pizza and her Sunday pasta and meatballs. Beside being an amazing wife, mother and friend, she enjoyed needlepointing and was an
avid reader. She was pre de ce ase d by her husband, Michael Vartuli of 48 years. She is su r v ived by her th ree children Anne Cadwell (Jim) of Old Greenwich, CT, Julie Gibian ( Jim) of Old Greenwich, CT and Anthony Vartuli (Diane) of Centennial, CO. Her greatest joys in life were her 6 grandchildren, Nina and Will Gibian, Michael, Giovanna and Julia Vartuli, and Hayden Cadwell. A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, July 31 at The Church of St. Cecilia in Stamford, at 10:30 a.m. Memorial donations may be made in Mary's name to St. Jude, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. or at stjude.org
Joseph “Jay” F. Williams
Joseph “Jay” F. Williams III, of Fairfield, CT (formerly of Greenwich, CT) passed away on July 24, 2021. He was 50. Jay, as he was known, was born September 27, 1970 to Joseph F. Williams Jr. (deceased) and Mary Ann Williams both of Greenwich. He graduated Greenwich High School in 1988, where he was an accomplished Varsity Ice Hockey player. He was a talented athlete, and also excelled in Baseball. He was a humble teammate preferring to prove his abilities on the field of play. Jay enjoyed all sports, and was a lifelong football fan of the Dallas Cowboys. He also loved golf, f ishing, and coaching youth sports. His greatest joy was watching his sons compete, particularly in baseball. Jay attended Roger Williams University where he continued his Ice Hockey and Baseball endeavors. He graduated in 1992, with a degree in business. Post-graduation Jay b e ga n a c a r e er i n t he fo ot we a r i ndust r y a nd worked as a sa les executive for 27 years, representing many world-famous brands. He was well respected in his industry and described as an aggressive advocate for his customers, great mentor, and a pleasure to work with. Jay was awarded several sales awards during his career. Jay loved the beach, boating, skiing, and spending time with family and friends. He was a dedicated husband, father, son, and brother. He will be missed by all who knew him. Jay is survived by his wife Andrea Williams, their two sons, who he was so proud of, Riley (21) and Colin (19), his mother MaryAnn, Mother in law Rosemary Lovallo, brothers Kevin, David (Roxana Salas) and two nephews (Sean and Logan). There will be a private service for the family. Obituaries in the Greenwich Sentinel are free of charge.
Page 16 | Greenwich Sentinel
Universal Crossword
Astrology for Week of Aug 1, 2021 LEO 24 July-23 Aug With the Sun, your ruler, and Mercury both in your sign and at odds with Saturn you won’t escape your responsibilities. But being the focussed person you are there’s no reason why you shouldn’t get through your chores in record time. Then let the fun begin
AQUARIUS 21 Jan-19 Feb You may think you can get away with anything – and maybe you can – but cosmic forces warn that gains made now by underhand methods will be taken from you in the long-term. You might as well play by the rules and not have to worry about the future.
VIRGO 24 Aug-23 Sept Virgos have a reputation for being thorough and always doing a good job, and if you let it slip now it will take a lot of time and effort to rebuild it – time and effort that would have been better spent on more important things. Keep up the momentum.
PISCES 20 Feb-20 March If you’re finding it hard to show your true feelings it is restrictive Saturn holding you back. It is something you may have to get used to as Saturn continues to focus on your emotions for some time. Luckily, those who really matter know how you feel.
LIBRA 24 Sept-23 Oct You don’t have to keep a low profile and risk spoiling your fun but you do have to be aware that some people, given the chance, will talk you down in front of your friends. It would be nice if everyone was as tactful as you but they’re not. Don’t relax your guard.
ARIES 21 March-20 April There is someone who aims to rain on your parade according to your solar chart. It means that you should only go to places where you’ll be among friends and only mix with people who share your take on life. That way you’ll avoid the deluge.
SCORPIO 24 Oct-22 Nov Challenging solar aspects to Saturn and Uranus warn that certain people are taking an abnormal interest in your private life and you can be sure they’re up to no good. You must make it clear, once and for all, that no one has the right to interfere in your personal affairs.
TAURUS 21 April-21 May With the Sun and Mercury opposing Saturn it will be hard to think clearly when it comes to your work and home life. So forget the serious stuff and enjoy yourself – especially on Tuesday when romantic Venus energises surprises planet Uranus.
SAGITTARIUS 23 Nov-21 Dec If you’re the type of Sag who learns from others’ mistakes you’ll avoid the pitfalls ahead. But if you’re the type who ploughs on regardless you may start the new month with a few bruises. Experience is a fine teacher but you don’t have to learn everything first-hand.
GEMINI 22 May-21 June If you’ve strayed off course of late – and according to the planets you have – what is about to occur will guide you back on the right path. You may be tempted to ignore advice from friends or family but if you do you’ll regret it before the week ends.
CAPRICORN 22 Dec-20 Jan Your finances are such that you have no option but to rely on others, which may mean compromises or giving up some freedoms. Of course, if you had not overspent in recent weeks you wouldn’t be in this position, but that was then and this is now.
CANCER 22 June-23 July Be careful what you wish for this week as you may discover you don’t want it after all. Be especially wary of anyone who promises you the world for a small investment as there’s no way they’ll be able to deliver – and there’s no way you’ll get your money back.
Discover more about yourself at sallybrompton.com
Edited by David Steinberg May 9, 2021 ACROSS 1 True statement 5 Improvise in jazz 9 Strongly suggests 14 ___ vera gel 15 Scandinavian furniture store 16 Medieval Scandinavian language 17 *What studying many pages makes you good at? 19 Old-timey chalkboard material 20 “Code Switch” network 21 Totenberg or Simone 22 Alternative to a ballpoint 23 U.S. Poet Laureate Joy 25 Wipe clean 26 *Chores assigned by a spouse, collectively 30 Irk 33 Closing musical passage 34 Miley Cyrus’ musical sister 36 Chest muscle, informally 37 Bicycle brand 40 Bert and Ernie, e.g. 41 “___ the night before ...” 43 Move like sap
5/9
44 Make a speech 46 *Tool with inch marks 49 April payments 50 Stevie of Fleetwood Mac 53 42-Down calls 55 Not that? 57 Haven’t yet paid 59 Archaeological city in Jordan 60 Words of encouragement that also hint at each starred answer’s start 62 Mete out 63 “Jane ___” 64 Priority Mail org. 65 Ejects forcibly 66 Treble, for flute music 67 ___/them pronouns DOWN 1 Bambi, for one 2 Hebrew letter before bet 3 Serpentine yoga pose 4 ___ Talks 5 Eyesight 6 Related (to) 7 Humongous: Prefix 8 Word after “frying” or “pie” 9 Steam open, say 10 Arrives like fog
Created by Timothy E. Parker May 3, 2021
27. (K) Crushed everyone else 28. Two, way south? 31. Summer getaway spot (2 words) 34. (K) Speed indication abbr. 35. Unburden 36. (K) Lapped in a race (2 words) 37. (K) “___ be better if ...” 38. (K) Matching collectibles 39. (K) Doesn’t sink, as an apple 42. Broad-minded 47. (K) Spoken out loud 48. (K) Mate created for Adam 49. Trash can emanation 50. (K) Land unit 51. Cherry or tomato type or description 52. (K) Exist 53. (K) Folder extensions 54. (K) Title for one leaving the altar
55. (K) “Remain right there,” to a dog DOWN 1. Bronzes caused by the sun 2. Fake butter 3. (K) “I’ll trade this ___ buck” (2 words) 4. Perfect places 5. Streamlined, as a sports car 6. (K) Uses crosshairs 7. (K) Uncharged particle 8. Classic Christmas gift up north 9. Folktales, etc. 10. Bad day for Caesar 11. (K) Veal cutlets and rump roast 19. (K) Put a coin in a slot, say 23. Dessert preceder 24. (K) Type of 11-Down 25. (K) Big thing to haul on stage
26. Less formal “Beg pardon?” 27. (K) Become man and wife 28. “Roseanne” character 29. (K) Globe or sphere 30. (K) It can be quite cloudy 32. Like some elections 33. (K) Does a police officer’s job 37. Archipelago makeup 38. (K) Some things to ride up north 39. (K) Ferry, wherry or dinghy 40. (K) Type of whale 41. Cutting remark 43. (K) Completely finished 44. Mine entrance 45. Star that goes boom 46. Three, to a card player
Can you find the answer to this riddle within the solved puzzle?
Ring up? Look for the answer in next week’s paper.
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
Previous riddle answer:
One of two types of deliveries? 27-D) Son © 2021 Andrews McMeel Syndication. syndication.andrewsmcmeel.com
Easy
Answers to Puzzles on Pages 20 Hard
39 Completely safe 42 Bird with a house variety 45 “Parks and ___” (200915 TV show, informally) 47 Americans living abroad, for short 48 Youthassisting org. 51 ___ ball (toy with strands) 52 Make a choice on Tinder 53 Pros at 49-Across 54 “Rescue me!” 55 Texter’s “Bye for now!” 56 Bring on board 58 Site with handmade Mother’s Day gifts 60 “Just a ___!” 61 Chiding syllable
PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER
5/8
© 2021 Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com
Form a Bond by Karen and Matthew Stock (Happy Mother’s Day!)
The (K) Clues Are for Kids ACROSS 1. Health food store offering 5. (K) Word before “Marino” or “Andreas” 8. (K) Having no need to diet 12. Ever so many (2 words) 13. (K) Tell the truth? Not quite. 14. Camouflaged communication type 15. Famously fiddling emperor 16. (K) Flightless creature from Australia 17. (K) Length x width calculation 18. (K) With the most lather 20. (K) Stop playing 21. Important thing for fluid communication? 22. (K) Soccer official, for short 24. A few common laughs
11 Drink that might turn your tongue purple 12 East of Spain? 13 “I feel ___ and heard!” 18 Delights in 22 (That was corny!) 24 Greek P 25 Circular currents 27 Reverberates 28 “Holy guacamole!” 29 Stretched tight 30 Like the name Joe, for a barista 31 Little salamander 32 One of 11 for the UConn women’s basketball team 35 Tool stored near a shovel 38 Tags along
Very Hard
Previous Answers
Page 17 | Greenwich Sentinel
BLANKLEY From Page 11
Board of Estimate and Taxation, the Democratic Town Committee as an Executive Committee member. Blankley has made successful efforts in crossing the aisle and has experience with the State government in Hartford from having both run and served on the transition team for State Treasurer in 2018. A priority for Blankley is the fiscal health of the State of Connecticut. He has served on the board of directors and as Chief Financial Officer of several companies and is the CEO of his ow n company, Flagship Networks, a computer consulting and systems integration firm. He hopes to take his knowledge of the private financial sector to Hartford in order to defend the financial security of Connecticut residents. He has stated that it is a priority of his to “promote business” in Connecticut. In an interview with the Sentinel, Blankley highlighted his knowledge of both large and small business operations. He has learned from decades of employment at large organizations and from founding h i s ow n sm a l le r c omp a ny, which, as he noted, employs dozens of Connecticut residents. Government, he observed, is in itself just a large organization, like the ones he’s spent a lifetime working with. An issue that Blankley is eager to take to Hartford is infrastructure and congestion issues across the state. Traffic congestion in Connecticut costs four to five billion dollars each year, and Blankley has a plan to fight congestion that centers a r o u n d p o r t d e ve l o p m e nt , specifically in Bridgeport, New L ondon, a nd Con ne c t ic ut ’s nearest neighbors Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He proposes the increased use of Roll-onroll-off ships (also called RO-RO ships) to facilitate the travel of large shipping trucks and ease traffic on Connecticut highways. In an inter view with the Sentinel, Mr. Blankley pointed out a fascinating statistic: Of all of the bulk goods transported in the U.S., only two percent are carried over water, while in Europe, for t y percent of bulk goods are transported via rivers and seas. He believes
that increasing water travel for goods is a viable solution to Connecticut’s infrastructure issues. Blankley is also passionate about using his seat in the State Senate to advocate for legislation that combats climate change. He is a proponent of the Transportation & Climate Initiative (TCI), which includes state governments across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions and works toward a healthier climate, including reducing carbon emissions. A p a r t ic u la rly p er s ona l goal for Blankley is successful advocacy against gun violence. T h e D u n b l a n e sh o o t i n g i n Scotland in 1996, which precipitated a massive upheaval in gun control legislation in the United Kingdom, took place very close to his mother’s hometown. He s a id t hat wh i le laws i n the UK made it “practically impossible” for another such tragedy to occur, in the U.S., “the most we can hope for is sensible gun control”. Blankley is in favor heightening state government’s attention to the cause by establishing a Gun Violence Prevention Office, which could receive up to 3 million dollars of federal funding. Blankley is also passionate about preserving the rights of Connecticut residents to “sa fe a nd secu re l ives f ree f rom ne e d le ss gover n ment intervention”, according to his website. He advocates for legal abortion and is eager to use a seat in the State Senate to defend Connecticut residents against racism and discrimination. Blankley urges residents to “Make a Statement” with their votes. He hopes that voters see his unaffiliated candidacy as an opportunity to “Make a Statement that Greenwich, Stamford and New Canaan want qualified leadership in Hartford, responsive to the needs of the vast majority of the district, and not candidates picked in unrepresentative conventions chosen more for their ideology than for their knowledge of what our residents need and want”. Blankley promises to put his constituents and their rights and safety first, well before “pointless politics”. You can visit Mr. Blankley’s campaign website at blankley36. com .
FAZIO
From Page 11 system in Greenw ich and a long time volunteer tutor at i n ner-cit y cha r ter schools, education has become one of his main priorities: “I’ve dedicated many years to the cause of educational excellence for kids in need, and I would like to help lead the effort to raise standards in the state Senate, too.” He is seeking to reduce government spending by streamlining school regulation with a plan to “force the state to give a full accounting of [mandates] in hopes of improving or removing counterproductive ones” and localize control of schools. Fazio wants to ensure that school districts are controlled on the local level, not the state level so as to reduce the frequency of hav ing unnecessar y and counterproductive regulations imposed on schools that might not deal with the issue the mandates are attempting to address in the f irst place. A d d i t i o n a l l y, h e w a n t s t o freeze state university tuition indef initely in order to make higher education more accessible to those in-state and UConn a more attractive option to outof-state applicants. The large discrepancy between inf lation r a t e s a n d UC o n n’s a n nu a l increase in tuition (1.8% and 4.8% respectively) is concerning to Fazio, and something that he would make a priority to address in his potential term as state senator. All of this is part of his larger goal to increase upward mobility in the state, or to “give more choice to poor kids stuck in failing schools” by increasing the presence of charter and magnet schools in inner-city and lowerincome areas. One look at Fazio's website, featuring a header with the Metro-North signs of Greenwich, New Canaan, and Stamford, and you could guess what the final of his top three priorities is: transportation. His focus in transportation is similar to his focus in education: for what we’re paying, it should be better. In order to remedy t h is, Fa z io is pr op osi ng to liberalize regulations on who the state offers contracts to. Currently, it is a requirement t hat cont rac tors enter i nto a Project Labor Ag reement
with the state; a Project Labor A g r e ement g ua ra nte e s t he project will use union labor and lays out the conditions for the workers (fringe benefits, wages, working conditions, etc.) before the project begins, with the goal of streamlining the project and reducing confusion and uncertainty later on. According to supporters of the policy, it is vital to ensure that workers get fair wages, the project has a defined timeline, and making the project more efficient by hiring through one body (the union) rather than many dif ferent sources. Opponents, including Fazio, arg ue that it creates a non- comp et it ive m a rket , inherently excluding non-union workers and contractors who make up 85% of Connecticut’s construction workforce, and unnecessarily increases costs. Fazio would seek to abandon this rule, opening up the field for government contracting opportunities. He also wants to con s ol idate gover n ment sp e nd i n g to “ h ig h-v a lue investments”, like MetroNorth, rat her t ha n “ h ig h-su bsidy, low-traffic ventures”, such as the new Hartford rail line to Massachusetts. Another way he will ensure our spending is pr udent is by issuing an independent audit of the Department of Transportation to “find savings and improvements”, and generally ensure that practices there are efficient. After a narrow loss in 2020, Ryan Fazio is seeking to plant a Republican f lag in the 36th District, to reclaim a spot longheld by the party before another exciting upstart, Kasser herself, took it over in 2018. But for Fazio, it’s not about party or individual glory: he’s running because he loves the state, and wants to see it do better. Our economic backslide since the recession, inefficient spending, and current government process concern Fazio, and inspired him to leave the private sector and pursue s e r v ic e to t he c om mu n it y. Since then, he’s been on his feet campaigning pretty much nonstop, in between sessions of t he tow n’s RT M a nd h is regular volunteering. In a district as d iverse a nd i nvolved as Connecticut’s 36th, no outcome is certain. But one thing’s for sure: Fazio is not letting up until the job is done.
GEVANTER From Page 11
and witnessed the shooting. “The contrast of what was happening in my personal life versus what was happening on T V was so horrif ying,” s a i d G e v a n t e r. “ I w a s wrecked, and thought I had to do something. So then I went to my f irst Moms Demand Action meeting.” Gevanter became the Connecticut State Legislative Lead for Moms Demand Action in 2018. Afterwards she stepped up as the Connecticut State Chapter Lead and Spokesperson in 2019. Pr ior to becom ing a candidate for state senate, Gevanter became the Fe d e r a l L e g i s l at i ve L e a d and Spokesperson for Moms Demand Action in 2021. “We really need to make sure our communities are safe a nd ou r ch ild ren a re safe in their schools, on their playg rou nds, a nd in their homes.” Her concer ns of public safet y a lso include public health. G evanter says she is pr oud of Con ne c t ic ut ’s progress in high vaccination rate and low infection rate. She wants to focus on emerging from the pandemic stronger than before. “ I n p a r t i c u l a r, I a m committed to being a partner to Governor Lamont, whose leadership has made Connecticut a role model in the nation for vaccinations and whose sound fiscal policy is propelling Connecticut's economic resurgence. “ This leads into her second priority, prosperity. Gevanter says she wants to lower taxes, repeal the state tax, and bring more jobs to Connecticut. “A s a n e m p l o y m e n t l a w y e r, I w o r k e d w i t h companies and helped them bring jobs all over the country. Keeping our taxes low, this is what we need in order to have economic prosperity and continue the incredible growth of people f lood i ng i nto Con necticut
right now.” Gevanter says in her 8 ye a r s o f e x p e r i e n c e a s a b u s i n e s s a t t o r n e y, s h e worked with companies to institute fa ir employ ment practices and took steps to help companies grow while rema in ing successf u l a nd profitable. S h e s a i d i n h e r wo r k , she has helped companies navigate complex regulatory environments so that they could move around the countr y and create jobs wherever they went. “ T h a t ’s s o m e t h i n g I d i d a s a n a t t o r n e y, a n d it's something I’m excited to work towa rds w ith the L ieutena nt G over nor a nd Governor so our state continues in the path it started in so successfully: to attract companies and grow our economy,” said Gevanter at her canvassing k ick-of f outside of the Democratic Headquarters in Stamford. “I want to make [Connecticut] a very business friendly environment. So that families can continue to move here, our seniors can afford and want to retire here, and our children can have jobs and af fordable housing to move back for after they go to college” Gevatner’s third principle is progress. She says that she wants to focus on expanding vot i ng r ig hts a nd ma k i ng sure that ever yone has access to ballots. Under this principle she plans to protect and expand women’s rights. Gevanter says progress also includes keeping Connecticut’s air and water safe by prioritizing protecting the environment. Alexis Gevanter is running for election for the 36th District State Senate seat. The election takes place on August 17th, 2021. Yo u c a n f i n d m o r e information on Alexis G e v a n t e r ’s c a m p a i g n f o r State Senate on her website at https://alexisgevanter.com/, and her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ AlexisforCT/.
On The Campaign Trail with the State Senate Candidates By Laura Kapp John Blankley has had a busy few weeks. He spent his time balancing work and the campaign trail as he traveled around the 36th district meeting voters. Blankley’s active schedule prioritized fundraising efforts, which, as he noted to the Sentinel, is a concern that he exclusively shoulders in this election. Candidates of the two major parties, who have met a specific threshold, receive funding from the state, but non-affiliated candidates have a tougher time getting public financing. L ast Satu rday, Ju ly 17, Bla n k ley attended the New Canaan Sidewalk Sales and spent some time coordinating appealing for financial support for his campaign. On Tuesday, Blankely had an interview with Channel 12, but he lamented to the Sentinel that his ten minutes of substantive conversation about state finances was “boiled down to a 10 second quote about my winning. While that was accurate it was a travesty,” he remarked, “What could any serious voter get out of that?” B l a n k l e y ’s d i s c o nt e nt w i t h h i s interview reflects his efforts to get out a message to voters. It is an urgent call to “Make a Statement.” He continues to urge voters to “Make a Statement” by voting for a candidate who prioritizes the voters and their concerns over party or ideology. On Wednesday, July 21, Blank ley met with the Retired Men’s Association in Greenwich, where he heard his close friend, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, speak about the state administration’s pandemic response from a legal perspective. He called Tong’s speech “magisterial.” Later on Wednesday, Mr. Blankley had an annual physical examination, and was “pronounced fit as a fiddle.” He also received a tetanus shot, noting that protecting himself from the disease is especially important given his hobby of running through wooded horse trails in the area, a feature of the 36th district’s distinctive backcountry region. “You wouldn't want your favorite candidate to succumb to lock jaw, would you?” Blankley joked, in an email to the Sentinel. As the week ended, Blankley continued his fundraising efforts. He worked on the design for his palm card, which provide important information about candidate qualifications and positions to potential voters. In an interview with the Sentinel,
Blankley said that he is excited by how the palm cards turned out. Blankley attended the New Canaan Kaffeeklatsch (the word kaffeeklatsch derives from German refers to a casual gathering usually accompanied by coffee) hosted over Zoom by reporter Grace Duf f ield on Friday morning, and on Saturday the 24th, he enjoyed the Holly Hill Book Exchange in Greenwich. This week, Blankley has continued his fundraising push by making many calls to solicit donations and attending local events. He has one particularly unique strategy for meeting voters in person—paying a visit to the town dump. “It’s a wonderful place”, he said, “People turn up and you know that they’re all Greenwich voters.”
By Anjali Kishore The dog-days of summer are fast approaching in Greenwich, but for Ryan Fazio, the work is just beginning. On Friday, July 16, Fazio and Rep. H a r r y A r ora , we nt a r ou nd Nor t h Mianus knocking on doors and opening discussions with citizens about how the district could be better served. Fazio said earlier this week, “I have enormous respect for Harry. He’s my state representative, and I consider myself very lucky to have him as my state representative. We’re working together.” On Saturday, July 17, the fun officially began with the Fazio Campaign Kickoff, where over 100 people -- friends, family, and members of local government from across Connecticut -- convened to celebrate the campaign’s official start. Fazio was introduced by First Selectman Camillo, State Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly, and State Senator Heather Somers. The three officials were joined by many other state and local Republican representatives, many of whom showed their support. Rep. Kevin Kelly’s (R-21, House Minority Leader) remarks summed up the general sentiment of the crowd, saying, “This is a pivotal moment because we have a real opportunity to take back the 36th district”, referring to Fazio as “a candidate who is youthful, energetic and creative.” That afternoon, Fazio emphasized voter outreach in New Canaan, where a portion of the 36th District lies. He was joined at the annual sidewalk sales by candidates for local office in New Canaan, once again sending the message that the Fazio campaign is centered on economic growth and recovery. In 2020, Fazio won
the New Canaan section of the 36th with about 56% of the vote. The popularity of the Republican tent all day was a promising indicator for what the Fazio campaign might see from New Canaan on Aug. 17. On the morning of July 20, Ryan Fazio made his usual route around Greenwich deliver ing mea ls to sen iors. Fazio emphasizes service as an important part of his life and, thus, his campaign. On the evening of July 20, Fazio attended New Canaan’s Republican caucus, where registered voters in New Canaan weighed in on new Town Council and school board members. It became evident at the event, where long-standing Republicans on the school board were succeeded by younger members of the party, that Republican voters in New Canaan are looking towards the future, favoring candidates who are “younger” and “more vocal”, according to Town Councilwoman Maria Naughton. Later he made an appearance on ‘Coach’ Joe Kelly’s Facebook show, aptly called Good News. On Tuesday’s show, Fazio made good on his promise to embrace those across the aisle, as he and Alexis Gevanter, the Democratic candidate for the 36th District Senate Seat, talked travel, sports, and all things Greenwich. It was the first time the two had met, and though they continue to vie for the same Senate seat in the special election, the discourse stayed civil and lighthearted. On July 24, Fazio was joined by two dozen volunteers to knock on doors in Riverside and Old Greenwich, the latest in a stream of voter outreach measures that he has been employing this election cycle and a follow-up on last week’s doorto-door canvassing in North Mianus. On Saturday, Fazio spoke with voters about their concerns for the 36th District, and relayed his goals for the district. On July 26, Fazio spoke with and took questions from around 80 residents at Edgehill Retirement Community. With almost 20% of Greenwich (the only town fully represented in the 36th District) above the age of 65, it’s vital that Fazio connects with the older demographic in order to effectively serve the district. On July 28, Fazio continued his regular weekly deliveries for Meals on Wheels, displaying the affinity for service that led him to the race for public office in the first place.
By Albert Huang In the past week, Alexis Gevanter has received support from family, f riends, community and Democrat colleagues. As this week of endorsements and canvassing continued, G eva nter ’s popu la r it y a nd suppor t seemed to snowball in the 36th district. Gevanter kicked off the weekend with a canvassing event endorsed by Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz outside the Stamford Democratic Headquarters on July 24. “When I was elected for the state legislature, my daughter Ava was five months old when I started campaigning,” said Bysiewicz. “This is an important perspective that you’re going to bring as a mom who knows what issues are of concern to family.” Gevanter’s husband was in attendance w it h t hei r t wo sons who excited ly sprinted back and forth between their parents at their first event. The canvassers included a variety of people, from high school students to local community members. The Lieutenant G over nor u rge d t he c a nvassers to encou rage more g rassro ots ac t ion because the event is being held in the middle of the summer which means turnout is lower. The canvassing and endorsement event in Stamford had about f ifteen people in attendance. On Sunday morning, July 25, Gevanter held a Greenwich Day of Action. The first event of the day was at Binney Park where she received endorsements from Senator Richard Blumenthal and State Representative Stephen Meskers. Senator Blumenthal spoke highly of Gevanter’s energy, dedication, inspiration, and values. “We’re gonna win on gun violence because of the energy, drive and integrity that leaders like Alexis bring to our service. She knows the private sector having been an attorney, and she knows how to raise a family,” said Blumenthal in his endorsement. “I know the kind of personal sacrifices that are demanded of family. I want to thank her family and thank her for stepping forward. Blumenthal told the crowd that he speaks and endorses from experience. The senator told Gevanter’s supporters he won his state representative race in a special election. He warned the audience
of the volatilit y of sum mer special elections considering the length and time of the circumstance. “It would send such a message for Alexis to win,” said Blumenthal. “It would be national for a Democrat to win this race in Greenwich in a special election. It will have a ripple effect on the roster in the state, and in this entire region.” Blumenthal said that Greenwich is mostly unaffiliated and is neither a democratic nor republican stronghold. Around 30 people attended the event, this time more family and friends showed up in support of Gevanter. This included friends from nursery school and old colleagues from Moms Demand Action. Also among the crowd was Adam and Linda Gevanter who drove up from the state senate candidate’s hometown of Princeton, NJ to support their daughter. “Since she was a child she’s been brilliant,” said Linda Gevanter. “She’s always been a hard worker and the top of her class. She’s just dedicated, social, personable and gets along with everybody. “When she sets her mind to something, she usually accomplishes it,” said Adam Gevanter. “I think she’ll be a great asset to Connecticut.” Later that same Sunday afternoon, Gevanter’s Greenwich Day of Action continued with an endorsement from Governor Ned Lamont at a private home. “I love someone who has a breadth of experience that they bring to the table. The government is flooded with a whole variety of issues,” said Lamont in an interview. “You can look at everything through an ideological lens, where she looks at it through a life lens. That’s why I’ll love having her up there.” Lamont made time to come to the event and endorse G evanter after attending his daughter’s virtual premarital ceremonies. The turnout for this third event was about 90 people. Supporters of Gevanter took off early after Lamont’s endorsement to continue canvassing around the 36th district. A lex i s G eva nter i s r u n n i ng for election for the 36th District State Senate seat. The election takes place on August 17th, 2021. You c a n f i nd more i n for mat ion on A lex is G evanter ’s campaig n for State Senate on her website at https:// alexisgevanter.com/, and her Facebook page at https://w w w.facebook.com / AlexisforCT/.
Page 18 | Greenwich Sentinel
SPORTS
Altaris Scores East Coast Cup Title in Electrifying Showdown By Liz Leamy L ast Su nday was a day of high drama at the Greenwich Polo Club as Altaris, the stellar G r e e nw ich-b a s e d h ig h-go a l contingent, scored the prestigious 2021 East Coast Gold Cup in a thrilling faceoff against Ellipse, the powerhouse Welling ton, Florida-based team, with the former edging the latter, 12-11. This memorable final featured these two top-tier teams, the highest finishers among a total of six entries who took part in this year’s East Coast Gold Cup 16goal tournament, who went headto-head against one another in what turned out to be one of the most exciting battles of the 2021 Greenwich Polo Club season so far. In the final tally, Altaris wound up at the top of the leaderboard, scoring the Gold Cup title as a result of a rock-solid penalty shot made by Joaquin Panelo, the electric six-goaler during the game’s sudden-death overtime seventh chukker. Right from the outset, it was clear this final was going to be a nail biter as these two teams charged around the massive Conyers Far m f ield on their powerful horses with power, command and focus, tying each other in points through all of the six chukkers right up into overtime. Two minutes into the seventh chukker, Altaris, which had been tied with Ellipse 11-11, jumped on a golden penalty opportunity when Panelo, a standout player of the 2021 Greenwich Polo Club season, hit the ball through the goal posts with the ease, aptitude and control of a seasoned international player, much to the thrill of the crowd and everyone else who was there. Conclusively, this game was deigned a success by virtually all of the players, who described it being an experience that was as tough as it was exhilarating. “There are so many good teams here and Ellipse is excellent. It was hard out there today, but it felt great to be playing,” said Milo Dorignac, the Tef lon-tough 16 year-old who was awarded the Most Valuable Player citation of this match. “I tried to do my best and it was a dream to win. I am so happy and grateful to be here with everyone today.” Certainly, the level of respect and geniality among both of these teams was palpable as much as it was heartwarming, as all of the players could be seen cheering a n d c l ap p i n g f o r o n e o t h e r throughout the awards ceremony, which featured flying confetti and champagne. At the same time, seeing the equine athletes being honored was another highlight as Leona,
Joaquin Panelo (left/red jersey), six-goaler and number three player for Altaris and Milo Dorignac (right/red jersey) of Altaris, MVP of the 2021 East Coast Gold Cup final, face off against Lucas Diaz Alberdi (middle/white jersey), six goaler and number three player of Ellipse at the Greenwich Polo Club last Sunday. (Photo by John Ferris Robben)
“This sport is so beautiful to watch and I love the fact that it involves such a close union between the athletes and horses,” said Jessica Fitzpatrick, Sales and Marketing Assistant for The First Bank of Greenwich. “The whole environment here is incredible. It embodies athleticism, beauty and culture and it gives you a whole different and fresh perspective on things.”
the beautiful black gelding ridden and owned by Milo Dorignac, was named the Best Playing Pony of the match for her stealth, power and quickness. “She is great and I feel really confident when I’m riding with her,” said Milo Dorignac. “I’ve been with her for a long time.” Another memorable moment was when Dor ig nac a nd h is f at he r, M ichele D or ig n ac , a renowned high-goaler who has been a marquee player at the Greenwich Polo Club for many years, and mother could all be seen smiling and hugging one another at the conclusion of the awards ceremony. “Everyone was excellent out there and winning is always a difficult and challenging thing. I’m very proud of Milo,” said Michele Dorignac. “It was great to see him out there playing and enjoying himself. He has been working hard.” When asked if he had given his son any words of advice leading up to the match, Michele Dorignac said he wanted to say the right thing, something that he certainly seemed to accomplish. “I told him to have fun, stay focused and to go out there and do his best,” said Michele Dorignac. “I also mentioned that he ought to tr y and make the most of playing in this match because it represented such an opportunity for him.” Michele Dorignac, meanwhile, sa id he a nd h is fa m i ly have
enjoyed every moment of being up at the Greenwich Polo Club this season, as they have for so many years. “It’s a wonderful place and we love being here. It means a lot to us,” said Michele Dorignac, who played on the iconic Airstream team for a number of years, the top-ranked contingent of which whose patron, Peter Orthwein, was a main originator of the Greenwich Polo Club. Michele Dorignac’s sentiments were echoed by others as well. “It is so energizing and exciting to be here,” said Mel Dogan, a partner and co-founder of the C24 Gallery based in the Chelsea district of Manhattan who has been attending matches at the G r e e nw i c h Po l o C lu b s i n c e the 1990s. “I enjoy the whole ambience of being here. The polo is incredible and I love watching the horses and players in action. At the same time, the culture and atmosphere here is exciting and unique. It’s a special place and I always have a great time.” Jessica Fitzpatrick, Sales and Marketing Assistant for The First Bank of Greenwich, agreed. “This sport is so beautiful to watch and I love the fact that it involves such a close union between the athletes and horses,” said Fitzpatrick. “The whole environment here is incredible. It embodies athleticism, beauty and culture and it gives you a whole different and fresh perspective on things.”
Lucas Diaz Alberdi of Ellipse flies down the field on his charge at the 2021 East Coast Gold Cup final last Sunday. (Photo by John Ferris Robben.) COSMETIC, GENERAL AND IMPLANT DENTISTRY
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Page 19 | Greenwich Sentinel
SPORTS
Greenwich Crew at World Rowing Championships By Paul Silverfarb It was summer to remember for members of Greenwich Crew. James Catalano, Lucy Koven, and Christopher Stich had the honor of representing Team USA in the 2021 World Rowing Under 23 Championships. The event took place July 7-11 in Racice, Czech Republic. All three rowers placed in the top six of their field and helped Team USA reach new heights. Koven picked up a silver medal and Catalano grabbed the bronze, while Stich ended the event in sixth place. “ We ’r e a l l ve r y p r o u d o f Lucy, Jimmy, and Chris,” said Michael Weineke, director of r ow i n g a t G r e e n w i c h C r e w. “It was great to see all of their hard work over the years pay of f in the ability to represent the USA on the international stage. The medals won by Lucy a nd Ji m my ’s boat were ici ng on the cake. As a program, we could not ask for three better athletes to be ambassadors for Greenwich Crew.” Catalano, a coxswain for the University of Wisconsin, helped t h e U -2 3 M e n ’s C o x e d Fo u r boat that included Erik Spinka (Princeton), Christian Tabash (Harvard), William Geib (Naval Academy), and Liam Galloway (Yale) take third place overall with a time of 6:14.69. Their boat was just under three seconds quicker than the boat f rom G er ma ny. A nd Catalano’s group from Team USA was only just over two seconds away from catching Ireland for the silver. Overall it was Italy that took home the gold with a blistering time of 6:06.40. “I am extremely proud of my boats performance at the world
I have dedicated eight years of my life to this sport and there are many times where you start to wonder how ‘worth it’ all the sacrifices are
Catalano, a coxswain for the University of Wisconsin and a member of Greenwich Crew, helped the U-23 Men’s Coxed Four boat finish third overall with a time of 6:14.69.
Greenwich Crew and University of Princeton University’s Lucy Koven is all smiles as she took second in the U-23 Women’s Pair event with a time of 7:19.79. championship,” said Catalano. “We obviously would have loved to win the race because that is what we trained for but placing third amongst some of the strongest competition in the world is an amazing accomplishment. I am tremendously grateful and hu m bled that I was awa rded the opportunity to represent the
United States of America and this was an experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life.” For Catalano, the hardest part of the competing wasn’t battling at the World Rowing Championships. It was, in fact, the relentless commitment required to be in that position on the world stage. “In between my spring
racing season at Wisconsin and my training for the world cha mpionsh ip, I had a 3 -day window to get myself situated and in Boston to start training for worlds,” he said. “Then in Boston we had 12 training session a week all the way up until the championship. I felt moments where I wanted to back off or take
a break, but we had such a short window to get our boat in a place to do well at the championship that letting off the gas even just a little was not an option.” Not to be outdone was Princeton University’s Koven. Competing in the U-23 Women’s Pair event with the University of Michigan’s Caitlin Esse, the duo placed second overall, netting a time of 7:19.79. Koven was around two seconds away from catching Croat ia, wh ich f i n ishe d tops overall with a time of 7:17.20. The third athlete from G r e e nw ich Cr ew, St ich , w a s a p a r t ic ip a nt i n t he hot lycontested U-23 Lightweight Men’s Quadruple Sculls. Competing in the A Final, Stitch, a Dartmouth College student, along with fellow Dartmouth standouts Sean Ward, Edward Tuckerman, and Jack Stone, ended the day sixth overall with a time of 6:09.17. Leading the event was G ermany, who took gold with a time of 5:56.23. Team USA was six seconds away from catching Turkey for f ifth place overall.
Catalano said that the process of making the U-23 team a nd c omp e t i n g at t he World Championship was one of the hardest endeavors he’s taken on in his life. In fact, he had made a goal to be on the team five years ago when he was in high school. “I had attempted to make the U-19 team but was not successful,” Cat a l a no s a id . “ M a ny of t he decisions and choices that I made in my rowing career revolved around accomplishing this goal and at many times I ran into road blocks that I had to persevere through. In 2019 I was at the selection camp in Seattle for the U-23 team but did not make it and then last year I was supposed to be at the camp again, but it was canceled due to COVID. I have dedicated eight years of my life to this sport and there are many times where you start to wonder how ‘worth it’ all the sacrifices are but getting to win a medal while representing my country reaffirmed those doubts that cross every athlete’s mind at one point or another.”
Fighting For The Tokyo Olympics Donna de Varona is a longtime Greenwich resident competed and a swimmer in two Olympics. She won four gold medals (two during the 1964 Tokyo games in the 4x100meter freestyle and the 4x100-meter relay). In addition to swimming, sh e’s a n a c t ivi s t a n d for m e r longtime broadcaster at ABC) The g loba l pa ndem ic t hat reshaped how we function and interact as humans left no corner of the world untouched. Every aspect of our lives changed on the personal level, but the cancellation or disruption of seemingly invincible cultural touchstones like t he Oly mpics ser ved as stunning reminders of the uncertain times we all endured. An event that intertwines and invigorates the world once every four years is needed now more than ever after a period of such isolating international disconnect and despair. Af ter countless f its and starts threatened to condem n t he 2020 Tok yo Olympics as collateral damage of the pandemic, we are now enjoying what the Japanese refer to as the “Recovery Games.” It ’s a theme articulated in observance of Japan’s upending earthquakes, f loods and natural disasters including the devastation of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Long before the Games’ hardfought return to Tokyo after 57 years, I cannot help but ref lect on the history of the Olympics in the Land of the Rising Sun. More pointedly, with a renewed focus I recall how profoundly participating in the 1960 Rome Olympics and especially those in Tokyo impacted my life and those of my teammates. Indeed, 2020 is not the first time an Olympics in Japan has been rescheduled. Eighty years before the pandemic disrupted the impending 2020 Tokyo Games, Japan was set to welcome the world of sport to its shores in 1940 for the Summer Games. In fact, my dad, David de Varona, had hoped to qualify for those Olympics as a member of the fastest eights rowing crew in the nation. Then a senior at the University of California, Dad had his eyes set on reaching the world’s brightest athletic stage and representing our country. Unfortunately, a deadly global crisis that sunk the world into a state of upheaval also struck unexpectedly, as World War II derailed the 1940 Olympics. Young, ascendant athletes just like dad from all over the world saw their dreams dashed. Proving that history doesn’t necessarily repeat itself but instead rhymes,
PHOTO COURTESY OF DONNA DE VARONA
By Donna de Varona
Donna de Varona, right, seated with fellow U.S. Swimming 1964 gold medalist Dick Roth, and silver medalist in 1960 Yoshihiko Yamanaka of Japan. many of the potential competitors in the 2020 Tokyo Games have been given a lifeline to glory with the rescheduling of the event. This stands in stark contrast to the alternative aspiring Olympians like dad faced in lieu of competing in the athletic arena. Instead, the outbreak of war thr ust most if not all young Olympians into representing their countries on a different kind of playing field. My dad, for example, traded in a shot at gold for a role with the Red Cross. He relied on his athleticism to fight his way up to the front lines to help America's soldiers in need. After the close of the war, Dad was recognized for his courage as the only field director to jump with paratroopers 11 times in combat. Little did he know that only a few decades later, he would find himself back in Tokyo in what once was enemy territory, realizing his Olympic aspirations through me. My first trip to Japan came one year after I participated in the 1960 Rome Olympics. Swimming for Team USA as a 13-year-old, I held the world record in the 400-meter individual medley. Regrettably, my world-best event in 1960 was not on the Rome Olympic swimming schedule so instead, I focused on the 100-meter freestyle and q ualif ied for Team USA as a member of the 400-meter freestyle relay. During the Olympic competition, four of us alternates swam in the preliminaries to conserve energy for our fastest four teammates. In turn, they could pour everything into bringing home the gold in the final. Getting a taste of the world’s highest level of competition in Rome only fueled my drive to invest four more years of hard work to achieve my dreams. Thankfully, the Olympics included
the women's 400-meter individual medley on the program in Tokyo for the f irst time in histor y, opening up my door to gold. This unique opportunity alone gave me motivation enough to train relentlessly. As I began to dominate in the pool during the Rome-toTokyo interregnum, the payoff of being a teenage world record holder finally came. One year later, I joined three other age group swimming prodigies to tour Japan. The Japanese Sw imming Federation and the Olympic Games Organizing Committee wanted to inspire its youth as well as promote the Olympics. We were the ambassadors of that message. As is often the case with host cities, many in Japan were concerned about the costs and wisdom of staging the 1964 Olympics. We canvassed the country and participated in exhibitions promoting the Olympic spirit and demonstrating the unique benefits of welcoming the world back to a modern Japan. On one very memorable occasion, we gave a clinic in a remote Japanese farming v illage. The ham let ‘s prize was an outdoor pool, which was snugly nestled in the middle of a rice paddy. We took part in motivational talks, press conferences, and formal dinners. Furthermore, we observed roads, hotels, and all kinds of infrastructure being built no matter where our barnstorming tour stopped next. To wit, Japan was on a frenzied sprint to finish up its rail lines to carry spectators and tourists from Tokyo to Osaka on its state-of-the-art bullet train. The Japanese government sought to prove to the world that Japan was back and better than ever. The 1964 Games would be a veritable coming out party for the island nation, a reintroduction to democratic world affairs and commerce after
the devastation of morale and infrastructure the country endured during World War II. I r e t u r n e d to Ja p a n fo r a friendly competition one more time before taking part in the Opening Ceremony of the 1964 Olympics. With the inspiration of hosting the Olympics, the country had transformed itself remarkably while maintaining its rich and elegant cultural traditions. I truly felt as if I was welcomed back to Japan by the locals as a daughter. Feeling like I was adopted, it gave me an overwhelming sense of relief and joy when I finally did win a gold medal in the 400-meter IM. In a well-deserved karmic payoff, I once again took part in the 400-meter freestyle relay but swam the final instead. I came full circle from my Rome experience and helped Team USA shatter the world record while winning gold in the event. I a l s o k now t h at t h e r e a l treasures of tak ing part in the Olympics are the lifelong friendships I made in the Olympic Vi llage, du r ing t he Open ing ceremonies, and later as a broadcaster, activist, and volunteer. In Rome my seminal moment ca me when w it hout a world basketball great Walt Bellamy reached down to lift me high up on his shoulder so I could witness the torch bearer’s entry into the Olympic stadium. I scored an autog raph f rom Mu ha m mad Ali—and made lifelong friends with sprinter triple gold medalist Wilma Rudolf and her teammates. During the Tokyo Olympics I m a d e a n o t h e r s i g n i f i c a nt connection with a German rower named Jurgen Schroeder. During the 1964 Opening Ceremony, he draped his raincoat over my shoulders to shield me from a misty rain. Echoing the spirit of rebirth in 1964, Jurgen drew on
his inspirational Tokyo experience and worked tirelessly to help bring the 1972 Olympics to Munich, Germany. To this day, he works on behalf of athletes. In the cafeteria line, I met and befriended future Knick’s star and U.S. Senator Bill Bradley. During his illustrious career in public office, Bill proved to be a go-to leader in all matters dealing with the Olympics, athletes’ rights, and protections for athletic equality. When tragedy stuck on Sept. 11, 2001, my Olympic friends from all over the globe—spanning from Cuba and Russia to South and Central America—reached out immediately. Collectively these anecdotes capture the types of hidden stories that every Olympian cherishes along the way. Perhaps more than any other reason, this is why I have anchored my life in sport while working to pr ote c t a nd supp or t t h is worldwide Olympic experiment. I recall the over whelming feeling when I walked into the c aver nous, enclose d Yoyog i swimming and diving venue. The spaceship-sized arena was unlike anything I had ever experienced. With considerable fo r e t h ou g ht , t h e a r c h ite c t s designed the facility so the pool could be converted to an ice rink for winter months skating. For the first time in history, finish line touchpads were installed to modernize and improve the competition in the pool. Moreover, the Japanese acumen in planning, marketing, and delivering those Games elevated the staging of the Olympics as a whole to a new and more sophisticated level. All in all, Japan has hosted three Olympics—two winters, one summer, this 2020 edition. W it h t he Tok yo Oly mpic s underway, my thoughts are not solely focused on medals and world records but rather the unique impact the Tokyo Games may have on modern history. The global pandemic has tested every one of us. It has forced us to be creative, to problem solve, to work together under incredible pressure, to overcome fear and face down a treacherous and invisible enemy. The world feels smaller and more isolated than ever. Nevertheless, we discovered new ways to communicate, form global teams, and take on the many challenges facing us all these last 18 months. I n t he world of sp or t , we have witnessed how a global c o m mu n it y h a s c h a r t e d a n exceedingly turbulent course to keep the Olympics on track for this summer and avoided resorting to an outright cancellation of the event. Luckily, we have not had to blaze the trails last seen 40
years ago in advance of the 1980 Moscow Games. Current IOC President Thomas Bach was denied a chance to compete during the President Carter-lead boycott of those Games. Bach more than anyone knows the price of a lost Olympic Games opportunity. Under his leadership, the dedicated stewards of the Olympic movement have worked overtime to ensure the Olympic f lame burns brightly amidst the darkness of a pandemic. It has been costly on so many levels, but the payoff of the hard work is about to come due. On personal and public levels, now more than ever we all need inspiration. We yearn for believing that things can get back to normal and want to trust in a broad scope vision of how to handle global crises. As in 1964 when Japan stepped up to take the risk of staging the games, Tokyo 2021 also has a critical role to play in looking to the future again with hope. Within my own personal story, I have often wondered what my dad and mom felt when they were so warmly greeted upon arriving in Japan and welcomed into the home of a Japanese family. Less than two decades after a f ierce war with the people of this same nation, harmony and understanding was being forged once again. Only the staging of the Olympic games in Tokyo would have provided my parents with an opportunity to meet and find common ground with their hosts. The time they spent together to celebrate the Olympics was a gift. An unadulterated time to heal after their shared experiences of dealing with the hardships of the war. The Olympic Games and its movement hold out a lofty vision. For all its critics as well as those who want to exploit this platform in service of either political or personal agendas, this Olympic ideal continues to inspire a global community of 206 nations. A s t h e a t h l e t e s i n To k yo continue to take to the field of competition, they will provide visible affirmation that the three values of Olympism— excellence, respect, and friendship—are true motivators for a world seeking common ground. To d a y I l o o k w i t h g r e a t anticipation and respect to Japan honoring the original theme of 2020 by declaring these Olympics a s t h e “ R e c o v e r y G a m e s .” Anticipation for what’s to come, both in the weeks of competition ahead as well as on the postpandemic horizon. Respect for a resilient global community determined to work together to fight for and embrace what is truly possible.
Puzzles for the Weekend: Have Fun!
Sudoku
Each row, column, nonet can contain each number only once. Answers on page 10.
Hard
Very Hard
Easy Suduko
Sudoku: each row, column, and nonet can contain each number only once. Answers on page 10.
ON EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION
From the Greenwich Sentinel Foundation: the weekly newsletter from educators to Greenwich parents.
CALVIN AND HOBBES © 1988 Watterson. Reprinted with permission of ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION. All rights reserved.
“Is my child ready for Kindergarten?” Part 4 Literacy
By Amy DeNicola-Hickman Our charge as parents and early childhood educators is to instill a love for books and supp or t emerg i ng l iterac y skills. This develops successful, motivated readers within the developmentally appropriate window of learning to read. Accord i ng to t he CT Ea rly Learning and Development Standards and the Core Standards children are learning letter sound correspondence and phonemic awareness through kindergarten. Literacy continues all through your child’s school career. The most important factor is not identifying 26 letters and sounds but loving books and reading. As parents and early childhood educators we are setting the foundations for a lifetime of learning and we want this foundation to be engaging. Read to your child every day. Pick a time and make it a routine in your home. Some people choose bedtime as a family to read to their children. Others read while older children are completing homework. If you want your child to become a reader and love reading, the greatest thing you can do is read with them. Instill a love for reading in your child by ensuring books are a part of your life. Read in front of your child. Have books in sight both for yourself and for your child to pick up and read at any time. Books should be a part of their home. Going to the library is a wonderful experience for children to choose books or listen to a story being read in the children's library. Having new books to read is exciting and draws children to make the choice to read. This will develop new vocabulary and introduce new concepts. They may have favorites that are comforting to them to read. These books can be read to support your child
As parents and early childhood educators we are setting the foundations for a lifetime of learning and we want this foundation to be engaging. in developing print concepts. Knowing they are going to the library and seeing the many choices they have reinforces reading is a positive. Choose books written at the preschool level. At the bookstore or library the shelves are usually labeled. While reading with your child, have your child hold the book; do they hold the book upright, can they turn pages. Small children love to help and it is good practice to learn these skills. Your child is learning to sustain attention while you read to them. They may not be able to listen to the entire book in one sitting. Be patient, the attention span grows with time,we want them to enjoy the time spent. As your child gets closer to kindergarten you will naturally see them begin to identify print or words versus pictures. While you read, point out that we read the left page first. Model reading with your finger. Children learn quickly that that means you are reading the words left to right. Point out new vocabulary in pictures. Have your child point letters or words they may know from sight. Practice finding a word on the page that starts with ____letter. For comprehension you can: Have your child identify characters in the story. Begin to ask questions about what happened at the beginning, middle or end of the story. Ask your child what they think will come next in the story. Ask your child to describe the pictures on the page. And what about the letters? Children will learn all the letters quite rapidly when they are developmentally ready. What we should do as parents and early childhood educators is give them exposure to the letters. Start with your child’s name. Label
your child’s belongings with their name. Recognizing their name and the letters in their name is the first step. Play games with letters. While in the grocery store try to find three items that begin with S. Be sure to have a model of S for your child to refer to. Play matching or bingo games with letters with your child. Remember they will need help with turns and rules. Use playdough/sand/shaving cream/ fingerpaint/ to make letters or shapes with our fingers. Play car games such as who can think of the most words that start with the “T” sound. Look out the window and shout out all the things you see that start with the “M” sound. Sing songs and finger plays about letters. Play with letter puzzles/ blocks/etc. talk to your child about what letters they are placing in the puzzle. Make letters through art; draw, paint, use clay or playdough. Go ahead and get a little messy. FInd letters in magazines or newspapers to cut out and glue to paper. Find magazine pictures or draw things that begin with an “H” sound. Talk to your child through the process. Maybe create something yourself, children love to see you work alongside them. There are so many ways to enjoy literacy learning with your child. Remember all of this is building a foundation which is fun and based in play. There is not a prerequisite for reading for kindergarten. Successful readers are motivated to read and have had successful experiences while building the foundations of literacy. Have fun with your child and read. You will build not only their literacy skills but strong relationships that will support them as they grow. Amy DeNicola-Hickman is an educator with more than 25 years
of experience. She holds a BS in MS in Special Education and has currently serves as the Special Elementary Education, an MS is completed an advanced certification Education Preschool Administrator Early Childhood Education, an in School Administration. She for the Greenwich Public Schools.
Join the MOVEment Saturday, September 25, Westchester County
BIKE HSS is a one-day cycling event with two route options, 25 miles and 62 miles. This event will raise critical funds for patient care, research, and education to enable people around the world to MOVE better.
BIKE HSS Register at BIKEHSS.org