October 11, 2019

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Daily News Updates @ www.GreenwichSentinel.com

FRIDAY, October 11, 2019

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B ack Cou nt r y | B a n k sv ille | B elle Haven | By ra m| Ch icka hom iny | Cos Cob | Glenv ille | Old Gr e enw ich | Pem b er w ick | R iverside | B e d for d, N Y

Crumbines Honored

The Briefing Room

By Richard Kaufman

S Chief Operating Of f icer for Greenw ich Public Schools, Lorianne O’Donnell, is leaving the dist rict to become t he COO at Abilis. O’Donnell will continue in her current role until Nov. 15. The GPS COO is responsible for the district’s budget, facilities, rentals, purchasing and bids. The search for a new COO is underway.

S On Monday, Greenwich re sident s at tende d a n informational meeting at the Stamford Government Center to voice strong objection to a proposal brought forth by Weeks Ma r i ne to const r uc t a commercia l mooring transfer station in Stamford waters, near Greenwich Point. On Wednesday the application was withdrawn.

S The League of Women Voters of Greenwich hosted two debates on Thursday night at Greenwich High School bet ween First S ele c t m a n c a nd id ate s Jill Oberlander and Fred Camillo, and Selectman candidates Lauren Rabin and Sandy Litvack. For more on the debates, check out next week’s edition of the Greenwich Sentinel.

S The LW VG a nd t he Greenwich PTA Council will co-sponsor a Board of Education forum on Oct. 15. A non-partisan PTA Council panel will choose questions from written submissions by the PTAs and Council Committees.

Christina Downey (D), Gaetane Francis, Karen Hirsh (D), Karen Kowalski (R), and Joe Kelly (R) will participate.

S The 14th annual Walk/ Ru n for Abi l is w i l l be held Sunday, Oct. 20 at Greenwich Point Park. This fun family-friendly event will feature arts & crafts, food, games, the “Bubble Bus,” music and more. A 5k run kicks off at 9 a.m. and the 1-mile walk at 11 a.m. Famed choreographer and fitness celebrity Billy Bl a n k s Jr. w i l l b e t he Master of Ceremonies.

S Beginning on Saturday, Oct. 12, Greenw ich Au du b o n C e nt e r w i l l reserve spaces to support people with challenges who are sensory-sensitive and would like to enjoy learning about nature in a quiet and soothing space, as part of its Audubon For All initiative.

This offering will be held every second Saturday of the month. Please RSVP in advance with Accessibility C o ord i nator C a rol i ne Bailey at Caroline.Bailey@ audubon.org or 203-9003349.

There was an outpouring of love, respect and admiration at the Tamarack Country Club last Thursday as Bea and Peter Cr u mbi ne were presented with the fifth annual David N. Theis Award for Outstanding Service to the Community from t he Glenv i l le Volunteer Fire Company.

The award, which was given to St ate . Re p. L iv v y F loren in 2015, Terr y Bet teridge of Bet ter idge Jewelers i n 2016, Scott and Icy Frantz in 2017 a n d E d D a d a k i s l a s t y e a r, i s pre s ente d to a de s er v i ng individual from Greenwich who self lessly and compassionately ser ve s t he tow n's re sident s , organizations and institutions in an admirable and tireless manner.

The award was created to memor ia l i z e t he late Dav id Theis, former First Selectman of Greenwich who passed away i n 2014 . T heis wa s a st rong presence in the community and an avid supporter of the GVFC. For GVFC President, Sandy Kornberg, this year's recipients are well-deserving of the award. "[B e a a n d Pe t e r] a r e a m a i n s t ay i n G re e nw ic h for sure. They're so wel l k now n by ever ybody, and so greatly appreciated by everyone. They're ju s t a p e r fe c t f it t o b e ou r honorees," Kornberg said.

Peter served as a selectman in Greenw ich for f ive terms f rom 1999 to 20 09. Pr ior to that, he spent four years in the Representative Town Meeting and the Board of Estimate and Ta xation. Currently, he's the pre sident of t he Gre enw ich Horseneck Club, and Greenwich Green & Clea n. He has a lso s e r v e d o n t h e S e l e c t m a n's Nominations Advisory Committee since its inception in 2004, and is a member of the First Friday Club.

for the GVFC. Attendees had the chance to bid on silent auction items s uc h a s t ic k e t s to t he 2 0 2 0 Greenwich Town Party, or even a Gre enw ich Pol ic e Ma r i ne experience. All proceeds from the event are put back into the GVFC to help its volunteers,

term, t ha n ked him for his "partnership and friendship."

Tesei highlighted the approval of C os C ob Pa rk as a major accompl ish ment a nd a fond memory with Peter Crumbine.

Tesei called Bea a "true gem" and "the most pleasant person in the town of Greenwich."

"Bea and Peter Crumbine are two very special and devoted people. They're devoted to each other and supportive of each of their respective community endeavors. They're proud parents and grandparents, approaching service to our town with the same level of love, commitment and joy that they do their own family. It's so fitting that they're being jointly recognized this evening," Tesei said.

along with the purchase of new equipment.

"The support from t he communit y has been tremendous," said GVFC Chief, Michael Hoha.

Several people spoke about t he Cr u mbines a nd Theis, a n d w h a t t h e y ' ve m e a nt t o Greenwich over the years.

Fi rst Selec t ma n, Peter Tesei, who ser ved with Peter Crumbine during his inaugural

Column: On My Watch

"Bea and Peter Crumbine are two very special and devoted people. They're devoted to each other and supportive of each of their respective community end e avor s . T he y 're proud p a r e nt s a n d g r a n d p a r e nt s , appro ac h i ng s er v ic e to ou r tow n w it h t he sa me level of love, commitment and joy that they do their own family. It's so fitting that they're being jointly recognized this evening," Tesei

added.

L on g t i m e f r i e n d , Fr a n k DiVincenzo, spoke about his friendship with the Crumbines. " He w ho f i nd s a f r i e nd , finds a treasure," he said, first in Italian. "While Bea and Peter Cr u mbi ne represent what is good in America, you can't have a complete success in business and life unless you dedicate part of it to public service."

Fo r m e r S t a t e S e n . S c o t t Fr a nt z s a id t he C r u mbi ne s " d e f i n e w h a t G r e e nw i c h i s all about as far as its culture, character and integrity."

"They have set such a good example for so many of us. I've a lways t hought of [Peter] as the quintessentia l statesman in our town. Bea, you are the Ambassador-at-Large superstar and rock star. Everything you do, you bring such grace and such enthusiasm," Frantz added.

"I'm convinced that David Theis is smiling like the rest of us are tonight."

The Crumbines were given honorary badges and an award which featured a small GVFC fireman’s helmet. State Reps. Fred Camillo and Livvy Floren presented them with an official citation from Hartford commemorating their award.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal also presented the Crumbines with a citation.

T he event wa s a f it t i ng t r ibut e to t he memor y of a Greenwich pillar and to those t h a t c o nt i n u e t o s e r v e t h e community. The GVFC hopes to continue this event for many years to come.

“When David Theis was in office, he was a great supporter of t he volunteer f iref ighters t hroughout t he tow n. That's why we're honored to honor his memor y and legacy with the award," Hoha said.

It’s safe to say the legacy and spirit of David Theis was felt throughout the entire evening.

Excerpts from The Waterwheel

The Need to Protect Our Birds Grows and Grows

The Alphabet of Gratitude

By Anne W. Semmes

From my window, from my writer’s desk, I’ve been enjoying t he pa rade of birds to my neighbor’s purple-berry laden inkberry plant. The birds, some surely migrants, showed such restraint in their feeding, the harvest was lasting. And then, suddenly, that feeding station was all gone – swept away by a landscapers cleanup!

Hea r tsore, what c a me to mind were Rachel Carson’s words from her “Silent Spring,” On the mornings that had once throbbed with the dawn chorus of robins, catbirds, doves, jays, wrens, and scores of other bird voices, there was now no sound.

Carson’s words were quoted in a recent news report of the near-30 percent decline of bird popu lat ions i n t he U. S. a nd Canada. There are now 2.9 billion fewer birds than 50 years ago.

It’s all there on the Cornell L a b or at or y of O r n it holo g y website. (birds.cornell.edu) A l l t h i s b a d ne w s w h i le seei ng ospre y s soa r i ng a s a volunteer Osprey Steward for the Connecticut Audubon Society (CAS).

I nd e e d , i n C on ne c t ic ut , “C e r t a i n p o p u l a t i o n s h a v e increased by 30-percent where we have good habitat,” notes Patrick Comins, CAS executive director.

The decline is “where the forests have been fragmented, where there’s a lot of development…Its birds that are in our backyard.”

ILLUSTRATED BY WAJIH CHAUDHRY

S Unu s e d or e x pi re d medication can be disposed of on Saturday, Oct. 26 du r i ng Nat iona l Dr ug Take Back Day. Residents can go to the Public Safety C o m p l e x a t 11 B r u c e Place to throw away their medication from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Bea is Greenwich 's "A mba ssador-at-L a rge", a nd has helped foster sister-cit y relationships in Italy and China, bringing delegations overseas and hosting them here in town.

Mu sic ha s a l so been a big part of Bea's life, as she is an accomplished opera singer. She has performed in Greenwich w it h T he Gr ac e Note s , a nd has sung at the White House, Carnegie Hall, and the Vatican for Pope Benedict.

B ea wa s i nst r u ment a l i n beginning the town's Fourth of July Ceremony at Town Hall, a nd re c ent ly, she help e d to restore six 10,000 pound stone monoliths at the Montgomery Pinetum Property in Cos Cob. She has also served on various boards in town.

The Crumbines said t hey were honored to receive t he award, but were quick to praise Theis a nd what he mea nt to Greenwich.

Bea said she's often reminded of Theis' legacy when she drives over the Mianus Bridge which is named in his honor.

"This is quite an evening for Bea and myself. It's particularly me a n i ng f u l b e c au s e it a l s o honors David Theis," Peter said.

Peter recalled that Theis, who succeeded Peter as selectman, wou ld of ten c a l l a sk i ng for advice.

Peter went on to say t hat he often feels odd when people thank him for his service to the community, because he believes ser v ice is its ow n reward. "I wou ld not have made it in public life for 18 years if I didn't enjoy every minute. In a sense, I should be thanking Greenwich and the Glenville volunteers, rat her t ha n t he ot her way around," he said in closing.

G r e e nw i c h Po l i c e C h i e f and former GVFC Chief, James H e a v e y, w a s t h e m a s t e r o f ceremonies for the event, which also served as a big fundraiser

By Jill S. Woolworth, LMFT

The numbers of migratory Wood Thrushes - memorable singers in our woods, have declined 70 percent.

That glorious singer, the wood thrush, “has declined around 70 percent.” Add red winged blackbirds, common grackles, and yes, even those European starlings I last saw feeding on the inkberry.

So, ra l ly i ng to t he c ause the CAS just sent out a list of “Six things you can do here in Connecticut to help declining bird populations.” (Found at ctaudubon.org) And number 5 is, “Landscape for birds,” including, “ Plant native trees and shrubs that produce fruit and berries.”

First on the list is “Advocate,” working in concert with others.

Writer and climate activist Bill

McKibben has pointed out that, “If 3 or 4 percent of a population advocates for a cause, it’s often enough to force a change in the system. But if those same 3 or 4 percent take action individually, i t ’s n o t e n o u g h t o m a k e a difference.”

This week there was a mig ht y swel l of advocac y organized by t he Greenw ich Point Conservancy with Town community leaders to protect t he waters a nd su r rou nd of G r e e nw i c h Po i nt f r o m t h e building in Stamford Harbor of a commercial “mooring” and transfer station – viewed as an CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

It’s worth repeating that we can’t be anxious and grateful at the same time. Expressing gratitude for anything reboots our brains out of fight-or-flight mode. Writing five things we are grateful for in a journal or saying them out loud is com- fort food for our brains.

Sometimes a journal isn’t handy and speaking aloud isn’t an option. We might be on a crowded subway or sleeping with our partner in the room. Especially in the middle of the night when blood sugar is lowest and anxiety is likely highest, we can lower our anxiety by mentally running through an alphabet of friends we have loved, places we’ve enjoyed, or foods we appreciate. (We can skip letters we can’t find a name for. Few of us have been to Zanzibar, adore zucchini, or have a friend named Xerxes.) This practice usually puts us back to sleep before the third iteration.

Along with using the alphabet of gratitude, Jennifer and Ryan practice sharing “three gratitudes” at bedtime. These are the last things they say to each other before they roll over to sleep. Each gratitude is something special that happened during the day—a conversation, a sunset, a good report.

Their brief expressions of gratitude calm their brains and help them fall asleep more easily.

An excerpt from The Waterwheel by local author, Jill Woolworth, available through Amazon. Alternatively, we encourage you to shop locally where it is also available at Diane's Books or Christ Church Books & Gifts.

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Page 2 | Greenwich Sentinel

yourCOMMUNITYcalendar Center, 90 Harding Rd. $10 admission (includes skate rentals).

All ages. 203-322-4447. greenwichrollerskating@ gmail.com. greenwichrollerskating.webs. com SATURDAY, OCT. 12

Halloween Weekend Friday & Saturday October 25 and 26, 2019 Rain or Shine

7 - 9 a.m.

Fall Migration Bird Walk.

Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Rd. Free. All ages and levels of experience are welcome. 914-417-5234. rmaclean@audubon.org. greenwich.audubon.org/ events

FRIDAY, OCT. 11 7 - 8:30 a.m.

Faith on Fire. Christ Church, 254 East Putnam Ave. 203-869-6600, ext. 13. jtredinnick@ christchurchgreenwich.org 9:15 - 10:45 a.m.

Coffee & Conversation Series: Parenting is the Hardest Job in the World: What Works and What Doesn't. The First Congregational Church of Greenwich, 108 Sound Beach Ave. Free. RSVP. Walk-ins welcome. 203-637-5430. darlak@fccog.org 11:30 a.m.

Greenwich Chamber of Commerce State of the Town

Luncheon with Greenwich First Selectman Peter Tesei. Hyatt Regency, 1800 East Putnam Ave. $75 per person; $700 table of ten.

GreenwichChamber.com 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Exhibition Highlights Tour - guided tours of the current exhibitions led by a Museum Docent. Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Dr. (Every Tuesday, 1:30 p.m., and Friday, 12:30 p.m.) 203-869-0376. info@brucemuseum.org. brucemuseum.org 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Marine Tank Animal Feeding. Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Dr. (Every Tuesday and Friday, 2:30-2:45

p.m.) 203-869-0376. info@ brucemuseum.org 5:30 - 6 p.m.

Old Greenwich-Riverside Community Center (OGRCC) U9-U12 Girls Thunder Coerver Clinic.

Greenwich Academy, Lower Turf Field, 200 N. Maple Ave. $260. 203-637-3659. office@ myogrcc.org. myogrcc.org 7 - 10 p.m.

7th Grade Halloween Dance - Part I. Arch Street Teen Center, 100 Arch St. $20. 203629-5744. info@archstreet.org 7 - 9:30 p.m.

Friday Night Roller Skating.

Eastern Greenwich Civic

9 - 10:15 a.m.

Yoga Class. Banksville Community House, Inc., 12 Banksville Rd. 203-622-9597. bchinfo@optonline.net. thebch.org 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

The Greenwich Farmers Market. Arch Street Parking Lot, 100 Arch St. (Every Saturday through December, weather permitting). 203-3800580. gfm-ct@optimum.net. greenwichfarmersmarketct. com 10 a.m.

Accessibility for All Greenwich Audubon Center will reserve spaces to support people with challenges who are sensory-sensitive. 613 Riversville Rd. RSVP. 203-

Patio Furniture Restorations & Sales

Cooler weather has arrived.

Now is the time to restore your patio furniture!

Restore now and enjoy off-season discounts!

Come see our sale items in The Courtyard at The Greenwich Exchange for Women’s Work 28 Sherwood Place in Greenwich!

Join us for a howling good time!

Celebrate Halloween with Greenwich Audubon Center. Come enjoy our Frightful Forest and scare-free Enchanted Meadow and Costume Parade, Creepy Crawly Critter Show, bonfire, s’mores, and bake sale.

Admission: Each program is $15 at the door or $13 in advance online.

Each program is timed, between 6:15-9 p.m. on Friday and 2-9 p.m. on Saturday. Visit our website for program schedule and to purchase admission online, greenwich.audubon.org/halloween-weekend.

613 Riversville Road • Greenwich, CT 06831 • 203-869-5272

900-3349. Caroline.Bailey@ audubon.org. greenwich. audubon.org/accessibility 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Tai Chi for Adults with Ken Dolan. Byram Shubert Library - Community Room, 21 Mead Ave. Free. 203-5310426.

12 - 12:45 p.m.

Greenwich Historical Society Gallery Tours. 47 Strickland Rd. Free with museum admission. No registration necessary.

Meet at the information desk in the Museum Lobby.

(Every Wednesday and Saturday). 203-869-6899. greenwichhistory.org

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Photo: Greenwich Audubon Center

7:45 a.m.

Fathers’ Forum Kick-Off Breakfast & Presentation.

YMCA of Greenwich, 50 E. Putnam Ave. Free. 203-869-1630. fathersforum@gwymca.org. greenwichymca.org

12 - 4 p.m.

Greenwich Historical Society's (GHS) “Around the World” Fall Family Festival.

47 Strickland Rd. $25, family; $10, adult; $5, child over 2.

Rain date: Oct. 13. 203-8696899. greenwichhistory.org 12 - 4 p.m.

Our Woven Community (OWC) Pop-Up Shop.

Greenwich Historical Society, 47 Strickland Rd. 203-8696899.

1 - 3 p.m.

Science Solvers: Pumpkin Anatomy - ages 4 and up and their caretakers. Bruce Museum. Also, Sunday, Oct. 13, 1-3pm. 203-869-0376.

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Page 3 | Greenwich Sentinel

Boo Durkin, A Greenwich Treasure

For Neil Vigdor, a former journalist in town who now works for the New York Times, Durkin represents what is best about Greenwich.

"She has the institutional memory of the town.

Some of that is lost, I think, with the turnover in town and transient folks who come here," Vigdor remarked. "She certainly remembers the way things were, and I think is very much one to protect the character and identity of Greenwich and preserve that."

Vigdor noted that Durkin has been an ardent supporter of his over the years, and has rooted for him throughout his journalistic career, even when he's written articles that have upset people.

Although Durkin has had health problems in recent years, her willingness and eagerness to continue to volunteer speaks volumes.

"You see the character in somebody when they're going through a tough time. She still loves her Boo, right, with her daughter Dawn community and still shows up for these events. She Mary "Boo" Durkin Federman Marshall at Boo's surprise can always be counted on to be there," Vigdor said.

One of those events is the annual Fourth of July seventieth birthday party. program at Town Hall.

Chair of the Great Chefs Benefit as an adult.

Durkin would prepare Town Hall for the

By Richard Kaufman She also volunteered for Family ReEntry, a reception after the ceremony, sometimes cutting When asked to describe Mary “Boo” Durkin in Connecticut nonprofit organization which supports hundreds of pieces of cake. one word, Kyle Silver Executive Director of the Arch families and helps those who have been incarcerated "At the end of the Fourth of July ceremony, Street Teen Center said heartfelt. Bea Crumbine, to turn their lives around. Durkin played an when the doors of Town Hall are thrown open and Greenwich’s Ambassador-at-Large, used dedicated. important role in organizing the annual benefit people walk into the lobby, and here are four tables Longtime friend and State Rep. Livvy Floren offered every year. beautifully set up, all red, white and blue with cake up tenacious, Sentinel publisher Beth Barhydt and goodies for the children... And there she is at the described her as inspiring, and First Selectman Peter head of the table, having gotten her family together She has the institutional memory Tesei called her compassionate. to set this all up beautifully," Crumbine said. "And Those are all words that Durkin has lived by she's done this in a perfect context, with everything of the town. Some of that is lost, I over her many years of service to her friends, family, patriotic, and everything carrying out the theme of think, with the turnover in town and the town of Greenwich.

Greenwich as a colonial story."

Durkin was born and raised in Greenwich Durkin has also had an affinity for politics, and transient folks who come here," and attended the schools in town. She married Dr. evidenced by her volunteer work with the League Quentin Federman, and raised their three children Vigdor remarked. "I think she is very of Women Voters in Greenwich (LWVG), and on here, too. Durkin has dedicated her life to serving various Republican political campaigns in town. much one to protect the character the community through her volunteer work, State Rep. Livvy Floren (R-149), met Durkin helping people of all ages and backgrounds. Her during LWVG volunteer work a couple decades ago, and identity of Greenwich and contributions to the community are too numerous and has since gotten to know her family. preserve that." to list.

"She's always helping candidates by offering She has been a strong advocate and devoted ideas and suggestions. She's a very astute analyst volunteer for the Arch Street Teen Center for 25 “She was always there [for Family ReEntry],” of the political scene," Floren said. "She's very years. She has been an active part of making the said Susan Ness, a close friend and former board insightful. I've always considered her a mentor and a establishment the longest-running, privately funded member. “She was probably my best volunteer.” political ally, as well as a friend." teen center in the United States, helping fundraise, Ness added that Durkin would often donate books Floren added that Durkin regularly watches the volunteering, and organizing events. to children of those who were incarcerated in Connecticut legislative sessions on television.

On the other end of the spectrum, Durkin Bridgeport.

"If I neglect to wear a red sweater, she tells me worked with the senior population in town as "She's done a tremendous amount of work about it every single time," Floren remarked, with a president of the AARP in Old Greenwich and behind t he scenes to do good for people in laugh. "She just has a wonderful sense of humor."

Riverside. She spent over 2 decades volunteering Greenwich of all ages, and trying to make a better But above all else, Floren noted that Durkin's daily at The Mews in Greenwich, a senior citizen life for everybody. That's an extraordinary volunteer loyalty and selflessness stands out the most. living community, as well as The Nathanial PUB/POST: Greenwich Sentinel concept," said (Due Crumbine, whoN/Aruns the annual LIVE: None "I always tell her, 'If I ever have to be in a foxhole, CODE: HSS-19-97 A PRODUCTION: Date: 9/27/19) Witherall Nursing home.

Fourth of July program at Town Hall with the help I want in there with me.' She's so fiercely loyal to DESCRIPTION: The best…is near WORKORDER #: 73358 TRIM: 10.75” you x 10.8” Durkin was actively involved with the Greenwich of Durkin. people and to her principles," Floren said.

FILE: 03A-73281-04A-HSS-19-97-A-NWS.indd SAP #: HSS.HSSGEN.19023.B.011 BLEED: None Arts Council, and co-chaired the annual Greenwich Durkin is often described as being "fiercely First Selectman, Peter Tesei, called Durkin 212.237.7000 Pops Concert.

She volunteered with the Historical loyal" and "someone you want in your corner." a "dear friend.” The two met while working on Society and the Greenwich Health Department. She Never preoccupied with herself, Durkin has President George H.W. Bush's presidential campaign also worked with Mothers Against Drunk Driving always taken a keen interest in others. Ask Durkin over 30 years ago.

(M.A.D.D.), and was involved with Greenwich how she's doing, and she'll turn around and ask how T:10.75” As Tesei began to run for office in Greenwich, Hospital, first as a candy striper as a child, and then you're holding up instead. he'd often get phone calls from Durkin, who would

offer political insights.

"She was very much like a kitchen cabinet advisor in many ways," Tesei said.

"She has an abiding love for the Town of Greenwich, she has an abiding love for our country, and she genuinely cares about people. She's been a bright spot for the Town of Greenwich, and she's contributed greatly to it," he added.

Kyle Silver, Executive Director for the Arch Street Center, first met Durkin over 25 years ago.

He noted that she has been involved in some regard with every event the teen center has held since. She has organized and recruited volunteers, and even recently, she helped price and organize items for a community-wide tag sale.

"When it comes to people who are one of a kind, she definitely is. When it comes to people who give so much time and effort without any type of expectation back, she's truly a genuine person in those regards," Silver said.

"She's always working for the better good of this world, which is a very unique characteristic to someone these days. There's not a selfish bone in her body. The amount of time, energy, and effort that she gives, especially to the teen center, is tremendous and beyond belief on a lot of levels. She's definitely part of the reason that we are as successful as we are today."

Eunice Burnett, a former board chair at Arch Street, fondly remembers when Durkin helped out during a critical time in the teen center's history.

Several years ago, there were a lot of financial challenges at the teen center, and the board was being rebuilt. At the same time, windows needed to be replaced, and the facade on the building needed repair.

"We tried to do an event called ‘March For The Arch’ to raise funds. It was a great community builder and profile raiser, but it wasn't a good fundraiser," Burnett recalled. "It was hard. I was a deer in headlights, and I was relatively new to all of Arch Street."

Durkin reassured Burnett that she was doing a great job as the board chair, and she reached out to a number of friends to help support Arch Street.

"She told the story of Arch Street and what great things were happening here," Burnett said.

But Durk in's w il lingness to of fer a k ind word and support go beyond just volunteering at organizations and non-profits. It perhaps symbolizes what Boo Durkin is all about.

In 2012, Burnett's mom got into an accident in West Hartford. Burnett brought her to Greenwich Woods, a healthcare center in town, for rehab.

Durkin visited Burnett's mother almost every day.

"Boo is truly an angel," Burnett said. "You really have to look far and wide to find someone like Boo. If you're fortunate enough to fall in the light of her halo, you are so incredibly fortunate."

Many in the Greenwich community can count themselves as lucky to know the heartfelt, dedicated, tenacious, inspiring, and compassionate Boo Durkin.

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Page 5 | Greenwich Sentinel

What We Choose to Treasure

By Icy Frantz A few weeks ago, I picked up some personal items I had lent to the Historical Society for an exhibition entitled, “History is Personal.” I do not remember exactly what I was asked to provide, but it had to do with something that I held dear, something that told a part of my story and something that I considered treasure.

Although, I considered a few different items, ultimately, I chose a collection of rocks over my great Grandmother’s hurricane lamps and an old wooden squash racquet circa 1980. Now, these rocks aren’t just any old rocks, I wouldn’t want you to think I am off my rocker, but rather a collection of rocks that I have amassed over the course of my life. These rocks vary in size, and come from the far corners of the world. Some of them have been personally discovered by me, while others have been gifts from close friends.

Maybe it’s because each rock tells a unique story, or because each one is in the shape of a heart, but either way, they

have become treasure that I hold dearly.

My little collection got me thinking about treasure and value. From a child’s perspective, it’s difficult to think about treasure without imaging pirates, and hidden chests and X marks the spot. In fact, when our boys were little, one of our more successful birthday parties involved just that: a sunken chest and a map and a whole lot of testosterone with eye patches and shovels and eventually after much deliberation, a big container of gems and penny candy. To the boys, there was great value in the hunt and in the prize, and when the treasure was consumed and the party was over, the pirate accessories were left on the kitchen counter for months.

B u t f r o m a n o l d e r p e r s o n ’s perspective, treasure holds a different kind of value. Sometimes, there is a monetary value, but often the value has more to do with connection: connection to our family and friends, our memories and our past, and the way the treasure makes us feel.

When my father’s mother passed away, I desperately wanted something from her home, a place I had visited every spring break while growing up.

My grandmother and her home were very formal, very. She dressed in a gown for dinner, we learned to play bridge in a card room, and visited with her in her bedroom every morning, where she had her breakfast on fine china served on a tray. And, although I complained at the time at the rigidity of her life and the seemingly molasses slow pace, I longed to still have a piece of it when she was gone.

I wanted something from the den, where we spent an hour watching the news every evening. I wanted a finger bowl from the beautiful place settings on the

Chi trova un amico trova un tesoro.

This sounds so beautiful in Italian and translates roughly to: who finds a friend finds treasure. dining room table. I wanted a baby pillow, dressed in finely pressed linens from her bed. Somehow, I knew that my life would never resemble hers, and I wanted a treasure that would help me remember and honor her and a by gone era.

I a ske d a f r ie nd t he ot he r d ay, “What do you treasure?” Her immediate response was, “My children and family and friends and good health.” Above any thing material, we treasure the people we love and their well-being. And this alone is enough, and yet I pushed her. “Aside from all of that, isn’t their anything in your possession that you truly treasure?”

So, she told me about her charm bracelet. Like my rocks, she has collected charms for many years. She has a charm from every country she has visited. She has a charm for each of her children and for every big milestone. She has a charm for her passions: tennis and reading and gardening and for the schools that she attended and a few representing some of her favorite food and drink.

“In essence, my bracelet tells the story of my life. It’s all right here.”

And treasure can do just that, honor a loved one or represent a life.

Digging a little deeper, I asked my husband about his treasure.

“Our family.” Good answer, but I pushed for more. “If you had ten minutes to evacuate our home, what would you grab?”

Without hesitation he answered, “Our photo albums.”

Irreplaceable documentation of our life together and a treasure that always produces smiles and makes us think, wow, that really did happen. As life goes by, it is easy to forget, and losing ourselves in a photo album is always a good reminder that life is full of treasures.

When our daughter was a baby she was given many gifts. There were rattles, and cute onesies and a whole lot of cozy stuffed animals. As she grew, one gift seemed to trump all others. Cat, as we called it because it was a cat, pink and soft and pliable. She slept with Cat at night and dragged it around with her during the day. Looking back in those treasured albums, it is hard to f ind a picture of our daughter without Cat close

at hand. Over time, Cat got pretty beat up, but it didn’t seem to matter. The dirtier and grungier Cat got, the more beloved it became. Then one fated day, Cat was left behind on a trip. There were tears and frantic calls and Google searches to find a Cat replacement, but to no avail. Cat was never found.

Much like the Velveteen Rabbit, what began as a simple gift among many, became treasured and beloved. And, sometimes that is the way with treasure, the value is only understood with the passage of time.

Much of treasure is personal. My rocks might seem inconsequential to others and yet, they sit upon my dresser a nd g r e et me ever y mor n i ng . A nd wherever we go, I search for ones to add to my collection and then I carefully wrap them up, like one would protect their finest jewelry, and bring them home. I am reminded that “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.”

The ot her n ig ht, I at tende d t he Glenville Volunteer Fire Company event which honored two of our community’s most treasured residents, Peter and Bea Crumbine with the David N. Theis Award. Peter and Bea are known by most for their generous commitment to our town, their wisdom and their grace. I was struck by the words presented by one of the speakers.

Chi trova un amico trova un tesoro.

This sounds so beautiful in Italian and translates roughly to: who finds a friend finds treasure On that note, Cat and rock s and sunken chests aside, our most valuable treasure is found in the people around us, and for that reason alone, our lives are very rich.

Event on Mental Health is Standing Room Only

By Liz Leamy Last Tuesday, the First Bank of Greenwich helped kick off Mental Health Awareness week with a memorable event at the J House in which two area residents, Victoria Caputo and Nicole Franchella, discussed this all-important topic to help build support, knowledge, understanding and methods of navigating this issue in an optimal and effective manner in and around the community.

“There is an empathy and understanding in dealing with this issue here tonight,” said Bruno Gioffre, a member of the Board of Directors at the First Bank of Greenwich.

“The need for recovery [regarding this issue] is becoming increasingly evident with society and it’s a good sign that there is outreach for people. This is significant.”

This event, in support of Mental Illness Awareness week, was attended by more than 125 people and orchestrated and put together

by Frank Gaudio, the dynamic President and CEO of the First Bank of Greenwich and his dedicated Board of Directors and employees.

“I think this is a very important matter and a topic that needs to get out there and be discussed. This is why we’re here,” said Gaudio. “It’s about supporting and helping each other and that’s what’s so exciting and important about everything that is happening here tonight.”

Caputo, who hails from Port Chester, New York and Franchella, a Norwalk native who now lives in Manhattan, hit the proverbial ball out of the park as they discussed their experience and plans to affect

change in regard to this issue, as both captured the attention and heart of the crowd.

Franchella, 25, and Caputo, 23, spoke about ways in which they are striving to build awareness and inspire change in regard to this critical subject, an issue that according to statistics, much of the U.S. population either deals or has dealt with at some point in their lives.

(According to reports, 61.2 million American adults are affected by a mental disorder, while one in 17 Americans live with a serious mental illness and one out of four American families has a relative who has a mental illness.)

Franchella was inspired to create her popular jewelry and clothing line this past year that is dedicated to building awareness and support in regard to this matter, while Caputo discussed how her personal journey lead her to write her compelling book, ‘Trust Me: Through the Eyes of a Survivor,’ published in 2018 and available for purchase on Amazon.com.

According to Caputo, who is also a motivational speaker and mental health advocate, one of her primary goals is to help break the stigma surrounding mental illness through these efforts.

“I believe people need to be educated [about mental illness]. That is such a key thing,” said Caputo. “What also inspires and motivates me is knowing I might help even just one person out there with what I’ve been doing. That means everything.”

Franchella is also all about affecting change in regard to this matter.

“I wanted to do this to help give purpose to this whole [subject] and to the fact that the pain that goes along with all of it can be faced and dealt with in an effective and positive way,” said Franchella, whose Light.In.Tough.Times. (LITT/findyourlitt.com) is also dedicated to help create a sense of community for those affected or who might know someone affected by mental illness. “I wanted to help people and give purpose to those who have experienced or are experiencing pain.

There’s so much light and hope in life and I think once you experience pain, you know and have a greater understanding about what life is.”

The power of Franchella’s narrative as well as Caputo’s (both of who are First Bank of Greenwich customers) certainly seemed to have a profound and lasting effect among those in attendance at this event as the majority of people remained in the conference room well after

Model Sailboat Regatta

The Old Greenwich-Riverside Com mu n it y Center (O GRCC) announces that the annual Model Sailboat Regatta will take place on Sunday, Oct. 20 at Binney Park.

This event will once again draw model sailboat enthusiasts of all ages from 1 to 4 p.m. Categories for homemade boats, motorized a nd remote- cont rol le d b oats are spread out throughout the afternoon.

"This event brings together multiple generations, often with grandparents, parents, children, and grandchildren all collaborating on boat building and sailing. The pond is filled with both creative homemade boats made out of rec ycled mater ia ls a nd more intricate high-quality wooden model boats," said Tom Casazzone, Executive Director at the OGRCC. The event, which will also

feature arts and crafts, and music, is one of the OGRCC's primary efforts to raise money towards the Scholarship Program that supports over 70 families in the community each year. Donations help get kids involved in programs f rom soccer to childcare to summer camps.

For more information, contact 203-637-3659 or office@myogrcc. org, or visit myogrcc.org

JOHN FERRIS ROBBEN

First Bank of Greenwich Supports Mental Health Awareness with Memorable Speaker Event

Victoria Caputo (left), Frank J. Gaudio, President and CEO of the First Bank of Greenwich and Nicole Franchella (right) at the First Bank of Greenwich event held at the JHouse in Riverside. the speech portion of the event was over.

Clearly, Franchella and Caputo’s message of hope and strength resonated with everyone at this event, including those members who serve on the First Bank of Greenwich’s Board of Directors.

“It’s wonderful to be part of this night and whole story,” said Barry Small, a First Bank of Greenwich Board member who is the retired CEO of Weeden and Company. “We want to be part of building lives and be involved in and part of this discussion. This is about more than business, it’s about heart and soul.”

His colleagues agreed.

“There is an empathy and understanding in dealing with this issue here tonight,” said Bruno Gioffre, a member of the Board of Directors at the First Bank of Greenwich. “The need for recovery [regarding this issue] is becoming increasingly evident with society and it’s a good sign that there is outreach for people. This is significant.”

CCI Luncheon

Landscape designer James Doyle will present “Dream Locations and Special Places,” Thursday, Oct. 17, 11:30 a.m. at the Belle Haven Club. Doyle, founder and principal of Greenwich-based Doyle Herman Design Associates, has developed an award winning design business with projects in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. In 2010 the firm was named APLD International Designer of the year.

Doyle’s work combines his horticultural expertise with strong design philosophy to bring to life unique and innovative landscapes. Projects range from small courtyards to large country estates. Traveling and

visiting gardens worldwide has greatly influenced his work and allowed him to develop both contemporary and traditional designs. He has guided his firm to a growing collection of awards and has lectured to private groups and conferences both nationally and internationally.

Tickets may be purchased on the CCI website, ccigreenwich.org. Community Centers, Inc. is a Greenwich-based social service agency dedicated to building skills that empower clients to overcome educational, social and economic barriers. CCI has been serving the Greenwich Community for 65 years.

Page 6 | Greenwich Sentinel

Column

What I Learned From Breast Cancer

In 2009, I was interviewed by Aviva Patz for Natural Health Magazine. I am sharing that interview this month in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Taking a look back f loods me with gratitude and thanks to God for His healing touch and peace during that time. After such a powerful experience of healing, there is no going back for me. When I chose that less traveled road, I essentially had to become the CEO over my own body and did so with a positive vision for total healing.

Natural Health Magazine November 2009 I never thought I’d get cancer. I ran six miles a day, and did mini-triathlons and inline skating; I ate a sensible Mediterranean diet. I managed to take care of myself even while working 80 hours a week and traveling the globe as a successful meeting planner. I thought I was in perfect shape.

Then I felt the lump. I was 45 years old and single, living in Connecticut. It was

like a mosquito bite, on the outer edge of my right breast. Since I’d been doing selfexams for years I knew immediately that this was different. I’d never felt anything like it.

My doctors performed a mammogram, but it came back negative. I wasn’t satisfied. My gut told me something was wrong. But when I asked for a biopsy, the doctors gave me a hard time. “You’re fine,” they said, but I insisted, so they squeezed me in the next day. Twenty-four hours later I got a call from the surgeon. His first words were: “I’m very sorry, I learned a really important lesson: I need to listen to my patients more.” Then he dropped the bomb: “You have Stage II Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma. It’s aggressive, and you need to do something right away.”

Everything stopped. It was the most shocking and terrifying thing I’d ever heard. I immediately thought I could die.

When I met with an oncologist, he told me that I would die—if I didn’t have a double mastectomy followed by radiation or chemotherapy and a year of Tamoxifen.

But I’d watched five people close to me die from what I believe was an overuse of radiation and chemotherapy. I saw them suffer slow, painful deaths—not from the cancer, but from the treatment.

I left the oncologist’s office in tears.

When I got home I sank into the sofa and prayed. I said, “God, I don’t know what to do. You’re going to have to help me.” The next day, my cousin called to recommend a top breast cancer doctor in Houston.

My sister called to say she was sending a nutritional video series she thought would help me. I felt my prayers were being answered and it gave me peace and fortitude.

I decided that before I accepted—or rejected—any medical treatment, I was going to do my own research. With no time to lose, and with the guidance of a scientist friend, I pored over medical journals and abstracts, watched videos, and surfed the Web to learn everything I could about my condition and how it could be treated.

One of my first moves—inspired by

Cancer didn’t kill me. It woke me up to who I really am and empowered me to make my own choices. my research—was to chuck everything in my house that contained hormones and antibiotics and toxins like lead, parabens, and sulfates that could have contributed to my cancer. I tossed out all my food, my makeup, my shampoos, and my microwave. I threw it all away and started using only organic products with all natural ingredients.

I made over my diet, too, trading my beloved bread, cheese, pasta, and chicken for an all organic, vegan menu. I started juicing—carrots, beets, kale, spinach, cucumber, celery—and doing shots of wheat grass three times a day ( just 1 ounce provides the nutrients of 2.5 pounds of organic green vegetables). Within two

weeks, I felt amazing. Everything was stronger—my hair, my skin, my nails.

I could feel my body healing. I felt so much better that I couldn’t even believe I had cancer.

B y t he t i m e I s aw t he Hou s ton oncologist my cousin had recommended, all my tumor markers and a lot of my blood work showed levels that were back in the normal range. This doctor recommended a lumpectomy, where they remove just a margin of tissue surrounding the site of the tumor, and a sentinel node biopsy, which removes only the lymph nodes involved. This sounded right to me. He also recommended following up with radiation and Tamoxifen, but at this point I was sold on a more natural approach. I opted not to do chemotherapy, radiation or drugs.

I f lew home t wo days a f ter t he lumpectomy and continued my new diet and lifestyle regimen, all while constantly seeking the advice of experts, nutritionists and naturopaths along with my oncologist, who was on board with my protocol.

Was it dif f icult? It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done in my life.

Was I scared? Absolutely. I had friends, colleagues and doctors all saying, “Are you crazy?” But I felt total peace with my decision.

I also knew that both of my parents had beaten cancer without radiation or chemotherapy. My mother had uterine cancer and a hysterectomy at age 30, after her third baby. When the doctor suggested she get chemo, she said, “I don’t have time for chemo, I have three young kids.” I was 5 years old at the time. My father had prostate cancer 15 years before me and chose not to have radiation but

to completely change his diet instead.

Both of my parents completely supported my decision.

Several years have passed and I am healthy and happy. I’m still juicing and drinking wheat grass. I take an array of herbs and supplements based on what my body needs through diagnostics and exercise and pray every day.

I work about half the hours I used to.

I feel free and have learned to live with so much less. Having a big house and closet full of designer clothes and shoes mean zero when your doctor says the word cancer. You start seeing things through completely different eyes.

Now I see beauty every day. I see how green the trees are today. I see the little flowers growing on the lawn. But at the same time I can also see pain in someone’s eyes, and I get the most joy in my life from counseling other women with breast cancer, which inspired me to publish what I’d learned in Breast Cancer—The Notebook (Gemini Media, 2006).

Cancer didn’t kill me. It woke me up to who I really am and empowered me to make my own choices. Was it a gift? Yes. It helped me find the real me.

Since the printing of this interview, my father Charlie passed away, so Daddy, this is for you, for loving me, showing me right from wrong and for always having my back. I miss you so much.

As always, try to do something good for your body this week, drink a nice organic green juice, hike the beach or your favorite trails, lift some weights at the gym, take a dance class, watch the sunset, pray for peace and love your body with gratitude. Thank you Jesus for your healing touch in my life!

THE M I C H A E L B O LT O N CAstrology H A R I T I E S P R E S E N T S Column Wisdom + Wellness Integrative For Week of Oct 13, 2019 Cancer Symposium On Su nday, October 2 7th f rom 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. the f irst annual Wisdom + Wellness Integrative Cancer Symposium will be held at The Greenwich Arts Council, 299 Greenwich Avenue.

The Sy mposium mission is to inform, inspire and connect like-minded people and resources, and was created for patients who want to heal from cancer and thrive with it, health professionals, advocates, and caregivers, and those interested in prevention. Event topics will range from lifestyle to lab work to a patient panel of cancer survivors and thrivers. Attendees will also experience a unique Sound Healing by Volute, who use sound to connect homeostasis and wellbeing to organizing principles of the universe.

The Symposium was launched as a collaboration w ith loca l cancer th r ivers.

Greenwich resident, Julia Chiappetta, who will be moderating the patient panel, panelists Elisa Gorman from Stamford, Ann Fonfa of Florida and New York, and Old Greenwich resident and event consultant, Maria Stich. Deborah Burns, Fairfield resident, i s pr ov id i ng st rate g ic bra nd , bu si ne s s a nd communications support.

Kathryn Doherty, Symposium Director and Greenwich resident, said, “I have had experience with cancer over the past 40 years. As an advocate and caregiver for my mother, father, husband, and most recently as a patient, few topics go deeper for me than this disease.” Doherty now works with bestselling author Dr. Kelly Turner as a Certified Radical Remission™ Instructor, coach and speaker.

Kathryn has presented internationally on the Nine Healing Factors identified by Dr. Turner as common in over 1,500 documented cases of those that turned cancer around, against all odds.

According to Henning Saupe, M.D. Ph.D., and Symposium Keynote speaker, who is coming to the States from the Arcadia Praxis clinic he founded in Bad Emstal, Germany, “Throughout my medical studies, my interest in life sciences and the science of vitality didn’t get well nourished. In fact, nutrition was never a topic in six-and-a-half years of training in medical school and as I have learned from my younger colleagues, it is still not a part of the curriculum.” He added, “Nutritional medicine and simple basic things like detoxif ication to keep a vital body alive and thriving, is nothing a medical doctor learns at medical school.”

Over the past 30 years, Dr. Saupe studied the wide f ield of non-toxic complementary and naturopathic cancer treatments. Today, at his clinic in Germany, he offers the most effective and science-based treatments such as: hyperthermia, insulin potentiated therapy, oxygen and ozone

LIBRA ARIES 24 Sept-23 Oct The Sun and Mars in your 21 March-20 April A project you thought therapies, laser- and photodynamic therapy and birth sign give you the confidence and was progressing well may have to be individual lifestyle coaching. motivation to excel. But the Full Moon abandoned but it’s all part of life’s rich The Symposium will also feature esteemed warns that a wholly irrational fear that tapestry. An Aries Full Moon may bring s p e a ke r s a n d p r e s e nte r s f r om G r e e nw i c h , you’re being set up to fail could hold you regrets but only because you can’t see Stamford, New York, Long Island and Florida. back.

Ignore it.

You’ve too much going the wood for the trees. You’ll be happier T h e y i n c l u d e : A n n Fo n f a , Fo u n d e r, A n n i e for you to waste time chasing shadows. once you glimpse the wider picture.

Appleseed P roject, Breast Ca ncer Su r v ivor, Advocate Panelist.

SCORPIO TAURUS Michael Finkelstein, MD, Founder, The Slow 24 Oct-22 Nov You have plenty of secrets 21 April-21 May Your quandary over Medicine Foundation, and SunRaven in Bedford, and with your ruler Pluto challenged whether to move in a new direction New York. Endorsed by Drs. Andrew Weil and by the Sun you may feel you have been will be solved this week when someone Mehmet Oz. Michael Diamond, MS, DC, Founder, betrayed. Possibly an ally has revealed or something convinces you there is Diamond Integrative Health, Patchogue, something you entrusted them with more to life than merely existing. Deep New York and John Malanca, Founder, United but that doesn’t make it treachery.

Is down you long to be outrageously Pat ients Group & Host of The Sacre d Pla nt your own record whiter than white? creative and will regret it if you don’t. docuseries.

The Patient Panel will feature individuals who SAGITTARIUS GEMINI have experienced extraordinary results through 23 Nov-21 Dec You may have to rethink 22 May-21 June Whether this is fantastic natural as well as unconventional treatments, plans to travel or escape routine tasks. or frustrating week depends on whether and a unique Sound Healing session. The Panel But with the Sun brilliantly aspected you can find a suitable outlet for your will be moderated by Julia Chiappetta, Greenwich by your ruler Jupiter don’t wander too energy. But don’t let your emotions get Resident, Advocate, Columnist and Author, “Breast far from base. Something spectacular out of hand or you risk spoiling a Cancer The Notebook.” She implemented a natural is about to happen close to home and promising friendship which is not as protocol for healing from breast cancer. Panelists if you’re not around you will miss it. close as you like to believe it is. include: Elisa Gorman, Stamford Resident, Breast Cancer Thriver, Blogger “My Conscious Healing,” CAPRICORN CANCER and Ann Fonfa, Annie Appleseed Project.

22 Dec-20 Jan Your feelings towards 22 June-23 July Today’s emotional At tendees w i l l a lso ex per ience a u n iq ue nearest and dearest depend totally on midheaven Full Moon will bring out Sound Healing by Volute, who use sound to link whether you listen to your head or your your jealous streak – much to your organizing principles of the universe with our heart this week. Today’s particularly embarrassment when you return to desire to connect to them. Volute founders are: emotional Full Moon is likely to create normal later in the week. But while Sara Galassini, Eileen Moran, and Christopher 6 PM COCKTAIL RECEPTION & SILENT AUCTION 7:30 PM DINNER discord so be kind to those you love and, you may regret what you said, deep Cherney. in theory, they should kind inLARKEN return. down you’ll know you really meant it.

AWARD AND DANCING WITH DJbe APRIL Sara isCEREMONY, a healing artsPERFORMANCES and sound therapy specialist for cancer and Alzheimer's patients, AQUARIUS LEO those suf fering from stress, an xiety and 21 Jan-19 Feb Don’t let unexpected news 24 July-23 Aug Friends and loved ones depression, and people who want to restore and stop you enjoying a highly positive will try to restrict your movements this nurture a state of harmony and happiness. Eileen, phase. A stunning Sun-Jupiter aspect week just to stop you hurting yourself. a two-time breast cancer survivor, specializes in ensures you’ll be more concerned with If you are wise you’ll reassure them curating immersive programming with therapeutic expanding horizons than fretting over that you’re not taking serious risks. You sound, botanical medicine, meditation, yoga, work or business commitments.

If you also need to reassure yourself that you integrative therapies and movement. Christopher, have to make a break make it quickly. are not sticking your neck out too far. an award-winning composer and educator, has survived colon and pancreatic cancers. Since his PISCES VIRGO wife’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s several years HONORING 20 Feb-20 March Today’s Full Moon 24 Aug-23 Sept A lucky Sun-Jupiter union ago he has been using his expertise to promote makes you long for the past but you enables you to turn potential into sound and music as modalities that enhance can’t turn back the clock and the profit, daydreams into deeds. No need healing and caretaking. He works primarily with youWORLDQUANT look to the future, the to be a world beater, just be yourself. Too FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN sooner & CEO, cancer and Alzheimer’s patients. sooner the heartache will pass. Don’t often you’ve failed to make the most of The Greenwich Arts Council, Symposium identify too strongly with material your talents; now you’ve the will, ability host location, was incorporated as a 501C3 nonitems or your emotions will ricochet. and, above all, the hunger to be a star. profit arts organization in 1973. ItsMASTER Mission is to OF CEREMONIES promote the visual, performing and literary arts in Discover more about yourself at sallybrompton.com our community by encouraging artists, presenting their work and building audiencesNEWS for the arts.

ANCHOR, WCBS-TV NEWYORK

PRESENTING SPONSOR

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Including a Special Performance

by Michael + his band

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OpEd

Editorial Page Our BET Platform

The six Republican members of the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) are committed to practical financial policies to make Greenwich a great place to live, to raise a family, to work and to retire. Bill Drake, Andy Duus, Karen Fassuliotis, Debra Hess, Mike Mason and Leslie Tarkington ask for your support to continue these policies, which allow the management of our t ow n f i n a n c e s i n a p r u d e n t manner. Please vote Line B on November 5th.

The expense of government should not be an ever-increasing burden on your finances. While Greenwich’s mill rate, the amount you pay on each $1,000 of the assessed value of your property, has risen when compared to other Connecticut communities, the increase has been tempered due to decades of Republican fiscal management. Over the long term, spending wisely is the only way to keep taxes manageable.

As Greenwich Republicans, we conf irm that we should construct or renovate our town’s infrastructure without burdening future generations w it h long-ter m debt. I n t he last 1 2 budgets, t he BET has appropr iated $66 4 m illion to i mpr ove ou r i n f ra s t r uc t u r e , throug h renovations or by building new buildings. Some of the notable projects are a public safety center for both police and fire headquarters, new Hamilton Av e n u e , G l e n v i l l e a n d N e w Lebanon Schools and the GHS music additions. The peaceful waterfront Cos Cob Park and the updated Byram Park with its beautiful new pool are other examples of construction projects funded by the town, along with private money contributions.

These recent major projects were supplemented by ma ny millions more in annual m a i nte n a nc e i nclud i n g r o ad paving, bridge repair, sewer and d ra i nage projec ts, rad iators,

boilers, generators, roofs, f l o o r i n g , b at h r o o m s , d o o r s , w indows, electr ica l systems, plumbing, lighting, vehicles and other brand-new additions to our town buildings and streets, a n d up d ate d f l e e t i n c lu d i n g fire engines.

Since the early 2000s, the BET policy has been to finance most construction with financial borrowings over seven years, using a financial model commonly

d e b t ove r h a n g s w h i c h h a ve b e e n show n to plu n ge ot he r communities and our state into deeper debt. The current proven approach of modif ied pay-asyou-go will continue to have our strong support.

The largest portion of our town operating budget is to fund our Greenwich Public Schools.

We w i l l cont i nue to supp or t school budgets t hat promote academic achievement for all

a budget aimed at protecting our property values and preserving the unique combination of suburban, shoreline and backcountry living for which this town is renown.

As your neighbors in government, we recognize that Greenw ich has unique and b e aut i f u l n at u r a l r e s o u r c e s t h at mu s t b e pr e s e r ve d a nd protected. We will continue to support incentives that aim to preserve those resources based on responsible environmental stewardship, as well as promoting open space and conser vation efforts based on sound science combined with evidence-based best practices. We will champion public-private partnerships to assure the continued monitoring and preservation of our town’s natural resources.

We recognize that an essential role of our town government is to ensure our community’s safety.

We will continue to encourage collaboration between career police and f ire personnel, our pu bl ic sa fet y volu nteers a nd our public private partnership for emergency services so that t hey conti nue to prov ide t he e xc e p t i on a l e s s e nt i a l s a fe t y services are residents have come to expect.

It is a privilege to continue to serve you. We ask that you support and vote for all six of us this November 5th so that we can continue to build upon these proven policies and make G r e enw ich t he b e st plac e to live and raise a fam ily, work and retire.

Bill Drake, Andy Duus, Karen Fassuliotis, Debra Hess, Mike Mason and Leslie Tark ing ton students. We will also continue are the incumbent Republican t o d i a l o g w i t h t h e B o a r d o f candidates for election to the Education to assure that this goal Board of Estimate and Taxation this November 5th. is achieved.

Greenw ich Republicans From Bill Drake, Andy Duus, recognize that Greenwich is a small town and as members of Karen Fassuliotis, Debra Hess, the BET, we will strive to support Mike Mason and Leslie Tarkington.

The expense of government should not be an ever-increasing burden on your finances.

This long-established, conservative approach to debt means our town manages its finances without burdening future generations, a policy that benefits every resident.

Greenwich has avoided the large debt overhangs which have been shown to plunge other communities and our state into deeper debt. k now n a s “mo d i f ie d p ay-a syou go”. This long-established, conservative approach to debt means our tow n manages its f i n a n c e s w it h out bu r de n i n g f ut u r e ge ne rat ion s , a p ol ic y t hat b enef its ever y resident.

Greenwich has avoided the large

Letter to the Editor

To the Friends of an Abused Woman Do not excuse yourself from this epidemic as you may unwittingly be a part of it.

Domestic abuse comes in many forms. We know of physical abuse, which leaves evidence through bruises, cuts, concussions, broken bones and sometimes death. It is tragic. Equally heartbreaking and dangerous are other, lesser understood forms of domestic abuse that leave no visible proof.

Emotional, verbal and financial abuses are insidious, cruel and destructive. Like physical abuse, they leave wounds that take a long time to heal. Sometimes they never fully heal. They cause PTSD, depression, serious selfesteem issues and can ruin i n n o c e nt l i ve s . T h e y a f fe c t e ve r yo n e i n t h e h o u s e h o l d , regardless of who the intended target is. The people who inflict these types of abuses are walking among us. They are sitting next to you on the train, coaching your child’s team and volunteering in your community.

I a m w r it i ng to a l l of t he friends of the women who are living with this invisible abuse.

They need you to understand and support them. (Please know that men are victims of abuse as well, but for this letter, only female victims are discussed).

First and foremost, believe your friend.

It is highly likely that her

a bu s e r i s wel l l i ke d by you , respected within the community, is successful at work and appears to be a loving and caring partner and father. This public display of dedication is false. The treatment of his loved ones at home is cruel, dangerous and held secret. It is sometimes hard to consider that the person you think you know is actually a con, a covert narcissist, a manipulator and/or a deeply d istu rbed person. You must believe your friend.

Do not question her change of heart.

I f yo u r f r i e n d g o e s f r o m expressing her love and devotion for her partner, only to change course and tell you of abuse – do not question her. Emotional, verbal and financial abuse starts slowly and methodically so that she doesn’t know it is happening.

The abuser is patient. He can spend years grooming his victim before taking full control of her life. He will cut her of f from money, giving her just enough for basic needs, or less. He will dislike all of her friends (this includes you) and will limit her time with them. He will gaslight her to make her question her decisions, her memory and her sense of self.

She knows she is in pain, but she is very good at hiding it. If she is lucky, she will come out of the fog long enough to recognize the abuse and seek help. She needs

you to accept her, you just have to listen.

If she stays with her abuser, do not judge her.

Women, especially mothers, stay in their abusive relationships for a variety of reasons. She needs to protect her children by safeguarding them from the abuser, often times lying to take the blame so the kids aren’t the target. He will threaten to take the children away from her if she leaves. She may not be ready for the unknown or is overwhelmed with feelings of vulnerability. He has withheld money from her so she has nowhere to go. He has most certainly stripped her of her self-confidence and self-esteem and she doesn’t believe she is justified to leave. She is already feeling vulnerable and ashamed.

W hatever she de c ide s to do, respect her decision and do not judge.

Use your common sense.

Beware of the use of the word “crazy.” When a man tells you that his partner is “crazy,” use your common sense. You know her - does she seem “crazy”? If the answer is no, then you are probably being manipulated to advance the efforts of the abuser.

Beware of stories about the victim that seem inconsistent with what you know of her. That may seem hypocritical, as I am asking you to do just that when considering the

man as an abuser, but the truth is, the vast majority of women do not lie about being abused. Again, use your common sense.

DO NOT expose the victim.

As with all types of abuse, a very dangerous time for the victim is when the abuse is exposed. If your friend confides in you about any type of abuse, please do not break her conf idence. She is already putting herself in jeopardy by talking to you. If you reveal her to the abuser, you are helping him while putting your friend’s emotional and/or physical safety in danger. Encourage your friend to seek help, but PLEASE do not report what you have learned back to the abuser. If you are truly uncomfortable with the situation, do nothing and stay silent. It is safer than exposing her.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Do not excuse yourself from this epidemic as you may unwittingly be a part of it.

This letter was submitted anonymously to protect myself and my children. I am a Greenwich resident and mother. I cheer with you on the fields, I volunteer in our community and I ride next to you on the train. And this is why my domestic violence must be silent.

Publisher's note: The Sentinel has published with the understanding that the author must remain anonymous.

Letter to the Editor

In Support of Lauren Rabin Lauren Rabin brings with her a commitment to this town that has been decades in the making. She grew up in town, attended our local public schools, and raised her two boys here. Lauren has worked full time for over 30 years in technology and training and most recently served as Vice President of Marketing at Gartner in Stamford. While working, Lauren also gave of her time generously. She has 15 plus years volunteering on PTA Boards and she served

two terms on the RTM. She was appointed to the Board of Human Services and most recently she was elected to the Greenwich Board of Education.

This is only a partial list of her volunteer commitments. She has also exercised her right to vote, in every election, always.

In order to f ully commit to running for Selectman and serving the town, Lauren left her job and has committed to giving 100% to the office and to our town. You see, Lauren cares deeply about and respects

our town, its people, and our government.

To b e h o n e s t , I w a s s u r p r i s e d t h a t L a u r e n ’s opponent decided to run again for Selectma n since he has said publicly that his job on the Board of Selectman "is a completely unnecessary job.” I think, that since he is the only Democratic voice on the Board of Selectman, it is that much more critical for him to engage and participate. Instead, he has chosen, by his own admission, to do little more than attend

the Board of Selectman's bimonthly meetings and that’s about all.

Lauren Rabin has my support. I like her quiet leadership and her ability to work with a team. I like her experience in technology and her extensive background in education. I will vote for Lauren because I know she will take the job seriously and our town needs the kind of leadership that is serious about moving us forward. I hope you will join me in voting for Lauren.

From Icy Frantz

Page 7 | Greenwich Sentinel

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

No Mooring Field (For Now) We nearly had a “stop the presses” moment this week. As we were preparing to print the paper, we received late word that Weeks Marine, of New Jersey, had pulled their permit from consideration at next week’s Stamford Harbor Management Commission meeting.

Meeks Marine had filed a permit to construct a fixed mooring field that, if completed, would have allowed six 150-foot long by 40 feet wide industrial barges to be moored simultaneously within a mile of Tod’s Point. The barges were meant to carry raw materials used to produce cement and asphalt at O&G Industries’ facility in Stamford.

"I feel like this is a great example of the power of the people coming together."

While not in Greenwich waters it would certainly have impacted one of the most scenic parts of our shoreline. The potential for environmental and marine-life impact from the spilling of materials either accidentally or as a result of a storm would be significant.

We applaud Chris Franco, President of the Greenwich Point Conservancy, and Peter Tesei for raising the alarm on this important issue. They encouraged residents to attend a meeting earlier this week to let the Stamford Harbor Management Commission know their opinion. Well over 100 people showed up and the overwhelming majority voiced a negative opinion of the proposed permit.

One major challenge with future proposals is the lack of local control over the process. The Stamford Harbor Management Commission has no authority over this type of permit. The governing bodies deciding if and where a permanent mooring field can be built are the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and the United States Army Corp of Engineers.

We applaud everyone’s effort. Meeks Marine, to their credit, saw the grass roots opposition for what it was; impressive and growing. Representative Steve Meskers and State Senator Alex Bergstein jumped into the fray to ensure the Governor’s office understood our opposition. Sue Baker and Bill Kelly of Rocky Point were also in the trenches rallying support.

Long Island Sound is a fragile ecosystem that must be protected. For years communities have worked hard to ensure less damage was being done by ending discharge of harmful chemicals and sewage into the sound. As a result, marine life that has been absent for years is coming back. Seals are a common sighting during the winter months. Whales have been sighted just off our shore and (allegedly) a great white shark made a brief appearance this summer.

Building a permanent mooring field that can hold six 150-foot industrial barges that are 14 feet deep below the waterline could potentially have a very negative impact on the sound’s marine life. Let alone the emissions and discharge from the tugboats that operate to move the barges. We do not imagine the fisherman who operated commercial oyster beds nearby are very happy with this proposal.

There is currently an established mooring within the Stamford Breakwater that is used by barges entering and exiting Stamford Harbor. It is currently rated to hold a maximum of four barges and has at times had as many as 12 on simultaneously. That is a recipe for disaster and needs to be addressed as well.

Barges have broken loose and crashed onto the rocks off Rocky Point. More recently a barge broke loose and ended up drifting into and damaging a yacht at the Hinckley Boatyard in Stamford.

While the permit has been pulled from next week’s meeting, we are told Meeks Marine is considering a location within the Stamford Breakwater. We must remain vigilant. This part of Long Island Sound and especially Tod’s Point are too valuable and delicate to be used for industrial purposes. Once a precedent like this is allowed, others will follow.

Thank you, Peter Tesei and Chris Franco, for leading the opposition to this ill-conceived proposal.

We agree with Chris, when he told the Greenwich Sentinel “I feel like this is a great example of the power of the people coming together.”

Page 8 | Greenwich Sentinel

yourCOMMUNITYcalendar

BOTOX.

Right between the eyes.

Civic Center. Free. 203-8634444. greenwichhospital.org/ events

3 - 5 p.m.

Board of Estimate & Taxation (BET) HR Committee Meeting. Greenwich Town Hall - Cone Room, 2nd floor.

3:30 - 5 p.m.

Greenwich Land Trust: Chestnut harvest. Meet at the American Chestnut Sanctuary, across from 18 Burning Tree Rd. Free. RSVP. 203-629-2151. sophie@gltrust. org. gltrust.org

If your closest friends keep suggesting you ought to “lighten up a little” it could be just overactive facial muscles.

Dr. Fucigna can correct frown lines in about 10 minutes with a few tiny injections of Botox cosmetic.

The improvement will hit you - right between the eyes

See Dr. Fucigna Robert J. Fucigna, M.D. Advanced Ophthalmology.

1455 East Putnam Avenue, Old Greenwich, CT (203) 348-7575 • www.aoct.co

2 p.m.

Friends Classic Film Club: 'Wait Until Dark'.

Byram Shubert Library Community Room, 21 Mead Ave. Free. Adults. 203-5310426.

2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Web Design Workshop (Two Class Series - next class Oct. 19, 2:30-4:30pm). Cos Cob Library - Community Room, 5 Sinawoy Rd. Free. Register.

203-622-6883. lmatthews@ greenwichlibrary.org 3 - 4 p.m.

S.O.S. Talk/Support Group for Busy Woman. The First Congregational Church of Greenwich - Lounge, 108 Sound Beach Ave. 203-6371791. fccog.org/fccogcalendar 7 - 10 p.m.

8th Grade Halloween Dance - Part I. Arch Street Teen Center, 100 Arch St. $20. 203629-5744. info@archstreet. org. archstreet.org 7:30 - 9 p.m.

GRT: Outdoor Movie Night 'Fahrenheit 451' (1966). Front Lawn of the Greenwich Arts Council, 299 Greenwich Ave. Free. Register. 203-862-6750. greenwichartscouncil.org SUNDAY, OCT. 13 All Day Sweet-Lu's Crazy 8's Break Dance Event. Arch Street Teen Center, 100 Arch St. $10.

All ages. 203-629-5744. info@ archstreet.org. archstreet.org 9:30 a.m.

Garden Design Workshop.

Greenwich Audubon Center, 613 Riversville Rd. $8, general admission; $5, members, town employees, & professional landscapers.

RSVP. 203-900-3349.

Caroline.Bailey@audubon. org 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Mindful Self-Compassion Workshop with Karen Pacent.

The First Congregational Church of Greenwich - Rick’s Room, 108 Sound Beach Ave. Free. 203-637-1791.

1 - 3 p.m.

Halloween Fundraiser.

Albertson Memorial Church, 293 Sound Beach Ave. $30, members; $40, nonmembers. 203-637-4615. info@albertsonchurch.org. albertsonchurch.org 7 - 9 p.m.

Harvest Moon Hike.

Audubon, 613 Riversville Rd. $5, members; $8, nonmembers. RSVP is requested.

All ages. 914-417-5234. rmaclean@audubon.org

9242.

9 a.m. - 11 p.m.

St. Lawrence Society: Columbus Day Celebration honoring Greenwich First Selectman, Peter Tesei.

Flag Raising ceremony at Town Hall, 9 a.m. followed by breakfast at St. Lawrence Club, 86 Valley Rd.; cocktails, awards and dinner at the Club, 6:30 p.m. $100. RSVP. 203-618-9036. stlawrencesociety.com 1:15 p.m.

The Connecticut Ceramics Study Circle: "The Arts of the Song Dynasty (960–1279)".

Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Dr. $25, guest fee. ctcsc.org 4 - 6 p.m.

Clarinet Lessons. The First Congregational Church of Greenwich - Rainbow Room, 108 Sound Beach Ave. 203637-1791.

5 - 6 p.m.

Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery Seminar. Greenwich Hospital's Hyde Conference Room, 5 Perryridge Rd. Free. Register. Bring your questions. 888-305-9253. greenwichhospital.org/events 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Class: “Mind, Body, Fertility Yoga.” Prescott House, 38 Volunteer Ln., ground flr. $80 for four classes or $25 drop-in fee per class.

Register. Also, Wednesdays, 6 - 7:30 p.m. 888-357-2409. greenwichhospital.org/events 6 - 7 p.m.

Pre- and Post-Bariatric Support Group. Greenwich Hospital's Hyde Conference Room, 5 Perryridge Rd. Free.

Register. B888-305-9253.

7:30 - 10 p.m.

Off Sounders Rehearsal. The First Congregational Church of Greenwich - Chapel. 203637-1791.

TUESDAY, OCT. 15 9 a.m.

Board of Estimate & Taxation (BET) Law Committee Meeting. Greenwich Town Hall - Law Department Conference Room, 1st floor, 101 Field Point Rd. greenwichct.gov 10 - 11 a.m.

Workshop: Autumn Planted Centerpiece. McArdle's Florist and Garden Center, 48 Arch St. $125. Register. 203661-5600. caitlin@mcardles. com. mcardles.com

MONDAY, OCT. 14

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Meditation Workshop. Cos Cob Library - Community Room, 5 Sinawoy Rd. Free.

203-622-6883.

9:30 a.m.

Gentle Yoga with Helena Svedi. Botanical Center, 130 Bible St. $25-$35. 203-869-

1:30 - 3 p.m.

Parkinson’s Support Group: Exercise and caregiver support. Eastern Greenwich

3:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Open Studio Time at Andrew's Studio - learn recording, mixing and production. Arch Street Teen Center. Grades 7th-12th. Free.

(Every Tue and Thu). Reserve a time. 203-629-5744. info@ archstreet.org. archstreet.org 4 - 5 p.m.

MusicLessons. The First Congregational Church of Greenwich - Music Room, 108 Sound Beach Ave. 203637-1791.

4:15 - 5:15 p.m.

Department of Parks and Recreation's Skateboarding Clinics. 6 to 12 years old.

Also, Thursdays, 4:15-5:15 p.m. $95. 203-496-9876.

Register at greenwichct.gov/ webtrac 5 p.m.

Board of Estimate & Taxation (BET) Budget Committee Meeting. Greenwich Town Hall - Cone Room, 2nd floor, 101 Field Point Rd. 6:30 p.m.

DV Today: A Conversation with Professor Susan Sorenson. YWCA Greenwich, 259 East Putnam Ave. 203-869-6501. info@ ywcagreenwich.org. ywcagreenwich.org 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Time to Talk: A Conversation Series for English Language Learners. Byram Shubert Library - Community Room, 21 Mead Ave. Free. 203-5310426.

7 - 9 p.m.

Municipal Election Candidates Debates: Board of Education Forum. Central Middle School, 9 Indian Rock Ln. jojows@aol.com 7 - 9 p.m.

America's Boating Club of Greenwich: Weather Course begins. Greenwich Police Headquarters, 11 Bruce Pl. $80, members; $180, nonmembers. Register. (Tuesdays through Nov. 10). 203-9981864. GreenwichSquadron@ gmail.com 7:30 p.m.

Cap, Cork & Cellar's Wine Dinner with Larry Stone, CEO of Lingua Franca Wine. Old Greenwich Social Club, 148 Sound Beach Ave. $75. RSVP. 203-489-3448. support@capcorkandcellar. com WEDNESDAY, OCT. 16 8 - 9 a.m.

Tai Chi lessons. The First Congregational Church of Greenwich - Auditorium, 108 Sound Beach Ave. Drop-ins welcome. 203-637-1791.

9:30 - 11 a.m.

"Confident Parents, Capable Kids" - Fall Parent Training for Preschool Parents. First Congregational Church Lounge, 108 Sound Beach Ave. Free. RSVP. 203-9217493. info@emilytrotman. com. emilytrotman.com 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Greenwich Newcomers Club: Coffee Morning. 25 North Way, Old Greenwich. greenwichnewcomers.org 11 a.m.

GRT: Ernest Fleishman: "Today's Education Challenge - Separating Fact from Fiction in a Digital Age." First Presbyterian Church, 1 West Putnam Ave. Free and open to the community. info@ greenwichrma.org. greenwichrma.org 11 - 11:30 a.m.

Storytime - Deborah Kupper

will lead kids on explorations of historical events and figures through storytelling, songs, and movement. Ages 2 to 5. Greenwich Historical Society, 47 Strickland Rd. Free. (Every Wednesday).

203-869-6899

11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Better Breathers Club: treatment options for obstructive pulmonary disease, other lung diseases.

Greenwich Hospital's Cafeteria Conference Room, 5 Perryridge Rd. Free. Register.

888-305-9253.

2:30 - 4 p.m.

GRT RMA Discussion group with Dr. Ernie Fleishman.

Greenwich Library - Meeting Room, 101 West Putnam Ave. Free. Register. 203-625-6550. greenwichreadstogether.org 2:30 - 6 p.m.

Old Greenwich Farmer's Market. Living Hope Community Church of Old Greenwich, 38 West End Ave. Rain or shine. (Every Wednesday, 2:30 - 6 p.m. through end of October; 2 - 5 p.m. in November). oldgreenwichfarmersmarket. com 3 - 5 p.m.

Influenza and Pneumonia Vaccine Immunization Clinic. Bendheim western Greenwich Civic Center, 449 Pemberwick Rd. Fee applied.

United Healthcare/Oxford Plan accepted. 203-622-3774.

3:45 - 5:15 p.m.

Yoga Class - Greenwich Adult Continuing Ed. The First Congregational Church of Greenwich - Daniels Center, 108 Sound Beach Ave. 203637-1791.

4 - 6 p.m.

Greenwich Center for Hope & Renewal: Grief Support Group. GCHR, 237 Taconic Rd. $200 for eight sessions. Through Oct. 30. hopeandrenewal.org/event/ grief-support-group 6 - 9:30 p.m.

Friends of Autistic People (FAP) 'The Harvest Party' Cocktail Party Fundraiser.

Greenwich private residence.

203-661-8510. fap.autismct@ gmail.com. autisticadults. org 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Job Search Part II: Accelerate Your Search Strategy.

Greenwich Library - Meeting Room, 101 West Putnam Ave. Free. Register. 203-625-6533. mmartin@greenwichlibrary. org 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Houses on the Moon Theater Company Benefit Performance of UN COUNTRY (Reception, 6:30; Performance, 7; Discussion, 8). Arch Street Teen Center, 100 Arch St. RSVP. events@ cagv.org 7 p.m.

America's Boating Club of Greenwich: Norm Bloom speaks about his family business Copps Island Oysters. Greenwich Boat & Yacht Club, Grass Island Road. GreenwichSquadron@ gmail.com

House - featuring Open Studio time. Arch Street Teen Center, 100 Arch St. Free.

Grades 7th-12th. Free. Every Wednesday. 203-629-5744. info@archstreet.org THURSDAY, OCT. 17 10 - 11:30 a.m.

Gentle Yoga and Tea. Greenwich Historical Society, 47 Strickland Rd. Single class, $35; full session: $100 members, $150 non-members.

All ages and experience levels. (Bring your own mat and props). 203-869-6899. greenwichhistory.org 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Chair Yoga. Cos Cob Library - Community Room, 5 Sinawoy Rd. Free. Adults.

203-622-6883.

11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Community Centers, Inc. of Greenwich: Dream Locations and Special Places, with James Doyle.

Belle Haven Club, 100 Harbor Dr. 203-869-1276. office@ccigreenwich.org. ccigreenwich.org 12 p.m.

Greenwich Lions Club Meeting. Innis Arden Club, 120 Tomac Ave. greenwichlions-club@googlegroups. com. e-clubhouse.org/sites/ greenwichct 12:30 p.m.

Greenwich High School Boys Ice Hockey 3rd Annual Golf Outing. The Sterling Farms, 1349 Newfield Ave., Stamford. 203-625-8000. greenwichcardinalhockey. com/golf-outing-1 1:30 - 3 p.m.

Woman’s Club of Greenwich - New Member Drive Preside to Tea. 89 Maple Ave. Free. RSVP. 203869-2046. Secretary@ womansclubofgreenwich.org. womansclubofgreenwich.org 2 p.m.

BET Nathaniel Witherell Strategic Planning Committee Meeting.

Greenwich Town Hall - Parks & Recreation Conference Room, 2nd floor, 101 Field Point Rd. 4 - 6 p.m.

Influenza and Pneumonia Vaccine Immunization Clinic. Bendheim western Greenwich Town Hall, 101 Field Point Rd. Fee applied.

United Healthcare/Oxford Plan accepted. 203-622-3774.

5 p.m.

Young Artists Philharmonic (YAP): “The Physics of Music.” The Greenwich Arts Council (GAC), 299 Greenwich Ave. $10, general public; free, YAP and GAC members. 203-952-8840. Jeff. spector@youngartistsphil. org. youngartistsphil.org

6 - 7:30 p.m.

Cancer Wellness Series: "Day to Day: Managing Cancer Treatments." Greenwich Hospital's Hyde Conference Room, 5 Perryridge Rd. Free. Register. 888-305-9253. greenwichhospital.org/events 6 - 8 p.m.

Greenwich Emergency Medical Service (GEMS): Tapas and Tales. Indian Harbor Yacht Club, 710 Steamboat Rd. Free. 203637-7505. facebook.com/ events/306966943500871 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Mental Health Support Group - for families of individuals affected by severe mental illness. Greenwich Hospital's Mianus Conference Room, 5 Perryridge Rd. Free. 203-4286864. greenwichhospital.org/ events THURSDAY, OCT. 17 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

GRT: Teen Writing Workshop with Sarah Darer Littman.

Greenwich Library - Meeting Room, 101 West Putnam Ave. Free. Register. 203622-7918. emorrissey@ greenwichlibrary.org 7 p.m.

Board of Education Meeting - Business. Eastern Middle School, 51 Hendrie Ave. michael_antonaccio@ greenwich.k12.ct.us. greenwichschools.org 7 - 8 p.m.

AuthorsLive at Byram: 'Finding Mrs. Ford'

by Deborah Royce.

Byram Shubert Library Community Room, 21 Mead Ave. Free. Adults. 203-5310426.

7 - 9 p.m.

Information Session: Understanding Government Benefits and Entitlements for Children with Special Needs.

Abilis headquarters, 50 Glenville St. Free and open to the public. Seats are limited, registration is required. abilis.us/calendar SATURDAY, OCT. 19 7 - 9 a.m.

Fall Migration Bird Walk.

Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Rd. Free. All ages and levels of experience are welcome. 914-417-5234. rmaclean@audubon.org. greenwich.audubon.org/ events 9 - 11 a.m.

Friends of Byram Shubert Book Donation Drop Off. Donations can be left near the garage at St. Paul Church, located at 55 William St. West. (Please do not leave donations if there is a chance of inclement weather.) 203531-0426.

COSMETIC, GENERAL AND IMPLANT DENTISTRY

We’re Dedicated to the Health of Your Smile ...

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7 p.m.

Greenwich Newcomers Club: Wine About a Book Club. Karen Soler's house. greenwichnewcomers.org 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Greenwich Conservation Commission Environmental Lectures Series: What’s so Bad about Pesticides?

Greenwich Botanical Center, 130 Bible St. Free and open to all. 203-622-6461.

Conservation@greenwichct. org 7 - 9 p.m.

Bowman Observatory Public Nights (1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month, if skies are clear).

On the grounds of Julian Curtiss School, 180 E. Elm St. Free. 203-413-6762.

GreenwichStars@gmail.com. astrogreenwich.org 7:30 p.m.

Greenwich Grind Teen Coffee

203.869.3984

18 Field Point Rd. Greenwich, CT 06830 WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE • 24 HOUR EMERGENCY ON-CALL SERVICE EVENING & WEEKEND APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE

O RT H O D O N T IC S

HIGH S CHOO L S CO RE BOARD Below are results from the previous few games for athletic teams from Greenwich High, Brunswick, Sacred Heart and Greenwich Academy. The home team is on the right and the team that was victorious is highlighted in bold:

FOOTBALL Greenwich High 33 vs. Bridgeport Central 0 Choate 20 vs. Brunswick School 7 GIRLS' SWIMMING New Canaan 72 vs. Greenwich High 114 Wilton High 85 vs. Greenwich High 101

Fairfield Warde 1 vs. Greenwich High 0 Taft School 2 vs. Greenwich Academy 4 Greenwich Academy 2 vs. Hotchkiss 4 Holy Child 0 vs. Sacred Heart 6

GIRLS' SOCCER Staples High 7 vs. Greenwich High 0 Greenwich High 6 vs. Norwalk High 0

Sacred Heart 3 vs. Millbrook School 0 Hopkins School 3 vs. Sacred Heart 0 Canterbury School 0 vs. Sacred Heart 3 FIELD HOCKEY Taft School 0 vs. Greenwich Academy 5 Kent School 0 vs. Greenwich Academy 6 Greenwich Academy 5 vs. Rye Country Day 2 Greenwich High 6 vs. Stamford High 0 Greenwich High 2 vs. Fairfield Ludlowe 0 Sacred Heart 7 vs. Milton Academy 0 King School 0 vs. Sacred Heart 6

BOYS' SOCCER Cheshire Academy 3 vs. Brunswick School 5 Kent School 1 vs. Brunswick School 2 Norwalk 0 vs. Greenwich High 0 Greenwich High 0 vs. Fairfield Warde 2 GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL Greenwich High 3 vs. Staples High 0 Norwalk High 0 vs. Greenwich High 3 Greenwich High ? vs. Fairfield Warde ?

Greenwich Academy 2 vs. Hotchkiss 3

CROSS COUNTRY Sacred Heart: 2nd overall at Gordy Glover Invitational (57 points)

SPORTS

Cards Start New Win Streak, Blank Ludlowe 2-0

By Paul R. Silverfarb The Greenwich High School f ield hockey team was feeling good heading into Monday night’s game against Fairfield Ludlowe High School. Demi Janis and the rest of the Lady Cardinals didn’t let the threat of rain Monday night interfere with their plans on picking up another victory, as Big Red blanked the Falcons 2-0.

“A win is a win and we are excited about it,” GHS head coach Megan Wax said. “I tell the team all the time to take nothing for granted. To walk away with a victory is something we should always be proud of. Ludlowe is a good team and held their ow n aga i nst some of t he top comp et itors. They a re sup er aggressive. We just have to keep building from here. We will watch film a little bit, learn from this

Big Red’s Katie Nedder takes the ball through the Ludlowe defense during Monday’s 2-0 victory in Fairfield.

game and try and implement the changes we make in practice for our next game.”

Janis was on top of her game Monday and was credited for both of Greenwich High School’s goals.

The f irst one came with 16:32 to play in the first half and her second goal iced the contest with 46 seconds to play in regulation.

Johnna Pastore picked up the assist on the second goal.

Despite getting the victory, Wax said she was frustrated with the team’s performance, especially in the second half. “ I n t he f i r s t h a l f we we r e moving the ball really well and had awesome give and goes,” Wax said. “I was really happy with that because it’s something that we have been working on all week.

The second half we weren’t in the correct lanes, we were holding onto the ball a little too long and not really cutting in front of the

defender like we wanted to.

The win pushed Greenwich’s overall record to 8-2 on the season.

After falling to New Canaan (42) on Sept. 23, the Lady Cardinals put together a win streak that saw them upending Westhill (40), Trumbull (1-0) and Rye High School (6-0). However, a 2-0 home loss to Staples on Oct. 1 put a quick end to Big Red’s win streak.

However on Friday Greenwich returned to its winning ways with a 6-0 victory over Stamford.

“I was hoping we would be a little more active when someone on our team has the ball to get into good space, working our give and goes and having more active feet,” Wax said. “We did a really good job of that in the first half against Ludlowe and we sort of trailed off a little bit in the second half. It’s a work in progress and it’s something that we need to get situated before the postseason.”

Big Red to Host Cardinal Tourney

By Paul R. Silverfarb The Greenwich High School boys’ water polo team can’t wait to get back into the pool again. With a bitter taste in their mouths from their loss in the Beast of the East championship match against crosstown rival Brunswick School, head coach James Ramaley and the rest of the Cards have been hard at work during practice for the past two weeks.

But the team is becoming antsy.

They are ready to compete. And they get that chance later tonight, as Big Red is back in action.

Tonight and tomorrow the GHS pool will be rocking, as the water polo team hosts its annual Cardinal Tournament.

“Every year we want to win our host tournament,” Ramaley said.

“We lost last year to Brunswick in the final and the year before we lost to Chelsea Piers by one goal in the championship game. But every year we are in the finals of our host tournament. We put Brunswick in the opposite side of the bracket and I am sure that both teams have plans of meeting in the finals.”

During the Cardinal Tournament, Greenwich High School is in Group A, along with the Brunswick School B team and Phillips Exeter. The Cardinals will start play Friday at 4 p.m. against Brunswick’s B team and will be back in action at 7:20 p.m. against Phillips Exeter.

If the Cards are tops in their group, they will resume action Saturday at 1:50 p.m. when they play either Chelsea Piers, Navy AC or the Greenwich High C team.

From there Big Red will play at a time to be determined Saturday evening.

“It’s our home pool and I know we can play with anybody in this tournament,” said Ramaley. “We have some strengths that might cou nterba la nce Br u n s w ick ’s weaknesses if we play them in the finals. I think we are a little deeper and a little more balanced out, but Brunswick definitely has some top guys and some size on us.”

A n d t h e r e ’s l i t t l e r e s t fo r the Cardinals once their host tournament is over. After only a few days of practice, the GHS water polo team packs its bags and heads out west for the Steve Pal Tournament in Orange County.

“It’s great that we are going to California right after the Cardinal Tournament,” Ramaley said. “If we lose in the Cardinal Tournament we can quickly forget about it and hope to turn the corner. If we win the Cardinal Tournament we

Greenwich High School’s Manuel Pemberthy looks to fire a shot at the net during a recent game in the Beast of the East tournament. can use that to build momentum for the trip to California. Either way we don’t have a lot of time to think about what happened at the Cardinal Tournament.”

And the talent Big Red will face is going to be top-notch.

“It’s good for the program and it shows that we are growing,” Ramaley said. “Back when I was in high school playing here or even before that, we were okay with going undefeated against teams around us. With all the great competition around us now, we not only want to win but also play at a high level. I don’t really care too much about winning every game.

Winning 18-5 is fun, but there can only be so many of those games.

I would much rather go 25-5 than 30-0, knowing that we played against some of the best teams in our area and the country.”

Without disrespecting any of Big Red’s opponents this year, Ramaley said that he breaks his season down into four tournaments, with three tourneys in close proximity of each other on the schedule. Two weeks ago, GHS battled in the Beast of the East tournament, and they will be in action this weekend when they host the annual the Cardinal Tournament. From there its a few days of practice and it’s off to California for the Cards, as they compete in the Steve Pal Tournament.

“These three events are big for us because they tell us how the season is going to look,” Ramaley s a i d . “ We c a n b e a ny w h e r e between a one loss team this

season or we could be a four-loss team. We are playing a lot of tough competition.”

In the middle of November, Greenw ich H ig h competes in another tough event, the MidAtlantic Championships.

Back in the middle of September, Greenwich had a stellar outing during the annual Battle of the Beltway Tournament, using its depth and overall talent to beat Navy AC (15-8), Gilman School (174), Hill School (17-5) and Mount St. Joseph (22-8) and grab the tourney championship.

Keeping the good times rolling, Big Red traveled to Pennsylvania for the Beast of the East Tournament and GHS dominating en route to the championship game. They blasted Lawrenceville (18-2), North Penn High School (165), Cathedral Prep 16-4 and Wilson High School (21-6).

In the championship game, Greenwich saw a familiar foe in crosstown rival Brunswick School and were defeated 14-10.

“That game against Brunswick wa s a l it t le sho ck i ng to u s,” Ramaley said. “We haven’t had any adversity this year until that championship game at the Beast of the East. Brunswick already went on their California trip and played a bunch of tough teams there. They were good when we saw them at the Beast of the East. We took a 2-0 lead and they kind of hit us in the mouth after that. They came back with a big run in the second and third quarters.”

Having no games between the

championship game of the Beast of the East tournament and the start of the Cardinal Tournament has been a challenge for GHS. Ramaley said that the players and coaches are eagerly counting down the seconds to get the annual tourney at the GHS pool underway.

“I know these two weeks have been long after losing in the finals of the Beast of the East against Brunswick,” Ramaley said. “We haven’t had a game in between and I know these boys are brooding on that loss. California is nice because win or lose we have a fresh slate going there. There’s no rivalry or animosity over there because we don’t know who we are playing. We just get to play. Last year we went 4-1 out there and it was probably one of the best trips I have been a part of. But if we go 2-2, I don’t think it’s going to make the trip any worse.”

Greenwich High School has only one loss this season and Ramaley believes that it’s because of the leadership from its four senior captains: John Carusso, Thomas Hoffmeister, Charlie Clark, and Spencer Plavoukos.

And this year’s group is special for Ramaley, as it’s the first time the seniors captains have been on the varsity’s top team since freshman year. “ T h e y a r e g r e a t l e a d e r s ,” Ramaley said. “They have been playing together since freshman year and they all bring a ton of experience. They have competed in Canada, Michigan, California and Maryland and all know what

Page 9 | Greenwich Sentinel

it takes to be successful. They are ready to lead and bring home some titles for this year’s team. Charlie is second on the team in goals and Thomas and John are up there in assists. Spencer is third on the team in goals. They all contribute to the team’s success and that’s all you can ask for.”

When it comes to goals, no one is better than junior Manuel Pemberthy, who is pacing the team with 37. He also leads Big Red with 17 assists. What makes his stat total so impressive is that he’s compiled those numbers in only 13 games this season.

“Because so many teams are no focusing on Manuel, he passes the ball a bunch and now leads the team in assists as well,” Ramaley said. “He’s a smart player. It’s even more impressive because in 10 of those 13 games played, he only playing half of it because of blowouts. He’s really strong and scored two in every game and three goals in 10 games.

In addition to Pemberthy, Clark has been lights out. The senior currently has 24 goals, 11 assists and 17 steals. Not to be outdone is Tom Cass, as he is the third player on the team with 20 or more goals.

Cass has 20 goals, four assists and leads the team with 22 steals.

Plavoukos added 19 goals, eight assists and 17 assists this season, while teammate Hoffmeister has been all-around a solid contributor by pitching in with 18 goals, 14 assists and 13 steals. In 13 games, Fillip Norell has fired in 17 goals and 16 assists, while picking up 21 steals.

“This year we have been more balanced than I thought we would be,” Ramaley said. “Ten of our permanent varsity players have at least 10 goals in 13 goals. And that includes five that have 20 goals.”

Between the pipes, Big Red has been paced by the stellar play of Eric Ducret. In 39 quarters of action Ducret has picked up 59 saves and has only allowed 65 goals. In addition, Ducret is tied with Norell for second on the team with 16 assists and is third on the team with 15 steals.

“Eric is consistent,” Ramaley said. “He’s mellow when he’s in net.

He plays a little more like a field player when in goal. He doesn’t play with that raw athleticism, but we uses his brain a lot. He knows where he needs to be and we know he’s going to be there for us. Eric does a great job and is really smart at coming out for steals. His passes are also amazing and does a great job and getting the transition started.”

Varsity Schedule GHS FOOTBALL Tomorrow vs. Westhill H.S., 3 p.m.

BOYS' SOCCER Tomorrow at Westhill H.S., 10:30 a.m.

Wed. vs. Wilton H.S., 6:30 p.m.

GIRLS' SOCCER Tonight vs. Danbury H.S., 6:30 p.m.

Mon. vs. Westhill H.S., 4:30 p.m.

Wed. at Wilton H.S., 4 p.m.

FIELD HOCKEY Tomorrow at Danbury H.S., 11 a.m.

Tue. vs. Darien H.S., 4 p.m.

Thu. at Norwalk H.S., 5 p.m.

GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL Today at Danbury H.S., 4:30 p.m.

Tomorrow vs. Fall Brawl (at RHAM H.S.), TBD Tue. at Westhill H.S., 6 p.m.

Thu. vs. Wilton H.S., 4:30 p.m.

BOYS' AND GIRLS' CROSS-COUNTRY Tue. vs. FCIAC Finals (at Waveny Park), 2 p.m.

GIRLS' SWIMMING & DIVING Tomorrow at St. Joseph H.S., 2 p.m.

Wed. vs. Danbury H.S., 4:30 p.m.

BOYS' WATER POLO Tonight vs. Cardinal Tourney, TBD Tomorrow vs. Cardinal Tourney, TBD

GREENWICH ACADEMY CREW Tomorrow at Head of the Housatonic, 9 a.m.

CROSS-COUNTRY Wed. vs. All FAA Meet (at Allen Meadows), 4 p.m.

FIELD HOCKEY Tomorrow vs. Tabor Academy, 1 p.m.

Wed. at School of the Holy Child, 4 p.m.

SOCCER Tomorrow vs. Tabor Academy, 1 p.m.

Wed. vs. Westmister School, 3:15 p.m.

Thu. vs. Greens Farms Academy, 4:30 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL Tomorrow vs. Miss Porter's School, 1 p.m.

Wed. vs. Hamden Hall, 4:30 p.m.

BRUNSWICK CREW Tomorrow. vs. Head of the Housatonic, TBA CROSS-COUNTRY Wed. vs. All FAA Meet (at Allen Meadows), 4 p.m.

FOOTBALL Tomorrow at Taft School, 3 p.m.

SOCCER Today vs. EF International Academy, 4 p.m.

Wed. at Salisbury School, 3 p.m.

WATER POLO Tonight vs. Cardinal Tourney, TBD Tomorrow vs. Cardinal Tourney, TBD

SACRED HEART CREW Sun. at NEIRA Championships, TBD CROSS-COUNTRY Tomorrow at Manhattanville College Invit., TBD Wed. vs. All FAA Meet (at Allen Meadows), 4 p.m.

FIELD HOCKEY Tomorrow at Hotchkiss School, 1:45 p.m.

Wed. vs. Rye Country Day, 4:15 p.m.

SOCCER Tomorrow at Hotchkiss School, 2 p.m.

Wed. vs. Hopkins School, 4:15 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL Tomorrow at Kent School, 2:30 p.m.

Wed. vs. Westover School, 4 p.m.

Page 10 | Greenwich Sentinel

Education Feature from Whitby School

Education

Mastery of Skills and Cultural Change

By Jack Creedon

Now that school has officially started, we have a chance to catch our breath. Parents, faculty and students alike have settled into routines, and we can focus our attention on the daily business of teaching and learning.

It has been hard to ignore the weekly news unfolding around the Varsity Blues admission scandal in California. While everybody seems to have an opinion about the behavior of the adults in this unfortunate situation, I wonder if parents and educators might also reflect on some of the possible root causes in our school cultures that led a host well-educated people to made a series of poor decisions on behalf of their children.

I think many of us in education wou ld ag ree t hat t he col lege admission process borders on being out of control. There are just too many stories about students, and unfortunately now parents, who have succumbed to the frenzy and angst that seems to grow more

intense each year.

D av id G le a s on’s b o ok , At What Cost? Defending Adolescent Development in Fiercely Competitive Schools, describes eloquently the explicit and implicit assumptions we have endorsed in our public and independent schools. He argues that we leaders in education have consciously created the systems, promoted the expectations, and celebrated the impor tance of certain kinds of achievement to the detriment of the students we serve.

Admittedly, parents of those same students have petitioned for, financially supported and in some cases demanded curricular changes for the sole purpose of improving a son or daughter’s chances of getting into “the best” colleges and universities. Unhealthy class schedules loaded up with the maximum number of AP courses, exhausting test preparation, and inf lated lists of extracurricular activities are aggressively compiled.

And then we express surprise and concern that our teenagers report feeling stressed and burned out at 18.

What to do? Frank Bruni’s Where You Go Is Not Who You’ ll Be reviews the leadership ranks of A merica’s most successf ul companies. His study demonstrates that “success” at the highest levels in America is not dependent upon graduation from the elite colleges and universities in our country.

Based on the data, Bruni urges us to take a long-term view, to encourage our children to be life-long learners

and to see education as a pathway to a more engaged and interesting life rather than as a formulaic, overloaded, high stress program with the sole purpose of college admission.

David Brook’s The Road to Character describes the importance of leading a life and accomplishing goals that one might imagine being celebrated in one’s eulogy rather than collected and promoted in one’s resume. How different this is compared to the approach endorsed by those involved in the Varsity Blues scandal.

As educators we have to ask ourselves, and then challenge parents, to consider the kind of curricular changes that will help us teach students a different model, one that is based on genuine learning, self-discovery and being other-centered as opposed to totally self-centered. Such a model would still encourage high levels of learning and mastery, but promote the value of learning as a pathway to living a better life rather than simply earning a better living.

Everybody acknowledges the importance of educating today’s students so they can compete successfully in the global economy.

We need our medical, legal and business professionals to be highly skilled in the delivery of their services on behalf of improving their own lives and those of others.

But there is increased research emphasi z i ng t he i mp or t a nce of cultural competency (CQ) in addition to the skills traditionally

associated with IQ and Emotional Intelligence (EQ).

Why not embrace a curriculum that recognizes the importance of understanding different cultures, traditions and belief systems? In

Immersing teachers, students and parents in an educational system developed to foster a love of learning and a mastery of skills designed to improve the lives of others would be quite different, requiring true cultural change. That’s an ambitious goal, but one worth striving towards in light of recent developments. our increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, let’s place a high value on demonstrated ex p er t i s e i n work i ng ac r o s s cultures.

In Cultural Intelligence. CQ: The Competitive Edge for Leaders Crossing Borders, Julia Middleton argues “The balance of cultures is shifting, merging and clashing. In this New World, the leaders who will be prized are those who can cross and connect cultures - leaders who understand multiple worlds.”

Instead of accumulating a long list of AP courses, for which “more is better,” why not develop

2019 Independent School Guide Open House: Please Be Sure to Call Schools to Confirm Details School

second and third language fluency?

Rather than creating an inf lated list of extracurricular activities that parents demand and schools are forced to pay for, redirect those monies and energies into

Open House Dates Sunday, October 17th @ 12noon, Upper School Brunswick School, Greenwich, 203-625-5800 Sunday November 3rd @ 1:00pm, All School Carmel Academy, Greenwich, 203-983-3503 Sunday, October 27th @ 10:00am Monday, October 14th @ 9:30am Cushing Academy, Ashburnham, MA, 978-827-7300 Monday, November 11th @ 9:30am Saturday, December 7th @ 9:30am Monday, October 14th @ 9:00 am The Ethel Walker School, Simsbury, CT, 860-408-4467 Monday, November 11th @ 9:00 am Tuesday, December 3rd @ 9:00am Forman School, Litchfield, CT, 860-567-1802 Monday October 14th @ 9:00am Sunday, October 20th @ 1:00pm Lower & Middle School.

Greenwich Academy, Greenwich, CT, 203-625-8900 Sunday, October 20th @ 3:00pm, Upper School.

Greenwich Catholic School, Greenwich, 203-869-4000 Tuesday, October 8th @ 9:00am, PreK - Grade 8 Tuesday, October 22nd @ 7:00pm, Grades 9 - 12 Greenwich Country Day, Greenwich, 203-863-5600 Sunday, October 27th @ 1:00pm, Grades N - 8 Iona Preparatory School, New Rochelle, NY, 914-632- Sun., Oct. 20th @ 12 noon & Thurs., Oct. 24th @ 6:00pm, Grades 9 - 12 0714 Wedensday, October 23rd @ 6:00pm PreK - Grade 8 King School, Stamford, CT , 203-322-3496 Sunday, November 3rd @ 12:30pm, PreK - Grade 5 The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry, NY, 914-479-6420 Saturday, October 19th @ 9:00am Mead School, Stamford, CT, 203-595-9500 Tuesday, October 8th @ 10:00am Rye Country Day School, Rye, NY, 914-967-1417 Sunday, October 20th @ 1:00pm Thursday, October 17th @ 6:00pm, Upper School Sacred Heart Greenwich, Greenwich, CT, 203-531-6500 Saturday, November 2nd @ 9:00pm, K-12 Sunday, October 20th @12 noon, Middle School St. Luke's School, New Canaan, CT, 203-424-2989 Sunday, October 27th @ 12 noon, Upper School Suffield Academy, Suffield, CT, 860-386-4400 Saturday, October 19th @ 9:30am Monday, Oct. 17th @ 9:30am, Early Childhood (18 months - age 5) Whitby School , Greenwich, CT, 203-869-8464 Sunday, Oct. 16th @ 9:30am, Middle School (Grades 5 - 8) Sun., Oct. 27th @ 1 pm & Thurs., Nov. 14th @ 9:30 am, All School

international exchanges and travel, starting in elementary school. And make the cross-cultural visits more than academic tourism. Connect students with local families and age appropriate peers. Encourage the use of the native language and do more than visit historic sites in a 5 day dash through an international city or countryside.

What would happen if we took seriously a school’s responsibility to develop an educated citizenry along the lines of Thomas Jefferson’s thinking? What would our curricula look like, from kindergarten to 12th grade, if we educated students

to collect information, weigh the merits of the evidence, consider the perspectives of others, and formulate a different viewpoint that is articulately and respectively argued?

In our current system, we claim to work towa rds those virtuous classroom goals, but we insert those methodologies within a system that counts courses completed instead of competencies mastered. What would we have to do to convince college admission off icers to consider mastery of skills as opposed to the evaluation of the list of the most rigorous courses a school offers? One must hope that would instill a different level of motivation for students to learn compared to our system now that rewards one’s ability to recall memorized information within a three hour period of time on a Saturday morning.

Immersing teachers, students and parents in an educational system developed to foster a love of learning and a mastery of skills designed to improve the lives of others would be quite different, requiring true cultural change.

That’s an ambitious goal, but one worth striving towards in light of recent developments.

D r. Ja c k C r e e d e n i s t h e Interim Head at Whitby School.

He is a longtime independent school leader who has written a n d s p ok e n e x te n sive ly on governance, strategic planning, and cultural change in schools.

ESL Thinking Club

ESL Thinking Club at Cos Cob School: Designed and led by ESL students, it is a club that meets roughly 1-2 times per month for "before school homework help." A great example of students taking initiative to create programming for the benefit of their peers.

Alice in Wonderland Tea Party in Cos Cob

In connection to their summer reading and an in-school performance from the Spark Movement Collective, Cos Cob School students who read Alice in Wonderland over the summer completed Playing Cards where they wrote about a character from the story and decided which School Norm the character was or was not following and supported it with text evidence. Students created these playing cards in the Maker space at school. School Norms include: Be Here, Be Safe, Be Honest, Care for Self and Others, Let Go and Move On, and are behaviors that are taught and enforced across the District to ensure a safe, inclusive and fun school environment.

Page 11 | Greenwich Sentinel

Education Column

To Allowance or Not To Allowance? add $1.00 in interest.” Allow children to CHORES withdraw if they want to. It will help them It is not a bad idea for children to to understand the impact of short-term understand how a household works. benefits on long term goals.

Unlike the tooth fairy, the laundry and dinner fairies do not come in the night and make all things ready for the next day. All household activities take time and some take planning. It is important to help ch i ld r en , even ver y you ng children, understand that they are both a contributor to and a receiver of household services. They may not be cooking the dinner but they can put the forks on the table, they might not be doing the laundry but they can bring their dirty clothes to the washing machine. While the chores may form the basis for the payment If you don’t have disposable income of allowances, children should also at the current time for cash allowances, understand that what they are doing is you can still run the entire process with a necessary role in having a comfortable your own ‘fake’ money (Monopoly money life. If they don’t do their part, the rest works fine). Instead of working for cash of the family will suffer, well maybe not and purchases, children can work to suffer but certainly be inconvenienced. earn family privileges. What those look You have proba bly a l l se en t he like really depends on your family and cartoons that show a child who reports your routines – but choosing a dinner to have cleaned their room only to have menu, trading in a chore for the next stuffed everything in the closet. If you week, picking the TV show, etc. can have assigned chores to your children be just as powerful. in the past, how often have you had a ‘discussion’ that their idea of clean does

after school) your child can identify but there may be some ‘big ticket items’ that they would also like to have (sneakers, Yesterday as I was driving home from game, app). Use both these wish lists to work, there was a story on NPR about allowances. There was a new study by professional CPAs that found that the average allowance is $30 a week. Not that I need continual reminders of how old I am, but I recall getting 25¢ for which I had to mow the lawn, paint the house, do the laundry and cook all the meals (and I think I walk 10 miles barefoot in the snow to school). But seriously, how do you decide as a parent whether or not to give an allowance, what, if any, chores will be required to earn it and how much to give?

To allowance or not to allowance? come up with a reasonable amount for an Giving children money is the best way allowance. You can then have a discussion to teach children how to manage money. with your child about how much they Having children earn money helps them want to spend and how much they want see its value. As in so many cases, the to set aside for the larger item. It’s great if decisions should start with conversations you can open a bank savings account and with your children – what do they think go on a regular basis to make deposits they need money for? Learning how to but if that is not possible a version of the wait and delay satisfaction is a trait that piggy bank works just fine. If you are has been associated with later successes. interested in raising the next Warren Learning to save for a desired object Buffet, you can even add the concept or experience is an important ‘adult’ of interest – “If you make your savings milestone. There are probably some deposit for three weeks in a row, I will everyday items or goodies (ice cream

By Mary Forde

It is important to help children, even very young children, understand that they are both a contributor to and a receiver of household services.

Education Column

Mary Forde is the Chief of Pupil Personal Services Greenwich Public Schools.

Not Your Parent's Classroom

By Tom Healy “Bueller? ...Bueller? ...Bueller?”

If you are like me and have watched Ferris Bueller’s Day Off more times than you can count, you are able to envision the scene in the social studies classroom that follows, complete with bubble-gum blowing, glazed over stares and that one student asleep drooling on his desk. “Does anyone know the name of President Reagan’s economic policy? Something D - O - O e conom ics? . . . A nyone? . .

Education Column

not match your definition of that term.

Although it may take a little time, it is a good idea to complete the chore with your child one or two times. Show them how you approach the task, how you figured out how long it would take you and what you needed to do the job. This is where the iPad or Chromebook can be your friend. Take a picture of all the things you gather to complete the task, take pictures and/or describe the steps you take and most importantly, take a picture of the completed task, “This is what I mean when I say your room is clean.” Make sure you both agree that this is what the finished job will look like. After your ‘on the job training’, decide with your child when the chore will be done and use this as payday. Compare the completed work to your picture – rather than debating whose definition of “done” is correct, you just compare what your expected with what they produced, “When I look at the picture we agreed on, the lids were on the garbage cans. Is that how this looks?”

Less drama and debate is always better.

. A nyone?. . . Vo o do o E conom ic s .”

Unfortunately, nearly 40 years later, Hollywood still depicts our secondary schools in a similar fashion: desks in rows, teacher at the front of the room, students complacently and compliantly receiv i ng i n for mation. Tha n k f u l ly, classrooms across the nation are currently undergoing a transformation to avoid this counterproductive classroom environment: a necessary change to education as many of us remember it.

For those of you who have children in middle school, you may have noticed some elements of this transformation during our recent Open House Nights. If you saw seating options that are way more comfortable than our old desks, a physical layout that did not resemble a graveyard (desks in straight and neat rows), and/or spaces that allow for students to explore and collaborate, then you observed the physical transformation of the modern classroom. Along with this new definition of space, another major shift in today’s middle school class is the role of the teacher. No longer is the expectation that Ben Stein is commanding the room, acting as the expert whose job it is to tell

students what is and what isn’t important not to mention a brief introductor y our children need to succeed in today’s to know for the test. Teachers today are discussion about a current event with a world is not to be the person with the most knowledge, but to develop into the creators, innovators, collaborators and critical thinkers who take what know and share and apply it in new and better ways. This is a work in progress, as it takes time to change our practice from the comfortable “known” that existed in Ferris Bueller’s metaphorical classroom.

However, the transformation is no longer an opportunity, but now it is a necessity.

Tom Healy i s the pr incipal of Central Middle School in Greenwich, expected to plan learning experiences that science connection about the great white CT. He i s a proud product of the require their students to “do the work” sharks off of the coast of Greenwich Point. Greenwich Public School system and during a class period. Take, for example, The benefits of a lesson like this are vast: worked at Greenwich High School a science class I observed at the end of first, it speaks to the idea of personalized and Western Middle School as an last year where students moved through learning -- students working at their own instructional aide, social studies a learning progression that included pace and teachers working with students teacher and assistant principal prior individual time gathering information to set and achieve mastery of content to filling his current position. Tom about magnetic fields through readings standards. Furthermore, critical thinking holds a Masters from Sacred Heart and videos, engaged in a few mini-labs was the main activity for all learners in secondary teaching and earned his administrative certification at with actual magnets and finally met in a through the duration of the period. small group with the teacher to discuss It is not enough for modern day UCONN through their Administrator the key curricular concepts and varying schools to teach the way we have for Preparation Program. Tom and his levels of depth. Seemingly miraculous to the past 100 years. While this process wife Kyle are also Greenwich Public those who aren’t used to planning lessons worked for many of us who were “good Schools parents with a daughter in 7th like this, it all took place in 45 minutes, at school” several decades ago, what grade and a son in 3rd.

It is not enough for modern day schools to teach the way we have for the past 100 years.

Taking the Work Out of Homework

By Gabby Rattner and John Grasso Let us say at the outset that we will not attempt here to resolve the ongoing, fierce, and important debate about the value of homework and especially the value of homework to elementary school children. Suf f icient to note that the debate is valid, that homework is a strong cultural bias in our society and that we subscribe, therefore, to the theory of "everything in moderation."

Most school districts across the country do as well. They generally follow these guidelines: reading every night for 10-50 minutes depending on the grade; written homework for 10 minutes per grade increasing by 10 minutes for each grade ( gr. 1= 10 minutes, gr. 2= 20 minutes etc.).

What is important to note and to

celebrate is that education has become more differentiated as teachers work every day to address the varied needs and interests of the 20 individuals in their class. In a sense, we have returned to the one-room school house model of meeting each student where they a re w ith a persona li zed menu that satisfies each child’s curiosity, challenges t hei r capa bi l it ies a nd fosters t hei r imaginations, all while adhering to state and national curricular standards.

This type of education benefits all and well prepares our youngsters to become the next generation of innovators, inventors and entrepreneurs by building the types of skills that will be needed in the world they will mature into. But assigning traditional homework is difficult under such circumstances. If the class is truly completely differentiated, then homework assignments should logically be developed separately for each child and graded against that child’s particular capabilities. This is a lot to ask of today’s teachers Against this changing backdrop, CCI has offered after school homework clubs in four Greenwich elementary schools for over 20 years. Each club is led by a social worker or counsellor skilled in assisting clients with emotional, behavioral and academic needs. The club leaders partner with a teacher from that school who is able to reinforce classroom lessons and assist in finding the desired solutions.

Our students often struggle with language barriers, learning challenges, food insecurity, and numerous other contributors to what is called the achievement gap.

[Note: today’s math is not our math, never mind our parents’ math, so this partnership is invaluable to our students’ success.]

Our primary goal is to make sure that students are able to keep pace with their classmates by turning in completed homework each day. We monitor progress throughout the school year and work closely with classroom teachers, school psychologists and other faculty and staff to create a support team for each club participant.

T h e s c h o o l s i n w h i c h we wo rk are Title I schools, those with large concentrations of low-income students.

Our students of ten strug g le w ith language barriers, learning challenges, food insecurity and numerous other c ont r i butor s to w h at i s c a l le d t he

achievement gap.

So as with all CCI programs, homework clubs are provided free of charge. We are grateful that our work is supported by the Fairf ield County Community Foundation, the Sirvaitis Foundation, the Greenwich United Way, the Greenwich Department of Human Services and generous private donors.

We offer this program in an effort to level the playing field so that all children start the next school day with their previous day’s work completed.

For our students, homework clubs can be an oasis in a turbulent day. Take A, for example. As a fourth grader, A’s family became temporarily homeless. While living in a shelter many miles away, A let nothing keep her from school. And after school, she and three close friends did

Column: On My Watch by Anne Semmes continued from page 1 “industrialization” - in plain view from Greenwich Point.

“Long Island Sound (LIS) is ver y i mpor ta nt to bi rd s,” Comins noted,“ and we have to be ver y careful with what commercial uses are proposed.”

The important guide developers need to adhere to he cited was, “The Long Island Sound Blue Plan,” found on the CT DEEP website.

The bou nce back of t he osprey this Steward learned was in large part to its successful foraging for f ish in Long Island Sound, particularly the menhaden - hence the concern over the effect of any commercial development in these waters.

“LIS is very important to a

wide variety of fish eating terns, to ospreys, to migratory loons, and northern gannets,” notes Comins. “The fish populations are absolutely critical to saving both breeding and migratory population stopovers for birds.

The CAS, in partnership with Audubon CT a nd ot hers a re advocating for new legislation, he reports, “that would bring a more scientific management process to i mpor ta nt forage fish.” He directs those interested activists to check out https:// www.congress.gov/bill/116thcongress/house-bill/2236.

Coming to Audubon Greenwich in less than a month (November 9) is a woman who has dedicated much of her life

to protecting and conserving a storied at-sea bird, the albatross, forever immortalized in poet Coleridge’s poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.”

Hob Osterlund, traveling from her home on the Hawaiian i s l a nd of K au a' I, w here she concentrates her efforts on the Laysa n a lbatross, w i l l spea k on t he recover y of t hat bird that once happily nested there “millions of years ago…before the arrival of humans.”

Reaching out to Osterlund, I could not wait to learn news of that oldest living bird ever recorded, a Laysan a lbatross famously called “Wisdom.” “Yes,” she responded, “Wisdom is at least 68 years old. She laid an

egg again last season. Sadly, the chick did not survive this year-in fact, the overall reproductive success at Midway Atoll [the far off “mother ship”] was only 26 percent, one of the lowest ever.

It's getting harder out there for seabirds.”

How in the world has Wisdom avoided ingesting the dead ly a nd preva lent plastic af loat on the sea? “Be mindful of your choices as a consumer…

Cut down on the use of plastic,” is number 6 on the CAS “Six things.”

Add to that list, do what we can together to keep Greenwich Point, its bird life, its shellfish life, its wildlife pristine.

their work and giggled away in homework club. For another A, homework club is a place to bring academic and nonacademic classroom problems and to work on solutions. Providing space and time with consistent, patient, experienced adu lt g u ida nc e i s a key to m a k i ng homework a successful experience.

Perhaps most important, while there continues to be homework, there are fewer parents and less time available for help. Families saddled with work, childcare and other responsibilities or facing language or educational barriers of their own, feel unable to help their children with homework.

CCI’s homework club fills that gap, enabling each participant to return to school the next day with the work done and the satisfaction of feeling caught up with their classmates. Surely part of solving the achievement gap is giving each child a sense of achievement!

So as long as there is homework, we hope there will be CCI Homework Club.

We will emphasize a joy of reading, a feeling of accomplishment, and a sense of belonging. And we will endeavor to keep the work part in perspective.

John Grasso is a retired principal of Riverside Elementary School and the former interim principal at Hamilton Avenue School. He is a member of the CCI Board of Directors.

Gaby Rattner is the Executive Director of CCI.

Page 12 | Greenwich Sentinel

Flawless and Fascinating: Chamber Players

By Linda Phillips

Geographically diverse music of contrasting hemispheres (South America being the southern, Europe the northern), was performed as the Chamber Players opened their 48th season, presenting an engaging, sometimes surprising, program entitled From Two Worlds.

K nown in the past for performances of Argentine tango by the internal group Quartetango, this time the location was the Andes Mountains, and one work was decidedly 21st century — and by a contemporary woman composer.

Opening with a traditional work

by George Philipp Telemann, the Trio Sonata in C minor, rescored for cellist Daniel Miller, violinist Susan Hytken Metcalf, and oboist Diane Lesser, who took the stage for the opening

Largo, which was thoughtful and provided solo opportunities for each instrument. Vivace was sprightly, with lovely and haunting interplay trills, excellent playing in violin and cello. Andante opened with a lovely tune in oboe, which didn’t miss a beat or a note. The joyous, sprightly Allegro was a conversation and interplay among the instruments.

Violinist Jorge Avila, soon to be Concertmaster of the Greenwich S y m p h o n y, a n n o u n c e d t h e Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout of Gabriela Lena Frank, modern, with unusual phrasings, harmonies (or disharmonies) by having each of the six sections of the piece previewed by style of play, letting the audience better understand the unusual techniques and harmonies they were to hear. First section featured third intervals, with a pizzicato violin.The second began with a

My family recently spent some vacation time in North Carolina, and although the weather was amazing and war m a ll week , the ocean was quite cold. The very first day, I got close enough for a wave to hit my feet and immediately retreated further up the beach. My son? He couldn’t have cared less; there was no t a l k i n g h i m out o f g o i n g i n .

Regardless of the discouragement

American instruments, called up our own political disharmony and the disarray of the women’s movement and Me Too, as well as the general cacophony of our times.

It was a brave choice of the Players, stretching their techniques, and was received with mixed notices by the audience, who learned from violinist Jorge Avila about such techniques as flutter tongue—and hocketing.

The Fantasy Quartet of Ernest John Moeran began with strings opening, Diane Lesser on oboe, David Creswell on viola, in a lilting and SO English piece, a pastoral tune reminiscent of Vaughn Williams. The four musicians were at their height in a melancholy passage, then back to a lilt, sad and somber, whirring strings underscoring the oboe, the violins and viola shimmering, moving to an antic and rustic close.

Felix Mendelsson, the well-

Faith

known German composer, wrote his last String Quartet No,6 in the summer of 1847, as he was mourning the death of his beloved sister, Fanny. The work is an elegy and paean to her in four movement.

The Allegro vivace assai is a tender, thoughtful, racing and upbeat, all at once. Movement 2 , in allegro assai is a very urgent, passionate and begins in triple meter, then goes to 4/4. Urgency builds throughout with troubling, agonizing chords, and a plunking closure. The cello of Daniel Miller opened the adagio, an elegiac statement full of longing and pain.

Sweet and sorrowful, it built tension and was a voice for anyone who’s lost someone close. It is an aching heart set to music, sensitively rendered by fine musicians.

Closing with a passionate, racing allegro, with wonderful bowing in violin, announced anger at the

heavens, and heartbreak.

The musicians, all on stage, received a standing ovation and a chorus of bravos.

The Chamber Players of the GSO are the creme de la creme of musicians, always offering a varied, fascinating and diverse program.

Their next concert will be on November 17 and 18, and will feature works by pierce, Weinberg, Hahn and Schumann. For information, to https://chamberplayersoftheGSO. org// Linda Phillips’ classical music reviews have won four “Best Column of the Year” awards from the Connecticut Press Club, and have been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Criticism.

She is the author of the novel, “To The Highest Bidder,” nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in fiction.

Jealous of My Five Year Old

On Faith Column

By Jake Kircher

screech of strings, the cello hovering and striking, sometimes spiccato, until the dissonance simply faded away. A pizzicato violin, echoed in cello, went back to the opening statement. The third is based on a panpipe ensemble dividing up melodies.Hurrying and unsettling was the mode and mood. The fourth section was joyous, sprightly, some conversations. some plucking, The fifth began with atonal, swelling chords, the cello plunking beneath, calling the violin into highest register, which could’ve been heard by local dogs. Screaming strings 1/2 note apart sang above a cello statement in this long section. Coquetos, the close, was Latin in nature, a love song, with pizzicato plunking, and a strong cello statement, going on to whirring strings in cello.

The composition, which was written to emulate some South

and the rejections he received about joining him in the water, he was going in and he was going to love every minute of it.

As I watched him from the beach, I was overcome with this proud moment of, "That's my boy!"

The smile and laughter and joy and playing without a care in the world brought tears to my eyes as I took such delight in watching him.

I realized that the reason I was so proud of him at that moment was because he was fully and authentically being himself. He didn't care what anyone else thought.

Eventually, my joy shifted to another emotion that surprised me: jealousy. I realized that I w ishe d I had what he d id i n t hat moment. Th is ch i ld-l i ke enthusiasm that didn't care about anyone else and was solely set on just being the best version of myself that I could.

Let's be honest, once we get past our early childhood years we

Annie Jones

become easily focused on all the external voices and what they say about who we are and what we should be. Rather than just diving into the water of life and being our authentic selves, we spend so much time on the beach looking around, listening to other’s voices, b ei ng concer ne d a b out what others would say if we decided to go in the water.

You know the water is too cold?

Are you sure you want to go in?

Just stay up here on the beach.

No one else is going in.

As I stood watching my son and feeling these contrasting emotions, I felt God challenge me and ask, "Why do you care so much what others say? Just be the person I created you to be. Get in the water!"

I am trying more and more to do just that...and it's hard. The voices and the critics can be so loud at times. It doesn't help either that my personality is so image driven,

I felt God challenge me and ask, "Why do you care so much what others say? Just be the person I created you to be." so I care deeply about what others think. I have always grown from the idea of turning my critics into my teachers: What can I learn? How can I grow? What is constructive in what they are suggesting?

I think that is a really important posture, however as I g row in self-awareness and as I learn more about what my Creator has to say about who I am, I am learning some are critical for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with you. They don't have a clue who you are and because of that, they have nothing

that they can teach you. The best thing you can do with these critics is to learn the importance of the delete button.

This is where spiritual practice is so helpful. If you don't have time in your day to meditate, pray and talk with your Creator about who you are in the Divine, you need to make that time. Keep a journal of the things that God teaches you about yourself and go back to it when you start to doubt yourself or your critics become too loud.

Spend some time reading the first three chapters of Ephesians which

Obituaries

Annie Landry Jones, of Concord, MA, formerly of Greenwich, CT, died peacefully at home in the company of her beloved husband of 59 years Graham E. Jones on Sept. 27, 2019.

Annie is survived by husband Graham, children Margaret I. Jones, Alden Jones Perkins, and Graham E. Jones, Jr., her grandchildren, David and Jack Perkins, as well as her two sisters, Marie Seymour St. John, and Marsha Landry Hagan.

Funeral Mass in Duvall Chapel at Newbury Court, 80 Deaconess Rd., Concord, MA on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 12 p.m., with a reception immediately following at Newbury Court.

and Greenwich banks, retiring from Wells Fargo.

Throughout his life, Chip devoted time to charitable causes, including serving as Chairman of the Greenwich Chapter of the American Red Cross and Chairman of the Northeast Region of the American Red Cross. He served on the boards of Hotline, the Boys & Girls Club, the YMCA and At Home in Greenwich. In addition, he served on the Commission on Aging for the Town of Greenwich.

Chip was humble, wise and a deeply caring man. He loved f ly-f ishing, sk iing, golf and gardening–none of which he would claim to have mastered. Since childhood, he loved the Cleveland Browns, which should be an indication of his depth of loyalty. He had a wonderful sense of humor and it was not beyond him to see how long he could string someone along before it dawned on them that he was pulling their leg. Chip loved his family, friends, former students and dogs - family and dogs considered him their hero. His favorite book was Richard Ford's The Lay of the Land.

His parents predeceased him as did his brother, Jonathan David Serrell, sister, Margarita Serrell McGrath and nephew, John Emile Schmeltzer, IV. A memorial service will be held on Friday, Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. at the Round Hill Community Church, Greenwich. A reception will follow.

In lieu of f lowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Trout Unlimited, PO Box 7400, Woolly Bugger, WV 25438; or to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, PCF. org.

Howard Serrell, Jr.

Muriel Smith

Howard Paul Serrell, Jr., a longtime resident of Greenwich, CT and recently of Austin, TX and West Pawlet, VT passed away on Friday, Oct. 4, 2019. Born on Aug. 22, 1939 at Greenwich Hospital, 'Chip' was the oldest child of Margarita Noble and Howard P. Serrell, MD. He is survived by his wife, Wendy, and his children, Elizabeth Groeninger, husband Tom, of San Juan Capistrano, CA; Allison Hewlett, husband John, of Austin, TX; and Bretton Serrell, wife Samantha of Austin, TX; and grandchildren, Kevin, Matthew and Sarah Groeninger, and Scout, Harlon and Sabine Hewlett. His sister, Patricia Schmeltzer, husband Jack, of Greenwich, also survive him, as well as nieces, nephews and his Luckenbach terrier, Harrison.

Chip graduated from Greenwich Country Day School, Lawrenceville School (1957), Dartmouth College (1961), received his Masters in Education from Wesleyan University, a CFP from Adelphi University and attended the Northwestern Graduate Trust School. Upon graduation from Dartmouth, Chip followed in the footsteps of his father and entered the US Army. While serving as a helicopter pilot from 1963-64 in Viet Nam, he advanced to the rank of First Lieutenant. Following a 17-year teaching career at Greenwich Country Day School, where he also served as Director of Admissions, he moved into the banking world becoming VP of Wealth Management in New York

Muriel Adelaide Putnam Smith, wife of the late Everett Smith, Jr., age 97, died peacefully at Greenwich Hospital on Friday, Sept. 27, 2019.

A lifelong resident of Greenwich, Muriel was the daughter of the late Frenelia and Eben Fiske Appleton Putnam also of Greenwich. Her father, known in his day as "Mr. Greenwich", was a local businessman who founded the Greenwich Gas Company, the Greenwich Water Company, and owned the Pickwick Arms Hotel. Muriel was a direct descendant of General Israel Putnam. She married Everett Smith, Jr. of Scarsdale, NY on Sept. 20, 1947 at Christ Church in Greenwich.

Her husband, Everett, was active in local civic and governmental activities and represented Greenwich in the State Legislature. Together they owned and operated Quaker Ridge Stables for many years.

Muriel attended Greenw ich Academy, g raduate d f rom M iss Por ter's S cho ol at Farmington, CT, Sarah Lawrence College, and New York School of Professional Art. Early in her career, Muriel worked for Vogue Magazine and Colliers Magazine.

During World War II, she was a volunteer at the local Draft Board of which her father was the Chairman. In the 1960s, she ran "The Beauty Kick" an exercise studio very popular with the local ladies (and their husbands!). During her

long life, she was a former board member of the Round Hill Guild, The Greenwich Exchange for Women's Work, and a longtime volunteer at the Greenwich Hospital. She was a member of the Putnam Hill Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution since 1936 and Daughters of American Colonists. For many years, she was instrumental in receiving and caring for homeless cats in Greenwich and other animal causes.

She leaves three children: Eben Putnam Smith and spouse Kathy Guck of Mt. Pleasant, SC, Pamela Putnam Smith and James Hoffman of Branford, CT, and Everett Smith III and spouse Elizabeth Claiborne of Greenwich and seven grandchildren: Kelly Taylor of Lahore, Pakistan, Tara Sarosiek of Brentwood, TN, Kristen Smith

over and over and over again talks about who we are and doesn't tell us one thing that you needs to be done. Distance yourself from relationships that place your worth in something else that you need to do or become to be fully accepted, and instead surround yourself with people who will embrace you for who you are, which brings loving and constructive criticism towards growth and wholeness.

Above everything, get in the water! It might feel cold at first. It might be a little uncomfortable.

Once you fully dive in though, you will find a joy and a fullness that can't be matched anywhere else.

Jake Kircher is the Associate Pastor - Greenwich at Trinity Church . Jak e i s pa ssionate about helping people and churches think deeply about i d e n t i t y, t h e o l o g y, a n d relationships for the sake of discovering, and growing into, their full God-given potential.

of Seattle, WA, Hilary Smith of Washington, DC, Ashley Smith of Greenwich, Everett Smith of Greenwich, and Harrison Smith of Dallas, TX. She was predeceased by her granddaughter Elise Putnam Smith. Muriel has four greatgrandchildren Hudson, Cameron, Lily, and Oscar.

In lieu of flowers, she requests that donations be made to Adopt-a-Dog, Cat Rescue and the Israel Putnam House Association. Also, the family invites you to join them in celebrating her life in typical "Mumu" fashion with a margarita sans ice as "ice just gets in the way."

A Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 1, 2019 at The Round Hill Community Church, 395 Round Hill Rd., Greenwich.

Faith

On Faith Feature

Page 13 | Greenwich Sentinel

Paying Attention to Those Struggling to Get By

By Marek P. Zabriskie

I n her b o ok N i c k e l e d a n d Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich tells the story of taking a series of low paying jobs to see what it is like to earn and live on $6 or $7 an hour. She notes that almost 30% of the workforce earns $8 an hour or less. So, she finds a job as a waitress in Key West, where she earns $2.43 an hour plus tips. Because servers have to share a portion of their tips with the bartenders and busboys, she actually earns about $5.15 an hour.

Jobs are plentiful, because wages are low and the turnover is high. She serves, sweeps, scrubs, slices food, refills jars and restocks shelves. She seeks a cheap place to live, visits a trailer park and a few f lop houses with no airconditioning in the sweltering

heat, no screens, fans or television, just the landlord’s fierce attack dog. She eats in cheap restaurants that of fer unlimited ref ills of refried beans.

Sh e n o te s t h at t h e wo r s t customers are the visible C h r i st i a n s, who we a r W W J D (What Would Jesus Do) jewelry and crucifixion T-shirts. A table of ten boisterous Ch r istia ns, heartened by Sunday evening worship, runs her ragged with requests only to leave a $1 tip on $92 bill.

Una ble to su r v ive on her wages, she seeks a second job.

Occasionally, she returns to her real home to send emails, pay bills and get phone messages. Writing large checks to her health club and Amazon.com forces her to see her old life through the new lens of liv ing hand to mouth.

Her previous life of conspicuous consumption suddenly seems completely excessive.

As I read her book, I thought about all the times that I nickeled and dimed a server or babysitter or failed to support a charity while indulging on extravagances for my family and myself. I have always believed that my big gest g if t should go to the church, because God gave me the gift of life and

should receive my greatest gift in return.

I am perplexed by individuals who give massive gif ts to u n i ve r s i t i e s w i t h e n o r m o u s endowments where they spent fou r yea rs there wh ile never imagining making a large gift to their house of faith where they may have spent decades of their life.

It is G o d, not a scho ol or university that gave us the gift of life. So, it’s unfortunate that we sometimes nickel and dime God, who has bestowed everything upon us.

The problem is not that money is bad, but rather in the words of I Timothy, it’s “the love of money” that “is the root of all kinds of evil.”

If you look at any major problem in your life, there is probably a financial root underlying it.

Thus, Jesus spoke more about money than any other topic except the kingdom of God because he knew the money is God’s chief competition. The more money we have the less that we feel that we need God. Money can undermine our spiritual journey, values and relationships.

Studies also show that the poor consistently out-give the rich in terms of the percentage what

Thus, Jesus spoke more about money than any other topic except the kingdom of God because he knew the money is God’s chief competition. they give away. We think that when we earn and save enough we will be generous. But studies confirm that the more we have, the smaller the percentage we share.

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells a story about a rich man and a poor man. The rich man had a lavish lifestyle that blinded him to the needs of others. At the end of his driveway sat a poor man named Lazarus, whose teeth were yellowed and half were missing.

His feet were sore, blistered and badly in need of medicine.

The rich man could easily have paid for Lazarus to visit a doctor, but he thought, “If I care for him, he’ll be back with ten friends.” So, he let Lazarus suffer. Only the dogs paid attention to Lazarus,

licking his oozing wounds.

The rich man wasn’t evil. He simply didn’t notice Lazarus. The error of the rich man was a sin of omission. He simply never bothered to help Lazarus. Lazarus was invisible.

He thought that it was natural that Lazarus should suffer, while he enjoyed the good life. This is what landed him in hell. The rich man’s heart was never pierced by the sting of another man’s grief.

In his book American Mojo, Greenwich author Peter Kiernan and former Wall Street financier, notes that “the world’s 85 richest individuals are worth more than the bottom 3.5 billion who inhabit the planet. The top 85 versus half of everybody else.”

That is deeply immoral.

It ’s what Je su s a l lude s to i n the stor y of L aza r us and the rich man. I have served four wonderful churches and have met many amazingly generous and wonderful people. I have also met people who are likeable, successful and lead rich lifestyles, but who have not learned how to be generous with God and with the poor.

When we nickel and dime God, we hurt the poor for the first thing that most houses of faith cut when giving is -=giving to the needy outside their house of faith.

Our houses of faith should be the most significant transformative institutions in our community and champions of caring for those who are poor, sick, suffering or dying.

But it requires our generosity.

This is the season for supporting our houses of faith and for ensuring that we don’t nickel and dime God or ignore those who suffer like Lazarus. If we fail to do so, the world will be hellish, and we will fail to discover t he endu r i ng joy t hat come s from being content with what we already have and focusing on caring for others.

The Rev. Marek Zabriskie, Rector of Christ Church Greenwich

Worship & Events Calendar ASSEMBLIES OF GOD Harvest Time Church 1338 King St., 203-531-7778 www.htchurch.com

9am. St. Paul Volunteers in Action, Fri mornings, office@ stpaulgreenwich.org or 203-531-8741. Sacrament of Reconciliation Sat 3-3:45pm or by appointment.

St. Roch Church 10 St. Roch Ave.; 203-869-4176 www.strochchurch.com

Service: Sun 9 & 11am; Wed 7pm - Family Life Night.

Spanish: Thur & Sat 7:30pm; Sun 4pm. Sunday School, 10:30-11:15am. Service - Stamford campus, Sun 10am, Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic St. Every Wed, from Jan. 10-March 28: The Alpha Course, 7-8:30pm. Connie's Circle - Every Sat, 10am-1pm.

Mass: Mon, Tue, Frid: 7:30pm; Sat 4pm, Vigil Mass 4pm; Sun: 7:30, 9:30, 11:30am - Social Hour (immediately after 9:30 Mass). Confession: Sat 3-3:45pm. Prayer Group (Spanish) Fri 8pm.

BAPTIST

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

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

First Church of Christ, Scientist 11 Park Place; 203-869-2503 www.christiansciencect.org/greenwich

Sun: Service 11am, School 10am. Wed: Bible Study 7:30pm.

Service and Sunday School 10:30am Wed. Service 7:30pm. Childcare.

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

COMMUNITY

Sun: Prayer in chapel 9:15-9:30am; Bible Study, 9:30am; Worship 11am. Wed: Prayer & Bible Study 7-8:15pm.

Every first Sat. of the month: Men’s Bible Study and Breakfast, 8-9:30am.

CATHOLIC Sacred Heart Church 95 Henry St.; 203-531-8730

Mass: Mon-Fri 7am, Sat 4 & 5:30pm, Sun: 7:30, 9:30, 11:30am Confessions: Sat 3:30 & 5pm.

The Parish of St. Catherine of Siena and St. Agnes St. Agnes: 247 Stanwich Rd; St. Catherine of Siena: 4 Riverside Ave; 203-637-3661 www.stcath.org

Worship: Sat: St. Catherine (Church) 5pm (Vigil) Celebrated with organ and cantor. Sun: St. Catherine (Church) 7:30, 9, 10:30am and 5pm; St. Agnes: 8:30 and 10am. Daily Mass: St. Catherine (Chapel) Mon through Fri: 7am and 5:15pm. Holy Day: St. Catherine (Church) Eve: 5:15pm (Vigil); Day: 7am, 12:10 and 5:15pm. Masses in other Languages: St. Catherine (Chapel)September to June: French Mass 2nd Sun, 11am; Italian Mass, 3rd Sun, 11am; Spanish Mass 4th Sun, 11am. Year-round: Korean Mass Every Sun, 5pm. Reconciliation - Sacrament of Penance: St. Catherine (Sacristy) Sat: 3-4pm or by appt at St. Catherine or St. Agnes. Bereavement Group: every Thursday through Nov. 14, 1:30-3:30 & 7-8:30pm, free, registration required, 203-637-3661 ext. 375 to leave a message or contact parishpartners@stcath. org.

St. Mary Church 178 Greenwich Ave.; 203-869-9393 www.stmarygreenwich.org

Mass: Mon-Fri 7am & 12:05pm; Sat 8am; Sun 7, 9, 10:30am, 12:15 and 5:15pm Sat Vigils: 4 and 7:30pm (Spanish). Confession: Sat 2:45-3:45. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Mon 11am-12pm. Walking With Purpose, Tue 9:30am. Choir Rehearsals, Thu: Children 5:30-6pm, Youth 6-7, Adults 7:30-9:15. A Marian Concert: Oct. 13, 4pm, free and open to all.

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

Mass: Mon-Fri: 7:45am, 9am; Sat 9am, Vigil Mass 5pm; Sun: 7, 9, 10:30am, 12, 5pm. Bible Study: Thu 7pm.

St. Timothy Chapel 1034 North St.; 203-869-5421 Mass: Sat 4pm; Sun: 9:30 & 11am.

St. Paul Church 84 Sherwood Ave. | 203-531-8741 www.stpaulgreenwich.org

Mass: Vigil Sat: 4pm; Sun: 7:30, 9:30, 11:30am; Mon to Thurs 9am. Holy Day schedule: Vigil: 5:30pm Holy Day: 9am and 12:15pm. First Friday Mass & Benediction

First Church of Round Hill 464 Round Hill Rd.; 203-629-3876 www.firstchurchofroundhill.com

Service: Sundays 10am Holy Communion: first Sun every month.

Round Hill Community Church 395 Round Hill Rd.; 203-869-1091 www.roundhillcommunitychurch.org

Service & Church School: Sun 10am (childcare available) followed by Coffee Hour; Summer Meditation Schedule: Thurs, 6:30pm.

CONGREGATIONAL The First Congregational Church 108 Sound Beach Ave; 203-637-1791 www.fccog.org

Regular Worship and Church School: Sun 10am in Meetinghouse. Caregivers Support Group, 1st Sun 11:15am-12pm. Hats Off Book Discussion Group, Thu 10-11:30am. Coffee & Conversation Series: Parenting is the Hardest Job in the World: What Works and What Doesn't: Oct. 11, 9:15-10:45am, Lounge, free, RSVP (walk-ins welcome), darlak@fccog.org or 203637-5430. Mindful Self-Compassion Workshop: Oct. 13, 11:15am-12:15pm, Rick’s Room, free. Confident Parents, Capable Kids - Fall Parent Training for Preschool Parents: Oct. 16, 9:30-11am, free, RSVP, 203-921-7493 or info@emilytrotman.com North Greenwich Congregational 606 Riversville Rd.; 203-869-7763 www.northgreenwichchurch.org

Service: Sun 10:30am. Communion first Sunday of month.

Second Congregational Church 139 E Putnam Ave.; 203-869-9311 www.2cc.org

Family-friendly Evensong Service, every Sat 5pm.

Summer Sunday Services, 8:15 & 9:30am, Chapel. 2CC Mom’s Group: Oct. 17, 9:30am. Act II Consignment Shop Pop Up Sale: Nov. 8 & 9, 10am.

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

Sunday Worship - May 18-Sept 15: Holy Eucharist, Rite 2, 8am; Holy Eucharist, Rite 2, 10am; Compline & Commuion, 5pm. Sunday Educational Offerings: Exploration Series, Youth Formation & Church School, 10:10am. Tue: Holy Eucharist, 10am. Oct. 11: Faith on Fire, 7am; Family Ultimate Bingo Night, 5:308:30pm, avanderbrug@christchurchgreenwich.org.

Spiritual Counseling w/Brother Robert (Appt only):

Oct. 12, 1pm, sevensky.robert@gmail.com. CCNS Harvest Fair: Oct. 19, 11am-1pm.

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church 954 Lake Ave.; 203-661-5526 www.stbarnabasgreenwich.org

Sun: Holy Eucharist Rite I 8am, Holy Eucharist Rite II, 10am; Worship, Church School & Nursery 10am. Serve dinner at Pacific House, fourth Tue of the month, 5:30pm.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 200 Riverside Ave.; 203-637-2447 www.stpaulsriverside.org

Service: Sun: Holy Eucharist, 8am; Christian Education Formation (Sunday School), 10; Holy Eucharist, 10:15; Coffee Hour, 11:30.

St. Saviour’s Episcopal Church 350 Sound Beach Ave; 203-637-2262 www.saintsaviours.org

Sun: Rite I Eucharistic Service, 8am. Rite II Eucharistic Service, 10am. School and childcare offered during 10am service.

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

Shabbat Prayer, Study and Kiddush, Chassidic Philosophy 8:45am, Sat 9:30am; Torah reading and discussions 10:30am; Youth Services 11am. Women’s Torah Study Group, Wed 9:30am. Mommy & Me: Musical Shabbat Tue & Fri, 9:15-10:15am, during summer: 12:30pm.

Through Dec. 22: Mommy & Me Fall Session begins (0-24 months), 9:20am, register.

Congregation Shir Ami One W. Putnam Ave; 203-274-5376 www.congregationshirami.org

Shir Ami Religious grades K-6, Tues, 4-6pm, B’nai Mitzvah Classes; Shabbat Services two Fridays a month.

Greenwich Reform Synagogue 92 Orchard St.; 203-629-0018 www.grs.org

Shabbat services, Fri 7pm. Adult Jewish Learning, Sun 10am. Religious school, Sun 9-11:30am. Introduction to Judaism, Tue 7pm. Through Dec. 21: ‘Baby & Me’ program, 11am-12pm. Terrific Tots at the JCC Preschool: Oct. 16.

Temple Sholom 300 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-869-7191 www.templesholom.com

Service: Fri 6:30pm; Sat 10am; Sun 8:30am. Candle Lighting: Fri night. Shabbat Study: Sat 9am. Minyan: Sun 8:30am. Lunch ‘n Learn: Tue 12pm. Itsy Bitsy Playgroup: Wed 10:30am. Dessert Oneg Sponsored by Sisterhood: Oct. 11, 7:15pm. Sukkah Decorating: Oct. 13, 11:30am. Special Holiday Lunch 'n Learns: Oct. 15, 12pm. Club FiveSixSeven Pizza in the Hut: Oct. 16, 6pm.

LUTHERAN First Lutheran Church 38 Field Point Rd.; 203-869-0032 www.flcgreenwich.org

Service: Sun 10:30am followed by coffee and fellowship.

Wed: education ages 3.5 & up 2:30-5:15pm at St. Paul Lutheran.

St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran 286 Delavan Ave.; 203-531-8466

Service: Sun 9am, Bible Study 10:30. ‘Octoberfest Supper’: Oct. 19, 4-7pm, $20 for adults, $6 for children, Seniors are entered into a "seniors only" door prize raffle, a limited number of “to-go” orders are available by reservation by calling 203-253-2327.

METHODIST Diamond Hill United Methodist 521 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-869-2395 www.diamondhillumc.com

Worship & Sunday School: 10am.

First United Methodist Church 59 E. Putnam Ave.; 203-629-9584 www.fumcgreenwich.com

Sun 10:30am with childcare.

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

Service: Sun 11am Bible Study: Wed. 6pm.

NONDENOMINATIONAL

Dingletown Community Church 376 Stanwich Rd.; 203-629-5923 www.dingletownchurch.org

Service & Sunday School: Sundays 10:30am followed by coffee hour. Holy Communion: first Sun of each month.

Sunday School 11am.

Revive Church 90 Harding Rd., Old Greenwich (Old Greenwich Civic Center) www.myrevive.org

Service: Sunday 10am. Childcare and children’s ministry available.

Stanwich Church 202 Taconic Rd.; 203-661-4420 www.stanwichchurch.org

Sunday Services: Greenwich location (202 Taconic Rd.), 9 & 10:45am (June 9-Sept 2, 10am only); Stamford location (579 Pacific St.), 6pm. Student Small Groups: Oct. 11, 6:30-9pm. Men's Gathering: Oct. 12, 5:306:30pm, 120 Valley Dr., $15-20, register. History Day at Stanwich: Oct. 20, 11am-12pm.

The Albertson Memorial Church 293 Sound Beach Ave; 203-637-4615 www.albertsonchurch.org

Worship Sun: 11-12:30pm. Oct. 13: Sunday service with Rev. Richard Schoeller, 11:am-12:30pm; Halloween fundraiser, 1-3pm, $30 members/$40 non-members.

Trinity Church 1 River Rd.; 203-618-0808 www.trinitychurch.life

Worship: Sun 10am, Greenwich Hyatt Regency, 1800 E. Putnam Ave. "Treasured" with Courtney Defeo: Oct. 14, 9-10am, Trinity Church Offices, 5 River Road, 2nd floor. We Want More Retreat: Oct. 25-26, Bridgeport, $250, with partial scholarships available upon request.

PRESBYTERIAN First Presbyterian Church 1 W. Putnam Ave.; 203-869-8686 www.fpcg.org

Worship Sun: 10am with childcare, Chapel, 5pm (new); Children’s Mini-Chapel 10:15am. Food for the Table 2nd Thurs 3-5pm; Shelter for the Homeless 2nd Thurs 5:30-7pm. Women's Book Discussion Group: Oct. 18, 9:30-10:30am. All Church Bonfire: Oct. 19, 4-6:30pm, andre.castillo@fpcg.org.

Grace Church of Greenwich 8 Sound Shore Dr, Suite 280 203-861-7555 www.gracechurchgreenwich.com

Worship Sun: 8:45 & 10:45am at 89 Maple Ave.; childcare provided.

Living Hope Community Church 38 West End Ave; 203-637-3669 www.LivingHopeCT.org

Worship Sun: 10am. Bible study: Mon 7:15-9pm.

Women’s Bible Study Tue 9:30-11:30am. Mothers of Preschoolers 1st/3rd Wed of month 9:15-11:45am. Bibles & Bagels Sat 7:30-8:30am. Joint Service-Living Hope with Korean Church with Picnic: Oct. 6, 10-11:30am.

REAL ESTATE DASHBOARD

Page 14 | Greenwich Sentinel

REAL ESTATE DASHBOARD MASTHEAD

Deborah Ference-Gray

DASHBOARD EDITOR

Mark Pruner | Mark@GreenwichStreets.com | mark@bhhsne.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Robert Pulitano | RobertPulitano@bhhsne.com Cesar Rabillino | CesarRabellino@bhhsne.com Pam Toner | PToner@HoulihanLawrence.com Visit www.GreenwichSentinel.com to sign up for 5 Things To Do in Greenwich Today for events and up to date open house listings each weekend.

One Pickwick Plaza Greenwich, CT 06830

deborah.ferencegray@sothebyshomes.com

NEW LISTINGS

FEATURED OPEN HOUSES

Data Compiled by Cesar Rabellino (203) 249-9866

Data Compiled by Rob Pulitano [203] 561-8092

Address

Area

Price

Day/Time

Broker

7 Fairchild Lane RENTAL

Greenwich

$14,500

Sun 2-4 PM

Houlihan Lawrence

4 Jones Park Drive RENTAL

Riverside

$18,000

Sun 2-4 PM

Houlihan Lawrence

55 Putnam Park

Greenwich

$349,500

Sun 12-2 PM

Sotheby's

3 Putnam Hill, 4F

Greenwich

$364,000

Sun 2-3:30 PM

Sotheby's

$385,000

Sat 2-4 PM

Berkshire Hathaway

1465 E Putnam Avenue #327 Old Greenwich 23 Nicholas Avenue

3 - Greenwich

$695,000

Sun 1-3 PM

Coldwell

25 W Elm Street #52

Greenwich

$725,000

Sun 1-4 PM

Coldwell

17 Kent Place

Cos Cob

$725,000

Sat 1-3 PM

William Raveis

10 Fairfield Avenue #A

Old Greenwich

$749,000

Sun 1-3 PM

Coldwell

16 Weaver Street

Greenwich

$795,000

Sun 12-2 PM

Compass

2 River Lane

Cos Cob

$975,000

Sun 1-3 PM

DE

51 Forest Avenue #95

Old Greenwich

$1,130,000

Sun 2-4 PM

DE

4 Grey Rock Drive

Greenwich

$1,150,000

Sat 1-3 PM

Houlihan Lawrence

56 Byram Shore Road

Greenwich

$1,295,000

Sun 12-2 PM

Coldwell

36 Sundance Drive

Cos Cob

$1,350,000

Sun 12-2 PM

Houlihan Lawrence

27 Griffith Road

Riverside

$1,375,000

Sun 2-4 PM

Coldwell

1 Mansion Place

Greenwich

$1,395,000

Sun 12-2 PM

William Raveis

4 Shelter Drive

Cos Cob

$1,395,000

Sun 1-3 PM

William Raveis

31 Guinea Road

Greenwich

$1,495,000

Sun 2-4 PM

Houlihan Lawrence

115 Dingletown Road

Greenwich

$1,550,000

Sun 2-5 PM

Berkshire Hathaway

128 Old Church Road

Greenwich

$1,595,000

Sun 1-4 PM

Berkshire Hathaway

76 Circle Drive

Greenwich

$1,595,000

Sun 12-2 PM

Houlihan Lawrence

17 Hawkwood Lane

Greenwich

$1,599,000

Sun 1-3 PM

Coldwell

2 Old Church Road 2

3 - Greenwich

$1,950,000

Sun 1-3 PM

William Raveis

40 Hearthstone Drive

Riverside

$1,975,000

Sun 1-3 PM

Coldwell

99 Porchuck Road

Greenwich

$1,995,000

Sun 1-4 PM

Coldwell

26 Nimitz Place

Old Greenwich

$1,999,000

Sun 1-3 PM

Coldwell

1 Ford Lane

Old Greenwich

15 Anderson Road

Greenwich

2 Old Church Road #3

$2,087,500S T U DSun I O12-4 PM

ROBBE

Office: 203.618.3155 Mobile: 917.584.4903

Address

List Price

Price/SqFt

55 Putnam Park 1465 Putnam Avenue 327 1465 Putnam Avenue 215 151 Putnam Park 40 Elm Street 6B 107 Pilgrim Drive 55 Rodwell Avenue A 22A Park Place 25 Elm Street 52 36 Greenwich Hills Drive 14 Indian Pass 40 Hearthstone Drive 73 Cat Rock Road 223 Palmer Hill Road 15 Anderson Road 5 Verona Drive 194 Shore Road 603 Steamboat Road 5 11 Byram Dock Street 190 Milbank Avenue A 651 River Road 398 Stanwich Road 35 Beechcroft Road 96 Conyers Farm Drive

$349,500 $385,000 $395,000 $599,000 $635,000 $663,900 $689,900 $719,000 $725,000 $769,000 $850,000 $1,975,000 $2,100,000 $2,175,000 $2,395,000 $2,650,000 $2,775,000 $2,850,000 $2,995,000 $3,295,000 $3,295,000 $3,950,000 $3,995,000 $12,500,000

$422 $433 $629 $343 $261 $411 $750 $546 $586 $577 $442 $556 $589 $667 $944 $1,192 $826 $732 $573 $439 $464 $915

SqFt

AC

BR

FB

Area

1 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 4 5 4 3 3 3 3 4 3 6 6 9

South of Post Road Old Greenwich Byram South Parkway South of Post Road Cos Cob South Parkway South Parkway Glenville South Parkway South of Post Road South Parkway Riverside Cos Cob Glenville Cos Cob South of Post Road Cos Cob Glenville Riverside Cos Cob Old Greenwich South Parkway South Parkway

1 1 1 3 1,010 1 1,938 0.22 6 2,642 0.25 3 1,750 0.22 4 967 0 2 1,408 0 3 1,451 0.26 3 3,425 0.3 4 4,748 1.15 4 3,913 1 4 4,065 0.49 6 3,974 0.33 4 2,941 0.29 4 2,390 0 2 3,626 0.24 4 4,500 0.29 4 5,750 1 5 8,993 2 6 8,619 2 6 13,661 15.25 5 912 912

0 0

NEW SALES

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

Original List

List Price

Sold Price DOM BR FB Acres

SqFt

10 Cross Lane 12 Fairfield Avenue 28 Lexington Avenue B 40 Lincoln Avenue 11 Dialstone Lane 122 Cedar Cliff Road 111 Hunting Ridge Road

$799,000 $749,000 $795,000 $2,195,000 $3,350,000 $3,695,000 $7,250,000

$730,000 $749,000 $795,000 $2,115,000 $2,995,000 $3,695,000 $7,250,000

$600,000 $725,000 $750,000 $2,000,000 $2,730,000 $3,425,000 $7,250,000

1,464 1,406 1,871 3,096 3,816 3,066 9,683

68 27 102 373 464 673 0

3 3 3 3 5 4 6

2 2 2 2 5 4 8

0.25 0.19 0 0.17 0.22 1.27 4

Berkshire Hathaway

N

$2,395,000

Sun 2-4:30 PM

Coldwell

Greenwich

$2,395,000

Sun 1-3 PM

William Raveis

9 Stallion Trail

Greenwich

$2,490,000

Sat 2-4 PM

Coldwell

237 Lake Avenue

Greenwich

$2,495,000

Sun 1-3 PM

Sotheby's

P rof es s i o n a l P h oto Po rt ra i ts

for family, Business and modeling

17 Edgewood J Drive $2,530,000 PM E N Coldwell O H NGreenwich FERR I S R OSunB1-3B 1 Lismore Lane Greenwich $2,995,000 Sat 1-4 PM Coldwell 1 Lismore Lane

Greenwich

$2,995,000

Sun 1-4 PM

Coldwell

123 Maple Avenue

Greenwich

$3,235,000

Sun 1-3 PM

Houlihan Lawrence

7 Fairchild Lane

Greenwich

$3,495,000

Sun 2-4 PM

Houlihan Lawrence

101 Dingletown Road

Greenwich

$3,495,000

Sun 2-4 PM

William Raveis

3 Perkely Lane

Riverside

$3,500,000

Sat 12-2 PM

Coldwell

3 Perkely Lane

Riverside

$3,500,000

Sat 12-2 PM

Coldwell

4 Jones Park Drive

Riverside

$3,650,000

Sun 2-4 PM

Houlihan Lawrence

46 Parsonage Road

Greenwich

$3,795,000

Sat 1-4 PM

Berkshire Hathaway

57 Partridge Hollow Road

Greenwich

$3,795,000

Sun 1-4 PM

Sotheby's

10 Andrews Road

Greenwich

$4,325,000

Sun 2-4 PM

Houlihan Lawrence

93 Old Church Road

Greenwich

$4,495,000

Sun 2-4 PM

Houlihan Lawrence

29 Glen Avon Drive

Riverside

$5,450,000

Sun 2-4 PM

Houlihan Lawrence

15 Reynwood Manor

Greenwich

$8,995,000

Sun 2-4 PM

Coldwell

Great investment opportunity Current Gross rent roll is $51,720 Both apartments are below market value Two Three Bedroom units

$695,000 ROBBE

NSTUD

16 Ritch Avenue Greenwich

IO

GREENWICH STUDIO

Capture the P rof es s i o n a l perfect P h oto moment Po rt ra i ts for your yearbook image. for family, Business and modeling JO

Text, call or email for quotes, questions and HN FER R appointments IS ROBB

203 979 0951 Email: JFRobben@gmail.com

EN

Peter Janis 203.249.1013 peterjanis@bhhsne.com GREENWICH 203-869-0500 136 East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830 © 2019 An independently operated member of BHHS Affiliates. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Page 15 | Greenwich Sentinel

WE ARE WITH YOU.

As seasons change

REAL ESTATE’S

Brand

℠

A Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices agent understands that the concept of home depends on the many changes life can bring... our relationship doesn’t start - or end- with a transaction.

bhhsNEproperties.com Greenwich 136 East Putnam Avenue | 203.869.0500 Old Greenwich 200 Sound Beach Avenue | 203.637.1713 ©2019 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.’® Equal Housing Opportunity.

Page 16 | Greenwich Sentinel

Using Real Estates Statistics to Your Advantage

By Mark Pruner There are a lot of statistics in real estate and they can be manipulated to tell different stories. Gleaning the gold from the lead is not always easy.

OVERALL HOUSE SALES BY MONTH One graph you see quite a bit in my Greenwich Sentinel column is the number of single-family home sales by month. The graph I usually use has home sales for each of the last two years, the current year and the 10-year average. What is not included in, but you often see presented elsewhere are sales numbers that include all types of real estate; co-ops, condos and sometimes even multifamily and land. If you are the BET or the Town Clerk and you want to see if conveyance taxes are going up or down the whole market is fine, but it’s not so good if you want to know how each type of property market is doing.

Condos, land and multi-family all have different types of buyers with different demand curves.

There is some overlap, but generally house buyers don’t look at condos and families looking to buy land and build a new house don’t look at multi-family investment properties. Lumping them together muddies the state of the house market, and due to the size of the house market size, the other markets stats are overwhelmed by the housing market. So, when you see a sales number check and see what types of property are included.

The other thing you often see are month over month comparisons. These also are not very useful as we have a major seasonal element to our sales as you can tell by the 10-year average line for single family homes in Greenwich. The odds are very good that nearly every year in your lifetime, May sales will be higher than April sales and that November sales will be lower than October sales. Saying that sales are up or down from the prior month generally doesn’t tell you very much, because of this seasonality. If the change is different than the 10-year would predict, then something likely is happening. A good example are our July sales this year. This year and last July sales were higher than June sales and not just by a little.

If 2020 is the third year with higher July sales than June sales, we may well have a new sales curve and this may be to our detriment. If sales are moving to later in the year as they did this year and last year, then pundits are likely to see the market as weaker than it is by assuming second half sales will be similar to the first half of the year.

It’s going to be harder to say just how well the market is likely to do for the whole year by the end of the first half of the year. In 2007 56% of our sales were in the half of the year, while in 2018 it was only 46%. A 10% difference doesn’t seem like a lot, but it means that sales as a percentage of the whole are down 20% in the first half of 2018 compared to the whole year percentage in 2007.

Pundits are going to be making dire prediction in early July unless they adjust the 1st half sales up to account for our shift to second half sales. This will be particularly so as our sales over $5 million shifted to later in the year several years ago.

a very hot market. Right now, we have 141 days on market for our sold properties and 169 days on market for unsold listings. This is generally pattern as the well-priced, nice house sell quicker than the over-priced houses that sit on the market.

Curiously, the average days on market initially goes up in a hot market as houses that have been on the market for months and years are finally finding buyers. This is a number where the difference between the average and the median can be quite large. All you need is for a couple of houses that have been on the market for 1,000+ days to sell and the average days on market will jump while the median will barely budge. (BTW: In the prior paragraph I didn’t tell you whether I was using the arithmetic average or the median for the 141 DOM sold and the 169 DOM inventory. The better number is the median and that what these number area. The median is as affected by the long tail of days on market. The average DOM for solds is 238 days on market and the DOM for our inventory is 262 days. We have some people that have listed their houses for a really long time.)

Days on market varies significantly by price range. The lower the price range the lower the days on market. We also see the same effect in months of supply. The rough rule of thumb is that months of supply under 6 months are a seller’s market, but your get over $5 million and sellers start feeling good when months of supply drops below 12 or ever 18 months. (Sellers haven’t been feeling good for a few years now in those price ranges.)

So, if you are thinking about listing your house or considering buying, what numbers should you look at? Here’s a quick 5-point check list: 1. Overall are sales and inventory up or down?

2. How are sales and inventory changing in your area and your price range?

3. What is the months of supply for sales, what about with contracts and for the prior month annualized?

4. What is the difference in median sales DOM and inventory DOM? Is it getting better or worse?

5. How is your market doing on a year over year basis and against the 10-year average?

For the seller, months of supply and days on market are significant factors in how aggressively you have to price your house. When these numbers are high you want to be at the lower end of price per square foot and have better staging than your competition. For buyers, you can afford to be more aggressive in your negotiating, particularly where you have other options that are satisfactory.

But numbers are just numbers, when it comes down to one-on-one sales negotiation. When you are negotiating you want to know the needs of the other persons, there personalities and their stress tolerance. In negotiations these are often more important than how soft or weak the market is. Knowing the numbers and knowing how to negotiate in the Greenwich market is what gives you the best result, a sense of control and can even make buying or selling a house fun.

Mark Pruner is a real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway and member of it’s President Circle. He can be reached at 203-969-7900 or by email at mark@bhhsne.com.

JEWELRY APPRAISAL DAY

MONTHS OF SUPPLY Months of supply is also another very useful way to look at the overall market and at particular segments within the market. The good thing about this metric is that it includes not only sales, but the current inventory. It sets out how long it would take to sell our present inventory based on the prior sales rate. For an easy example if we had sold one house a month so far this year and you have 9 house in inventory then you have 9 months of supply.

Katonah Museum of Art Sunday, October 13 noon–5pm

Wise financial planning includes getting up-to-date values for jewelry, watches and other valuables tucked away in jewelry and safe deposit boxes.

Join Rago at our Jewelry Appraisal Day at the Katonah Museum of Art. Contact: Robin Daum at 917.397.9374, ext 119 or robin@ragoarts.com, to make an appointment for a complimentary evaluation.

You can also look at months of supply in different ways; such as only actual closed sales, sale and contracts, or just last month’s sales annualized. If I am representing the seller, I like to see each of these number decline. For example, our September closed sales numbers show that from $600K – 800K we have 8.3 months of supply, not particularly good for an under a million-dollar price range in Greenwich. That however includes the poor first half and the good third quarter.

Buy. Sell. Appraise.

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DAYS ON MARKET Months of supply sometimes gets confused with days on market. If you total up the number of days each house was on the market and take the average, you get days on market for the whole market. If each house came on the market and sold on average in 45 days, then you have 45 days on market (DOM). The lower the days on market, the hotter the market, as buyers snatch up houses within weeks of coming on the market.

If you had 45 days on market for the average time a listing was on the market you would have

Masterworks of American Craft Auction | November 23 Fine Jewelry Auction | December 8 4.89 cts Art Deco diamond engagement ring sold for $43,750 (June 2019) Tiffany & Co. sterling silver water pitcher | $6,000–9,000 (October 18)

WE CAN DO BETTER THAN YOUR BANK!

DEAL DIRECT WITH THE DECISION MAKERS YOUR LEADERS IN LENDING COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL www.greenwichfirst.com NMLS#510513

FBOG_GREENWICH_SENTINEL_AD_2019_R1.indd 1

Column: Great Futures

EVAN R. CORSELLO

PORT CHESTER 500 Westchester Avenue Port Chester, New York 10573 Tel 914.908.5444

GREENWICH 444 East Putnam Avenue Cos Cob, CT 06807 Tel 203.629.8400

STAMFORD 900 Summer Street Stamford, CT 06905 Tel 203.413.6101

CEO/President NMLS #763755 203.302.4375

SVP/Chief Lending Officer NMLS #1253810 203.302.4003

4/2/19 9:38 AM

When I Was Your Age...

If your children are like mine, when they hear the expression, "When I was your age …" they have a weird physical reaction. My oldest child rolls her eyes, while my son gives me a quick shake of the head and a fast exit. My youngest daughter looks THROUGH me and tunes me out. However, a while ago, I got their attention when I talked about growing up in Dallas and how my friends and I would have fun during my childhood.

By Stuart Adelberg

FRANK J. GAUDIO

Greater Good

By Bobby Walker

Column

KEVIN S. O’CONNELL

VP/Commercial Lending Officer 203.302.4378

In my neighborhood, playing outside from lunchtime until dinner was commonplace. Groups of kids would go from one neighborhood to another and play games versus each other solely for bragging rights. We played kickball, basketball, football, games of tag, or just raced for fun.

My son listened to me describe a day where my friends and I played outside for almost ten straight hours one summer day. He asked me a perplexing question, "Dad, was there an adult with y'all when you went to these different places?" I was stunned by his question. So, I threw it back to him by asking, "Why would you ask that?" He explained that if he and a group of kids were to try and have a day like the one I described, there would always be an adult present. As we discussed it further, he reminded me that parents would not just be present, they would supervise the activities to make sure everyone was playing fairly.

Wow! My son’s world of play is so vastly different from mine as a child. When he was younger, his version of play was supervised and usually directed by an adult. This realization hit me hard. It wasn’t until they got older that my wife and I allowed our children to go outside, alone. It was a pleasure getting a recap of what they did those days — capture the flag, manhunt, hanging out, telling jokes, and so on.

Last month, I was reminded of this conversation with my children when I heard an NPR podcast called "Childhood As 'Resume Building': Why Play Needs A Comeback." The podcast went into detail about the decline of play in childhood.

Many factors are contributing to this loss of actual

playtime. Overbearing and overprotective parents aspect of healthy child development, and child-led and the ever-present fears of injury and stranger activities have significant benefits. danger result in children rarely being left alone Here is a quote from a paper* written about the necessity of play for proper development: "Play is important to healthy brain development. … Undirected play allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to resolve conf licts, and to learn self-advocacy skills. When play is allowed to be child-driven, children practice decision-making skills, move at their own pace, discover their own areas of interest, and ultimately engage fully in the passions they wish to pursue.

When play is controlled by adults, children acquiesce to adult rules and concerns and lose some of the benefits play offers them, particularly in developing creativity, leadership, and group skills."

Learning from the conversation with my kids to "be kids" with other kids. Also, parents feel and my son's astute observations, I encourage the pressure that their child needs to be enrolled everyone to give your children, of all ages, time to be in numerous extracurricular activities to bolster a child. Provide guidelines and keep them safe but them in school and, to be honest, be competitive let them create their own fun and provide them the for college. Extra sports leagues, longer tutoring freedom to do the things they enjoy doing. And … sessions, additional music lessons and mandatory when possible, get some of your friends together and volunteer outings have replaced unstructured free have fun! After all, adults are just big kids! time where children can just be kids. The podcast Bobby Walker, Jr. is the CEO of the Boys & did not, in any way, state that children should be left Girls Club of Greenwich. A former independent unsupervised in dangerous environments, or that school administrator and teacher, Bobby is the having children involved in extracurricular activities father of three playful children. He joined Boys & is a negative thing. However, the loss of play and the Girls Club in 2014 as CEO. In his column, Great skills that children learn from merely being kids — Futures, Bobby Walker, Jr. brings his unique peer interaction, resilience, self-determination, and problem-solving — is of concern. According to the voice and perspective to topics affecting youth in our community.

American Academy of Pediatrics, play is an essential and families

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play is an essential aspect of healthy child development, and child-led activities have significant benefits.

The Art & Power of Film

Four months ago, I joined the Avon Theatre Film Center as its Executive Director. To be entrusted with the stewardship of one of our region’s greatest treasures is a dream come true. It is a privilege to work with a Board and staff

that cherishes the Avon’s history, recognizes the importance of the arts, and, above all, engages and inspires Fairfield County audiences with the best of cinema, 365 days a year.

Though most area residents

Art matters. In these challenging and divisive times, it brings people together and opens hearts and minds to new ideas and diverse perspectives. A well-crafted film has the ability to lift us out of our comfort zones and gives us license to think, feel and learn in new and unique ways.

know of the Avon and the amazing work championed by Chuck and Deborah Royce to restore and reopen our previously abandoned historic theatre, many people may not fully understand the concept of a community supported, mission focused, non-profit cinema. If this describes you, I invite you to attend one of our special screenings, docu menta r y n ig hts, foreig n language or independent films. I promise that one evening at the Avon will open your eyes to the art, value and power of film and the benef its of experiencing it with others on one of our two big screens.

It is reasonable to ask about the future of movie houses when so much content is now available online, through streaming media and other technologies. I’ve had the good fortune to view Da Vinci’s Last Supper in Milan, witness Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony in a concert hall, attend a concert

by Elton John and seen Hamilton on the Broadway stage. While technology may recreate these art forms, there is nothing that can truly replace the experience of seeing or hearing art in the manner that the artist intended.

Filmmakers are artists, as well, and we rob ourselves of their gifts when we remove their art from the environment in which it was meant to be seen. We also limit the benefit of a film when we view it in private without the opportunity to communicate and react along with others who have shared in the experience.

A few months ago, the Avon screened a new film called LUCE. Though this film boasted some well-known actors, it dealt with provocative subjects, was directed by a young Nigerian filmmaker and

Avon is all about and it’s the reason I’m so excited to be here. While this example was of an independent f i l m , o t h e r r e c e nt o f fe r i n g s engaged our audiences on critical issues including social justice and immigration. One of our current series, Exhibition on Screen, is bringing the lives, influences and masterpieces of the world’s greatest artists to local audiences. This is not a typical movie house!

Art matters. In these challenging and divisive times, it brings people together and opens hearts and minds to new ideas and diverse perspectives. A wellcrafted film has the ability to lift us out of our comfort zones and gives us license to think, feel and learn in new and unique ways. When I joined the Avon I committed to ensuring that the gifts of this beautiful 80 year old gem would continue to engage and inspire Fairfield County audiences for at least another 80 years. We have some exciting plans for the future that will enhance the experience of Built in 1939, the Avon Theatre Film Center was restored our patrons, preserve our historic and reopened as a non-profit art-house cinema in 2004. assets and build on our sense of community. I’d love to see you at the produced by an independent studio. Fretts, moderated a conversation Avon! You won’t be disappointed!

Avon patrons had the unique that had all of us engaged. When Stuart Adelberg has opportunity to screen the film one the discussion ended, some people week before its official opening. Our spoke with our guests, while others devoted his professional life to special screening was followed by a remained in the lobby or out on community service and is proud dialogue with the director and the the sidewalk under our historic art to have been affiliated for more star – a young man named Kelvin deco marquee and continued to than thirty years with some of the Harrison, Jr. who, in my opinion, is discuss the issues and messages region’s most effective non-profit organizations. He is thrilled to destined for great success. presented in the film.

To s ay t h at ou r aud ie nc e This is just one example of the continue this work in his new was moved by this f ilm is an experiences that occur often at role as the Executive Director of understatement. As the credits the Avon. Each time I attend one, the Avon Theatre Film Center rolled at the end I was struck by the it crystallizes for me, the power of in downtown Stamford. Stuart virtual silence in the theatre. When a good film, the artistry that goes graduated from Greenwich High Kelvin and director Julius Onah into skillful filmmaking and the School and Connecticut College, came down the aisle, the audience reason that the cinema must be has had professional training in erupted into a standing ovation. We experienced on the big screen in a the arts, and lives with his wife sat as NY Times contributor, Bruce community setting. This is what the Marilyn in Old Greenwich.