Last week at this time we were still cleaning up from our (hopefully) last winter storm and keeping an eye on that Saturday’s potential snow that never materialized. This week has been sunny and mild with the snow disappearing quickly. Spring has seemed to get her grasp firmly on Greenwich. Of course, it remains chilly, but you can feel the warmth of the sun coming through. Soon we will be in the midst of April showers with the anticipation of May flowers.
What a difference a year makes! This year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade was a welcome return and by all reports the town thoroughly enjoyed it. Cancelled last year because of weather concerns, its return came on a mild, sunny day. Crowds seemed larger than in previous years. Perhaps absence makes the heart grow fonder. Our local and state elected officials were well represented—although we did miss Selectman Drew Marzullo and his trademark, for the day, green hair. And we did notice that none of our federal delegation were in attendance. We hope they are not forgetting about us.
Even though the parade seemed a little shorter than normal (but not as short as last year’s) it was wonderful to see so many civic organizations participating. We enjoyed the new addition of the YMCA. We were beginning to wonder about this longtime community organization whose building seems to be permanently wrapped in construction and scaffolding. Hopefully this is a sign that they are emerging from their construction woes.
We did miss the Shriners and their synchronized tiny car ballet. They are always a crowd pleaser and we hope they will be back next year. Our first responders were out in full force, and it is always impressive to see all the different fire, police and GEMS apparatus. Usually when you see them it is because they are responding to an emergency. It was nice to watch them pass by and hear all the cheers for them from the children. All in all, the Hibernians did an excellent job on the parade this year. We are already looking forward to next year’s.
What a difference two years makes! Two years ago at this time, we were busily planning the launch of the Sentinel. We were talking to potential reporters, editors, advertisers, friends—you name it. There have been some bumps along the way. Some stories we did not cover that we should have, others that did not need so much coverage. However, every time we have asked our friends and neighbors for support, help, and ideas, you have overwhelmingly replied with a resounding “yes.” Thank you for that. And stay tuned, there are exciting changes soon to be announced. We have some new hires in process and exciting milestones that we will be announcing soon.
Please also keep your ideas coming. The reason we have such a significant worship section is because you asked for it. The same goes for our Around Town blurbs and the “5 Things” daily email. After all, we are your community newspaper and want to reflect what you want to see in your paper. And, of course, we should never pass up an opportunity to thank our incredible advertisers. Their belief in our paper ensures that you receive it each week. We say constantly that when you take the hedge funds and financial services companies out of the equation, we have a very local economy and we all depend on one another. We support our advertisers every chance we get and we hope you will too, by supporting their businesses and letting them know you saw their ad in the Sentinel.
What does next week, next month or even the next year hold? If we could answer that question we would be a better prognosticator than Phil the Groundhog. But we do know it holds promise and the opportunity for our community to come even closer together, supporting one another and celebrating all that the diverse elements our community has to offer. We are looking forward to experiencing it and reporting on it.
